Rune Soldier

Chapters

2 Misfortune
3 Adventure!
4 Revelation
6 Airships and Romance
7 Vanguards on the Mount
8 All Work And No Loot Makes Dashie Go Cray Cray
9 The Sound Of Violence
10 And The Horse You Rode In On
11 How To Spot A Mark
12 Bedknobs and Boomsticks
13 Bedknobs and Boomsticks, Part 2
15 To The Victims, Go The Spoilers
16 Enchantment Under The Sea
18 Primary Feathers
19 Weather, Weddings, and Friends
20 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part One
21 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Two
22 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Three
23 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Four
25 Toy Soldiers, Off to War
26 Legends and Heroes
27 Paying Their Dues
28 The Isles
29 Where The Wild Things Are, Part One
30 Where The Wild Things Are, Part Two
31 Twilight Princess
32 Lady of The Dead
33 A Nice Day For a White Wedding
34 Uncertain Discoveries
35 The Mountain Pass
36 Freedom
37 New Dawn
38 A King's Lament 38
39 The Crystal Empire Arc, Part One 39
40 The Crystal Empire Arc, Part Two 40
1 My Hero
5 Lost Heir
14 When This Vardo's A-Rockin', Don't Come A-Knockin'
17 Baby On Board
24 Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

2 Misfortune

Rune Soldier

Chapter 2: Misfortune

Endymion took a corner, slid and saw a large dumpster just sitting there. Smelly garbage, or angry Pegasus… Yeah, smelly garbage was going to win. He opened the lid, jumped in, and closed it down on himself. A moment later he heard the voice of the Pegasus mare he was hiding from.

Lucky’s Tavern - Two hours earlier

Endymion grinned as he ordered an ale. He was getting a few stares, something that occasionally happened when he ventured outside of Canterlot. He just shrugged his shoulders and took the luke-warm brew. Grinning like a mad stallion he lifted it to his lips and took a drink. It was heavy, the taste of the local Pale Ale hops rang through, and it made him far too happy.

Of course part of it was that he was getting an ale without worry that his mother was going to find out about it. Sure, he was old enough to enjoy an ale, but all too often somepony would go tell his mother, she’d sit down with him, and she’d discuss why it was important for him to not drink in the public. That the image of the royal family had to be observed. For right now though, having an ale, taking a swig, and walking to a table seemed perfectly sensible and understandable. He found a table, nearby a couple of mares that seemed to be focused on their own ales.

“Ah tell ya Dash, we gotta find somethin’ and soon.”

He didn’t turn around, it wasn’t his business.

“Don’t worry AJ, that… you know what, most likely has a flank load of good stuff. We should be all set.”

“Uh huh, Ah seem to remember a similar song ‘bout that old ruin out in the Whitetail Woods, how we was a gonna strike it rich with all of the magical items some old loony unicorn left behind.”

He heard the sigh and the scrape of a chair moving, “Seriously, you’re gonna bring that up? Look, the stuff was there…”

“Yeah, it was, and it was no durned good! Dash, magic wears off after a Unicorn passes, unless it’s a holy item. That old Unicorn had lots of little mystical things that coulda brought in some bits, if any of it still worked. Instead we had a whole bunch of raw material that didn’t even put a dent in the overhead.”

He heard something hit the table behind him, “Look! I never said that the stuff still worked! I said that there was plenty of magical items there! It’s not my fault that the magic guild decided none of it was worth anything!”

“Yer our fence! Yer supposed ta know! Fer Sol’s sake Dash, ya got ta pull yer head outta yer tailhole and do a little research!”

He was certainly about to say something when he saw the lights come on over the stage. He looked up to see a figure coming out, dressed in a long flowing skirt that was cut up the sides until it rested right above her balloon shaped cutiemarks. Her hips were wide, lovely, her stomach wasn’t flat, but it wasn’t overly plump either. She had the look of a well fed, but active mare. He could see her wonderfully sized breasts, contained in what looked like a half shirt, buttoned on top, and knotted on the bottom. There was no evidence of a bra, and his eyes remained trained on her.

“When your rife with devastation

There’s a simple explanation,” she began.

He watched as the pink pony’s amazingly curly mane and tail moved as she swayed her hips, slowly dancing to a beat that seemed to magically just occur as she began to sing.

“You’re a toymaker’s creation

Trapped inside a crystal ball.”

Her hips began to sway slightly faster, the tempo of the beat increased, and she produced a tambourine from somewhere he didn’t see. Her right hand using it to play the instrument against her hip as she sang.

“And whichever way he tilts it

Know that we must be resilient.”

Her movements were over exaggerated, but it made sense for them to be somehow. He took another sip of his ale, watching as she entertained the entire bar.

“We won’t let them break our spirits

As we sing our silly song.”

He was going to get up, move closer, because something like this was something he’d never seen before in Canterlot. He moved his chair back, stood, nearly tripped over his chair, fell forward, and reached out to grab something to hold onto. His reach was greeted with a semisolid form, and cloth. He felt his fingers around the cloth, holding it, and then he fell a little causing it to rip.

He looked up to see an orange Earth Pony Mare, with very large breasts, glaring at him. He also noticed that his hand was holding onto the remains of what obviously had been a shirt she was wearing.

“Ummmm…”

“Gald darned pervert!”

“Wait… it was an accident I swear.”

There was a raspy sounding laughing until he tripped backward, once again reaching out, trying to grab something, and his grip once more found cloth. He tried to let go, truly he did, but instead he held on and rode the fall to the floor, holding a now ripped pair of form fitting shorts in his hand. Above him a blue pegasus mare, whom was now showing the entire tavern her mare bits.

“PERVERT!”

And with that knowing there were no words, nothing he could say to make this better, and figuring that leaving the two mares alone the better idea Endymion scrambled out of the tavern. He heard the sound of hooves on the hardwood floor of the tavern, then the gravel road outside of it. His feet pounded the road, trying to stay ahead of the Pegasus and Earth Pony mare that both seemed to want to visit massive physical harm on his person.

Running was a perfectly valid thing to do. Sure, he had been enjoying watching that very lovely pink mare sing and dance, but at the moment his mind was more on the two mares who were closing in on him. He took a corner almost not making it, going between two buildings, and running until he had to climb up over a wooden fence. The Pegasus was obviously over head.

“GET BACK HERE!”

“Nope!”

He wasn’t even sure why he responded, but that sounded like a good answer. Yes, he was going to nope right the Tartarus out of there. None of the three involved realized that for months afterward their chase would be the talk of the town. Two indecently exposed mares chasing a very strange stallion all through the alleyways and backyards of Ponyville. One thing that Endymion did know was that if he was caught he was certain that some of his favorite body parts would be ruined.

He felt that those body parts deserved the time, care, and protection he could afford them. So, for the next hour and a half he did his best to stay ahead of the two mares, of keeping out of sight, and finally, finally he found the dumpster. He could hear the Pegasus mare outside, angrily swearing, cursing him, and basically every other stallion, and finally her voice faded out. He waited, several minutes, and after he no longer heard either of them, he got up, slipped out of the dumpster, and groaned.

Sure, he was used to messing with magical items, and even dealing with brimstone. It was a major component in more than one potion, but he didn’t relish the idea of smelling like rotting vegetables, rotten eggs, and three day old coffee grounds. Add some spoiled tuna fish to it and he suddenly felt exceptionally nasty.

Letting out an indignant groan of annoyance he began the long trip back to Twilight’s home. With any luck Twily would be asleep, he could go take a shower, and then throw his clothes into the laundry. He checked to make sure that there wasn’t anypony around, and kept moving.

“Hiya!”

He nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Ah!”

“Ah! To you too silly!” there was a giggle, “That’s an awfully silly way of greeting somepony. Oh my gosh you’re new to Ponyville aren’t you?!”

He nodded, “Yeah… Actually I just got here today.”

“Wowie! You know you’re in for a treat!” the voice said before the owner walked closer to him, “Oh pew, you need a shower, like yesterday! You smell like you’ve been hiding in the dumpster behind the feed bag…”

He looked at the same pink pony from earlier, her hair still a mess of curls, although now there was a light blue bandana that was tied around her ears and pulled her curls into a much more manageable mess.

“I kinda was. Those two mares weren’t too happy with me.”

She giggled again, “Noparroni! I’ve never seen them so ticked before! It was kind of hard to finish my song. I really wanted to watch the show the three of you put on.”

He started to walk again, and she walked with him, granted a little further over because of the smell of the garbage, but close enough to really talk and get to know the newest visitor to their little town. She grinned when she found out who he staying with, explaining that she was friends with Twilight too. She didn’t go into the fact that Twilight and herself were estrus buddies. There was just somethings a mare didn’t share. Certainly her wearing a cooler, smacking Twilight on the cutiemark, and asking her who’s her mama wasn’t something ponies brought up in polite conversation.

They made their way all of the way back to Twilight’s home, where the pink pony smiled at him, “I’m Pinkie Pie by the way, oh! Tomorrow, you might want to get up early, but not too early, maybe around nine amish!”

With that Pinkie Pie skipped down the road, and he watched her leave. A good part of him wondered how that pink pony had the energy she had. The other part wondered how she was able to get so much wiggle in her rump. He was sad to watch her go but delighted to watch her leave… Endymion then made for the back door. He figured he wouldn’t get detected because of how malodorous he was at the moment. He knew where Twilight hid her spare key and after procuring it, he quietly opened the door and slipped inside. His mother and best friend were nowhere in sight, so he tiptoed up the stairs, went into the guest room he was using,

After disrobing and throwing his now stained and smelly clothes into the laundry, Endymion made his way to the shower. Once he got the water to his prefered temperature, he slipped into the stream of the shower. The warm water was highly relaxing after the cock up that his afternoon was. He lingered under the hot cascade for at least five minutes before he got to working up a lather with the body wash and shampoo supplied. A vigorous scrubbing removed the dirt and odor of the day and Endymion was getting so relaxed that he could not help the erection that rose up. An enticing image of Pinkie Pie onstage, sans her signature Gypsy garb, formed in his mind. He began to mindlessly stroke himself off, reveling in the memory of Pinkie’s luscious rump as she bounced away.

He was so lost in his lust trance, he didn’t notice the bathroom door open, nor did he hear the sound of the toilet seat coming down on the toilet. He did, however catch the sound of the toilet flushing, because the once warm water turned icy cold in an instant.

“AUGH!” Endymion bellowed and in that instant, the shower curtain was drawn back. Standing there in a flimsy summer chemise with lacy, floral panties was Twilight. Her horn was lit up, like she was prepared to cast and in her hand was a thick tome written by Starswirl the Bearded. She looked on the verge of attack, until she recognized the figure in the shower.

“E-endy-?” Twilight stammered.

“Was goin’ on?” Asked a sleep filled voice, and Spike turned up at the bathroom door. Seeing Twilight in pre-attack phase, horn alight and book poised for striking, and Endymion, wearing naught but the skin Sol gave him, the poor dragon was taken aback. It lasted mere moments, but it was enough to get him to register what was going on.

“Dude,” Spike groaned, “get a towel.”

The young drake then threw a terry cloth towel at Endymion, who promptly wrapped about his loins and left the shower. Spike then looked after Twilight, because she was apparently in shock of seeing so much stallionhood in one place. Endymion left the bathroom, wearing the soft lavender terrycloth towel, and headed toward his own room. Events of the day weighed on him. That Earth Pony and Pegasus mare, then Pinkie, which if he was to be honest she was nice, kind, and certainly someone he’d be interested in spending more time with.

He removed the towel, his erection jumping back to where it had been. He wasn’t sure what to think as he sat down. He certainly had thought about Pinkie, but then again the towel he was wearing had the same detergent that Twilight used, or rather Spike used, for all of their clothes. So he was currently sporting wood while thinking of one mare, and smelling what could easily be his best friend.

Lying back he thought about Twilight. She’d always been kind of adorkable. Honestly, she was cute and sweet in her own way, and he’d never known her to be stuck up around him. So many of the Canterlot nobles were. Even Blueblood, one of his male cousins that he was actually close to, was fairly stuck-up about things. He was fairly sure that Blue would’ve said a few unkind words about the tavern tonight, but he wasn’t sure if even Blue could have dismissed somepony like Pinkie.

Realizing that he had the choice of either taking care of himself, or trying to go to sleep with his hard-on he chose taking care of himself. Silently he was thankful that his mom didn’t invade his dreams at night. There was times he would have loved for her to visit him, to banish the nightmares away, but he had no doubt that tonight was going to be full of some activities his mother never needed to see.

He closed his eyes, his mind following one of the first lessons of magic he learned. To properly do magic, to properly do anything, one had to have total focus on their objective. They had to be able to picture what would happen, each step, every detail, and it had to be perfect. His mind went back to the tavern, every detail he saw, the knots in the hardwood floor, the odd number of round tables, the even number of square ones, the mixture of old beaten up chairs mixed with newer looking wooden chairs, the smell of the ale, of the food, of the room itself, and then he began taking the other ponies out of there.

Every last pony except for the pink one, except for Pinkie. She was swaying her hips, singing her song, her long soft blue skirt that was slitted up the sides all of the ways above her cutie marks, Her seafoam green top that was buttoned except for the top two buttons, and tied with a loose knot under it. Her hand reached for the knot, pulling it apart, her fingers moved up to the buttons, undoing them, revealing the softness of the her breasts that resided there.

She breathed heavily, looking at him, stepping out to the table he was sitting at, moving toward him, pushing the top open and revealing a perfect set of breasts with nipples and areolas that were darker than her breasts, making them a dark red. She moved her hands down, finding her skirt, pushing it down, past those marvelous hips, and revealing that she was wearing no panties.

“Oooo, looks like you have something for me…”

He nodded dumbly, watching as she disrobed before him, slowly she slid to the end of the table, “Taste me?”

He leaned forward his tongue moving out, and she tasted sweet, like candy. His hands found her thighs and held them apart.

“Ooooo, Endymion, I love what you’re doing, but this is for you, you naughty colt,” she said as she pushed him back, slid off of the table, and found his pants. He felt her pulling them down, with all ease, her hand finding his raging erection, and then the softness of it touching him. Her mouth moved toward the tip, kissing it, tenderly, and he let out a deep moan of satisfaction.

He felt her take him into her mouth, shallowly at first, then deeper, and finally she was bottoming out, taking him right to her throat.

“Give it to me, I want it…” she cooed.

He moaned again feeling her sucking him off, knowing he wasn’t going to last, and then she began to change. He watched as her form flittered and changed like a magi dropping their illusion. It was Twilight, her proportions different than Pinkie’s different, but perfect in their own way.

“Endy, I love you,” she cooed as she came up for air.

He saw how wet she was as she pulled him up, laid him on the table and began to straddle him, “I’ve wanted this, wanted you for so long. Take me Endy, please, make me your mare.”

He felt her press down, his length pushing into her core, and he felt the furnace that waited for him inside.

“Oh Sol… Oh Endy…”

Her moans were heavenly, and he reached up his hands feeling her breasts. They were the perfect size for her. Just fitting into his hands with a little left over.

“Rut me… Oh Sol Endy rut me so hard!”

He obeyed, thrusting up as she thrusted down. He filled Twilight, never knowing that outside of this vision, of this dream he was creating, a set of eyes were watching him.

Twilight stood there, watching Endymion, her own eyes wide, seeing him stroking himself, and finding it hard to say a word. She’d wanted to come down and explain herself, apologize for walking in on his shower, and hoping that he would be able to move on from it. Instead she was seeing him working his very respectable stallionhood. Sol, he was big, certainly bigger than Written had been.

Not that Written Script was small, he was certainly large to please Carrot Top, but Endymion’s was most certainly bigger. Not being able to help herself, a hand snaked up under her dress top, finding her right breast. She began to cup it, her fingers finding her nipple and rolling it between them gently. Her other hand moved down into her panties, finding her now very wet vagina. She moved her index finger between the lips, feeling how wet she was, imaging that it was indeed Endymion, and then she slipped that finger into herself.

“Endy,” she whispered in a husky moan.

She watched him, her finger working feveriously. She wasn’t fingering himself, No, Endy had doubled himself, a hand was on her breast, a finger inside of her. She leaned against him, feeling the most delicious hardness that she saw against her rump.

“I’ve always loved your flank.”

She moaned softly again, “It’s yours… if you want it.”

“Pull your panties off.”

She moved her panties down, using her magic, not trusting her hands, and she felt his length touching her tailhole. She leaned forward, and he moved with her, he rubbed his impressive phallus against her pussy lips, getting it wet, and then he moved it back up to her tailhole.

“It’s still mine?”

She nodded, her voice couldn’t be trusted. He pushed in, and Sol he was gentle. Written had been a little rough when he did it, but thank Sol Endymion was gentle. He kept going, “I’m not stopping until I’m all the way.”

“D.. Don’t stop.”

She felt him become flush with her. Her tail moved to the side. Oh Sol she was his. She was his mare. No other stallion would ever be inside of her again. He pulled back and the feeling of being so empty was unsettling, and then she felt him fill her again. She opened her mouth, and the moan that left her was loud, very audible, and thankfully it only fed the vision Endymion had created for himself. She saw the Endymion on the bed, his most wonderful tool becoming harder, the head becoming a similar purple to some of her coat, and then she saw him explode. It flew, further than she was certain he planned on it doing, and splattered on her cheek. That happening, the vision of him inside of her pushed her over the edge and she orgasmed so hard she nearly fell down. Seeing him beginning to stir, she was faced with two decisions. Leave, or admit that she stood there, getting off on watching him getting off.

Everything her mother had actually taught her demanded that she leave. She listened to that voice, started to move, and looked back at him. For the first time ever if she stayed, if she did opposite of what she was raised to do, maybe there would be something. She watched as he began to sleep, realizing that he was not going to awaken she moved down a little bit.

“Mmm, Twilight…” he moaned in his sleep.

Her eyes widened, the world was turned upside down, and something she had been hoping for turned out to be real. He… He wanted her. She swallowed her nervousness. Upstairs, or down here. She had a choice… No, upstairs, She wanted him, truly wanted him, but she wanted his waking mind to realize what his sleeping one seemed to finally realize.

She’d win him, the old fashioned way. Maybe a trip to see Rarity would be in order….

Golden Oaks Library - 8:59 am

Twilight, thankful that she showered and no longer smelled like she had pleasured herself last night, looked at the large number of ponies in her home. Princess Luna, who hadn’t left, seemed to happily be mingling, gladly speaking to the ponies around her, and was even kindly talking to Pinkie Pie who had thrown this entire party together.

Somehow Pinkie had known Endymion’s favorite dish, which was fried trout, his favorite cake which was chocolate, and his favorite flavor of punch. She questioned Twilight about it only to get the answer of ‘that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.’ Still, it almost seemed as if Ms Pie could read minds, or at least could read ponies exceptionally well. A stray thought of perhaps having her visit during night court so she could get a read on some of the nobles struck her as very interesting.

At that moment the guest room her son was using opened, and Endymion stepped out. She shook her head as she realized that he was wearing naught but his boxers and a smile. Well, minus the smile and add a very confused look on his face.

“What in Tartarus?”

“Welcome to Ponyville! I said to wake up around nineish, and you did! Wow… I’ve never known anypony to want to party in their underwear, maybe you’ll start a new trend!”

“Nope!”

He turned around, walked back into the guest room and closed the door. Pinkie walked toward it, turned the handle, opened it, which if Endymion had paid attention would make no sense since he locked it behind him, and started down the stairs after him.

“Hey, grumpy missing your party no pants, you can’t miss your own party, that’s against the rules! You can’ t break the rules!”

He looked up at her, and she was certainly dressed differently today. Her Gypsy outfit had been traded in for a sundress that was a soft yellow. It actually looked nice on her. It was light enough, and thin enough, that in this dark room, with the right light behind her, he could see her body shape. He was very pleased that he was certainly right about her breasts.

“I’m not going to miss it. I just want to throw some clothes on.”

She grinned at him, “Okay, so, get them on.”

“Ummm.. Privacy?”

She grinned, “Really? After last night, you want privacy?”

His eyes widened.

“Uh… Uhh… What do you mean?”

She grinned, taking a seat on his bed, “Oh, you, me, Lucky’s, a private dance, my trying to get my party cannon stuffed.”

He swallowed hard, “That was… I was just…” she leaned forward and grinned at him.

“It’s okay, and I mean really, it’s okay I enjoyed myself, but let’s just say that I kind of sort of know when somepony is really thinking about me, especially if they really seem to like me. Most of the time I ignore it, but that was… Wow,” she said as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

“I… Ummm… I’m really sorry though. I didn’t know that you could… and I without even asking you.”

She grinned and touched his cheek, “Like I said, it’s okay, and I really didn’t mind. Besides, we got that entire awkward seeing each other naked thing out of the way, followed by me trying to suck the frosting out of your nozzle thing out of the way, so that’s certainly a win. Although, I don’t know why it went all dark… Although I sure smelled Twilight right after.”

Endymion’s face turned dark red, he grabbed a shirt, a pair of pants, quickly and quietly got dressed.

“Oh my goodness, really?! Twilight?!”

He didn’t say a word so she did, “Wow… You’ve got a great imagination!”

She got up, watching as he stepped past her.

“So, we’ve got pin the tail on the pony, Pinatas, Cider pong, a game of bits, and when things die down we’ll find some other games to play.”

He stopped at the doorway, his hand frozen on the lentil, and turned his head to face Pinkie again.

“Other games?” Endymion asked, “what other games are you talking about?”

Pinkie giggled, then hopped past him, even though he was filling the majority of the doorway, and said, “♪You’ll see!♫”

Back downstairs, Twilight was speaking with her other friends, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. The warrior and the thief had been regaling the mage about the pervert that attacked them in the Lucky last night. Twilight had a hard time believing their tale, as AJ and Dash had simultaneously described a being easily eighteen feet tall and wearing the scales of a dragon. This did not reconcile with the how this stranger, obviously intelligent enough to slay a dragon, would even think of accosting two of the strongest mares in all of Ponyville, if not all of Equestria.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight said with cynicism, “this stallion was huge and could have easily beaten the two of into paste and yet he ran away?”

“I know, right?” Dash said, “It doesn’t make sense!”

“Well, he did appear drunk, sugarcube,” AJ replied, “he m’ght’ve not been in any mind to be coordinated and such. Still, we ain’t lettin’ him get away with besmirchin’ our dignity.”

“Where did you learn a word like ‘besmirching?’” Dash asked the warrior Apple mare.

“Same place I got this attitude, mah family,” AJ smirked, “cain’t hep it if’n Cloudsdale cain’t teach their younguns proper.”

“Oh, that is it-” Dash tried to shout, but a soft touch at her shoulder told her not to start a row.

“Dash,” Fluttershy began, “you know, as well as I do, that you were never the best student in school. And Applejack doesn’t mean anything when she says things like that. Don’t you, Jackie?”

A scowl appeared on AJ’s muzzle, but it was quickly stifled for a dour look, “Yeah, yer right, Flutters. If’n ponies like you can come outta Cloudsdale, then there ain’t no need for disparagin’ their schools. Ah’m sorry, Dash.”

Dash looked like she wanted to argue, but the steely grip at her shoulder told her otherwise, “Okay, apology accepted.”

“There we go!” Fluttershy exclaimed, beaming, “Now, let’s enjoy this party. Pinkie Pie said this was supposed to be a special ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ fiesta, and knowing Pinkie, and seeing Princess Luna here, it has to be a real humdinger of a party. Anypony want some more of this punch? It is so delicious…”

“What is it, that blueberry stuff?” Dash asked, “Well, I was never into frou-frou stuff but I’ll take another glass.”

Fluttershy shook her head, “No, it tastes different, almost like raspberry, but with a hint of coconut.”

Hearing Fluttershy’s endorsement Rainbow Dash grabbed a cup, dipped out some punch, and took a drink. It was good. Normally Pinkie’s stuff had enough sugar to cause diabetes, but this wasn’t so bad. It was kind of mild with a faint bite to it. She liked it. AJ took a cup, dipping some out as well. She took a drink, smiled at Twilight who seemed to be still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that somepony as big as they were saying simply ran.

Even if he was drunk she’d figured that a stallion would stay and fight. Well most would. She knew a few that would run either because they wouldn’t want to hit a mare, or they were a little cowardly. Endymion was one that just didn’t hit mares. He was too respectful for that. It wasn’t that he couldn’t. But she’d seen him resist the urge to hit a guard before that whistled at him and said his place was behind a mare, rutting her silly. Stallions didn’t need magic school.

Of course he ignored it, but she told Princess Luna, and that same guard was suddenly finding herself scrubbing toilets for the maids, in the guest rooms. Princess Luna even had her do it in the most skimpy Prench Maid outfit she could find. She heard the door to the guest room open again, saw Pinkie Pie, and then saw Endymion.

“Oh there he is!”

Dash and AJ looked up, Rarity who happened to be near by looked toward where Twilight was pointing, Fluttershy turned around, and she saw him for the first time. He was certainly exotic. She noticed his build and then she heard her friend growling.

“THAT’S THE PERVERT!” Both Dash and AJ shouted at the same time.

3 Adventure!

Rune Soldier

Chapter 3: Adventure!

Endymion’s eyes widened as he looked at the two mares he was running from last night. Both of them looked ready to bite nails in half, and he was looking for the exit. This wouldn’t end well, and the last thing he wanted to do was hit a mare. He wasn’t one of those Stallions that used the excuse of the country being so Matriarchy and oppressive toward stallions. That wasn’t the truth at all. Stallions had exact same rights and privileges that any mare had. Besides, mares usually, typically, and normally were softer and more delicate.

“Hello, ladies,” Endymion started, “listen, about last night- There are no words to describe just how sorry I am. My mother raised me to be respectful of mares and last night I let her and myself down. I could use the excuse that I was drunk but even that sounds weak to my ears. I had no intention at all to- expose the both of you to the world like that. In my ale induced stupor, my reflexes and equilibrium had deteriorated exponentially. I would like to apologize, from the very bottom of my heart for everything I did to you last night..”

Dash glared at him, her fists balled up, and finally she huffed, her wings still sticking out in a threatening manner, “Fine! But if you ever, ever try to let the world see my mare bits again I’m gonna make you eat my hoof, got it?!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Endymion stated, “on Sol’s Light, it won’t happen again.”

AJ didn’t stop walking toward him. Instead of stopping and accepting his apology she grabbed his pants. His eyes widened, and she grinned devilishly.

“Ah’ll ‘cept your ‘pology after Ah make things nice and fair.”

He felt his pants, and boxers hit the floor. AJ had seen a few phalluses in her time. Hell, she wasn’t really a mare that simply went around doing whatever whenever she felt like it, but if’n she had an itch to scratch she’d go and scratch it. She realized that while this fella was certainly an exotic stallion, his phallus was as well. The head wasn’t flared, there was no medial ring like on most stallions, and it didn’t look very long. What it did have was a mushroom capped head, a thick girth, and some finely defined veins snaking just underneath the skin. It was a few shades darker than his pale coat or skin, was and despite that it was currently flaccid, Applejack could tell that this phallus had potential to expand greatly. She wondered greatly if grew in length as well as girth when fully erect,

“Applejack!”

The earth pony turned toward the priestess of Sol. She had a very displeased look upon her face, and AJ shrugged her shoulders, “Fair’s Fair ‘Shy. Dun’t know what else ta tell ya. Now fella, yer good with me. Ya dun had yer goods shown to everypony here, and Ah’d say that’s fair ‘nough. How ‘bout ya Dash? Sound fair ta ya?” AJ asked with a wink.

Dash, whose wings had changed from sticking out sideways, looking threatening to sticking more up, which pretty much spoke about arousal nodded.

“Y...Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

Endymion grabbed his boxers, and pants, and quickly pulled them up. His face flushing red with embarrassment. The orange Earth Pony mare looked quite pleased with herself, took her cup and drained it. He stumbled around her, not looking at anypony, and found the punch. He dipped some out, and before he was finished he heard a familiar giggle.

“Hi Pinkie,” he said as he looked into to bluish liquid that was sitting in his crystal cup.

“I gotta say that’s two shows in less than twenty-four hours. I think that having you around is going to be a lotta fun!”

He shook his head, saw his mother, who was cocking an eyebrow, obviously wanting to hear the story of why he was pantsed in the middle of party meant to welcome him to Ponyville. There was no way he was going to escape hearing about drinking in public, and then causing a ruckus. Luckily it was here and not Canterlot, but regardless he was sure she was going to have a few words to say about it. He began to think of what he was going to say, and slowly the realization that there would be nothing to say, other than admitting what happened, that would save him from a lecture. At least he could rest assured that his mom would just talk to him, and not give him a verbal tongue lashing.

He’d seen what happened when she really laid into ponies before. The memory of Professor Nightshade and her being bawled out was still fresh in his mind even though it happened a scant two years ago.

Royal Magic Academy - Headmaster’s office - two years ago

Endymion didn’t feel comfortable being in the room right at this moment. Professor Nightshade wasn’t a bad pony, but she was certainly a misandrist. Out of their class he was usually the one called on for the impossible questions, the more difficult equations, and at first he thought that maybe it was because of his Mom, but slowly he began to see that none of the other students ever got any of those questions. And when he did do what she assigned him she marked it down as low as she could because he obviously cheated.

He hadn’t told his mom, he didn’t want her fighting his battles for him, but Twilight had been in the class with him, and she had spoke up about it. While she didn’t get the same questions as he did, she did end up getting some really difficult time constraints on her assignments. Potions that would take six days to brew had no more than the minimum time allowed. Her spells had to be cast while there was ample distractions, and she even had to deal with trying to overpower a magical inhibitor.

Professor Nightshade had began hurting Twilight for sticking up for him. He wasn’t going to tell his mom because of what she was doing to him, but he couldn’t stand around and let her get away from doing that to Twilight. So, right now, he and Twilight were in the office, Twilight on the other side of the room, looking as worried as he was, and then the door opened and in stepped Professor Nightshade.

She was one of the few Lunar Unicorns, and her heritage was one that was ruthless and hard as stone. She walked in, her head held high, and she looked at Princess Luna.

“You summoned me, your highness?”

“Take a seat, now.”

Cocking an eyebrow at the Princess’ lack of tact she took the seat in front of her. Luna stood, the air in the room dropping several degrees, obviously because all of the energy was gathering into the Princess at that moment. Luna’s wings stuck out threateningly, and Nightshade’s eyes widened. Hard as stone or not she realized there was some Pegasus tendencies inside of her Princess. Tendencies such as a very protective nature toward her own foals. Nightshade swallowed down her nervousness, realizing that at worst this was going to be an epic balling out, and that Luna couldn’t very well kill her, or at least she hoped that Luna couldn’t very well kill her.

“YOU WILL NO LONGER BE TEACHING DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS! THAT POSITION WILL MOVE TO PROFESSOR FLINTHEART!” Luna’s Royal Canterlot voice roared.

Any attempt to remain calm, to look unthreatened, was gone. Professor Nightshade was a shaking, quaking mess that found herself in a fetus position on the chair she currently sitting on.

“YOU WILL NO LONGER DIRECTLY TEACH ANY STUDENT, BUT INSTEAD YOUR SERVICES WILL BECOME THAT OF A PROFESSOR’S AIDE. SHOULD I HEAR OF THOU SAYING ONE CROSS WORD, ONE UNSAVORY PHASE, OR SIMPLY LOOKING AT A STUDENT IN A WAY THAT SEEMS THREATENING THOU SHALT HAVE NIGHTMARES THE LIKE THOU HAS NEVER SEEN! LEAVE NOW!”

With that, and leaving behind the smell of urine, Professor Nightshade ran out of the room, away from Luna, away from her son and prized student, and into her new position.

“M-mother?” Endymion began, only to hushed by an upraised hand.

“Not now, my son,” Luna stated, “your mommy needs a moment to collect herself. It has been an age since she has had to use The Royal Canterlot Voice. It’s been even longer since I have needed to call upon such stark rage like as what I felt today. Not since the Pony-Griffons Wars…”

“Your Highness,” Twilight began, “you really, really didn’t need to do that. I was more than capable of handling this on my own-”

“Twilight,” Luna began, “while we appreciate the sentiment, twas not for thine sake that We hath need to dress down yonder mare.”

“Your Majesty?” Twilight began to ask.

“We hath heard disparaging rumours, rumours concerning Our Colt and the former Professor Nightshade. She hath seen to it thine Our Foal hath a horrible academic career, in spite of his obvious intelligence and talent. We hath need to excise such a horrible blight from Our School, for this instance wast not the first or the worst of the Professor’s behavior.”

“Mother?” Endymion asks, “You- you heard.”

“Yes, my dear,” Luna replies, “I am not so oblivious to my son’s pain. I saw you struggling and at first, I thought you were being your usual self. Then when you brought up the matter of Twilight’s punishment, I knew something was terribly wrong. I have known for some time of Teacher’s Aide Nightshade’s- proclivities. I had been itching to remove her forthwith from the staff, but she had not given me reason to do so. Well, until now, obviously.”

“Wow,” Twilight murmured, “thank you, Princess!”

“It was nothing,” Luna stated, “this is my school and as such, staff changes are at my discretion. I know my son well enough to know he won’t complain to me about his problems, but if his friends are in any kind of trouble, he will make all effort to see their issues redressed.”

“Thank you, Endy!” Twilight beamed.

“You’re welcome, Sparklebutt,” Endymion said, “you now as well I do that I couldn’t sit there and watch you suffer. You would do the same for me; that’s why you were targeted in the first place.”

“Nevertheless, Endymion,” Luna said, “reprisal of that order is usually the mark of a weak or lesser mind. The strong do not seek vengeance, they seek forgiveness.”

“Yes, Mother,” Endymion said, “uh, can we go now? The cafeteria is serving tiramisu for dessert tonight.”

Smiling, Luna ruffled Endymion’s messy auburn hair and said, “Yes, you may go.”

The two students beamed and fled the rather dark room in a hurry. Luna had to smile at their still childlike enthusiasm. Despite her millennia long term as a ruler of Equestria, she never could discern what made children so energetic. Maybe it was because they hadn’t been harrowed by life or maybe it was because they had not taken on the responsibilities of adulthood yet. Either way, it was an enviable trait.

“I do hope that Master Endymion brings that same type of energy he reserves for delicious after meal snacks as he does learning within my class,” Professor Flintheart said, oozing from a shadowy corner of the office, “otherwise I will be much put out.”

“My son has shown a keen mind and an avid predilection for learning, Professor,” Luna replies, “it is not his, nor my, fault that he has trouble mastering magic.”

“No doubt it is because of his species,” Flintheart says, and even though the statement earns him a dour look from the Princess, he carries on, “he is a hooman trying to learn unicorn magic. Your Majesty, I do not doubt your adopted son has a well spring of arcane prowess buried in that thick head of his, but you and I know both know he is no unicorn. There must be some method by which we draw out his latent talent, but until then he may very well be useless in this school.”

“I understand, Professor,” Luna replies, “I also understand that many within the faculty seem impressed upon the idea that Endymion is here in my school because of nepotism. I would hope that you, unlike your predecessor, did not harbor such illusions.”

“I daren’t not,” Professor Flintheart said, “I was one of the few present when your son demonstrated a magic outburst of such capacity as to frighten that thrice-Tartarus-cursed centaur. Any illusion, or delusion, I may have about your son’s abilities have long since been dispelled.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Luna replied, “it has been nearly eighteen years since he came into my life and while I will always see him as my little colt, there is a grand destiny awaiting him, somewhere… out there, well beyond the walls and spires of Canterlot.”

“Is it not so preposterous that your son may be a denizen of that Olde Empire to the west?” Flintheart proposes, “The idea that a hooman family would abandon their son in the Everfree-”

“They did not abandon him, Flintheart,” Luna says, cutting the professor off, “he was found in the Everfree.”

“My Liege,” Flintheart says, “is this information of a- discrete nature?”

“Yes, that it is,’ Luna answers, “and should you tell a soul of what I am about to explain, the damnation you received personally from me will make Nightshade’s dismissal will be as a congenial tea party.”

“I understand,” Flintheart affirms, “nary a soul shall hear of this. Besides, of whom would I even tell?”

“There is wisdom in those words,” Luna retorts, “now, as for my son. You should know that most of what I explained to the media about Endymion is true. There are some major omissions, mind you, made for my son’s sake.”

“And what would these omissions be about, Your Grace?”

“My son was found in the wreckage of a conveyance of unknown origin,” Luna began, “as near as I could tell, he was the only survivor. All others of his species on board the vessel perished.”

“How is that even possible?”

Luna explains, “I have thought long on that. My only theory is that Endymion is a special child, more so than even he could know. When I found him, he was buried under the twisted metal shards of the conveyance’ outer shell. The beings I believed to his mother and father were nearby, broken and broken open, no tender mercies to be applied. He, on the other hand, was whole: alive, but scared. He was wrapped in a shimmering dome of pure silver. To this day, I do not know if that is the natural color of his arcane energies or if that was the markings of some sort of artifice. In any case, my son has, since the day I found him, possessed of a great measure of magical skill.”

“Indeed, to have survived such a horrible ordeal,” Flintheart commented, “has he no memories from that time?”

“The only memories he has are of me and the times thereafter,” Luna answered, “any experience he had previously has simply been erased, or likely forgotten. Even so, he is a happy child and not one prone to devilry or disrespect. I do hope you will be able to build a rapport with him.”

“And if I cannot?” Flintheart asks.

“Then I shall need to take measures into my own hands,” Luna said, “fear not, though. Unless you insist on abusing my foal, your position in this school shall not be affected. Yet, I think it wise that you make an attempt to accommodate Endymion and his unique- handicap.”

“I shall not be passing a student that feels he doesn't not belong here or feels entitled to advance without putting in the effort to do so,” Flintheart retorts, “I shall not be a stepping stone or doormat in that way.”

“Neigh, Flintheart, I wouldn’t ask that of you,” Luna states, “I am assured he will work as hard, if not harder, than any student you have ever had. If he does not, he will have more than your wrath to contend with.”

Present time - Party - Golden Oaks Library

Luna watched her son, seeing him interact with that earth pony. A look at her told her much about the pink mare. She was lively, and she knew that she had thrown this party together. She actually knew much about her, about Pinkie Pie, but seeing how familiar she was with her son it was both a joy and a reminder that Endymion was indeed growing up. She still silently hoped that he would end up with Twilight, but if another would make him happy, she would be pleased.

Part of her considered the idea that perhaps her son would be open to herding. It wasn’t a banished idea in Equestria, some of the nobility still practiced it, and having royalty add an earth pony to the family would only strengthen the unity between the tribes. Yes, if her son was open to the idea of herding she would openly welcome a pony such as Ms Pie into the family. And, perhaps she could have her help with reading the nobility when they came into the court. Such information would be invaluable.

Still, her mind began to wonder, slowly taking apart what happened, the depantsing, and the conversation that led to it. The mares called him a pervert, he apologised, and while she was certain that she wasn’t paying attention that wasn’t the case. When it came to Endymion she always paid attention. He was her son, her only son, her only child period. Her hand touched her stomach. She wasn’t barren, not by any means, but the spark that could create life inside of her had never truly been found.

She smiled, as she thought of him, of finding him, bringing him home, and her experiences of being a mother for the first time. How happy of a foal he was, how sweet and loving he acted, and how amazed he seemed by the world around him. He was no different than any other foal. And it was for that reason she realized what had happened.

They had talked, at great length, about how he wasn’t to drink in public. A certain image had to remain in tact for the royal family. Part of that image was that royalty did not engage in consumption of Ale or Spirits outside of the Palace. They did so only within the walls of their home, shielded away from the public eye, and an example to all that looked up to them. She had explained that to him a thousand times, but then again she was just as guilty.

Sol help her, she had done the same. When she was a young mare, old enough to drink, too young to know better, and too confident to listen to any wisdom her father or mother had given her. At that time she had snuck out of the original castle, one before the castle that was created for her and Celestia, and wore a guard’s pony uniform. It was a heavy thing, made of wool, smelling heavily of sweat and blood, but it was the price one paid to get the sweet nectar known as Ale.

She had went into the small village near the castle, posing as a female unicorn guard, and ordered a local ale. Her illusion was perfect, her speech pattern was that of the guards, and her profanity was second to none. Not even her own father would have known it was her. She remembered the first taste of the amber liquid. The way it crept onto her tongue, the deep and robust way it introduced itself, and then how it felt when she swallowed.

She drained that first glass with the speed of a bolt of lightening, and the second fared no better. She had perfected everything for that evening, everything except knowing how to hold her ale. Four glasses and she was no longer able to sit at the bar. She paid the barkeep, speaking in a slurred line of profanity that she was certain to this day still floated over a part of that abandoned village. Slowly, she made her way to the door, out of the village, and to the castle.

She thanked Sol it was Celestia that found her, no longer in the uniform, no longer in the illusion, instead nude, stumbling around in the moonlight, drunkenly making the moon do figure eights in the sky. Celestia, her sister had the sense to bring her attention to that moment, to lead her inside, to instruct her most trusted handmaidens to ensure that none knew of this, and to clean her from head to hoof. Her sweet darling sister ensured that none knew of what happened. She knew her sweet son would follow in his mother’s hoofsteps, there was no doubt of that, but she did worry. He had no sister, no brother, no confidant, or perhaps he did.

She thought of his cousin. Prissy, egotistical, and yet still so very close to him. Perhaps Blueblood had actually helped protect her colt from making a scandal a time or two. Regardless, she would need to talk to her son, explain a few things, and hope that the foolishness he got into would help him grow into the stallion she knew he could be. Now all she needed to do was extricate him from the pink Roamani mare who was talking his ear off…

“So I says, ‘Is it chimicherrychanga or cherry chimichanga?’ Oh, she really lost it then- Oh, hi, Princess!”

“Ms. Pie,” Luna said cordially, “if you wouldn’t mind, I have need to speak with Mr. Endymion for a while.”

“Oh, you wanna speak with your son?” Pinkie says gesturing to the aforementioned stallion, “Well he’s right here!”

“Yes he is,” Luna smiles, “Endymion, bitte komm mit mir.”

“Yes, mother,” Endymion said to his mother, then to Pinkie, “I’ll talk to you later.”

Mother and son part the crowd, saying thank yous and other general greetings until the pair remove themselves far enough away from the scene that they can hold a private conversation. Luna directs her son to a small alcove in the northeastern part of the library, in lieu of the kitchen doors. Spike and a few catering stallions can be seen rushing through said doors, often laden with snacks or drinks. Once she is certain they are far enough away, Luna casts a dome of privacy, muffling all other noise save what resides within their dome.

Smiling, Luna begins, “She is a lively one.”

Endymion replies, saying sheepishly, “She sure is.”

“I have no doubt that Ms Pie will make an excellent companion for you, my son,” Luna says, “the Roamani are known for many things, including their proclivity at lovemaking, which probably explains their propensity for offspring.”

“Mother,” Endymion groans, “it isn’t like that. Certainly not yet.”

Tittering, Luna says, “I jest with you, My Little Endymion. Butu now, I must turn to more serious topics.”

“Is this about the pantsing?” Endymion asks.

Luna nods, then says, “I would ask of you an explanation, but I think I can piece together this puzzle without your assistance. So, I would assume you found your way to Lucky’s Tavern, yes?”

“Yes, mother,” Endymion confirms.

“And while there, you sampled some of the local ale?”

Endymion confirms once again this fact.

“And might I assume that whilst consuming said ale, you paid no heed to how many drafts you had or the effect they had on your central nervous system?”

“It’s not that I didn’t pay any attention, mother,” Endymion explains, “but I didn’t care. This isn’t Canterlot…”

“Neight, it isn’t,” Luna affirmed, and yet, “but you are still my son, of as much royal bearing as anypony that can claim kinship to either myself or my sister. Now, if I were to continue my deductions, I would rightly assume you became entranced by Ms Pie’s dance routine.”

Endymion answers, “Yes, mother.”

“And because you were inebriated, you found yourself at mercy of the ale you drank as well as gravity.”

“Yes, mother.”

“And because of your state of inebriation, two fine mares had their private parts exposed, which caused them no small amount of humiliation, yes?”

“Yes, mother.”

“And, having your mind and tongue baffled by drink, you could not utter any apology to the offended mares, even if their were recipient enough to accept one?”

Endymion nods.

“Ah. And so, you ran, avoiding their wrath?”

Another nod from her colt.

“I see,” Luna states, “so, in due course, once confronted by those mares you embarrassed, they had to ‘even the score,’ yes?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Well,” Luna began, “seems fair enough to me. The books are balanced and I do hope you learned a lesson from all of this. You did learn something, correct?”

Answering, Endymion said, “I learned that, A.) I should know my limit when it comes to alcohol, B.) even if the prospect of physical harm is imminent, you should apologize for creating a grievance, and C.) hangovers suck.”

Without hesitation Luna pulled her son into an embrace, holding him in her hug for a few moments, knowing that she was adding to his embarrassment, even if no one else could see, and then she let go, “Very well, From this point on if you drink it will be the private setting of where you are staying. You do not have Blueblood here to protect you from scandal.”

“How did you know about Blue?”

She grinned, “You just told me my son.”

She could see him desperately wanting to be profane. He had, unintentionally, thrown Blueblood under the carriage. Personally, she would do nothing to her nephew. Granted, he was a prissy, egotistical, and often narcissistic stallion, but he cared for her Endymion like a brother. The only thing she would speak to Blueblood about would be the fact that he felt it necessary to toy with various young noble mares’ hearts and take a gift they gave freely before taking his leave of them.

There had been more than a dream or two of him in the dreams of several of the younger maidens. Then again, Blueblood’s own dreams seemed to centered around a young maid in the palace. Perhaps when she decided to speak to Blueblood about his actions with some of the noble maidens she could also point him in the direction of his heart’s desire.

She smiled at her son, who was doing his best to look as if he wasn’t embarrassed that his mother had hugged in him in the middle of what would actually be his first party away from the nobility. She dropped the dome, which allowed them to be seen, and heard, by those around them. She then gave him the smallest of motherly kisses on his cheek.

“Now, be a good colt and play nice.”

Endymion knew his mother had something of a pranking side, and this simply proved it. He grinned sheepishly, trying to blend into the group without bringing too much attention to himself. In a way she was jealous of him. Not that she was jealous of what he had accomplished or his hard work, but of the fact that for a while at least he would be away from Canterlot, from the prying eyes of the nobility. He wouldn’t have to be perfect every day, keep up the rules and manners ponies like Princess Platinum and other Unicorn Nobility had set into place over a thousand years ago.

If she were able to do so without turning the council of nobles against her, she’d dismantle the entire practice. Manners were fine, if the ponies using them enjoyed them. They made things nice and civil, but there were ponies living in Canterlot who didn’t fit into Unicorn society so well. Pegasi that worked the weather, the Earth Ponies that worked as servants for various families, most of them rarely practiced the basic Pegasus manners on their own, and only did so around the nobility.

“My sweet Endymion, enjoy this respite from the stuffy nobility,” she whispered before walking toward Twilight.

The party itself lasted another three hours, friendships were formed, new perceptions of Princess Luna were created, and everypony in Ponyville seemed to accept Endymion with no trouble. For all rights and purposes he fit into the community like it was a perfect glove for him. Once the party died down Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Endymion set to getting the library back into order.

“I guess I should start looking for a place.”

Twilight looked up at Endymion in surprise. Her ears pointing toward him, “Aren’t you going to stay here?”

He grinned at her, “I can, I don’t mind to, but if I am going to stay I want to pay rent.”

She shook her head, “Endymion, I’m here on a royal stipend. Since Princess Luna arranged for me to be here, well, everything’s already paid for. We have the room, we are given enough to cover our eating expenses, and in return I just keep the library up and operating for the public. We really don’t need you to pay rent.”

“Sure, but I want to. I’m living outside of the palace, on my own, for the first time, and I feel that I should contribute. Besides, I’m going to be an adventurer now!”

Twilight tried hard not to laugh. He was excited, but she knew that adventuring didn’t always pay off. In fact, most of the time Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were lucky to break even. Rainbow worked as the weather control manager, a waitress at Lucky’s on the weekends, a fishmonger twice a month at the market, and she did some exotic herbs gathering for the Feed Bag every two months.

And that was just what Rainbow did. She knew that Applejack, or AJ which she preferred to be called, worked her family farm, got a stipend from the Royal Knight’s service, and worked the market every weekend they weren’t adventuring trying to sell her apples, or some kind of apple related treats that her family made.

Fluttershy just worked at the temple, but she knew there was several smaller jobs they had her do there. Adventuring wasn’t a guarantee that they’d strike it rich, oh, sure, They wanted to certainly strike it rich. There was a dream that they’d find a ruin with enough treasure in it to make them all very comfortable, but even then it wasn’t just finding the ruin that was the problem. Once they found it they had to deal with a few other little problems.

Other adventurers wanting it, selling it to the right pony, and making sure that there wasn’t any descendant of the ponies that once lived in the ruins still alive. Everypony heard of what happened to Cranky Doodle. He’d found a small fortune in gems left in some ruins during his travels. It turned out that a great, great, great granddaughter of the unicorn that once lived there was still alive, and even though he went through the trouble of getting those gems out, sorting them, and finding a dealer to purchase them, he had to hand it all over.

Thirty thousand bits worth of gems, gone in an instant. Still, she was glad that Endymion was excited. In a way, she truly hoped that they found something amazing. The night passed, Pinkie instead of heading back to the room she rented from the Cakes decided to spend the night, and she happily slept on the reading couch in the main section of the library.

Endymion rose up the next morning, grabbed his wand, shaped more like a club, held it, and felt the magic charge through him into the wand itself. It wasn’t the most useful thing he had. In truth when he tried more complex spells with it the wand usually fizzled out, but his mother had made it for him. She’d said that a great, and powerful, sorcerer named Grogar had once used a wand similar to this.

Where Grogar had been evil, malicious, and uncaring she hoped that he would show himself to be everything Grogar wasn’t. He looked at the mirror, seeing his green shirt, blue pants, and looked at his boots. They were plain, brown, and heavy to wear. Basically they’d be perfect for long journeys since they’d take so long to wear out. He grabbed a cloak, pulled it on, deciding that it looked dashing, placed his wand on the holder he kept on his side, and then he grabbed a small clear crystal.

Despite his ruining the sealing potion Professor Flintheart had said his true skill seemed to reside in the making of defensive and offensive potion charms. He took the small crystal, with its single small opening, and then grabbed the raw materials he needed. A paralyzing potion would be perfect in case there was trouble. He had a little dragon’s fire, some sap from the Floom Plant that grew on Mount Gloom, ground rubies, and the extract of some fire ants. He mixed the ingredients together, holding it together with his will and aura like Professor Flintheart taught him,and then forced it into the crystal.

For a moment it was the most brilliant white imaginable, and then it turned into a dark, deep ruby red. Smiling he put the new charm into his satchel, and made sure that it was in a pocket by itself. He checked himself once more, and walked down stairs.

“Good morning!”

He saw the energetic pink mare. She was dressed in something that looked like her gypsy outfit she had worn at Lucky’s but it looked a little different. Different colors, although the skirt, much like the other one, was slit all of the way up past her cutie marks.

“Twilight said to go over to the Feed Bag,” she said before she stretched, “I’ve got to go work. Have fun!”

He shook his head, and started out.

The Feed Bag

Rainbow Dash looked at the ponies at their table, “Twi, I’m not sure Endymion is really going to be somepony that’s going to fit onto our team.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Oh, why?”

“Well, besides being a stallion, he didn’t make that good of an impression the first time we met him.”

“She’s got a point sugarcube. That feller really did kinda put Dash and me in an embarrassing situation.”

Twilight’s expression was one of incredulity, and then she shook her head, “And your depantsing him wasn’t the same thing?”

AJ rolled her eyes, “Sol damn it, Twi, it was payin’ ‘im back fer doing it in the first place.”

“Applejack, please, language.”

“Sorry ‘Shy, but my point still stands.”

“Just meet with him, I’m sure that he’ll change your minds.”

Agreeing they waited until they saw him walk into the restaurant. He neared their table, and saw how they seemed to be waiting.

“I’m ready!” he exclaimed.

Before he could react AJ was up, her sword drawn, and it was at his throat.

“No time to cast, and trust me, yer not much use ta us if’n yer dead.”

He pulled out a small marble sized ball, “Normally, you’d be right, but I made this before coming here. It’s a simple paralyzing charm. Nothing too extreme, but it will keep you locked in place. It works on everything.

“Endymion…” Twilight said as she scooted back.

“I got this.”

“No Endymion…” she was on the other side of the room now, “That’s not a paralyzing charm! Paralyzers are blue! That’s an explosive!”

AJ jumped back trying to get away, Fluttershy almost froze in place before Rainbow Dash grabbed her and pulled her away. On reflex he squeezed the charm and it began to pulse.

“How do I change it back?!”

“You don’t! Get rid of it!”

He meant to throw it outside into the dumpster, let it go off in there, but instead the window he threw it at was closed, and it instead hit, pulsed brightly and exploded into fury of liquid fire. It hit everywhere, touching everything, and nothing burned. Applejack walked toward him, growling.

“Ah ought ta tan yer hide!”

“Wait, don’t!” he said.

It was too late. She punched him, the violent action ignited the fire, and suddenly the building, the tables, the floor, and every pony’s clothes were on fire. AJ tried to swat the fire out on her clothes only for it to spread. Fluttershy found herself down to her panties, and nothing else, in mere seconds, Rainbow Dash was completely nude, and Twilight’s own clothes were gone as well.

Still, the fire was smokeless, it wasn’t even hot to those around them, and instead it burned everything except for living beings and anything it hadn’t originally touched in a heatless fire. Everypony except for Endymion’s. His clothes were fine, and when it was done and over with a bad restaurant was gone, clothes were gone, and Several mares and stallions were scrambling for their homes to cover up their nudity. Twilight, embarrassed, but relieved that everypony was at least alive, grabbed, Endymion, held him, and teleported herself and him back to the library. She was certain that this would become the talk of the town for a while. Ponies would be talking about the naked display at the now burned out Feed Bag.

4 Revelation

Rune Soldier

Chapter 4: Revelation

Sol Temple - Canterlot - Two days later

Fluttershy looked at Princess Celestia who was dressed in her own robes. Celestia truly looked like how a Mistress of the Sol Temple should look. She was dignified, regal, and currently lighting the embers of the incense used for the ritual of revealing.

“Priestess Shywing, art thou ready to perform the ritual?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Wonderful, thou must be prepared. The pool of revealing is in readiness, please tell me of thine revelation when thou art shown.”

“I will.”

With that Fluttershy stepped into the room. The small area before the pool was for her to disrobe, and she did so. The first thing to come off was her cloak, a badge of her status as a Priestess of Sol. Then her belt came off, which tied the tunic that served her as a dress around her waist. The tunic came off next, revealing her slender but fit frame, a tuft of dark goldenrod fur jutting out from her loincloth; her breasts, a palmful for large hands, were bound in a bandeau which was quickly untied by expert fingers. Next, Fluttershy undid the ties for her loincloth and that joined the pile of discarded clothing. From the warm sunlight beaming in from several stained glass windows, Fluttershy could tell the Pool of Revelation was warm; it was clear and rippled gently from its center. The ripples distorted the image of Sol, an alicorn statue some fifty meters high that appeared to be a ablaze, which rested at the apex of the pool’s curvature. She walked past where her clothes were meant to be left, and stepped to the oils and herbs that as a priestess she was meant to use to anoint herself before stepping into the pool.

She lifted first the vial of oil from a white solar lilly, the rich smell filled her nostrils, and she gently dabbed just three drops which she used to anoint her primary feathers. Placing the oil back she took the oil of nightshade, the more earthy smell flowed around her as she dripped out two drops on both of her breasts. She placed it back, and lifted foal’s breath, the renewing oil, and poured half the vial on her scalp.

Stepping away she took the leaves from Metrix Tea, a poisonous tea drank by Minotaur warriors in the south. She rubbed the leaves in her palms until they ground into soft mushy paste that she placed upon her lips. Lastly, as per the command of Sol, she took a small vial of extract from fire ants, something without harming the ants themselves, and she let a single drop fall for each of her two nipples.

She stepped into the warm pool, the ghostly orange fire that danced across her nipples began to spread to the oils, no hurting her, but rather taking in the fuel, digesting it, and giving her the appearance of a handmaiden of Sol himself.

“Sol, father of all Alicorns, master of the temple of Sol, giver of light and bringer of love, I pledge myself to you. I ask, that you show me the champion I must serve.”

Canterlot Train Station - Twenty minutes earlier

“Endymion, are you sure you want to do this? I love my friends, they aren’t the only adventurers in Ponyville,” Twilight said as she walked with him.

“Twily, I’m going to prove to them that I’m not a goof. Look, things just didn’t go right, and I want to fix it. If they don’t want me as part of their team after that, then I’ll find somepony else, but until then, I’ve got try.”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, “Well, that’s why we’re here. It wouldn’t do any good to go ask Applejack or Rainbow Dash. Both of them are still too upset about having to run to their homes completely nude. Fluttershy is the only one I can think of who will at least give you a fair shot.”

He nodded and smiled, “That’s why we’re heading toward the Sol Temple right? Oh, by the way… It’s down this way right?”

Twilight nodded, “It is.”

When they got there he noticed a familiar rainbow maned Pegasus landing. Near her an orange earth pony mare was heading up the steps.

“You?! What are you doing here?!”

Somehow, somewhere, he knew that someone must have thought this was the funniest gag they’d ever seen, and that had to be why he kept running into them after something bad happened.

“I just want to talk to Fluttershy.”

Rainbow glared at him, and balled her fists, “Didn’t get a good enough peek last time?!”

“It’s not like that I just want another shot at being in your group!”

“No, yer obviously ain’t no good as a magician, and Ah’m more sure now than ‘fore that yer a pervert!”

“Think what you want, but I’m going to prove I’m not a goof, and that I’m not a pervert!”

“Can’t see her anyway,” Rainbow grinned, “She’s doing the ritual of revealing right now, and nopony is going to let you in back there.”

He tried to rush past them only to have AJ chase him. Realizing that he was in for another chase regardless of what happened he decided to see if he could find another way inside that wouldn’t be through the front doors. He could hear AJ’s hooves behind him, and he saw a set of windows that led into some almost basement room. He fell to his back, slid into and through the open window into a shower room.

Dozens of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony mares stood there, undressed, each at a shower head, and their eyes wide looking at him.

“PERVERT!!!!” several of them cried out in a single voice.

Running past them, he headed out of the shower, into a long hall, and then up several flights of stairs. He climbed, faster and faster until he was nearing the top of a rounded building with a frosted glass roof. He looked ahead and saw Rainbow Dash and AJ already there.

“What? How?”

“Experience,” Rainbow said as she pulled a dagger, “We’re better at this than you. Admit it, leave, and go back home.”

“No! I’m going to talk to Fluttershy!”

He grabbed his wand, and he began chanting when Twilight flashed into appearance. Her eyes widened. She knew the spell, a simple barrier spell, but since he had to say the words, since he had to chant to focus his magic, he had to be careful, and he wasn’t pronouncing them right.

“Endymion!”

His name left her lips a moment too late. A blue light formed under him, and then exploded up and out. He flung high into the air, and the force knocked both Applejack and Rainbow Dash on their asses. Twilight’s own shield had barely been activated in time, and she she wasn’t fast enough to keep him from falling into the room below them.

Pool of Revealing - Ten minutes earlier

“Fluttering Shywing, my faithful servant.”

Fluttershy bowed her head in reverence as she heard Sol speak, “Thine actions and dedication to thine friends, thine order, and thine fellow ponies hath pleased me. Thou shalt see thine hero this day.”

“Great Sol, what is my hero’s name?”

A rumble, almost the sound of laughter erupted through the pool, “Thy hero shalt be the next being thine eyes see.”

“But… Sol, not that I would question you, wouldn’t the next pony I see be Mistress Celestia?”

At that Fluttershy heard a massive explosion, she crouched down as a figure, completely nude and showing signs of singed hair all over his form dropped into the pool. Her eyes widened as she watched him, and then he hit hard, sending the water from the pool all over her, and over the room.

“A...Are you alive?”

Slowly he raised up, her eyes widened again, it couldn’t be him. Sol, no, please this was wrong. He turned and she saw his form. He was easy on the eyes, not that it mattered, and his phallus… Sol help her she’d never seen one before. Her wings reacted, arching up in arousal.

“Hey… I was looking for you…” he said before nearly falling back over.

The Sol priestess squeaked as the human turned on the spot, looking punch drunk and wavering on his feet.

“Excuse me miss,” Endymion asked, “would you happen to know where I can find some clothes?”

Then the human belly flopped back in the pool, his toned flanks pointing to the ceiling.

“Lord Sol, father of all Alicorns… N-not that I’m- I’m questioning you or anything, bu- but… Is this truly your will?!”

Fluttershy dressed, hurriedly, which explained why her loincloth was left lying back in the disrobing area. She had find help to get Endymion out of there. If this was Sol’s will, and she wasn’t one to question Sol, but if this truly was his will then her hero, her champion, had to taken outside of the temple. If he was left inside there would be far too much trouble. Especially with so many new maidens.

She swallowed, her worry, and then her answer came in the form of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. Twilight’s magic didn’t seem to directly work in Sol’s presence in the pool of revelation, so he had to be moved from it. Applejack and Rainbow Dash helped. With Applejack carrying him, and Rainbow Dash making sure that no one was coming. Once they were out of the area Twilight teleported him and herself out of the temple and over to the palace.

“Well, at least that feller is out of our hair.”

“No…”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy with a confused expression, “What’s wrong Flutters?”

“I.. I… Oh Sol, is this truly your will?!” she cried before burying her face in her hands.

“Okay, want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Endymion, he is my hero, my champion. Sol has ordained it, and as such I am bound to him as his servant.”

“Wait… Wait jest a Sol damned moment, yer saying that Sol, father of all Alicorns, dun said that dunderhead his yer new champion?”

Fluttershy nodded.

AJ murmured, “Oh buck me… Buck me in a tailhole till it’s raw and bleedin’. Flutters, yer jokin’ right? Yer jest havin’ a laugh, right?”

She shook her head.

“Motherplucking, barebacking, daughter of a whorse, tawt gargling, tailhole licking, twat puncher!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Seriously?! That pervert?! Can’t you rebel or something?”

She shook her head, “Not without leaving my order. Sol has commanded it.”

“So wadda we do now?” Applejack asked, “it ain’t like we kin leave b’hind, cain’t we?”

“No,” Fluttershy answered, “he is my Sol chosen champion and as such, I must serve him to the best of my abilities. Even if I have my doubts about it, the revelation, and what it means for me, are clear. We have to take him with us.”

Rainbow huffed indignantly, “Really, ‘Shy? Are you bucking serious about this? He’s dead weight! He’s a horrible magician, he’s not even much of a sprinter, and he has virtually no experience in combat! I’d rather take a buck naked recruit from the Canterlot Knights than this guy!”

“Ah’m with Dash on this one, sugarcube,” AJ added, “we ain’t some foalsittin’ service. Ser, he’s the adopted son of Princess Luna; don’t mean we gotta burp ‘him and change his diapers.”

“Now see here, Applejack,” Twilight finally interjected, “Endymion is capable magician. Sure, he doesn’t have much experience in adventuring, certainly not to the degree you three have, but you try finding a mage anywhere around Ponyville or Canterlot that will give up his or her studies to plumb tombs and dungeons for their loot! Endymion wants to do this! Can’t you at least give him a shot?”

AJ and Rainbow grumbled about perverts and not pulling somepony’s weight. All the while, Endymion, he seemed for all purposes dead to the world, heard every word. He wanted to prove himself, and his worth, to these adventurers. He didn’t know anything about Sol chosen champions and he’d be thrice damned if gave a jot about fate or destiny, but he wanted to do this. It felt like this was the moment his life was really going to begin, damn be the consequences.

At length, AJ and Dash debated what they were going to, as they vehemently opposed taking the human with them. Twilight was arguing the opposite, trying to convince the thief and the swordsmare that Endymion would make an excellent addition to the team. Fluttershy remained silent, her eyes slowly filling with tears. During the whispered debate, she kept repeating a mantra of, “If this is your will, then you will be done. But is this your will?” Finally, when the Sol priestess couldn’t handle the bickering anymore, she cleared her throat. The small sound, made smaller by Fluttershy’s nominally demure nature, stopped the arguing cold.

“He comes with us,” the priestess declared, “that is final.”

“Are ya ser ‘bout this, ‘Shy?” AJ asked her golden friend.

“No,” the Pegasus answered, “but it is Sol’s will and I will obey my God. Even if his commandments make no sense… Or it feels like He’s playing a cosmic joke on me…”

Twilight looked at the Pegasus mare who looked determined, but on the verge of tears at the same time. She didn’t understand exactly what the problem was, but she could guess that Fluttershy had different expectations of what her hero, her champion, was going to be like. Sure, Endymion was different, but she knew that Fluttershy would be hard pressed to find somepony else that was willing to do what they were doing.

Very few of the magi that went to the academy were going to become defensive guards, archmages, or black cloaks. For the most part almost all of the magi at the school were going to become research magi. The kind of magi that specialized in research focused magic only. Endymion was the first stallion she’d seen in the academy that even looked like he was meant for defensive magic. That was certainly part of why she liked him so much. Sure, he was sweet, kind, and handsome in his own way, but Endymion tried harder than almost anypony else. There was one other colt she saw in their classes, a young unicorn named Sunburst, and he tried, but it was obvious he cared more about doing what would make his family proud rather than really trying to find his place.

Endymion, well he worked to find his place. That’s what he did, “He’s going to surprise you, you know.”

Fluttershy looked at her, “I hope so. Because I am truly questioning if Sol is playing a horrible prank right now.”

Twilight shook her head, “No, if Sol made him your champion it’s because he sees what I see, what Princess Luna sees, and what I know I see is a stallion that has the potential to do great things.”

“Let’s say yer right Twi. Let’s say this feller has that potential. What good is it if’n he cain’t ? If’n the time comes he’s supposed ta pull off a spell to save us, and instead he chokes, or messes up, and we’re in a pinch ‘cause of ‘im. Ah ain’t sayin’ he don’t have that potential, Ah’m jest stating the obvious.”

“I’ll be helping with his studies.”

“Ugh… Twilight, seriously? You’re going to teach him? Were you even at that party a few days ago? You kept sending him the ‘take me to bed and rut me until morning’ eyes all night!”

“Rainbow! I can separate carnal desires and the need to learn!”

He slowly moved, his form finally covered by one of Twilight’s own magical robes. Of course Twilight was so much smaller than him that they had to put it on backward and use it like a blanket instead of an actual robe. He sat up, feeling the material of the robe fall off of his chest. They looked at him, and he studied each and every one of them.

“I’m not useless. I’ll prove that to you. I don’t have to rely just on my magic. I can fight too.”

“What kind of fighting?”

He looked at Fluttershy who had some hope in her eyes, “Did Princess Luna teach you? Do you know Steel Way, or Still way? Rolling Rock, or maybe hoof-fu?”

He grinned, “Even better. I’ll prove it. Where’s this ruin you want to go to, and I’ll not only open it for you, but I’ll help make sure to defend all of you.”

Everfree Forest - One Day later

Endymion groaned as he sat the previsions down. Adventuring so far included being the porter for the group. He didn’t mind, not too much, after all he had the ability to carry their tools and being part of the group meant doing whatever part they decided he would be best suited for. Right now, that was carrying the supplies, Rainbow Dash’s tools, Fluttershy’s oils and herbs, and two extra swords for AJ along with about twenty pounds of apples themselves. Once they reached a large clearing he could see the ruin they had chosen.

It was huge, obviously a tomb for a noble house of some kind. His ancient Unicorn was a little sketchy at best, but the wording above the door didn’t make a lot of sense. He re-read it again just to be sure, “All who live shall pass, all who perish shall perch, all who exist shall learn, and none shall dine.”

“What are you going on about?”

He saw Rainbow Dash glaring at him.

“The writing, it’s ancient Unicorn.”

“Yeah so?”

He rolled his eyes, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s mainly gibberish. It almost looks like someone wanted to make it look like a noble family tomb.”

“Really?” Fluttershy asked.

“Sure, I mean all three of you can read ancient Unicorn right?”

Rainbow Dash suddenly found something very interesting on the ground to look at, Applejack decided that the wall of the tomb looked mighty interesting, but it was Fluttershy who swallowed back her embarrassment and shook her head.

“No, none of us, except for Twilight, and to some degree Rarity, can read ancient Unicorn. Normally Rainbow Dash would draw a picture of the writing, taking special note of it, and we’d visit Twilight and let her study it for a few moments. The last time we were here we merely looked at the location, studied the insignias, and figured that we were looking at a tomb of some very wealthy unicorns.”

He grinned, and nodded, “Not a problem. Since I’m here I’m glad to help read it. I’m not great at it, but I’ll be glad to translate.”

“Okay, say that it’s gibberish, couldn’t that just mean that you can’t translate it well because maybe the lettering is worn down?”

“It possible, but even if that’s the case… it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense,” he said as he pointed to the first part, “That’s from before unification. All who live shall pass. All who perish shall perch. Professor Flintheart said that was part of an arming spell for old noble families. Unicorns would charge the phrase with magic, and then they’d have the second part either right beside or right below. All who pass will come to perch, all who perch have passed.”

“Okay, so?”

He shook his head, “The second part up there. All who exist shall learn, and none shall dine. That’s after unification. It’s not even reserved for nobility. That’s strictly royalty. It’s a resting spell, meant to ease the mines of royals who are visiting graves of loved ones. It doesn’t remain charged for more than half a century or so.”

“So, it’s a fake?”

He looked at Applejack, “Maybe, but even so it’s old, really old. There’s bound to be something important inside for them to make a fake like that. I’d almost say that whoever made it had seen tombs where nobility and royalty were laid to rest, and they just used a couple of the most common phrases on it. Not sure what we’ll find, but it’s gotta be worth something. Even if it’s something like old magical items.”

“Umm, no! Magical items without magic are no good to the Academy or the Guild.”

He looked at Rainbow Dash, “True, but not to collectors. There’s a lot of collectors of antique magical items in Canterlot. I know for a fact that Fancy Pants collects self placing cufflinks from the Silver era, that’s about three hundred years ago. None of them still work without the spells being redone on them, but that doesn’t matter. For him it’s just being able to say that he has the most extensive collection.”

“H...How much would he have bought a pair of those cufflinks for?”

There was a sort of desperation to Dash’s voice that sounded really bad.

“I’ve seen him give three thousand bits for a polished pair of black cufflinks that were from the Silver Era.”

“Three… Thousand… Bits. AJ, three thousand bits?! We could have sold those stupid cufflinks for three thousand bits?!!!!!”

“Dun heard ‘im Dash. Sol damn it, that woulda put a pretty big dent in Granny’s medical expenses.”

“Endymion, ummm, is there buyers for all kinds of old magical devices?”

He smiled at Fluttershy and nodded, “Pretty much. Depending on the era it comes from there’s a collector for it. The older it is, the more expense it is, but it also means that the buyers dwindle down too. Fancy pants collects Silver Era and has a few things from Platinum Era as well, but most of anything from Princess Platinum’s era is incredibly expensive. Mostly the only real buyers for anything from her era is Blueblood, and Fleur De Lis.”

“Fleur De Lis? Ah, thought she was some kinda dress model. That’s all Rarity talks about when it comes ta her.”

Endymion grinned, “Fleur does model dresses and other fashions for some of the designers in Canterlot, but she’s royalty from Prance. She was actually sent to the Magical Academy by her father. She’s just stayed over here because she’s quite smitten with Fancy Pants.”

“Really? And you said she’s a collector too?” Dash asked as she took a scroll from the pack and grabbed an ink well with a cork stopper in it. She uncorked it, and began writing down names.

“Yeah, she’s a collector, but she only buys Platinum era items. She loves to collect brushes from that time, especially the kind that had spells to curl the hair while it brushed. They’re not rare, but usually they’re found in noble or royal families.”

Happy that he helped Endymion looked at the entry way and noticed that it was full of old moss covered stones.

“So, where’s the door?”

AJ pointed toward the stones, “Behind those.”

Seeing that nopony else was moving toward them he set the pack down, grumbled a bit, and began moving the moss covered stones out of the way. Fluttershy watched him, and then she watched as he took off his shirt. Like before she could certainly see the definition of his muscles, he didn’t have the normal pudginess typically associated with nobility or royalty. She watched as his muscles worked together, moving the stones bit by bit, little by little.

“Think he’s going to get tired and stop?” Rainbow asked.

“Ah figure he’s got ‘bout four more stones ‘fore he dun decides it ain’t fun no more.”

“Three stones.”

AJ grinned at Dash, “twenty bits?”

“Sure, why not, I could use the bits,” she looked at Endymion who had already moved another stone, “Feel free to stop and get something to eat!”

“Naw, I want to uncover this. There’s got to be something cool inside, and I want to see it!”

Two more moved out of the way. Dash was waiting for him to stop, to give up, but instead he was going on. AJ seemed pleased, until he moved another three, then four stones. Finally it was a huge one, roughly the size of a pony, and Dash leaned against a marker.

“Well, guess he’s not completely useless.”

She watched as AJ and Fluttershy walked over to him, and feeling a little like a jerk she walked over too. Together they moved the last stone, and there was an old stone door that had been carved to look like a wooden door. Endymion felt it, and already something was wrong. Even the most powerful noble families couldn’t power a protection spell that hold this long. The ruins looked to be at least seven or eight hundred years old, if not older, and while the usual run away spell would still be holding, an actual paralyzing spell should have faded years before.

He lifted his wand, softly chanting and as he did he visualized the spell on the door. It became like a puzzle, and he was looking for the piece that would make it fall, but not make it spread out. He finally found it, and felt the spell fade away. Then he cast an opening spell, and he felt the old mechanical locks opening.

The old stone door slowly slid open, revealing a darkened staircase.

“Ha!”

“Wow, look, you pulled off what any magi should be capable of doing.”

Endymion didn’t seem phased by the insult Rainbow threw; instead, he started to divvying up the supplies, separating AJs gear from Rainbows, Rainbows from Fluttershy’s, and then his own meager gear, Seeing what he was doing, the girls their individual packs and hefted them, AJ with her swords and the party rations, Rainbow with her waterskins and tools, and Fluttershy’s oil and ointments. Endymion had only his clothes, his satchel filled with charms and his wand. Once the party was properly geared up, Endymion walked to the tomb’s opening.

“Ladies, first,” he said politely.

AJ tilted her head to the side for a moment before tipping her hat, “Much obliged.”

Rainbow took on an air of annoyance and said, “Yeah, whatever.”

At first, Fluttershy said nothing, walking towards the tomb, some weighty burden making her steps leaden. When she reached him, though, she turned her head to face him, and said very quietly, “Um, good job.” Then she hurried down the stairs; Endymion took the rear, as was previously agreed on.

Down and down, the party descended, the tomb becoming pitch black after only a few meters. Torches were lit, though Endymion produced a lighting charm (his second successful spell of the day) and they got their first glimpse of the tomb’s depths. An unease began draw down on the party, as the descent went deeper underground.

“Hey,” Dash said, ending a long and uncomfortable silence, “anypony else notice something?”

“Like wah?” AJ replied.

“I dunno,” Dash said, “but- DOesn’t place less like a tomb and more like- I dunno, a lab of some sort?”

“Now that you got me thinking it,” Endymion piped up, “it does resemble some of the laboratories back in the Magic School. Only…”

“Only what?” Fluttershy asked.

“Only strange…” Endymion started.

“Like, how strange?” AJ asked.

“I’m- not completely sure,” Endymion said, trailing off.

“Now that you mention it,” Dash added, “it does remind me of Twilight’s basement. Only, mustier and and made of metal… Does anypony else hear that strange hum?”

“I don’t jest hear it, Dash,” AJ replied, “I ken feel it. Ogres.”

“Damn it,” Dash scowled, “monsters in a tomb? Either this place was fortified or somebody already raided this place.”

“We can handle them, right?” Endymion asked.

“Maybe we can,” Rainbow answered, “don’t know about you, Magician.”

The battle that commenced shortly afterward was brutal but quick. The ogres had settled into a part of the tomb that was reserved for treasure. Fighting them off was no trouble, even if Endymion ended up punching, kicking, and clubbing most of them with his wand, but then came vampire bats, and and some specters that need a magical remedy to remove. Thankfully, Endymion was a roll of some sort, dispelling the specters with ease.When they finally reached the bottom of the tomb, Rainbow couldn’t help but let out an annoyed grunt.

“ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME?!” She shouted, “We went through all this trouble and FOR WHAT?!”

“Are you kidding me?” Endymion asked, “This was fun! Oh, hey, what’s that?”

Before anypony could stop him, Endymion loped over to a desk of sorts, though to be honest, calling it a desk was a mite generous. Set against one of the rough hewn walls, the desk only came out from the rock about a meter and at an angle. The rest of the desk rose at a ninety degree angle and was solid black. The only way to know it was part of the desk was that it was as metallic as the jutting part and it was slightly less gray than the granite behind.

“What is that that thang?” AJ asked, only Endymion to bounce around to another artifice on the opposite side of the chamber.

“It- looks like another laboratory,” Fluttershy squeaked, “but it’s all wrong.”

“No kidding!” Rainbow pouted, “can we get outta here now? This is place is a waste of time.”

“Now hol’ on a minute, Dash,” Applejack said, “Ah know there ain’t much here, but mebbe the previous party missed somethin’. Might’ve left in a Sol damned hurry.”

“We should at least see,” Fluttershy said, “hey, what’s that?”

The Sol Priestess’ stave was pointing to an obelisk but it wasn’t the obelisk that was interesting. It was the stone sword embedded in said obelisk. Roughly the same size as AJ’s zweihander and made, confusingly, out the same granite of the obelisk, the weapon seemed to be the only real treasure in here. If it could be separated from the stone, that is.

“Huh,” AJ mused, “wonder wha this is doin’ here?”

“Probably rotting away like everything else here,” Dash commented while touching a frayed and threadbare tapestry, “could we just go?”

“Now hol’ on,” AJ said, “Imma get this sword loose.”

Spitting on her hands, AJ pulled on the blade with all her might. Despite her strength, the blade refused to budge.

“Con sarn it,” AJ cursed, “it ain’t movin’!”

“Ugh, here,” Dash said, and she gave the sword a tug. Even though she was of a slighter frame than Applejack, Rainbow Dash was rather strong for a Pegasus. Even as she pulled and shimmied the blade this way and that, the blade remained stuck to the obelisk.

“Gah! Cunt bucking, bunghole licking, taint tickler!” Dash roared, “It ain’t budgin’!”

“What’s not budging?” Endymion asked.

“T’ain’t none o’ yer nevermind,” AJ replied to Endymion’s returned presence, “but we got this sword embedded in an obelisk and we’re aimin’ to get it loose. Ain’t happened yet.”

“Mind if I try?” The Magician asked.

“You don’t have to do that,” Fluttershy said, “if AJ and Dash can’t move it…”

Endymion proposed, “Then no harm can come if I give it a shot, right?”

The mares gave him a hard look, but didn’t object. Endymion put down his gear, which had been added to be an inactive stave and several flasks of unknown liquids. He then grabbed hold of the sword’s hilt and yanked. The blade came free with an audible shriek and when it did so, the whole tomb came alive…

6 Airships and Romance

Rune Soldier

Chapter 6: Airships and Romance

Lunar Light - Endymion’s Cabin - Two days later

Waking up Endymion yawned and stretched. Fuzzy memories scratched at the surface of his mind. Slowly he tried to make sense of them, wanting desperately to clear his foggy head. He laid there, unable to really make sense of what it was that had happened and inside rolled over. His eyes widened at the form of a body under the blanket beside him.

He grabbed the blanket, slowly lifting it, and for a moment his entire mind just went blank.

Canterlot Palace - Docking Port - Two days earlier

“Wow, now that’s an airship,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked around the dock the airship was tied to, “It’s got to be as big as the East Germanenay Trade and Spice ship, maybe even bigger!”

“The Lunar Light is exactly three hundred feet wider, and thirty seven feet longer than the Weißer Geist.”

“And how would you know….” Rainbow began to say before she turned and saw Luna.

“Because I had them measured. It is a please Ms Dash.”

“Y...Your Highness,” Rainbow bowed deeply, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything.”

Luna tittered a moment, “There was no insult meant, and it is a transgression that is easily overlooked and forgiven. Most of the others are already loading and onboard.”

Luna watched as the Pegasus mare made her way up the gangplank and into the ship itself. She heard familiar steps behind her, “My son, cutting it a little close, aren’t you?”

“Sorry Mom, I was just making sure that I had everything,” he said as he began to go up the gangplank himself. Following Luna boarded the ship and nodded toward one of the crew that saw the the flying and overall operation of the ship.

The stallion pulled up the gangplank, untied the tethers to the ship, and slowly it began to lift into the air. Once it was high enough four solar guards moved toward the front, connected on the harnesses, and began pulling toward Mount Gloom.

Endymion watched them, remembering from when he rode aboard the Lunar Light before and knew that in about four hours they would trade out with another four ponies while those four ate, rested, and recouped until they were ready to go again. The entire mane crew would take turns pulling them, and from what his mother said this trip would take at least two and half weeks of travel, depending on where they needed to go.

There was an auxiliary turbine engine built into the Lunar Light, in case there was a need to evade enemy fire or in the chances of making a hasty evacuation, but his mother preferred not to use the system if at all possible. The mana batteries that powered were slow to recharge and the turbine system took at least a full hour to warm up. Getting to speed in this those conditions was tenuous at best.

Somewhere deep in his consciousness, he recalled memories of moving at speeds exceeding the speed of sound. Normally watching the speed of the Lunar Light made him feel exhilarating, but now he was feeling like a particle on a slug. The Royal Airship of Equestria should be the fastest vessel on the planet, but the memories he recalled were making him realize just how slow the airship actually was. It was a frustration he couldn’t really name.

It didn’t feel right that his memories as a young colt would contradict what he was feeling now. He could remember the ship being so much faster, and he could remember his mother, when she wasn’t chewing out the nobility that dared to come alone to ensure that she at least attempted in securing a lasting alliance with Minos, pointing to the night sky and telling him how each one of the constellations were stories from their past.

It would be hours before the night, but he thought of them, and one of the ones that really stuck out to him was Starlight the Bold. Starlight had been a lunar Unicorn, something that was rare even now, and she had been something of an adventurer. She had told him that Starlight had claimed to have found an entirely different empire of beings that defied logic.

These creatures had no hooves, seemed to be almost like earth ponies in their design, and yet there was some of them that had magical abilities well beyond that of the common unicorn. She told him how Starlight told stories of the wealth of knowledge and power waiting there. Some part of him wondered if what they were looking for was the same thing Starlight had seen so long ago. The recollected memories suggested that was very much the case. Although it didn’t explain why a society of such vast technological and magical superiority would hide they way the did.

As he mused, he felt a presence near him. He turned to his right and found Pinkie Pie, setting on a pair of sticks (he seemed to recall a certain circus pony that used a similar device for resting) and she was snuggling against his arm. She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes, a sad smile on his face.

“Is something wrong, Endy?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, not really,” Endymion replied, “I was remembering the first time I was on this ship. It was something of a happy memory, spending time with Mother… But now, I seem to have these other memories in my head. They’re conflicting with all the experiences I’ve had previously.”

“Aw,” Pinkie cooed, “you’re all sad because you’re seeing memories of a much faster ship and even though this is a pretty fast vessel, it makes you feel like a turtle doesn’t it?”

“A slug, actually,” Endymion states, “it’s kinda frustrating.”

“Well, have I the job for you!” Pinkie exclaims, “seems we’re missing out on some kitchen staff. Sure, we have a full galley, but what we’re missing is ponies to serve the food. And those guys on point are to be coming in extra hungry.”

“Okay,” Endymion said, “what do you need me to do?”

She giggled, a sound that was actually very musical, or was right up to the point she snorted a little, “Oh silly, it’s easier to show you!”

With that she stood up, one hand grabbing the sticks before they could fall, and the other snaking around Endymion’s arm again. He felt himself being pulled into the galley, and like the last time he had been in it he was in awe. The galley was indeed huge, expansive, and meant to feed far more ponies than they currently had on board.

Pinkie lead him to a huge wooden table that was securely bolted to the floor. The old iron legs the wooden topped table looked strong, well made, and certainly something his mom would have easily chosen. Even though it didn’t need designs there was plenty to behold. Small crescent moons, stars, and even the occasional sun dotted the legs perfectly. The top of the table, though worn and sporting more than one notch from various things being cut on it, looked well taken care of.

“Okie dokie loki, we’re going to make Potato Goulash. I need those potatoes all washed, diced, and ready to boil. There’s also a barrel of pickled herring over there, and we’re going to use a little for flavoring.”

Following her orders he began with the first few potatoes, not bothering to skin them, since she didn’t say to, and instead he went on washing them. The water that ran through the system seemed to change to the perfect temperature, becoming just warm enough to make the cleaning so much easier, and cool enough to keep from burning his hands. He rubbed the dirt off of them, working until each potato was clean. Pinkie didn’t give him a certain number, so he ended up doing that with every single potato that had been on the table.

“Good! I was hoping that you’d do them all! Now we’ll have plenty for tomorrow! Okay, dice them up nice and small, oh, save back three or four of them okay?”

He nodded, and soon he found himself cutting through the potatoes with ease. The knife, much like the water, seemed to react on its own. It was almost as if it sensed what he wanted, and while he was holding it in his hand it did the work for him. Potato after potato the knife sliced through them as if it was the first one. It never dulled, never slowed, it didn’t even get slick from the juice out of the potatoes.

Before he was done Pinkie went to gathering the pieces, throwing them into a pot to boil and when he finished he noticed that there was a small pile still on the table. Smiling that brilliant smile of hers she pointed to a small five gallon bucket.

“Okay, I want you to take those pieces, put them in that bucket, fill it with water, add some yeast, and then take this pillowcase and tie it on top.”

“What does this make?”

She grinned, and gave him a look like he was asking the dumbest question in the entire Universe, “Vodka, silly!”

“What are you making vodka for?” Endymion asked.

Again, Pinkie gave him a smile like he was making an inquiry into something painfully obvious, “Because we’re gonna need something to wash down the goulash and red wine just ain’t gonna cut it.”

“I think Rarity is going to have a heart attack when she hears this,” Endymion murmured.

“Are you kidding?” Pinkie said, “she’s the one who suggested it.”

Endymion looked stunned. He’d never expected Rarity to be somepony that would suggest a harder drink for a meal.

“Rarity, really? We’re talking about the same mare, right?”

Pinkie nodded, “Yepperoni! Oh Rarity knows all about drinks and food, and she’s really good about what goes with what. Like Goulash needs something strong with it because it’s a heavy meal. Wine, except for the stuff that Berry Punch makes, just isn’t strong enough. And to be honest… I’m not sure many ponies can drink what Berry Punch makes. I’ve seen that stuff melt paint off of the wall.”

Endymion’s eyes widened when she told him that. The thought that something was that strong seemed almost impossible. He muttered under his breath, a stream of personal vindictives he reserved for nobles like Jet Set and certain merchants, like those hustling unicorns that sometimes set up shop in Canterlot, the Flim-Flam Brothers. The last time they breezed into town, they gave several citizens of the Lower Wards a horrible rash with the lotion they were peddling. It didn’t seem to affect him much, even though his normally flame red mane was much shinier than normal, but he saw more than a few of his friends in The Steppe itching themselves bald in spots.

The distilling of the vodka didn’t take all that long, and given Pinkie’s instructions in it, Endymion had to conclude that the Roamani mare had more than fair share of moonshining. He didn’t know if that was something that was permissible in Equestria proper, but given that plenty of ales and harder liquors are crafted in small, family owned breweries, he didn’t think Pinkie’s extracurricular distilling amounted to much under the law. Still, Pinkie, besides being cute and talented in many things, she was also a fair instructor. He would need to remember this recipe for later.

He hadn’t realized that the cooking, and baking, had taken so long until after the first air team came in to dine that afternoon. The lead mare walked into the galley hunched over from flight and breathing heavily. She was the first of the team that called forth ale. And Endymion knew that the Lunar Light had a vast store of Selene Silver Label Ale on hand at all times. It was his favorite ale, as well his mother’s, so he knew its exact location on board. He had tankards of the brew ready in a thrice and the crew of Pegasi drank hardly as Pinkie helped him lay out a spread of epic proportions. Applejack and Rainbow Dash joined soon after, partaking of some vittles and downing a pint of ale, as well.

Dinner had always been an important meal to Endymion and his mother as he grew up. It was a time for them to converse about the day, to be mother and son and not princess and prince. This dinner was no different. Those that sat at it saw Princess Luna let her mane down for the first time in a long time. She laughed, she joked, and she ate the offered meal while guzzling vodka.

Endymion watched his mother, and he felt Pinkie’s hand touch his own. She grasped it, leaning over to lean her head on his shoulder. It was comforting, and he let a grin escape him as he felt it. He didn’t notice Twilight watching the couple, her eyes practically staring daggers at Pinkie Pie. The fork held in her magic practically began to bend from the pressure she was putting on it. When Pinkie tickled him, causing him to laugh, and then kissed him she felt like she was going to explode.

On the other side of her Fluttershy watched the pair and shook her head. This was not how a champion was supposed to act. He wasn’t supposed to be drinking back ale, kissing mares, eating like a slob, and playing with the mare he was kissing like some foalish colt. He certainly wasn’t supposed to be that friendly with Pinkie Pie. Why was he so friendly with her? Sure, she’d admit that Pinkie was pretty, but there are so many other forms of beauty, and why was he attracted to that form?!

She felt herself getting upset, and she wasn’t sure why. This kind of behavior was something she would normally forgive and move on from, but it was bothering her, really bothering her. She looked away from him, intent on looking at her own plate of food, silently poking at it, unsure of what to say, or even if she had the right to say anything.

Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy, unsure of what was bothering her friend, but currently not really sure that there was anything she could do to help, so instead she was sucking back the vodka, eating the Goulash, and feeling pretty damned good about life. There was treasure, lots and lots of treasure just waiting for them to come along. She looked at the way that Pinkie Pie and Endymion was carrying on.

A blush formed across her blue muzzle, and she tried to wave it off. Pegasus courting rituals weren’t that different. It was obvious to anypony sitting there that the two of them were going to be knocking hooves before this trip was over. Surprisingly that was fine with her. If Endymion and Pinkie wanted to be together, then let them. Hell, maybe it’d make him mature a little faster.

She looked at her now empty glass of vodka, and silently she wondered where it went.

“Heeeey AJ… Wheresh the Vodka all gone?”

“Dash, ya dun drunk your fifth glass.”

“I haveshed? Reeeealllly? Could’a swooore more was in there… I’mmma gonna go get some more.”

AJ watched as Rainbow’s wings tried to flap, but they were flapping out of sequence and all that really happened was that her rainbow maned pegasus friend fell onto her back, “Found the floor!”

“Y’all, Ah’m a gonna put Rainbow ta bed ‘fore the walls start spinning on her,” she said as she picked Rainbow up, “Come on now.”

“Ya gots a real nice rump AJ… Ifish I was alittle more bent… I’d wreck it….”

“Uh huh.”

Luna watched the two, and she smiled. In truth she was feeling much the same way. She’d forgotten how quickly Vodka snuck up on a pony. The last time she had drunk it was nigh over a millenia ago. She had been in the Crystal Empire, visiting Sombra and his bride Rose Quartz. Of course this was before an assassination attempt took Rose Quartz from him. She looked at Pinkie and thought of how closely she resembled the late Queen of the Crystal Empire. Sombra hadn’t been evil, not truly evil.

Everything he went on to do, the corruption, the enslavement, it all was a result of his losing himself to his own neurosis. Still, the last time she had drunk this she ended up in their bed. A handy spell she had learned from her sister allowed her to grow a stallion’s phallus and she had split roasted Rose Quartz with Sombra.

She blushed at the old memory, the feeling of Rose Quartz anal wall around her magically created phallus, the way she moaned and bucked against her, and then she removed it from herself, casting it on Rose Quartz, and allowed Sombra and Rose Quartz to do the same to her. The following morning she was so sore, those sheets were so stained, and every orifice she had ached with the knowledge that she had indeed engaged in shenanigans that would be for a very juicy scandal should they ever be found out to the public.

She never said a word of it to her sister. She knew how Celestia was exceptionally fond of Sombra, and she knew that she entertained the idea, more than once, of entering their herd. She looked at Pinkamena Diane Pie, and she saw the same light, love, and lovely mare she had seen so long ago. She knew what was happening, and she knew there was a chance for something to happen.

Part of her didn’t want it to. After all, Endymion was her little colt. He was always going to be her little colt, but another part would be happy to see him find someone that loved him as much as Rose Quartz loved Sombra. She was going to toast them, their new budding romance, and she lifted her glass, only to feel herself become dizzy.

‘Ah, there you are, Vodka my old friend. Time to make me seem like a filly that can’t hold her liquor. From now on… Ale, just ale,’ she thought before she sat back down, her head lowering to her hands on the table.

Seeing his mother looking a little more drunk than he’d ever seen her before Endymion slowly stood, with Pinkie Pie, and the two of them went to Luna. Twilight rose, helped them, and the three of them helped carry her to her bed chambers.

“Wow, Mom really let her hair down.”

“She did…” Twilight said, “I keep forgetting that she is a pony like everypony else from time to time. Endymion, I…” she swallowed what she was going to say. Her nerves got the better of her, “Never mind, good night.”

She turned and walked quickly out of the room, ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid! I could have told him right then! Twilight, you moron. Now he’s going to… And with Pinkie… Sol damn it,’ she thought.

After dinner Endymion helped Pinkie clean up, smiling he hugged her, stealing a kiss from her, and left to his own cabin. Sleep came quickly, as did the morning, and soon he found himself in the same situation again. Once more the ship moved at a snail’s pace, not that he’d ever tell the Pegasi pulling it that, and once more he found himself in the kitchen helping.

He learned the previous night that he wasn’t much of a vodka drinker, but he gladly made more. It seemed the bucket he was making it in was actually enchanted for that reason. It let the vodka ferment and become ready in hours instead of days and weeks. As he and Pinkie talked, and she showed him the many different ways to create muffins, cupcakes, and normal cakes, he began to realize how complex she truly was.

He’d be lying if he said that the first he noticed wasn’t her shapely rump. No, that, and her bust, was the first things he noticed. But she was intelligent, hard working, fun, and witty. He found himself enjoying spending time with her, and as the day passed into night, dinner once again served, Rainbow Dash once again carried out by AJ, but his mother did not partake of the vodka. She instead stuck with Ale.

He did much the same, and once the galley was again clean he found himself going to his cabin, but he wasn’t alone. They entered the room together, he had asked her if she wanted to, if this was what she wanted, and she had said yes. She’d seen him, nude, in the dream, and in reality, and so he felt no true embarrassment as he undressed. He soon crawled onto the bed, waiting for her.

Pinkie looked at him, she’d always been so confident, so sure of what she wanted, and there was no lie in that she wanted him. She felt it, the moment she had seen him, the moment he walked into Lucky’s she felt the connection. Her mother had told her that was what happened when she met her father. They had met together at a multicolored rock on a trail. Two different Romani families that were traveling the countryside, and every chance that they’d ever meet was slim. But there, that night, they met by that stone, the choosing stone, and they felt so connected.

Her mother said their courting was short. Both knew that they were each other's destinies, and over the course of two weeks they dated, until finally her father took her mother to bed, and ask her to be his bride. There was a small ceremony, as tradition among both families, but it was small, nothing huge, and with a gift of a wagon, enough food for at least a month, and enough bits to set up near a township, they were sent off into the world.

Now, now she felt the nervousness her mother never told her about. She looked at him again, seeing his eyes tracing her, but at the same time his expression wasn’t one of wanton lust. That made her feel more sure about this. She undid the top three buttons of her blouse, untied it, and let it slip off of her shoulders. Her breasts were bare, large, and making his eyes seem to widen in unexpected joy. She giggled as she found the clasp on her skirt. It dropped and she stepped out of them. She moved up to the bed, crawling into it, moving toward him, and touching his nude form.

“I love you, Endy,” she whispered before she kissed the tip of his cock.

He let out a moan of pure bliss as she slowly engulfed him. Her wider tongue sliding under his cock, teasing, it, feeling the sensitive underbelly of it, and she moved until she felt him at the back of her throat. There was no choice in this. She wanted him, all of him, inside of her mouth, and she so she pushed until he began to slide down her throat. She pulled back, thankful for all of the times she had swallowed large gulps of water without gagging or needing to take a breath. She began to go down on him again, and she felt his hands in her mane. She pulled back up, moving up him, turning around, and presenting her sex to him.

Realizing what she wanted, and hoping that he could make her feel as good as he was feeling, he gave her marehood the first tentative lick. The smell of cotton candy filled the air around him, thick, heady, and present for him. He licked again noticing how sweet she tasted. His hands pulled her hips against his mouth, and he began lick and suckle. She lifted her head, a lewd moan escaping her, and she looked over her shoulder at him.

“Oh… Endy… Oh Sol… Light my party cannon…”

Realizing that she wasn’t going to stand it, unable to hold back she felt her first flood of orgasm rushing her. She put her lips down on his cock, feeling him pulsing and she began to work him over hard and fast. He moaned into her as he came, and it was thick, like frosting. She swallowed it down, and turned around to face him. Before she could do a thing he kissed her, deeply, his hand moving down to play with her nub.

She felt his cock stiffening, and she moved his hands. Moving her thighs apart she straddled him, slowly lowering down onto him until he felt a resistance. She lifted up a bit, and the pushed down again until he was through it. She winced, just for a moment, but then she began to build a rhythm. His hands moved up to her breasts, and she felt him holding them, feeling their weight, pinching and playing with her nipples as they moved together.

Oh Sol, it was glorious, feeling how well he fit inside of her. This moment was what she had waited for. This moment with the stallion who would be the father of her foals, this moment with the stallion she was going to love forever. She felt them moving, him taking over, becoming dominate, and she let him. She was his mare, and he was her stallion.

She knew she would end up sharing him. Even a blind pony could see how much Twilight loved him, and besides, herding was normal. Another sister to help watch foals, another sister to plan mischief with, and perhaps even another lover when needed. She wouldn’t dare keep him from bringing somepony like Twilight into a herd. Especially when he could make her feel this good.

She moved her hips in time with him, feeling him thrusting deeper, harder, and faster into her. She matched him, and what had originally lasted only a few minutes the first time was moving well into an hour. Her mane was sweaty and it was sticking to her fur, she was getting tired, but she wanted to finish. She wanted to feel him go when she did. She felt him move his arms behind her back, and he went to setting up, causing her to rise up and straddle his lap. She began to pull herself up only to impale herself again on his marvelous cock.

Her voice was getting so tired from the moaning, crying and other wonderful sounds that he was causing to come out of her. She felt him lean into her shoulder, his mouth opened, and she felt the graze of his teeth, the gentle nip of a love bite, and she tightened up around him. She exploded. He came into her hard, and both of them fell forward. Breathing labored, sheets sweat soaked, and bodies brought past the peak of exhaustion, the pair lay there recovering; Pinkie on the bottom with their combined fluids sloshing around inside of her passage, Endymion on top with his still erect stallionhood deep in her folds.

Pinkie closed her eyes, visions of them together like this for years to come filling her mind. She grinned, gigglesnorted, and cuddled into his side. In mere moments, she fell fast asleep, the warmth in her belly and residing inside her lulling into beautiful dreams.

Endymion’s Cabin - Bed - Present time

He looked at her, at Pinkie Pie and his mind was still fuzzy on what happened exactly, but he wasn’t upset at it. It felt right that they ended up in bed together. She seemed to blink awake, her eyes fluttering up, and she looked up at him with a gentle smile.

“Morning silly,” she cooed.

“Good morning to you, too.”

She slowly raised up, kissed him and then he felt her straddle him. His hands wrapped around her as she hugged him deeply. It was a hug that he returned happily. Her hand touched his chest, slowly pushing him back, and a cute, but impish, smile crossed her lips.

“I think that part of you is waking up to play…” she practically sang.

He felt her scoot back, her rump raising into the air, pointed toward the door, his cock in her hands, as she stroked him, and then the door opened. His eyes widened as he saw his mom. Luna’s expression was one of surprise, confusion, and instant remorse.

“Sorry, sorry!”

The door was shut a little harder than expected. Endymion closed his eyes and silently cursed. Pinkie grinned and continued doing what she started.

“Pinkie… what about…” he started before she looked at him.

“Endy, please, the cake batter is already spilled, so we might as well have some fun before we clean it all up.”

The Galley

Luna scrubbed the table where the food was prepared, the counter space, the stove, the table where they ate, and anywhere and everywhere else that had a flat surface. She wanted to believe that her son would wait until he was in his cabin, but she couldn’t be sure, and she most certainly was going to make sure that none of his, or Ms Pie’s essence made it into their food.

Twilight walked in to see her teacher scrubbing vigorously, and acting as if the polished wooden table wasn’t clean, or ever would be cleaned. Luna barely regarded Twilight, but instead she continued to magic more hot soapy water over to her. It was as if she wasn’t able to clean it fast enough, or it wouldn’t come clean fast enough. Silently Twilight wondered exactly what it was that had set Luna off on a cleaning spell like this.

“Princess, are you okay?” Twilight asked as she neared her, “‘Cause I don’t think that table can get any cleaner.”

7 Vanguards on the Mount

Rune Soldier

Chapter 7: Vanguards on the Mount

The Lunar Light, Endymion’s Quarters, Six Weeks Later

Endymion leaned back in the bed, trying his best to hold out as Pinkie Pie engorged on his organ. She had proven a rather avid giver of fellatio, Endymion had no objection to give as much as he received, but the Roamani mare seemed to have a preference for his essence. Pinkie once told him his seed was as sweet as vanilla. He didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but he chose to take it as a compliment.

Pinkie was certainly enthusiastic about it all. After their first time, she came up with no less than twenty different euphemisms for his penis. It was something of an inside joke between the pair, even though it came at the expense of Twilight giving Endymion an evil eye or Fluttershy blushing profusely. He didn’t understand their reactions, but given that his romantic endeavors were rather limited, it should really come as no surprise.

Such as now, as he struggled to keep from blowing his load into Pinkie’s mouth, only because the sensation of the mare’s suction on his pole was beyond the realms of Elysium. In all honesty, the action he was getting now was nearly as good as sex itself. Of course, his mother had called him into her cabin after she walked in on Pinkie going down on him that one time. The lecture about sex and responsibility he could have done without; he, like practically every colt and filly in the Equestrian education system, had taken Reproductive Science, so he knew how both the male and female reproductive systems worked, in theory at least. His mother was reiterating things he had learned and could recite verbatim at will if needed.

The awkwardness of that lecture was softened significantly when she drew him into a motherly hug and kissed his forehead; she was rather elated to know he had found himself a special somepony. She did find his relationship with Ms. Pie to be rather forward, but she had ruled over her subjects long enough to know that trends in romance and courtship change from generation to generation. She also expressed that she would prefer not to see as much of Pinkie’s plot or his stallionhood at any given time. She also wanted him to avoid having coitus in the galley, for propriety’s sake. He even had to sign a pledge to leave the tables and any other flat surface on the ship, besides his bed or Ms. Pie’s bed, as places to be en flagrante.

Being a rather private stallion, he was more than willing to make sure he wasn’t exposed in such a way, even though he was certain that Pinkie wouldn’t mind much. His Roamani marefriend was something of an exhibitionist, if her stage show was any indication. He wouldn’t change that, or any part of Pinkie, for anything. He loved her just as she was, but most especially when she used that sway in her hips to call attention to her rump. And she only did it for Endymion, though there were a few stallions on board (and the colt who served as a yeoman and the filly who was the ship’s boatswain) who were caught in the crossfire.

“Pinkie,” Endymion moaned, “I’m- I’m almost there-!”

Pinkie moaned in response, but didn’t relent of her ministrations. She kept on suckling on his member, breathing through her nose, which tickled him a little and kept him on the precipice of release; his climax was imminent though, so staving it off for the sake of his pleasure was becoming a harder endeavor by the second.

“Pinkie,” Endymion groaned, “I’m there! I’m there-! Oh my Faust!”

Endymion grit his teeth at the same time the tension in his loins eased; his stallionhood quivered inside Pinkie’s mouth as glob after glob of his essence shot forth. The ecstasy of his release blurred his vision momentarily. Pinkie continued to suckle him, moaning happily as she drained him. The wide smile and contented humming she made doubled his pleasure and forced a small but powerful climax to rip through him. Pinkie caught that last load just in time, though by the looks of her distended cheeks, she was barely keeping all of it in.

Endymion lay flat on his back, the sweat of his body absorbed quickly by the Neighiption sheets on his bed. He heard Pinkie swallow his load as well as the satisfied gasp at her intake of air. She plopped down next to him with a cheshire smile and the sexiest bedroom eyes he had ever seen. (He had never told his mother about the Playcolt issue one of his security entourage snuck into the palace for him. Thus, he had a pretty good eye what bedroom eyes looked like. Miss October of AU 996 had become his ideal mare until Pinkie came along.)

“Mmm,” Pinkie hummed, “delicious as ever.”

“You’re never going to get enough of my spunk, are you?” Endymion asked.

Pinkie giggled, saying simply, “Nope.”

Endymion was quiet for a while as he recovered, He was still reeling in the euphoria of orgasm and his mind was trying to collapse reality on him. He did want to stay conscious for a while, so he could watch his marefriend as she revelled in her post coital bliss. That sight alone could make even a horrible day so much better.

“I love what you did with your mane,” Endymion said, “that’s something new, right?”

“Oh, it is!” Pinkie beamed, “don’t get me wrong, I love my curls, but they have a tendency to obstruct my view. Especially when the view is so enticing.”

“Aww, thank you, Pinks!” Endymion glowed, “you make it worth keeping myself in pristine condition.”

“With me around, that won’t be an issue,” Pinkie retorted, “although you may put on a few pounds from all my cooking.”

“Or all my snacking,” Endymion joked, “seriously, you make some good cupcakes.”

“Aw, thank you, Endy!” Pinkie said, twirling a salmon finger on his bare chest, “I bet you say that to all the fillies.”

He grinned, shook his head, and looked at her. She was beautiful, her mane nowhere near flat, but seemingly managed into a braid that seemed to work down the side of her head, framing part of her face. She looked lovely, and while his mother didn’t want to see her plot again, he certainly did. She crawled over to him, stretching one of her legs across his own, snuggling against his side, and letting her large breasts press against his arm and side. There would not be moving for a while.

Pinkie looked sweet, adorable, and cute as could be, but he’d learned just how strong she was a couple nights before. He was strong, there was no doubt about it, but when she was snuggling him, her arms were like iron, fuzzy, delightful iron, but iron all the same. Right now she was snuggling with him, happily lying on his bed, or rather their bed.

He felt her hand drift south until it found what had to be one of her favorite parts of his anatomy, and she slowly rubbed, stroked, and played. He was sensitive, but he’d be damned to Tartarus if he was going to complain. He watched her bright blue eyes twinkle, blink, and slowly close. Her mouth opened in a soft yawn, and he couldn’t help but agree that today was indeed a lazy day. Or at least it was until there was three hard, uniform knocks on his door.

“Your Highness, permission to enter,” a Shetland sounding voice asked through the door.

He knew the voice, and the pony it belonged to. A lunar pegasus that was one of his mom’s personal Guards. He looked at Pinkie who was still snuggling against him, her eyes closed, and he grabbed a sheet, as best as he could, and pulled it over them.

“Enter.”

The door opened and she stepped into the cabin. Her coat was the same color gray as the dusk sky, her mane a soft midnight purple, and her eyes, her eyes were a bright and inquisitive yellow. She stood in the flight suit and armor Rarity had made, and she seemed to wear it well, perhaps too well. His mind instantly considered what she’d look like undressed, moaning and panting, his cock stuffed up in her… He stopped himself right there. He loved the mare beside him, and while Stella was certainly a lovely mare, and somepony he was actually good friends with, he didn’t see her as dating material.

No, Stella was too much like a perverted older sister. She’d helped get him his first Playcolt, actually pointed out the mares in it that were worth taking a look at, and of course she was quick to point out which ones had been worked on, or touched up by magic before the photo was taken. She took a quick look at Pinkie Pie, and he watched as her tongue did a quick lick of the lips.

“Always liked the Earth Ponies,” Stella said as she looked at Pinkie’s sheet covered body, “So robust and full of life. Plus, Ah’m sure she’s a wild one in the sack. After all ya’ve been lookin’ like ya’ve taken and focked the living living shit outta that filly a time or three already.”

“Classy as always, Constellation,” Endymion retorted, “is there something you need or are you here just to bust my balls?”

“Oi, laddie, if Ah came to bust yer balls, ya’d know it,” Stella replied, “instead, Ah came here on orders, ye wee bairn. Yer mother is callin’ ya t’ tha deck. Best be makin’ yer way there now.”

“Do I least have time to get dressed?” Endymion asked.

“Well, Ah dunnae think yer ma would appreciate ya comin’ up with what ya got on ya now,” Stella replies, rolling her eyes, “now, up to it, bonnie lad! You too, Ms. Pie.”

Endymion goes to move from the bed before he realizes Stella is still in the room.

“Uh, Stella, little privacy here?”

“Ya mangy git,” Stella mutters, “laddie, it ain’t like Ah’ve never seen yer stallion bits.”

“Come on, Endy,” Pinkie interjects, “I don’t think Stella here is a bad pony. A little crankier than I’ve seen before-”

“Oi, lassie! Watch it!”

“Sorry,” Pinkie said, then turning to Endymion, “race ya!”

“Wait- Pinkie!”

And so, Endymion and Pinkie rushed to get clothed as Stella watched impassively. The ledrflapper was mildly impressed by the crank on her young charge, seeing as she was seven years his senior and more experienced in sexual relations than the Crown Prince. She never once offered her “services” as a tutor in the area, even though Her Princess was willing to pay handsomely to do so at one time. Still, she couldn’t help but admire the hooman’s supple flanks or the way his nearly hairless chest glistened slightly with sweat. His choice of mate was surprising, but in good taste. The Prince had himself a good eye for pretty mares and unlike his adopted cousin, didn’t think of the filly sharing his bedchambers as disposable. Selene only knew how many broken hearts Blueblood had left in his wake, but she surmised it was enough to start their own society.

Once they were dressed the three of them went up to the deck. Luna watched as her son and his special somepony moved toward where she was standing. The trip had been longer than expected, but there was Mount Gloom in all of its glory. Stories of the mountain didn’t seem to do it justice. It felt wrong, the entire place felt wrong even from here. There was a foreboding feeling covering the entire ship.

Endymion noticed AJ, who seemed to be a hardened warrior in her own right, grimace as they neared it. The ship gained altitude, climbing up the side and toward the peak of the mountain itself.

They had began to cross when something flickered below them. There, on the mountain itself, appeared a lookout post. It hadn’t been there before, not to anypony’s knowledge, but now it appeared as if it just materialized from the very air itself. There was no verbal warnings, no attempts at diplomacy, but instead there was a thunderous sound followed by the very ship being violently tossed. Luna’s own horn ignited, and with her magic she helped right the tossed ship. Soon, her example was followed by several other unicorns, including Twilight. The ship stabilized, and the Lunar Light seemed to stay in a little further away from the outpost.

The outpost remained there for a moment more and then once more it was gone. In its stead was a small plateau. The feature was unremarkable in contrast to the rest of the mountain face. Luna studied it, her eyes taking in everything about it; she drank every detail of that plateau, memorizing every angle and plane of it. Then she motioned toward Twilight.

Luna inquired, “Tell me, My Faithful Student, what do you see?”

Twilight looked at the plateau, her eyes focused, her horn ignited, and she shook her head, “That’s the most advanced glamour I’ve ever seen.”

“It is isn’t it,” Luna commented, “Yet, it feels old, well crafted to be sure, but old. I’d dare say it is supported by magical batteries.”

Endymion looked, unable to see what they were exactly talking about, until he saw a shimmering light that flashed for just a second. He watched it again, and the shimmering light seemed to appear every two minutes. It was consistent, but at the same time it was far enough apart for nopony to really notice unless they were studying it. He watched the light itself, tracing it, and then he realized that it was hitting the ship.

“Mom, I think they’re looking at us,” ENdymion said, pointing to the plateau.

Luna turned toward her son, followed his motions, and watched. Slowly, it became apparent that the light was indeed hitting the ship, and it seemed to be covering the entire underbelly of it completely. She stopped and considered what she would do with the knowledge of a ship from underneath it, and the realization was that she’d be looking for weak points.

“I want three guards to carefully go behind us, gather some clouds, and pull them down around the ship. I want you to position those clouds under us, and condense them.” The Lunar Diarch ordered.

“Mom?”

“Son, a rule of all magic, no matter how advanced, any spell that is met with naturally occurring magic it will redirect. Clouds, even condensed, are naturally occurring. It will keep them from looking directly on us, and perhaps we will be able to use some diplomacy in stead.”

Stella took off with two of the solar pegasi and they began to find and gather clouds together. At first the lookout post was simply doing as it had done since the first warning attack. It scanned the ship, seemingly uncaring of what they were doing, until the clouds began to gather under the ship. When that happened it shimmered again, revealing the lookout post itself. There was no shots fired, but instead something small left from the post.

As it got closer it no longer looked small, but instead it stood easily well over nine feet tall. The being landed on the deck, its feet shaped like eagle’s talons, both made of some kind of shiny metal. It’s legs were made of the same metal, and showed designs closer to that of a minotaur’s than an eagle. It’s chest and arms seemed to be made from more of the shiny metal, but it at least looked to be a mare, or female, if appearances were anything to go on. The head was certainly avian, designed much like a great sparrow. Its beak opened, and from it came a thunderous voice.

“You are to remove yourselves from this area immediately. No foreign traffic is permitted beyond this point.”

“We mean you no harm.”

The being turned and looked at the voice. It stood there, unmoving, silent, for several moments before it stepped forward and caught the speaker by the arm. The moment Endymion was approached the guard went into action. Despite Endymion being a magi, despite him showing the ability to defend himself, the guard was still that, the royal guard.

“Release my crown prince now, ya whorse coont gargler!”

Without hesitation the Avian drew Endymion up to it, holding him close, a blade coming out from its wrist, and glowing a soft purple. Endymion had seen that light before, back in the ruins in the Everfree Forest. Endymion cleared his mind, remembering what he’d learned in the ruins, what Flintheart and his mother had taught him, and he used it. He called upon magic into his own hands, and struck against the form behind him. The blade retracted, the being backed up, and he saw where he had struck.

It had went through, and under it was dark skin, no coat of fur on it but skin nonetheless. The skin was the same color as a piece of caramel candy. The armor wasn’t moving to cover it again, and the being began to look at him, at the guard, and walked toward the side of the ship. The Avain creature glanced at the damage then to Endymion. It spook, now more surprised than authorative.

“What are you?”

The Avian looked at the Pegasi as they began to advance on it; it could see the lone human, and even behind the visored faceplate, there seemed to a look of shock etched in the platinum there. Before anybeing could do or say anything, it dropped off of the side of the ship and went into a free fall.

Determined to not let that coont get away with threatening Endymion, Stella jumped off after her. The lunar pegasus watched as halfway down a pair of shiny metallic wings unfolded from the back and the being shot toward the lookout post it had come from. Stella followed it, determined to put an end to the would be attacker, and she made it to the outpost right behind the Avian. As the ledrflapper stepped into the dingy little building, she saw the top section, where the head might be on a pony, melt away to reveal the creature’s very vulnerable head.

She looked to see not a horrible looking creature, but rather a mare version of Endymion. She had a long raven colored mane, eyes that were a deep green, much like that orange earth pony that had accompanied Endymion, and her lips were plump and full. A mark, not unlike a cutie mark but more simplistic and monochrome, was on her neck; it showed a sword, a shield, and a helm overlapping a circle in a solid color. Her breasts were on the smallish size, being about the size of oranges, but they fit her athletic frame. Stella took all of this in within a single glance, because that was all she needed. The creature went for a weapon and Stella got the drop on her.

Her own sword was held out, in a threatening manner.

“Ya want that weapon ya wee coont gargler don’t ya? Go for it. I want ya ta go for it.”

The other mare looked at her in obvious anger, and stood there. Behind her was a silver ball, roughly about eighteen inches in circumference, and in the center of it was a single dully glowing gem. Stella knew Magical batteries when she saw them, and that was one that was dangerously close to losing all power.

The armor she had worn had to be working off of that battery, and the strange mare was in no place to put it back on, nor could she get to her weapon. At the same time Stella couldn’t simply lower her sword, or call upon the others. She was stuck, as this mare was stuck, in the same place. If she lowered her sword, then that strange mare would be able to get to her weapon, the small crossbow, that was sitting on the table to her left.

The sound of hooves on stone made Stella relax, “Bout time, Ya wee coonts took long enough to come down…”

Stella instantly shut her mouth as she saw the dark blue coat of Princess Luna. She didn’t dare drop her sword, not wanting to give the strange mare a chance to run, and now her job was different than before. She needed to guarantee Princess Luna’s safety as well. She heard more hooves, and watched as two solar pegasi guards moved into her field of vision. Both of them had weapons drawn, both of them ready, and she finally relaxed her arm.

The strange mare seemed to be contemplating the actions before her. With the increased number of ponies around her, the likelyness of overpowering one was gone. She might have been able to rush the first one to follow her if she had become distracted, but the other three made the problem harder. With no choice, she inched back, nearing the trap door that lead under the post. Once down there she could regroup, raid the old armory, perhaps even find another magical battery that wasn’t so completely close to dead.

It was her best shot, and she knew it. Her foot felt the small bump in the stone that was the release button. When she stepped on it, she’d have seconds to get into the trap door, pull the lever, and hope that six inches of volcanic rock would at least slow them down. With that thought, she pressed hard, a clicking sound erupted in the room, and while the ponies’ ears swiveled to find the cause of the noise she jumped toward the section of the floor that had slid back.

Stella, seeing what had happened moved toward the section as well. The strange mare, realizing that she wouldn’t be able to close the door instead fled down into the bowels of the old outpost. Ages ago it had been used by three members of the now nearly forgotten house of Endymion. Three women that had dabbled in creating a sapient life form. They had achieved it, in some regard, but the life form itself was malicious, worked off of hunger than anything else, and it fed on the magic and life forces of others.

She looked at the purple stone that surrounded the area. This stone was that creature, solidified trapped, and waiting for a member of the house of Endymion to release it from its bonds. She couldn’t even hope to ever release it, not that she would, and instead she ran faster until she came to a door made from the same stone. In the center of it was a petrified face, two strange bubble like eyes set in the middle of it, and its mouth hanging open. She reached into its mouth, grabbing the handle, and pulled the door open before slamming it shut behind her.

As she ran she could almost hear voices in the rock itself. ‘Bow Bow Bow, nothing can stop the Smooze…’

Stella neared the door, her eyes widening as she looked at the face that seemed to make up the entire middle of it. It never moved, yet it was frightening in a way she couldn’t explain. Around her she could hear something deep within the purple stone that made up the cavern. It was almost like a mocking laughter and strange singing. She heard hoofsteps behind her, and like herself the solar pegasi seemed to be wary of the door as well.

Princess Luna approached it, and she withdrew her hand quickly from it. She felt the raw power, the malicious energy that made up the stone, and she could feel the pulse of something living inside of the rock. She used her magic, and when she did the eyes of the door blinked. The face moved, and slowly it began laugh. The purplish muck that made up the door began to leak down itself, and Luna stopped trying to cast her magic. The muck stopped, and the entire thing became petrified once more.

“Princess, what is that?”

She looked at guard who asked.

“Something dangerous that needs not released. Quickly, we must go back upstairs. I have no doubt she has fled to the outside by now.”

The ponies retreated back the way the came and upon clearing the portal to the outpost, they saw those left back on the Lunar Light waving to them, as if in panic. Neither Stella nor her fellow guards knew what they were on about, until Their Princess directed their gaze to an impossible sight. Facing their airship, with no sign of propeller or balloon to hold it aloft, was a vessel of unknown origin. It’s alien design was unlike anything built by the Minotaurs, Griffons, or even the Ibex but to even Stella’s night trained eyes, it spoke resolutely as a military ship.

The marking along the armored plated sides were unreadable, even to Princess Luna and the fact the hovered midair with nary a sound was astounding. And even though there were no visible weapons on it, the vessel hummed with energy; Stella was certain this thing had the kind of firepower to raze entire nations, let alone entire cities. She could see some of the Solar Guard launching bolts at it with their crossbows, for all the good it did. Like the mare they were chasing, this ship was made of a silvery metal and no doubt that even the most powerful cannon in all of Equestria couldn’t even dent the plating. Then, from within the hulking metal behemoth, a voice sounded, amplified and distorted.

“You are in violation of Terran Imperial Ecumenal Airspace. Turn back back now. Force has been authorized to deter you from continuing. There will be no further warning.“

“Oh, come of it, ya scarce coonts!” Stella shouted.

Without any preamble, a light emerged from the ventral bow section of the alien ship. The beam coalesced until it grew as bright as the sun; it lanced outward, striking the Lunar Light with rock melting heat. The magical shield aboard the Light held, but Luna didn’t know if it would hold. Celestia had tested it with a sunbeam blast herself, and did seem to hold, but her sister was still coming back into her old powers. This weapon was a few magnitudes stronger than Tia’s sunbeam blast and it was pushing her beloved ships defenses to the limit.

Then the beamed ended, and all say in awe as the smoke coming off the Lunar Light cleared. The ship held fast, but the bow had suffered some damage. The iron bindings of the forward planks had melted and the boards themselves had charred. The masthead, a finely carved depiction of Luna in flight, had burned clean off. A fury she hadn’t felt in ages surfaced in Luna’s heart and her eyes turned serpentine as she squared herself against the alien ship. She was well prepared to face off against these foes; she stopped only because she heard her son bellowing from the Lunar Light, calling her to return the ship so they could evacuate.

As much as it pained her to leave a battle unfinished, she looked upon her guards and signaled them to return to their vessel. All four ponies launched themselves to the Lunar Light with all haste and landed amidst concerned faces and some frightened voices. Endymion’s was the most afraid, hugging his dear mother unabashed. She spoke soothingly to him, trying to calm him down as her blood boiled. She had intended this to be a diplomatic mission but now that ideal was lying in tatters.

“Helm!” Luna ordered, “if the turbine is up to full spin, get it there now! We are falling back!”

“Yes, Your Highness,” The Helms-mare replied, then into the comm, “Engine room, turbine to speed, all available power from the batteries.”

The hum of the turbine set Luna on edge, but if they had the ability to get away any faster, they would use it, now. The turbine cranked up, at first slowly then if revved up to full power. The twenty or so magical batteries powering it glowed with a violet light, both from within the turbine and deep in the bowels of the engine room itself. The helms-mare turned the wheel of the craft away from Mount Doom with all haste. The enemy ship stayed were it was, as menacing as the very Shadow of Death Itself.

With the turbine at full power, the Lunar Light sped away, and soon, Mount Gloom shrunk away until it was little more than a dot on the horizon. Luna was still in a fury, her beloved ship a wreck by powers she did not know existed, but that fury was tempered by the quaking of her son. Endymion was a nervous wreck, even more so than the ship, and she could hear him murmur, sotto voce, that it was a mistake to come out this way.

“Sol damn it!” Dash shouted, “We didn’t even get any treasure!”

Terran Imperial Ecumenal Observation Outpost Alpha Lambda Theta, The Necropolis Mountains

Stepping out of the Avalon was a single soldier in armor. The armor was plated, with a matte black undercoating veined in royal blue lines. This soldier was a woman and she met the outpost watchman with a smile.

“Nyota,” Legate Leilani Ourino said, “I saw the outpost go black. What in the name of the Holy Mother happened out here?”

“It was Equestrians,” the young woman named Nyota replied, “they turned up out of nowhere! I was trying to divert them, drive them back into their own territory but they wouldn’t budge. I had to shank the mana battery of the station in order to get up to their airship.”

“And what happened?” Leilani asked, “where’s your sheath suit?”

“Damaged, inoperable,” Nyota answered, “they had- You are not going to believe this, but they had a human on board! He- he used- I don’t know what it was but he blasted a hole in the armor! It tore straight through to my TKCA! I hightailed it as fast as I could, but they followed. I only just barely escaped using the old witches catacombs in the mountain.”

“You’re lucky to be alive,” Leilani stated, “but you said they had a human on board? Did he hit you with some sort weapon?”

“No, no, that’s the weird part,” Nyota said, “he just- there was an energy that pulsed from his hand and then a section of the sheathe suit was just gone!”

“That-” Leilani started, before recalling vague childhood memories, “that shouldn’t be possible!”

“No kidding!” Nyota replied, “it was like he was using magic or something. I know from daily briefings that the Equestrians can use that but human-”

“Wait, wait, hold on,” Leilani stopped her subordinate, “Magic? You think he used magic?”

“I don’t know,” Nyota answered, “but all he had on him was some sword, a really weird sword, like a Dragon’s Tooth, but filled with magma and lightning…”

“The Blade of the Magi,” Leilani whispered, then with greater volume, “it has to be the Blade of the Magi!”

“The what of the what?” Nyota asked.

“Praetorian,” Leilani began, “what know ye of the fabled House Endymion?”

Author's Note

If you see any mistakes, errors, or syntax fails, please let us know.

Stella is ©Flammenwerfer

8 All Work And No Loot Makes Dashie Go Cray Cray

Rune Soldier

Chapter 8: All Work and No Loot Makes Dashie Go Cray Cray

Two Days out from Canterlot - Deck of the Lunar Light

The magical batteries had finally drained themselves, leaving the ship roughly two days travel from Canterlot. Luna closed her eyes, desperately wishing that what had happened could have been avoided. There was many questions she knew her son wanted answered, questions she wanted answered, and yet the only response had been an excessive show of force. On top of that she had seen her son’s reaction to what had happened. Something had sparked some kind of memory, and he had been a nervous wreck since.

She had spoken to Twilight and Ms Pie, asking them both to take him into his cabin, do their best to calm him, and during that time she had set upon doing the small repairs she dared to do with just magic. It was a good way to help ease one’s self into understanding a situation that was beyond comprehension. Off to her left side she heard the near silent argument between two of the mares that went on adventures with her son.

“Not a scrap of treasure AJ, not a scrap! Do you know the kind of hole this puts us in? Oh for Sol’s sake we might as well drop trowel, bend over, and lift our tails, that’s the situation we’re in!” Dash whispered harshly.

“Rainbow, look, it weren’t nopony’s fault. Nopony knew those other ponies were a gonna show up, and nopony knew they were a gonna start a fight either.”

Rainbow Dash glared balefully at AJ for several seconds before looking over the side of the ship, “I guess, but this always happens. There’s a ton of treasure back there, a ton, and we didn’t even get a taste.”

“You will all be compensated,” spoke an imperious voice.

Both of them looked toward Luna, and bowed swiftly before returning to their more relaxed state, and Luna continued, “I would not have it any other way. You risked your own lives coming with us, and as such you will be paid.”

“Princess Luna, that’s right descent of ya,” Applejack replied, “but ya ain’t gotta do that.”

“Yes, she does!” Rainbow Dash interjected.

AJ went on as if Dash hadn’t spoken, “Yer Highness, we dun knew what we were a gittin’ inta when we came,” then AJ looked over the side of the ship, “Sure, Ah ain’t gonna lie, going back with somethin’ ‘stead of nothin’ would be a blessin’, but ya dun’t havta do that fer us.”

“On the contrary, Fair Applejack,” Luna stated, “I do so because you were willing to risk your lives to help my son on a personal quest, and to help me on a Diplomatic mission. I fear this is far from over, and soon I may need to call upon your group again.”

“Ya think they’re a gonna come start trouble?” AJ asked.

“I’d like to see them try,” Dash seethed, “I got knives for everypony!”

Luna turned toward the both of them. Applejack was as far removed from motherhood as her friends, but could see it in her eyes, that Luna looked conflicted.

“Yes, I fear that they will start trouble, and I fear it will be over Endymion,” The Lunar Diarch explained, “He is one of their kind. He is my son, albeit not of birth or blood but he is my son. Yet I fear that those we faced today will want to track him down.”

She motioned in front of her and they walked over taking a seat on a couple of crates that Lyra Heartstrings had helped bring up from below, where most but not all the damage the alien ship had done to Lunar Light was repaired.

Luna went on, “The first mare of his kind we met seemed surprised by his ability to use magic. That tells me that they will want him, if for no other reason.”

“You think they just want to use him for his magic?” Dash asked with an incredulous look on her face.

Luna nodded, “The strange armor she wore, it was powered by a magical battery, a powerful one at that. I’m certain of that. I have no doubt that their airship was much the same. Endymion has potential to be a powerful magi. He has abilities he hasn’t even realized yet, and I fear that they will want those abilities, that magic for their own ends. I pray to Sol that I am wrong.”

They looked at her and then at each other. Worry filled their minds as they thought about their fellow adventurer and friend. Those beings had crazy powerful weapons and equipment but from their first encounter with those “terran empire” folk, it could easily be assumed that they had no skill in magecraft. The encounter with Endymion had shown a human who deeply in touch with their arcane powers. There was a likelihood that skill of his would come to bite them all in the flank somehow.

Endymion’s cabin

He was on his side, shivering, his eyes screwed shut, and memories, so many memories were flooding into his mind. Memories he didn’t understand, memories that made his mind feel like it was going to explode. There were lovers, family, friends, places, even experiences that were not wholly his own and yet he could recall them as easily as if it were something he saw just yesterday.

One of the more familiar images was one he could identify with very easily. In it, he could see thousands of ponies, just like him, gathered together, working as one, and he could feel the thrum of magic as it filled him. The interdicting barrier forced a legion of ungulate foes from charging over the mountain range that served as the westernmost border of the realm. Ponies, no people, cheered as the leader of the charge, a barrel chested figure with a plethora of antlers on it's head, fell onward to the barrier, only to be consumed by curse that powered it. It's soldiers followed suit until none remained…

It changed again, flipping forward; he was in a room, lit by candlelight, and he was lying on the floor. He could see a glass rolling in front of him, for it passed by the wooden legs of the dining table he was seated at formerly. The taste of wine and nightshade filled his mouth. The mare, no woman, in the room with him was smiling sadistically. Her cackling filled his ears with pain and he desperately tried to breath. It was to no avail for he was being murdered then and there.

“The great Ambrose,” the woman chided, “champion of the House of Endymion! Yet, look upon you now, so weak. They claimed that you helped those three stop The Smooze, and that you single handedly stopped the destruction of our great nation. But here you are… gasping for breath, trying to hold on for one more second. You’ve lost, and with you dies the power behind the House of Endymion. ‘Tis said that revenge is a dish best served cold. I say, it is a play, an act of most deliberate and epic proportions that finally bears fruit when all are convinced that all is well. This night will bear witness to the end of The Elder of House Endymion. By first light tomorrow, the entire House shall be expunged, it’s name whispered as a fable and a warning. None shall that name Endymion without a thrill of fear. And you want to know the best part, Ambrose? It was House Proletariat that ended your arcane tyranny! Now die, you heretic.”

He felt the entire world go black, and his eyes shot open. He felt two mares beside him, his arms snaked out and wrapped around the one in front of him. He pulled her close, burying his head in her bosom, not caring who it was, not caring that it might be awkward, but at that moment he cared only there was a warm body which could bring him some comfort. He felt another body snuggling up behind him. As he snuggled against the body in front of him the smell of blackberries filled his nostrils.

Pinkie hugged Endymion from behind. He’d stopped shivering, and he wasn’t shaking anymore. She felt the pain he had been in, and she shared it as best she could. It was just simply part of who and what she was. She could always sense things that others couldn’t tell when things were going to happen, and feel things about other ponies. She had been with him long enough to know about his nightmares. For some strange reason, she couldn’t reach into them the way she could his waking thoughts.

She spoke with his mother about it and she too expressed frustration on that front. She informed Pinkie that Endymion;s nocturnal theater was virtually impregnable, no matter what line of attack she had attempted.. His dreams were protected by numerous layers of logic bombs, dead ends, traps, and red herrings, all controlled and contained within a deep and powerful firewall. It frustrated the salmon colored mare, too, but she rode with it. He was her stallion and Faust be damned if she gave up when the going got tough. She would stay by his side, firewall or not, and she would carry his burdens with him, because that wasn’t just the Earth pony way, that was the very core of the Roamani culture.

Holding him, snuggling behind him, and giving what comfort she could, Pinkie slowly thought about her stallion. Endymion was hers as much as she was his. By the guidelines of the Roamani culture they were just as married as if there was a ceremony. Oh, she knew that an actual ceremony would have to take place. Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz would have a massive conniption fit if their youngest daughter didn’t at least give them some pageantry of a marriage ceremony. Maud, Limestone and Marble would love to attend, as well. Maud, of course, would be her Mare of Honor.

Plus she was certain that Endy’s mama, Princess Luna, would want to have a ceremony as well. She thought about all of the ponies that would be coming from his family, and then she thought about Twilight’s addition to it. The ceremony would have to include Twilight. She looked at her blushing magi friend. She could smell Twilight’s arousal right now, her friend desperately trying to act like she was just comforting him, and not actually getting off on Endy having his face planted between her breasts.

As far as herd mates went she could do a lot, a whole lot, worse than Twilight. It was just getting Twilight to realize this was something she wanted. Her friend was super smart when it came to books, studying magic, knowing trivial and historical facts, but she was sooooo clueless when it came to important stuff like knowing what the heart wants. She’d do what she could to help, but even she wasn’t Supermare. Eventually Twilight was going to have decide for herself.

As they lay there none of them knew that above their heads Captain Spitfire had found the ship, reported in to the Princess, and under strict royal command had been ordered to include military training back into the Wonderbolts. They didn’t know that Luna was preparing for the worst, and that she was hoping her little ponies would be strong enough to endure it.

Ponyville - two weeks later

Twilight walked near Pinkie and Endymion as they headed toward Lucky’s. Pinkie had the day off, and she seemed content to enjoy it being near a good friend and her stallion. Twilight still had some chores to do at the library, but Spike had agreed to finish them for her. Of course, in return she had promised to get him a sapphire cupcake from Sugarcube corner. And Endymion was trying to clear his mind of everything that had been happening. There was questions, lots and lots of questions, and so few answers. He knew that some of the answers were back at Mount Gloom, back where those others like him had been, but he also knew that they were dangerous, and the last thing he wanted was to get his friends, or his family, into more trouble.

He wasn’t paying attention and ended up bumping into somepony. He looked up to see AJ standing there. She shook her head.

“Yer gonna end up falling into some mighty big trouble one day a doin’ that.”

“Maybe, so what’s going on?”

She pointed a sign that showed two ponies grappling, “Big fighting contest. Filthy Rich puts it on every year, and Sweet Apple Acres always makes some good bits selling Filthy our apple treats, zap apple jam, and just some good home cooked food,” she stretched, and Endymion noticed the cart hooked up to her waist for the first time, “This here’s the first load. Kinda makes me wonder how much he’s a makin’ off of all of it.”

“I’d say he’s making a killing,” Dash said as she floated down to the ground, landing right beside Applejack, “I mean, how else does he pay for that mansion, the staff it comes with, and that extended carriage? And Sol only knows how much his wife and daughter blow through with their fashion expenditures.”

“And ya’ll know all that how, Dash?” AJ asked with a smirk.

“Well,” Dash started, “somepony has to make some money for us! So, I sometimes take on a part time cleaning gig with the Rich household. He pays a pretty bit even though there is the indignity of those maid uniforms…”

“I don’t need you paint a picture, Dash,” Endymion said and the cerulean Pegasus’ tongue darted out to him, “I’m just glad you’re not hurting for work. Sol bless her, but my mom still sends me an allowance.”

“Seriously?”

He closed his eyes and nodded, “She says it’s a royal stipend, and that there’s no shame in it, but it feels like an allowance. That’s part of the reason I like to adventure with you two, and Fluttershy, because I like the idea of getting some treasure, and being self sustaining for a while.”

“Then enter the fight.”

He looked at AJ, “What?”

“Enter the fight. It’s just a show of strength, although they’re fine with anypony that knows Steel Way, Still Way, or Hoof-Fu. Ah ain’t a gonna do it, too demeaning fer me, but ya tend to go with yer fists swinging anyway. Ah’d say go fer it. The grand prize is a gold statue with magical batteries made inta it. Figure it’s gotta be worth a small fortune.”

“Yeah! Do it! We can make a killing with the bets!” Dash exclaimed.

He looked at the poster again, “Where’s the sign-in?”

Walking over he listened to Dash as she talked about how much she planned on making with the bets, and then he looked to see the group standing outside of the sign-in area. Several of the stallions he knew, and one of them was Thunderlane. While he and Thunderlane weren’t best of friends or anything, he knew that the Pegasus was a decent fighter, and an adventurer as well.

Still, Thunderlane tended to fight using storm clouds, choosing to use lighting to get rid of enemies. The rules stated that no clouds, unicorn - or other - magic could be used. It was to be a test of strength and stamina. Pinkie Pie giggled for a moment.

“What’s so funny Pinks?”

Pinkie looked at Dash with a wide smile, “He’s got the stamina part down.”

Rainbow looked between the two of them, her eyes widened, and then she shook her head, “Nope! Nope! Not gonna think about that!”

With that Rainbow flew into the air.

“Just… Pinks, that’s.. Eeeew,” she said before she flew over the arena itself.

“Pinkie, why did you say that to her?”

She smiled at Twilight and giggled, “Because it’s true, and because it was funny.”

“Seriously, though Endymion,” Twilight chided, “why would even think of fighting in this in the first place?”

“Well,” Endymion said, “I think of it as further adventurers training. And I think AJ agrees I could use it.”

“Eeyup,” the farm pony said, “Endymion maybe pretty skilled in fisticuffs, what with him used to fightin’ minotaurs an’ such, but really skilled combatants, he ain’t really faced yet. This here tournament might the thing he needs to see how other’s handle hand-to-hoof fightin’.”

“20 bits says he’s on his rump after the first round,” Dash says, “fists aren’t gonna help you in there, Sport.”

“Dashie…”

Rainbow Dash glared at the pink mare, “Not a word about Endymion or stamina, ‘sides I’m trying to help your stallion by letting him know what he’s up against. There’s some skilled fighters in there, and at least one of them is a Steel Way master. No Hoof-fu masters, but I did see a pretty good Still Way fighter. He’s a part time guard for Ponyville. I don’t know why he thought it was funny, but he said he used to go on adventures until he took an arrow to the knee.”

“Maybe because certain of the heroine types aren’t very sturdy in the legs,” spoke the soft voice of Fluttershy, “or maybe it’s an adventurer’s inside joke. Frankly, I never understood why an arrow to the knee would stop anypony, unless they were less skilled than they harp on about.”

“Good point,” Dash said, as the group approached the tournament sign up sheet, “Good luck!”

“I hope I won’t need it,” Endymion said, then he was next in line to sign in.

“Move it, peons!” Shouted a voice, “The Earl of The House of Thunderhead cometh!”

The group looked in the direction of the voice but only Endymion noticed the paling Fluttershy undertook at the mention of the name. Why was the Earl of Thunderhead, a Cloudsdale family, here in Ponyville for a martial arts tournament. The idea lodged in his head and he couldn’t shake it, even as he caught sight of the Pegasus in question.

He was an imposing bruiser, to say the least. Applejack stood eighteen hands easily but this Earl of Thunderhead was taller than her by at least another hands taller plus a few fingers, say three. He was broader at the shoulder than Endymion with legs like tree trunks and arms that could easily bust open barrels. He strode in through the crow wearing traditional Cloudsdale Calvary Armor, but that didn’t hide his medium gray coat, not his strict, military-cut mane of ebony. The cobalt irises he had punctured all that swept across his gaze. He was an intimidating stallion, though Endymion thought he put too much pride in his heritage.

“You,” The Earl of Thunderhead directed, pointing at Endymion, “move, peasant- whatever you are. I am here to sign into this mockery of a martial prowess tournament. Oh, and what better luck than I should be accustomed to to find my fiancé here, as well!”

“It wasn’t luck Skyblaze. You contacted the temple and found out that I asked to attend on the temple’s behalf,” Fluttershy said as she rolled her eyes, “Maybe it would be best if you leave, now, before you cause any more embarrassment. In fact, I’m sure that there is something, anything, that you’d rather be doing right now.”

“My dearest Fluttering Warbringer Deathgaze Shywing, perish the thought! Why I shall dedicate this win, this wonderful victory to you!”

“Oh Sol…” she looked at Endymion and smiled, “Thank you Skyblaze, but my champion is fighting. As such I serve and cheer for him, if it be Sol’s will that I do so.”

Skyblaze turned to see who she was pointing to. His eyes widened as he looked at the human. He studied him, looking him over, and then finally he looked back at Fluttershy.

“Did Sol play a joke on you? He seems no better than a mud pony,” Skyblaze said as he studied Endymion, “Why look at him. He may have strength, but I’d wager that’s all he has. Such a pitiful creature.”

“Skyblaze!” Fluttershy admonished, “First, that is so tribalist of you! And while that may seem to be the case I have chosen to follow through with this, if it truly is Sol’s will, then Endymion will make a valiant and noble champion one day. Even if I am unsure of when or how that will happen.”

“Very well, still, I will dedicate this win to you,” he looked at Endymion, “And I shall enjoy make your end quick, bald monkey.”

Endymion stood there, his fists clenched tight, and before anypony could say a word he walked straight over to the sign-up table and signed in. A young earth pony filly was manning the table with another filly about her age. He’s seen them before, hanging out in Sugarcube corner, but hadn’t been introduced to either of them yet.

“Okay, Mr. Everfree, you will be number sixteen, and that’s the end of the registration,” the silverish gray filly with glasses said, “Hmmm… Everfree, that name sounds so familiar, doesn’t it Dia?”

Diamond Tiara looked at him, studied him for a second and shrugged, “He’s weird enough to know, but honestly, I don’t… wait… You’re the one that made that loudmouth maid of my daddy’s run around without her shorts and panties aren’t you?!”

“Ummm…”

“Yeah, he totally ripped her shorts off. Everypony told us all about it. Some of them even said that you were both drunk and she tried to claim you. Wouldn’t surprise me, I think she’s got terrible tastes anyway. Her mane is so trashy.”

“And her flank is so narrow,” Silver Spoon added.

“And her boobs are too small.”

“And she sounds like she’s been chain smoking.”

“Why I oughtta!” Rainbow shouted as she was held back by AJ.

“Oh there she is. Look, I’ll give a bit if you do it again. We could use a laugh.”

“No, it was an accident, and I’m not doing that to one of my friends.”

“Suit yourself… Oh, father said that you have to report in this evening. I made sure to make you feel wanted, and there’s a nice big mess in the kitchen.”

With that Diamond Tiara got up, stretched, her frilly baby blue sun dress fitting her young form, and she left with Silver Spoon following her.

“Ya know, what those two need is a good colt, maybe somepony that knows what it’s like ta be on the other side of things. ‘Course, Ah gotta figure he’d havta know business ‘fore Filthy’d even consider lettin’ date that spoiled brat of his.”

“Yeah, and you’d want some poor colt to deal with that? The only what that’d happen was if she was just dropped off somewhere she didn’t know, and she had to behave,” Dash said as AJ finally let her go.

The group moved inside, Pinkie was still holding on to Endymion, her hand holding his own, and slowly moving it toward her tail. She felt him realize what she wanted, his hand wrapped around her tail, and he gave it a slight tug. She suppressed a soft moan, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“So lewd,” Fluttershy murmured, “I don’t think a real champion would be playing hoovesies with any filly he comes across, let alone a filly he’s mating with.”

Pinkie kissed his check, for luck, Twilight hugged him, and once more he smelled blackberries. Assuming she must had eaten some he waved as they, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack made their way to the stands. He walked toward where the fighters were gathered.

“Everyone here that is entering the tournament, the rules are simple. Since we have sixteen contestants there will be eight matches. Each of those matches will pit each one of you against the other. The winners from these eight matches will then move on to face each other in four different matches, and the winners of those matches will move to the final round which is two different matches. The ones who win those two matches will move on to the grand final, where the two of you will fight for the grand prize. Does everypony understand.”

The collection of fighters nodded.

“Very well. Contestants will be chosen in a random order. Match one will be fighter number one and fighter number fifteen.”

Skyblaze walked into the ring, minus all of his armor, weapons, and nothing other than his skill and loin cloth that was covering him. The Pegasus noble was surprisingly still large, but much of the intimidation factor was gone with the armor. Across from him was Thunderlane. The rules stated that storms, lightning, and clouds couldn’t be used for fighting, and Thunderlane looked a little more worried.

“You can do it!” a teenage pegasus colt shouted.

Thunderlane circled the bigger pegasus, and then when there was an opening he rushed forward. Thunderlane wasn’t an expert at any certain style of fighting, but he was a decent scrapper. He did manage to get a couple of good hits in on the larger Pegasus before Skyblaze finally grabbed him by his wing.

It was dirty, it was a trick that Pegasi didn’t do to one another, and right now that was exactly what was happening. Skyblaze was pulling a dirty trick by bending Thunderlane’s wing in a way that it shouldn’t bend. Thunderlane tried to get out of the hold, tried to move, but Skyblaze didn’t let go. Instead there was a snapping sound, and Thunderlane screamed before he fell limp. His wing hung loosely around him.

“Match one, number fifteen, Skyblaze, Earl of the house of Thunderhead!”

Skyblaze left the floor, and two earth ponies helped get Thunderlane out. Rainbow Dash stroked her wing as she watched. She’d been on the receiving end of a fracture before. It hurt, bad, and she knew what it was like to not be able to fly. She could see Thunderlane’s mares, Flitter and Cloudchaser, coming over to help. Maybe they’d keep him from freaking out when the doctors had to tie him down in order to splint the wing.

“Match Two, numbers three and number sixteen.”

Endymion walked onto the match floor and saw his opponent. He was a unicorn, he couldn’t really come much past Endymion’s shoulder, and his white mane and tan coat didn’t look too impressive. But it was the confidence in the way he walked. He seemed ready, although he was favoring his right knee.

“Begin!”

The unicorn took a stance, standing perfectly still, his arms outstretched, his hooves planted, and Endymion had watched his mother enough to know this was Still Way. Direct fighting didn’t work against Still Way. The only offense that worked against it was letting the Still Way master come to you.

He took his own stance, which looked like a mockery of Steel Way. The unicorn moved, fast, running toward him, and he dodged just barely in time. Or he thought he did. He felt the trickle of something wet, and realized the his cheek was bleeding.

“You missed most of the attack, that won’t happen again, leave the ring.”

Endymion growled, anger getting the better of him,and before the Unicorn could even begin to defend himself he grabbed his horn, causing him to lose balance. He felt the thrum of magic, the unicorn had been cheating! He decked the unicorn hard, causing him to stumble. He let go of his horn and began hitting him hard, in the muzzle, in the chest, anywhere a punch could land it landed. The unicorn couldn’t defend himself quickly enough and the last punch found the jaw of the unicorn knocking him onto his ass. Endymion came toward him and the unicorn flashed away from him.

“Disqualified! Number Sixteen, Endymion Everfree advances!”

Endymion watched as the other matches took place. Match three had been between a masked Minotaur named Long Shot, and an Earth Pony called Crusher. Long had ended up winning by throwing Crusher against the wall of the arena and knocking him out.

After that the fourth match had been between a pegasus and a gryphoness. The two had fought hard, both had scars, but it was the gryphoness that won with a well placed kick to pegasus’ head. The fifth match was two earth ponies, both Steel Way masters, and it lasted for well over an hour. Both of them obviously showing the mastery of their skill. It wasn’t until they traded blows again that the one on the right collapsed to the ground. That pony got up, and when she did her shirt fell exposing that she was a mare. Why she cared, since mares weren’t banned from fighting or anything, he didn’t know, but she covered her breasts, cried that her opponent was a pervert, and ran from the floor, which ended up disqualifying her.

The entire thing seemed way too familiar to Endymion. The sixth match was two Pegasi again, and like Endymion they seemed to be just scrappers. The two of them traded hits, kicks, and what ended up happening was one of them grabbing the other and diving straight toward the ground after they had flew into the air. They both hit with a thunderous sound, and when the dust cleared, both of them were out cold. Since neither could continue, at the moment, both were deemed as losses, and it was announced that there would be one fewer match.

The seventh match stunned Endymion. It was an Earth Pony against a Pegasus, and the Pegasus was in the air, avoiding the Earth pony, but what was stunning him was the language the two of them were using. This wasn’t friendly banter, or even attempting to rile somepony up. This was somepony mad at a special somepony.

“How could you?!”

The Pegasus shouted to the Earth Pony, “We’re supposed to be something special, and you do this?!”

“Lightning, come on down, let’s talk ‘bout it.”

She came down alright. She swooped down and hit him with force that was enough to knock him on his ass.

“You dishonest, cheating, good for nothing per…” she was silenced by his kissing her.

Unsure of what was happening he watched her return the kiss, break it, and look at him, “But I’m still mad ‘bout Cherry Jubilee!”

With that she hit him hard, knocking him out.

9 The Sound Of Violence

Rune Soldier

Chapter 9: The Sound of Violence

The winner of the eighth match, an earthpony, limped out and headed back to the rest of the group. Endymion watched, and he knew that the mare that just left the fight area was going to be picked off quickly. There wasn’t time to rest, to relax, and instead the fighting began again almost immediately.

Rainbow watched Endymion and grinned as she held an open bag. “Fillies and gentlecolts, place your bets right here! Take a chance and decide on which fighters will come out ahead!”

A stallion looked at the fighters in the area, placed a hundred bit bet on Skyblaze, and grinned. Soon several more were placing bets and Rainbow was more than happy to take them. She watched as the matches went by, and inwardly she was cheering Endymion on. Especially since she was convincing ponies to bet against him. She waited until pretty much everypony had placed their bets, and she let them get good and interested in the fights again. Taking a chance she snuck off back into the arena, looking for a good place to settle down, watch the fight, and make a break for it in case Endymion ended up losing.

As she traveled through the twists and turns of the maintenance halls she heard the sound of two ponies talking. She neared the voices and kept lowered down. Looking inside she saw the masked Minotaur from earlier, and a Pegasus that she had seen in the crowd. He didn’t look familiar, not in the slightest, and he had a thick Las Pegasus accent.

“Okay, so, you win this thing, and I’ll be greetin’ ya up there by Filthy Rich and that wife of his. Now, I know he’s worth a ton of bits, more than what little trinket he’s giving to you anyway, and we take her. Just hold her head in those arms, threaten to snap it off if anypony comes close, and we leave.”

“How do we get the money?”

“Dragonfire mail. I’ve got it all worked out. Three Magical batteries, straight from that trinket, will power a dragonflame mailer enough to send us wherever we want to go. We set it, activate it, and kick the mailer before it finishes sending us. We get a trip to Las Pegasus while they’re in the dark, we collect her ransom, and then we either kill her or sell the whorse to somepony who likes sticking up a snooty mare’s tailhole.”

Dash got up, slowly, and began sneaking away. Her bit bag was heavy, but she had to make sure it made no noise. The last thing she wanted to alert those two. When she was far enough away she made a line directly toward AJ. She let her in on what was happening and AJ looked at the fight.

“It depends on the Minotaur winning. I have to admit, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Endymion might not be fighting with a specific discipline, but he’s more than proved himself,” she smiled, “But let’s move over toward Filthy anyway. Twilight, do you mind letting him know?”

Twilight nodded, and made her way to the bottom of the arena, “Endymion!”

He walked toward her, “Huh?”

“Endymion, somepony is going to try to kidnap Filthy Rich’s wife.”

She explained what Rainbow Dash did, and he grinned, “Then I won’t lose. I’ll win this thing. Besides, I’m fighting that blow hard.”

He pointed to Skyblaze, and she watched as he stepped into the fighting area with him. Endymion felt the now cracked and nearly broken stone floor below him. He could see the way that Skyblaze was sneering at him. Right off the bat he knew that Skyblaze was going to go for an aerial attack, and he waited until they shouted begin before he jumped catching Skyblaze off guard.

The Pegasus noble was expecting him to want to brawl on the ground, not jump up after him, and Endymion didn’t go for his legs, or his waist, he went straight for his tail. Skyblaze let out a very unnoble like moan as his wings collapsed and he fell to the ground. He’d never told anypony that he liked that. It was so… wrong to want somepony to pull your tail, and this filthy mud pony wannabe was daring to touch his noble person in such a casual way!

He finally elbowed Endymion, who in turn tackled him, slammed his head hard against Skyblaze’s own head, and caused the fighter to shake his head viciously. The fighting then began to change. Skyblaze wasn’t going to use the air to beat this bald monkey, he’d beat him here, on the ground. They grappled, punched, threw each other, and it wasn’t until Endymion landed a perfect punch on Skyblaze’s muzzle that the noble went down. And for added measure, Endymion directed a blow to the noble's crotch. The crowd gave a sympathetic groan in response, then they roared with laughter as Skyblaze writhed in pain.

"A low blow for a low blow," Endymion said, his victorious smirk spreading across his face.

Twilight watched the entire match, she saw Endymion’s body glisten with sweat, his muscles bunching and working together. She felt so aroused, her need so heavy, and she seriously considered going and finding a place where she could take care of herself. She thought about it, but she had to watch him. That’s when she felt somepony sit beside him.

“Hi Twilight,” Pinkie said as she smelled Twilight’s arousal again.

“Pinkie, h..hi.”

She looked at her friend, moved her hand out, and found Twilight’s own. She took it, “You know, I’m not against it.”

Twilight looked at her, confused, and Pinkie continued, “Really, I’m not. I mean for one we’re about as close as anypony can be. Anytime you’ve stuck a cooler up your friend’s hoo haa, well, you’re basically as close as you can get.”

As Twilight blushed heavily, Pinkie added, “So, I’m not against this. But you’re going to have to be the one to bring it up.”

“How?”

With a wink, Pinkie simply stated, “You’ll figure it out.”

She looked down at him, watching him fight, and then watching him knock Skyblaze out. Pinkie was right, she’d figure it out, she wanted to. The matches continued, and Endymion fought the large Minotaur. She was spellbound by his actions, by how powerful he was, and she desperately wanted to feel those arms around her, holding her, his cock buried inside of her.

The ending came too soon, Endymion had caught the bull minotaur by the horns, using the bull’s own momentum against him, and flipped him over onto his back. The action actually knocking the minotaur out. Her friends caught the would be foalnapper that planned on taking Spoiled Rich, and Endymion, Endymion won the statue.

The group left, and Endymion felt Pinkie’s hands rubbing his back and shoulder. She stopped, got up, kissed him, and promised to be right back. In the door Twilight was looking at the floor.

“Endy.. I… I want to ask you something.”

Canterlot Palace - Endymion’s old room

She looked and felt nervous. This wasn't her first time, and it wasn't his either, but that didn’t stop the anxiety that Twilight felt. She felt sad, really sad, that it wasn't going to be an experience they could share together. She was feeling a mite depressed that she had allowed another to take her innocence, when she longed for the stallion that resided just on the other side of that bedroom door.

She'd given her virginity away because she wanted to know what sex felt like, and while Written Script was a good stallion, he just didn't have that connection she wanted. The whole affair didn’t last as long as she hoped and it was more painful than she anticipated. Sure, she had some help from the “marital aids” she snuck out of her mom’s super-secret bottom drawer, but it didn’t help. And Written Script had been gentle, too…

The intercourse was fine, but it was lacking. The intimacy she was expecting or the mind altering orgasm Cadence had told her about. (She really needed to lay off those “Princess Bridal” books.) Endymion had actually given himself to a pony he felt a deep connection with. Pinkie had become his first, and he'd become hers. They shared the connection that she had dreamed about, desired, and never had the courage to go through with.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see the pink mare. She wore a big, bright smile on her muzzle and her eyes shined with glee. Twilight knew from previous experience that Pinkie lived to see ponies happy. Right now, the Roamani mare was doing her best to see Twilight be happy with Endymion. A better friend, Twilight could never have.

"Oh, Twilight,” Pinkie beamed, “Stop being a Silly Filly McSillypants and go get your stallion!"

She giggled nervously, "He's yours, too, you know."

A wide smile crossed Pinkie's face, "Yepperoni he is, but for right now, he's yours. He loves you too Twilight, now let him make you feel better about being you."

Twilight was about to ask what she meant, but Pinkie pushed her into the room. She stumbled, hitting the door jamb with her heels and Endymion caught her. His sinewy arms were warm on her coat and steel hard. She practically melted into his embrace. She looked up at him, her eyes still nervous, but filled with hope. His smile, warm and inviting, destroyed the majority of her worries.

"Twily..."

The blush that formed on her face by that diminutive made her feel hotter than she already was, but she welcomed the heat. She kissed him, her larger tongue moving into his mouth, tasting him for the first time. She hadn’t imagined the sharp cuspids or jagged bicuspids in his dentation, but they aroused even more than his nude form. She pulled back, and looked at him. They were supposed to be at the Gala, they were supposed to be greeting ponies, but instead her dress fell off of her shoulders.

To be honest, she felt inadequate. She was never as comfortable with her figure as Lyra or Twinkleshine were, even though, unbeknownst to her, Twilight was the subject of many a young colt’s and stallion’s erotic dreams. In her mind, her breasts, handfuls at the most, were pitiable compared to some of the other mares she knew. And Pinkie had a bosom that could hold a dinner tray with ease. She didn't have the figure that Pinkie had, either, and Endymion seemed to love the pink mare's figure.

Instead of a rigorous teasing she expected, she felt his touch. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing except for love for her. There was a whisk of a breeze and her skirt and blouse fell away. She hadn’t bothered with a bra tonight and she found her forward thinking a blessing in this instant. She used her magic to fold her discarded raiment and place on the nearby bordeau.

One hand moved up cupping her right breast, his nimble fingers squeezing her sensitive nipple. The moan that move elicited was the most lewd thing Twilight could imagine coming from her mouth; she prayed he would make her moan even more. His other hand roamed down the side of her body until it found its way into the barely there panties Rarity had made for her.

“Why is it everytime I’m near you,” Endymion asked, “I smell blackberries?”

“I-” Twilight began, as her nerves got the better of her, then she mustered her wavering courage and said, “it’s because you always make me so-” She searched for a diplomatic term, “happy.”

“Wait,” Endymion mused, “I arouse you?”

Twilight nodded.

“Everytime?!”

“Y-yes,” Twilight affirmed, “I know I’ll never be Pinkie Pie, with her wide hips and luscious rump and cups over flowing…”

Endymion smirked and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“I’ll never be some vamp or a slinky, sexy mare,” Twilight stated, “but I love you and I want you- I want you to- I want you to make me feel like a real mare.”

“Oh, Sparklebutt,” Endymion teased, “you are a real mare.”

“You’re just saying that,” Twilight started, but the rest of her sentence was disrupted by the Archmage’s lips on hers. Written had some soft lips, but Endymion’s were in a category in and of themselves. They felt like finest felt or even velvet, but so much warmer and more alive. She could kiss these lips forever until The Universe coalesced under Indigo Shift.

She felt his finger moving down her wet slit, outlining the curve of her labia. Sol, she was wet, she was so wet, and she wanted him. She caught his scent above her own arousal and she nearly fainted. He smelled of sweat and rain and lightning and woodsmoke. It was the single most intoxicating mix of odors she ever detected with her olfactory sense. His finger entered her and she leaned forward, making the softest moan he'd ever heard.

"I love you, Twilight," he said, “I know that I haven’t always told you or shown how much I care about you, but I have always, always loved you.”

"I… I love you too…” Twilight panted, “Please, Endymion, I don't want to wait anymore. I want to be your mare. I've wanted to be your mare for so long."

“As you wish, milady,” Endymion said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Without thinking, she made her panties disappear and reappear on the nightstand folded; the same happened to his clothes. He reached down and lifted her up into his arms, carried her to the bed, and laid her down on it. She noticed his stallionhood was fully erect and throbbing. She had waited for this moment for so long and now that it was here, she wondered if she be adequate to the task.

He kissed her neck, in spite of her misgivings and inadequacies, moved down to her breasts, and gently suckled on them; she felt him kissing the valley between her breasts, then down her stomach, going painfully slow until he climbed over her pubic mons and found her nether lips. She felt the first lick from him, the rough texture of his non-equine tongue so exotic and enticing, and she gushed. Sol help her she exploded on him.

She was afraid that her mare cum might frighten him off, that the idea of mare ejaculate would send him screaming away from her. Instead, she heard him chuckling. She looked down, seeing his face from between her legs and to her astonishment, she witnessed him licking his lips where her lubricant had splashed on his face.

“Mmm,” Endymion purred, “strawberry. Not my favorite fruit, but tasty, nonetheless.”

So much desire, so much build up, and she already came. She blushed and looked away, but the smile that formed on her face was genuine.

"Ready?"

She nodded, her hands rising to cover her breasts. Another gentle smile from the human and he took her hands in his own. He pried her arms away from her chest, and brought them to his own. She could feel his heartbeat in his broad chest. It was as strong as any stallion and it's beat reverberated through her hands. He shifted on the bed, aligning himself with her and then she felt him. Her swollen mons was pierced by the mushroom cap of his penis; the sensation was unlike anything Written Script could ever hope to accomplish.

Her mouth opened in a silent moan. Endymions member stopped a moment, awaiting Twilight’s assurance to carry on. When he got it, he slid in further, slowly, tenderly, in away Twilight didn’t know a stallion could ever do. He pushed into her deeper than Written had been, his erection filling her completely. She closed her eyes, realizing that while he couldn't claim her virginity, he was claiming her. It was the most romantic and intimate thing she had ever experienced. She desired more.

She felt so full; she could feel his pulse within his member and that added to the delight she was feeling. He wasn't even completely hilted in her yet and she was already a panting, moaning foal. Finally, after several minutes, she felt him bottom out, the head of his wonderful cock touching her cervix. Written had plunged right in, too eager to get it done but Endymion had was pacing himself, allowing Twilight to fully appreciate the bliss that was the love of her life.

“How are you doing, Twily?” Endymion whispered, he too taken by the pleasure of the moment.

“Hah,” Twilight moaned, “oh, Endy, this feels so good! I’ve been with a stallion before but that experience pales in comparison!”

Endymion screws up his face and says, “If you start taking notes, I am walking right out of here and you can fulfill yourself.”

“No, no!” Twilight exclaimed, “No, no, this is too good! Sol, FAUST, this is so good! No notes, I promise- promise, there will not- even be a single page of doodles. I swear.”

Endymion considered her statement, still hilted within the mulberry mare, and nodded. He then withdrew from Twilight, almost completely removing himself from her passage. The loss of sensation in her core deeply frightened Twilight, like she would never feel that effulgent joy again. Then Endymion thrust back in and she cried out, every single disparaging thought overrode by a single, rapturous movement.

His pace started out slowly, making sure Twilight could get used to his length and girth. She had noticed when he was pleasuring himself the general shape of his pride but she hadn’t had the pleasure of feeling it plunge into her depths; now that it was there, she found herself delighted that it was everything she ever fantasized about and more. Every delightful thrust inward sent her nerves alight in pleasure; every withdrawal was the promise of further joy.

The constant thrust/withdrawal of her human lover quickly turned Twilight into an animal of blind lust. Her legs, which Endymion had masterfully split apart, now wrapped themselves around his middle, trapping him in position and squeezing his mast all along it's length. She wrapped her arms arm his neck and her teeth found the join of his shoulders to his neck; she sunk her teeth into the flesh, causing him to gasp; his erection twitched within her, making the magi mare gasp as well.

The build up of her second orgasm came upon her in a sudden wave. Not unlike when he licked her labia, she sprayed her lubricant upon him. It didn’t seem to phase him any as he just kept going. The rapture of orgasm would visit her again and again; she lost count somewhere after number four because her energy was flagging by that point. Still, the intensity of her climaxes increased exponentially in relation to how long Endymion made love to her.

The night passed on and soon dawn’s early light peaked out over the eastern horizon. He was still going strong, even though Endymion’s breathing was becoming more labored by the minute. Twilight was amazed by his stamina; her professor in Reproductive Science stated that that the average stallion’s term of erection prior to climax was one minute. (Written hadn't lasted half of that.) It had been hours and Twilight hadn’t felt any burst of Endymion’s seed into her core. She didn’t know how he was able to hang on for so long.

Then Endymion’s entire body tensed; Twilight felt his erection twitch, once, twice, then a veritable flood of heat filled her passage, spilling into her belly and flooding it. She came again, the most intense climax she had had that night, and even her entire life, and her whole body was set ablaze with orgasmic bliss. She gasped once, twice, then she moaned in the lewdest way she ever had, filling the room with her voice. Endymions pride was still throbbing in her depths; his essence was so thick and so much, that Twilight felt the excess leaking from her vulva.

Endymion’s climax lasted a long time, or it appeared to do so, given that Twilight’s mind had been lost in a climactic fog. When the fog cleared, she found herself winded and drained, her every muscle sore, especially the ones joining her legs to her pelvis. She collapsed where she lay, too spent to move, too spent to think, Endymion’s sweaty, odorous frame falling on top of her in a pleasant way. wrapping her up securely. This was the way it was supposed to be, secure in the arms of the stallion she loved, exhausted but happy, her core sopping with his seed and her mind now blissfully unaware. Why it took so long to happen, Twilight didn’t know but in this moment, she didn’t care, either.

Morning came to find Twilight sleeping more peacefully than she had ever slept before. She felt herself sandwiched between two bodies, one was obviously Endymion. She felt his cock, stiff, hard, pressing against her rump. The other was softer. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw Pinkie Pie. The Pink Mare was grinning ear to ear. She began to say something when Pinkie leaned forward catching her in a kiss. Words simply stopped. Pinkie drew back, and Twilight noticed, perhaps for the first time, that Pinkie was wearing a cooler.

It was shaped more traditionally, not nearly as long or wide as Endymion’s wonderful tool, but it was there all the same.

“Ummm… What’s going on?”

Pinkie kissed her again, slowly helping her to sit up, “Silly, you’re joining our herd, right?”

Twilight nodded. She had finally gotten with Endymion, and it had taken so long, and there was no way she was going to leave him now.

“Then, Twilight, you, me, and Endy are going to have some fun.”

She realized what it was that Pinkie was getting at. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done this with Pinkie before. She had, a few times, when she had been so badly in heat and Pinkie had helped her, but she wasn’t sure she was expecting this to happen. Following Pinkie’s guidance she got on her hands and knees. She felt Endymion against her marehood. He pressed forward and was once again buried in her. Her mouth opened and she felt the cooler touching her lips. With a swift movement Pinkie Pie pushed the cooler into her mouth, but not forcing her to deepthroat yet.

“Sol, this is the single hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Endymion said as he pulled back and thrust hard back into Twilight. His best friend, special somepony, and he was sure bride to be, was currently receiving a world class dicking.

He watched as Pinkie Pie treated Twilight so gently, not hurting her, not forcing her to take all of the cooler, but certainly making her use her mouth and muzzle.

“Endy… Oh… I want to be in the middle next time, “ Pinkie cooed.

Twilight felt so dirty, and good, and confident all at the same time. She felt Endymion showing her how much he loved her, she felt Pinkie welcoming her into their herd in her own special way, and she realized that this was going to be one of those stories she could never, ever, ever tell anypony. A thought crossed her mind and she wondered if Princess Luna, or her own mother, had ever done anything like this before.

It was such an odd thought, especially at this moment, but it came and went.

Luna’s Bed chambers

Luna felt a chill roll over her body. The idea that somepony was thinking about her occurred to her, and then she considered that later she would see it in a dream. For a moment she was filled with dread. Did she really want to see whatever it was that somepony was thinking?

The Bedroom of Twilight Velvet and Nightlight, The Residence of Clan Twilight, Canterlot

Twilight Velvet awoke with a start. It was an unusual sensation that broke her out of a sound sleep. It was close to five in the morning and Celestia’s Sun would be peaking over Mount Canter in a little more than an hour. She couldn’t determine why she was awake, other than the feeling that somepony had thought of her, but in a way she would think of as untoward. Her sudden activity had awoken her husband.

Nightlight, true to his name, rose from the bed with his horn ignited, casting a soft glow in the darkened bedroom. Velvet looked toward her stallion, the mate she was wed to and bedded with for nearly twenty years. He wore a sympathetic smile and he clutched her as she steadied, or tried to steady, her breathing. Her motherly instinct was alive and well; it appeared so, too, that his paternal instincts were very much on tap. She wrapped a arm around his neck and kissed him at the base of his horn. She nuzzled him on the cheek and he returned the favor.

“Thank you, Nightie,” Velvet cooed, “I don’t know what startled me but it seems to be over now.”

“It must have been something,” Nightlight said, “it’s been years since the flashbacks haunted you. So what gives? Do you know?”

Velvet answered, “I can’t be absolutely sure, but I think one of our offspring was thinking of me.”

“How do you mean?” Nightlight asked, “You don’t think it was Shining Armor, do you?”

Grinning ear to ear with a certain knowledge Nightlight wasn’t privy to, Velvet replied, “No, I’m sure Shiny is perfectly fine. Albeit- No, he’s fine. Now, Sparkle…”

“Our little Spark?” Nightlight inquired before recent memory came to mind, “Oh, right, she’s entering into a herd, with the Crown Prince no less. Think she’s okay?”

“Oh, yes, she’s fine,” Velvet said, “but I can’t shake the feeling that she was thinking of me… In a lewd manner, I dare say.”

“Well…” Nightlight mused, “you and I can be rather frisky when we have the notion for it. Speaking of which, the sun is going to up sooner than not, so, you feel like raising that freak flag of yours?”

A mischievous grin rose on Velvet’s muzzle and she said, “If you want, I can wear the cooler this time…”

“That’s my mare,” Nightlight cooed, “A noble in the streets and a freak between the sheets!”

Endymion’s room

Twilight felt so tired, she lay on the bed, a blissful smile on her face. Beside her, Pinkie Pie was biting a pillow, her rump in the air, the cooler off, and Endymion buried in her tailhole.

Pinkie grunted, “Ugh… ! Endy… Gentle.”

Endymion seemed to take his time, slowly pushing himself deeper into the pink mare’s plot until he was completely bottomed out in her. She moaned as she felt him so deep in her ass. He pulled back and she felt how he rubbed against the walls of her rectum. She let out deep throaty moans a he began to build a rhythm. He was gentle, taking his time, but she felt as he began to truly build up speed. She felt him moving her, guiding her, and soon she saw Twilight’s prone form before her. Grinning she opened Twilight’s legs, her tongue snaking out of her mouth and moving up Twilight’s very well fucked pussy.

Twilight let out a lewd moan, her eyes focusing on Endymion as he thrust into Pinkie Pie. Her eyes moved to her friend who was currently licking Endymion’s essence out of her. She felt her tongue move down, touching her tailhole, and she moved a little. Her body felt so tired, almost as if it was made of lead, and she couldn’t move fast or far enough to keep from having Pinkie from pleasuring her.

“Endy…”

He looked at Twilight, and he leaned down to Pinkie, “Do you want to trade places with her?”

She nodded, moving away from Twilight who was moaning because she was no longer being loved on the way she had been. She felt Endymion lifting her, positioning her and she looked to see Pinkie’s slit in front of her. There was a gentle proading, and then she felt his cock move into her tailhole. Her eyes snapped open.

“Ngggh!!!”

“Relax.”

She tried and she felt him push in slowly, each time she flinched he stopped, waiting for her to get used to it, and then he pressed back into her again. Soon, after a few moments, she felt him completely seated inside of her tailhole. Sol, she felt so full. He began to move, and it felt odd, not bad, but not overly pleasurable. She reached back, her fingers finding her clit and she began to rub it. Pleasure began to course through her.

She timed how she rubbed with his thrusts, until she stopped rubbing and it was just pleasure coming from his taking her. She grunted, moaned, and her tongue found Pinkie’s slit. She began to lick her friend, tasting the taste of Endymion, Pinkie, and even herself inside of her. She let out a moan into Pinkie which caused the pink mare to shudder in pleasure.

Endymion began to pick up speed, and she could only think of his pounding cock, how good it felt, how amazing it was, and she prayed that this wouldn’t end. She was so tired, but it felt too good. She was his mare. She was going to be just his mare. Whenever he wanted she would stop what she was doing and do this. Sol help her, no other stallion would ever touch her again.

She felt his thrusts becoming frenzied, his cock becoming thicker, and she knew what was getting ready to happen. She wanted it. She wanted to feel him plant his seed in her tailhole. She wanted to be claimed, and she wanted him to claim her. He thrust into her tight rectum, his arms wrapping around her waist and she felt him kissing her neck. He exploded into her tailhole, her own moan set off in Pinkie Pie who orgasmed all over her muzzle The three of them fell into a heap, and his impressive cock… no hers. It was hers. She would share with Pinkie, but no other mare would casually want to use him. No, not with how he made her feel. There was a bond between them she couldn’t explain.

Maybe she hadn’t been a virgin for him, but he had did things Written never did. In a way, he did something better than receiving her virginity. He made her realize what it meant to truly be loved.

“I love you Endy, and you Pinkie.”

“Awww, I love you too.”

“I love you both, too,” Endymion hugged her, and he felt Pinkie get up move behind him, and snuggle into his back. This was fine. He was fine with them sleeping like this. And they deserved to sleep. Hopefully his mother wouldn’t mind that he missed the Grand Galloping Gala. Of course, after tonight… He was certain that she would want an official ceremony that she could fuss over.

10 And The Horse You Rode In On

Rune Soldier

Chapter 10: And The Horse You Rode In On

Temple of Sol, Ponyville, Three Days After the Ponyville Tournament

“I have had enough!”

Skyblaze, Earl of The House of Thunderhead, stood aghast. Fluttering Warbringer Deathgaze Shywing was not one to raise her voice. She was the most demure mare he had ever known and she would rather bury her anger than shout. (Or what was her equivalent of shouting.) Yet here she was, dressed in those foul Sol Priestess robes, staring him down, with her wings pinned tightly to her side and her arms crossed underneath her breasts. The furrowed brow made her seem even more menacing than she really was but then again, she was a member of one of the oldest, strongest, and most noble of Cloudsdale Families.

The fact that she was half ledrflapper only raised her exotic qualities. If only she wasn’t so beholden to that ground-pounder. That’s what this argument was about, anyway. After being bested by that bald orangutan in the tournament, Skyblaze had received a missive from his father berated him for his horrible performance. He was given an ultimatum: return with Warbringer and finally consummate their betrothal or do not even think of returning home.

He was trying his damndest to woo the golden Pegasus, but even with his superior charm and wit, Skyblaze was striking out terribly. It had to be about that shaved monkey. He did not understand the dictates of The Order of Sol, so this whole “chosen champion” business really confused him. He couldn’t understand what that wannabe mudpony had to offer than was greater than what he, the noble Skyblaze, Earl of The House of Thunderhead, had. It was beyond reason what that creature could offer a noble mare like Warbringer. He thought, Your grandfather must rolling in his sarcophagus.

“I’m sorry, Warbringer, but what are you saying?” Skyblaze inquired.

Fluttershy replied, “What I’m saying, and this is what I’ve been saying since the day I left, is I can not, will not, and will never marry you, Skyblaze. I joined The Order with the very intention of keeping as far away from Cloudsdale, and you, as I could.”

“Oh, please, Bri,” the Pegasus noble stallion said, dismissing Fluttershy’s statement, “you are of the noble House of Shywing, one of the greatest of the ledrflapper clans. It was your very great grand dame, Nightshade Shywing, who defended Princess Luna from Solar Flare’s opposing Pegasi! Your family is one of great fame and renown! As is my house, the Thunderhead Clan! Together, our offspring would be both beautiful and powerful!”

“You are in incorrigible, Skyblaze,” Fluttershy retorted, “read my muzzle: ‘I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, return to Cloudsdale with you and be your bride.’ This conversation is long since been over. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have my duties to attend to.”

Fluttershy turned away from Skyblaze, letting an errant wing slap him in the face. She floated to the open Sol Temple doors. Skyblaze meant to pursue, after shaking out the dizzies from the slap to his face.

“But wait, Bri-!”

Before he could continue with his plea, the Sol Temple doors closed shut with a deafening slam… right in his face.

Endymion’s Royal Quarters, Canterlot Palace, Canterlot, Three Days After the Ponyville Tournament

Stella entered the room with Penny, one of the maids that was actually a good sort, and her muzzle crinkled as she stood there.

“Damn, this room smells like sin and buggery,” she said as she looked at the bed sheets and saw a large collection of stains, “Ah believe we’ve missed quite the party, Penny.”

The Earth mare looked back at her with a coy smile, “Perhaps, but I’m off duty in a few hours, and we do have that double ender both of us have wanted to try.”

Throne Room - Canterlot Palace - Canterlot - Three days after the Ponyville Tournament

“So, I would expect that some congratulations are in order?” Princess Luna asked.

Standing in the throne room, standing three abreast, were Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Prince Endymion. The young Prince had his arms wrapped around the two mares, and all three worse brilliant smiles.

“That would be appropriate, mother,” Endymion replied, “Twilight has decided to join my herd and as such, Pinkie, Twilight and myself will be holding a small ceremony to celebrate our union.”

“Well, that is a good bit of news,” Luna said, “it has been an earth age since last there was a wedding in these halls. Although, it wouldn’t be a proper wedding without the news of an impending foaling, yes?”

“Well, that- hasn't exactly happened yet,” Twilight reported, to which Pinkie added, “not that we haven’t stopped trying.”

“Pinkie!”

“What? I’m not going to keep a secret from the Princess, Twilight!” Pinkie declared, “Besides, it’s not like Princess Luna doesn’t already know about Endy and me.”

“Don’t remind me,” Luna breathed.

“Endy and I,” Twilight murmured.

Pinkie shrugged, “Meh, Same difference.”

Luna then said, “Was there any plan for a formal declaration? I would imagine that House Twilight would like to mark this special occasion. As would, I can imagine, the Pie Family. If memory serves, there is a specific ceremony that The Roamani perform for a betrothal, yes Ms. Pie?”

“You might say that,” Pinkie stated, squinting her eyes in a conspiratorial manner.

“Uh, Pinkie,” Twilight commented, “don’t Roamani marriage parties involve- nudity?”

Pinkie stared at Twilight with a mischievous grin.

“We’ll table that for a later time,” Princess Luna said, “in any case, seeing as he is my son, I will decree that the castle shall be prepared for a- small service, right my son?”

“Yeah, a small function should do,” Endymion said, “we don’t really need a huge ordeal. What do you say, girls?”

“Well, I have no objections to a small gathering,” Twilight said, “What do you say, Pinkie Pie?”

“Oh, I guess it depends on how quickly I can get my family to this part of Equestria, Pinkie commented, “last I wrote, they were still working their rock farm. Well, unless Maud finally made into university like she planned…”

“I can have Spike send out the invitations,” Twilight said, “Pinkie, do you remember your parents address?”

“Pfft, yeah!”

Terran Imperial Council Chambers, Imperial Ecumenal Capital Pivot,

The Terran Empire

Decurian Nyota sat uneasy on the witness bench. Being recalled to Pivot had not been in any scenario she wanted to revisit. The Imperial Capital was once her home, where her family and friends greeted her warmly in the mornings and where she ate her favorite dish in the best little cafe in the Empire. But after expressing a desire to seek out what lay beyond the Desolation and Necropolis Mountains, her life took a turn for the horrid. Her station on the Necropolis was to be her tomb, she knew. It would be the furthest she could travel and still be considered an Imperial Citizen. And as she had explained everything that happened during the encounter with the Equestrian Airship, she was beginning to wonder if she hadn’t just signed her death warrant.

“Thank you, Decurion Washburne,” Council Chairwoman Clint said, “I believe that will be all the testimony we need. You may have your leave.”

“Yes, Councilwoman,” Nyota said, “Glory to The Goddess.”

The councilwoman replied the same, although with less enthusiasm.

The decurion left the chambers, glad she could quit the place finally. Goddess only knew how frightening that room was. The members always remind Nyota of sharks and she had been afraid of sharks since she was nearby a frenzy of them as a child. And if the council members were scary sharks to Nyota, then the Council Chairwoman was the scariest of them all.

Once outside the chamber doors, Nyota desperately sought out a place to run and cry for a moment. Yet, the Council Hall, the largest building outside of the Imperial Palace, was wide open with no secreted grottos to hide within. And there were enough Imperial citizens, of more Houses than she could rightly recall, that losing her composure here would assuredly make her lose what little standing she had in House Praetorian.

That’s when she spotted her commanding officer. Legate Leilani Ourino was seated on a bench, along with a few other unfortunates, just outside the Council Chambers. Not unlike herself, Leilani was garbed in the ceremonial dress uniform of their house. Her tactical armored carapace was gleaming from a fresh waxing and her pauldrons were marked with her rank and activity status.

The Decurion walked up to the commander and sat down. The older woman caught sight of her junior and smiled down her. (The Family Ourino had come from more exotic stock than the typical Imperial family and as such, she was both taller and more beautiful than the average Imperial citizen. Nyota wondered why such a gorgeous woman was in the military arm of the Empire, but she would never complain about it.) Nyota adjusted herself in her seat as she thought on what subject she could broach with her CO.

“You took quite the grilling in there,” Leilani stated, “I was surprised to see The Councilwoman so frightened.”

“She was, wasn’t she?” Nyota replied, “Have to wonder what about this makes her so afraid?”

“Hard to tell,” Leilani stated, “hardly anything happens at The Necropolis so this latest incident might have set off some old nightmares.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with Ho-” Nyota started before Leilani stopped her with a finger to the younger soldiers lips.

Whispering, The Legate told her subordinate, “Mind yourself of what you speak. These walls have ears.”

Nyota nodded and when Leilani removed her index finger, the Decurion mouthed, House Endymion?

Yes, mouthed Leilani, it seems House Endymion has plenty to do with what’s happening around here.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Nyota whispered, “if- if those people were responsible for bringing a,” a pause then mouthing, wizard, “here, then why hasn’t the Investigation Corps not been sent out to the Necropolis? Goddess only knows that was where-”

Nodding, Leilani added, “Yes, there were plenty of happenings on that mountain. I’m unsure if they have anything to do with what’s going on now, but you and I had best watch our backs. Chairwoman Clint has already given me a thorough interrogation as diplomatic as I was, I still feel was she was trying to dig for something deeper.”

“But what could that be?” The Decurion asked, “You and I are just soldiers. We aren’t Optios or The Primus Legate. What do we know?”

“I don’t know if anything I told The Council was of any import,” Leilani answered, “but you were the one closest to the airship; you engaged the ponies and their-” Wizard- “so it has to do with something like that.”

“This is all so scary,” Nyota whimpered.

“I know,” Leilani said, “but no matter what happens, I will see this through with you to the end.”

“What does that-” Nyota started before she was cut off. The Legate’s lips had found her own and even though she was surprised as all get out, she fell into the brief but passionate kiss she was given.

Listening to the reports by both Nyota Washburne and Legate Leilani Ourino Council Chairwoman Serenia Clint’s eyes narrowed. Journals, reports, ancient records, everything the council had kept since the extermination of the House of Endymion pointed to an heir that had escaped. An heir that had been aided by a foolish agent of chaos. She considered, briefly, of seeing if the old bastard was still alive, locked in his cell under the witches’ catacombs. Going there, facing him, may produce an answer, but if her ancestors couldn’t make him talk it was likely she couldn’t either.

Old Euclides Bifrost was a fellow House Endymion member, an alchemist in The Archmage’s personal corps, The Hecate League. Even after he was transmogrified by Chaos magic, he was still a member of that heretic tribe; he was even welcomed back by The Archmage himself. Her ancestors had considered him a respectable resource, but all the torture and isolation had not yielded any positive results. Still, a visit with the spirit of rancor was a must. If for nothing else, than to confirm that there was his treachery.

She made a memo indicating her intention to visit cell Z-29, and sent it down to her direct assistants. Standing she looked in the mirror. The woman that looked back at her was aging gracefully, very gracefully. The silver gauntlet on her left hand was what held the credit for it. A last parting gift from the heretic tribe before they were snuffed out. Power, magic, at the control of a body that didn’t have the ability. The gauntlet slowed her aging, kept her young, and it allowed her to bring about certain doom and destruction to those who would dare question the council’s right to rule the empire.

She considered the two that had just been in here. Both were young, beautiful, and she looked at her face seeing the faintest mark of an age line. That would not do. She considered calling one of them back, or she did until she heard the swift knocking on her door.

“Enter.”

The door opened and there was a young girl, perhaps seventeen cycles, her head was hanging low, she dared not look up, and Serenia looked at the Imperial officer standing behind her. “What is this?”

The officer clicked his heels, saluting with his right arm across his chest, then his fist raised to eye level, “Madam Clint, this girl was heard questioning about the outside, about visiting the wilds. As per instructions, I brought her to you.”

“Very good officer, go downstairs, and please, enjoy some recreation as a reward. One of the council’s underlings shall entertain you.”

“You are most kind Madam Clint, may the council’s rule never be suppressed.”

He turned and left and the girl finally dared a look. She was a beauty. Serenia was reminded of herself when she was that age. Young, firm, breasts that hung tight and high, a supple young body, perfect for recreation, perfect for every kind of sin and vice. Serenia moved toward her, grasping her hand with the cold silver gauntlet. The three mana batteries began to glow softly.

Serenia asked the girl, “You wish to see the wilds?”

She nodded, and The Counciolwoman continued, “Tell me, what would you give?”

“A...Anything.” Answered the girl.

“Very well,” Serenia said icily, “what is your name, child?”

“My name is Rowena. Rowena Ravencroft.”

“Well, then, Ms. Ravencroft,” Serenia said, “you will see your beloved wilds, but first, you must pay the toll.”

The girl screamed and fell to the floor. It felt like someone was ripping something from her, something she couldn’t see, she couldn’t explain, but it was there all the same. She wept when it finally stopped, and she looked up to see that chairwoman was younger now, looking less like she was in her late thirties, and instead looking as if she was in her early twenties or late teens.

“Ah, much better. I will give you a chance. There is someone I wish to meet and enquire. As such you will be used to find him, speak to him, and seduce him. I take it that you’ve recreated before?”

The girl shook her head no.

“Then that is a problem we must fix. Starting today you will learn all there is in order to seduce anyone. Your entire purpose will be to get close to him, make him love you, and bring him back to me. Do this, and I promise you that your life within the Empire will be rich and fulfilled. You will get the chance to see exotic places, see other lifeforms, and even learn more than you ever dreamed. I can promise you that this will be to your benefit. If you fail me, there will be no place you can hide that I will not find you, and what you felt, that little tickle, will be seem like a lover’s kiss. Do you understand me?”

“Y..yes.”

“Good, leave, go downstairs and speak to Mistress Niki. She will teach you all that you need to know about recreation, including how to grind.”

The girl, now looking to be in her late twenties, left. Serenia looked in the mirror again, and the woman that looked back was perfect. Her body was a temple that others would beg to worship. This obvious heretic would be no different. Oh, she’d seduce him, take him, experience him, conceive, and then she’d drain him. Every last ounce of magic and power he had would be taken and placed into the mana batteries. When he was nothing more than a withering husk, begging for death, she’d be merciful, and grant it.

A smile crossed her lips as she touched her stomach. Their child however, their child would be unstoppable. Magic mixed with desire and drive. She’d raise their child to understand the world, to see it as nothing more than resources to be consumed and used. With her guidance their child would bring the other nations to their knees! The Equestrians would fall, the Yaks, the Zebras, the dragons, all would fall before them. Her child, her lovely child, would deliver a world to her, and in return she would love her child. Dote on her child, give her child the kind of love that only a woman such as she could give. And when her child had finished giving her the world, she would have her child take place next to her side. A loving, simple minded, easily controlled, and faithful enforcer to look over her for all eternity.

But first, a trip to see her pet chimera was in order…

Dining Hall, Canterlot Palace, Equestria

Blueblood walked into the dining hall, his mane perfect, his clothes fresh, new, and quite actually just from the tailor, but little did it matter. He wasn’t here to impress, oh looking fantastic was certainly at the top of the list of things to do, but today he was going to celebrate his cousin’s, although he considered him a brother, engagement announcement. Being a prominent member of the nobility, and of the noble council, he had already began to twist the proper arms to ensure that this engagement would not be challenged. There was already talk, some of the nobles were questioning who the prince was seeing. It was an old game, one that Blueblood had played long enough to know what was happening. The nobility wanted to anchor themselves to the princess. The easiest way was to marry into the family. Chocolate Sun and his wife Fine Line both were ready to marry their fifteen year old daughter to the prince.

Personally, most of the nobility disgusted him. It wasn’t that some of the noble mares weren’t beautiful, but there was little more there than a warm body for the night. They were concerned with their own power, their standing, and while he certainly wanted to maintain his image he wasn’t too caught up in himself to realize that there was simply more to life. His eyes fell upon Endymion, Twilight Sparkle, and the pink earth pony his brother had chosen. Personally, he could see why. She was beautiful, her body certainly made to make a stallion desire her, and he could wish his brother no better luck than he already had.

“Blueblood?”

“Endymion, brother, it has been too long,”he said as he hugged his brother, “Auntie Luna has told me that you’ve been playing adventurer. Found anything of value, besides your future brides?”

“Not really,” Endymion said, “the trouble with adventuring is that there only so many ruins and monsters out there. There’s not too many places that haven’t already been raided or explored. Some of the most treasure filled catacombs have been repeatedly ransacked, and that’s even before Mother sanctioned guilds for adventurers.”

“That’s too bad,” Blueblood said, dropping his more regal mask for his private persona, “is it really that horrible? I see you have a new sword on you. So there must be some loot left out there.”

“I guess so, Bluey,” Endymion replied, “but the sword was mine to begin with.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Blueblood asked, “That sword looks old, ancient even. You’re no older than I am and that blade looks like survived the pre-Unification era.”

“I think they best way to explain it is, this sword is an inheritance,” Endymion explained, “it was left for me.”

“Huh,” Blueblood huffed, “one Tartarus of a way to grant an inheritance. I would have expected gold, jewels, even an antediluvian spell book. Those things are rare and forget about selling them; some of the spells in those things have some rather interesting applications.”

Endymion laughed, recalling the spells found in one of Blueblood’s great uncle’s spell books. The penis enlargement spell backfired in a way that he still had proof of to this day. And then there was the glamour that was said to make one’s coat capable of reflecting one’s environment, thus making oneself virtually invisible. Instead, Blueblood was bald was three weeks. A real riot, those spells had been.

“Oh, man, do you remember the Spaghetti Incident?” Endymion asked his cousin.

“Please, don’t remind me,” Blueblood sighed, “at least it wasn’t the Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie Episode. I swear, Flintheart is never going to let me live that down.”

“No, I shan’t,” a stern voice said.

Blueblood’s eyes widened, he turned and saw Professor Flintheart walking into the area. He walked toward Blueblood, stopped and eyed him for a moment, “A level three, I expected better of you Blueblood. A mere level three with your family history is disgraceful, and your actions with the daughters of the nobility only enhance that disgrace, yet I am actually very pleased to see you.”

The older stallion stuck out his hand, shook Blueblood’s, and then looked at Endymion, “When I heard that you finally figured out that Miss Sparkle was interested in you it renewed my hope that perhaps you can achieve greatness,” he dug in a side satchel and produced a small book, “These spells have been passed down in my family for generations. Spells for fertility, for stamina, and other things. They will take practice, they will take time, but they will be worth it. I may have been hard on you Endymion, and I will continue to be hard on you, but it is because I see greatness in you. Now, if you excuse me, my being here isn’t merely to wish you well, I was also called here on official business by Princess Luna.”

They watched as the older stallion walked toward Endymion’s mother. It seemed strange to hear Flintheart admit that he actually cared about him. He’d always figured that the old stallion put up with him because he was his mother’s son. The idea that Flintheart saw potential in him never even crossed his mind.

Flintheart neared the Diarch that he was most loyal to. Granted, he was loyal to Celestia, and should she ask something of him he would do it, and gladly so, but Celestia did not see his potential. Celestia did not save him from an orphanage in Trottingham, and Celestia did not put him through Magic Academy. That was Princess Luna, and she taught him what it meant to be powerful. His time in the orphanages had taught him to be tough, to never let his guard down, but his Princess taught him that true strength came not from lording it over others, but by serving others. He had been her personal student, and in some ways he was still was.

“Princess,” he bowed, “I understand you wish to have words with me.”

She nodded, “Rise Flintheart, please, sit.”

He did so and looked at her, “Your son has chosen fine brides. Perhaps if he chooses a Pegasus as well it will show a shining example of unification.”

She smiled and nodded, “I’ve thought the same as well. Flintheart, as much as I wish I called you here to speak of my son, and of his royal engagement…”

He nodded, “I understand your highness. I am a humble servant, ask of me what you will.”

She touched his hand, “Flintheart, you are no mere servant. You were a special student to me, and you’ve proven yourself a thousand times over. I wish, truly wish, that you would have listened to your heart, and my advice, and married that young magi that wanted to court you.”

He shook his head, “I am needed by Equestria. Love, as wonderful as it may be, is not something I can afford. I know, as you do, that eventually I will not be coming back. I could not do that to another pony.”

She looked at his face, sadness echoed in her eyes. He wasn’t wrong. Flintheart wasn’t the young stallion he had been. He’d grown older, more powerful certainly, but older. She knew that his body grew more frail each passing year. Eventually, there would be a mission that would be too much for him, and she knew he would never simply take a token job as a Black Cloak. The next best thing was having him teach, and only send him out when it was truly needed.

“I am sure you heard of the trip I took with my son.”

He nodded, and motioned for her to continue.

“We found Endymion’s kind. They are not mythology, as it was once believed, and they are powerful. I fear they will come for him, and while Endymion’s powers are growing, I fear he isn’t ready.”

“You wish for me to protect your foal?”

She grinned, “In a way, yes. The Black Cloaks need to be ready. All of them. Flintheart, I fear this will become war, and I fear that we will need every Black Cloak available.”

He stroked his chin, “The new recruits, they are still raw, fresh, and Trixie is the rawest of them. Her powers of illusion are most impressive, but she lacks offensive magic. I only agreed to train her as a Black Cloak because I believed that she would have at least the rest of her career here at the Academy to train, to become strong, and to be ready. That is not the case I would assume.”

Luna looked at her hands, “I’m sorry, it is not. Ms Lulamoon will need to be ready, as will the other Black Cloaks.”

He closed his eyes and cursed softly, “Very well, but Ms. Lulamoon, and the other new recruits, need to be on the back lines. The very last line of defence. They simply do not have the experience to be anywhere else. Sol help me, if it were feasible I’d keep them out of this completely. I won’t beg, that would be demeaning to the both of us, but I humbly ask, please consider that simple request Princess.”

She reached for his hand again, “It is granted my old friend.”

“Very well, I will go and rouse them. Princess, if I may, Ms. Lulamoon is quite caught up with this. I’ve let her be, but she is very distraught over the thought of your son marrying another. Perhaps, and I suggest this only because I care for the poor filly as I do all of my students, it would be an idea to send one of the guards that would be tolerable to her personality to spend time with her. There is nothing that helps cures a broken heart quite like a new love.”

“I shall do what I can,” Princess Luna said with a kind smile, “Thank you, Flintheart.”

She watched him as he bowed once more, got up, and headed out. She could see him stopping to talk to Twilight and Pinkamena. She looked back at her son and could see Twilight’s older brother approaching him. Perhaps she could warn Endymion, let him know that Shining Armor had a very protective streak about his sister, and while she doubted that much news of their first night had spread too far it would be interesting to see this unfold. Besides, she was certain that Shining Armor wouldn’t do too much to her son. She smiled, leaned back, and watched with all intent. Her horn lit up slightly so she could hear the entire conversation. She also magiced a bag of popcorn.

Blueblood smiled when Endymion asked his opinion on marriage. Personally, he wasn’t sure about the institution itself, but he did know a thing or two about keeping a mare, and he decided to share that knowledge with his brother.

"Endymion, the answer to keeping a mare is insanely easy. Simply listen to them, give them a proper screwing when needed, and if you can throw a little anal in then you're golden," Blueblood sipped his glass of wine, "and most importantly, do not let anypony else try to come between you and what you want."

"Thanks, Bluey,” Endymion said, a wide smile on his face, “I'll try to keep that in mind. Uh, who is that stallion with the blue mane that keeps staring my daggers?"

Blueblood took a gander at the unicorn stallion who just now entered the room a,d said, "Oh, I see you haven't met the acquaintance of The Captain of The Royal Guard. I believe his name is-"

"SHINING ARMOR!"

Twilight rushed the stallion in question, her smile so brilliant, it rivaled the one she reserved for Endymion. She wrapped him up in a hug; Endymion felt a deep seed of jealousy for the sort of intimacy that hug held. Although he knew he shouldn’t; despite the years and distance, he knew Shining Armor well enough. They had played together in school and he was the big brother he never had. Now that Endymion had Twilight in his herd, he wondered how, if ever so briefly, this would change their friendship.

"Oh, well, that steals my thunder." Blueblood joked.

"Wait a minute. That's Shining Armor?!” Endymion asked, “That's Twilight's older brother?!"

"Yes, indeed it is." Blueblood answered.

Shining Armor was now striding towards the royal pair, his eyes locked on to Endymion. When he was close enough, he held out a beefy paw to The Crown Prince; Endymion took and shook it as thoroughly as he could. The Captain of the Guard was no slouch in muscle; Endymion’s palm hurt after gripping the unicorn stallion, “I take it that you are the young colt that has caught my little sister’s attention.”

Endymion nodded, and he could feel the power from Shining’s handshake even now. The slightly older stallion grinned at him, “Take a short walk with me, will you?”

Endymion looked at Blueblood who nodded. Together Endymion and Shining Armor walked toward the Balcony outside of the dining room. It wasn’t overly large, but it was enough room for a pony to stand with little trouble.

“Twily hasn’t stopped talking about you. To be honest, even before the invitation I knew that this was coming,” he looked out at the open sky, “Endymion, what is Twilight to you?”

Endymion looked at him, unsure of what he meant, and then he thought about it to himself, “She’s everything to me. Her and Pinkie Pie both. I couldn’t imagine my life without them.”

There was a soft chuckle from the white unicorn stallion, “I know the feeling. I feel the same about Cadence. Twilight doesn’t know this yet, but we’re getting married before too long, although to Cadence we already are.”

He looked at him, “It’s a Pegasus thing. The first pony they mate with, that is their mate for life. Before she was an Alicorn Cadence was a Pegasus,” he laughed softly, “I don’t know how it worked, or why it worked, but Cadence ascended. But inside she’s still a Pegasus. She always will be. And Twilight is always going to be my little sister,” Shining looked at him hard, “Understand this Endymion. You are like family, but if you ever, ever hurt Twily, ever raise a hand to her, I will find out, and I will make you pay for it.”

“I’d never do that.”

Shining Armor smiled and nodded, “I know, of course, but I’ve been practicing that speech for a very long time, and I felt like it would be a waste to not use it. But just to reiterate: if you hurt my Twily to any degree, I will personally see you drawn and quartered; you'll be in Tartarus before Princess Luna or Discord know you're dead.”

“So," Endymion posited nervously, "you’re marrying Cadence?”

He nodded, “Yes, originally we wanted to marry right away, and we still do, but once Princess Luna learned about it, well, she’s determined that our marriage happen fairly close to yours.”

Endymion looked toward his mother who suddenly seemed to be very interested in the table cloth of her table, “Uh huh… I suppose she wants it to be a very large affair?”

He nodded, “Her exact words were that it needed to be a large wedding since Cadence is a princess. A huge wedding, that will celebrate the love between the Captain of the Guard, and the Princess of Love.”

“Mother, seriously?”

Shining Armor looked at him, “She wants our weddings done on the same day, at the same time right?”

Shining nodded, “Small wedding my flank.”

“Excuse me?”

“I told mother that a small wedding would be fine, something intimate, only a few individuals.”

Shining Armor laughed, a deep belly laugh that came bubbling up, “Endymion, when was the last time that your mother did anything small? This wedding is something that she’s been planning for a while. I suppose it was clever of her to want to schedule our weddings for the same time. As I understand it she’s even having Princess Celestia officiate as the head priestess.”

As Shining and Endymion talked, inside Twilight was sitting across from her old foal sitter. Cadence smiled at the filly she used to watch several years ago, “So, tell me, did you finally get the feeling you were hoping for?”

Twilight blushed and nodded, “Yes. I… I honestly never knew it could be like that. I just assumed that all of those old romance novels were nothing more than wishful thinking.”

Cadence grinned at her, “Not all of them are Twilight,” she stood up, her pink and yellow silk gown flowing gently with the slight breeze, “Perhaps you, and your herd mate could walk with me and tell me all about the colt that has won your heart.”

“Oh, there’s so much to tell!” Pinkie beamed, “Like he can go for a reeeeeaaaaally long time!”

“PINKIE!”

11 How To Spot A Mark

Rune Soldier

Chapter 11: How to Spot a Mark

She looked at the room around her. Images, memories, all of which told her the name of every important pony around her. Blueblood, a direct blood descendant of Princess Platinum, Princess Cadence, former Cloudsdale nobility, Nightlight and Twilight Velvet, of the house of Stout Heart, and of course Princess Luna herself. She felt the slickness of her dress, the way it clung to her, and she could see the way she was being noticed by several of the stallions and mares here.

She felt a hand touch her own, “Fleur my darling.”

She turned toward the stallion standing next to her, “Fancy Pants, I had feared that you wouldn’t be able to make it tonight.”

The posh unicorn stallion in a fine silk vest and breeches, smiled at the Prench mare, saying, “Like unto yourself, I was invited here. And a chance to mingle with Prince Endymion is not an opportunity I care to miss.”

“Well, yes, of course,” the mare says, “shall we, then?”

The stallion nods and takes one of the mare’s arm into his own. They walk with a refined gait into the scene, greeting ponis they know and introducing themselves to ponies they don’t. The pair are a sight, as the posh stallion’s monocle catches sight of everypony in sight; the mare on his arm is even more eyectching, though, as she is both slim and pert, wearing a gown of almost pure gossamer. Were she any other mare, there would be talk of her being a princess and even so, she dismisses such talk outright.

Eventually the pair make their way to the center of the festivities, where Princess Luna is speaking with Princess Cadence and a young unicorn mare in mages robes. The conversation was rather congenial, for this was much mirth shared amongst the three mares. The pair inched closer and were noticed by the Princess.

“Ah, Fleur, and Fancy, it is a pleasure to see you both,” Luna said as she motioned toward a seat, “Please, join us.”

Twilight looked at the unicorn mare taking a seat, and she swallowed. While Fleur had similar measurements as her own, she knew how to enhance them. The cut of her dress moving down nearly to her navel, giving a wonderful view of her cleavage. She seemed, proper, well mannered, and drop dead gorgeous. For a moment she felt worried, truly worried, that Endymion might want to try to woo her.

Or she did until she looked toward Endymion. Pinkie Pie had left their conversation a bit ago, found him, and currently he was looking not at Fleur, nor at Luna, but instead at her. She could feel him undressing her with his eyes, and she blushed heavily as she felt his gaze travel lower. Memories of him bringing her so much pleasure, of him and Pinkie welcoming her into their herd, and memories of how much he did just to make her realize that he did love her crossed her mind. Doubt suddenly had no place in her mind. Endymion loved her, for whatever reason it might be, for the hows, and why nots, Endymion loved her deeply.

She still looked at Fleur with a mix of awe and jealousy. This mare carried herself in such a way that it was hard to ignore. She walked like she was Sol’s gift to all Equine Kind. Part of Twilight considered what she might look like nude, how that sleek and subtle body would appear with her coat matted down with sweat, her breathing ragged and her eyes weary. She blushed deeper, realizing that her mind was certainly going places she didn’t intend for it to go.

She knew that part of the reason her mind was going where it was had a simple explanation. It was simple, but at the same time it was far from it. Endymion and Pinkie Pie had opened her up, completely opened her up, to feeling and experiencing new experiences. Before when Pinkie had helped her with her heat, it had simply been something that a friend would do for a friend, but last night… Oh Sol, last night she realized how much she appreciated and loved the female form.

She wasn’t a filly fooler, not really, but she certainly understood that she would happily make love to both Endymion and Pinkie. That flew in the face of what she had originally believed she would be like, what she originally thought she was going to do, and how she was going to act. Then again, as her Reproductive Science instructor once informed, equine sexuality wasn’t as black and white as what a pony might see on paper. And while the majority of ponies fit into the binary heterosexual orientation, there was historical evidence showing ponies engaging in filly-fooling, colt-cuddling, and other non-binary relationships. If that were the case here, then maybe, Twilight thought, could Pinkie and I be bisexual? Is that what herd life does a pony?

She wouldn’t be complaining, though. Making love to the stallion she cared deeply for and a mare she considered her best friend was the most wonderful time she could ever have. Twilight wondered why it took last night for her to finally understand this and could come to no viable conclusion. felt that perhaps this was more natural than she had originally been lead to believe. If that was the case then she really needed to point out that Dr. Amble Whinney had been correct in his assessment of there being no standard mold of sexuality, and instead that all ponies, including the princesses, fit onto a sliding scale.

She looked toward Luna, and the once perfect mold she had for her mentor began to crack. According to Dr. Whinney Luna had the potential to like mares as much, if not more, as she did stallions. It meant that her mentor could be a sexual creature, and that just felt wrong. The princesses didn’t have sex. They were immortal, and as far as she knew, virginal, with the possible exception of Cadence. As the Princess of Love, there did exist the possibility that her old foal sitter was very experienced, and not in a remote, by proxy way, to all that love had to offer. And, seeing as there was evidence that she clung very tightly to her brother, that probability of that assumption being right was almost one hundred percent, give or take a few percentage points.

For Endymion, the female form was land of delights he now had private and regular access to. He wasn't one to have a roving eye, though. While he could ascertain that Fluer De Lis was a beautiful mare, she didn’t hold a candle to Pinkie or Twilight. The mare pressed into his side currently was doing an excellent job of reminding him what this party was about. Although, he would be remiss to admit this, there was something about the Prench supermodel and her beau that was- off. He had known Lord Fancy Pants since he was a young colt. Endymion knew well enough that the high noble was kind, gregarious, and affable, but tonight there was something wholly off about him. He couldn't quite place it, but it was there.

It wasn’t exactly how Fancy was carrying himself, but it was more in the little things. Fancy Pants might be a noble, but he always considered himself no better than his own servants. The small things that he was doing, not being sociable to the wait staff, not commenting and praising the young waitress on her choice of mane style, and for wearing her uniform so well. Asking if she was doing something that was keeping herself in shape, asking for tips if she had the time.

Fancy could be, and often was, a shameless flirt, but it was always done in good fun. He never hurt anypony, and he was always respectful. The Fancy Pants present tonight was a whole other animal and not one he was familiar with. That cloy smile hid many things but not the utter mess hidden behind the fashionable couture. Endymion felt it in his bones, one could say, that Fancy was anything but fancy tonight. Although, to broach the subject in the current clime was not advisable. While this was a mostly intimate gathering, there was enough Canterlot gentry that even the slightest disputation could cause an uproar. And with his mother here, there would be little in the line of back up. His accusations would need evidence, too, and Endymion knew that he had little but his personal deductions to work with.

So the crown prince kept his suspicions to himself for the time being. “Better to keep you muzzle closed and look the fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

He felt Pinkie stiften against him. Her body becoming more rigid, and he looked to see her studying Fancy and Fleur intently. The confused look on her face spoke volumes, and it was a far cry from the normally happy expression she wore.

“Something wrong?”

She nodded, “Yes, I don’t know why, but my Pinkie Sense is telling me that I need to throw a party for Fancy and Fleur, but I threw a party for them the first time I met them when Rarity came to Canterlot and tried to do some business,” she giggled, “It was actually a birthday party for Rarity, but I turned it into let’s meet all of the Canterlot ponies and have fun party.”

She studied them again, “Fleur and Fancy were both there, but it feels like I’ve never thrown a party for them before. That’s not right.”

“I got something similar,” Endymion told his lover, “almost like I don’t know these ponies. I’ve been to Lord Fancy’s place in Steeple Row before and he wasn’t like- this. Can’t say anything though. Not enough proof.”

Both Pinkie and Endymion heard laughter from the table where Twilight sat along with Princess Luna. The Fake Fancy and Fake Fluer were holding court there, with ribald tales that seemed to be a Twilight’s expense. It didn’t take long for the mulberry mage to grow weary of their humor. She rose from her seat, thanking Luna for the party and then making a beeline for Pinkie and Endymion. She wrapped up the two in a firm hug when she made it to them and promptly plopped her plot in an adjacent chair.

“Twily?”

She was looking at the floor. Endymion took a seat beside her, his hand reaching for her own. She took it, holding onto his hand tightly, “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

She looked up, her eyes wet with tears. She glanced once toward Fleur and Fancy. The mare and stallion were still talking with his mother and cousin Cadence. It was obvious that both of them were practicing exceptional manners, and keeping the pleasant face he’d seen reserved for members of the nobility that tended to offend and anger his mother. Thinking that something was wrong was swiftly turning into knowing that something was wrong. He hugged Twilight, and Pinkie Pie jumped in on it.

“Twilight,” Endymion whispered in the mage’s ear, “talk to me. What happened over there?”

“I- I don’t know,” Twilight sniffled, tears welling in her eyes, “I know Lord Fancy Pants by reputation and there was a time as a filly where I might have idolized him a little, but I didn’t think he could be deceptive!”

“Deceptive?” Pinkie asked, then she shared a look with Endymion. The look on his face told Pinkie that something wasn’t stirring the potion right.

“How do you mean, ‘deceptive?’” Endymion inquired, “was he being mean or something?”

“No, but that’s just the thing,” Twilight answered, “as really noble as Lord Fancy Pants is, I’ve never known him to be so- cavalier, about certain things. Herds especially.”

“Cavalier?” Pinkie queries.

“I’m- not really sure how to explain it,” Twilight said, “can we- Can we just go home?”

“Sure, Twi,” Endymion said, then to Pinkie, “can you get her home? I’ll follow suit after I’ve made the necessary excuses.”

Pinkie’s demeanor brightens up and she stands up quickly, saying, “Okie Dokey Loki!”

“Endy,” Twilight begins before her prince kisses her.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Endymion tells her, “Pinkie is getting you back to Ponyville, first.”

“But wait!” Twilight exclaimed, “What are you going to do?”

“Me?” Endymion said, “I’m going to confirm my suspicions.”

Endymion watched as his mares left the room, attracting only a mild interest from some of the nobles in the room. He didn’t mind that all that much. The two nobles he was hoping wouldn’t detect the absence of Twilight and Pinkie were involved in a rather enlightening discussion. He didn’t want his mother or Lord Fancy Pants to know what was wrong, not until he could understand more. Putting a plan of action together briefly, he set himself to work.

‘Everything is a simple matter of will. If you learn nothing else from this class, I expect all of you to learn that. Learn to see the problem, have the willpower to address it, and then approach it in such a way that nopony ever knows you even did anything to fix it.’

Flintheart’s words echoed in his mind as he neared Fancy and Fleur. Address so nopony knows. He looked at Blueblood who was making idle chitchat with one of the noble houses. He knew right off of the bat that if given the chance Blueblood would love to get away from them. Especially since he had recently bedded their eldest daughter before she left left for Prance to study art.

“Blueblood,you have a moment?”

He made sure that he was in earshot of Fancy pants.

“Brother, I have nothing but time, excuse me.”

He walked toward Endymion, already knowing there was something going on rather than normal talk. Endymion didn’t use his full name unless it was something bothering him, or he was trying to be sneaky. They’d played a similar game around auntie Luna before, and it had been quite a bit of fun. The both of them ended up in trouble, but it was well worth it.

“Blue, tell me, do you still have one of the best hoofball collections in all of Equestria?”

Blueblood looked at him, then at Fancy Pants, and the realization began to click. Something was going on with Fancy. He’d noticed little things, nothing major, but when Fancy didn’t stop and make his normal small talk with the wait staff it was enough to make him think that something wasn’t sitting right. He ignored it, figuring that perhaps Fancy was simply having an off night, or perhaps Fleur was currently giving him a magic job. He’d been on a receiving end of one of those before, and it’s hard to be one’s self when an invisible mouth is sucking on one’s cock.

“I do, although I don’t have a Rickety Mantle card. I believe there’s only six left in all of Equus, three here in Equestria,” he looked at Fancy and smiled, “Fancy, tell me, have you decided to part with great treasure of yours yet?”

Fancy Pant’s eyes widened. That was the first blow. Fancy would know, automatically know they were talking about his Rickety Mantle card. He’d often said that it was the most prized possession that he owned, although his greatest treasure was actually Fleur. Fancy would have often said no, covering either one, especially when it was Blueblood that asked.

“I’m dreadfully sorry old boy, I’m afraid I didn’t quite hear the question.”

Another strike. Fancy had excellent hearing. Especially when he went to checking out his businesses.

“Your Rickety Mantle card, it is vintage isn’t it? 932AU right?”

Endymion watched him. Everypony that followed Hoofball knew that Rickety Mantle was hit by a run-a-way carriage in 932. It ended up breaking his hip, messing up his ribs, and putting him out of the game completely. He didn’t have any cards then, all of his cards were 928-931. The Rookie card, the one that Endymion knew Fancy had, was the 928 card.

On it Rickety had what looked like black lipstick on his cheek. Rumor had it that Rickety had gotten a kiss from his mother for luck before he went to pitch. That cocksure ball player had walked up to his mother after she was asked to bring in the new season by giving the first pitch, and he asked for a kiss for luck.

His eyes flashed to his mother wondering if she knew about the card, and possibly if she even remembered Rickety at all.

“No, no dear boy, Rickety was painfully injured in 932. A run-a-way carriage accident I’m afraid. You’ll find no cards from then, but yes, yes my card is vintage, but I’m afraid I can’t be certain on the year. Not that I don’t collect the wonderful things, I do, but rather because I’m sure exactly when my card was issued, and it could be either his rookie year, or the following.”

Partly right, partly wrong. Something was up with Fancy, certainly up with him.

“Fancy, darling,” Fleur purred, “You showed me that silly card of yours before. It’s a rookie card. His 928AU year. I dare say he was quite the strapping Earth Pony. He’d made a perfect way of forgetting one’s blues.”

Endymion looked at Fleur. She was smiling, but it wasn’t the pleasant smile he’s seen before when visiting Fancy. It looked predatory, practically daring him to dig.

“Profiter de la fête?”* (1)

She smiled at his question, not batting an eye and leaned toward him, “A propos autant que vous appréciez être ici sans vos femmes.” * (2)

His eyes widened, “Qu'est-ce que tu racontes?” * (3)

“Seulement que votre petit Twilight Sparkle semblait être très contrarié que je l'ai dit qu'elle était une jument de mœurs légères. Peut-être que je me trompe, peut-être vous êtes celui qui a de telles ... les goûts pervers.”* (4)

He clinched his jaw, and she sipped her wine, “Look at that, I’m afraid that we are out far too late, “ she stood, and kissed his cheek, “Mmm, we should do this again. Perhaps I can convince you to come over to our manor.”

With that Fleur grabbed Fancy’s hand and the two of them began to walk out, “Oh, your highnesses, Ne jouez jamais un joueur.” *(5)

She flicked her tail, showing how impossibly high it was sitting, her movements were graceful, perfect, as if she was walking a runway, and in that moment Endymion understood hate rutting. It wasn’t that he wanted her, but she had dug into him, insulted Twilight, insulted him, and then she left without breaking stride. Her jabs had been perfect, well placed, and perfectly executed.

“Endymion, walk with me,” Blueblood said as he led him out of the room. They were out, down the hall a bit, and Blueblood looked around, “Do you trust her?”

Endymion looked at him, “Who?”

“Stella, do you trust her?”

Endymion nodded, and Blueblood stated, “Good enough.”

The two of them walked toward the Lunar Pegasi’s barracks, and found Stella’s door. Blueblood knocked, there was no answer, and so he opened the door. What greeted them was a sight that Blueblood would remember for all of his life. Penny Farthing, one of Luna’s maids that doubled as a guard, was currently behind Stella who was tied to the bed. A ball gag in her mouth, blindfold on her eyes, and her ears swiveling around. Penny seemed to be wearing crotchless panties and embedded inside of her was one end of a double ended false phallus. The other seemed to be snugly fit up Stella’s tailhole.

Penny turned toward them. Her coppery mane hanging down from its normal bun she wore, her green eyes looking lively, full of mischief, and her tan coat looked soaked with sweat. There was a semi large place where questionable fluids had already leaked out.

“Oh my… Stella, you did you say that you arranged for guests.”

Stella’s body stiffened, and Endymion could see her blush under her coat. Oh, there was going to be, as Stella often said, an arse chewing for this. Endymion watched as Penny undid the ball gag.

“Which miserable coont came in here and decided to screw with me gettin’ laid?! Ah ought ta have your guts for garters!”

“Stella, we need to talk.”

Endymion looked at Blueblood who seemed a bit more composed, although still looking over Penny quite a bit.

“Blueblood? You lousy git, is Endymion with you?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

She huffed, “Boyo, Ah was getting my arse rammed hard, and ya come in here and stir up shit that wasn’t meant ta get stirred up.”

Penny, untied her, grabbed her uniform, but Endymion couldn’t help but look at her. She was built more like Twilight and less like Pinkie Pie. Her frame was slender, but where Twilight had a slender, small frame, Penny had abs that she was obviously proud of. Even though there was a double ended fake phallus between her labia, she looked beautiful.

Endymion looked at Blueblood who was trying to act as if he wasn’t memorizing how the mare look. As Stella got dressed, Endymion realized that Blueblood wasn’t being his normal flirty self. He was, instead, being as respectful as he could while in a room with two mares who were far less dressed than either of them.

Stella looked at them and crossed her arms, “Okay, either of ya miserable gits wants to tell me why ya interrupted a perfectly good buggerin?”

Blueblood didn’t act offended, which again was normal for him when it was just him and Endymion, but around other ponies, well Endymion had seen Blueblood go as far as to make a young unicorn mare run away crying because she happened to bump into him. He knew it was an act, one that Blueblood put on for the rest of the nobility, but why he wasn’t carrying on the act right now was beyond him.

“What do you know of Lord Fancy Pants?”

Stella looked at him for a moment, took a seat, even though she was mainly just in a backless shirt for her wings, and a pair of panties, “Not much. Noble, actually treats most of us with respect, actually flirted with me once. Ah had to tell ‘im that Ah’d likely break his hip”

I nodded, “Yeah, that’s Fancy, something is going on with him. He’s not acting right. It’s not the normal things, but the little things.”

“What ya mean?”

Blueblood cleared his throat, “It was his entrance to the party. He walked by the wait staff without thanking them for being there. He didn’t attempt to talk to any of the waitresses in anything other than the normal cold noble manner that most nobles have, and then there was the hoofball card.”

She raised an eyebrow, “What hoofball card?”

Endymion smiled, “Fancy is a major collector of a few things. Silver Era magical items, paintings done by famed artists, and he is a major collector of early Hoofball cards and memorabilia,” he took a seat near Stella, “He barely knew anything about his most prized hoofball card, a Rickety Mantle rookie card.”

“What ya think is going on?”

He looked at her, and then at the ground, “I don’t know Stella, but I don’t think that the pony I talked to was Fancy.”

Ponyville - Twilight’s library - Main Bedroom - Three and half hours later

Twilight lay with her eyes open beside a naked Pinkie Pie. They had gotten home, and Pinkie did her best to cheer her up. She felt the pink mare cuddled against her, and silently all she wanted was Endymion. She wanted this marriage to already happen, them be married, and not have to worry about dealing with the nobles except when he went to visit Princess Luna, or she went to visit her parents.

She hated that it bothered her so much. She really did. It wasn’t even like she knew Fleur that well, but what the mare had said just seemed wrong. She heard the door creak open, and she looked up, hoping to see Endymion, praying to see Endymion, and instead she saw Spike. The drake walked toward her, and she had to take in how much he had grown since hitting a growth spurt.

“Twilight, you okay?”

She tried to nod, but she felt his claw on her shoulder, “Come downstairs, please?”

She got up, grabbing a robe, and pulled it on. When they got downstairs Spike pulled a seat out for her around the reading table. She took it, and he took one across from her.

“I know that something bad is bothering you,” he gave a small grin, “You’ve raised me since I was a hatchling, you’re my mom, and I’d know if there is something bothering my mom.”

She looked at the table, “It’s nothing Spike, somepony just said something about herd marriages.”

“Do you believe it?”

She looked up at him and shook her head no.

“Do you think less of yourself, of Pinkie, or Endymion because the three of you are getting married together?”

“No!”

He smiled, “Then why do you care if somepony else does. It doesn’t matter, and it’s not like they can really say or do anything to Endymion anyway. I mean he’s Princess Luna’s son. They’d be stupid to try and hurt him. Luna’s like, well the most powerful pony on all of Equus.”

She smiled at him, and realized that Spike had given her some excellent advice, jejeune as it was. It wasn’t up to other ponies to determine how she found happiness. Their opinions on herds, on Pinkie, on herself and most importantly, Endymion, didn’t matter. It was her opinion, and hers alone, about how she felt about things that mattered most and nuck of to anypony who felt differently. She’d been in love with Endymion for years and now that she had him, willingly, she wasn’t going to allow the neigh-saying of some nobles disrupt her joy. They weren’t living her life, she was, and she’d be damned if she allowed such negativity to influence her in anyway.

“Feeling better?” Spike asked.

“Almost,” Twilight replied, and then, “thanks.”

“That’s what a bestest first assistant/little brother/first born son is for,” Spike said, beaming, “Oh, and I got this a minute ago.”

Spike gave Twilight a scroll, sealed with the Royal Marker. It was unopened, and Twilight thought it might be from her mentor. She ripped open the seal, rolled out the scroll and read it’s contents. It’s from Endymion! Twilight realized. As she read, she noted that some of the phrasing of the letter appeared to be in code. Naught but a Level Four mage would have a chance at deciphering the code; Twilight parsed it in seconds. She couldn’t believe what she was reading but it was starting to make a bit of sense.

Her soon-to-be husband and brother-in-law had suspicions about Lord Fancy Pants. Nothing that could be proven with a lot of hard evidence, Even so, his behavior as of late had turned colder than the jocular Fancy Pants of her memory. She hadn’t really known Fluer all that well, but the facade she put on was nothing like a well renowned over model would display, even if she was Prench. The rest if the missive was more mundane stuff, even if she did get a little excited about the prospect of magical kimono imported straight from Neighpon. Twilight thought Pinkie get a kick of the silken fabric Endymion had chosen for her.

“Is that from Endymion?” Spike asked.

“Yes it is,” Twilight squealed, forgetting about the code entirely, “he should be here soon. He caught the last train of the night to Ponyville. And he’s bringing presents!”

“Yes!” Spike exclaimed, pumping his fists, “I hope he brought some sapphire encrusted donuts from Donut Joe’s. I love his donuts!”

Endymion returned later in the hour, fully laden with shopping bags and a rucksack full of precious material. When he arrived at Golden Oak library, a few lights were still on inside. Figuring he’d get a rather boisterous welcome, he opened the door with a free hand and stepped into the library; he lost control of the door when he did so, so the solid oak portal slammed into the frame harshly. This alerted a small form on the couch in the reading nook that Endymion recognized instantly as Spike. Then there came a rushing of hooves: a pair from above in the loft bedroom and a pair that charged from the kitchen.

“ENDY!”

Two pairs of arms and two warm bodies slammed in The Crown Prince and the confusion of flesh that met at the entrance crashed against the wall. Endymion saw a mashup of pink and purple bodies, trying to cuddle and molest him as he tried to remain upright and conscious. The shopping bags and rucksack were left on the floor where they had fallen from him; Spike attended those as Pinkie and Twilight showered Endymion with their love.

Canterlot - The Temple - The Pool of revelation

The pegasus stallion felt nervous. Everypony he’d spoken to, including Priestess Fluttershy, had said that it was very spiritual, and receiving a revelation about your champion would only make his resolve stronger. But to be honest, he felt more worried. What if Sol thought he was inferior since he was a stallion and not a mare? Still, he followed the time honored tradition, anointing himself with the oils, herbs, and fire ant extract needed for the ceremony.

His dark yellow coat and blue mane looked to be completely on fire as he waded into the pool completely naked. He faced the statue of the Alicorn, his eyes closing.

“Sol, father of all Alicorns, hear my prayer. I seek to serve you, and I seek to do so through a champion. Please, reveal to me the champion, the hero, you would have me follow.”

There was nothing, and he feared that there would be no revelation.

“Flash Sentry, I have heard your request, and I have watched you. Your heart is pure, your intentions are noble. You shall see your hero this night. She will seem to be presenting unto you, and when you see her in this fashion know that she is the one you will serve.”

Leaving he felt confused, but happy. This meant that he would indeed be meeting his champion, his hero, this night. He left and waiting for him was Princess Celestia, “Gentle Flash, as a reserve guard thou hast been tasked with helping to find and round up the Black Cloaks. We would ask that thou do so quickly. Please, go to the Magic Academy, and see if any are there. Begin with this pony.”

He looked at the name, unsure of why it was familiar, but nodded. Celestia watched him leave, and from out of the back a grinning older stallion stepped forward.

“Thou plays a dangerous game Flintheart. Young Flash was meant to find his champion on his own.”

Flintheart coughed and looked at the Princess, “Perhaps, but I am certain that Sol will forgive an old stallion that simply wants to see one of his students happy. Now, I’m afraid that I must leave as well. There is the possibility of war coming, and I must prepare.”

She watched him and shook her head. He was willful, arrogant, and dangerous. He would have made a wonderful champion at one time.

Trixie Lulamoon’s room - Thirty minutes later

Trixie sighed as she bent over and looked on her bed. There was no reason to be dressed right now. Endymion was gone, out of her reach, and Twilight Sparkle had won. She envied her. Knowing what Endymion felt like, knowing that she had beaten her. The door opened behind her, and she heard a gasp. Her head turned slightly and she saw a Pegasus Stallion, standing there, his wings indicating that he was indeed aroused. Her eyes widened, her horn glowed azure, and she tossed him back before slamming her door.

“Trixie will not be the peep show of anypony! Knock! Knock before you enter Trixie’s room!”

Flash sat against the wall for a moment before a bright smile crossed his lips, “MY CHAMPION!”

Fluttershy’s Cottage

Fluttershy sighed as she sat awake. There was so much bothering her, and right now her heat was one of the major things. Her hand was busy, trying to stem the flow of her heat, but when she closed her eyes… Oh Sol, she was seeing Endymion. She couldn’t be seeing Endymion. He was marrying Twilight and Pinkie Pie. His herd should be complete, and besides, she didn’t plan on taking Princess Celestia’s advice and mating with him!

She changed tactics, grabbing a cucumber, licking it, taking it into her mouth for a moment, pretending it was the phallus of a stallion, and then pushing it into her.

“Endymion….”

The word escaped her lips before she could catch it. “No, no Fluttershy, no! He’s my champion, if that is truly Sol’s will, and nothing else… But Oh Sol… Rut me… Rut me hard…”

Author's Note

Translated Prench Dialogue:

1.) Enjoying the Party?
2.) About as much as you are enjoying being here without your wives.
3.) What are you talking about?
4.) Only that your little Twilight Sparkle seemed to be quite upset that I indicated that she was a mare of loose morals. Perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps you are the one who has such... perverse tastes.
5.) Never Play a player.

12 Bedknobs and Boomsticks

Rune Soldier

Chapter 12: Bedknobs and Boomsticks

Applejack knocked the door again. Rainbow Dash had come through, sort of, and found another ruin to look through. Although, if Dash was being completely honest it was less of a ruin and more of an abandoned house. Still, if it belonged to an unicorn there was a good chance for any of the magical items left to be worth something to collectors.

A little treasure was certainly better than no treasure.

“Durn it Fluttershy, open the durned door!”

“Ummm… No, go away, please.”

“Fluttershy, Rainbow found a place that might have some treasure, now she’s a gonna fetch Endymion, and yer a gonna come with me.”

“No! I… I can’t!”

Applejack let out a sigh, “Okay, why cain’t ya?”

“P...Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Ah…”

“Pinkie Promise.”

“Seriously? Fine, Cross ma heart, hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in ma eye...Ouch! Okay, I dun went and made it, so open up.”

There was a shifting sound, and the door opened. Fluttershy wasn’t in her normal priestess robes, but instead she was a light pink bathrobe that had Rarity’s cutie mark sewn into the edge of it. There was a faint smell, and Fluttershy seemed to be walking a little funny.

Applejack’s eyes widened, “Yer in heat?!”

Fluttershy nodded, “I… I am, and I’ve got a cucumber stuck…”

“Ya what?”

Fluttershy covered her face, “I… Last night I was really trying to get some relief, and I bent over the bed, and used a cucumber, and moved my tail…”

“Sol, no, jest no, Ah dun’t wanna know that bad.”

Fluttershy looked at the floor, “AJ… Please, I need somepony to help me get it out.”

“Oh for Sol’s sake… Yer serious? Sol durn it, Alright, but Ah ain’t yer special somepony, ya got that? Ah tend ta like the stallions, ya hear?”

Fluttershy nodded, saying, “I know… Please?”

AJ odded, and the two of them walked toward Fluttershy’s bedroom. She bent over the bed and AJ could notice how her tail was hiked up higher than normal. Fluttershy spread her cheeks apart, and there, just barely poking out was the end of the cucumber. She could see Fluttershy’s anal ring contracting around it, and if the end was anything to go by Fluttershy took a might big cucumber up there.

“Shy, Ah need ya ta relax. Ah’m a gonna havta reach in a little. And mah hand is a mite bigg’r than yer tailhole…”

“Mm Hmm.. Please… be gentle.”

Cursing silently to herself AJ felt the end of the cucumber. If she pushed too much it might push it up into Fluttershy’s tailhole a little further. But other than getting something like a metal prong to get into the end sticking out… There wasn’t a whole lot of choices.

“Ah’m a goin’ in.”

“Wait… Umm… There’s some… oil over there… could, you please, pretty please, put some on your hand so it doesn’t go in dry?”

“Okay, okay, jest hold on a sec.”

Applejack grabbed the bottle and saw that it was something a pony had to pick up at Bit and Bridle - The Adult Mare’s Store. She opened the bottle and was greeted to the smell of a stallion’s cock. She looked at Fluttershy, “Ya seriously want ma to pour this on ma hand?”

“Please?”

She poured a bit out, letting it cover her hand, trying desperately to think of anything else other than the fact that her hand was going up her friend’s tailhole, and it was going up there to get a cucumber that her friend had put up there. Once her hand was good and covered she took a seat, breathed out, and looked ahead.

“Relax.”

“Okay… I’m reLAXEEEEEDDDDD!”

Fluttershy’s wings stuck straight out, her mouth was biting down on a rabbit shaped pillow, and she was moaning. AJ almost pulled her fingers out right then. She felt Fluttershy move, her hips pushing toward her.

“Eeeeeenope! Ah ain’t gonna help ya get off!”

“AJ I’m sorry, please, please help me get it out.”

She groaned, “Fine, jest don’t go acting like yer a gittin’ off on it.”

She pushed her fingers back in, and Flutters seemed relaxed. Really relaxed, and a moment later there was a thunderous sound of a massive fart. AJ looked at her butter yellow friend.

“Seriously?”

Still, the cucumber began to move, slowly coming out, and AJ pulled her fingers out, grabbing the bulk of the end with her fingernails, and pulled it on loose. Big hadn’t been the word. The Cucumber was twelve inches long, at least four inches around, and judging by Fluttershy’s tailhole it had been in there a while.

“It’s out, and we ain’t never gonna speak of this again.”

Fluttershy looked back at her, “Thank you.”

“Uh huh… Fluttershy, not that it’s any of ma business, but why did ya want such a big one fer? Was ya a thinkin’ ‘bout somepony?”

Fluttershy’s face turned red and she covered it with that rabbit shaped pillow.

Golden Oaks Library - Same time - Front door

“Endymion! Open up! I found out where some treasure is!”

Rainbow Dash waited, as she heard activity from the behind door. She couldn’t really tell what was going on on the other side, but it sounded like ponies getting untangled. She’d seen that a time or two while working for the Ponyville weather team. Sometimes, in the rush of a setting up or knocking down a storm, ponies would inevitably fly into each other. The worst she’d seen was an impossible tangle of Pegasi that was started when Muffins accidentally flew in the path of Cloudchaser. A nine pony pile up…

What was going inside the Golden oak was not such a pile up, but from what scents Dash was getting and the sounds from within, it felt like somepony had themselves a thorough rutting. It was getting close to that time, when mares like herself would start getting frisky and while she wasn’t completely immune to the heat, she had a few methods of sating it. If she did find a stallion who’d be willing, she wouldn’t say no to a romp in the hay, but she would need a contraceptive spell from either Twilight or Rarity. Rarity might not be the all around arcane genius Twilight was, but she knew a few anti-pregnancy spells. Dash thought she may need to avail herself of either unicorns magical skills before long.

So lost in thought Dash was, she didn’t register the door of the library open. When she did, and it took the snapping of fingers to do so, Dash caught sight of a very disheveled but very content Twilight. The unicorn mage still had on her nightclothes. (And Dash was surprised to discover her nerdy, bookworm of a friend had a hidden boudoir of very slinky lingerie, if the paper thin chemise she saw sliding off of Twilight’s shoulder was any indication.) Shaking her head of confuddlment, Dash stepped forward to peer inside the library.

“Hey, Twi,” Dash greeted.

“H-hello, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed, “W-what are you doing here?”

“I gotta speak with Endymion,” Dash explained, “I got us a new adventuring gig and I need to get him up to speed so we can raid it.”

“Um, what sort of instance is this?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll let you know when I see Endymion,” Dash said, “seriously, is he in there?”

“I’m here,” came the Crown Prince’s voice, “sorry for the delay, I was getting decent.”

“A little late for that, ya daft wanker,” Dash said darkly, “you wanna hear this or not?”

Dash could see, from the sliver of the open doorway, Endymion slipping on a pair of trousers, his shirt and waist coat undone and showing his broad chest. A small flush rose in Dash, but she suppressed it. She didn’t have a thing for the Crown Prince so that reaction was a subtle symptom of an early heat. Buck it, Dash thought, stupid bucking hormones.

After a brief moment, Endymion arrived at the doorway. He gave Twilight a chaste kiss before she fled upstairs, likely to get changed.

“You hungry?” Endymion asked Dash, “I’m starved.”

“Ha!” Dash barked, “With two mares to satisfy every night, it’s a wonder you’re to dry as a bone!”

“Would you like to test that hypothesis?” Endymion asked with a cheeky grin, then, “Come on in, Spike is making pancakes.”

“Spike is cooking?” Dash asked, “Okay, count me in!”

Coming into the library she was hit with the smell of lavender incense, sex, and pancakes. Her eyes drifted over to Endymion as they walked toward the table. They took a seat, and Twilight soon came back down along with Pinkie Pie. The Pink mare was wearing what looked like a shirt and a pair of boxers, and Twilight was wearing a skirt that came down mid thigh, and a blue button up blouse. Rainbow Dash looked at it, trying to figure out why it looked so familiar, but she soon dismissed it.

The group took a seat, and moments later Rainbow saw Spike coming out. She could see the way the Drake had grown, remembering how just a year before he was considerably shorter, but over the last year he had gotten taller, certainly nearly as tall as Fluttershy herself. She also noticed the definition of muscle on his arms and chest. At that she quit looking. This was one of her best friend’s son, or assistant, or brother, well something, and she wasn’t going to mentally rut somepony, or dragon, that was obviously off limits.

Spike began dividing up the pancakes, leaving a bottle of maple syrup, and heading back into the kitchen for his own plate. He took a seat at the far end of the table, allowing himself to spread out and relax his tail without letting it knock anything over. Everypony, including Rainbow, tucked into their pancakes, with Pinkie making slurping sounds as she drowned hr stack in syrup.

Dash was enjoying the food immensely. Even in spite of the conditions she walked into this place with, the pancakes helped in removing a great deal of her trepidation of coming in. Spike had really outdone himself this time, mixing a healthy dose of heather and walnuts into the batter. The chromatic Pegasus couldn’t remember the last time she ate so well; her adventurers diet had consisted of stale bread and hay jerky, sometimes the occasional pint of mead.

While she ate, she noticed that Endymion was having some trouble concentrating on his food. She’d seen stallions getting head before, with the mares ducking under the table for a little afternoon delight. Endymion wasn’t any old stallion, but he certainly looked the part, with the beads of sweat and the mumbled praise that Dash could just barely hear. The only thing wrong with that scene, in Dash’s mind, was both Twilight and Pinkie were visible at the table and she was certain that Spike didn’t swing that way. (She had known the drake for years and his infatuation with Rarity was the worst kept secret in Ponyville. She also still had eyes on his tail, which was presently pouring milk from a pitcher to everyone at the table.)

“So, R…Rainbo..w… W.. Oh Sol, what’s this adventure yo...you’re wanting to t..talk about?”

Endymion was trying to be straight faced. He was trying to behave, and he looked to see Twilight using her magic to eat the pancakes with. It was a perfect cover to the invisible mouth that was currently licking and sucking on his stiffening cock. He was about to say something when he felt it take him deeper. He looked over at Twilight who was smiling, and looking innocent.

“Endy, are you…” Pinkie’s eyes widened as she sat there.

She looked at Twilight as she felt something pulling her panties to the side, a delicate tongue slipping into her marehood, and at the same time the same invisible mouth was beginning to suckle on her clit. The pancakes on Pinkie’s plate began to be forgotten, which certainly not something she’d normally do. Her mouth opened and her tongue lolled out. Rainbow Dash noticed how her eyes got a sort of dazed look to them, and again, she’d seen this kind of behavior before. Like with stallions it happened when a mare had a stallion, or mare, friend that went under the table, pulled their hips forward, and proceeded to eat them out. But nopony was under there. She looked to the end of the table, and Spike was happily munching on his pancakes.

Her eyebrow arched as she looked back. Something was certainly going on. She watched as Pinkie Pie went from looking dazed to leaning back, scooting her legs and waist further under the table, Endymion was doing something similar, and Twilight was still casually eating her pancakes.

“Spike, these taste better than normal,” Twilight said.

“Uh huh, you know, I get that I’m old enough to know what you guys are doing, but maybe wait until I’m completely out of earshot. I mean I’m glad that you like the pancakes, but seriously I’m like anypony else, I don’t want to hear my mom…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him, “And what about the times I’ve heard a certain pony’s name…”

“Wow, breakfast was so good, yeah, I’ve… got dishes to get too. Good seeing you Rainbow.”

With that Spike was up, taking his plate, leaving Pinkie’s, Endymion’s, Rainbow’s, and Twilight’s there. He disappeared into the kitchen and the door closed.

“So, he’s still in love with Rarity?”

Twilight nodded, “He is, and to be honest I had hoped it was just a schoolcolt crush, but he’s really hung up on her.”

Rainbow looked toward the kitchen, “Who knows, maybe in a couple of years Rarity will see the light. If not, maybe somepony else will come along and sweep him off his claws.”

“You mean like Scootaloo?”

Rainbow laughed, “Yeah, no. I love the Squirt, but she’s too hung on the fact she can fly. I mean, she finally gets it down, and she’s barely been down here to see anypony since. I think she visits Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, but I’ve seen her more in Cloudsdale than in Ponyville.”

“Oh sweet merciful Sol…” Endymion moaned before he almost went slack.

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight and noticed that she was swallowing something, but she hadn’t taken a bite. Her eyes widened, realizing what had been happening at the table while they were eating.

“Ummm… Yeah, lookit, Endymion, why don’t you meet us at Lucky’s in about an hour… I’d say that would be good, just meet us there then, and I’ll see ya!”

Dash stuffed the last of her panckes into her mouth and rushed out of the library. She hoped to Sol that Twilight, Pinkie, and Endymion would get their collected lust out their systems. She decided to swing on by Fluttershy’s place and check on AJ’s progress with the Sol Priestess. It wouldn’t take much to get Fluttershy on board with a raid, given that is what her order lives to do. Sol wasn’t just The God of Light and Life, he was also the Lord of War. He was the patron saint of warriors and adventurers.

Her flight to Shy’s cottage was uneventful and as she landed, she detected nothing out of the ordinary. There was the cottage, Fluttershy’s chicken coop, the pig pen where a few happy looking swine were rolling in the mud, another pen filled with frolicking puppies, and a small gully where minnows and guppies swam, fed by a small pond where frogs sunned themselves. Dash walked up the cottage door and opened it up, to find AJ washing her hands in the kitchen sink and a half nude Fluttershy fanning her plot over the couch.

“Sol damn it,” she muttered, “I gotta learn to knock first.”

Applejack looks up from the sink and smiles at Rainbow, waving her in.

“Hey there,” the farm pony warrior says, “didn’t hear ya there.”

“Uh huh,” Dash grunts, then pointing to Fluttershy, “can you explain what’s going on here?”

“Eenope,” AJ states simply.

“What about you, ‘Shy?” Dash asks, “care to point in me in the direction of some answers?”

“Going into heat,” Flutters responds in a breath, “came early this year.”

“O-kay,” Dash murmurs, “whelp, did AJ tell you about this sweet new adventure I conjured up?”

The Sol Priestess’ head shoots right up, her ears perked up in excitement, “Adventure? You found us a new adventure?!”

“I sure did,” Dash beams, “and it sounds like a sweet raid. Abandoned unicorn estate, been derelict for centuries, plenty of local folk tales about it, the place has to be brimming with treasure!”

“Okay!” Shy exclaims, “I’m in!”

“Ah’m already committed,” AJ says, “so, we meetin’ at Lucky’s?”

“Yep!” Dash exclaims, “Endymion will be there, too, once he and his mares get their collective heads out of their plots. You won’t believe what I saw them doing at the breakfast table, with Spike right there!”

“Cain’t be any weirder than what was agoin’ on here,” AJ says darkly, “well, come on, let’s get hit lucky’s. After’n this mornin’, Ah could use an ale or three.”

“Oh, uh,” Fluttershy squeaks as she gathers up her robes, “wait for me!”

Lucky’s Tavern

AJ was used to a few things. Stallions looking at her, but never really approaching her, the calm right before a massive storm that was scheduled, and of course seeing the entire town basically abandoned when most of the mares began going into heat. Right now it was edging toward being abandoned. There was stallions here, and some of them seemed to be eyeing Rainbow, Fluttershy, and herself.

She looked toward the bar and saw Lucky eyeing them for a moment, nodding, and sending over three mugs of Ale. AJ took a mug, sipped it, and felt the comfort of the amber liquid as it slid down her throat. She let out a satisfied groan, happy to be able to drink, not worry about vegetables being where they weren’t supposed to be, and simply wait for Endymion to show up.

The first mug turned into two, and then it turned into four. AJ would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the first stirring of her estrus as well. It was fairly easy to contain, and normally she worked, or went on an adventure, or did something to get through it. Sure, she wasn’t a stranger to the idea of getting together with a stallion, but being a bit of a traditionalist, she didn’t go for birth control spells. Nope, if Sol wanted ponies to screw whenever, however, even during their estrus, he’d given stallions the ability to cap the flow, or time it perfect enough to pull out. It wasn’t a popular thought, and she knew that, but it’s how she felt.

Nothing wrong with letting a friend help you through your estrus, but most of the time she just dealt with it on her own. Stripping off, working, swimming, and just keeping her mind and body busy. The door opened and she saw Endymion. He looked tired, but happy. Course, any stallion that was crazy enough to marry two mares, especially one that was Pinkie Pie, well, he’d have to be a little touched in the head.

“Pinkie and Twilight aren’t coming right?”

Rainbow’s question seemed a little apprehensive.

“Not right now, although they might be coming in later to get a mug of ale.”

She nodded, and waited for him to get his mug, take a seat, and sip from the amber liquid, “So, what’s this adventure you wanted to talk about?”

Estate of Lord Iron Sides, Four Days Ride From Ponyville

The road leading to the former estate of Iron Sides was dusty, hot, and barren of trees. There was no shade to rest in or tender to start a fire with. The journey there had consisted of small talk, a cloying smell that pervaded the camp at night and many cold rational. Eventually, though, the party arrived on fringe of the estate ground, where numerous dying crabapple trees sprung out from the withered grounds of the estate. No pegasus had ever visited this land with a cloud in many a season. Such was the fate of any traitor to the crown.

“Well, isn’t this cheery?” Dash asked apropos to nothing.

“Derelict estate, check,” Endymion commented, “withering garden, check; creepy as buck mansion, check,” a pause, then, “unexpected adventuring group that may be rivals, uncheck?”

“What are you talking about?” Dash said, then she saw Endymion pointing to a group coming over a hill on the estate grounds.

“No, no, this can’t be happening!” Fluttershy cried, “There is no way he can be here!”

“‘He?’” AJ asked, “Wait, ya know that feller wondering down yonder?”

Fluttershy nods, to concerned grimaces of her teammates. Meanwhile, the lead stallion of the group, a pale Pegasus wearing Sol Order robes, rushes ahead with a broad smile on his face. The messy top knot of his mane is reflected in his threadbare robes and rusted stave, but there is a veteran air around the stallion as he approaches. He finally stops in front of the party, smile still broad, his arms opened wide.

“SIS!” The stallion exclaims.

“No!” Dash murmurs, “Of all the daft, dozy, cunts we have to meet, it has to be this guy?!”

“Uh, somepony wanna tell me what’s going on?” Endymion asks.

“Well, it’s not I can keep it a secret,” Fluttershy moans, “Endymion, everypony, I want to meet my brother, Zephyr Breeze.”

“Priest Zephyr Breeze,” the stallion corrects, “we both hold the same rank, ya know?”

“Please, don’t remind me,” Fluttershy moans, “what are you doing here, Zephyr?”

“Well, I don’t know if you heard,” Zephyr starts, “but I recently, very recently, came into my own champion. She should be coming soon… Oh, Flurry! Why don’t you come and meet my sister and her companions?”

“Certainly,” says the mare who marches up next to Zephyr.

Endymion eyes are drawn not just to the Sol Priest’s female companion, but to the rest of his party. The mare isn’t an Equestrian. He’d seen enough diplomats from Saddle Arabia to know that was where this mare originates from. The elderly stallion that walks in her shadow is also a Saddle Arabian, although his dark coat puts him in mind of the infamous Neighponese ninja. He even has a sword that resembles their fabled katanas. The last of their party is a filly, and a young one, school aged at best, that is garbed in the robes of another order. Endymion isn’t sure which one it is, but it isn’t Sol or Faust, so it could any number of minor religious sects that exist throughout Equestria.

Endymion watched the mare, seeing her lean muscle, knowing that she was somepony that had trained, and often. The way her muscles didn’t bunch or cord up was a hint of a more flowing training. His mother’s own muscles were much the same, and while she practiced Steel Way, she also practiced Still Way and Hoof-fu. Those two called for grace over power. This mare, she had grace over power in spades. Deciding to practice a little diplomacy, and maybe even find out what was going on, Endymion walked toward the mare, noticing that the elderly stallion was watching him like a hawk.

“Hi, so, you’re here for an adventure?”

She nodded, a pleasant smile crossing her face, “Yes, actually I am. Zephyr informed me of it, and explained that such an adventure would be a good starting place to test myself.”

He grinned, extended his hand, and she took it. He gave a firm handshake, not overbearing, and looked toward the mansion, “Sounds good. That’s what we’re doing here as well.”

“HEY! DON’T GO TELLING THEM!”

He looked at Rainbow Dash, “Rainbow, we don’t know if there’s treasure in there anyway.”

“Treasure?”

He looked back at the mare, “Yeah, treasure, trinkets, or sometimes just good old fashioned bits.”

“Is that why ponies go on adventure, for money?”

“Of course it is! Why else does anypony do anything?! They get up and go on adventures for the bits! Good, old fashioned bits, and anyone who says different is a Diamond Dog cock stuffed Cunt!”

“Rainbow Dash! Language!” Fluttershy exhorts.

Rainbow looked back to Fluttershy, “Sorry.”

“Lookit, it ain’t gonna do any of us any good ta jest stay out here. Ah say we all go in, and try not ta get in anypony’s way. Sound fair?”

“Sounds fair enough,” said the older stallion, “we shall pursue our own interests here and should our paths cross, we shall expedite whatever interests we have so as not to be a burden.”

“Are we settled then?” Endymion asks.

“Yes, just about,” the mare says, “Allow me to introduce myself first. I am- Flurry Heart.”

Endymion nods, adding, “My name is Endymion Everfree. These are my companions, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.”

“I have heard of Lady Fluttershy,” Flurry states, “next to adventuring, it is all that Monsieur Breeze will speak of.”

“I may have gone a teeny bit overboard,” Zephyr admits as Fluttershy blushes, “oh, I should introduce the rest of my team! You already know Flurry Heart, so the colt that treads behind her is Steeljack. The filly is called Amber. She’s a disciple of The Megan. Don’t let her size fool you, she’s one tough cookie.”

The name Steeljack rings a bell for Endymion, though it seems the rest of his party seems unaware of the title. His mind wanders to a day when The Saddle Arabians arrived to see his mother and with them was a stallion of average height and weight who bore a powerful menace upon him. He didn’t think that this Steeljack was the same stallion because if that were so, Endymion knew he’d be well in his retirement by now.

“Fine, everypony good?” Rainbow Dash practically growled, “Then let's get inside!”

Walking up to the old manor one of the first things that Endymion noticed was a distinct smell. It seemed to be wafting up from inside of the manor, almost the smell of birth and rot all at the same time. Endymion reached forward and he felt a very familiar energy. His mother’s energy covered the door.

He touched it, feeling the warmth of his mother spreading through him, and it pushed him back, almost as if he were still a small colt, and his mother was gently pushing him away from a cookie jar since it was far too early for snacks. Rainbow touched the door, and his mother’s energy wasn’t nearly as gentle. An invisible force lifted Rainbow, and tossed her into the air. Her wings unfolded, and she flapped them to keep from falling.

“What gives?”

“They’re sealed.”

The young filly was the first to say something, “A powerful magic user sealed them away.”

“Endymion, do you think that you could break the seal?”

He looked at Fluttershy, “I could try to, but this isn’t a normal seal. I don’t know how to say it, but it’s still connected to the caster.”

“Then the caster would be ancient.”

The young filly looked at him, “Oh, I see, the Princess of this nation, she cast it.”

Fluttershy looked at the doors again. If Princess Luna cast the spell, then there wouldn’t be any breaking it. Especially if she was still connected to the seal. Of course that would explain why the seal was so gentle removing Endymion, and so harsh removing Rainbow Dash. It might just be Princess Luna’s subconscious, but she’d know the feeling of her son’s energy. Naturally she would want no harm to come to him, especially if it was something she could prevent.

“Anypony else smell that?” Endymion asked as he began walking around, sniffing the air, trying to find the smell that was coming up.

He smelled it through the doors, or thought he did, but when the wind changed the direction of the smell changed. He followed it until he found a large stone in front of a an old weeping willow tree that looked as though it was nearly dead. Endymion felt the stone, and touched it. Unlike with the front door there was a different kind of magic there.

“I think I found a way in.”

Rainbow floated over and landed, “What is it?”

He looked at her, “I think it’s a secret exit. Lots of noble houses have them. Mostly they were used for show, but sometimes they actually got used for what they were supposed to be used for. Giving the noble a chance to escape without being seen.”

“Hmmm, I have seen a few of these,” Flurry Heart commented as she eyed the stone, “Most seem to be locked with a key phrase.”

Endymion nodded, “That’s right.”

“So what’s the phrase?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. Whoever would have known would be long dead by now, and that’s what’s weird. The stone should just be a stone. It shouldn’t have the magic spell cast on it to keep it in place until a word is whispered to it. Not since the unicorn that cast the spell is most likely long dead.”

“Endymion, can you get us in?” Fluttershy asked sounding hopeful.

“I can give it a try. Okay, I’m going to try a common phrase for these kinds of hidden exits,” he said before he breathed in, “Bouncy Breasts!”

Nothing happened.

“Perhaps I should give it a try?” Flurry Heart suggested before she did the same as Endymion, “Singing Fish!”

Nothing happened.

“Okay, okay, I think this might be it,” he prepared again, “Cute Flanks in Maid Outfits!”

“Hmmm, Lets see,” Flurry Heart said as she rubbed her chin, Oh, I know, “Room Service!”

Nothing happened.

“Banging Mares!”

Nothing.

“Expensive Dinner!”

Nothing.

“Anal!”

Nothing.

“Polished Silverware!”

Nothing.

“Yeah, guys, while you’ve been trying different phrases, we just went ahead and started cutting the tree around the stone to move it. It’s coming out now,” Rainbow said as she pointed to AJ who was pulling the stone back.

“Looks like we’re good to go.” Flurry Heart says, and the two parties descend into the dark corridor below.

13 Bedknobs and Boomsticks, Part 2

Rune Soldier

Chapter 13: Bedknobs and Boomsticks, Part 2

The corridor the parties walk down is roughly two average ponies wide and about as tall. AJ, with her muscular bulk, takes over half the corridor, while Amber, Flurry Heart, and Rainbow Dash could run the length of hall three abreast. Endymion and Steeljack walk in a staggered pair, Endymion behind because he trusts the blade the elder stallion brandishes about as much as the stallion himself. Fluttershy is in the rear, casting light from her overwatch position; Endymion and Flurry Heart are casting, too.

The corridor itself isn’t very long; by the time the parties reach the first chamber, they have traveled only fifteen meters, at most. The chamber they discover, is blocked off by a large door of solid oak. Nothing else of interest is here, aside from the collection of stalactites and stalagmites that crowd the room. The door itself is easily thee ponies tall and three times as many wide. Endymion isn’t the only who senses danger behind those doors.

“Something is not right,” Flurry Heart says, “there is something that smells dangerous to me.”

“I’m hoping it’s not the jerky I had for lunch,” Endymion jokes, “bad jerky can make me gassy.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Dash quips, “now stand aside, I’m gonna look for traps.”

“Where are ya’ll gonna check, Dash?” AJ asks.

“The door, duh!” Dash replies, “unless you think the stalagmites have a hidden switch in them to unlock this door.”

“No,” a small, soft voice says, and Endymion sees Amber walk toward Flurry Heart, “The Megan shows me all. There are no secrets in these formations.”

“Okay, then,” Dash exclaims, “lemme get this thing open!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dash,” Fluttershy warns, “I don’t think that’s a door.”

“You might be right, Fluttershy,” Endymion adds, “I seem to remember a class lecture about magical traps that certain wizards and witches would create to protect their sanctums. They’re a kind of monster that imitates things…”

Dash is too busy securing the door to listen. Thankfully, Steeljack isn’t.

“What sort of things would these abominations resemble, if you don’t mind, Master Endymion?”

“Well, any household thing, I imagine,” Endymion tentatively responds, "rugs, vases, tables, chairs, windows. Mother has a vault of magical contraband protected by a door just like this. It’s called a-”

“What’s it called, Endy?” Dash asks.

The Pegasus thief has her back turned to the door; several tentacles emerge from the door, growing from the fennelation. The gap between the door panels splits open wide, revealing a nest of sharpened teeth.

“She called it a spoof- DASH!”

“HELP!”

Wings trapped, legs and one arm wrapped up by the creature, and now she was being pulled toward it while she desperately held onto the tiniest nub of a stalagmite. The action is quick and AJ plants a sword right into the face of the Spoof. It lets got of Dash, only to try to wrap around AJ. Endymion thinks quickly and tosses a small red marble that lands into the creature’s mouth. Its mouth closes for the briefest of moments before it bulges and then explodes outward.

AJ looked at Endymion, bits of brownish goop sliding off of her, and a tentacle still writhing on the floor. She slams her hoof down on it, groans and looks at the others.

“Anypony got an idea of how long something like that should exist?”

Endymion walked toward the pieces, “Technically speaking, as long as they’re fed, they can realistically live forever, but I doubt that there would have been anypony down here to feed it, so we should, at most, have been dealing with a husk. I’m thinking that somepony might be here.”

“Why would somepony be out here?” Flurry Heart asked.

“Ah can think of a few reasons, none of ‘em good,” AJ replied as she looked for something to wipe off with, “Anypony out this far has gotta be doin’ something real shady like. Ah’m a gonna guess they gotta figure ain’t nopony gonna be out here ta find ‘em.”

“AJ, do you figure that they’ve already made off with the treasure?”

AJ rolled her eyes, looking at her pegasus thief, “Dash, Ah gotta figure they’ve got more on their minds than a few trinkets left behind.”

Endymion didn’t reach for his sword, although he had it there with him. No, his hand touched the wood of his club like wand. Even though it didn’t work right with his magic, it helped him feel safe, not to mention it was enchanted so that it would never break. He pulled it from his waistband, and the wand was glowing a deep crimson red.

“There’s forbidden magic going on here,” he said.

He began walking, ignoring the path up to the house, following the smell of rot, birth, life, death, and fresh dirt from a tomb. He could smell it mixed together, until he reached a door. Unlike the Spoof, this wasn’t a magical creature, but he could feel something from behind it. Something wrong, something that seemed incredibly out of place.

He tried the door, feeling it securely in place. He heard hooves, and looked to see the filly, “There are no magical traps associated with this door.”

“Rainbow?”

She walked toward it, a little more cautiously than before, and slowly she began working on the lock. Her eyebrows began to furrow as she concentrated. The lock was a lot more complex than she had first thought. She was expecting something from the Silver Era, or earlier, and this lock was new. Brand new, and it was something ponies bought to give first time thieves fits.

She wasn’t a first timer, but damn did it feel like the pony that installed this lock was trying piss her off. She felt the lock move, slid, and then go no where. She felt the pick slide along the tumblers, and then she felt it, a second set of tumblers. A Neighponese lock, a high end one, out here in the middle of nowhere. Two things came to her mind.

‘Sol Damn! Whatever is down there must be worth a ton! That… or it’s really dangerous,’ she thought.

She grabbed another pick, lifting it up, and then she looked behind her to see everypony looking over her shoulder.

“Okay… Seriously, everypony please give me some room. If AJ doesn’t mind to stay and make sure that nothing happens, that’d be awesome. The rest of you mind spreading out? Maybe check the house for treasure?”

Flurry Heart nodded, and she led her group away from the door first.

“You sure you want me to leave?”

Rainbow huffed, “Endymion, do not read more into this than what it is, but I’m fighting my Estrus, I smell you, and it’s distracting me. So yes, please, go somewhere else. Take Fluttershy, and just go look somewhere else.”

Leaving the two of them Endymion and Fluttershy headed up stairs. Right off of the bat he noticed the faded paintings. The majority of these painting showed Equestria before Canterlot had been built, many of them showcasing the new decrepit Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Endymion saw what he recognized as vassals trundling in the fields around the old castle, the desperate wildlife of the Everfree Forest, a portrait of a young Celestia and Luna, from around the time of their coronation.

There were also tapestries from the pre-Solar Flare era, several pieces of antique armor, and lounge rooms filled with now broken and dusty furniture. Endymion would peer down hallway as he and Fluttershy passed by intersections; down one, there was a skeletal pony figure in Solarian armor. The poor bastard died where he stayed, Endymion thought. The pair continued down one corridor until the met a junction where their corridor ended and another conjoined it.

“Down this way?” Fluttershy asked and Endymion nodded.

This path had fewer stately rooms but a lot more bodies, Fluttershy shivered at the desiccated forms littering the hallway, but she pressed on. Eventually, they met a dead end. What Endymion found strange was that there was a dried blood stain on the carpeting that passed through the wall there. Also present was a long burnt out censor, the marking of ancient fire marring the pristine ivory wall.

“Huh,” Endymion mused, “does this seem like a dead end to you?”

Fluttershy answered, “No. The carpeting passing through here. And why is there a censor here when there are plenty of windows down this hall?”

“Better question,” Endymion queried, “if this censor is made to bring light to this corridor, then why are there these marking underneath it…?”

Endymion twisted the censor in the direction the markings showed; there was a loud click, and the wall fell away and slide aside. The room beyond, for it was a room of some unknown dimension beyond, was dark. Fluttershy cast a radiance charm and the room illuminated. With the room now thoroughly enlightened, Fluttershy and Endymion could see what the room held. Glittering on racks untouched by the elements and the ages, were spears, pikes, crossbows, maces, shields and lances.

Tucked away from the armory there, sealed by a heavy cast iron door, was a vault door. The marking on it indicated it was a safe procured for the use of the Solarian Revolutionary Armies. The door was sealed and the spinning lock was slightly dusty, but otherwise, the vault looked completely intact.

“I think we hit the jackpot,” Endymion whispered, “there’s enough SRA armament here to keep us in the black for months. And the platinum bits that are undoubtedly in that safe while fetch quite the price, either at auction or with a museum.”

“We should tell Dash,” Fluttershy said, “she’ll want to inspect this place for traps.”

“And grab first dibs on the loot?” Endymion joked, before he caught sight of a most unusual weapon, “What in the holy name of Sol is that?”

“What?” Fluttershy asked, but before she could so much as ask the question, Endymion was on the move. He carefully picked his way through the armory, ignoring the melee weapons and certain ballistic arms. What the Sol Priestess saw Endymion going for was a weapon unlike anything she ever saw. It had a trigger group like a crossbow, but it was attached to an ornate box; this box was thus connected to a ring of nine barrels, linked to each other by a center spoke. When Endymion lifted it, she saw that was built almost exactly to the shape of his arms; the stock would be longer on most ponies, save for The Captain of The Guard and AJ.

“Wow…” Endymion murmured, “now this is a weapon!”

“But what is it?” Fluttershy asked, as she made her way over to him.

Endymion replied, “I’m not sure, but I like it. It’s like it was built for me. What do-”

A shriek from below cut him off. At once, both mare and stallion charged down the way they came. Upon returning to the chamber down below, they saw Applejack swinging wildly with a stalagmite, smashing it into puddles of green ooze that slithered toward her. Rainbow Dash was in a corner, holding up the smoldering remains of her jacket and top; the creatures had eaten away at her clothes with their acidic forms.

“Slimes!” Endymion shouted, “Don’t let them get too close, AJ!”

“Ain’t gotta tell me twice,” Applejack roared, “they done ate through mah best sword.”

“Hold on,” Endymion responded, “I know a spell that will end them.”

“MAKE IT QUICK!” Dash bellowed, “I’M FREEZING MY YARBLES OFF HERE!”

Endymion brought his wand to bear and began chanting. Fluttershy did similar, raising a blessing on Endymion to increase the effectiveness of his spell. As the arcane power coursed through him, the ambient temperature in the chamber dropped. Soon, there was more chanting; Flurry Heart and Zephyr Breeze had come calling as well. The slimes began to freeze, and AJ took her smoldering stalagmite to them, shattering all with one wide swing.

“There, we got ‘em,” Endymion said, breathlessly, “you okay, Dash? I mean, outside of losing your shirt.”

“Oh, I’m peachy,” Dash growled, “just so happens I brought with me an extra jacket and crop top.”

“Ah got ‘em here,” AJ said, rifling through her pack, “here we go.”

Endymion turned, letting Rainbow Dash get some clothes on while he didn’t look. He noticed that Fluttershy’s brother, Zephyr Breeze was taking a bit longer to turn around, “Zephyr,”

Upon hearing his name, and basically making everypony turn toward him, Zephyr decided to look away finally. Endymion didn’t want to think about what he had just seen. Rainbow Dash was a fellow adventurer, part of the group, one of his friends, and the fact that she had breasts that looked small, but beautifully shaped, wasn’t something he wanted to think about. Or the way her dark blue nipples were sticking out, the smell of blueberries, or the fact that she admitted she was fighting her heat.

He cleared his mind, instead thinking of home, which switched to Pinkie Pie and Twilight, both nude, lying on top of each other, their lips on each other’s nethers… Okay, that wasn’t working. Thinking of home wasn’t working. No thinking of home. No thinking of that marvelous pink or lavender plot. He did find something that helped. His mother. He instantly thought of her, and the stiffening boner he was developing began to die down.

“Dressed,” she said, and he turned to see her standing with a top that was obviously something she hadn’t worn in a while.

It was stretched across her breasts, tightly, showing off her curves, showing off her shape, and at the moment she didn’t seem to care one bit. The two groups began to walk down the stairs, and the smell was stronger than before. Endymion looked at the jars, dozens of jars, all lined up against the walls, all with various tubes going into them. Endymion walked toward one, looking inside, and his eyes widened.

Inside, growing in the middle of the murky solution, was a small embryo. He shook his head as he looked at it. He kicked one hard, smashing it.

“Endymion?”

“This is forbidden magic, the worst kind of forbidden magic! Somepony is growing magical creatures, dangerous ones, with magic that was outlawed for anypony to use hundreds of years ago! We need to find the pony doing this and have a word with them!”

The sound of shuffling hooves could be heard, and they ran toward it. Once there they saw a wall slide back into place, a magenta glow around it. Endymion neared it, and the magic threw out a bolt of electricity. Luckily his wand caught the worst of it.

Grumbling from his near electrocution, Endymion orders, “Destroy it all, everything, and gather up what we can find in here. Anything, anything at all might help.”

Flurry Heart, Zephyr, Amber, and Steeljack started smashing the pots. Fluttershy did the same. Rainbow Dash looked into the room where Endymion said to look, and saw a small collection of scrolls. She also saw a large treasure chest. It looked amazing, something that would be found in a wealthy noble’s collection. She reached into her bag and found what she was looking for.

The crowbar was an older one, her first one, and she had named it after the first treasure chest she had broken into with it. Grinning she put Ghastly against the chest, pressed the sharper end of it into the formed crack, and began wiggling it around until she had it good and seated. Then she began working it up and down until she felt the lock strain.

“One more, just one more!”

It popped and she smiled. AJ walked into the room to see her look into it when a mess of tentacles shot out of it. She ran toward Dash, her sword drawn, and threw Dash back, but not far enough. The tentacles grabbed both mares, and AJ felt them getting a mite too friendly. She tried to reach down, stop ‘em from going up under her Pteryges, but one of the tentacles wrapped around her wrists, pulled them up, and she felt the one that moved under her Pteryges, pull her panties to the side, and push against her tail hole.

“Endymion! Help!”

She looked at Rainbow to see that her Pegasus friend wasn’t fairing much better, but she didn’t seem to be completely against it either. She tried to move, only to feel like it was sapping her strength. That’s when she heard him. He pulled that fancy sword of his, sliced though that fake treasure chest, and it, with the tentacles, began to wither and die. She dropped, realizing that the stupid thing had tore her breastplate off, and she grabbed it up before anypony could get a look at any of her goods.

Endymion walked toward Rainbow who whimpered a little. He touched her, and she didn’t flinch away. Instead her eyes got a dreamy kind of look to them, and she jumped him.

“Mmmm, You smell so good,” she purred.

“Rainbow…” he said trying to push her off.

“Come on, you know you want to taste the Rainbow…”

“Seriously, Rainbow, get ahold of yourself,” he begged.

She grinded against him, and he felt his erection standing proud inside of his pants, and so did she.

“Looks like little Endy is arguing with ya.”

“AJ, a little help here?!” Endymion called.

She cursed softly, dropping the breastplate, grabbing Dash, and pulling her away from him.

“AJ, let me go! He’s mine!” she cried as she tried to get loose.

“Come on now, Dash,” AJ ordered, “ya know he got his own mares.”

“AJ, lemme go!” Dash roared, “I called him first!”

“Go on, Ah’ve had ta do this ‘fore, and she’ll calm down after a couple of minutes without ya around her.”

“Y-y-yeah,” Endymion stuttered, “damn it, Pinkie was never that clingy.”

As Endymion gathered some distance away from Dash and AJ, Flurry Heart asked him, “What was that, Mssr. Endymion?”

“Another magical creature,” Endymion answered, “it’s called a mimic. It resembles a treasure chest but it's actually a monster in disguise. It’s meant to trap foolhardy adventurers. I’ve read, back in Magic Academy, that an alchemist can conjure one in a row of actual treasure chests to prevent anypony from swiping away with precious treasures.”

“Why would anypony plant one of these mimics in a place like this?” Zephyr Breeze asked.

Steeljack answered, “It’s probably to dissuade ponies like us, and Mr. Endymion, from doing what we’re doing.”

“Any chance we smashed all those pots?” Endymion asked.

“We smashed as many as we could find,” Fluttershy said, “I don’t understand why we needed to smash them.”

“Because,” Endymion begins, lowering his wand into a smashed vat, and withdrawing a deformed body from within, “they were making golems up in here. My understanding is golem construction is some serious dark magic. It’s restricted, and heavily so, and meant only for Level Four mages and above. You need special permission from The Crowns to even begin mixing the herbs and fungi responsible for golem growth.”

“So it’s illegal?” Amber asked.

“In a sense,” Endymion replied, “golems require special licenses to even research, let alone creation. Whomever is making these is probably doing so in a clandestine manner. Which means that such work is probably not very legal at all.”

“Wasn’t there a door back there?” Steeljack asked, “One that was sealed off from behind? I seem to remember something like that when we first popped in here.”

“You’re right,” Endymion stated, bringing a fist into a palm, “I saw a doorway close up when we barged in here. I was going to pursue when Dash and AJ got wrapped up by the Mimic. Hey, Dash, AJ, you good now?”

“Yeah, we’re all good,” AJ replied, then she spoke to Rainbow Dash, “ya’ll got somethin’ t’ say to yer friend, now?”

“Y-y-yeah,” Dash stammered, “I’m sorry I molested you back there, Endy. Between my heat and that stupid Mimic, I kinda lost my head. I didn’t mean to throw myself at you like that.”

“It’s all good,” Endymion said, waving a hand, “now, shall we complete the raid of this place?”

“Yeah, let’s get this done,” Dash said, her wings still a bit stiff, “still can’t believe this raid was a bust.”

“No it wasn’t,” Fluttershy explained, “there’s a secreted armory upstairs, at the end of a hallway with a lot of bodies strewn about.”

“Oh, yeah!” Endymion exclaimed, “I nearly forgot about that in all the excitement! Come on, Dash, I’ll show you. I also need to get something from over there.”

“C-c-coming,” Dash said.

Endymion showed Dash the path upstairs and the hallway where the armory was located. When he opened it up for her, the secret door had closed up when he and Shy had left it, he saw Dash’s wings go from mildly stiff to completely hardened.

“By Commander Hurricane’s broken primaries,” Dash breathed, “there’s got be enough gear in here to make a collector’s wet dream!”

“And then there’s the vault in the back,” Endymion said.

If it were possible, Dash’s wings stiffened even further.

“Lotsa SRA lucre in there, I imagine,” Endymion stated, “if one could crack the combination lock.”

“I’m on it!” Dash exclaimed and she flew off to tackle the vault.

“That's mah girl,” AJ said, surprising Endymion, “good job on findin’ this haul.”

“Thanks,” Endymion said, beaming, “think you and Dash can handle getting all this outta here?”

“Eeyup,” AJ confirmed.

“Good,” Endymion said, before crossing the armory and grabbing the strange nine-barreled weapon, “this is all I’m taking.”

“What is that?” AJ and Dash ask simultaneously.

“Dunno,” Endymion answered honestly, “but I’m keeping it.”

The two mares shrugged; Dash went back to cracking the vault while AJ set about gathering the weapons for extraction. Endymion rushed back downstairs, his strange new weapon strapped to his back and joined Fluttershy and the other team below.

“We haven’t found a way to open this door,” Flurry Heart stated, “Amber and I have been trying every opening and unlocked charm we know. This door has remained adamant, though.”

“Okay, everypony stand back,” Endymion said, drawing the strange weapon, “I’m going to try something.”

“What in Tartarus is that?!” Flurry and Zephyr yelled.

“I don’t know,” Endymion said, “but I wanna find out.”

As The Crown Prince hefted the weapon, several lights popped up along it’s length. A small box set near the stock suddenly glowed bright, and there was hum that hadn’t been there before. Endymion lifted the weapon to shoulder height, some instinct had told him he should do so, and he pulled the trigger when the skeletal stock was firmly planted in his shoulder. That instinct saved him from any dislocated joints; the weapon kicked hard, sending a flash similar to a sparktorch from the front of the topmost barrel. The chamber lit up as the blast roared out and a cacophony of small objects collided with the door. A large section of the obstruction broke apart, splintering inward, and then a hole formed where the objects struck. The rest of the portal cracked and the illusion of stonemasonry that hid the door away shattered, like it hadn’t been there in the first place.

After the firing, Zephyr was the quickest to respond. Endymion, Flurry Heart, Steeljack, and Amber were too stunned to say anything.

“WHAT IN THE BUCK IS THAT?!”

“I don’t know,” Endymion answered, “but I like it!”

Looking down the hall Endymion could see the dust left from the destruction of the false wall. He stepped into the hall, hearing the crunch of shell, and smelling something similar to rotting eggs. He moved slowly, keeping his mind focused on anything that could be ahead of him, and instead he found himself face to face with a stone bust. There was no other door, no other passage, just a stone bust of Lord Iron Sides.

“What’s going on?”

“Pass phrase.”

He looked around for somepony, and didn’t see anypony else other than the bust.

“Pass phrase.”

He saw it that time. The bust itself moved, its lips parted, its mouth opened, and it spoke. To animate a bust and use it as security took quite a bit of skill.

“All Hail the Sun.” came Flurry Heart’s voice.

“Incorrect. Intruders shall be punished.”

The sound of stone moving caught Endymion’s attention, and he realized that the ceiling was coming down.

“Okay, out, everypony out!”

They made their way back, through the opening, and Endymion turned around in time to see the ceiling meet the floor itself behind them. Whoever had been there didn’t just set up an escape route, they set a trap. He could see where the door had been that the mechanism that closed it had attempted to close it again. Since nothing was there it was obvious that it couldn’t do its job, but that didn’t stop the fact that he nearly ended up flat.

“So this is an adventure, it seems like fun,” Flurry Heart said before offering her hand to Endymion.

“It does, until we meet again.”

She nodded, and with that her group left. Endymion walked out, feeling glad, beyond glad, that he didn’t end up becoming far thinner than he had started out. He walked upstairs, finding Rainbow Dash currently curled up around gold, gems, and a ton of other goods.

“It’s a treasure! A real treasure! There’s an entire room full of nothing but treasure!!!”

“I take it that Rainbow is happy.”

Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, but this is far more than we can carry back. We may need a wagon.”

Endymion thought for a moment, “Actually, Pinkie has one. It’s self contained, and that might be best. We could go get it, come back, and just go from there. With any luck we might be able to fit all of this with one load.

“Ah dun’t know, there’s an awful lot here, and some of these jewels and gems look a little lower quality. Ah got the feeling that we’re a gonna get a little less fer all of this than we figured.”

As they talked Dash calmly, slowly, and purposefully removed her clothes, slipped into a chest full of gold, and let out a happy sigh.

“I’m good, seriously, I can stay right here, this is fine.”

“Uh huh, lookit, Ah’ll go and git Big Mac and one of our wagons. Ya can go get Pinkie Pie and her wagon, and we’ll meet back here.”

“M… More ponies here? But t..they’ll see the treasure!”

“Dash, Ah’m a gonna split my part with mah family. Yer gonna.. Honestly Ah ain’t sure Ah wanna know what yer gonna do, but Ah know everypony else is going to use or share theirs. So, Ah’m gonna go get help, Endymion is gonna go get help, and yer…”

“Right here, I’m not leaving my darling treasure. Nope, not leaving it, ever, it’s mine, all mine! Hahahaha!”

“Yer durned lucky she didn’t get ya inside of her.. Otherwise ya’d be married ta that.”

Endymion looked at Rainbow Dash as she lifted the gold coins up, letting them fall down over her nude body, and then he thought of her in his herd… He liked Dash well enough, but taking her to visit his mother, or Twilight’s parents, could possibly end with Dash less visiting and more casing both of the places. He doubted it, seriously doubted it, but then again, seeing her over there, happily bathing in a chest full of gold coins, he wouldn’t really put it past her.

“Think it will be okay to leave her here?”

“I’ll stay.”

He looked at Fluttershy, “It only makes sense. You are a stallion, a male, she’s still in heat, if you stay there’s a chance that she may try to mate with you. I’ll stay, make sure she is safe. As far as it goes both of us can fly out of here faster than any of you can walk it.”

AJ and Endymion nodded. To Fluttershy’s surprise Endymion didn’t shake her hand, he hugged her. She felt the stirring of the remainder of her heat, but forced it down. He smelled good, so good, but she wasn’t going to do that. He was to be married to two of her best friends. It’d be wrong, and besides, he was still so unorthodox and unlike the noble champion and heroes she had expected. She wasn’t questioning Sol’s order as much, because when the chance to prove he was noble came along, he did do so, in small doses, so the potential was there, but he was just so far from what she expected.

“We’ll be back,” he said.

With that the two left.

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, took a seat, and looked at the gold. There was quite a bit here, and even with her getting an equal share, it was still more than she was used to. Granted, her parents, her family, had wealth that made this look like foal’s play, but it would be nice not to simply exist on the meager pay of the temple.

Ponyville - three days later

Endymion panted as they made it into Ponyville. He could see AJ slick with sweat as well. The Earth Pony grinned at him, “Ya know, if’n ya weren’t such a filly ‘bout it we coulda made that run in two days.”

“Right… Y..You needed the sleep, and you know it,” he groaned.

“Uh huh, let’s meet back here in an hour. Ah’ll have Big Mac, our wagon, and ya bring Pinkie and yers.”

He nodded.

Over the course of the hour a few things happened. One he was attacked by his soon to be brides, both of them remarked that he smelled like a pair of gym shorts, and before he could say a word he was stripped, shoved into a shower, and both mares joined him. Twilight began lathering him up, using her mane and tail body wash. Pinkie hugged him from behind, and he knew that trying to rush them wouldn’t do a bit of good. Instead he was treated to kisses, cuddles, soapy making out, more cuddles, gropes, actual showering, and then Twilight getting him good and hard before bending over because she ‘dropped’ her wash cloth.

He saw her tail magically lift out of the way, her marehood, and tailhole, presented to him, and he could see her biting her lip, waiting for him to take her. AJ would understand if he was a little late, and he pushed into her. She moaned deeply, pushing against him, feeling his hard and wonderful cock fill her. Her labia parted, he slipped into her, and she felt his hands on her cutie marks. He pulled her back against him, and she let out a soft moan.

“I… Missed you…” she moaned out.

He felt something, looked down to see Pinkie under them both, her tongue licking both him and Twilight as he thrust into her, “I missed you too, silly.”

“I missed the both of you.”

They were in the shower until the hot water began to run cold. And then finally the three of them exited it.

“Ummm… Pinkie, do you still have that Vardo?”

“Yepperonie, and yes, I will gladly take you back out there so that you can load it up with Treasure.”

Twilight looked at her, “What?”

“Oh, he found a bunch of treasure, enough to last a while, if we’re careful, and certainly enough for a nice vacation.”

Twilight smiled, “Actually, a vactation would be nice… Maybe somewhere exotic?”

“Oooo! Oooo! I know! I got it! It’s perfect! We can go see my family!”

Twilight looked at her, “A rock farm?”

“Duh, but not just a Rock Farm! There’s a lake, a cute little town, lots of friendly ponies, and you’ll get to meet my folks! They’ll want to meet the stallion that made their little filly into a mare.”

“Actually Pinkie, if we’re doing that, why don’t we just invite your family, and my family, and we’ll stay at a nice resort?”

“Even better!”

Endymion watched as they discussed how much it would cost, and he grinned. He didn’t mind, not in the slightest.

“Endy, is that okay?”

He nodded, “Sure, a vacation sounds nice, but we need to hurry.”

Twilight gathered up a few books, “What, I’m coming too. Spike, you’re on your own for a little bit, just take care of the library.”

“Okay!”

They walked out, finding Pinkie’s Vardo. Twilight looked at it, and from the outside it looked similar to a showmare’s wagon, or did until she really looked. Each joint of the wagon had pictures carved into them, telling the history of Pinkie’s family all of the way back to the very beginning of the Pie Clan. She could see how it reflected Pinkie’s personality. Blue curved roof, pink sides, yellow door, and yellow wheels adorned it, and yet, it was surprisingly functional. She opened the backdoor, and looked into a small home. There was cabinets, shelves, and at least four beds. She stepped back, looked around at the trailer, and then back inside.

It seemed a little wrong, how could there be more room inside than outside? She moved inside and closed the door to see a small wood stove, a box next to it with coal, and a small box of matches on one of the shelves. There was some dry goods and it seemed like Pinkie was ready to leave on a short trip at a moment’s notice.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to believe it or not, but Pinkie Pie might just be as organized as she was.

“Okie Dokie Loki! I’m all hooked up, so, we’re gonna meet Applejack and Big Mac, and then let’s go get that treasure!”

Author's Note

If you see any syntax and/or spelling errors, please let me know. I'll correct them poste haste.

15 To The Victims, Go The Spoilers

Rune Soldier

Chapter 15: To The Victims Go The Spoilers

The Manor sat before them. The past day had been awkward, but at least the group of them were finally here, at the manor, ready to carry out the treasure. Rainbow Dash hadn’t done much, although, according to Fluttershy, the thief did find another treasure trove within the vault. The prismatic mare was now doing the backstroke in pile upon pile of platinum bit coins. When asked if Rainbow was still naked, The Sol Priestess just nodded.

“Same ol’ Dash,” AJ mused, “Well, come on, let’s ‘er done.”

It took most of the morning, between AJ, Big Mac, Endymion and some charms worked up by Twilight, to get all the loot loaded. The Apple Family wagon was loaded with all the weapons, save for a still pristine war axe that Applejack appropriated. The bits, gems, and other valuable pieces, were loaded into Pinkie’s Vardo, under protest from Rainbow Dash. She was hoping to have it in AJ’s cart, but she was overruled because all that cash would make their party a tempting target and the Vardo had compartments galore wherein which the lucre could be stored away from prying eyes. It was a minor miracle they weren’t set upon by other thieves when the hauled out the vault’s contents.

Traveling back to town was slower because the two wagons were fully loaded now and even with Twilight’s enchantments, things took much longer than expected. There was also a brief delay to a cadre of highwaymen who attempted to lift the party’s treasures from them. The fight to protect the carts was over swiftly as both AJ and Big Mac presented the brigands with an impossible choice: death by great sword or death by war axe. They fled with all haste after AJ hewn down their leader with single swipe of her axe. Although a stream crossing somewhat perilous, the party was able to cross it with no less of property or life. From there, it was a straight shot to Ponyville.

Once back in town, Twilight disembarked and head for The Golden Oak, to check on Spike. Pinkie stayed with her Vardo although Dash wanted her to keep away from her horde of gold. The thief did ultimately have to step away awhile in order to meet her fence, a fellow Pegasus. Before Dash went away, Endymion gave her a scrying orb, or palantir, to contact them once she had her fence established. Twilight had one as well, so she could come over to help inspect the pieces, although she already had a good assessment of the arms and armor they had.

After Rainbow left, AJ directed the rest of the party to an open field in Sweet Apple Acres. The place was where they could park the wagons and expect some privacy. Shortly after setting skids against both wagons wheels, Applejack and Big Mac went home to help out with what chores needed doing. An hour passed and as Endymion was working on something in the Vardo, a pair of shadows passed over the group. He looked up to see Rainbow flying by with another pegasus mare. He thought, maybe that’s our fence. If so, they missed us. Taking out his palantir, Endymion signaled Rainbow Dash and told her where they were parked.

A few moments later, Rainbow Dash returned with a Pegasus mare in tow. Endymion nearly did a double take because the mare very closely resembled his Twilight. The Pegasus had the exact same face and body proportions; her mane and tail were cut in the same way that Twilight’s were. While her coat colors as well as the streaks in her mane and tail were different, but should very well Twilight’s doppleganger. When this duplicate Twilight inspected the weapons they brought, she even geekd out the same way Twilight did. Her voice was different, though, much huskier and deeper.

“Guys,” Dash announced, “I’d like you all to meet a good friend of mine as well as my favorite fence, Blossomforth.”

“Hello, everypony,” Blossomforth said, “I see you brought some quality stuff here. Looks like the bulk of it is Solarian Revolt era. That will fetch a pretty penny, for sure.”

“You got a buyer in mind?” Dash asked.

“I might know some ponies,” Blossomforth confirmed, “there’s a stallion in St. Clydesdale that loves Solarian Era material. But there’s also a few lords and ladies in Canterlot that would take all this off of you for a small fortune. Depends on who has the better bid.”

“You wanna auction this stuff?” Endymion asked, catching Blossomforth by surprise.

“The Crown Prince…” Blossomforth murmured, “Your Highness, I didn’t know-”

“Save it,” Endymion ordered, “yeah, my mother is Princess Luna and I’m next in line for the throne, if you don’t count Princess and Master Sol Priestess Celestia as most ponies do, but I don’t expect anypony to venerate me. Neither moonlight or sunlight pours out of my every orifice. I know it might be difficult, but just think of me as any other stallion.”

“Oh! Of course, of course,” Blossorth said, “I’m sorry. We don’t get many celebrities here in Ponyville.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Endymion muses, “so, our goods, you think you can get a good bid on them?”

When Blossomforth nodded, Endymion continued, “Piece by piece or in bulk?”

“Well, the buyer in St. Clydesdale would buy them piece by piece, but the Canterlot buyers buy in bulk,” Blossomforth explains, “Fair warning, the Canterlot buyers are going to want wholesale rates, even if the whole is appraised for higher. The stallion in St. Clydesdale will offer at 10% above market for any piece he has and it's assured he’ll go to 25% for one he doesn’t.”

“Sounds like the guy in St. Clydesdale is our best bet for a good payday!” Dash exclaims.

“Quick question,” Twilight says for the first time in this process, “how do we know your St. Clydesdale contact hasn’t already attained the pieces we have here?”

Blossomforth smiles and Endymion has to acknowledge that her smile is the exact same as Twilight’s too.

“There’s a reason I brought a camera with me,” the Pegasus said, “I’ll snap some shots of what you have and send them down to my guy. If he has what you got or if there’s a piece or two he hasn’t got yet, he’ll let me know.”

“And you’ll facilitate the buy?” Twilight asked, to which Blossomforth nods, then Twilight continues, “what’s your take?”

“Oh, about five percent,” Blossomforth answered, “on the whole lot. Dash and I are friends from back in Cloudsdale, so I’m giving her a discount on my nominal ‘finder’s fee.’ How you guys split up the remainder is up to you.”

“Ah think we got that all settled, already,” AJ said, coming up the road, “howdy, Blossom! Ain’t seen you in a dog’s age.”

“Hey, AJ,” Blossomforth replied, “you know me, busy bee!”

“Darn tootin’,” AJ replied, “so, whatcha thinkin’?”

“St. Clydesdale,” Blossomforth answers, “better price, less hassle, almost no questions asked.”

Twilight queried, “‘Almost no questions asked?’”

She shrugged her shoulders, “There’s almost always going to the the most general questions asked. What’s the story behind the weapons, is there traceable paperwork, that kind of thing. Typically when it comes to something that adventurers found in their travels. The questions really only boil down two two questions. The first being the story behind the weapons, and the second one being will they be missed. From the look of these weapons, I’m going to there’s a very interesting story, and that no, they won’t be missed.”

“How long do ya reckon it’s a gonna take ta sell em off?”

She rubbed her chin, “Between a couple of weeks to a month. The buyer I have in mind is good for it, but he’s all about presentation. Each time he purchases a new piece, or a few new pieces, he likes to open up his collection to friends, other socialites, and let them bask in his newest trophy. He’s got a few friends with the Equestrian Historical Preservation Society; he’ll might send one or two members down here to appraise the gear. He’s a really stickler for authenticity and even with the photos I send him, he’ll want somepony to examine in pony.”

“That’s a lot of work for selling off some old weapons,” Dash complained.

“Maybe,” Blossomforth retorted, “but that Canterlot crowd would take a lot longer. Do you know the sort of paperwork, tariffs, inspections, and other sundry bureaucracy is needed to bring in even a single piece of Solarian Revolution Army equipment into Canterlot? My St. Clydesdale contact will take a month at most; the bare minimal time you can expect a paycheck from the Canterlot fold is nearly half a year! And for all this gear? Try closer to two years.”

“Dang,” AJ murmured, “and here Ah thought taxes were a nightmare.”

Blossomforth began to take pictures of the various collection of weapons, crossbows, short axes, long swords, daggers, and a couple of matchlock hand cannons. Endymion had seen one like these two used during a ceremony and it had been loud, powerful, but it wasn’t the most reliable weapon. She lifted one, seeing that unlike its sister hand cannon it was loaded, ready, and could, in theory, fire if worked with.

“This is interesting,” she said holding it.

Endymion looked at it and noticed what she meant, “It’s still loaded.”

She nodded, “Yeah, anyone of these things that are loaded like this often go for more. It’s a piece of history that has proof of use.”

It was at that moment that Blossomforth realized just how close to Endymion she was standing. Despite the fact that he said to treat him like any other stallion she couldn’t get past the fact that this was the crown prince of Equestria. She could smell the other mares in his group and tell from their odors that three of them were in heat. And Endymion smelled of sex; she detected two mares on him, one of them that Twilight Sparkle filly and the other- the other had a scent like jasmine. Some of the earth ponies mares had herbal scents to them, while Pegasi like herself smelled of spices. She didn’t know what unicorns smelled like, because they had some weird hang ups about estrus. For all she knew, Twilight’s ozone and woodsmoke perfume was how all unicorns mares presented to their mates.

Those thoughts passed through her mind when she saw the rifle Endymion had strapped to his back. The Crown Prince wielded the strangest weapon she had ever seen and she had facilitated the sale of ordinance as far back as pre-Unity Era. (There were very zany weapon designs back then, including an antiquated Pegasus wire trap, meant to capture Pegasi like herself while in flight.) It was the most unique piece of the collection she had seen in this lot and she had ideas of whom would willing to pay a mountain load of bits for it.

“That’s quite the find,” she said pointing toward the rifle Endymion was carrying on his back.

“Yes, yes it is. I decided that it was too unique of a find to simply sell off.”

She grinned, oh how she loved this game. She’d played it a thousand times over. Getting somepony to sell a treasure they swore they’d never part with. It was a challenge, but like all challenges, the harder it was, the sweeter the victory.

“I can understand why. It’s design is similar to the two hand cannons, and yet, it is obviously their superior in every possible way. Just looking at it, honestly looking at it, one can see the complex, and intricate design that went into crafting it,” she neared him, playing to her strengths, not once forgetting that above all else she was a mare who knew how to get things done, “I’d dare say that if you were willing to part with it anything you ever desired could possibly be yours. I know of several collectors that would sell everything they own, put all of their family fortunes forward, and even sell off their own foals in order to purchase it.”

He shook his head, “Then their foals can rest easy, because I have no desire to part with it.”

She grinned. Wealth wasn’t appealing to him, and that meant that she needed to see what his price truly was. There was a thousand things that it could be, and she’d find it. Being that he grew up as part of the royal family, wealth most likely wasn’t the most important thing for him. But wealth wasn’t the only commodity.

“Of course, consider the attention you can gain by agree to selling it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of influential families in Equestria, if not all of Equus, would know you. You could have the daughters, or sons, of those families at your attention. The ability to hold so much sway over the more influential families in Equus would be intoxicating.”

He shook his head, “No, I’m happy as is.”

So offering a different type of power wasn’t appealing to him either. He was a stallion, and considering that, she unsnapped the top button on her shirt, letting her clevage show a little, “What about the potential benefits of gaining another herd mate? Any number of those families would gladly allow their daughters, and potentially sons, to enter into a herd with you.”

He laughed and shook his head, “Currently I’m fine. Honestly, I just want to hang onto it. It interests me.”

Sex didn’t work, power and wealth didn’t work, and to be honest she wasn’t sure what else to offer other than her own body. She wasn’t going to do that. He was nice enough looking male, but her special somepony would be somepony she chose for the right reasons, not because they could land her a huge payday.

She huffed, not sure where to take this, when she saw his grin. He reached forward toward her hand. She offered it, and then she felt him kiss the back of it. It was a simple gesture, one that those with manners offered one another, and most of the time she never really received that kind of gesture.

Her cheeks blushed, a sheepish grin crept across her lips, and she giggled like a school filly. Looking into his eyes she leaned closer, “Maybe, if you’re not willing to sell it.. You’d entertain the idea of a lunch, together, today, just the two of us?”

Twilight, who had considered heading over the Golden Oaks Library, stopped and watched. She saw Endymion smile, but it wasn’t a real Endymion smile. It was something she’d seen Princess Luna do a thousand times a day when talking to the nobility. Part of her felt relieved that he was being pleasant and not openingly accepting her advances.

“I don’t know, I mean I was going to treat both of my fiances to to a nice lunch, but you’re welcome to come along as well.”

She smiled, her top loosened by another button, and Twilight’s eye twitched. She was trying to get his attention with her cleavage!

“Well, maybe they could enjoy a nice dinner, but I thought.. The two of us, could discuss some things, privately,” she said, before she stepped closer, gently reaching out and touching his shoulder, “And, who knows what kind of adventure a short lunch could create. Perhaps, you could come away, with another treasure.”

He smiled, backing up and shaking his head, “Thank you, but no; the offer stands for you to join us, but I’m afraid I couldn’t leave them out.”

She looked toward the pink earth pony mare. She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t shining and carefree as they had been. Instead, her years of reading ponies told her that the pink mare was daring her to try and cut in on her stallion, just to try it and see what would happen. Twilight, the unicorn Rainbow Dash had spoken of, seemed to say the same with her expression. She raised an eyebrow at them. Neither was openly saying a word, but their body language was more than saying it for them.

Smiling in an apprehensive way, Blossomforth said, “Aw, what a shame… Well, I’ll take a rain check on that dinner, then. Seriously, though, what is going to take for you to part with that very unique rifle of yours?”

“Short of world peace?” Endymion mused, “nothing. I’m kinda attached to this thing and I haven’t yet put it through it's paces, yet.”

“Oh, pooh,” Blossomforth said, “I was really hoping to see that at auction… Oh, well. I’ll get in contact with my stallion in St. Clydesdale and see what he’ll offer. I have all the pictures he’s going to want to see. And Rainbow, don’t be a stranger, huh? I still owe you that cider.”

“Oh, you know it!” Dash replied, “Catch ya later, Blossom!”

Blossomforth waved to Dash and everypony else, but she winked at Endymion, with a little wiggle in her rump, and flew off. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie and Twilight were at his side, staring daggers at Blossomforth’s retreating form, clutching him in a possessive way. His arms were going to have marks where Twily and Pinks gripped him. He didn’t understand their attitude; he looked towards Applejack for understanding. SHe only gave him a shrug of her shoulders, giving him nothing.

“Ah, Twilight,” Endymion said to end a rather prolonged silence, “did you contact with that professor of yours? The expert numismatist?”

“What?” Twilight started, “Oh. Oh, yes, I did. He’ll be coming into town tomorrow to appraise the coins. If they really are old platinum marcs, then they would virtually priceless. He’ll be coming down with a chemist associate, to ensure they really are made of platinum. My understanding is that the SRA used platinum bits, but not all of them were really platinum and even fewer were pure platinum. If these are pure platinum, the Historical Society would pay a sizeable ransom for them all.”

“What about all my bits?” Dash asked with worry.

“I asked an associate with the Royal Equestrian Bank,” Twilight explained, “according to her, as long as they originate from before the Currency Equivalency Accords of 128 AU, then there isn’t any claim that can be filed by survivors of the SRA or their families. So legally, their yours, as you reclaimed them from their secreted location.”

“Awesome,” Dash breathed.

“Finally, some good news,” AJ said, “

“So the money that isn’t SRA lucre is ours for the taking?” Endymion asked.

Twilight nods, adding, “Technically, its Equestrian tender and as such, could be spent anyway you want. Or thrown into a Royal Equestrian Bank account. Mind you, these coins are ancient, even more so than the SRA cash, so they would be worth several magnitudes more than their face value.”

“So we could have them appraised, sent to auction and- Dash, how much in bits is there? You did a count, right?”

Rainbow Dash nods, adding, “My personal count was 253, 927 bits. Almost all of them are from 96 AU or before. I only spotted a few that were after Celestia’s banishment but before the Solaran Revolt.”

“Some time before the Accords,” Twilight remarks, “this is good. You guys could stand to make quite the fortune if you play your cards right!”

Endymion could practically see bit signs turn up in Dash’s eyes; her friends rolled their eyes, knowing full well how avaricious their Pegasus friend could be. As if the betting stake she earned from the Ponyville tournament wasn’t enough, this new bounty would probably cause her to lose herself in a pool of gold coins. Just like last time…

“If’n ya’ll don’t mind, Dash an’ Ah are gonna moved the coins inta mah storm cellar,” AJ announced, “cain’t trust that somepony ain’t heard of the haul we have and not try and rip us off. Them fellars on the road wasn’t the only ponies that might be tempted by all o’ this.”

“I’m with AJ,” Dash said, “I know Pinkie, I trust Pinkie, but her wagon is a huge target!”

“I see no reason to protest,” Endymion said, “outside of a safe deposit box, which none of this treasure would fit anyway, there isn’t any place I can think of that be safer. I don’t think Fluttershy has any place where she can store it, right?”

“No,” Fluttershy confirmed, “my cottage is only secure because of it’s remote location adjacent to Ponyville, but I don’t lock the doors or windows because of my animal friends. If anypony were willing, they could just walk up to my house and enter whenever they like.”

“What stops them, though?” Dash asked.

“Harry,” Fluttershy replied and when she received questioning looks, she continued, saying, “Harry is a bear.”

“Like, a really big stallion or-” Dash asked.

“He’s a brown bear,” Fluttershy answered with a smile, “he can be ferocious when he wants to be, but he really is a big softy. I think of him as a giant teddy bear.”

“I’m afraid to ask,” Endymion said.

Dash looked at the amount of treasure coming out of the Vardo. It hadn’t been shoveled in and stuffed full either. It had been put into storage areas inside of the Vardo itself, and Dash looked at it unsure of how the Vardo had been big enough inside to do that. She looked into it, seeing that looked longer, wider, and simply bigger on the inside than it did on the outside.

It didn’t make sense, in fact it kind of flew in the face of sense. It was as if Pinkie’s Vardo was mocking the very laws of nature themselves. Then again, Rainbow Dash thought the simple answer of the fact that it belonged to Pinkie. Basically anything that had to do with the pink mare was best left alone and not tried to be explained.

She knew that Twilight had nearly drove herself crazy when she first got here trying to explain Pinkie Pie. When it was unloaded, and in the cellar, Rainbow walked down with the last armload. She looked at Applejack with pitiful, pleading eyes for a moment, “Please?”

She nodded and Rainbow knelt down to the bits, “Okay, Mama is going to be gone for a little while, but I love you, Oh, I love you all so much, and I want you to stay warm and dry. Be good.”

With that she slowly moved out of the cellar, and Applejack closed it. She watched as it was locked, and then relocked.

“Safe and secure. Plus, Big Mac and me’ll keep an eye on it. Won’t be goin’ nowhere ‘till we’re ready ta sell.”

One Week Later - Foal Mountain - Akhal-Teke Resort

Twilight grinned as she stepped out on the patio of the large cabin in her unitard swimsuit. Endymion had helped her pick it out, and she was still getting used to the idea that it basically was a single piece of fabric that covered her breasts, went behind her neck, and was little more than a thong on the bottom. Of course, Pinkie’s own swimsuit was a bikini that barely covered any of her curves.

She stepped into the hot tub where her parents were soaking.

“Thanks for letting us come and use your cabin.”

“It’s fine, besides, your father and I have been meaning to get out of Canterlot for a while. It’s peaceful here. I’ve actually considered making the move a bit more permanent. I know your father has too.”

There was the sound of wings flapping, and then hooves on the patio, “Mr. and Mrs… Ummm… Twilight, thanks for inviting us! This is awesome!”

“You’re welcome dear,” Twilight Velvet replied.

“No, seriously, I don’t think you get it, this is like the nicest place that I’ve ever stayed at.”

Twilight smiled at her friend, and wondered where everypony else was. She’d seen Pinkie Pie earlier, going down toward the large spring fed lake where Endymion was doing a little fishing. Fluttershy wasn’t that far from Endymion, not that it bothered her. He was Fluttershy’s champion. Although she did consider telling her friend that Endymion was a lot more noble than she was giving him credit for.

Sighing she enjoyed the hot water, and heard the sound of Dash getting into it as well.

“Ah Gotta say it’s real nice of y’all ta invite all of us… Though, it dun’t feel right being here while Big Mac tends the farm by himself.”

“I’m sure he’s okay, and besides, it’s giving you a chance to do something else with Applebloom.”

Applejack nodded, “Eeeeyup, ‘though right now she’s a down there at that lake. She was a sayin’ that she’s a gonna catch the biggest fish they got.”

“Say, wasn’t there a story or legend about some kind of ‘fish god’ on this lake?” Dash asked.

“You know, we never really bought into that,” Nightlight said, “but lately there has been some trouble with the local fishing industry.”

“We heard,” Endymion said, “fewer catches, damaged boats, something to do with a parasprite infestation?”

Twilight looked to see her beloved Fiancee. A bright smile crossed her lips, “I thought that you were going to check out the lake.”

He grinned at her, “I did, there wasn’t any boats we could rent. We tried to fish from the edge of the lake, but it was like the fish were all scared.”

Fluttershy, who walked up behind him, nodded, “He’s telling the truth. I flew over the water a little ways and I didn’t see any schools of fish for quite some time,” she seemed to adjust her swimsuit, mainly to keep from popping out, “and when I did they looked frantic.”

“No kidding,” Endymion confirmed, “I used every bait I could think of. Not even the pulled pork and onions was working. Those fish are three leagues of paranoid.”

“Wait, seriously? You used pulled pork and onions?” Dash asked incredulously.

“Long story,” Endymion answered, “My lunch fell into a pond and all the koi just ate it up. The next I went fishing on Lake Canter, I dropped a PP and O on my line. I caught so many trout, I nearly broke my line.”

“You know,” Dash mused, “I was talking to some of the Pegasi fishing crews. A good many of ‘em are spooked. I think it was Silver Glow who told me that sometimes when she’s out for a flight out on the lake, she’ll sometimes see a shadow swimming under the surface. Silver Glow isn’t much for lying. I worked with her at a weather management course. She told this thing is HUGE! She estimated it to be some ten ponies long but she thinks it might be even bigger.”

“So what could it be?” Fluttershy asked.

“Whatever it is,” AJ said, “it ain’t our problem.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight queried, “fishing is a major enterprise on this lake. If the ponies lose their livelihood…”

“Then ponies will grow hungry,” Endymion stated, “not just here, on the lake, but elsewhere where they buy their seafood from here.”

“Endymion,” Dash warned, “what are you thinkin’.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” The Crown Prince mused, “I was thinking of going for a little boat ride. Maybe see if there’s any whoppers out on the lake still.”

“Oh no,” Fluttershy murmured, “here we go, again!”

Later That Day

The boat was one that the Twilight Family had. While it was not schooner agile or yacht luxurious, it suited the purposes of their current mission. Fluttershy was still uncomfortable with this whole thing. Well, many things during this whole “vacation” but this was something she was specifically uncomfortable with. The bikini she was wearing wasn’t something she normally wore. She felt- exposed in this flimsy swimsuit. She was far more comfortable in priestess robes.

And the fact her champion was parading out in the open without his shirt, chasing a demon or monster or whatever it was he was pursuing now. Especially in that revealing pair of shorts he was wearing. And most especially while that hussy of a mare clung to his side. She hadn’t met Blossomforth when she was with Rainbow Dash to see their loot from Lord Iron Side’s former estate. Dash filled her in the details and while she couldn’t hold anything against the mare, after watching the mare’s behavior now, she was beginning to suspect of ulterior motives of this Blossomforth. And that thong she wore was even more of a tell of her ambitions for Prince Endymion.

“I can’t believe I found you guys out here!” Blossomforth exclaimed, “You couldn’t believe how surprised I was to see you guys on the lakeshore here.”

“Well, Twilight has a family villa up here,” Endymion said, “we all felt a little vacation was due for us all. The Twilight Family is close to the Crown so…”

“That is so cool,” Blossomforth cooed, (Fluttershy noticed that AJ, Dash, and Twilight rolled their eyes at this; Pinkie was holding back some rather homicidal urges,) “being a royal sure has it’s perks.”

Endymion laughed, then gave the Pegasus a withering glare and deadpanned, “You’re still not getting that rifle.”

“Oh, phoo!” Blossomforth huffed.

Fluttershy couldn’t be more proud of her champion. Maybe what Twilight told her was right. Ssure, Endymion wasn’t the ideal candidate for being a hero with his cavalier attitude about danger, his total disregard for safety, and his utter brashness to face life with fist raised instead of thinking things through. In spite of all these flaws, Endymion was still a stallion with a big heart and a pony that thought not of himself but others.

While Skyblaze was built like a world class hero, his attitude was far too tribalist and self centered. That mare with her brother was a more typical champion: thoughtful, resourceful, and initelligent. Endymion had his own form of intellect, but he rarely used in a meaningful way. He used his abnormally strong arms and legs to pummel at his problems. While it wasn’t the most ideal way to handle most situations, Endymion seemed to make it work him. right. Maybe he really was nobler than he appeared. Blossomforth instead seemed to smile at Endymion, and Fluttershy could see her adjusting the straps on her top. To most the half top would be a terrible idea for a match with thong swimsuit bottoms, but Blossomforth seemed to be making it work for her.

Fluttershy felt her wings stiffening out in a defensive manner. This mare was moving in on her champion. She began to grow lowly, unsure if Blossomforth could hear her or not, but not really caring. Beside her Pinkie Pie stopped staring daggers at Blossomforth, and instead looked at Fluttershy. A sly smile crossed her face.

She was about to say something to her friend when something rocked the ship from underneath. Endymion, the only one with any sailing experience thanks to his mom insisting that he learn it, tried to right the ship, and when he did he saw a huge spine, something giant was indeed under the waves.

Author's Note

Quick timeline note: Princess Celestia, in this universe, was banished to her sun back in 101 Ante Unitas. Her return as Solar Flare happened in 1101 AU. The Solar Revolt happened between 112-113 AU. The current year in this fic is 3 Post Regresso or about three years after Celestia's return.

If you find any mistakes in this chapter, again, please just let us know in the comments.

16 Enchantment Under The Sea

Author's Note

If you see any spelling mistakes or syntax errors, please let us know.

16 Enchantment Under The Sea

Rune Soldier

Chapter 16: Enchantment Under the Sea

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF SOL WAS THAT?!”

The boat was still rocking, and the size of the beast was obviously very concerning. Endymion looked where he had seen the spine sticking out of the water. It stood at least twelve feet, and it looked like it was attached to a slender neck. That meant whatever it was in the water was obviously huge.

“I think that was the Fish God.”

Blossomforth, who looked like she was ready to take off in a moment’s notice went to looking around, “Fish God?”

Endymion nodded, “Some of the older fisherponies talked about it. They said it’s a huge sea serpent that’s been living in this lake for ages. They said that it only seems to come out every generation or so.”

The boat began to settle, for just a moment, before it rocked again hard. It felt like it ran aground, and Blossomforth ended up falling against Endymion, her half top sliding up over her breasts, both landing on his bare chest. In that moment Pinkie Pie wasn’t just staring daggers, her fists were balling up. She was practically seething, and her normally curly hair had began to straighten out. She began to walk over when a giant shadow covered them. She looked toward it, seeing the head of a huge sea serpent. It opened its mouth, revealing two foot long fangs, and it let out a deafening roar, followed by a stream of exceptionally hot water. Endymion turned the boat, trying to get it away, and he looked back at the creature.

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

He looked at Applejack who stared back at him.

“We are, that thing is huge,” Applejack said as if she was pointing out the blatantly obvious.

The serpent seemed to chase them, until they were within a hundred feet of the small family port that Twilight’s family used. Pulling up they latched the ship to the port, and they watched as the serpent dove back under the water. In a few moments it was gone, seemingly happy that they were no longer intruding on its territory.

Endymion looked at the other docks and ports around them. Damaged and unused ships sat. Fisherponies that had worked this lake for generations seemed lost, hopeless, and he shook his head. He couldn’t stand for it.

“AJ, how do you feel about us really going fishing?”

She looked at him, “What?”

“We get our weapons, we go back out, and we attack the next time,” he said.

“I agree that something must be done. It is harming the economy here,” Fluttershy said.

“Why not leave it alone?”

They looked at Blossomforth who hadn’t fixed her half shirt. She was standing, mostly topless, seemingly uncaring that they were looking at her.

“Seriously, why not just leave it alone? You don’t know if there’s a reason that it’s doing what it’s doing. Maybe there’s more to the story.”

Fluttershy didn’t want to agree with her. She was a hussy, that much was certain, and she was certain that if given the chance she’d try to seduce Endymion right into her bed. But even though she was certain of all of that about that mare she knew she could be right. That sea serpent could be upset for reasons they didn’t know or see.

“I…. I can talk to it.”

Endymion looked at her, “What?”

“I can talk to it. I can talk with animals, I understand them, and they understand me. Maybe it will tell me what’s wrong.”

“While I don’t doubt yer ability, Shy,” AJ said, “Ah’m wonderin’ how ya go about it? Assumin’ we can get it ta hold still a moment.”

“I was thinking on just that,” Endymion said, “Twilight, would there be some kind of spell we could use to hold the wee beastie in place? Without harming it?”

Twilight looked lost in thought for a moment, then she replied, “There- might be? I know there’s a book or two in the villa library that might help out. Though, I’m unsure if I can cast them. These are very complex arcane rituals with precise incantations, ritual circles, herbal potions…”

“I think we get it Twi,” Dash pouts, “they’re tough spells. But can you do them?”

“Well, I think so,” Twilight said, unsure, “I would need quite a lot of help.”

“Well, you got me,” Endymion stated, which earned him a roll of the eyes and a groan from his bride-to-be, then Fluttershy said, “maybe I can help?”

“I didn’t know Sol Priestesses could cast magic,” Blossomforth said, “is that something they can do?”

“It’s to something we advertise openly,” Fluttershy retorted, “Sol gives us strength when we pray, which in turn allows a Sol Priestess or Priest to perform miracles. Sometimes, it verges on magic.”

“I’ve seen Shy use a blasting curse before,” Dash adds, “trust me, a Sol Priestess is no wilting flower or shrinking violet. If she says she can help, she can.”

“The only question left is,” Endymion states, “is how do we provoke the ‘fish god’ back up from the depths?”

“Ah think I may have a solution fer that,” AJ said.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in preparation. Applejack, for all her folksy charm and country mannerisms, was actually quite the little chemist. She directed Twilight and Dash in the making of a substance she said could “blow flounders out from the seafloor.” Sure enough, when Endymion was sent to test a batch of the substance in a small length of pipe, the resultant explosion shook the lakefront and dozens of fish from deeper in the lake popped up, dead.

While it wasn’t the sort of sporting Endymion preferred, it did short work of dinner. That night, after the kitchen was cleaned of all the bomb making materials, the Twilight Family chef prepared a feast of fish. For AJ and Pinkie Pie, it was there first time eating it. Twilight and her family had it sparingly, claiming it was a delicacy. Blossomforth, Dash, and Fluttershy, on the other hand, tucked in without any reservations. Dash explained that Pegasi can eat seafood, especially those that live on the sea or on coastal shores.

Dinner was a relaxing affair all the same, and when it was over, AJ and Dash set themselves up to make a few more larger bombs, this time in the boat shed in lieu of making another kitchen disaster. Blossomforth was offered a guest room which she gladly took. (Although Twilight and Pinkie were less than appreciative of the way the mare’s plot shimmied as she ascended the stairs. Though it seemed Endymion never noticed.) Velvet and Nightlight retired to the master bedroom while Endymion and his mares took residence in Twilight’s old room. Given the events of the day and how fulfilling dinner was, there would be no hanky panky tonight. (Endymion was also leery of engaging in coitus with his future in laws so near.)

Twilight’s old Room

The sound of the headboard striking the wall over and over again echoed through the room, the throaty moans were loud and exquisite. The sloshing sound accompanied was just as good. Endymion cocked an eyebrow as Pinkie Pie made the headboard of the bed bounce off of the way, let out saucy and seductive moans, and plunged her fingers into a gelatin mold that she had pulled from literally thin air. He was about to say something when she hitched her moan, making it sounded like she was in the middle of a very impressive rutting, and then just for added flavor she batted her eyelashes at him, “Stick it in my tailhole Endy!”

He hadn’t wanted his future in-laws to know that he was rutting their little girl. He certainly didn’t want them to think that hanky panky was going on, and he was too tired from the fantastic meal to question Pinkie’s antics. He was too tired, but Twilight wasn’t.

“Pinkie! What are you doing?” Twilight asked in a hushed whisper.

Pinkie giggled, gave another winded moan, and leaned toward Twilight, “Blossomforth is on the other side of the wall, listening, and I’m letting her know that Endy is our stallion.”

Twilight looked at her, looked at the wall, back at her, and then at Endy, “Oh SOL! ENDY! RUT ME HARDER! OH! I’M YOUR PERSONAL LITTLE WHORSE!”

He looked at Twilight, rolled his eyes, and watched as she went all out while Pinkie made the bed bounce. He watched as they continued their little act for a bit longer, and then slowly, they stopped. The both of them looked pleased, and Endymion moved toward the bed.

“I so don’t look forward to breakfast.”

“Why?”

He looked Twilight in the eyes, seeing her sweet, and caring nature there, “Because I’m going to have to explain to your parents that we’re….”

“Rutting, like animals in heat?”

He just nodded.

“Mom and Dad already know.”

His eyes which were close to closing suddenly shot open, “What?”

“They already know. I told them, a while back, before the announcement party, And they approve. Mom’s one request is that we give her grandfoals, lots of them, but to take our time doing it.”

He looked at the ceiling, trying to imagine what Twilight said to her parents. Part of her wondered if her dad, if Nightlight, had a mild panic attack when he found out that his daughter was currently engaged, and rutting, the crown prince. Sleep, as needed, and wonderful as it would have been, was gone. It wasn’t even an option. He couldn’t get it out of his head that his future in-laws knew that they were all three engaging in lewd sexual acts. Were they really okay with him sticking in their daughter’s tailhole? Did she go into that with them? Oh Sol… Did her mother tell her tricks to get through it without pain? He felt himself starting to hyperventilate, or he was until he felt his cock being freed from its prison, and soft lips kissing it. He looked to see Pinkie Pie, innocently looking at him, before she suckled the head of his semi hard cock into her mouth. He let out a soft moan before he heard a thumping from above them. He looked up at the ceiling, seeing the hanging gas light fixture swaying slightly from the sound of the thumping.

“What in Tartarus?”

Above Twilight’s Room - Nightlight and Twilight Velvet’s Room

“Nggh! Oh Sol! S...Sol Damn….”

“Shhh, dear, we don’t want our daughter to hear do we?”

Twilight Velvet looked over her shoulder at her husband. His cock was currently in her tailhole, a gift from Bad Gryphon for her birthday was currently in her snatch, and she was getting double teamed by her husband and a fake phallus. The look she gave him wasn’t sexy, it wasn’t love lorn either, she was giving him the most baleful glare she could.

“Our Daughter… Oh Sol! Didn’t… Gentle!” Seem to… Oh FECK SAKE THAT’S DEEP! CaaaaAAAAAARREEEEEEE!”

Twilight Velvet bit the pillow, her screams and moans going into it. She felt Nightlight picking up the pace, his cock virtually destroying her poor tailhole. Usually he was the one that liked plot play, but tonight she wanted to give him hers. Slowly it dawned on her that Nighty’s wonderful cock might have been better in her pussy, where it belonged, and a smaller toy in her plot. Something about the size of a finger, maybe, but now it was too late.

At least he was actually being gentle. She considered it destroying her poor tailhole, but he wasn’t. Before they married she’d dated an earth pony. He was a good sort, really he was, but they both knew that her dating him was to piss her family off. She was being rebellious, and he was getting to bed a noble’s daughter. She tried to remember his name, Apple something or another. ‘Baldwin’ she thought before she let loose a crying moan. Nighty wasn’t content to merely thrust into her, but he had began pulling her hips into his thrusts, The false phallus was now alternating with him, and she she felt so dirty.

“Whose plot is this?”

“Y...Yours!”

“When do I get it?”

“W...When Oh Sweet Merciful Sol! When you want it!”

“I’m… I’m…”

“Not yet! I’m almost there! Just a little more!”

She began to thrust her hips toward him, the false phallus was frantic now, she was being filled, and she was a dirty naughty little filly, and she was his, all his. He pulled her hard against him, and she let out a deafening moan, her entire body shook, and she clenched down on his cock. She felt him explode into her tailhole. She went slack, her entire body just went limp.

“Oh sweet Sol, that was awesome.”

Nighty laid down behind her, pulling her up to his chest and holding her there.

“Mmmm, think they heard us?”

She giggled, “I know they did…”

Twilight’s Old Room

Endymion stared up at the ceiling, his brow arched up so high, it nearly touched his maneline. Pinkie and Twilight also looked at the ceiling; one mare surprised by the elder couple’s enthusiasm, the other mildly horrified to learn that her parents were indeed sexual beings. The three looked at other after a brief moment of pause.

“Did- did this just turn into a competition?” Endymion asked.

“My mother- does have a competitive streak,” Twilight answered, “but I didn’t think Mom would-”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” Pinkie said, “my Ma and Pa still do it. Everypony does it! It’s a natural thing.”

“I’m kinda with Twilight on this,” Endymion stated, “if I found out that Mom was banging some stallion and I overheard it, I might be traumatized quite a bit.”

Twilight mused over this for a brief while, then said, “I never did tell Mom and Dad just how long Endy could last…”

“Oh,” Endymion said, smirking, “you girls wanna go from dress rehearsal to stage performance?”

“Why not?” Pinkie shrugged, “I mean, I do love your frosting, Endy, and I know Twilight loves it, too. And even after all that happened today, I would love to feel you fill me with frosting…”

Endymion adopted a shocked look, though, knowing her stallion like she did, Pinkie knew well enough that this was a feigned emotion. She then saw the sultry smirk that spread through his lips; his eyes took on a sparkle, the kind she knew was a harbinger of great mischief. She loved that smile; it was the simple gesture of promise that her stallion showed when he was just as aroused as she was. Twilight had to learn all of Endy’s little cues, but she would learn.

“So,” Endymion cooed, “who wants to go first?”

Now Twilight was clued in…

“Let me,” the unicorn mage said, “I want to show my mother and father just how loving a stallion you are.”

Endymion nodded, adding, “How do you want?”

“Well,” Twilight began, “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing it buffalo style.”

“Buffalo style?” Endymion asked, “Isn’t that the one where the heifer mounts the steer?”

Twilight nods enthusiastically, “You won’t believe how often I’ve gotten myself off to the illustration that the Saddle Sutra has for that position.”

“Oh, I’ve got an idea,” Endymion retorted, “well, I’m still primed and ready. And you, Twily?”

“I’m always ready,” Twilight said with a deep hunger in her voice.

Endymion lay back down on the mattress, bracing his back against the headboard. Meanwhile, Twilight straddled Endymion’s hips, positioning herself carefully before plunging down on her stallion’s spire. The two lovers gasp as they connect, Endymion closing his eyes and Twilight arching her back. Pinkie sidles up to the two, her bounteous assets resting on Endymion arms. The pink mare takes to kissing the crown prince’s neck, further exciting him.

At the exact same time, Twilight begins to bounce atop of Endymion. Her Kegel muscles start to squeeze on Endymion’s pride. This elicits further sensation from the lavender mare, a tingling that is the promise of an orgasm. Twilight shows that she is also a being of subtle control, as she changes the pace of her thrusting, sometimes speeding up and sometimes slowing down. Then there are times when she stops completely, letting her internal musculature do the work for her; the groans this action produces from Endymion are worth the soreness Twilight knows she’ll experience come morning. When she resumes her bouncing again, she loses herself in a world altering climax; she was never a squirter when she was with Written Script, but the splash of her liquids tells her she just came all over her husband.

Endymion doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he takes his once idle hands and places them on Twilight’s cutie marks. This draws a deep moan from Twilight that even the most powerful sound dampening charm could not filter out. She shudders at his touch, the delightful electricity of his nimble yet strong fingers lights her nerves on fire. Another orgasm is on the cusp, so she draws closer to her stallion and gives my a soul searing kiss. The activity causes her passage walls to constrict on Endymion’s member. Another climax, as powerful as the first, ripples through her, another squirt of her juices joins the first splash and Endymion neither knows nor cares. Instead, he pulls her closer, gasping as they part from their kiss to breath, then he latches onto her again.

Pinkie, who had been kissing up and down all the reachable parts of Endymion’s neck, is now leaving little love bits up and down every inch of exposed skin she can reach. She already feel the telltale heat in her loins and the wetness in her crotch as signs of deepening arousal. She will wait, though, until her Edny is done with Twilight. She is quite enjoying the show, especially the way Endymion’s taught stomach flexes and contracts as he struggles to rein in his climax. The show of control is as mesmerizing as Twilight’s bobbing breasts as she rides Endymion toward another climax.

Another throaty moan, another splash of liquids, and Twilight reels as another orgasm rips through her center. She is starting to feel flagged, her breathing growing more shallow as she continues to ride Endymion. She knew he had stamina to last for days and she had seen it when he and Pinkie would go on marathon sex sessions, but she never thought she would get to experience that. Now that she was, her expectations were being blown out of the water. She didn’t know how much longer she could last herself, even as she felt Endymion’s erection begin to twitch deep within her. But she could feel one more climax approaching; the euphoria of the last three were undoing any alertness she once had and her thighs were burning from overexertion.

Just when she thought she just might collapse, Endymion groaned, she felt his member twitch violently like a second frightened heartbeat, and then there was a deluge of his fluids filling her up. She could her womb flooding with precious seed and what didn’t fill her up spilled back down her passage and seeped out of her labia. She couldn’t stop the climax that tore through her if she tried. Even though she was trying to be quiet, the scream she emitted as she came was heard all across the villa. Her spine had lightning coursing through it, her horn ignited and sparks flew from the tip; her entire body shuddered in response as she was filled, over and over by Endymion’s juices.

No longer focused on physical exertion, Twilight collapsed atop of Endymion, her body thoroughly spent. She gasped as the dregs of her last orgasm pulsed through her; she could still feel Endymion’s pride pulsing within her core, the last ebbs of his climax still pouring out.

“Oh, Endy,” she whispered, “you are amazing.”

Then Twilight promptly passed out.

“Twily?” Endymion queried, prodding a now unconscious unicorn, “Wow. Stick a fork in her, she’s done.”

“Wow, Endy, I didn’t know you could make a mare pass out like that!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Me next, me next!”

Gently, Endymion turned over, laying Twilight to the side. He slid out of her, and the massive amount of their juices were evident. He could see how it was leaking out of her, slowly but surely. He kissed her, smiled, and turned toward Pinkie Pie who had a sultry and devilish grin on her face. She leaned toward him, her lips touching his own. He could smell cotton candy and musk so thick that it was palpable.

He felt her hands on his chest, moving down, finding his cock, and she began to stroke him. Sensitive didn’t even begin to express how he felt. He was beyond sensitive, and everything that Pinkie was doing was only making that point stand out crystal clear. He felt her soft hands gliding up and down his cock with ease. She kissed down him, her lips finding his hardening cock, and she kissed the tip, flicking her tongue against it, and then she pulled it into her waiting mouth.

Endymion had learned, after their first experience, that Pinkie Pie was exceptionally good at this. He’d never tell Twilight that her doing this wasn’t good, or wasn’t appreciated, because they were good, and most certainly were appreciated, but even her magic jobs paled in comparison with Pinkie’s wonderful attentions. He watched as Pinkie blinked coyishly at him. Her soft blue eyes feigning the innocence she both possessed and didn’t possess.

Her cheeks intermittently bulged on one side and then the other before she started taking him deeper, right up to the back of her throat. He moaned as he felt his cock slip into her throat for a moment, tears appeared in her eyes, for just a moment, and then pulled back, gasping before doing the same again. Soon he felt himself going deeper, and Pinkie could feel his cock going into her throat, causing her to swallow on reflex, and she loved it. She tasted Twilight, she tasted him, and she wanted him, but she wanted him to stuff her full, not fill her like this.

She finally pulled back, looking at his massively hard cock, the purplish head throbbing along with the shaft, and she turned around flicking her tail. He didn’t need any more invitation, and she felt him push into her. Her marehood was being filled, she felt him bottom out in her and she let out a little gasp.

“Oh Sol Pinkie…”

She pulled forward and then slammed back, causing him slam hard into her. He matched her, his tempo matching her own, each time they came together her flank jiggled, her breasts bounced, and she felt the fullness of her husband inside of her. She felt his hands reaching down, finding her breasts, and she was lifted up, their pony style changing just slightly.

“Fill me. Oh Sol Endy, Pop my Pinata, stuff my party cannon, wreck my pie!”

He did everything she asked. The thrusts were what she wanted, hard, fast, and energetic. She’d been hoping for this, and right now, this was exactly what she needed and wanted. Heat had settled, and was gone, but this was exactly what she needed. She felt him move to where her hands were resting on the bed, then her elbows, and finally she was lying flat against the bed, her rump in the air, and he was giving it to her as hard as she could handle.

Endymion grinned as he remembered a small trick, and he pulled her tail. Pinkie cried out, an ear piercing orgasm that erupted through her, echoed throughout the villa, and made her clench down on him. He pulled almost out, thrust back into her and he felt her kegel muscles flexing around his cock, milking him, and no longer able to stand it, he came hard into her. She breathed out hard, her body collapsing in a heap. He laid down beside her, hugging her tightly.

Slowly they repositioned themselves, Endymion taking the center of the bed, Pinkie taking one side, and he felt Twilight turn and snuggle against the other. Slowly the events of the day began to melt away, and soon the three of them began to slip into slumber. Not a one of them cared that Twilight’s parents had heard every moan, every gasp, every cry of pleasure. All that mattered was that the three of them were comfortably resting together together.

The Following Morning, Dining Room

The smile on Pinkie’s and Twilight’s faces were ones hard to miss. They were the smile of somepony that had been rode hard and put away wet. The fact that Blossomforth seemed to have a hard time exactly looking them in the eye only made them smile brighter. Still, the Pegasus took another look at Endymion. And it was obvious that she wondering if he really was the kind of sex god that his mares moans and cries seemed to indicate that he was.

The glances didn’t escape Pinkie Pie, but they weren’t bothering her as badly either. The fact that she was having to walk a little funny this morning only meant that she was going to be a very good mood for quite some time. Twilight looked up at her parents, and her mother was glancing at her soon to be, although already was to her, husband.

“It sounded like you had an interesting night,” Twilight Velvet said.

Twilight grinned and nodded, “A little.”

Her mother grinned and sipped some coffee, “No dear, a little would be like our unexpected guest. One of the servants found her sheets positively soaked. It seemed that she got off while listening to all of you,” she sipped her coffee again, “But you, you got bred, for hours. Then your herd mate got bred for hours. The fact that either of you are able to talk is only testaments to your breeding.”

Twilight’s face grew flushed and her mother smiled. Her father put down the morning paper and looked at his daughter, “To be honest I’m a little jealous. Your stallion was up for quite a while satisfying the both of you. I used to believe that I wasn’t a slouch in the area, but from the sounds of it… I could stand to work my stamina.”

“Dad!”

He grinned, “Sweetheart, you know us, and you know what we’re like. We’ve always encouraged you and Shiny to talk openingly to us. Trust me… Cadence has talked very openingly to us,” he shook his head, “Not that I mind, but lets say that we’re both very glad the wedding is happening when it’s happening.”

“Ummmm, why?

Twilight Velvet stretched and popped her back, “Because, there’s a very real chance with all that Shining and Cadence has been doing, and all that you’ve been doing, that we’re most likely going to have a grandfoal. Now, it wouldn’t bother us if it happened out of wedlock, but we know that most foals that are born out of wedlock are often mercilessly teased by some of the nobility. That’s the last thing we want for any of our grandfoals, and for either of you.”

Twilight looked at them and then at the table, “I didn’t even think about that.”

Twilight Velvet softly grasped her daughter’s hand and held it, “It’s okay sweetheart, most wouldn’t in your situation. But it is a very real, and very ugly part of life. The nobility is already angry over this wedding. There is several foalish nobles crying out that our family is unfairly being given the chance to specifically woo royalty. It is completely inaccurate, and of course wrong, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are still feeling that way.”

“Why would they?”

Nightlight stood, groaning a little as he did, “Because most of them don’t see it as love, but as a power play. I fear that their foals feel the same way, and mostly because they’ve been brought up in such rigid and loveless conditions.”

Twilight Velvet nodded, “That poor Bitters filly, she’s a neurotic mess. The best thing that could have happened to her was moving to Dodge Junction. From what I’ve heard she’s actually met a very nice Pegasus colt. Her mother has just been going on and on about how she’s sullied the blood lines.”

Twilight looked like she had been slapped, “What?! How… How could they think that?”

Nightlight looked at her and shook his head, “Twily, there are a lot of nobles that only had children for a chance at greater power. It’s terrible, and horrible, but it is the truth. I despise it, but it doesn’t stop them from doing that. Princess Luna has tried to use her Magic Academy as a way of reaching their foals and helping them. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t.”

With that Twilight hugged both of her parents, glad to know that they didn’t look down on her herd, her upcoming marriage, or her herd mates.

The Lake - Two hours later

Once more the boat was sailing, once more there was a full crew, and this time Twilight’s parents had even come along. Once they made it to the middle of the lake the water went completely still. Endymion held ready, unsure of what was going to happen. He breathed in, held it, and waited. At any moment they would be seeing the giant sea serpent, and when they did he wanted to be ready. That moment came quickly. The entire boat rocked hard, feeling almost like they had ran aground again, and then the head of the sea serpent rose from the depths.

It roared at them, and they moved to avoid the spray of boiling hot water. Twilight focused herself, and unleashed a spell that held the giant beast in place. The strain was hard, terrible, then she felt Endymion join her in the casting. Fluttershy brought to bear her blessings from Sol and once the creature was secured, she flew toward the creature. She looked back at her friends, and she hoped that she could get some kind of answer that would make sense.

“Why are you trying to sink the ships?”

It growled at her, trying to move, but Fluttershy’s resolve was hardened, “No, you talk to me now, why?”

“Dry beasts steal my baby,” the sea creature spoke, “take her! She was curious, came up to watch the wooden fish, and they steal her from me. I won’t let anyone take another.”

“Oh… Oh no…” Fluttershy whimpered, “Do you know which one?”

“No, all wooden fish look the same from bottom. Want her back.”

18 Primary Feathers

Author's Note

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter has clop. And feels. And drama. If any of these trigger you, steer clear of this chapter. You have been warned.

Character Note: In the writing of this fanfic, Ron Jeremy Pony and I set up some societal and cultural rules for the various pony substrates. For instance, in this chapter, we have Twilight Velvet and Twilight Sparkle. In our combined fanon for this story, it is assumed that unicorns use a naming convention similar to one found in most East Asian cultures, i.e.: surname first, given name(s) last, e.g.: Twilight is the surname and names like Velvet and Sparkle are given names. (Shining Armor's full name is Twilight Shining Armor, wherein "Armor" is his middle name.)

If you encounter any spelling, syntax or other errors in this chapter, please report them in the comments. Thank you!

18 Primary Feathers

Rune Soldier

Chapter 18: Primary Feathers

Twilight Velvet was the first to awake in the villa that Saturday morning. Most of Friday had been spent in celebration of freeing the young Zora cub and returning her to her parents. Twilight, Pinkie, and Endymion had partied rather hard, while the festivities for their friends was a little more subdued. Dash had taken to drinking cider sullenly, as this venture had not added to her stockpile of bits; Applejack was just glad that nopony had come to arrest them for assaulting a member of the nobility, even though Endymion would likely plead their case to the local magistrate; Fluttershy was the most subdued, as she seemed lost in her little world. The Pegasus was still more than happy to join conversation when prompted, but when the topic for discussion veered away from the Zora, she seemed to tune out. A better part of her partying was spent either in contemplation of her drink or at watching her champion bemusedly.

Still, the party came and went (for Pinkie and Twilight, though, they came and came and came, and then came some more,) so this morning’s kitchen and dining rooms were still in a state of duress. Velvet set herself to clean the place up, saving her maids some trouble. The dishes from last night were cleaned without any hesitation, stains on the carpets were removed with alacrity, and the state of the kitchen was spotless before she could blink. There was one thing that befuddled her, though. After clearing out the sundry goblets off the kitchen counter, the elder Twilight spied a most peculiar object. Unlike the goblets and champagne flutes, this object was solid, shaped like an egg with a flattened base at one end, and it was still moist from some sort of jelly or oil.

Now who could have left this here? Velvet thought, I keep all of my butt plugs in a special drawer in our house in Canterlot. So, who’s anal cap is this?

Just then, Blossomforth emerged from upstairs. She was dressed again, though it was the same cocktail dress she was in the night before, and her mane needed a serious brushing. Velvet also noticed that the Pegasus was walking rather odd, as though she had saddle sores on her bottom. Then the amatuer detective novel writer pit two and two together.

“Feeling a little empty?” Velvet teased Blossomforth.

“What are you talking about, Madame Twilight?” Blossom said before catching sight of the buttplug she hadn’t removed just a few hours before.

Velvet nodded, saying, “Now this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to take this ‘marital aid’ and return to whomever gave it to you. Seeing as poor Braided Silver is currently at the local infirmary, I’d say you take this to the mare who assigned it to you. Let them know you will no longer be able to serve in any capacity at Manor Silver, if they already haven’t figured that out yet, and go on your merry way. Are we clear?”

“And what if I don’t?” Blossom asked, though she sounded more defiant than she really felt.

“Well, in that case,” Velvet said, adopting a more aggressive posture and wearing a devilish grin, “I may just have to shove this back where Sol’s light doesn’t shine. You get my meaning?”

Blossomforth nodded, swallowing slightly, and walked over. She took the plug into her hand, feeling the object that had ridden so far up inside of her for so long, and put it into a carrier bag.

“Good, now, I do believe some breakfast is in order. You are very welcome to join us for it, but I strongly suggest you return that, and of course continue on your merry way.”

“What about…”

She sighed and looked at her, “He is about to be a married stallion, with two wives. I will not step in and say anything should he, and his wives, choose to take another bride, but consider how he has acted specifically toward you. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I want you to think if it is actually very likely.”

Blossomforth looked at her, and part of her, the part that dictated her nature, that part that told her as a pegasus, and as a mare, she was to find a suitable mate, and once found she was to lay claim to him, that part screamed that it was likely. That part told her that he would come around, that she would become one of his brides, and he would take her to bed and fulfill every fantasy she ever had.

But the more logical part of her, the part that had been created through generations of socialization and societal constructs, that part said that it wasn’t likely. Endymion didn’t treat her like he did the two future consorts, his two future brides. At best she was a new friend, and while romance could blossom from it she wasn’t sure it would, or that it should.

What brought her to him in the first place was treasure, her entire trying to get his attention was because of that gun he wanted to keep, and everything else she had been feeling was because she had come to know the kind of stallion he was. She could see that he was noble in his own way. It was actually a turn on to see someone from Canterlot that wasn’t a complete egotistical jerk. Maybe it was because he was royalty, maybe it was because he was raised to a higher standard, or maybe, just maybe it was because he’s just naturally this way.

Whatever the reasons were she knew two things. She wanted him. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anypony before, and she knew that right now, like this, she couldn’t have him. Maybe one day, perhaps later, she would be able to lay claim to him, but now, so close to his marriage, so close to everything that is going on, she couldn’t. A mare didn’t try to still another mare’s thunder. Endymion was fine thunder, but he wasn’t hers, not yet, not now, but with some hope, some luck, and maybe a little work, well, she might be able to call a piece of him hers.

“No, not at the moment no,” she answered, “But it doesn’t mean that I’m giving up.”

Twilight Velvet grinned at her, “Nor would I encourage you to give up, just to look at it, and see what needs to change,” she walked toward her, and guided her to a seat.

The two of them sat down, and around them the kitchen was a flurry of magic as the pans began to take their places, potatoes began to be skinned, shredded, and fried; eggs were cracked, beaten, and also fried, and then there was toast, both Prench and traditional, that was being prepared. Along with it was fresh coffee. Blossomforth accepted a cup.

“Whatever may happen, from what I’ve seen, I think that you’d be a decent enough wife. You’re willing to help, you’re willing to step up, and you were quite willing to take that little toy you’re going to return in a place I can tell you’ve never had anything before,” she sipped her coffee, “That speaks more about your character than anything else could, but as much as you seem to want this to happen, I’ve noticed that you haven’t took time to get to know Endymion. So, start there. Get to know him, get to know my Twily, get to know Pinkie, take your time to get to know the family you would be marrying into.”

“Why… Why are you helping me?”

“Honestly?”

Blossomforth nodded, “Because I see so much of my daughter in you. I see so much of myself in you.”

“But I’m nothing like you, or Lady Sparkle.”

She laughed, “Yes, you weren’t brought up by Unicorns, and because of that you missed out on some of the finer teachings, but it doesn’t change what I see. You’re willing to help others, willing to listen, learn, and you strive to prove yourself,” Velvet grinned, “If that’s not like my daughter, or myself, I don’t know what is.”

“Don’t know what what is” Twilight said, emerging from upstairs, “Ooo, Prench toast! And eggs? Mmmm, that coffee smells divine. Haha! I just pulled a ‘Rarity!’”

“Is Rarity that unicorn friend of yours, dear?” Velvet asked.

“Oh, yes,” Sparkle replied, “very posh, prim, and proper. Why, if she didn’t have a bit of Earth pony in her, I would swear she was displaced Canterlot nobility.”

“You don’t say?” Velvet asked, “I think I’ve only seen the mare once or twice before. A shame I didn’t get to know her better. You’ll introduce me, next time?”

“Oh, yes,” Sparkle said, “Oh, hi, Blossomforth! I didn’t see you there.”

“That’s okay,” Blossom admitted, “I was feeling a little bit the wallflower this morning.”

“I do that from time to time,” Twilight admitted as she leaned onto the counter, her panty covered flank in perfect view for all to see.

In a way how she acted actually reminded her quite a bit of her own sister. Little Twirl acted much the same way, regardless if there was company or not in their cloud home. She walked around half naked, claiming that clothing was constricting and ponies should only wear it when deemed important. Otherwise it was just a waste of time and comfort.

Of course Little Twirl would ensure to cover her plot. She was determined that no pony, except for her future special somepony, was going to see that.

“Twilight, not that I mind in the slightest, but I believe this is the first time you’ve elected to wear this particular ensemble. Well, first time in front of guests.”

She turned toward her mother, rolling her eyes lightly, “Maybe getting ready to be a married mare has helped kept me from being so…”

Her mother smiled, “Uptight is the word dear,” she sipped her coffee. She could see how Twilight was giving her a slightly displeased look, “Twilight, my sweet little filly, I gave birth to you. Your father and I worked, tirelessly, on making you, and when we had you it was quite honestly one of the happiest moments of our lives. But believe me when I say this, you were uptight, and if Endymion, my future son-in-law giving you the proper dicking, that you’ve obviously been needing, has helped you become not so high strung, then I am all for it.”

“Mom!”

She laughed and drank some more of her coffee, “I’m sorry dear, I was just playing with you, but I do feel that way. He’s obviously good for you, and Sol knows that he’s good to you. I’ve seen how he is with you and your fellow sister wife. He practically worships the ground you both trot on.”

Twilight blushed as she took a seat near her mother and near Blossomforth.

“Thanks, Mom,” she looked at her breakfast, a piece of Prench Toast, some hash browns, a little scrambled eggs, and it all seemed to be spread and even organized from sweet to savory.

“I still kinda feel like this is all just a dream. That it’s not real, and any moment I’m going to wake up and realize that it never happened.”

“Silly, this isn’t Dallas!”

Pinkie had strode into the kitchen; Twilight Velvet had thought she wasn’t a prudish mare but the sight of the pink earth pony, completely nude, caught her off guard. Based solely on looks she could understand why Endymion would like the pink mare. She was beautiful, her breasts were large and full, her hips wide, and she carried herself with confidence. Twilight Velvet felt herself blush as the pink mare gave her a hug.

“Thanks for making breakfast!”

She walked over toward the spread laid out and began to sing to herself, “Bum Deely dum dum, Bum Deely dum dum, Making your way in the world today takes everything you got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot! Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you wanna go where everypony knows your name. And they’re always glad you came, you want to be where you can see that our troubles are all the same, and where everypony knows your name!” she giggle snorted, “And your husband wants to be a girl, be glad there’s one place in the world where everypony knows your name.”

“Pinkie… What song is that?”

Pinkie shrugged her shoulders and took a deep drink of the orange juice, which Twilight had traded out for her coffee. She’d made the mistake of giving her future sister wife coffee once, just once, and it had been when Endymion was out on an adventure. Her poor flank was sore for days afterward. Nope, no more coffee for Pinkie Pie, ever, ever again.

“Where everypony knows your name, Duh!”

“Lucky’s?”

“Yepperoni!” she lifted her glass and clinked Twilight’s coffee mug, “Cheers!”

Every mare at the table knocked back their respective drinks. Sparkle reveled in the caffeine; Pinkie was relishing the sweet of her orange juice. Both Blossomforth and Velvet enjoyed their warm beverages, although Blossom was taken with some small anxiety. She didn’t want to return to Braided Silver’s villa any more than she wanted to have that anal plug up her tailhole. Even so, it needed to be returned. It wasn’t hers in the first place.

The rest of the party joined soon after, with Endymion coming last. His explanation for his late arrival was down to being last in the shower. Being last, he caught the scraps left after breakfast. Velvet did wonder if he would complain, but over the course of the Crown prince had shown himself an amiable sort who less interested in being demanding than he was in helping out when and where he can. She couldn’t fault him for it. Endymion took his seat, a little Prench Toast, some scrambled eggs, a bit of hash browns, two slices of regular toast, and a bit of jam. It wasn’t an overly full breakfast, but he wouldn’t complain. It was fixed, prepared, and ready to be eaten.

He took a sip of his coffee, and noticed that Pinkie was finishing up her orange juice. He tried to think about it, but he hadn’t ever seen Pinkie with a cup of coffee. He’d asked both her and Twilight if she was a coffee drinker. Pinkie had just giggled, and Twilight had gotten a peculiar look on her face and said, “Never again. Never, ever again.”

Endymion’s eyes traveled from Pinkie’s lips, to her bare breasts, and his eyes lingered there for a bit before exploring more of her. He then looked over at Twilight who was wearing one of his shirts, a pair of her panties, he remembered she grabbed a fresh pair since the pair she had been wearing last night had been ripped off of her. Endymion now knew that a drunk Twilight was even more insatiable than Pinkie without any chemical or alchemical stimulation.

Twilight had wanted to be rutted in the worst of ways last night, but it was something they all wanted. Regardless, he’d remember that after she got tipsy Twilight would start giving slight hints, giving him the indication that she wanted him. As the night went on the slight hints changed into gropes, the gropes changed into her actually pulling his cock out and playing with it, and after that the three of them went to bed.

He knew that the others had to have heard them, but everypony was being polite enough not to talk about it. He looked at Applebloom who was sitting near her sister. Fluttershy who looked like she was in her own little world. He didn’t realize it, but Fluttershy was seeing things, truly seeing things as they should be for the first time. What happened with the sea serpent, their calming the lake, returning that cub to her parents, those were things that a noble hero did. Endymion was a hero, a champion, and she didn’t understand him any better than she had when Sol first declared it.

Her eyes drifted to him. He was attractive, in an exotic way, and he was kind. She’d seen his kindness, his gentleness when needed. He always treated Twilight and Pinkie with the utmost respect, and at the same time he seemed to rut them silly. He seemed to perform well above the call of duty in regard to a husband’s duties. That thought caused a blush to flush across her muzzle.

Her champion was a host of contradictions, the least of which was his brash behavior. His impeccable luck, or lack thereof, seemed to fate him towards a life of much hardship. She had never heard him complain about it, though. Even though he was seriously lacking in the more subtle aspects of heroism, especially when compared to the mare, Flurry Heart, the Sol Priestess couldn’t deny that Endymion Everfree was a hero, even if his methods and backstory weren’t very traditional.

Speaking of which, Fluttershy thought, I know there is an official story to Princess Luna adopting Endymion, but I wonder, is that all of it? He is so distinct; I’ve never seen a pony like him ever. And no stallion I know can last as long as he does- Wait, did I just think that?! Oh, Sol! I must keep my head of the gutter…

“Hey Flutters,” came a voice, throwing the priestess back to the waking world, “whatcha doing, sitting there like a recluse?”

“Oh, hello, Endymion,” Fluttershy replied, “I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”

“About what?” Endymion queried.

“Well,” Shy began, “I wanted to ask you something, but I don’t know how to go about it.”

“Uh, Shy?” Endymion asked.

“Oh!” The Sol Priestess exclaimed, “Oh, no, nothing- sensual. I just- Everypony has heard the story of how you were adopted by Princess Luna, but- I am confused about how you are here, in Equestria. Does that make any sense?”

Endymion tilted his head, then turned to face his mares. Fluttershy couldn’t see the look on his face, but he see Twilight shrug and Pinkie Pie nod her head enthusiastically. (Pinkie’s nod was a tad too exaggerated, as the pink mare’s bosom shook in time with her nods.) Endymion then turned back to face Fluttershy and said, “We should take this discussion somewhere private.”

“W-why?” Shy asked.

“Sovereign security,” Endymion said, “as decreed by Princess Luna.”

“Oh, okay,” Fluttershy replied back, “I didn’t- I couldn’t- I’d understand if you couldn’t- I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Endymion said, “we just need to be somewhere- quieter. Too many ponies here,” his gaze raked over Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Blossomforth, “and this is a- sensitive issue.”

“Alright,” Fluttershy said, rising from the table.

“We’ll be back,” Endymion announced to the table, “Champion’s business. You know how it is.”

The priestess and her champion left the villa. Endymion walked towards the back, approaching a wooded area of the lakeshore. Once past the tree line, both pony and prince walked on until the reached a clearing, a glade made from an old brush fire from decades ago. Endymion motioned for Shy to sit down on a fallen log. She did so gently, careful not to disturb any animals that might be inhabiting it. Endymion stayed on his feet, marking a perimeter with magic, until the woods around them fell silent. Then, when he was satisfied with his work, he began to speak.

“What I am about to impart upon you is knowledge only those in the Royal Family know. It is utmost top secret; uttering a word of this could earn you a lifetime in the Canterlot dungeons.

“Now, there- There has been and official story; no doubt you’ve heard it. Mother found me in the Everfree forest some twenty years ago, alone, after an explosion rent the night. As far as anypony knows, that’s all there is to the story.

“There is, of course, a whole lot more and Mother has bound me to secrecy about it all, even though she only knows of the details after I landed here…”

“Landed?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes,” Endymion confirmed, “we’ll- get to that in a little bit. So- Oh, where to start. Maybe from- Yeah. So… I am- not from around here. If you must know, I am human, I come from another world beyond this one, and my presence here is either by accident or by design. Mother and I haven’t puzzled out how that works out.

“What I can remember of that fateful day was the airport…”

Fluttershy looked ready to ask another question, but she stifled it, hoping Endymion would explain further.

“So, yeah, the airport. Mom and Dad are there. I don’t think I was even a year old… I might have been nearly two, but I can’t really be sure. In any case, we’re going through the airport. Bags are checked in, tickets are turned in at the gate, we board the plane- An airplane; humans can’t fly naturally, you see, so we have enclosed contraptions that do it for us, like Mother’s Airship.

“So, uh, yeah, we boarding the plane, the captain sees me as we make our way to our seats, he gives me some captains wings,” Endymion pulls a small, tarnished emblem that resembles a pair wings, “and then we take our seats. I like flying, it’s kinda fun, especially when we get at cruising speed, so- Okay.

Everything is going fine for a long while, nothing of note is happening. Then the plane starts getting jumpy. The captain says we’ve hit some nasty turbulence, buckle yourselves in, et cetera. Then the plane gets to jostling, there’s flashes of light outside the plane. I’m thinking it’s really pretty light show, but everybody else is screaming there heads off.

“The captain calls out again, asking everyone to assume crash positions… There’s noise, lot’s of noise, a hard jounce, fire, darkness- I black out for a while. I come to- I don’t know how long later. It’s dark. The only light is the residual fires burning from pieces of the plane. Mom, Dad- They aren’t moving-”

Endymion tries to steady himself as tears form then fall down his clean, shaven cheeks. He settles on the log Fluttershy is on. He hiccups a few times but after a bit, he settles down enough to begin his recount.

“Over the roars of the fire, I hear hooves. And rustling feathers, like pigeons coming home to roost. Then I hear voices. I’m scared but I can’t leave. Mom and Dad are just- They’re just sleeping and I have to keep this piece of metal up so they didn’t get squashed.

“Then I hear a soft, motherly voice. She’s- She’s looking everywhere, searching for survivors, only finding bodies. Then she comes near me. I’m really scared now but I can’t leave Mom and Dad behind… Then she lifts the metal piece up. By Sol, she is so beautiful! Her flowing mane of night, the stars alighting in their constellations, so gorgeous!

“She whispers to her fellows, tells them to continue the search. She says that she wouldn’t call it off until all evidence points towards a recovery mission. She then throws the metal aside. She sees Mom and Dad… Tears. I remember her tears. She saw me, a lone infant boy, next to the bodies of his dead parents, and she cries.

“But she puts on this winning smile and lifts me up in her arms. I felt- I felt safe. Loved, even. She’s like Mom, she smells like Mom, all sunshine and periwinkle and baby powder. She tells me it’s going to be okay, everything will be alright. She then orders some of her fellows to- to recover my parents’ bodies.

“But she is so warm and gentle… I grab a lock of her hair and it so soft! She cooes at me, tells me sweet words, sings to me. I fall asleep in a thrice.”

Sniffling, Endymion added, “I would learn later that Mother put me to bed, swaddled me in clean linens, for I soiled myself, and then renewed her search for survivors. There were none. She had all that could be carted to Canterlot moved at once. The bodies- there were so many. She told me later that they mysteriously disappeared. None of the guards could account for what happened to them.

“Every single one of them was held in a reserve morgue for later examination, locked up tight and under heavy guard. By they just- vanished. As for me, I was now an orphan. An orphan from another world, as it were. She had all the materials from the crash examined but none of her scientists could explain it all. She then searched my young memories. It was after she learned all she could from my recollections that she made it a law that anypony that breathed a word of my- extraterrestrial origins would be arrested and placed in prison for life.”

“But- why?” Fluttershy asked.

“Seriously?” Endymion retorted, “there are ponies here that can’t stand other ponies because the lack horns or wings or any magical talents; there even some of their offspring that taunt and bully those without their cutie mark. Do you honestly believe that such tribalists would willingly buy into the idea of other worlds? And gladly? I wouldn’t think so.”

“Then, what about those other hoomans?” Fluttershy inquired.

“I don’t know,” Endymion answered, “they- they may have been here a while longer than I have. They may be those that survived the plane crash. But- it’s all speculation until we can get past Mount Gloom.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said gloomily, “okay.”

“Now Shy,” Endymion said, “you gotta promise not to breath a word of this. Not to anypony. Not to your parents, not to your brother, not to AJ or Dash.”

“What about Pinkie Pie or Twilight?” Shy asked.

“They already know,” Endymion answered, “Mother told them, They’re under the same secrecy pact.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, “well, I won’t tell a soul, I can promise you that. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

“Pinkie taught you that, didn’t she?” Endymion asked, to which Shy nodded, “okay, we should get back to the others. We are on vacation, you know?”

The pair marched back the way the came, catching the last of the morning dew. As the neared the villa, they caught the sight of Pinkie Pie. The Roamani mare bounced their way, wearing an ill fitting sundress that showed more of Pinkie than was proper. The bodice barely covered her bosom, the skirt rode up high enough on every bounce to reveal her labia. (She had foregone putting on any panties.) Endymion could see the stitching on the hems coming apart. He wondered who lent her that dress.

“Hi-hi-hi,” Pinkie said, “so did you finally reveal your sad origin story? Did Fluttershy figure out just how really heroic you really are, Endy?”

“Yes,” Endymion said, “and not sure. Fluttershy, what say you?”

“I think it’s possible,” Fluttershy replied, “given all that you endured so far, I think I may have sold you short.”

“And the best is yet to come,” Endymion said, beaming, “still got plenty to do in this life.”

Both Fluttershy and Pinkie smiled, then Pinkie winked at Shy. The Sol Priestess didn’t know what the wink was about; given she knew Pinkie for as long as she did, she thought Pinkie was privy to information nopony did. This was a portent but to whether it was good or bad, she didn’t really know.

Twilight Villa, Later That Night

The three mares in first guest room were holding a lively discussion, a very lively discussion indeed. Their argument drifted down the hall, so Twilight Velvet was able to hear almost every syllable spoken. She was uncertain what it all was about until she heard Endymion’s name. There was a nagging feeling in her gut that this conversation could have dire consequences. Before she could further contemplate this turn of events, she saw the door of the room open and the Sol Priestess step out.

“I know you don’t agree with me, and I understand that you want what is best for me, but this is my decision,” Fluttershy stated, “and I intend to carry it out.”

“But Shy,” pleaded the mare Rainbow Dash, “it’s just- wrong!”

“Dash,” AJ said, and Velvet knew that is was the farm mare by her accent, “Shy said she had to carry on with this, so we’re gonna respect her decision.”

“But-”

“But nothin’,” AJ said, “Fluttershy, go on ahead. Dash is jus’ bein’ a lil hot head, like always.”

“Hey!”

“I’ll talk to you girls later,” Fluttershy said, then facing front, she saw Velvet, “oh! Hello, Madam Velvet.”

“Hello, dear,” Velvet replied, smiling, “is there something wrong?”

“No, not really,” The Sol Priestess answered, “just a mild disagreement.”

“Oh, I see,” Velvet said, “well, is there anything I can help you with?”

“Now that you mention, it” Shy said, “do you know if your daughter and her herdmates have gone to bed yet?”

“Hmm,” Velvet mused, “you know, I did see them retire to their room just a few minutes again. Why do you ask?”

“I just needed to ask something of Endymion,” Flutters replied, “well, have a good night!”

“And to you as well!” Velvet responded.

Fluttershy flashed a brilliant smile, then fluttered past Twilight Velvet. To the older mare, the Sol Priestess looked grimly determined, a mare on mission. Fluttershy did feel that she had an imperative to accomplish. She was going to take Mistress Celestia advice to heart and bed her champion. She was actually rather nervous about it. If her Grandmother Umbra had been here, she would let her know that she was making a horrible mistake. But her mother, Nightshade, would tell her to be brave, show no fear, and take that stallion by his primaries.

Of course, Endymion doesn’t have wings, so he doesn’t have any primaries to get a hold of, Fluttershy thought, he does have a nice pair of flanks. I get grab on to those- No, Fluttering, don’t get over excited. You are doing your duty as a Sol Priestess. I am getting to know my champion in the most intimate way possible. After this, I should understand him completely and anticipate his every move, thus fulfilling my obligation as his Dedicated Servant.

Her march to Twilight’s room was over before she knew it. The untidy scrawl of letters announcing her friends room was a reminder that Twilight Sparkle was a filly here at one time and some of these halls and rooms still had her personality in them. Beyond was probably the same, albeit, now the room had the trappings of an adult mare in it as well. And one of those adult trappings was a strapping stallion that sent her heart aflutter. The Priestess may have thought she was fulfilling one of her duties to her champion, but in her secret heart, she was doing this to fill a primal need she had denied herself for a long time.

She raised her hand to knock on the door, but the door opened of it own volition it seemed. Then Fluttershy saw Pinkie behind the door; the smile on her friend’s face was so wide, it seemed to defy pony physiology.

“Hello,” Pinkie sang, “can I help you?”

“I’d like to speak with Endymion, please,” Fluttershy said, with an air of authority, then, “i-if you don’t mind.”

“Sure!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Come right in!”

The pink party pony opened the door wide and ushered the priestess in. She noticed Twilight sitting on the bed, cuddling next to her champion. My champion, the shy mare thought, that is my champion. The thought was tainted with jealousy, but the priestess did not recognize the emotion.

“Good evening,” Fluttershy said, “I would like to speak with My Champion, please. In private.”

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” The lavender mare asked, “You seem awfully assertive tonight. Not that there’s anything wrong that with that-”

“I’m fine,” Shy stated, “there is a matter that Endymion and myself need to discuss. A very private matter, in fact.”

While Twilight puzzled over what her Pegasus friend was talking about, Pinkie sidled next to her herd mate.

“Hey Twilight, would you join me for a soak in the hot tub?” Pinkie asked, “I know we didn’t much today but I am so sore and I think lounging with some steamy water would do just the trick to loosen me up.”

Finally, Twilight caught on, saying, “Sure, Pinkie! I would love a soak in the hot tub. A nice long soak should relax me right up!”

The two mares took a few moments to gather some basic supplied for hot tubbing and left the room, but not before giving their stallion a kiss. Once the both left, Fluttershy steeled her resolve and stared down at her champion. He was no longer lying on the bed; he sat at the edge, eyes alert, body posture relaxed but in a ready state.

“Endymion,” Fluttershy started, “you and I got off to a rather rocky start. And during our time together, I haven’t really gotten to know you all that well. This time, here on this lake, though, had taught me more about you than I could possibly know. And what you told me earlier… You really are very strange, but I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.”

“Uh, thanks, Shy,” Endymion said, “I’m- not sure how to take all of that, but thanks, nonetheless.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy said, “now, even though I know you fairly well, there is still one aspect of you that I have not had the courage to explore until now.”

And with that, Fluttershy reached back, unclasping her robes and let them fall to the floor. She stood there, in her natural glory, very nervous but also very excited. She had never presented herself to a stallion before, Skyblaze notwithstanding; even if this was her first true time doing so, she felt proud of how she kept herself in shape. If Fluttershy’s eyes did not deceive her, so did Endymion.

While she would never be a world class model like Fleur De Lis, she was still rather tall, even for a Pegasus. Her body was muscular but not overly so, her bosom was of average size, and she thought herself highly flexible, which was something most Pegasi mares had. She felt a rush of heat bloom on her face, and another rush deep in her groin, the two sensations exciting her wildly.

“I hope I can please you,” Fluttershy said in the most sultry voice she had, “My Champion.”

“Fluttershy?” Endymion started, yet before he could muster further argument, the shy mare kissed him.

When they broke the kiss, Endymion stooped for a moment to collect his thoughts. His eyes drank in the sight before him. Her breasts were a perfect compliment to both Twilight's and Pinkie's. Sitting between the two in size and shape. The orbs were yellow, like her coat, but her nipples were darker, richer, standing to attention.

She didn't have abs, like Rainbow Dash had, but she wasn't carrying too much extra weight either. Her stomach was flat, smooth, and then he saw the trimmed pink bush that indicated where her marehood was. Her hips, they accented her breasts beautifully, and he saw a gorgeous mare before him. He started to rise, but she moved toward him, her hand resting on his shoulder.

"No," she kissed him, "Stay here, like this."

She kissed down his neck, to his shoulder, her wings standing straight up. There was a part of her that knew that this was right. Primeval force had just overrode cognitive thought and she didn’t even realize she had pushed back onto the bed, torn off his bed clothes, and straddled his hips until she impaled herself upon his spire.

“Haugh!” The Sol Priestess gasped, “Oh, agh, so big-”

“Fluttershy?” Endymion asked, “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy moaned, then, “no. I mean- Oh, SOL! This… This is my first time.”

“You’re first-” Endymion started, “You’re a virgin, Shy?”

The shy mare grunted as she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position, then said, “Yes.”

“So, wait,” the crown prince began, “why are you doing this?”

A short moan was followed by some shallow panting before Fluttershy responded, “I wanted to get to know My Champion better.”

“But Shy-” Endymion started before Fluttershy’s internal works clamped down around his pride, stifling the rest of his thought.

“It’s okay,” Shy panted, “I want this.”

Then the golden mare began to bob on top of him. There was a lot of hesitation on her part. She would start moving at a rapid pace, but then he’d slip out of her because she wasn’t focused at the task at hand. After re-inserting him into herself, she began again, more cautious. All the time, she gasped with every downward thrust; every shift in position caused her to groan in pain. The longer she went at it, though, the less painful it got for her and the more enjoyable it became.

At length, Shy found a rhythm she was capable of sustaining. She rode on Endymion’s shaft hard, grunting, panting, arching her back, all the while keeping the prince pinned to the bed by her sheer will. Endymion was unsure of how she was doing that, and he wouldn’t complain about it either, but the art of rutting a Pegasus was to one he had the pleasure of knowing. Especially a mare as timid as Fluttershy was.

“Mine,” she then began to growl, “this is mine. ALl mine, nopony elses.”

“Shy,” Endymion warned, “I can think of a few mares who already have a claim-”

“You are mine,” Shy growled again, and Endymion noticed for the first time that a set of fangs had begun to protrude from the priestess’ gums. Her eyes began to take on a crimson hue, wholly different from her teal pools. Her wings began to morph, looking more and more like the leathery, bony appendages of the ledrflapper that were assigned as his mother’s personal security detail. It made Fluttershy even more beautiful than before, but it was a metamorphosis that was going to take some getting used to.

Soon, Shy’s nails began to rake along his chest, drawing blood as they did so. The pain Endymion endured wasn’t all that severe but it was level of kink he didn’t know if he appreciated. Then Fluttershy reared back, her leathery wings spread out fully, and she screamed. The roar she emitted was unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was both within the realm of audible and outside of it as well; Endymion was dead certain of this.

Then Shy’s Kegel muscles wrenched on his tool and even though he was doing his best to refrain from popping to early, Endymion couldn’t stop his climax in this state even if he wanted to. His seed erupted into Fluttershy’s womb, it seemed, and the excess fluids spilled into her passage. The shy mare seemed ready for this and her body soaked up every last drop of his essence until he had nothing left to give. The transformed Pegasus was not quite done yet, for she wiggled her hips, trying to wring every ounce of his sperm into her. It was like she could never get enough.

Then the door to the bedroom slammed open; Pinkie and Twilight, still clad in their bathing suits and steam pouring off their bodies, stormed right in. They gasped in surprise at the sight of their shy friend, mounted atop of their stallion, and transmogrified into some sort of she demon.

“Get back!” Demon Fluttershy announced, “I have claim of him!”

19 Weather, Weddings, and Friends

Rune Soldier

Chapter 19: Weather, Weddings, and Friends

Ancient home of Stargazer the Elder

The older unicorn stallion stood before the old machine. It had been in pieces, deep inside of the ancient home, and he had come searching for the knowledge that Stargazer the Elder had gained over his lifetime. It was down in the basement that he found the machine that now stood before him.

“Brilliant, Stargazer, you were brilliant. You figured it out didn’t you? How to control the Windegos, how to change the weather without the aid of the Pegasi. Oh, how this will change the direction of Equus!”

Reaching over, his hand touched the handle of the ancient machine. He pulled the handle, feeling it slide down. It began to move, gears and arms moving while the magical batteries glowed a brilliant green.

Ponyville - Golden Oaks Library

Endymion sat down near his brides. Pinkie and Twilight seemed to be going over invitations, Fluttershy, was going over a list of ponies she wanted to invite, and Endymion was finishing up his letter to his mother. He had a few things to explain to her, but knowing his mother’s seemingly clairvoyant abilities, he doubted that he needed to explain.

Fluttershy’s addition to their herd was initially very difficult. After mating with Endymion, Shy jealously defended her mate. She wouldn’t allow Pinkie or Twilight near him and she remained in her ledrflapper state during the whole ordeal. Neither the Earth pony or the unicorn were able to convince their Pegasus friend to relinquish their husband. It took Endymion, using Fluttershy’s full name, to bring her back to her normal self. The shy mare apologized profusely for her antics.

“What I don’t understand,” Twilight commented, “is why you- transformed in the first place.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie agreed, “that was really scary!”

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, finally put away a scroll wasn’t even an eighth used, “my maternal side of the family are all ledrflapper but my father and his side are all Pegasi. My brother and I are half-ledrflapper but it never manifested itself until recently.”

“The thing that throws me,” Endymion said, “is your full name. Fluttering Warbringer Deathgaze Shywing? What is up with that?”

The Sol Priestess sighed, stating, “Names are very important amongst Cloudsdale nobility. The Clan Shywing has been a vital family in the halls of not only Cloudsdale but also Canterlot.”

“But how?” Twilight inquired.

“My family matriarch fought against the Solarian usurpers during The Never Ending Day and helped defeat Solarian loyalists in the Solar Revolt,” Fluttershy explained, “my ancestor was made a landed knight. The honor of her actions has carried on in my family for generations. My mother is named after her, Nightshade.”

“Uh, are we forgetting the elephant in the room?” Pinkie Pie asked, “How in Sol’s name did you mount Endy like you did, Shy? I’ve known you longer than Twilight or even Dashie and I’ve never ever seen you so possessive or assertive like that!”

“I guess that does require an explanation,” Fluttershy retorts, “well, I’m Twilight knows, but maybe Endymion doesn’t. Out of all the tribes of ponies, Pegasi have the strongest musk. It acts as not only an aphrodisiac but also a psychotropic perfume. And amongst ledrflapper, it’s particularly strong; no stallion or mare has ever been able to counter the allure of a ledrflapper in heat.”

“Be that as it may,” Twilight responded, “that doesn’t completely explain how you were able to bed our stallion without protest. I know for a fact that Endymion is always ready for us,” “Point.” “but how was it you were able to do so when you weren’t even formally accepted into our herd?!”

“Well, I did disrobe soon after coming into the room,” Fluttershy answers, “and I might have used The Stare a little.”

“The Stare?” Endymion asks, “What is that? Is that something like the petrication glare of a cockatrice or the death bale of a basilisk?”

“No, not quite like that,” Fluttershy responds, “well, you see, I have this ability with animals-”

“Which explains all the animal buddies she has in and around her cottage,” Pinkie pipes in.

“Yes,” Fluttershy continues, “but it’s more than that. I’m not sure how it works, but I have this other ability with animals, which is more than understanding them in their own language. I can- stare at them, especially when I’m angry or frustrated and the comply with everything I say. It only ever seem to work on animals, until the other night…”

“How exactly does this stare work, anyway?” Endymion asked.

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy replies, “I did ask my chicken friends what it was like, once. They told me that it was like looking into an abyss of shame and embarrassment. It was a spiral of such guilt and remorse that gazing upon it shut down any rebellious thoughts they might have had. And they also described it as rather scary.”

“So, wait,” Endymion started, “do you mean to tell me that you put one of those kind of hexes on me?!”

“Well, no,” Fluttershy stated, “I wish I could tell you more about how The Stare works, but it changes from circumstance to circumstance. I guess in our case, The Stare removed any inhibitions you may have had and sapped you of your will?”

“So not only did you seduce me,” Endymion inquired, “but you used a hypnosis technique on me to do so.”

“Well, I, um,” Fluttershy stammered.

“No, no, I get it,” Endymion grunted, “if anypony needs me, I’ll be outside. I need some air.”

Endymion stood, then walked to the library door. With a hardened glare at the shape shifting Sol Priestess, he opens it, stepped through, and was gone. Fluttershy had the grimace Endymion gave her etched onto her mind. She had not expected things to turn out this way. How was she to know her heritage would assert itself this way? She was now looking at the possibility of losing her friends and her Sol-chosen champion in the same week.

“No, no, I didn’t mean-” Fluttershy began, before two pairs of arms wrapped her up tight.

“It’s okay, Shy,” Pinkie said, “I know Endy. He’s hurt, he’s not thinking straight, and he feels a little ashamed. He thinks he was taken advantage of.”

“I concur with Pinkie,” Twilight added, “while your method of entering our herd was very- unorthodox, I would be willing to bet bits that once he calms down, Endymion will want to include you in our herd. You just need to give him space and time.”

“Thank you girls,” Fluttershy said, then, “but why does it feel like I raped him?”

Endymion wandered Ponyville, no goal in mind, not destination set. While at one time, he would have wanted to bed the beautiful Pegasus that was one of his adventuring partners, that feeling had waned after he fell in love with Pinkie Pie and died completely when his best friend Twilight entered into their herd. And now- He was conflicted. Part of him wanted to say that this was all for the better, that this was he wanted all along. Another part, and the one speaking loudest at the moment, felt violated.

Rape was not an average occurrence in Equestria. Mare taking stallions by surprise like that was unheard of, even during estrus. Although he had been a spectator when his mother pronounced judgment on a stallion that violated a young mare, once. It was many years ago, and it was the only other time he had seen his mother so furious. She had him flogged for two hundred lashes then had him gelded. A gelding was also rather rare to occur but in this instance, Endymion agreed it was necessary.

Now he felt like that gelded stallion. It was an emotion of complete emasculation that soured his very thoughts. He didn’t feeling this way. He wasn’t one of those stallion’s rights advocates that spoke of stallions losing their rights and masculinity to encroaching matriarchy when nothing was further from the truth. Even so, he was now experiencing a serious blow to his ego. He needed a walk to sort out his emotions and get his head straight.

Nopony he knew would understand his plight but he didn’t want to become a pariah of any sort. He had thought if writing to his mother about this, in the letter he had started earlier, but how to address it. This wasn’t the easiest topic to broach, especially for the mare who raised since he was a young colt.

So lost in his musing, he nearly collided with a stallion walking out of Quills and Sofas. The stallion was about as old as he was, with a coat of brilliant gamboge, a monochrome sapphire mane, and cornflower eyes. Endymion also noticed he was wearing Sol Priest robes against Royal Guard Armor. A curious mix, to say the least, and the surprise he had while nearly colliding with the stallion drove away all other thoughts.

“Oh, sorry,” Endymion said, “kind of lost in my own head.”

“That’s okay,” the stallion replied, “no harm, no foul- Oh, Your Highness!”

“What?” Endymion mused.

“Oh, right, you wouldn’t know me,” the stallion stated, “my name is Flash Sentry, Principales of the Royal Guard and Sol Priest.”

“Huh,” Endymion huffed, “well, that explains how you know my name and title. But I didn’t know clergy of Sol could serve in the military?”

“Many are encouraged to do so,” Flash Sentry replied, “but very few actually do so. I am honor bound to serve.”

“Honor bound?” Endymion asks, “Why so?”

“It’s a debt I owe,” Flash answered, “to the stallion that saved my life.”

“I see,” Endymion said, “that would be promise bound in honor. But why add in Sol Priest duties?”

“Same deal,” Flash answered, “the stallion that saved me was both a Guard and a Priest. I honor him by doing this.”

“Ah, I get it now,” Endymion said, “I’m not sure I can say that. I’m an adventurer because it’s fun. And I like seeing the world from a perspective that isn’t derived from living in Canterlot Palace.”

“I can understand that,” Flash said, “living in a secluded society like that for too long can warp your sense of priorities, make you think that the universe revolves around you.”

Endymion laughs, saying, “Damn right you are! I can’t begin to tell you how many nobles I’ve met who seem to think that the purpose of other ponies is to serve them! And then they get upset with those ponies who defy their expectations or thwart their schemes for further influence and power. Top ten comedy, if it weren’t reality.”

“Oh, I can imagine,” Flash said, “Cloudsdale family lineage acts a lot like the nobles of Canterlot. Albeit, there’s more pageantry so as to avoid blood spilled.”

Endymion nodded dumbly.

“Say,” Flash began, “why don’t we go and get a drink or two? I know a place here in town that serves the best Zap Apple Brandy.”

“That sounds good to me,” Endymion said, “are we going to Lucky’s then?”

“Nah,” Flash replied, “I know someplace better. Like I said, best Zap Apple Brandy. IN the history of ever. You’re going to love it.”

Endymion couldn’t find any fault in Flash’s argument, though he was sure there might be one, and agreed to come. The two stallions trotted away from Quills and Sofas for a length of time, passing by Sugarcube Corner, Eight Lane’s Bowling Alley, Mr. Breezy’s Fan Emporium, and finally came to stop at a place Endymion didn’t know existed. Granted, he hadn’t stayed in Ponyville very long and he was still getting accustomed to the town, but the establishment he was looking at now was certain he wouldn’t have glossed over given half a day of exploration.

“Berryshine’s Distillery,” Endymion read the sign posted out front, “Fine Wine, Spirits, and Liquors?”

“Yep,” Flash beamed, “it’s not as upscale as the wineries you might find in Canterlot but the seating is fantastic with excellent service. And, it’s a lot quieter than Lucky’s.”

“Okay, let’s go in,” Endymion said and the pair entered in through the shepherd’s door of the distillery.

The interior of the distillery was nothing like Endymion imagined it. There were tubs were alcohol was being processed, fermented, and distilled all around him. The pipe works were a thing to behold, as amber, scarlet, and translucent blue liquids flowed through the transparent piping. A raspberry mare with a hay colored mane was wiping down whiskey tumblers and shot glasses behind an ornate elmwood bar. He spotted several mares and stallions passing amongst tables, serving drinks and food to the patrons.

“This place is amazing,” Endymion croaked with awe, “how did I not know this place existed?”

“Well, it’s not usually a place for adventurers,” Flash stated, “also, for anypony but living the adventurer’s life, this place might be out of your budget.”

“Ah, I gotcha,” Endymion said, “so, do we just pick a seat or-?”

His question was answered by a grey mare with a blonde mane and the queerest eyes he had ever seen. Neither seemed to look in the same direction. While such a unique perspective might seem rather dizzying to The Crown Prince, this mare had no disadvantage that he could see. Her uniform, a matte black dress with a bleached white apron, was pressed, clean and the lace on the cuffs and hem were pristine. A name badge affixed to the apron said her name was Ditzy.

“Welcome to Berryshine’s Distillery,” the mare said with a sing-song voice, “would you like a table or a booth?”

“A booth, please, Derpy,” Flash answered.

“Oh, Officer Sentry,” Ditzy replied, “you’re back! Would you like your usual?”

“Yes, please,” Flash replied cheerfully, “and another for my friend.”

“Yes, sir, Flash Sentry, sir,” Ditzy says, with a mock salute, “follow me, please.”

The two stallions follow the waitress mare. Endymion is in awe of the mare’s agility and ability to navigate the tables and crowd while suffering from fish eyes. Eventually, they reached a booth in a bright corner of the distillery and say down. Ditzy gave them a menu and explained that their drinks would be on their way shortly. She then gave them menus, silverware, and told them to expect a waitress to take their orders promptly. Ditzy then returned to her station.

“What did I say?” Flash asked, “Best service in town!”

Berryshine’s Distillery - Kitchen

Berryshine looked out into the full house. Cooking wasn’t something she was exceptionally good at, but she did try to help out from time to time. The fact that she made a mean eggplant lasagna didn’t hurt, and right now since it was near dinner time for most of her patrons that was what she was working on. She blew a stray mulberry wine colored strand of her mane out of her eyes.

“What’s wrong punchy?”

She rolled her eyes and looked at Carrot Top, “Not much, just getting this ready.”

“Yeah, you know Lyra’s place is serving catfish bites now. I think that she’s counting on us having a few more gryphons in town.”

Berryshine let out a soft growl. The Little White Lyre, Lyra’s Bar and Grill, was housed in what used to be her first bar and grill. She served her best brand of marlo, and Lyra, well, she served pretty much any kind of spirits she could find. That left Lucky’s and ponies that went there usually did because they were dirt poor, or wanted to get good and drunk.

“Oh Tartarus! Tell me that I’m dreaming, or that I’m wrong, but isn’t that the crown prince?”

Berry took a look out into the dining area, and she saw him. Sitting across from Flash Sentry. Her eyes widened, and a smile crossed her muzzle.

“Fortune shines on those who are ready. Okay, we need to make this extra tasty, I also need whatever ale or spirits they’ve ordered to be served in the best glasses. Get Amethyst to serve them, she can use her magic and not spill a drop, and see if you can get her to show a little cleavage.”

“I don’t think that Ditzy is going to like the fact that you’ve got her daughter trying to show her goods.”

“Ditzy has stake in this business, she knows what we’re trying to do here, and she ate the first four muffins we have in the mornings. She can get over it.”

Carrot Top rolled her eyes, walked toward the waitresses, and got Amethyst’s attention. After explaining what she wanted the teenage unicorn nodded, opened her blouse enough to show the top of her well developed breasts, and she grabbed the best glasses, poured a tall glass of Zap Apple Ale in each of them, and then sat them onto the serving tray. It was a little presumptuous to prepare the ale first, but she knew that most of the ponies that came into here wanted it. It was hard to keep it in stock, and the Apples sure made more than enough when they sold Berryshine the Zap Apples to make it with.

She walked out, her magic keeping the drinks completely level with her magic. She looked around for the ponies without drinks, and then she saw him. She’d seen him before, after he joined Applejack’s Adventuring group, and of course on some of the posters of the royal family that had been distributed. In those pictures he looked different. His mane was typically in a ponytail, held in place by a gold thread, he wore a blue vest, white shirt, and black slacks, all of which had his mother’s cutie mark adorning them, and then finally there was his face. His face was the face of passive boredom. She knew it exceptionally well.

She giggled to herself as she reached their table.

“Hello, I’m Amethyst Star, and I will be your waitress. Tonight we have a lovely Eggplant lasagna, coupled with fresh garlic bread, or if you would rather we do have everything from the full menu ready to be prepared.”

Endymion looked at her, and he could see her opened top. The barmaid’s uniform wasn’t that different from what he’d seen at Lucky’s. It was colored differently, in that the white and mulberry wine dress actually enhanced Amethyst’s own soft lavender coat. But with the top unstrapped as it was, and the white blouse loosened, he could see the valley between her breasts. She was lovely, easily the same body type as Twilight, and he felt a twinge of regret. He needed that drink, and he raised the glass to his lips. The ale tasted light, airy, and pleasant. There was a sweet taste, almost like floom nectar, and he felt the thickness of it as it slid down his throat.

It wasn’t syrupy, but it did have a thicker body than regular ale.

“I’ll take another, and a glass of Vodka.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Equestrian or imported?”

“Imported from where?”

“Stalliongrad. It’s well known, and honestly it can be a little strong.”

“Okay, bring me a glass, no two glasses.”

There was a snort, and he turned to see a large ragged looking Earth Pony. He was a caramel colored tan, sporting a blond mane, and wearing what looked like a strange uniform. The Earth Pony looked at him, dug out an old pair of reading glasses, and then looked at the book he was holding. Endymion looked him over as he stood there. He wore a gray uniform, buttons down the front that had the symbol of an eagle on each of them. On his arm was a red band with a white circle, in the middle was an awkward looking cross. He wore two small iron crosses on his chest, and in his free hand was his hat.

He neared Endymion, giving a bow, and standing straight again, “Ya, Ich heiße Wahre Herz. Darf ich mit Ihnen sitzen?”

“Ya, Bitte setzen Sie sich mit uns,” Endymion said as he offered a place.

“Danke!”

“You speak Germaneigh?”

Endymion nodded and smiled, “I do. Mother wanted me to learn several languages. And at one time it looked like there was going to be a prospective suitor from there. The daughter of a chancelor. Aryanne Pures Blut was her name. She was actually a very attractive mare, but she was cold and unfeeling. Mother sensed that the marriage was one done for power and nothing else. With that known, well, the marriage was called off. I think that Aryanne was more relieved than myself over it.”

“You speak of the Führer.”

They looked at Wahre Herz who gave them a small grin, “I speak some Equestrian, but it is… how you say, very limited,” he smiled, “I am actually here because of the Führer. She wishes to extend a hand in friendship to Equestria again. I believe she wishes to align her house with the house of the moon.”

“She does?”

“Ya, she wishes to find the crown prince, speak to him… Sorry, I know not the word in Equestrian,” he thought for a moment, “Heiraten, and bare a heir for the throne.”

“I’m afraid he wouldn’t be interested.”

Wahre Herz looked at him, his eyes widened, and he smiled, “Crown Prince, it is pleasure to meet you, your highness.”

“Please don’t, and I’m sorry to say that I have no wish of marrying, or bedding, your Führer.”

Wahre Herz chuckled, and then laughed loudly, “I did not believe you would.”

Endymion looked at him in confusion, “And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Nein, I am glad. My orders are to stay until you are convinced. If you are unable to be convinced, I stay.”

Endymion grinned at him, realizing what he was saying. He was going to be staying here, on orders, for the rest of his life.

“Have a drink with me,” Endymion said as Amethyst came back with his drink order. He pushed one of the glasses of Vodka over to Wahre Herz, “I insist.”

The large Earth Pony nodded, took the glass, and with a single gulp he swallowed it down. That earned a grin from Endymion, and after a bit there was four glasses brought out.

The large Earth Pony held the glass, a little unsteadly, and grinned, “A friend, somepony I meet from here, he once tell me a toast, I say it now, because you are friend, ya?”

Endymion nodded, “Nasdarovje, For those who serve, those who will, and those have, here is to you, and here is to me. And should we ever disagree, to Tartarus with you, and here is to me.”

Endymion laughed, and once more the glasses were drained. Over the course of four hours Wahre Herz, Flash Sentry, and Endymion drank quite a bit of Berry’s vodka, her Zap Apple Ale, and finally, the three of them headed out into the night. Not before paying the very large bill, which made Berry a happy mare, and as they traveled the group found themselves a place that looked just as good of a sleeping spot as any.

“Whelp, Ah guess that Applebloom weren’t pullin’ mah leg ‘bout ya’ll being out here,” a deep baritone voice said.

Endymion cracked open an eye and he felt like his entire head was swimming. There was a horrific feeling of cotton mouth, and he could swear that something had crawled into his skull and created an iron works because he felt feverous and his head pounded like mad.

“Big Mac?”

“Eeeyup, yer out at our farm. Might want ta wake up, maybe clean up a bit. ‘Bloom dun went to fetch Twilight and Pinkie.”

He groaned again, willing to simply lay down and let the scavengers find his corpsified body and be done with it. A moment later he felt the cold splash of a bucket of water hit him. Beside him the large Earth Pony he met last night sat up cursing in Germaneighian, and Flash coughed as he sputtered to life.

“What in that Tartarus is wrong with you?!”

“Get up, Ah got chores ta do, and ya gotta explain why ya went ta missin’ ta yer mares.”

Endymion slowly rose up, feeling the now soaked material of his clothes sticking to him. He watched as Wahre Herz seemed to take in where they were.

“Farm?”

Endymion nodded, “Yeah, the Apple’s place. I don’t even remember getting here.”

“I… I think it was after we cut through a field, but I don’t remember everything,” Flash spoke up.

“Yeah, my memories are pretty bucked up, too,” Endymion commented, “ugh, I smell like wet Diamond Dog.”

“You certainly look better than a Diamond Dog,” said a cheerful voice, and the Crown Prince turned his aching head to see a panting Applebloom leaning by the barn door, as well as Pinkie Pie and Twilight. Fluttershy hung back, an apprehensive look on her face.

“Pinks, Twi,” Endymion moaned, “Shy, pleasure to see you all here. Now, would anypony have a potion, pill, spell, or some other remedy for a hangover?”

“Mein Freund, nicht so laut,” Herz murmured, “ooh, oh, mein Kopf…”

“What is he saying?” Twilight asked.

“This,” Endymion points to the uniformed stallion, “is Wahre Herz, from Genmaneigh. Wahre, my herdmates, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle-” a pause, and then, “and Fluttershy.”

“Herr Endymion,” Wahre spoke, in awe, “Sie sind ein glücklicher Hengst!”

Pinkie Pie grinned at him, “Guten Morgen, Herr Wahre Herz.”

“Sie sprechen Deutsch hübsches Mädchen?”

“Nein,” she grinned at him and walked toward Endymion, “Are you okay Endy?”

He nodded, “Good,” and she did something Twilight never thought that she would see Pinkie Pie do. She grabbed their stallion by the ear, and pulled him over toward her.

“What were you thinking? You made us worry, you made Twilight cry, and you left without giving Fluttershy a piece of your mind, or hearing us giving her a piece of our mind. That was a bad, bad stallion.”

“Ow, Pinkie... “

“No, you tell Twilight you’re sorry right now.”

Even without his ear in peril of being twisted to the point of never looking the same again he would have apologized to Twilight. He loved her. He loved everything about her. And he loved Pinkie Pie the same, although at the moment he was getting a little afraid of her.

“I’m sorry Twily,” he said before she caught him in a hug.

“You’re forgiven, but it’s not okay. Don’t do that again! We wanted to let you blow off steam, but when you didn’t come back… I got worried, and Pinkie got worried, and then Fluttershy tried to leave, and I made her stay, and Pinkie… Well…”

“I told her that she was going to take a very long time to earn our forgiveness, and that it would take even longer to earn yours,” she let go of his ear, kissed him, and hugged him again, “And I don’t want you to just forgive her. This is her ordeal to enter into the herd,” she said.

Flash interjected, saying, “Ummm, not that it’s any of my business, but that isn’t how Pegasi marriages work. If she’s mated to him, then she’s married to him.”

Pinkie looked at Flash and he instantly shut his mouth from the glare she gave him, “I’m the alpha mare of this herd, and if she wants to join then she’s going to do this.”

“Yes ma’am, sorry for saying otherwise ma’am,” Flash said as his ears flattened against his head.

Above them a cold wind blew. Endymion looked around, because right now it was summer, sweltering heat was the staple of the season, not cold wind. It blew again, and this time clouds began to form, dark, foreboding clouds that seemed to leaking beads of snow. Not the snowflakes he had seen when it had snow, snowflakes that had first been designed by Snowdrop, one of the highest nobles of the Pegasi order, and a close friend of his mother’s from over a thousand years ago.

Ever since she designed the first snowflake all snowflakes had been carefully crafted by weather ponies, but these, these were wild beads of snow. He looked around not really sure what was going on, but after a few moments there was somepony flying out toward them. She was carrying a mailbag, wearing a mail uniform, and she landed hear them. She looked out of breath, and clouds of her warm breath in the cold air only made to point out that something was indeed wrong.

She looked at Endymion and gave him a smile.

“Hi!”

“Ditzy, it’s nice to see you.”

“Thanks! Oh, I got a letter for you. Um, Spike asked me to bring it out since it’s too cold outside for him, and he just got it from Princess Luna,” she said.

“You deliver mail?”

“Oh, yeah, I deliver the mail, work on the weather team, work at Berry’s place, and I also clean houses. I’m busy, like a lot, but I do it all for my little muffins, I love them, and I want them to have what I never had.”

“You’re a good mother,” he said.

He opened the letter, and saw his mother’s words.

“Dearest Endymion,

My son, I write to you now not only as your mother, but as a diarch of Equestria. Scouts of mine have reported unstable weather all over Equestria, and it is spreading. The weather is spreading all throughout Equus. Knowing this, I asked Professor Flintheart to research what could be happening, and he has informed me of a machine left behind by a great sorcerer from an earlier time. The sorcerer was known as Stargazer the Elder, and he had created a way to control the very forces of nature without Pegasi magic, and without direct unicorn magic. It was meant to be a way to promote a better life, but the machine was flawed.

My son, if that machine is left unattended, and it is not shut down, it will freeze everything and everypony. I ask of you, as an adventurer, and as a magi, to please, go forth and shut it down. Find the one who has started it, and bring them back to the black cloaks.

I trust you to do this my son, and know that I love you very dearly.

Mommy.”

Author's Note

A little filler chapter, before we begin a new arc of the story!

If you see any errors, misspellings, syntax fails, or have other comments, please don't hesitate to tell us. We are not professional editors, unfortunately…

20 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part One

Author's Note

And now we begin The Weather Machine Saga!

Comments welcome, especially if you see any spelling or grammatical errors. Go ahead and give your two bits, please!
:fluttershysad: :fluttercry:

20 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part One

Rune Soldier

Chapter 20: Walking in a Winter Hinterland, Part One

After the reading of the letter, Fluttershy rushed off to summon Rainbow Dash. As the manager of Ponyville’s weather team, she would be one of the ponies responsible for trying to break up the sudden snow storm, if she could. Fluttershy was given Princess Luna’s summons as answer for the storm and why she was called to arms.

Applejack, meanwhile, helped her family secure their orchard, setting barrel fires aplenty amongst the rows. Canvas oil cloths were spread over the still burdened branches, to retain heat and prevent a frost upon their produce. After completing that task, AJ went and grabbed her winter gear, including her double headed battle axe, her zweihander, her old infantry armor, and a heavy cloak. She also loaded up a cart, a newly built covered wagon not unlike Pinkie’s Vardo, and packed it full of provisions.

Fluttershy returned with Dash soon enough and the prismatic mare was madder than a hen. The fact that a sudden snow had crept up on her and ruined a perfect day, and finely scheduled summer weather, infuriated her to no end. She had read the letter, though; she had stopped by her cloud condominium to equip herself for the cold and a long journey. And as a Pegasus, the cold didn’t affect her or Fluttershy nearly as bad as any Earth pony or unicorn. Which is why she and Applejack had concerns about Twilight and Pinkie coming along.

“Outta th’ question!” AJ exclaimed, “This ain’t no damned vacation we’re takin’ on; this here is a mission from The Crown! Sol take ya if wanna come but Ah expect some heavy combat and make no mistake. There gonna be blood drawn here.”

“No kidding,” Dash confirmed, “as much fun as you two are normally, this is an adventurer’s quest! We’re going to fighting gnomes, orcs, maybe even some other nasties, like windegoes. I don’t think unicorn magic or Earth pony strength is going to help out here. No offense, AJ.”

“None taken,” AJ replied.

“Oh, come on!” Twilight cried, “we’ve been through scrapes before! Not just Solar Flare, but Discord, and Queen Chrysalis! And if this is magical artifice, who amongst you would know how to defuse or deactivate?! Endymion may be your mage, and I’m sorry if I insult, but he’s only a level one mage. I’m a level five, one of only six in the known history of the kingdom! As much as I don’t want to boast, I am right up there with Starswirl the Bearded! I have to go!”

“But-” Dash began only to be cut off by Pinkie Pie, “I’m going, too. As Endy’s Alpha, it’s upon me to make sure he stays safe and healthy. I know Fluttershy’s a good cook and a great healer, and her body would keep him warm at night, BUT HE’S MY STALLION! And as Sol as my witness, I WILL FIGHT FOR HIM AND WITH HIM IF I HAVE TO!”

“Wow, Pinkie,” Twilight breathed, “you really care for him.”

“And I know you do, too,” Pinkie beamed, “and I just KNOW you all are going to to need me. END OF DISCUSSION.”

“Well, Ah’ll be damned,” AJ mused, “a’ight, you two are comin’ along. But yer responsible for protectin’ yerselves. We ain’t got the time or energy to be foalsittin’, ya here?”

Twilight and Pinkie nod their ascent.

“Okay, okay,” Dash said, “can we get going now? These storms are startin’ to give me the willies…”

“Storms?” Endymion asked, “You mean there’s more than one?”

“Are you bucking soft in the head?!” Dash replied, “Yes, storms, plural! This isn’t just one thunderhead dumping the white stuff, it’s whole wings of them! I get a letter from Cloudsdale about a winter weather advisory. They’re in a complete tizzy at the Weather Factory! They didn’t start this storm and they can’t seem to stop it. Weather crews across Equestria are getting hammered. I even got a missive from Griffonstone of all places; they’re in a panic over this sudden climate shift. We need to get this cleared up and fast or all of Equus is going to get buried in snow, literally!”

“A’ight, then,” AJ exclaimed, “let’s go!”

Pinkie walked toward her Vardo, which had remained parked at Sweet Apple Acres, and she looked inside of it. Before anypony could say a thing she reached into her mane, pulled out a bit bag, and counted the bits there. Nodding that it looked good, she looked at AJ and Rainbow Dash.

“Imma gonna go over to Barnyard bargains, and see about getting some more supplies. Food, winter coats that should be on clearance, and some more blankets, maybe fill up the coal box.”

“Yer gonna haggle with Spoiled ain’t ya?”

Pinkie grinned, “Oh, I thought that I might, although if Dashie wants to go with, I know she’ll just give it to me at cost in order to get her out of the store.”

“That was just once! Just Once! I didn’t even know it was her bit purse, and I gave it back!”

“Dun’t really matter Dash, Pinkie’s got a point. Spoiled Rich will try ta get ya out faster, and if’n it means selling things in there at cost she’s a gonna do it. Maybe ya oughtta go with her. Tartarus, maybe Ah oughtta take ya with me when Ah go shopping there.”

Rainbow Dash grumbled as she trotted along Pinkie who was pulling the Vardo. The two of them walked up the road a couple of miles and soon they saw Barnyard Bargains sitting there. Pinkie Unhooked herself, and together she and Rainbow walked into the store to hear a very scripted response from a very uptight mare.

“Welcome to Filthy Rich’s Barnyard Bargains. We have all that you need, and can order in more if you wish…. What are you doing here?!”

Rainbow looked at the purple maned earth pony mare. She stared at Rainbow with utter contempt, her eyes glaring at her in such a way that Rainbow knew she’d happily toss her out of the store if it wouldn’t make her look bad.

“I’m just here with Pinkie Pie to get some provisions.”

Spoiled cleared her throat, trotted around the counter, and looked at Pinkie, “Let me make this perfectly clear… You are welcomed here. You may spend your hard earned bits here, but that… that… kleptomaniac is not to touch a single item in this store!”

“Actually… I was going to ask Dash’s advice on a few things, see, I’m going with my stallion on an adventure, and I need her to help me look at it all, although… If you’re willing to sell it at… Oh, cost, I will personally guarantee and give a pinkie promise, that Rainbow will not take a single item from your store without first paying for it,” Pinkie smiled brightly, “Or you could take your chances and I might not be able to make certain that she does or doesn’t.”

Spoiled Rich looked like a vessel was about to pop in her forehead. She seethed, looked at Pinkie and gave a fake smile, “Fine, as long as you pinkie promise, I will sell everything at cost, but only if I may gather the items you need, and bring them to the front counter.”

“Okie Dokie Loki!” Pinkie said as she pulled a list out of her mane, “Here’s everything.”

Spoiled Rich, wife of Filthy Rich, mother of Diamond Tiara, looked at the list Pinkie handed her. At first, she mistook it for a paltry ten items but when she saw a flap at the bottom of the page and tugged it… It broke a seal of rubber cement, unfolding, accordion style, a list no shorter than fifteen pony lengths. A blood vessel was going to pop soon, she knew it, but, as a mare of her word, she would gather those items personally. It was a big sale, an even bigger commission, and Sol only knew how much she liked the sound of bits exchanging hands.

As there was nothing doing but the doing it, Spoiled set off on the errand. Snowshoes, winter cloaks, tinder for a fire, canvas tents and tarpaulin, enough spices and ingredients to cook for an army, she gathered. Ten penny nails, sleeping bags, hot water bottles, a count of six five-pound bags of coffee, another count of six five pounds bags of white rice, two ten pound bags of potatoes, salt, kerosene, candles, matches, oil lanterns, high tensile rope… Spoiled had to look at that one twice. She had seen Pinkie in town on numerous occasions. In her head, the Romani was a simple filly, full of mirth. But given the number, and specificity, of the items she requested, maybe she wasn’t some simpleton after all. Yes, Spoiled thought, Pinkie Pie was some idiot savant, or maybe worse, a true genius that hid her exceptional mind in parties, song, and smiles.

Whatever the case may be, Spoiled Rich scrambled to acquire the Roamani mare’s listed items; it was like the Cerberus guarding Tartarus was on her fetlocks. It took time to gather everything, or at least it seemed that way, and as those items were gathered, Spoiled ran an inventory in her mind. Her husband was always the business type, but he was lucky he could add two and two together. She was the account of the family and already, she was racking up the interest payments on this haul. A sizable commission indeed.

She tallied the cost up, and even at cost, which was what she agreed on, it was going to be right around eight hundred bits, Or she’d accept two dozen magic batteries, since she could easily sell them for that or more. She handed Pinkie the bill of sale, and Pinkie grinned, dug into her bit bag, and Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened.

Pinkie pulled out not the normal blank bits that normally circulated, but two silver moon bits. The coinage wasn’t rare, but it wasn’t often anypony really spent them. Each moon bit was worth two hundred bits. Any store that could claim to have been paid in moon bits would be automatically given at least a three hooves rating by Brand Loyalty, the retail shopper’s best critic. She pulled out one more moon bit, and finally there was two Sol bits. All in all it added up to the eight hundred, and Spoiled was more than happy to accept.

She could practically taste the good review that Brand Loyalty would be giving them.

“Oh, ya know, I’ve actually got the individual bits!”

Spoiled’s face fell as she saw the bits starting to go back to the purse, “Wait… Wait, ummm… I can load this for you, if you want to use those bits.”

Pinkie rubbed her chin, “I dunno, I could load them easily enough… Although… I wouldn’t mind spending these bits, these right here, if Dashie is able to get a few provisions she needs, completely on the house.”

Spoiled looked at the Pegasus. Memory served her well enough to remember that personally Pegasi were fairly simple, didn’t really have a good mind about supplies, and had to be guided by the hand by a pony that knew better on what to pick out. Why, with any luck she’d just grab two canisters of candy and be done with it. It’d be a minor loss, and the potential critical acclaim Barnyard Bargains would get would more than make up for it. But, it would also mean allowing that kleptomaniac to go through her, well her husband’s, store and touch things. She looked at her again, she wasn’t wearing loose fitting clothing, and that meant she’d have to drop her pants to hide anything… No, it wasn’t worth it. Perhaps she could get Pinkie Pie to part with at least one of the better bits, and she’d accept the plain for everything else. She’d even leave loading her wagon on the table. No pony liked to do work they could have somepony else do.

“No, I’m sorry, but that is not acceptable; however, because I am feeling generous, should you decide to pay with at least one of those bits, I’ll still gladly load your wagon for you.”

Pinkie shook her hand, gave her a Sol, and seven hundred plain bits. She then watched as Spoiled put them into a safe, and began working toward carrying the bits out.

“Pinkie, did you just pay cost, use a Sol, and get the most stuck up mare in all of Ponyville to load your Vardo?”

“Yeppeprooni! Although I would have spent the others if she really would have let you get your equipment updated.”

Rainbow looked around, made sure that nopony else was looking, and hugged her, “Thanks Pinkie. Don’t go telling AJ, but I think that you’re my best friend.”

They walked outside to see Mrs Rich attempting to load everything into the Vardo, and part way through she had to stop, actually look at it all, and then go back into the Vardo and rearrange it again. Pinkie knew what was going on. She had originally thought to just load it where ever, but doing that caused things to get too cramped, and she had hoped that Spoiled Rich was enough of an orderly pony that she couldn’t handle leaving things in a mess. So, she’d have to put it all away exactly where it needed to go.

It took a good thirty minutes, and certainly far more trips into, and out of, Pinkie’s Vardo than Spoiled first believed, but at the end of it all the goods were loaded, the store had made a tidy sum, even at cost, and she would get to announce the fact that a Solis coin was used at Barnyard Bargains. While it wasn’t a Lunestra, it was more than impressive, and certainly more than enough to get Brand Loyalty to give the store his three hooves approval.

Just as Spoiled Rich was prepared to see Pinkie Pie off, she witnessed Rainbow Dash, that thief, walk out of her husband’s store with an armload of gear and a full, bulging knapsack. She was furious that the prismatic larcen had brazenly walked into and raided the place. She would have given the mare a thorough tongue lashing, and a flogging, but Rainbow proceeded to produce a receipt. This stopped Spoiled in her tracks.

“Read it and weep,” Dash boasted, “paid in full. I may be a ‘featherbrain’ to you, but I know what I need and when I need it. Oh, and you might wanna stock on winter gear. There’s going to be a rush for it within the hour.”

“Wha- what do you mean?” Spoiled stammered, “You- you crook!”

“Hey,” Dash rejoindered, “I paid for this, in bits! And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s snowing, in summer. My team can’t handle this; these storms are not natural and they don’t originate from the Everfree. If they did, we’d buck them back or break ‘em up. As it stands, we can’t do a feathering thing. So take my advice, Spanky, and resupply your winter gear. You are going to need it.”

With that, Dash sauntered off with the Roamani mare. Spoiled was fuming, getting told off like that by some feathers-for-brains cloudhopper. She stamped her hooves and growled for a bit; she was fit for a good tantrum at this moment. She would never get the chance, as a rush of ponies came trotting in, ice and snow be damned. The rush was on!

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash returned shortly before Twilight did. Endymion and Applejack were already equipped and ready to roll, Fluttershy was now wearing a shawl Dash had given her as a Hearth’s Warming Day present, and when Twilight arrived, she was clad in a parka and flannel leggings. Yet, the most interesting members of those gathered at Sweet Apple Acres were Ms. Ditzy Do and a Pith helmet wearing mare in a goldenrod coat and monochrome grey mane. Stitched on the breast pocket of her coveralls was her cutie mark, a compass rose.

She looked at the group, then at the two arriving mares, and finally she cleared her throat.

“My sister contacted me, and let me know about what was going on. You’re going to need another adventurer, and somepony that’s messed with magical and mystical artifacts before. I’ve dealt with several, and I know the dangers. Plus having another pegasi along won’t hurt.”

“Ms, we can’t simply invite you on a royal order. If you travel along with us, it will be at your own peril,” Twilight said, “especially if we don’t even know who you are, besides Ditzy’s sister.”

“The name is Daring Do,” the mare proclaimed and both Dash and Twilight’s eyes alighted at the pronouncement, “and of course I wasn’t invited. I’m under orders. Princess Luna let me know via dragon fire what this operation is about. My sister was the one who told me where I should get started. Although, flying with the crown prince? Heh, I’d do this pro bono if I had known he’d be here for this.”

“Hey, hooves off,” Pinkie growled, then pointing between herself and Twilight, “he’s ours!”

“Oh, and mine too, maybe,” Fluttershy murmured.

Daring Do looked between the beings and sighed, “It’s always the good ones that get taken…Oh well. Come on, ponies, we got work to do. Adventure awaits!”

The trek itself began not with going back out toward Ponyville, but rather crossing the Fire Swamp. The huge boggy area was home to some of the more dangerous creatures in Equestria, and of course also home to a few swamp ponies that wanted to live their lives away from other ponies. AJ began pointing out that the Chimera would most likely be awake. Although she also mentioned that it would be crankier than usual since it was so blasted cold out.

The first bit through the swamp didn’t seem too exciting, until there was an area full of small bubbly looking areas around them.

“Alright, this here is what gives the fire swamp its name,” AJ called out, “Those places are called Jack’s Lanterns. Ya step on one, and it shoots a flame up in the air that’s at least three ponies high, and two ponies wide. Ya can get past it, but yer gonna have ta take yer time. Those of ya that can fly… Don’t think ‘bout it. There are Rock Doves here. They don’t look like much, but they flock toward whatever is moving and warm. And they hurt, a bunch. It’s kinda like gettin’ hit with a rock bein’ thrown by a professional hoofball player.”

“Isn’t this also the one land in Equestria known for rodents of unusual size?” Endymion asked.

“Eeyup,” AJ replied, “an’ there’s some kinda weird flower round these parts that’ll knock enny unicorn on their flank if they get too close.”

“The Floom plant?” Twilight inquires, “they grow here? In this swamp?”

“Wow, I did not know that,” Endymion comments, “I thought those things only grew on Mount Gloom. Supposedly, the frosty and dark conditions of that mountains cave system are just perfect for the Floom to thrive in.”

“Eeeeyup, they originated from there, sure enough, but they were transplanted here in this swamp. Ah ain’t sure who dun it, but Granny says that it was done way back, ‘fore Sweet Apple Acres was even started. Now, according ta her our ancestor Sandow Apple, A Clydesdale Pegasus, had settled around here with his two wives. Now, Ah ain’t sure ‘bout all of it, but what Ah know is that Sandow swore he dun saw Solar Empire Supporters carrying seed pods from the Floom Plants and plantin’ out there in the swamp.”

“Wait, wait, you’ve got a Pegasus in your family?! And you never told me?!”

Rainbow Dash looked hurt and AJ rolled her eyes, “Sandow weren’t no normal pegasus Dash. From what Ah remember Granny tellin’ us Sandow was half Earth Pony. He couldn’t land on clouds or bust ‘em or anything. His body was too much like an Earth Pony, and while he had Pegasus magic, it only worked ta make ‘im fly. Mostly he still had Earth Pony strength and magic. Granny said he was a durn good farmer, made a little section of the orchard that we still use today.”

“Still, how awesome is it that you’ve got Pegasus in you!”

“Sure Dash, purty awesome, not that it matters none though. We’ve got a long ways ta go, and we’ve all gotta be careful ‘bout where we step.”

A whoosing sound erupted and they looked to see the form of a rock looking creature. It looked like a bird, and it had landed on one of the Jack’s Lanterns.

“Aw, cornsarn it! The Rock Pigeons are flocking down to the Jack’s Lanterns. Alright, everypony we’ve got ta get through this, and quickly, ‘fore the whole flock decides this looks like a good nestin’ place.”

They began moving, slowly trudging through the area, watching their step, trying not to step on any of the Jack’s Lantern when a grating sound caught their attention. It was slight, small, something that might have been looked over, and it was close. AJ turned her head to see the Rock Pigeon from earlier. It was watching them, its stone eyes following their movements, and hopped closer, using the magic that formed it, magic from the now reformed avatar of Chaos, to fly low to the ground.

“Oh for Sol’s sake… Everypony… Run!”

The movement was quick and Jack’s Lanterns began erupting around them as they ran past them. The Rock Pigeon called out to the flock, and soon well over a hundred hoofball sized rock birds were flying toward them.

“Twilight, Endymion, one of y’all throw up a Sol Damned shield!”

“Everypony get close!”

Twilight’s horn lit up, and a shield formed around them, and outside of it they could hear the sound of thumps and bangs from the rock pigeons. Finally the birds were stopped, seemingly no longer interested in them.

“What do we do?”

AJ shook her head, “We move, Twilight or Endymion throws up a shield when we need it, and they keep it up until they ain’t interested in us no more. It’s gonna take a bit longer ta get through the swamp than we thought.”

“No, wait,” Endymion countered, “I got a better idea.”

“I hope it’s not one of your harebrained schemes like last time,” Dash scowled, “I told you, nopony can eat rice like that.”

“I admit, it was a dumb idea, mixing rice in my stomach like that, but this not that kind of idea. Now think, everypony, these swamps are filling with brimstone, right? That’s why is smells so bad?”

“I don’t think it’s just brimstone,” Twilight began, “I think it’s sulfur and- something else.”

“Methane,” Daring Do added, “it’s the same stench one gets if you’re trawling in the sewers.”

When everypony looked at her, she shrugged, explaining, “Hey, not all treasures are above ground. The Solar Grail had three clues I had to find and the second one was buried in a catacombs that were connected to the sewers of Neighples. It was rank… full of rats…”

“Wait, I remember that book,” Dash said, “wasn’t there a fire in those catacombs?”

“That’s right,” Daring answered, “some of the methane had liquidized down there. Somepony lit that up while I was down there and I had to escape through an underwater passage built into the catacombs.”

“Okay, okay, getting off-topic a little,” Endymion cut in, “what I’m saying is, if the Jack Lanterns are made of methane, and they’re flammable…”

Pinkie gasped and said, “We could turn this entire field into a gigantic party cannon! And those rock ravens can’t fly very well, so they would get blown up!”

“Um, not to rain on the parade, everypony,” Fluttershy piped in, “but, uh, wouldn’t we- we get blown up, too?”

“Hmm, point,” Daring stated.

“Well, we might get blown up,” Endymion replied, “or we might be able to create an interdiction between us and the explosions; if it gets too hot, Twilight could teleport us away to somewhere safe. Right?”

“I’ve- I’ve never teleported so many before,” Twilight stammered, “but I’ll try.”

Endymion squeezed his Twily, saying, “That’s my filly!”

“So how do we do it?” Applejack asked, “How do we light the Fire Swamp up?”

“Pinkie, spare a lantern?” Endymion asked.

“I can always spare something,” Pinkie replied, with a cheeky grin.

The pink mare then vanished into her Vardo only to come out a moment later with a lantern; she pulled a matchstick from her mane a second later.

“Filled, wicked, and ready to light,” Pinkie declaimed, “fire at will, Gridley!”

“Who’s Will?” Dash asked.

Endymion groaned adding, “Doesn’t matter. Pinkie, light it.”

“Ten-four!” Pinkie exclaimed, taking lit match to wick and igniting it.

“Now, we wait until the pops start,” Endymion explained, “when those pops get close enough, we toss the lantern in the direction of the last pop.”

Daring gasped, “And when the lantern breaks, the gas from underneath will catch, igniting the pressured methane, causing a massive explosion!”

“Eeyup,” AJ confirmed, “Ah ain’t seen it done, but Cousin Sandow done tried it once. Fried off must o’ his tail doin’ it, but it did get rid o’ them rodents.”

“Speaking of rodents,” Daring said, “are the rats supposed to be the size of timber wolves here?”

“Thereabouts,” AJ said, “why ya’ll askin’?”

“Because,” Daring said, pointing past them, “I think they’re here and they aren’t happy with us!”

Crawling out from underbrush and moldy logs, crawled massive rats, beady eyes as big as a fist, tails like whips lashing at the air, bristly fur standing on end, and sharpened buck teeth prepared for gnawing. Endymion cast his own shield charm to assist Twilight as the fanged omnivores struck. Despite their gnashing teeth and unearthly screeches, they could to break the party’s defense. And coming closer were the pops of the pressurized methane.

“Wait for it,” Endymion coached, “wait for it. Any minute now… Now, Pinkie, lob it!”

“Okey-dokey-loki!” Pinkie exclaimed, lobbing the lantern through an opening in the shield; it sailed past a break in the Rodents of Unusual Size and landed on a patch of broken ground. As it broke, a pop was heard underneath it. Then followed a rumbling beneath the earth, causing both rock raven and monster rodents alike to scramble for whatever shelter could be found. And just as the earth broke open with a massive concussive wave, Twilight’s horn flashed and everypony was winked out of existence for a mere moment- only to be transplanted into another part of the swamp. All were present and accounted for- save Endymion!

Explosion, heat, and then freefalling were the next few things that Endymion saw before he hit a tree hard. He fell, practically hitting every branch on his way down until he landed in a lump. He groaned, and his eyes were open for just a second as he saw a huge creature. He tried to move, but it hurt, everything hurt. After a few moments his eyes closed and he accepted whatever was coming as his fate.

The large, bearded earth pony looked at the exotic stallion that fell from the skies. He walked near him, and waved his hand.

“Sol Damn, smells like ya dun went runnin’ through an entire patch of Jack’s Lanterns!” he said as he knelt down near him.

The earth pony was obviously well fed, his body covered in fat and muscle, and he seemed to be looking the poor soul that fate decided to drop in on him. His sleeveless flannel shirt seemed soaked with sweat despite the freezing temperatures, and perhaps that was because he was currently cutting up some dead trees for the fire back at his home. He slowly touched the strange stallion, making sure that nothing was broken, and it wasn’t until he came to the ribs he could tell something was a little off.

“Alright fella, Imma gonna git ya outta here, and take ya home. I dun know that Charm is gonna throw a big o’le hissy fit ‘bout it, but it ain’t right ta leave ponies out here in this kind of weather. Ain’t the earth pony way.”

He scooped him up, careful not to disturb anything, and carried him deeper into the swamp. As he got deeper a clearing began to take shape, and then there was an old rotted and broken down vardo that had vines and weeds growing up through it. The carriage looked to be similar to a vardo, but it had been left behind, obviously broken and useless by the original ponies that owned it, yet the earth pony moved past the testament of ponies past and moved toward a small cabin.

It was something that would fit in an old horror story, a cabin that had a front almost looking like a feral animal. The door hung open like a waiting mouth, and the earth pony stepped through. The large earth pony adjusted his hoofball cap. The phrase G’ver (referring to the captain of the Canterlot Knights’ hoofball team) clearly stitched into it. The old so dirty green it was now black cap rested on a table.

“Muddy, it’s about Sol damned… What in Luna’s tight snatch is that?”

“I couldn’t jest leave ‘im out there. He just sort of fell outta the sky and got hurt Charm. Wouldn’t be right ta leave the fella.”

“Damn it, Muddy! For feck’s sake, that’s how we met that girlfriend of yers. Not that she’s not a nice mare, she is, but she’s always movin’ my things around. I dun got stung by hornets last time. Hornets, Muddy, Lots and lots of hornets that were in a log, all because she went and moved my saw, and it took me an extra two hours to find it.”

“Charm, my moving that saw didn’t make you get stung. You not checking the log because you were angry about my moving your saw got you stung,” a voice said.

She walked out, her bangs pulled into a strange frontal ponytail, her hair reaching down her back to right above her flank, and her thick eyebrows lifted in surprise as she looked at the exotic stallion lying there.

“Muddy… That… that’s the crown prince!”

“Muddy! Sol Damn it! Seriously?! Ya had to bring royalty out here?! I don’t want the royals knowing about this place, or my medicine! Of for feck’s sake!”

“Imma real sorry Charm, I didn’t mean ta go and ruin what yer a doin’.”

“You haven’t ruined anything, Charm, shut up.”

“You shut up!”

“Don’t tell her to shut up.”

“Muddy, you’re gonna choose your marefriend over me?”

The larger earth pony looked hurt and his ears laid flat.

“No, he’s not choosing anypony over anypony.”

“M… Moondancer’s right. I ain’t choosing anypony over anypony. Side’s it was right ta help him. It’s the earth pony way and ya know it.”

“Fine… Let’s take a look at him.”

The other stallion, Charm, stood. His dusty yellow coat looked something like the color of an old faded mustard label. His black mane was thick, but he didn’t have a mustache or beard, no he was just a simple, nondescript earth pony. An earth pony that could feel the thrum of magic rolling off of the crown prince. Being half unicorn meant being able to feel things, experience things he wouldn’t have been able to feel as an earth pony. His old faded bowling shirt had his name loosely stitched into it, his overalls had one clasp broken leaving half of the bib hanging open. He moved toward the crown prince, pushing past Moondancer, which he noticed she was wearing one of Muddy’s shirts as a sleeping shirt. Obviously the two of them had been playing plow the field earlier. Didn’t matter to him, Muddy loved her, and even though he wasn’t real fond of her, he’d put up with her for Muddy’s sake.

“Wow… He’s purty banged up.”

“How bad?”

Charm felt down his torso, “Bruised ribs, one almost knocked loose, torn tendons, torn muscles, he’s durned lucky that he ain’t bleeding internally.”

“I still don’t know how you can do that.”

“Ya ain’t the only one with magic ‘round here Ms. Smartybritches.”

“Hey, ya’ll, what’s this here doohickey?”

“I think that’s his wand, Muddy.”

“Naw, Imma thinkin’ that there is somethin’ else.”

Moondancer looked at Charm incredulously and asked, “How would you know?”

“See this here?” Charm said, pointing to the end of item, “looks like somethin’ come outta there. Danged if I know what it is, but there is plenty o’ magic in it, y’ssir.”

“So, what is it?” Moondancer asked.

“The Flame of Righteous Indignation, Illumina,” said a deep voice, one that caused all three ponies to turn to the crown prince lying on their threadbare carpet, “oh, my bucking grandmother, do I hurt! I very much hurt!”

“Whoa, there, fella,” Muddy cautioned, “ya’ll is all kinds o’ banged up. Gotta rest a spell, getcha better soon.”

“Where?” Endymion asked.

“You’re in the deepest part of the Fire Swamp,” Moondancer replied, then bowing, “Your Highness.”

Endymion looked upon the bowing unicorn and the two roughneck Earth ponies, then back to the unicorn. The glasses seemed familiar to him.

“Hey, I know you from somewhere,” Endymion stated, “you two, I don’t know from Adam, but your unicorn friend… Moonie, is that you?”

“Huh?” Muddy said, “Moonie, does this feller know ya?”

“Uh, yes, but it’s been years and years since I last saw him,” Moondancer answered, “he, Twilight Sparkle, and I all attended The Magic Academy together…”

“So he’s a mage?” Charm asked, and when Moondancer nodded, “he said, “Dang, no wonder there’s so much magic in ‘im!”

“What?” Moondancer said, “Endymion is a Level One mage, and I’m a Level Four! I think you’re picking me up-”

Charm shook his head, adding, “I know what yer magic is like and how it feels; this here Endymion- he has magic, an’ lotsa it, but I don’t know how he gots it. No horn, no hooves, no wings… He’s like that place out yonder, that old unicorn rook- Wazziz his name again?”

“Oh, you mean the ole Stargazer place?” Muddy asked, causing Moondancer and Charm to look at him funny, “What? I’m good with names.”

“And trivia, literary errata, hoofball scores,” Moondancer numbered off, “but can’t wash your own clothes. Are you sure you aren’t part unicorn?”

“Perty sure,” Muddy said, “but ya know ya love me.”

“Oh,” Moondancer squealed, zipping over to Muddy and squeezing him tightly, “of course I do. Such a cute little, foalish face…”

“Come on, ya’ll, I just ate,” Charm spat.

“Same here,” Endymion moaned, “can I get moved to a chair or sofa please? This point of view is rather tiring.”

“A’ight, yer highness, we’ll getcha up,” Charm said and with the help of Muddy the pair lifted Endymion onto a battered easy chair.

“So, uh, Endymion,” Moondancer began, “how did you end up here?”

“Royal summons,” Endymion groaned, “drastic weather change, big machine, Jack’s Lanterns, boom!”

“I- I ain’t got no idea what he’s talkin’ ‘bout,” Muddy said.

“A royal summons,” Moondancer said, “that must mean that The Prince is on a quest, to fix this sudden shift in climate!”

“‘Bout time somepony get on that,” Charm rejoindered, “but what the Clown Prince doin’ all the way out here?”

“Crown Prince, Charm,” Moondancer rebuked, “and it does bugger the question what he is doing out here.”

“We could ask him,” Muddy said, and Endymion added, “yeah, I’m right here.”

“What you said made little sense, Endy,” Moondancer retorted.

“I was summing up,” the prince replied, “but, yeah, Mother sent me and my friends out to figure what was going on with the snow and all. Trotted out here, to the Fire Swamp, on account of Daring Do. Mare seems to know what is causing this and she was on order, too. We got got caught between a rock and fuzzy place, and I suggested we use the Jack Lanterns to take them both out.”

“Rock an’ a fuzzy place?” Muddy asked.

“Rock ravens,” Endymion answered, “and Rodents of Unusual Size. See?”

“By Sol,” Moondancer murmured, “rock ravens and ROS in the Lantern Fields…! And you blew them up?!”

“Part of the plan,” Endymion groaned, “didn’t figure on getting blasted away from my party, though. Did anypony see my pack?”

“Yer pack?” Muddy asked, “uh, no, I didn’t see anythin’.”

Groaning, Charm asked, “Where’d you find him?”

“Lone Spruce,” Muddy answered, “out in the Westfold.”

“I’ll have a looksee,” Charm replied and he left the shack.

Endymion groaned as he tried to get comfortable. The old easy chair was certainly far more comfortable than that cot he’d been on, but at the same time everything on him was sore, and hurt. He tried to move his leg only for the feeling of pain to spread throughout his entire body.

“Oh Sol Damn it…” he growled.

“Careful, ya dun’t need ta be doing too much. Charm said ya dun went and got bruised ribs, torn muscles, torn tendons, and that yer purty lucky not to be bleedin’ on the inside.”

He leaned his head back, knowing that right now his mares had to be worried sick.

Near the edge of the Fire Swamp

Twilight was sitting on the ground, her horn glowing brightly, her eyes clenched shut, and her mind completely focused on one task. She was desperately trying to find Endymion’s magical signature. She knew that Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia apparently, could sense ponies from halfway across the globe. To be honest she’d been practicing, and she could sense them from as far out from the library to just past Fluttershy’s cottage. Right now she was hoping that Endymion was in that range, or that she could push herself further and find him.

She had to hope that she could find him, that she could sense him, that she could feel his presence, because the alternative was too painful to even consider. There was a part of her that had considered that thought and the beginnings of a panic attack were in the offing because of it. Yet, she persisted, hoping beyond hope that she could detect him somewhere in that marshland.

“He has to be okay,” Pinkie whimpered, tears flowing freely since everyone recovered from their jaunt, “he just has to be.”

Fluttershy had been crying, too, but her voice was far more confident, “He will be, Pinkie, he will. He’s my Sol-”

“DON’T YOU START WITH NONSENSE AGAIN!” Pinkie roared.

“I’m sorry,” Shy squeaked, then, “I’m sure he’s okay. If not, his mother would down here and she would be very put out.”

“Fluttershy’s right,” Twilight confirmed, “Princess Luna has- spells that- would pick up- Endymion’s life- signs. If his heart- beat were to- stop- she would be here- in an instant.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do,” Daring Do asked, “track the prince with his heartbeat?”

“Something like- that,” Twilight answered, “Endymion- has- a unique- magical sig- sig- signature. Been practicing- the spell- hoping I can- find- him. Range- is- limited…” Then Twilight gasps, “I FOUND HIM!”

Pinkie and Fluttershy gasp simultaneously, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash rise up, their ears perked. Daring, who had been resting on AJ’s wagon, sits up and places her Pith helmet back on.

“Where is he?” Pinkie asks breathlessly, “Where is he?!”

“It’s faint, but I sense him. I sense him deep in the fireswamp, and there’s two other magical signatures with him. One feels odd, like an Unicorn mixed with something else, but the other is just an Unicorn… I… He’s really deep in the swamp, at least a two day trot from here.”

“Could ya go and teleport us there?”

She shook her head, “No, I don’t want to try that again. Last time I lost Endymion, I don’t want to lose anypony else.”

“Twilight, could you teleport there?”

She looked at Pinkie, at her herd mate, and she nodded. It’d be easier to teleport there, but the problem would be that she’d be tired when she got there, and there wouldn’t be a chance at all for her to get right back to them and let them know where they were.

“I could, but I’d need to rest right after. That means everypony would have to wait for at least half a day before I could get back to any of you.”

“Look, I don’t want to be the downer here, and I understand this is your traveling companion, and stallion in a couple of cases, but we still have a job to do. We still have to reach the machine, turn it off, and arrest the unicorn responsible for it. I don’t like being an insensitive mare, but we really don’t have a choice. For now, we just need to hope that he is in good hands, and leave his fate to Sol,” Daring Do said.

“No.”

Pinkie looked at them, and then at Twilight, “My Endy comes first before anything else. I love everypony, but I’m marrying him. I’m going to go, find him, make sure he’s okay, and then go on to where Princess Luna wants us to go. Nopony else has to.”

Twilight looked at the others, and then at Pinkie, “I’m sorry, but Pinkie’s right. My first and foremost responsibility is to my herd, and everything else is secondary.”

“Twi, not that Ah mean nothin’ by it, but we can’t do this if’n ya ain’t there. We need your or Endymion ta figure out how ta stop that machine. Even if we all go there we cain’t go and shut it off.”

“She’s got a point. We need a magi there to do this correctly, because if we just try to smash it who knows what kind of energy we could unleash?”

“Ya know, I might not always be the smartest one here, but all of you are being pretty bucking stupid.”

Everyone turned to Rainbow Dash.

“We’ve got three Pegasi, two Earth ponies, and Twilight is an Unicorn. Twilight teleports over, rests, sends up a flare, we carry Pinkie and AJ, land, find Endymion, make sure he’s okay, and then we bring everypony back, and Twilight teleports with Endymion. Easy.”

“That… Dash, that’s a purty good idea.”

“Tartarus, it’s got my vote,” Daring said.

“Okay, let me just focus on him,”

After a moment there was a bright flash, and Twilight was gone.

Charm and Muddy’s Cabin

The entire room turning a deep lavender color was unexpected, an Unicorn appearing in mid air and falling on her rump was even more so. Twilight groaned, and looked around. She saw Endymion and her first reaction was get up, rush over to him, and pepper his cheeks with kisses as she said she was sorry over and over again.

“Twily, I’m okay, well mostly… Twily?”

A soft snore was his answer. He smiled and held his bride to be. It hurt, having her leaning on him, but it felt so good to know that she was okay.

“Charm is gonna be throwin’ a big ol’ fit.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Moondancer said as she neared the passed out mare, “That’s Twilight Sparkle…”

Endymion nodded.

“Hmmm… Lets get her laid down so she can rest, and when she wakes up I’ve got a few questions for her. Like why she decided to forget that her friends back in Canterlot even existed.”

True to his character Charm did have a minor cursing episode over Twilight being there, until he learned that it was Endymion’s bride to be. At which point he realized that she came looking for him, and her looking for him meant that the Princess wouldn’t be. Which was fine with him. The hours passed, and Twilight finally found herself awake, slowly she got up, feeling a little woozy from the magical strain of teleporting so many ponies at once, and then teleporting herself again so quickly.

She realized that Endymion was fine, and that was a huge relief. She then looked at the other ponies here. Two of them seemed to be country ponies, maybe even more countish than Applejack. The term hillfilles came to mind, and she almost had a chuckle over it. Granted they were colts, but they reminded her of one of Flintheart’s lessons.

He’d taught them that almost all modern potions came from fillies and colts that had lived in the great wilderness, out in the vastly unexplored bits of Equestria. These hill ponies had lived directly off of the land, and they were responsible for the healing potions, growth potions, pain numbing potions, and an entire slew of other potions that most ponies take for granted.

Zecora was one of the few ponies, well Zebras, that she knew that actually still lived like that.

“Twilight.”

She looked at the voice and saw Moondancer. She looked at her uncertain of who she was for a moment.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t expect you to recognize me, one of your best friends, right away.”

Twilight tried to put a name with the face, but she just couldn’t. She slowly sat up, her head still feeling off.

“I… I need to send up a flare, let the others know that I’m here… Oh…”

She almost collapsed.

“No, you need to rest, and we’re going to have a talk, but I’ll send the flare up for you.”

With that Moondancer walked outside, focused on sending up a single signal flare, and after a moment, it soared into the air, burning a brilliant purple. It wasn’t easy changing the color of the spell, but she wanted Twilight’s companions to realize that it was meant to be from her.

21 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Two

Rune Soldier

Chapter 21: Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Two

Charm came back to the cabin that was his escape to seeing a whole slew of mares. He closed his eyes, counted to three, and opened them to see that the mares were still there. He growled silently to himself, walking past the orange Earth Pony mare, toward the door, and opened it.

“Will somepony please tell me why in tarnation we have more ponies here than there’s ever been? It looks like somepony went and got a whole slew of college foals and dropped them right in the middle of our place!”

“College foals?” Asked a golden Pegasus mare in a Pith helmet, “heh, it’s been many moons since I was in university, young colt. Sol be praised, I could be teaching you if took my class.”

“Relax, Charm,” Muddy called out, “there all here cuz of the Prince.”

Charm was going to respond when he saw a lavender unicorn mare, a pink Earth pony mare, and a bright yellow Pegasus mare all hanging around the Prince. Deciding that it was best to leave it as it was Charm grumbled, walked toward the group, and held out a pack.

“Yer pack was up in the tree, and I wrestled it away from an a young owlbear that thought it looked fun ta play with,” he breathed out and looked at all of them, “Look, yer friend is hurt purty bad, but I can have him healed enough ta travel in a couple of hours. I ain’t answering questions, and I ain’t toleratin’ no visitors any longer than we need ta. I got a ton of work ta do here, potions ta brew, and it’s gonna take time.”

The lavender filly spoke first, “Do what you need to do. My companions and I can wait outside; I think it might a good idea that we retrieve our wagons.”

Moondancer then piped in, “I’ll help. You still look a bit exhausted, Twilight. Casting any magic in your state would do more harm than good.”

“Uh, thank you,” Twilight began, then her eyes widened in recognition, “Moondancer?!”

“Finally, she remembers!”

“What she remember, Moonie?” Muddy asked.

“My name,” Moondancer replies, “come on, Twilight, let’s have us some girl talk.”

As the two unicorns depart, Dash has a singular thought, “What the buck was that about?”

“Let’s ask,” AJ answers, “but later. Come on, ya’ll, let’s give Mistofer Prince Charming here some room to work his magic.”

“It’s Charm!” The other Earth pony stallion cries back, “stupid townies.”

“Watch it, boyo,” Endymion says, “that mare is a whole lot stronger than you and could fold you over yourself if she got the notion. I’ve seen her take on a cohort of orcs with nothing but her fists and hooves; came out of that scrap with nothing worse than some minor bruises.”

“Dang, Charm,” Muddy exclaims, “sounds like the mare of yer dreams!”

“Oh, shut up, Muddy,” Charm counters, before added in a whisper, “well, she damn near is perfect.”

Outside, the rest of the party breaks up to find something to do. AJ and Pinkie decided to help clear some accumulated snow from around the cabin. Dash and Daring Do have an animated conversation about the latest A.K. Yearling book, and Fluttershy found some swampland animals to speak with. That left Moondancer and Twilight plenty of time and room to talk.

Twilight looked at Moondancer as they walked toward the old kitchen in the cabin. The cast iron wood stove was currently glowing a dark red, indicating that the wood inside of it was indeed doing its job of keeping the cabin itself warm. Following suit Twilight began to help as Moondancer began to make pancakes for everypony there.

“It hurt you know.”

Twilight looked at her unsure of what she meant, “What?”

“It was the first time I’d ever put myself out there, the first time that I felt like I had value, I meant something to somepony. You were my best friend, my very best friend in the whole world, and you just left. You left before the party I was going to throw, you didn’t even come and tell me goodbye, you just left.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, “I shut myself in after that, I figured that I didn’t matter, and if it hadn’t been Professor Flintheart I’d still be stuck in my little run down house on the outskirts of Canterlot not really doing anything other than studying.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I really didn’t.”

Moondancer gave her a half grin, “I figured that. Professor Flintheart had me come out here with a few other magi to collect Floom sap and seeds. We got out here and the first thing they saw was Charm and Muddy,” she hid her face a little, “I feel so bad because we all thought they were a couple of freaks.”

“They seem nice, although Charm seems to be a little high strung.”

Moondancer nodded, “He’s half Unicorn, and he gets all of our neurosis and none of the benefit. Well, that’s not exactly true. He is able to create potions that are actually far more powerful than most spells I can cast. I’ve seen him cause a seedling tree to grow into a two hundred foot giant, and then back into a seedling, from using a couple of potions he’d mixed up. He’s good, really good, and I think that he’d do well in the potions class, or would if he wanted to go. He just doesn’t. He doesn’t like being around a whole lot of ponies.”

“Sounds like a lonely life.”

She shook her head, “No, he’s got Muddy, and me. Muddy’s his best friend, and I’ve never met a smarter pony. He can remember anything he’s ever read, anything he’s ever seen.”

“That’s impressive, but he doesn’t seem that smart.”

She looked at her and rolled her eyes, “Muddy, what’s Haycart’s method?”

“Oh, that there is the method where Haycart, the former apprentice to Star Swirl, learned ta project his entire being into literature. He became a literary drawing and was able ta travel inta the realms of fiction. Nopony has been able to do more than six minutes in any work. ‘Cept for Cel Shade who creates the Power Ponies comics. He actually learned a way of redirctin’ it so readers could travel inta the comic itself. I kinda wanna do dat.”

“Thanks sweetums.”

Twilight stood there with her jaw hanging open, “He knows all of that?”

Moondancer grinned and nodded, “And more. He knows the entire history of Equestria, he’s learned a good deal of it from a trivia game that the Academy uses to teach students.”

She shook her head, “He’d pass an exam to get into the school.”

Moondancer shook her head, “Like you get him to leave his swamp. He and Charm love it here. They have a real- connection to this place. I realize a lot of unicorns, especially those from Canterlot, would look down on them, maybe even call them ‘mudponies,’ but the love they have of this marsh… It’s something I’ve never seen from anypony before.”

“You talk as if you know all this from personal experience,” Twilight states, “is the reason you stay here because of my neglect? Or am I being a little egotistical here?”

Moondancer laughs and says, “Yes and no, to both. When I was here the first time, I got separated from the Academy group. I had followed a trail that large grouping of immature Floom plants; getting samples from those is almost impossible, given how unstable the plant is at that point. When I turned around, I found myself lost. Then Muddy found me… I had been wandering for three days and two nights when he found me. Ugh, I was so haggard… But that’s besides the point. When I realized where I was and who found me, I’ll admit I was incredibly judgmental of them. It wasn’t until I tried to find my group again and got myself harassed by mature Floom plants that I came to really understand them.”

“That is such a turn around,” Twilight began, “also, I’m really sorry I missed out on that party. Looking back now, I can honestly say that I had my priorities mixed up. Can you ever forgive me?”

Moondancer took a long, solid look at Twilight as she transferred a flapjack to a plate, then said, “If you had asked me three years ago, I would slammed the door in your face. Now, now it’s a lot easier for me to say yes, I do forgive you.”

The mares shared a brief moment where there was nothing but a companionable silence, then they shared a brief hug. Some tears may or may not have been shed. Thankfully, no pancakes suffered due to this emotional moment.

Once it was finished Twilight noticed there was easily ten to twelve pancakes per pony. Not that she was going to complain about it, but usually she didn’t eat more than two or three. Moondancer seemed to see her confusion and shook her head.

“I know you’re kind of wondering why I fixed so many for each of us. It’s unnaturally cold, and the truth be told everypony is going to need the extra energy.”

Twilight thought about it, considering what she said, and it made sense. It really did. They would need the extra energy. Moondancer nodded toward a shelf and Twilight saw what she was motioning toward. She saw one of the biggest jars of fresh honey she’d ever seen in her life. Once it was down Moondancer carried the platter of flapjacks to the table, Twilight sat the jar down, and the both of them walked out to let everypony know that there was food ready.

Before she walked out she looked over to see Endymion, and she noticed that he actually looked better. She guessed that Charm had already given him the potion he was going to earlier. They opened the door only to feel the biting cold of the winter weather gathering. Fluttershy was ushering the animals she could find into a small cave, that apparently an owlbear family was willing to share, and she shivered as she looked at Twilight and Moondancer. Moondancer looked at Twilight and then at the others.

“Okay, let’s get everypony fed, and then I’ll teleport your wagons over here.”

It is well known that food has often been at the center of many, many important meetings. That food has well determined the stability between nations, helped forge new friendships, and even helped ponies fall in love. For something so important it can often be overlooked, and today, today a collection of flapjacks and some fresh honey was doing just that same thing. New friendships were being created between a couple of decent stallions and a collection of mares that happened to be looking for their friend.

Muddy looked at everypony as they were eating. He knew that he could recite just about anything he’d ever read, heard, or seen before, but it was difficult for him to put things into words to really express himself. He wanted to. He wanted to be able to tell everypony that he felt they were forming a bond of friendship that they would carry forever, and that he was so happy to see his marefriend making up with an old friend of hers.

He wanted to let them know that they’d be welcomed out here, as far as he was concerned they could visit at any point and it wouldn’t bother him a single bit. But the words just wouldn’t come to him. His brow knitted together as he tried to think of how to express himself, and instead he looked at the honey. Muddy’s Dam, his mother, had been an earth pony in every regard. She practiced the Earth Pony Way, and she ensured that he practiced it as well. Always share the burden, never let another pony carry the weight of their problems on their own back without sharing the load, and never, ever, ever act better than anypony.

Part of the Earth Pony Way was to offer what you had to others. He looked at the honey, and then at those who were eyeing it, but too far from where it was. He took the jar, walked toward them, and poured it for them. It was a simple gesture. A kind one that most would overlook, much like how important food was to a situation, but one that if somepony took a moment to really think about it would see how important it really was. This gesture was expressing everything he wanted to express, and it was doing it wordlessly. He took a seat, and it was the two earth pony mares that instantly looked toward him. There was something understanding in their eyes.

They got what he was doing. They understood the message, and their warm smiles told him that they accepted. He looked at the pegasi and he felt so bad for them. They appreciated the gesture, but they didn’t get what it meant. To them he was just being nice. It wasn’t their fault. Most of them simply didn’t speak the unspoken Earth Pony Language. They couldn’t understand it. Moony got it, but he knew that was because she was actively trying to learn more about the Earth Pony Way.

The meal slowed, and soon everypony was full. Muddy began gathering up the plates, taking them to the kitchen to wash. As he started that way a small buzz of conversation began at the table. Smiling, he carried it on into the kitchen, placed the plates on one side of the old sink, grabbed two pots, filled them with water, and then placed them on the wood stove. He was about to begin to wash the dishes when he heard the mention about adventure again.

Endymion looked at Charm. His ribs felt fine, his back was better, and he could move his legs without feeling an unforgiving amount of pain. Whatever was in the potion he had been given, it had done better than most healing spells that were taught at the Magic Academy.

“So, yer a sayin’ that this machine that’s controlling this weather is just past the swamp?”

Muddy poked his head out, “Naw, they said it was in Stargazer’s old place. That’s past the swamp and up the mountain. Gonna have ta take the caves.”

Twilight looked at him, “Which caves?”

“Oh, ya know, the ones that he made when he first made his home. They’re all through the mountain, and he made a lot of fake ones, so ya have ta stick ta the real ones.”

“Muddy, do you know the real caves?” Moondancer asked.

“Well, yeah, mostly, I mean nopony really knows the full way through. I jest happened ta come across the map once in the trivia game, and I thought that it were purty interesting.”

“Hold your horses,” Daring growled, “you mean to tell me there’s a map of the Mount Oblivion cave system? And it’s hidden in a trivia game?!”

“Yeah, purty much,” Muddy replied, “I’m surprised more ponies don’t know about it.”

“That’s my stallion,” Moondancer beamed, “he sees things most others would overlook.”

Muddy blushed, saying, “Shucks, it ain’t a thing.”

“Hold on,” Charm piped in, “jest how were ya’ll gonna get to Stargazer’s place, ennyway? Just trot around the swamp, in a pair o’ wagons?”

“That was originally the plan,” Twilight admitted, “but, if your friend Muddy says there’s another way…”

“Sure as shootin’ there’s another way!” Charm exclaimed, “And a damn sight better than marching through the Jack’s Lanterns fields. Sol and Selene, it a wonder ya’ll ain’t friquise right now.”

“Hold on there fella. Ah dun been through the swamp a few times, delivering pies, and Ah know a thing or two ‘bout it.”

Charm looked at the very fit mare across from him. He shook his head, “Yer passin’ through the Jack’s Lantern’s fields, and that means that ya don’t know the safer spots ta cross. Muddy and me dun lived out here fer a long time, and we’ve dun found the best places ta get around in the swamp without touchin’ the fields, finding the RUS, or runnin’ inta the rock ravens.”

“Charm, maybe we could lead ‘em ta the mountain?”

“Muddy, you have you lost yer Sol cursed mind?” Charm asked, “We got enough goin’ on here, what with the potions I’m brewing and the renovations to that ole wagon ya got out there. If we take anymore time gettin’ that stuff done, it’ll be winter all over again.”

“Not to criticize on you stellar use of logic there, Charm,” Moondancer breaks in, “but, it’s kind of winter now! I just checked the thermometer and it’s dropped fifteen degrees in the last hour. At this rate, even with the stove burning at capacity, we will freeze to death. And passing around the swamp isn’t going to get this party to Mount Oblivion any faster.”

“Moondancer, don’t you start on me-” Charm begins.

Muddy cuts him across, “No, you hold on, Charm. Moonie has a point. We cain’t just set here on your haunches and hope to Sol things’ll get resolved. We know this swamp bett’r’n anypony and these ponies and Prince are gonna fix it! Besides, the Flesh Golem up thataway only responds to you and that old feller what come up here a few years ago.”

“Wait, a flesh golem?” Endymion asked, “What in the name of Selene is a flesh golem doing out here?”

“Danged if I know,” Charm murmured, “I ain’t figured that one out myself, but it likes me well enough. Ya’ll might just plunge a sword in him or somethin’.”

“Come on, Charm, we can do this!” Muddy pleaded, “Let’s go and get ‘er done! Unless you wanna be a silly filly with a stick stuck up your plot.”

Charm looked at the group of them, a slight curse escaped his lips, “A’right, we’ll do it, but Imma doin’ it ‘cause I wanna get back ta work, and not fer any other reason.”

“Oh, that’s a load and you know it,” Moondancer grinned, “Besides, I think that it’d be good for you to get to know some other ponies.”

“What am I, a science experiment to you?” Charm asked.

“Now that you mention, I have been thinking a lot about my graduation thesis…” Moondancer mused.

“Hardy-har-har,” Charm deadpanned, “you’re so funny, I forgot to laugh.”

“Oo, is somepony having a comedy revue?” Pinkie chirped, “Cuz if so, I have an entire retinue of baby alligator humor that's most hilarious on this side of the Foal Mountains!”

“Wha- I- Huh?!” Charm babbled.

“It’s okay,” Endymion said, “I’m married to her and even I don’t get her sometimes. She Roamani, what do you expect?”

“Ain’t exactly sure what I was aspecin’,” Charm admitted as he looked at everypony else, “Alright, if'n we’re gonna go, then Ah better get ready.”

Leading them outside Charm walked behind the cabin to a smaller one. He opened the doors to reveal an older wagon that had a layer of dust on it. He grabbed, it and it became obvious while he looked like an earth pony he didn’t get their strength. The wagon groaned and finally began to move, but it was damned near everything Charm could do to pull it.

Once it was out, Twilight’s eyes widened. The name on the side was one of the most famous illusionist and potion masters she’d heard of when she was in school.

“Mistress Ia Cain’s Traveling Potion and Magic Show!” was proudly printed on the back of the traveling sales’ pony wagon. The Wagon itself was a deep rich green, the sign had a yellow backdrop with the letters standing proudly in bright pink.

“Muddy, ya mind to pull?”

Muddy shook his head, and walked toward it. He connected up the straps, secured the harness, and seemed to pull it with little problem. Seeing it was indeed able to go Charm walked back inside and came out with two large saddlebags completely full of roots, mushrooms, and opened the back of the wagon. When he stepped in old gas lamps lit on their own giving the place a wondrous glow. He grinned as he put the items he’d need for the potions they may need away. His mother’s own potions were still in here, everything from instant fireball to a teleportation potion. Unfortunately, the teleport potion could only teleport somepony where they could directly see, or a place they knew exceptionally well.

The teleportation potion might not be of use right at this moment, but if worse come to worse he could use it, with all of them touching him, and get them back to the cabin. He knew it well enough. Some other potions were stored in his mother’s old wagon, namely the will o’wisp, which would create a bluebell flame in any spot for half an hour. If kept in a jar or lantern, it would burn for longer, upwards of eight hours. There was also a spell book of his mother’s finest illusions. This had been secreted away shortly before she died; he had been wanting to pass this down to his son or daughter when they came of age, but that hadn’t happened yet.

He did harbor some attraction to the one they called Applejack. She was a fine filly, very strong, with wide hips and a bright smile. And the way she carried that great sword of hers, whew! He very nearly popped an erection when he saw her with it. His Earth pony half was what drove his mating instincts, he knew, and that mare was everything he could ever want in a mare. Of course, this wouldn’t stop his father from dropping in with a Pegasus or unicorn mare he thought would interest him.

It wasn’t like he was uninterested in them. Compared to his father, Master Chief, he was a stringy young colt lucky to have a beard. Master Chief was strong, broad shouldered, and with a deep resonating voice. He couldn’t carry a tune to save his life, but when he spoke, ponies listened. It was no wonder he was once an NCO in Her Majesty's Navy. That was all some time ago, though, and work with the Equestrian Trading Company was solid. It was more than enough bits to keep Charm in clothes, food, and books as needed.

Even so, his father was a monster of a stallion and Charm felt envious, even intimidated by his Dad. Charm was gifted but not in physical strength. His potions, even from a young age, were second to none in at least three counties. Only a Zebrica shaman could potentially best him in that.

Feeling secure in that he had all he needed, and double checking to ensure that his mother’s wood and coal burning stove still had a full box of coal to burn through, he readied himself for the trip they were about to embark on. Muddy’s Parents, Spud and Pokey lived right outside of the swamp, and it had been Spud that taught him everything he knew about the place. The last time he’d been out of Fire Swamp had been to visit the two of them, and of course see his father.

That’d been nearly a year and a half, but his memories of how to get out was still fresh. He knew that Muddy knew the paths just as well, and while there was fewer that would allow for the wagons, they would still easily make it out of the swamp and to the base of the Mountain before nightfall. He walked up toward Muddy and gave his oldest friend a smile, “Yer sure ‘bout pullin’ this thing?”

Muddy nodded, “Comes down ta it, it’s gonna be a matter of practicality, and bein’ an Earth Pony just means that Imma better suited fer it. ‘Sides, it’s a nice wagon, and it pulls easy. Yer mama took good care of it.”

Charm nodded, “Okay, Moony, go ahead and get in, I’m going to ride up top, those of ya’ll pullin’ wagons get ‘hind us, and follow us out.”

Snow was building now, and even though Muddy had said he didn’t mind pulling Charm worried for his friend. It was getting deep, past the fetlock at this point and moving further up the legs all of the time. He could hear the sound of the a keening wailing cry, and the obviousness of it came to him. Master Chief talked about them once, a long time ago when his mother was still alive. One of the few times the three of them had been together.

His ship had actually traveled back to the old lands, before Equestria, the forgotten lands of their ancestors, and it was there that he heard the most mournful and sorrowful cries he ever heard. They looked beautiful, floating around the coast, their white transparent bodies promising anything, and everything, a sailor could ever want, but each cry brought more cold.

It was the cries of Windegos. The spirits of unrest, of cold indifference, and the very spirits that controlled winter in nature itself. Winter was a time that lead to rebirth, but only after death. His Earth Pony instincts told him that, and they told him that was needed, and necessary, but not at the moment. Now, right now it was dangerous, and it was threatening all that they held dear.

He could hear the snow crunching, no longer was it content to just be cold. The snow itself was now freezing over, becoming more ice like than snow. That made wagon pulling treacherous. Unicorns and Pegasi that insisted on pulling wagons would be worse off in this kind of weather. Neither of them had the connection to the ground the Earth Ponies did. Neither of them could sense how the ground leaned, where rocks were, where a dip and rut was at.

It would be like letting a newborn foal run loose with a loaded play wagon and blindfolding them. Right now the three earth ponies pulling were the ones that were best suited for it. The cold whipped around him, and he felt the biting cold from it. It hurt, really hurt, and he knew if it was hurting him then it was getting to Muddy, and undoubtedly it was getting to those other two earth ponies.

The keening wail of the Windigos raised in pitch, and became louder. They were crying out over something, something had dragged them from their home, from a place where they were welcomed and comfortable, and pulled them to a land they felt nothing but pain in. He could hear the pain in their voices, each time the wind carried it they were louder, their cries screaming for release, to be let go, to get out, and secretly he wondered if they were going insane. To hurt for so long, to be held captive for this length of time, it had to be driving them insane. By the time they left the Fire Swamp there was no more cover from the wailing. It was loud, and he could see them. By Sol he could see them. The mountain was still a fair stretch, at least half a day in good weather, and with the snow, maybe longer, but it was there. But around the top of it, he could occasionally see one, its body becoming solid for a moment, long enough for the wailing to echo down the mountain, to express the pain and suffering it was enduring.

His father had hold him that looking at a mess of them was like looking at a cloud, and if that was right, there had to be millions upon millions gathered around the mountain, following some strange trail that was forcing them to everywhere. The trail traveled over the swamp, toward the town that lay on the other side, beyond the mountain in every direction they were traveling, and they were crying out.

His mother’s gift to him, his more unicorn side allowed him to understand what he was seeing. He was seeing a perversion of nature, a desperate and horrific way of controlling the seasons, and done in such a hamfisted way that it was going to destroy everything and everypony if they didn’t get to the top and soon.

“Is it just me, or is the snow seriously intensifying?” Endymion asked.

“It’s not just you,” Rainbow shouted over the howls and screeching wind, “I don’t know if we’ll reach the base of the mountain in time for sundown. AJ keeps saying that the ground underhoof is getting more treacherous by the minute. I’ve seen her slip a few times; I’m inclined to believe her.”

“It’s too bad we didn’t stop and Ma and Pa’s place, Charm,” Muddy relays, “could’ve set a spell, gotten warm on their hearth.”

“It’s a little late for that now,” Charm replied, “but maybe, if we can get up the mountain a little ways, we can use one of the caves for shelter. It’s gettin’ awful dark awful fast.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Endymion shouted, “Twilight and I are going to blast some flames ahead. Should keep us moderately warm as we make our way and clear some of the worst of the snow. It won’t last us long, but maybe we can make a clear enough path to hasten this leg of the trip.”

“Do it,” Moondancer said, “I’ll help out from up here.”

In short order, a trident of fire rushed forward, melting the snow and providing light to the dying day. The path that Muddy was taking improved drastically, now that most of the snow and ice had melted, but it was necessary for Twilight to keep a small furnace of flames working behind them. The air was getting colder and much of their efforts froze almost instantly after it was cleared. Her small furnace put out enough heat to muddy the trail without icing it over immediately afterwards. It was draining, she wasn’t going to lie about that, but it was worth it. It was worth it because it kept them going, and it kept them heading in the right direction.

Hours passed, and the wind had went from sharp, but weak, to sharp, filled with frozen rain, and strong as an Earth Pony. Finally they had reached the mountain, finally they had made it past the base, and finally they had found the old cave system that Muddy had talked about. They pulled into the cave, and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Doo quickly helped the Earth Ponies that was about to collapse.

Charm helped with Muddy and AJ, getting them into one wagon or another, getting them on a bed, and laying them out. He’d never admit it, but he took a little longer to leave that orange mare than he normally would. There was an overpowering urge to get to know her, to try and impress her, and finally to let her know that he was a good stallion. It was the kind of urge that was hard to quiet down, and he knew that it was part of his father in him.

There was a sound from deeper in the cave, and when the realization that they were not alone, but a bear and her cubs were there as well things became a little more interesting. Fluttershy herself talked to the bear, getting her attention off of the ponies, explaining that they didn’t mean her harm, and that her cubs and herself would be safe.

“I know, Mrs. Bear, and we’re sorry, but the wind and snow is getting worse outside. If you would allow this shelter from the elements, we’d be forever grateful.”

The bear grunted and groaned in response. Fluttershy nodded and “hmmed” as the bear vocalized.

“No, no, I understand,” Fluttershy replied, “I promise you that we mean you no harm. And I find your cubs so cute, so I promise that neither I nor my companions will cause your cubs any harm.”

The bear grunted once more.

“Okay, we will. We’ll build up the fire so we can ourselves and your family warm. Is that okay?”

The bear nods.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bear,” Fluttershy said, “do you need any help? Is there anything I can do for you?”

The bear shook her head. Fluttershy smiled and shook the bear’s proffered paw. Sh returned to her companions, beaming.

“Mrs. Bear is going to allow the use of this cave for tonight. We may need to built up the fire to warm up the rest of the cave, but I promised her we would keep her and her cubs would safe.”

“A fair trade,” Charm said, “Muddy, go get some tinder.”

“Already got it,” Muddy said, “and that pink filly has some good stuff, too.”

Charm looked and the one called Pinkie Pie had a sizable pile of tinder. He didn’t even see her lay it down.

“So, let’s build up this fire,” Endymion said, “and then we’ll turn in for the night. I may not have pulled the cart but the frost has sapped me of whatever strength I’ve recovered.”

Everypony agrees and the fire gets built up more, along with a second fire constructed further down the cavern for the mama bear and her cubs. After the fires were built up and some interdiction was constructed against the wind, everypony settled down for the night.

Moondancer groaned as she crawled into the old green sales pony wagon. It was beautifully made, it really was, but right now she was more concerned about getting some sleep than she was about the craftponyship of the wagon she was in. She looked at Muddy, and pulled her clothes off. With the stove, and the shelter offered by the cave, it was finally warm. She lifted the blanket and looked at the stallion she fell in love with.

Many wouldn’t see past his exterior. They’d see a hillpony, somepony that wasn’t fit for polite society, but she saw so much more. He was gentle, kind, intelligent, and a very giving lover. She felt his coat and her heart ached. He was so cold. She slid next to him, pulling herself against him, feeling the cold leaving him and pulling onto her. She felt him shift, his off blue eyes opened, and she saw a hint of a smile cross his lips. He leaned over to her, kissing her cheek.

“Sorry, I know that Imma a c...cold right now…” he managed to get out through his teeth chattering.

She shook her head, “It’s okay. I want to warm you up, and let you get some well deserved sleep.”

She lay her head on his chest, listening to perhaps the sweetest heart in all of Equestria. "Muddy, have you thought about foals?”

“Eeeeyeah, I have a couple times. Thought, ‘bout havin’ a few with ya. I figured that they’d purty near be perfect with ya as their mama.”

She grinned, hearing his praise, feeling his breathing, he was the sweetest stallion. Her hand touched his bare chest, moved down, and found his stallion hood. His eyes widened as she began to stroke him, “I’m not in heat, not yet, but I want them too. So, I’m not going to cast any birth control spells this time.”

Despite being cold, despite being tired, and despite being far away from the cabin he’d called home for several years now, Muddy felt himself hardening in Moondancer’s grasp. She continued until he was stiff, and then she slowly crawled until she was straddling him. There was no lying that Muddy was well fed, he did eat like he was two Clydesdales, but there was a ton of muscle there as well. She felt it in his chest, his arms, and she slid down onto him.

“Oh Sol…” she moaned, “Muddy…”

“Moonie,” Muddy groaned, “what are ya’ll doin’?”

“You’re cold,” Moondancer explained, “I may be tired, but I’m not too tired, so I thought I could try to warm you up the old fashioned way.”

“Dang, filly,” Muddy exclaimed, “are ya sure you ain’t got some Earth pony in ya?”

“Well, I do now,” Moondancer answered coyly.

“How we gonna do this without wakin’ up Charm?” Muddy asked, just stopping himself from laughing.

“Oh,” Moondancer began, “a little birdie taught me a special charm that will allow us to raise all the Mustang we want without anypony hearing a peep.”

All Muddy could do was smile.

“Remind me ta thank that ‘lil birdie’ later,” he retorted, then he wrapped his arms around Moondancer’s waist to bring her closer to him…

Muddy’s last words of the night were, “Share the wealth, that’s what Pa always said.”

The next morning, after certain ponies untangled themselves from their partners, the mama bear called Fluttershy over for a discussion. According to the Sol Priestess, Mrs. Bear had seen some odd comings and goings in a cavern northwest of their current position. Muddy produced a map and showed the party which cave that might have been and Mrs. Bear confirmed the location through Fluttershy.

It seemed that Muddy and Charm had mapped out the majority of the caverns in Mount Oblivion; the route that would take the to Stargazer’s Tower was the cavern system Mrs. Bear said was showing an increase in activity. Mrs. Bear also warned the party that there were some strange creatures hanging out along that route. She hadn’t seen them before and for as long as she had lived on this mountain, this was the first time any being had seen such in these parts. Fluttershy thanks Mrs. Bear for the warning and shortly afterward, the party set off again.

“I think I need a small refresher on my magical history,” Endymion commented, “but what was it that Stargazer did again?”

Twilight replied, in true to form lecturing style, “Stargazer the Elder was Starswirl the Bearded’s older brother. While he wasn’t as accomplished as his younger sibling, he was the stallion responsible for determining the thaumatic influence of innate Pegasi spellcraft involved in manipulating the weather. He was also the pony who created the earliest weather models, of which some are still in use today, although more modern models are far more accurate and waste less resources. His research into weather manipulation, though, got him into a lot of hot water. Many of the top arcane researchers of his day decried his work; they often posted editorials about his experiments, often calling his research some of the most ‘banal and dangerous labors outside of war games.’ Even his own brother begged him to stop his experiments. Stargazer persisted, and most historians agree that he continued working on his weather spells as a way of bolstering unicorn pride. He was a known tribalist, unlike his younger brother. One of his most disastrous experiments brought on such a terrible drought to the Greater Grasslands region of Equestria that it didn’t recover from it for at least two hundred years.”

“Wow,” Rainbow said, “he sounds like a prize. So, he figured out Pegasi could walk on clouds and bring storms to areas but he failed to reproduce the effect with his artifice? Weak.”

Everypony started at Dash as she finished her statement. The mare took on a confused look before huffing indignantly.

“I may seem like a simpleton to many ponies, but I’m no idiot,” Dash retorted, “do you honestly think the Weather Service Bureau recruits stupid ponies?”

“Well, no,” Twilight replied, “you’ve just never showed any academic inclination.”

“Because it’s all a bunch of hot air,” Dash shoots back, “why talk about something when you can do?”

“I can understand what yer talkin’ ‘bout,” AJ says, “but even so, there are times when a well thought out plan is better than just rushin’ in, crossbows ablaze.”

“I get that,” Dash said defensively, “I just some ponies wouldn’t act like being direct about what they think or mean is an affront. I don’t like hiding behind words or theories.”

“Well, now that we’ve heard from the peanut gallery, no offense Dash,” Moondancer said, “shouldn’t we press further on? This weather isn’t correcting itself.”

“Agreed,” Endymion said, “although, I do have wonder something.”

“And what’s that?” Charm asked.

“I wonder if Stargazer built this blasted weather machine as either a rebuke of his academic adversaries or as a testament to his magical prowess?” Endymion mused.

“Mebbe he built the darn thing as a big buck you to his brother,” AJ said, “this Stargazer feller sounds like he might the prideful sort, by mah reckonin’.”

“Ya ain’t far off,” Charm added, “you should see his tower. I ain’t never seen so many busts of any single pony in my life. Talk about narcissism.”

“Charm is right,” Moondancer said, “I’ve seen the inside of the tower. It’s practically a monument to himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t had himself entombed there. I do remember there being a mausoleum somewhere in there.”

“Third sub-basement,” Muddy said, “just below the old geezer’s laboratory. There’s also some weird contraption on the same floor because that’s where the flesh golem resides.”

“Good to know,” Twilight responds, “that will save us plenty of time searching for it.”

“Awww,” Pinkie whines, "but that’s always the best part!”

“Hey, everypony,” Muddy calls out, “quiet, ya’ll, we’re near the cave system.”

“And we do need ta be quiet, sugarcube?” AJ asked.

“There’s something in there that ain’t supposed to be,” Charm replied, “now how in the name of Sol did timberwolves get up in here?”

“Timberwolves?” Moondancer asked, “Wait, I don’t think those are timberwolves…”

“What do you mean, moondancer?” Twilight questioned, and Pinkie added, “Yeah, whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Moonie?”

“Endymion, can you feel them?” Moondancer said, “The magic, it’s- it’s different.”

“I can feel it,” Charm said gravely, “an’ I think yer right. These ain’t timberwolves, Muddy. We ain’t seen these boys in a while.”

“No,” Muddy said, coming to a full stop, “you ain’t talkin’ ‘bout-”

“Yep,” Charm replied, “I can hear them chains now. No doubt they’ve come back.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Dash roared.

“Kludde,” Muddy answered, “demon dogs with wings, surrounded in blue fire. Don’t let ‘em get behind ya!”

“Why not?!” Applejack inquired.

“Cuz they’ll tear a pony to epics if they can,” Muddy explained, “Charm ran ‘em off with his potions a while back but there ain’t much he or I know that’ll keep ‘em off us fer long.”

“Twilight, let’s cast a shield spell between us,” Moondancer suggested, “it might protect us long enough to get through the caves.”

“Already on it,” Twilight replied.

“Are we going to need to make a run of it?” Endymion asked.

“Yep,” Charm answered back, “in fact, we shoulda been runnin’ five minutes ago. Muddy HOOF IT!”

Even with the snow and ice, Muddy’s hooves begin to pelt ahead, rushing onward as the rest of the caravan picks up steam. As Twilight and Moondancer’s combined shield is erected, the first sight of the kludde arrives, a pack of devilish canines wreathed in pale azure flames. Even for as fast as the combined efforts of Muddy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack are, the kludde come just as quickly, running right on everypony’s fetlocks.

Endymion was the only one who could offer any defensive measures at that moment, so he started slinging spells at the demonic creatures. Anything that would come to mind he cast back at them, although many of his spells didn’t have much affect on them. Then Charm came out from his wagon with a case of potion flasks. He hefted one, which contained a sickly green potion inside, then threw it. Endymion saw it was going to fall short and bounced further along with a burst of telekinesis. He saw the contents of the flask turn from a vomitous green to a pale golden yellow. When it struck the ground behind them, the liquid bubbled and steamed, in spite of the dank chill of the cave. A kludde attempted to jump over the puddle but as it flew through the steaming vapors, it dissolved.

“Acidic vapors,” Charm called out, “a speciality of my mom.”

“I thought your mom was an illusionist?!” Endymion shouted back.

“She was,” Charm replied, “but she was also a Black Cloak. She and Flintheart were a team. It was what she did fer a livin’, ‘sides a travelin’ sideshow. She died protectin’ ponies from harm.”

“Well, thank Sol for that,” Endymion commented, “how many you do you have of those?”

“More than enough for all of ’em!” Charmed cried, “Come get sum, ya sonsabitches!”

More vials were tossed and more kludde were dissolved like so much salt in water. The caravan sped it’s way, following in Muddy’s hoofsteps, through the cavern system. The kludde followed close behind but the combined efforts of Twilight, Moondancer, Charm, and Endymion kept them at bay. In no time at all, they saw the exit for the side of Mount Oblivion they needed to get to. A single spire, pearly white in the winter gloom, speared the sky as winds cycloned around it.

“There it is ya’ll,” Muddy announced, “The Tower of Stargazer th’ Elder. Hope you packed some extra britches, cuz things here is gonna make you wanna plop a few loaves, if you catch my meanin’.”

The kludde, which had chased the caravan throughout the caverns, stopped at the mouth, unwilling to chase their prey into the frostborn maelstrom.

22 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Three

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23 Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Four

Rune Soldier

Chapter 23: Walking In A Winter Hinterland, Part Four

Endymion’s Mindscape

It was dark, murky, and cold. Endymion shivered in the darkness that surrounded him. He could hear Twilight in the distance, feel the slightest sensations of Pinkie’s touch, but it felt as if everything was coming through a funnel, or being done from the top of a well and tossed down to him. Slowly the darkness began to lift, and it was lighter. There was a mountain he recognized, something from before this adventure, something from that place they tried to visit.

It was Mount Gloom! He remembered it, and then he felt the cold touch of something behind him.

“Our gift to you, Mage, is the freeing of memories you have from your line. Memories that deal with the cold, and with winter.”

He turned to see her. She looked like Snowfrost, except she wasn’t calm. Her eyes were wild, bright, her teeth weren’t blunt but sharp, and her body was nothing short of perfection. She stood in her robe, stretching her hand out, “Go, your memories of this time are your own. It was within our power to restore them.”

He began to move, but he stopped, “Why help me?”

She laughed, a musical sound, and she pulled her robe open to show her belly, “Because you have given me a child. Or rather, I have given you one. He groaned as he touched his head.

“Yes, for now it resides there. A mixture of material and immaterial resides inside of your head.”

He looked at her, and her smile softened, “This child, this spirit, is a gift, along with your memories restored. It will be growing, learning, and soon your bride that is skilled in the arcane arts will need to remove the child. Good, bad, intelligent, or idiotic, all will be determined by how you interact. Now, take this chance to experience your memories, and to see your child for the first time.”

With that she was gone. What was left was the mountain, covered in a thin layer of snow. He stepped, carefully toward the building. It wasn’t the same small guard post that he had seen before. It was bigger, almost a castle, and inside of it was wicked laughter. He stepped lightly, moving slowly toward the building, toward the rough hewn door that stood against the blistering cold outside. He touched it, and he felt the ice from the storm that was raging, and a warmth behind the door itself. He pushed, but it remained solid. Looking around he felt the cold getting worse, the storm, which he had largely ignored up to this point, began to worsen.

Pelts of frozen rain hit him, driving sharp, tack-like frozen droplets against his torn shirt and skin. He hugged himself, unsure of what to do, but knowing that he was going to freeze if he did nothing.

“Hello?”

He looked for the voice, and what he saw was a small pony. She was a filly, absolutely adorable, and her eyes were so alive and expressive. He neared her, knelt down, covering her as best he could with his body.

“What are you doing out here?”

The little one hugged him, spreading warmth through his body, and suddenly he was no longer outside of the door, but inside of a room. Behind him were three more that looked like him. One was an older, and broader, woman. Her red hair was frazzled, her purple cloak looked as if it had been near a fire or two in the last few hours.

“Reeka! Draggle! Where are you two?!”

“Coming Mama!”

He watched as a thin girl with the same color red hair, and a broader girl with black hair, and a face full of freckles, came into the room.

“What have I said about calling me Mama?!”

“Ummm, that you hate it,” the thinner one said.

“Exactly!” she walked toward them and shook her head, “I should have never created either of you.”

She looked back at the table near the center of the room, “I’m working on the newest addition to the Empire’s biological weapons, and it’s nearly finished. Nearly. I need for the two of you to go down the mountain, gather the sap from a Floom Plant, and bring it back here.”

“But M… Hydia, Hydia, that plant eats people! Our magic isn’t powerful enough to keep it from trying to eat us!”

“Or plant seed pods in us!”

“Girls, girls, girls, you’re mistaking me for someone that cares! You’ll go get the Floom Sap, and you’ll do it willingly, or I’ll clone the two of you, destroy you, and make those two want to collect it! Do you understand me?!”

“Yes, Hydia.”

She watched as they began to walk out, and someone clearing their voice stopped them. Endymion looked for the other person, and he saw him. He saw… Himself. Suddenly he felt a pull, his eyes widened, and within moments he was actually seeing though the man’s eyes.

“Lord Ambrose, You flatter me with your presence,” Hydia said as she bowed.

“Hydia, rise, and stop trying to seduce me. It is a waste of time, and you know it. Now, what is this about Floom Sap?”

She looked at the two girls, cleared her throat, and then looked back at him, “Lord Ambrose, the Floom Sap is needed to produce the spark of life needed for this creation. Think of it, a living substance that has one desire, to spread out as quickly as possible, covering barren, empty wasteland, and then cultivating it into a liveable area,” she smiled, “It would allow us to venture deep into the badlands, perhaps even allow us to venture closer to the Equestrians.”

“What does it feed on?”

She looked away from him, “Magic. It feeds directly from magic, but only Harmonious magics. It sucks it dry and uses that magic to propel itself even further.”

He looked at the plans, then at the design, “If it reached the Equestrians it would destroy them, wouldn’t it?”

“Perhaps, a few hundred might be caught in its first innocent attempt at contact, but I’m certain those losses would be more than acceptable.”

“Hmmm,” he rubbed his chin before he raised a hand.

Hydia made a choking sound, her veins began to show, and her hands were now reaching for a ceremonial blade that was on the table.

“L...Lord Ambrose?” she choked out.

“It’s an innocent reaction to some very basic water magic. Acceptable loss, right?”

“P...Please, spare me…”

He dropped his hand and she fell to the floor, “Any loss that is not the result of an act of aggression toward us is not to be considered acceptable.”

“Of course, but my Lord, if it feeds on harmonious magic we may never spread closer to the Equestrians.”

He nodded, “And that is acceptable. We don’t have to engage the Equestrians, and besides, many in the council feel that staying hidden away is the best course of action. Still, your project has merit. Cultivating the badlands into usable farmland would give us yet another advantage. You will have my support for the project, and my personal help. Starting with this.

He lifted a vial of thick green liquid and placed it on the table.

“Floom Sap, but…”

He shook his head, “Reeka has reported your findings to me ahead of time. I came to the conclusion of what you would be needing long before now, and I sent one of the golems to retrieve it. It is far easier to replace a golem than a child. Now, I’ve been told that you have a control method planned?”

“Of course, I..”

The vision began to darken, blank out, and soon it was just Endymion and the filly. She was standing there, quietly, all while seemingly paying attention to what had happened. She then turned to him. Walking slowly toward him she stopped.

“Do you have a name?”

She shook her head, “No, you have not given me one.”

As he looked at her he could see how she differed from the Windegos. She wasn’t as white, or snowy as they were. Her coat was more of an off white, her eyes were those lovely shades of green, and her hair, her hair was a rich red. She reached for him, and touched his head, “You need to waken.”

The Winter Machine Room

The memory of what he had seen was still fresh in his mind, but now he saw something else. Applejack was sliding down the wall, her sword lying broken near her. Pinkie standing in front of him, crouched in an aggressive manner, practically ready to pounce and rip whatever came near her, and him, a brand new tail hole for even considering getting too close. Twilight was casting spells left and right, and so was Moondancer. Both of them were trying to stay away from the giant creature that was attempting to flatten them. Daring Doo, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all in the air. Fluttershy was using Sol magic to help with the attack, Rainbow was throwing daggers, and it looked like Daring Doo was causing loose stones to fall onto the attacking Minotaur.

He saw Charm hurling potions, Muddy helping him, and off in the corner watching it all was Snowfrost. She didn’t look like she was enjoying it, but instead she looked concerned, frightened, and almost wanting to run away. He watched as a jar hit the Minotaur, and when it did the sound and feeling of lightning filled the room. He almost expected to see the Minotaur to be put down by that, but instead it was still there, part of his skin burned away to reveal the muscle and bone under where the stitched together skin had been.

The Minotaur changed tactics, no longer going after those in the room, but instead heading toward the machine itself. Endymion stood, feeling woozy as he did so. The Minotaur roared as it neared the machine and a well placed throwing knife found itself embedded in its eye. It roared again, angry, swiping at Rainbow Dash who had partially blinded it.

Its war hammer lay broken, and the cudgel it tore out of an icicle was shattered in many fine pieces. All it had left was its arms and hands. It struggled to snag Rainbow, to grab her from the air and beat her for wounding it. In its anger fueled state, it's reach found Daring Doo. She screamed as it slammed her into the floor, instantly breaking her nose, and most likely one of her wings. She groaned as it lifted her again, its one remaining eye bloodshot from anger. Its mouth opened with the most horrific roar it could muster, and it threw her at Rainbow Dash knocking the other Pegasus out of the air and against the wall. The two of them slid to the ground, and it stalked toward them.

Endymion reached out his hand, much like he had felt himself do in his dream and the Minotaur slowed, but didn’t stop. He felt the water in the blood inside of it. Felt the veins, and pulled against them. The Minotaur roared again, this time pulling hard against the magic that held it, and ripping the veins out of its arms, neck, back, legs, and everywhere else. It faltered in it's step, but did not topple. Endymion yanked once more, rewarded by immobilizing one it's arms as veins, capillaries, and arteries tore loose.

Endymion felt the magic slip and the Minotaur’s focus changed, once more, and instead it seemed to be focused on him. It stomped toward him, it's useless arm swinging futilely, the remaining eye turned bloodshot as the capillaries within it burst during Endymion’s last spell. He loosed another spell, a gravity well incantation, and the golem stopped dead in it’s tracks. It teetered on it's hooves, unable to maintain balance with it's top heavy form. It fell backwards, toppling over columns built at the edges of the chamber. This is not what drew Endymion’s attention. When the golem fell, the mage saw that the weather machine had started back up again, with the wild Windegoes now coming to the aid of the minotaur golem.

“Oh, no!” Daring Doo shouted, “the machine started back up!”

“But how?” Rainbow grunted, getting to her hooves after untangling herself from the dark golden Pegasus, “didn’t Endymion just shut it down?!”

“The golem!” Snowfrost shouted, “The golem has the necessary enchantments to start the weather machine! It must have remotely activated it!”

“Oh, great,” AJ said, a little punch drunk, “a make-it-yerself minotaur that acts as a weather vane.”

The sound of the screaming Windegos filled the room. Their pain filled screams causing the cold to cover everything, and the Minotaur, which seemed to be aided by controlling the machine, and thus the Windegos themselves, was once again up and mobile. It stomped forward, the Windegos supporting it, toward Endymion.

“Watch it's horns!” Charm said, “It's channelin’ magic!”

Endymion jumped from the spot he was in, aided by a minor wind spell the propelled him upright; he was lucky enough to not be caught in the arctic blast that erupted, although Fluttershy was. The Sol Priestess’ left wing was hit by the frosty attack and she plummeted to the chamber floor; she did not appear worse for wear, save for her iced over wing, for she threw a blasting curse at the golem, chipping off the growing layer of tundra forming on it's hide. Endymion watched as she cast another curse, for every incantation melted off the frost on her feathers.

“Shy, get out of there!” AJ shouted, the swordsmare now brandishing her greatsword high.

The Sol Priestess did as she was told, flitting away as Applejack rushed forward, her broken sword swinging high in the monstrous minotaur’s form. Ice, flesh, and bone flew away as the broken greatsword struck true. Charm, seeing how effective the farmer’s/soldier’s attack was, tossed a brew at the open wound that sizzled as it arced onward. The potion bottle ignited on impact with the golem, sending gouts of flame along the creature's legs. It roared in pain but remained standing.

“Moondancer, Twilight, send some lighting his way,” Endymion ordered, “don’t ice and electricity not mix well?”

Both mares nodded and began chanting the spell to call forth lightning, as did Endymion. The three mage’s arcs struck the beast with clinical precision, causing the ice-encased golem to stagger fromt he onslaught.

“Ugh, burn dog,” Muddy complained, “kinda wished I had meself a weapon of some sort.”

“Muddy, the minotaurs blade!” Moondancer shouted, “drive it it's solar plexus! That should give us greater opportunity to damage it!”

“Done and done,” Muddy replied, seeing the discarded sword in the chaos of the chamber, picking it up and bellowing, “LEEROY JENKINS!”

“Leeroy who?!” Endymion asked as Muddy drove the blade deep into the golem’s chest, causing the fiend to roar in agony.

“Now!” Twilight shouted, “Pour it on! Fast!!”

The three mages angled their electric bolts to the sword’s all steel hilt, sending 1.21 gigawatts of power each into the very core of the beast. It staggered even more greatly now, the combined damage of flames and lightning taking their toll on the golem. It still wasn’t enough to fell it, as it charged another blast of freezing blast of arcane power toward it's victims. None were encapsulated by the attack, but the floor was now as slippery as an icy lake.

“Gah!” AJ cried, “The floor is even more slippery than a greased up pig! We gotta end this an’ soon!”

“Agreed,” Endymion said, “Dash, are you okay?”

“I think so,” Rainbow answered, “but Daring needs a medicine mare, and fast!”

“Damn it,” Endymion cursed, “Muddy, you and Dash get Daring out of here. Charm, I need to you pass along a few healing tonics to Dash then start chucking those instant flame potions of yours; AJ, dig that blade in deeper; Twilight, ‘Dancer, more lightning; Shy, hit this fucker with the most powerful combat spell you know.”

“Waht are you going to do, Endymion?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m gonna do the best I can,” Endymion answered, then, “ILLUMINAIRE!”

The bright flash of light, combined with searing heat of forked lightning filled the chamber, as a veritable column of light struck the golem. Twilight and Moondancer followed suite, hitting it with their strongest lightning spells; AJ jump kicked the blade before the combined spells struck it, driving the blade in hilt of the monster’s chest. Muddy was the last to attack, sending vial after vial of combustible liquid onto the beast.

The combined assault sent a cloud of vapor into the air; it hindered the sight of the remaining party. Dash, who had come back from administering to Daring Doo’s wounds, stood there in shock at the cumulative strike. But her awe was replaced by fear when the creature roared, parting the mist with ease, it's fur singed off, but it it's hooves planted firmly to the floor. Then, Endymion’s eyes widened when something howled louder than the Windegos around the Minotaur.

Instantly they fled and what was left in their place was the same being Endymion had seen in his mind. It was Snowfrost, he knew that, but her tiara was gone. He could see the ruined pieces of it lying on the ground, and instead she had wrapped the Minotaur in an embrace. Endymion could see its body freezing, its form slowing, and he could see Snowfrost fading.

She looked toward him, and it wasn’t the wild or untamed Windego that had stopped the Minotaur, but instead it was the mare that had been so patient with them. She spoke, but the words he heard were inaudible to all but him: The Frost Giants live. They will aid you in your quest. Restore the Empire to it's true glory. You will not be safe until the False Empress is brought low. In an instant she simply vanished from sight. In her place was the Minotaur, frozen solid. Endymion didn’t try to cast a massive spell, but instead he grabbed a small red ball, something he had made a long time ago, and he threw it at the Minotaur.

The explosion caused the massive flesh golem to crack and splinter in its icy form. The cracks spread throughout it, going deep causing the image of the large being to splinter into pieces and then the pieces began to fall apart. It began with the tip of a horn that fell, hit a shoulder, and then from there the entire collection of cracked, icy, and frozen Minotaur pieces fell into a pile of splintered pieces.

He fell to his knees, hearing his own breathing, seeing the now dead Minotaur, and then looked at the machine. Slowly, he got up, feeling the cold coming from it, knowing what had to be done, and struggling to near it. There was a touch, something inside of his mind, telling him to look straight ahead, don’t look to the sides, don’t attract the attention, that the Windegos wanted freedom as much as he wanted to give it to them.

Once more the chess board was presented, and this time, this time the entire thing had been arranged in a pattern that made little sense. Before it had been a single piece moved out of place, but now it looked as if someone had attempted to completely play a game. He began rearranging the pieces, setting them back, moving them into the place, and then he moved the final piece the machine stopped, the Windegos disappeared, and he looked ahead to see Snowfrost.

It was like she was made of fine wintery snow. Her form was translucent, half there and half not, but he did see her. The broad smile on her face was that hard not to miss. He saw her, the true her, and then he felt her lean toward him, her cheek nuzzling his own.

Care for her, and yourself.

With that the wind blew and the snow that made up her body simply disappeared leaving behind an empty space.

One Week and many degrees warmer later - Golden Oaks Library

Twilight looked in the mirror. She wasn’t worried about letting Endymion down, but she did want to look good for tonight. They were supposed to have a date, somewhere special, and he seemed to be fairly hush hush about it. She grinned as she thought about Stargazer’s home, and the fact that Endymion had proven himself to be more than an adventurer. He was a hero, one that nopony would ever know saved the world, but a hero nonetheless.

A quick check revealed that her soft blue sundress brought out her coats natural colors, her new boots, a gift from Rarity, covered her hooves perfectly, and of course allowed her to wear a pair of stockings that she’d been saving for a while. She grabbed a bottle of perfume, a gift from her mother, and lightly spritzed herself.

Satisfied with how she looked she walked downstairs to find Endymion, and Pinkie, waiting for her. She noticed the lack of Fluttershy, but she didn’t comment on it. At the moment she knew that Fluttershy was attempting to work toward both forgiveness, and entering their herd. Of course receiving word from Princess Luna that the weather machine, and their adventure to shut it down, couldn’t be talked about had been a blow to the Sol Priestess.

She had planned on being able to sing the praises of her hero, and instead she had to keep them quiet. Currently she knew her friend was at the main temple in Canterlot, speaking with Head Priestess Celestia. Walking toward both Endymion and Pinkie she felt her heart skipping a beat. She had wanted this for so long, to be together with Endymion, and she didn’t realize how happy she was to be a part of a herd.

Together they walked out of the library, and Endymion held a small purple ball. She recognized it as a teleportation spell designed for Pegasi and Earth Ponies. It was a magical item that took study and skill to create, and the fact that it looked correct meant that Endymion must have practiced.

“Hold on,” he said.

She felt the field of magic surround her, and she moaned as it entered her. It felt, smelled, and even tasted like Endymion. It was his essence, his power, and in all honesty it was making her want him. The swirling vortex of white and blue magic that surrounded them widened to reveal a familiar door, but it wasn’t in the place it had been.

She looked to see that it was a simple shack, something Endymion must have visited a thousand times, but there was the door for Stargazer’s library here in this shack.

“Muddy, AJ, Charm, and Moondancer helped me move it. Go ahead and open it.”

She did and before her was the entire library just as she remembered. The glowing jewels of the door obviously still powering the portal.

“You… you brought the library out for me?”

He smiled, before he leaned in to kiss her. She felt herself melting into the kiss, her hands roaming from the middle of his back to his lower back, and finally to his ass. She stopped and broke the kiss, “This… This is incredible.”

He smiled, “I know, and it’s for you. When you’re ready we’ll move it to the Golden Oak’s Library, and we’ll hook it up to the magical batteries there, but for tonight I wanted to give my bibliophile something special.”

Suddenly he watched as her horn glowed, hundreds of books moved toward the floor, a couple of tapestries moved down to cover them, and she reached up to buttons that held her dress together on her shoulders, “And I want to give you something in return,” she said right before she unbuttoned those buttons letting the dress become loose on top. She slid it down, letting it reveal her under it.

There was no bra, he knew that when he saw her come down, but apparently Rarity had given her a pair of lacy satin panties. Right above them was a garter belt, one that connected to her stockings, and it looked incredible on her.

“Ms. Sparkle, are you trying to seduce me?”

“This,” she said before she kissed his neck, “Isn’t seduction, this is my helping you to unwrap your gift.”

She felt his arms move around her, his hands gently moving down to her rump, and then she felt him squeeze, softly, “It’s a wonderful gift. I think that mine pales in comparison.”

They heard a giggle snort, and he looked to see Pinkie following Twilight’s example.

“What?! A naked adult party in the new library sounds like fun!”

Together the three of them moved to the bed made of the tapestries, and books, they moved on top of it, Endymion losing his clothes along the way, and once there Twilight felt her two lovers begin to kiss and love her. Twilight’s experiences before had been limited to handling the heat with Pinkie, but she’d learned and developed so much since then. She knew the things that Endymion liked, what she liked, and of course what Pinkie liked.

Which was why it surprised her when she felt Endymion pull her onto his lap. It was gentle, he was gentle, and she realized that she was in something of a cowpony position, or she was until she felt Pinkie behind her. She leaned down, feeling Pinkie moving her tail, something smeared across her tail hole, and she held her breath as she felt Pinkie’s cooler push into the tight confined space.

“Ngh!” Twilight moaned as she felt the intruder enter her tailhole. She felt Pinkie lean forward, kissing her neck, “We’re going to take it slow. Endy and I decided that this night is just for you.”

Despite being sandwiched between her two lovers, and having them both inside of her, Twilight couldn’t help but feel wonderfully full, in more than one way.

Canterlot - Sol Temple

The room of reflection was one that Fluttershy had seldom used once she became a full priestess and not just one of the maidens in training. It was designed to be a place where one could relax, listen to the sounds of only your own body, your own mind, and nothing else. It was meant to each of the maidens in training to learn how to focus on the the important things. It was thought that doing so would allow them to reach a state of nirvana that could make communing with Sol even easier.

That wasn’t why she was there this evening. Luna’s decision had ruined her plans of being able to spread Endymion’s well deserved fame. Granted, they had all fought against the Minotaur, but it had been Endymion, twice, that had shut down the great machine. It had been his final attack on the Flesh Golem that stopped it.

Fluttershy looked at the throne, its design, and with a reserved sigh she slid her robes off. She walked up to it, stopping once more to anoint herself with the fragrant oils of her order, and then took the seat on the throne. She had sat on it before, felt the magic that fueled it course through her, amplifying her hearing, her sight, and relaxing her body, but now the throne was cold, hard, unmoving, and uncomfortable.

“We are afraid that it will do nothing for thou.”

She looked to see Celestia walking into the room. As stately as ever, The Head Priestess removed her own robes, as was tradition in this sacred room, anointed herself of the oils, and approached the troubled priestess. She stood before Fluttershy not as the Head of the Order, but only as another priestess.

Fluttershy felt a tinge of jealousy sweep through her, as the Head Priestess was a goddess-in-utero, while she felt tainted with her ledrfladder form, imperfect from head to hoof. Such imperfection could never reach the divine hallows that Celestia herself must have seen for herself since her return. The mirrored room only multiplied Fluttershy’s anxieties, as every square hand of Celestia’s chiseled body reflected on the mirrored surfaces.

“Why?” she asked as she looked at the floor, “Why will it not work?”

Celestia moved toward her, cupping her cheek, “Because, thou hast already received thine message. Thou hast also betrayed thine own heart, otherwise the throne would attempt to make thou at ease.”

Fluttershy looked away in shame, “I… I took your advice, but… Oh Sol, I didn’t think about what I was doing.”

Celestia stepped back, offering her hand, “Come, We shall raid the pantry, we heard there is left over cake, and such a treat must not be left. As we eat, thou shalt speak of that which has shamed thyself.”

Together, the two of them put their robes back on, walked out of the Room of Reflection, and headed instead into the pantry. The way there felt like a walk of shame of Fluttershy. Every failure she committed after the sea monster incident was a testimony to dismal performance as a Sol Priestess. Once again, she reflected on the nigh infallible personage of the head of her order.

When they arrived in the pantry, the room was dark, for not even the fires in the ovens or the lanterns set in the wall were lit. Fluttershy watched as Celestia used a simple spell to light a single lantern for the two of them. She then opened the cold box, and upon opening it Fluttershy saw a beautiful Germane Chocolate Cake. Two plates were floated down, as was a knife, two forks, and finally two slices were cut from the cake and each was placed before them on the dining table in the middle of the room.

Fluttershy took a seat opposite Celestia; she took a bite of her cake, tasting how moist and delicious it was, and she watched as Head Priestess, or Princess, Celestia did the same. The chocolate in the cake eased her mind some, and the pair quietly but delicately devoured the foodstuff. Neither spoke as they ate, but both enjoyed the richness of the confection, even after they finished. After a moment, the elder Priestess daintily wiped her mouth, looked at Fluttershy, and gave a gentle smile.

“Now, perhaps thou shalt feel at ease and explain what it is that has troubled thou so.”

Not feeling proud of her actions, or where they had led, Fluttershy began the night she finally slept with Endymion. She explained it all, the stare, how she used it to have her way with him, how she attempted to force herself into a herd that for all rights and purposes may have been happy and fulfilled to begin with. She unloaded the burden she had been carrying, and she winced as she did. She winced because as she told the tale she felt the guilt of it coming up.

“Hmm, we see,” Mistress Celestia mused, “thou didst claim the Prince as thine own, in the doing, thou hast revealed of thine second nature. Thou hast ingratiated thyself into a herd in an most unorthodox way and thou feels guilt for taking a stallion not thine own. Would we be correct?”

As tears rolled down her muzzle, Fluttershy nodded.

“We see, we see,” Celestia replied, “hmm, thou weren’t the first to commit such a sin, Priestess Fluttershy.”

“Wha-what?”

Celestia giggled, answering, “We see ourself in thee. Thou art not the first to commit such a sin, and most certainly, thou shalt not be the last.”

Fluttershy stammered, “I-I-I don’t under- understand.”

Sighing, Celestia said, “Dearest Fluttering Shywing, if thou could only known… In the days before our- banishment, mine sister and thineself would court many a stallions into our Royal Herd. Twas not unheard of in those days of yore… Hmph, mine sister takes moreso after the unicorns, yea, she be of alicorn blood born, as thyself wast. As for thyself, we take moreso to the Pegasus in us and as such, we can be rather- territorial with our mates. Nay, we can be rather bellicose to those whom we perceive a threat to our chosen stallion.

“Even so, there wast once a fine colt with whom we were most smitten. This colt, who’s name we can no longer remember, was a junior stud in a small herd that once called Canterlot it's home. What happened to the herd and it’s members, we cannot say, ‘tis been so long since we have kept up with their descendants… Forgive us if we diverge into a tangent”

“Pri-Princess,” Fluttershy began, “did you you- steal a stallion from another herd?”

“Yea, verily, we did,” Celestia spoke, a sliver of shame making her voice lower, “we regret doing so, but at the time, so smitten were we that we dared not think of the consequences. ,” she said as she looked at an empty space beside Fluttershy, “Still, what happened between that Stallion and us is something we remember quite well. We were so taken with him.”

She giggled, a nearly girlish sound, “He was kind, gentle, very caring and very sweet to his mares, but that wasn’t what attracted us to him.”

She grinned, “It was his uniqueness that attracted us. Canterlot, in the early days, was similar to how it is now. An Unicorn city carved into the side of the mountain, and a city that housed only Unicorns as equals. Earth Ponies and Pegasi were little more than servants, and as such were often looked down upon. Yet, here he was, a Pegasus among unicorns,” her eyes drifted down, “His herd was made up of early Canterlot nobility and landowners. All of them treated him as a treasure, and that made us want him even more.”

“What happened?”

“That which almost always happens. We approached his mares, speaking to them, explaining our desires to them, and one of them politely explained that while they respected our station their herd was closed. We… We could not accept this. That night we went to him, to the business he owned, and we attempted to seduce him.”

Fluttershy looked at the Head Priestess, surprised to learn that she had done something like that.

“We enthralled him, took him, one of his mares came into the business and we enthralled him as well. Once it was done we satisfied our lusts with them. We did things that we would never tell another soul, but it was fake. What we experienced, that which he did to us, we did to him and his mare, it was nothing more than playing with dolls. We felt so guilty for what we had done, and we removed the memory from their minds,” she closed her eyes, “We swore to ourselves to never do this again, and it is a promise that we have not broken.”

Fluttershy touched her, “Should… should I do the same?”

Celestia shook her head, “Neigh, we have wished many a time that we would have worked to become one of their herd, to have joined it normally, that would have been our truest desire. Thou have the chance to do so now. Gain their forgiveness, work toward it, and do not shy away from the task at hand. Thou art a priestess of Sol, a handmaiden to the father of all Alicorns, Thou must see thy chance to the end. Do so for thyself, for thy potential herd mates, and for thy desired stallion. We wish to see thyself in a loving herd, and perhaps we would enjoy hearing thou speak of thine conquests.”

Fluttershy’s spit take was epic.

Stargazer’s moved Library - six hours later

Twilight opened her eyes to find that she was currently being held by her future husband and her future sister wife. A soft smile crossed her face, and she took a moment to look what where they had ended up. The bed of books had been left in favor of the floor, the tapestries had followed them, and she knew that one of them was certainly soiled well beyond any salvation.

Her truest hope was that the enchantments would hold that Stargazer cast over the library would still work. She felt something, something off. It wasn’t Endymion or Pinkie Pie, but it was certainly a pony. She felt it at her hooves, a deep resounding snore echoed through the library, and she watched as it woke both of her lovers. Endymion slowly rose from his spot, and noticed that at their feet, was a soft caramel colored mare. She had had no clothes, not a stitch at all, and she seemed to be slathered in the same bodily juices that had gotten on the tapestries….

The memory of what Snowfrost had said came running back to him. The Earth Pony servant, the maid, it was her. Her eyes opened, beautiful hazel colored eyes. She looked around, saw herself in a state of undress, two other mares, and a single stallion in a similar state, and her lip quivered before she began crying.

“No! No, no, no, no! My Dam is going to be so mad!”

“Oh Wowie! A new Pony! Oh we need to have a party for you, not the naked adult fun time party that we just had, cause that’s just for herd members silly, but a welcome to Ponyville Party!”

Her lip continued to quiver, and uncertain of what to do Endymion slowly got up, grabbed a tapestry that he knew was only a tapestry, and wrapped it around her.

“No, thank ye, but neigh. Master Stargazer shall be quite upset if I am to use… Oh my… ye have soiled the tapestries, and the books… Oh… The Master and his bride shall be displeased! Ye… Ye must leave! I shall take the blame for it, all that may happen is that I am forced from his home, but ye, he shall turn ye into a book, or a table!”

A small laugh escaped from Twilight, followed by one from Pinkie, and it was Endymion that opened the floodgates completely. The teenage filly didn’t seem to understand what was going on, but she did realize that these ponies were obviously insane because her warning hadn’t frightened them.

“He won’t. Stargazer the Elder won’t be turning anypony into anything,” Twilight said as she got up.

The four of them walked out of the still open door of the library, into the old shack, and once there they shut the door. When it reopened it was like nothing else had happened, except there was an extra pony out here in the world with them.

“Everypony, lets get cleaned up, and then we’ll explain what’s going on… Miss..”

“Cheerful Golden Apple,” she replied.

“Wow! Another Apple!” Pinkie exclaimed happily.

Cheerful Golden watched Pinkie as she bounced around, seemingly full of energy, and she finally looked over at both Twilight and Endymion, “This is normal?”

Endymion grinned, “It is for Pinkie Pie.”

Author's Note

And now, Ron Jeremy Pony and myself present to you, our dear readers, the last of the Weather Machine Saga! And lo, a new character has emerged from it all! Cheerful Golden APple should be a barrel of laughs. But what are these Ice Giants that Snowfrost spoke of? And who, praytell, is this False Empress? Stay tuned, dear readers, for the answers are coming forthwith!!

Have any comments, questions, suggestions, or just want to correct some syntax or grammatical error? Drop us a line! (Please, no PMs.) We love to hear from our readers!

25 Toy Soldiers, Off to War

Rune Soldier

Chapter 25: Toys Soldiers, Off to War

Terran Empire - Council’s Building

The noise of the outside world hushed instantly when the marble doors of the High Council Building shut closed. Citizens the Empire wide had gathered on the steps, demanding, pleading, suing for answers and assistance. Councilwoman Serenia was beyond their pleas. Given the deluge of havoc wrought upon Pivot and it’s ancillary municipalities, due to the unexpected winter storms, she and the council had been fighting viciously to keep vital services running, so citizens wouldn’t freeze or starve. The frost had put a halt on plans she had devised since learning of the Endymion Heir but now that the chill had gone as quickly as it arrived, she could now put her scheme into motion.

“Miranda,” The Councilwoman cried, “Miranda! Where are you, daft girl…?”

“I am here,” the maiden said, “what need have you of I, mistress?”

“First,” Serenia stated, “I want all coms concerning the frost redirected to House Intelligentsia. If First Sage Williams cannot cope with the volume, then I have to assume that she neither has the wit or the will to do so. Might show that pipsqueak a lesson. Second, I need my Scouts in my office in five minutes.”

“The first order I have already begun,” Miranda replied, “the second- The Scouts are awaiting you in your lounge, My Liege. The assembled themselves there not long after your call.”

“Good, good,” Serenia beamed, “I’ll be in my office, then. No coms for the rest of the day, or I start leveraging treason charges on every caller.”

“Of course, Mistress,” Miranda said.

The Councilwoman charged down the hall, towards her private elevator, entered it, then let it take her up to her palatial offices. After stepping out of the elevator, she brushed her past her usual gaggle of sycophants, through petitioners row, then into the hall the connected to the foyer of her offices. Past that was the stenographers pool, where young woman of high breeding were typing away on Personal Holographic Adjunct Tablets or speaking to ancilla of various council members.

None of the maidens looked up from their tasks or greeted her as she strode by. Serenia had it instilled in this ladies that she did not extend pleasantries like that. That was only for when she was glad handing her constituents. Her stride never broke as she past a set of ivory doors; behind those doors resided a lounge where her favorite petitioners and important appointments waited. There were many refreshments available here and plenty of soft furniture pieces to lounge on. The room was lit by by both skylights and soft white halo emitters.

In the lounge, there rested her Scoutmasters, elite soldiers, and a few unfortunates, whose sole purpose was to reconnoiter the outlying lands outside of the Ecumene. Their current mission was essentially a suicide mission, but she would never tell them that. She nodded to her retainer, who opened her office doors. She walked within, settled her cloak on a rack adjacent to her desk, a solid oak piece harvested from the Dragynlands, then awoke her ancilla, Isis, to read off her itinerary. After that was confirmed, she informed her retainer to call forth her Scoutmasters to her office, who filed in, one at a time, until they framed her desk.

Serenia looked at the men and women standing before her. Each of them had been selected, from birth, except for Rowena, to be part of the Scoutmasters. Their obedience was ensured, their dedication unquestioned. She knew that each of them would give their life for the Empire, for her, or for whatever cause she decided worthy enough.

“Our empire is facing an energy crisis of the likes we’ve never seen before. Consider that for a moment. If things are left unchanged, the mana batteries that power everything in the Empire will be depleted in less than a generation. As we speak, there multiple districts of Pivot that are darkened, some for a few months, others for the last few centuries. Even taking and restricting the use of them to official and government use only has merely delayed the inevitable.”

She watched as they listened. Not one questioned, and that was exactly what she wanted. Complete blind obedience from her subjects. Perhaps it had been shortsighted of them to destroy the house of Endymion. She could admit that now, but then again, it had allowed them to have the perfect Empire. The will of the people mostly in tune with her own. Yes, this was how it was obviously meant to be. The house of Endymion simply didn’t understand.

“Furthermore, recent events have given new impetus for the Council to find new energy sources, lest another sudden frost like the one we had just recently freeze the capitol and endanger our fellow Imperial citizens. However, I have learned, through certain channels, that there is a little lost lamb who is need of assistance. A human, raised by the Equestrians, able to perform magic, to control the arcane,” she looked at them, their faces full of the selfless pride that made them the wonderful pawns they were, “Intelligence collected in recent times has indicated the Equestrians consider him quite the prize, a prince even. There is no doubt he not one of them and indeed, one of us. They will not give him back so easily, so, it is my wish for you to study the Equestrians. See their weaknesses, discover what it is that will bend them to our will, and then we shall bring them under the protection of our great Empire. They shall know the peace and tranquility that comes from being one of us.”

Seeing them watch her, she walked toward the door, “I’ve readied your airships. Your equipment loadout will include all the standard gear, with one minor addition. A wrist strap with a jewel attached to it; it has the ability to detect arcane energies but it is most adept at finding human magical signatures. This should aid you in finding our wayward son. Your LZ is a field at the base of Mount Gloom, just outside of Ecumene patrols. It will take you a month’s travel by foot to reach their border. Study those living outside of the border first, then move further in. Save the batteries in your radios only for dire emergencies: imminent capture, injury, illness, death, or to confirm the location of your mark. Do not become discovered, remain as hidden as the shadows, until such time you receive the order to either capture our target, or to blend into their society.”

With that she watched as they left. If only all of her subjects were as obedient as those fools. She turned and walked back toward her private chambers. She would have to raid the storage for more batteries for her gauntlet, that meant another group of her subjects would be subjected to power failure. She decided the labor class would be fine without power, walked into the generator room, and removed two of the brightly glowing gems. Once done the machine they powered began to slow, then stopped. She knew in a couple of hours the labor forces would be complaining about the loss of power in their homes, but it didn’t matter. They would be able to work without a few minor luxuries.

Three Heroes - Earth Pony Village three days from Mount Gloom - One Week Later

Cosmic yawned as he leaned against the building that served as the general store, post office, and town hall. Captain Armor had sent him here after he made the remark about the sight of Princess Cadence’s flank in a pair form fitting exercise pants. Of course it wasn’t until after he said it that Silver Quill told him the two of them were getting married. So here he was a unicorn, in an Earth Pony village, stuck being a guard that helped to patrol just outside of Equestria’s reach.

“Cosmic, had lunch yet?”

He looked to see Sweet Harvest, the assistant mayor, walking toward him. He was never a tribalist, and he was thankful for that. Mainly he was thankful because Sweet Harvest was the kind of mare made for sin and buggery. If he had to be stuck out here being stuck here with her was a bonus. The two had hit it off fairly quickly, and to be honest, he enjoyed her wit, her work ethic, and the fact that they had ended up together back at the guard house wasn’t lost on him.

“Naw, haven’t had a chance. Brandywine just let me know that she isn’t going to be able to make it for her shift. I’m pulling a triple today,” he replied.

Sweet Harvest made a little disappointed face before walking on over and holding out a small brown sack.

“Well, then you should at least eat, and I’ll find out what’s going on with Brandywine.”

He laughed, “She said that last night she played cards with Molotov, and well, she lost,” he couldn’t keep from laughing as he said it, “Apparently she hasn’t been able to sit down since.”

Sweet Harvest giggled and leaned against the wall, “I bet. Brandywine always did like to bet her plot. Guess that it finally caught up with her.”

The sound of something caught Cosmic’s attention, and then it caught Sweet’s, “Cosmic, what is it?”

“Sweet, go inside, and alert our other two guards. It might be nothing, but whatever made that sound is coming just from over there,” he pointed toward an old abandoned mine system, “and I’m not sure I want to face it down alone.”

She nodded, ran inside, and he let his horn light up. He was a level three, that’s all he ever really managed at the academy, but it was enough for guard work. As his magic focused he pictured it forming into a ball, about the size of a marble, small, but completely round. Above his horn a fantom purplish sphere formed. It would take nothing, absolutely nothing, to cause that sphere to go flying with over three thousand pounds of pressure at another being. He’d used it once, when defending from a terror wolf, and he had seen it leave a hole through its head.

“If you’re friendly you will be welcomed, but if you aren’t…”

He didn’t get to finish the word when the creature stepped out toward him. It was pony, in shape, but it was dressed in armor like he’d never seen before. There was some kind of weapon in its hands and he wasn’t going to give it the chance to hurt anypony. The sphere launched from its perch, hit the figure square in the chest, and knocked it back. But the armor held. It had bent in from the attack, but it was holding. He formed another ball and this time something hit him.

When he had been learning at the academy he’d faced off against a pegasus who controlled weather, and she liked to zap him with electricity. It hurt, but it also taught him to be quick, think quick, and dodge. This was like that, but stronger. He fell to the ground, unable to move for a moment. A more slender version walked toward him, dressed in the similar armor. She removed her helmet to reveal a creature that looked similar to the crown prince.

“Enemy is stunned, but still aware.”

The big form walked toward her, “Seems they are able to focus energy into a hardlight construct. Capture this enemy, we’ll have the doc run a few experiments. See if there are any obvious weaknesses.”

Cosmic tried to move, to focus, to get one last good shot off, but his body wouldn’t listen to him. It wouldn’t do a damned thing, and that’s when he heard one of the most violent war cries he’d ever heard in his life. Everyone told him that Brandywine was out here because she liked to fight too much. She was part of the outer guard because she looked for trouble, and for the first time he was seeing what they meant.

The hammer she had easily would have to weigh in at over six hundred pounds, but she was swinging it like it was as light as a feather. The hammer hit the larger one, knocking it back, denting in the armor more, and then she turned on the female.

“Never mess with a guard missy, less you want to mess with all of us!”

The female creature looked at her. Her raven locks hung loosely as she seemed to study Brandywine. Brandy looked back at the strange mare. She looked like Luna’s adopted son, except that she was a obviously a mare, and she didn’t look too off from them. Brandywine took after her mother’s line, the painted ponies, ponies with splotches of red and white all over them, and her muzzle was no different. Mostly white, with little red tints of fur at the top. Her mane, thankfully, was at least just a solid pink. And right now her muscles were bulging out as she stood there. There was only two, at the moment, but there could be more at any time, and she had to be ready. The fact they caught Cosmic only made it that much more of a dangerous situation.

Molotov was on his way, but the older stallion wasn’t very quick on his hooves. She knew that when he got here he would have some explosives ready, and that might be useful, but for the next few minutes she was certainly on her own. She heard something a nearly quiet high pitched whine, and when it shout out she jumped out of the way to keep from being struck.

She looked behind her to see a nearly invisible web of very thin material. It was surging with electrical power, and she had no desire to let it touch her. The exotic mare looked at her, drew a sword, and motioned toward her. Not being one to back down from a challenge she went in swinging her hammer.

The blade caught the handle of her hammer right below the head and she watched as it flew off. She stood there holding a bit of enchanted wood, which looked like an unicorn had decided to hit it with a heat spell mixed with a light spell. The strange mare swung again, and she moved out of the way.

“Orders are to capture both types for study. The Doc wants to see what makes that one so agile and strong.”

“Yeah,” Brandywine scoffed, “like I’m gonna let that happen.”

The mare felt the next swing of the strange blade more than she saw it, so her evasion astounded the strange beings bent on her capture. She got close enough to Cosmic to protect him, still holding the haft of her hammer. They were going to pay for destroying her favorite weapon, but if they thought her defenseless, then they had another think coming.

Another swing, and another net, both of which Brandywine dodged with ease. She managed to put another dent into the armor of the strange mare and then giving the strange stallion a resounding headache when she drove her hammer’s haft down on his armored skull. She could hear him cursing a blue streak as he tumbled down, holding onto his head for dear life. Then a bolt of energy, not unlike a magic bolt, flew through the air. Brandywine dodged it, just barely, and saw it connect with the strange mare. She fell to the ground, twitching.

“Hmm,” she mused, “friendly fire.”

She could hear more of them, just outside of the visible line. The strange mare was down, the bigger one, the stallion, was still reeling from the strike on his head, and that left an uncertain number. Still even though she could hear them the sounds wasn’t exactly nearby. It sounded like a distance, but close enough that their sound and scent carried. The experiences and training she had in the guard told her that they were within a half mile. That meant that somepony was a very good shot. She dodged another blast of energy, and then she heard the sound of a war cry followed by a raging fire.

She looked up to see Molotov. He had the bright purple satchel on his side that the local Earth Pony alchemist had given him. She knew that little glass balls he was throwing as well. Bountiful Orange had made several small glass orbs, or jars, full of magically altered fire and other such things that she could do with what she’d learned.

Right now there was several shouts of anger, surprise, and pain coming from those fires. Clear of being shot at she grabbed the strange armored mare and stallion. When she did she expected to bring them back, question them, but instead the armored stallion grabbed the mare, held her and a second later he shot up into the air in the direction of the fire. Realizing that they were gone she took the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. A moment later Molotov landed.

The white coated Pegasus stallion grinned at her as he landed. He was wearing his guard armor, barely, and he looked half drunk. She saw his flaming red mane and tail as he shook it out.

“How many did you see?”

He rubbed his chin, “Twelve, maybe fifteen of them out there. They had a little camp, but Bountiful’s fire will take care of it.”

She didn’t like the sound of that.

“Help me get Cosmic back to Three Heroes, and then we need to contact Canterlot. The Princess is going to want to know about this.”

Sweet Apple Acres- three hours later - Applejack’s Bedroom

Charm looked at the ceiling, his eyes wide with what just happened. He wasn’t that surprised, Earth Pony courting was fairly quick. He knew his father, Master Chief, didn’t spend a lot of time courting his ma, but then again he half expected to have spent a bit more time courting Applejack. Instead once they got back to her farm, things got sorted out, well one thing lead to another.

He felt her curled up beside him. He looked at her, and then at himself again. He wasn’t built like an Earth Pony. He was built like an Unicorn. He was fairly short for a stallion, he was actually a little shorter than Applejack herself. Still,he was behind her, hugging her, spooning with her, and that made him the big spoon. It was almost silly since she was taller.

Part of him wondered if this meant foals. She wasn’t in estrus, or season like his father would say, so it wouldn’t mean it now, but later on… He wasn’t against the idea. Still, his work, the potions, the medicine, everything he was trying to do, everything he was building it depended on being in the swamp. Being beside her he felt the connection she had for this place.

This was more than just her home. It was just as much a part of her as the swamp was to him. Still, those was questions for later, and he knew it. Instead he leaned forward, taking in the scent of her mane, the feel of her back, then his eyes widened as the door opened.

The Pegasus mare standing there was a friend of hers, he knew that, and she looked a little embarrassed at having opened the door and found her friend in the aftermath of a long, and fantastic, rutting session. He felt Applejack move, and he felt her tense up.

“Rainbow, ya got ‘bout five seconds ta explain why yer a standin’ there,” AJ growled.

“Twi said that we need to meet with her.. Damn, you sure work fast AJ.”

Charm watched as the Pegasus mare just barely dodged a book that had been on Applejack’s nightstand. Slowly she got up, and he looked at the beautiful mare before him. She was stunningly beautiful. She looked at him, and the fire that was in her eyes was still there, but it wasn’t anger. He felt her lean down, the heaviness of her breasts pressed against him. Their mouths fit together, perfectly, before she raised back up.

“Ah’m not gonna be gone ta long. Y’all gonna stay fer a while?”

He nodded, “Figure that Moondancer and Muddy might be enjoyin’ the chance ta look around a town fer a bit. Heard her sayin’ something ‘bout takin’ him ta a bar. Few days ain’t gonna hurt a thing.”

It didn’t take her long to get dressed, head downstairs, or find Rainbow Dash. She hung back a little, listening to her brother talking to the Pegasus. The two of them talking about more than the adventure his sister was accompanying them on. Rainbow was actually asking about the things he did, putting an interest in him as a pony, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

Rainbow was a loyal, no doubts about it, but it didn’t change the fact that she was also somepony that was fairly light with her fingers. She cleared her throat, letting them both know that she was down here, and then both Rainbow and her began their walk toward the Golden Oak Library.

“Any idea what Luna wants, and what in the hay was that with mah brother?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Not sure, and I can talk to him.”

“Uh huh, dun’t go messing somewhere ya ain’t gonna stick around in. Big Mac is a good stallion, decent fella, and he deserves ta be treated like one.”

Rainbow stopped and looked at her, “Are you saying that I wouldn’t treat him like one?”

She shook her head, “Ah’m sayin based on what Ah’ve saw ‘fore that it’d be hard for ya.”

Rainbow growled at her, “I could treat him just as good as anypony else, better than anypony else. We ain’t there yet, but if it ever got there I would.”

“Uh huh, let’s see what Princess Luna dun sent, and what she a wants us ta do.”

Rainbow looked at the nearing library, “Figure it’s another adventure?”

“Could be, Ah ain’t sure.”

The door opened and inside there was a frantic Twilight. Her mane was sticking out, there was dozens of books floating around her, and from the look of it Pinkie Pie was going from shelf to shelf looking for something, anything, that might help. Finally they saw Spike who was picking up the messes, reshelving them, and trying to get Twilight’s attention.

“Girls! Spike, the elements?”

“They’re right here. Twilight… You need to calm d…” he started to say before he, and the box containing the elements of harmony were floated toward her. She opened it and breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Twilight, darling, not that I mind being brought over without much warning, or explanation, but perhaps now would be a good time to let us know what it is that’s going on?”

She nodded and she floated the letter over to Rarity who looked at it for a moment, “Oh, oh my, this does present a problem. I take it that Endymion has been at Luna and Celestia’s old Castle all day?”

Twilight nodded, “Perhaps that’s for the best.”

“Okay, what the hay is going on?” Applejack asked.

Rarity looked at Twilight who was still in freakout mode, “Well, from what I understand from the letter it appears that some of Endymion’s… kind, I fear I simply don’t know another way of saying it, but regardless, it appears that some of his kind have attempted to attack, and capture, some of the guards stationed at a small town called Three heroes in the outskirts of Equestria.”

“They’re taking us to war?”

It was the first thing that Fluttershy had said.

“That’s the thing darling, the letter doesn’t go deep into details. It appears that could potentially be the case, but unfortunately it appears that Princess Luna is nearly as out of the loop as we are.”

“That’s why I needed all of you here. We can get the elements together, and…”

Fluttershy floated toward Twilight and touched her hand, “I understand, but ummm, I don’t think that the elements really work like that Twilight. And I know you know that too.”

Twilight nodded, “I.. I know, but I couldn’t think of anything else.”

Applejack moved toward her, “Twilight, Ah understand that yer worried. Hay, this is the kinda thing that a pony ought ta be worried ‘bout. But, and Ah can’t believe Ah’m ‘bout ta say this, Endymion ain’t some useless lump that’s gotta be looked after. Ah know he can hold his own, and ‘sides it ain’t like we’d abandon him.”

The six friends came together, hugging one another, and not a one of them noticed the form that was just outside of the door. It was a form of the very pony they were talking about, and he had planned on taking his wives to be out to lunch. Instead his hand resided on the door, his face twisted in anger, and he considered the options before them. The first option was something he was actually known for. Rushing into the problem without thinking ahead.

The problem with that was likely it would be giving them exactly what they wanted. No, he needed to be smart about it, and the smart thing would be to get information. Three Heroes was a good stretch away on foot. There was no way he’d make it there and back in day, or even a week. There were two more options he could consider, but neither was ideal.

Option Two was to recruit some of his friends from down in the Canterlot Stockyards, hire an airship, and fly out the way Three Heros. This had its disadvantages, chiefly being that his mother would notice the rental of an airship. There was no way The Crown Regent would let her only son and Crown Prince slip off into danger like that. Most likely, Mother was doing this for his own good. He hated the idea that he was some helpless, mewling foal,

This left him with his third and final option: confront his friends and lovers over their secrecy, conjure a stratagem to confront the unknown adversaries, and get some answers out of them. His mother had always taught him that eavesdropping was an impolite thing to do, but given all that he had overheard, he felt it was tantamount to his safety, neigh, his sanity, to find out what caused his mother to Defensive Condition One. With that resolved in his mind, Endymion walked to the door, knocked three times, and entered before he was bade entrance.

“So,” Endymion began, “I know it’s rude to eavesdrop and all, but I couldn’t help overhearing about something going on at Three Heros and beings with strange armor and weapons… For the sake of argument, just what were you all going to do about it?”

“En-Endymion-!” Twilight gasped, stuttering, “Wha- What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same,” Endymion replied, “then again, I just heard most, if not, all of it. So, what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean, ‘we?’” Rainbow asked, “‘We’ aren’t doing anything. ‘We’ are going to be sitting on our rumps while The Elements of Harmony investigate this disturbance.”

“That’s a lot of words for you to string together cohesively, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “but I do agree. Prince Everfree, you would be better served staying here in Ponyville, where you’re safe. Meanwhile, The Elements will see to it that those brigands who harmed Equestrian soldiers suffer the penalty for their perfidy.”

“Oh, come on, Rares,” Pinkie objected, “Endy’s faced down a golem, trolls, orcs, a few timberwolves, those things in the cave… I really think Endy should come along! How can he be any safer than with the Elements of Harmony?”

“Are ya sure, Pinkie?” AJ inquired, “Endymion ain’t exactly a magical prodigy or muscle-bound powerhouse now…”

“You know well enough that isn’t entirely true, AJ,” Twilight retorted, “Endymion may not unicorn prowess or Earth pony endurance, but he has more than proven himself, time and time again.”

“That’s true,” Fluttershy said, “I-I-I mean, My Champion may not be the most powerfully magical being, or the most physically intimidating-”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Endymion interjected.

“B-b-but, he sees solutions to problems the average pony can’t,” Fluttershy continued, “I say he comes with us.”

“Twilight?” Endymion said, “Do you have anything to add?”

“Well,” Twilight began, “uh, no, no, I can’t. You are a capable swordwielder, a competent spellcaster, when you can concentrate, and a worthy leader. And Pinkie made a point: you would be safer with us than stuck here in town.”

“And wouldn’t you want him were you can keep an eye on him?” Spike added, “I mean, I would.”

There was a general murmur of agreement, and when it ended, Endymion said, “So, when do we go?”

Twilight looked at the others, and then at Endymion, “We were going to leave in a day’s time.”

“You weren’t planning on going on foot, right?” Endymion asked.

Applejack rolled her eyes, “Nope. Best we figured we could take the train, but the train would still drop us off at nearly a month’s travel on foot. So, we figured that all of us could maybe see ‘bout an airship. Not sure that Princess Luna would be up ta loaning hers again though.”

Endymion smiled, “No, not after last time, but she doesn’t have to be,” he said as he focused his magic, picturing the imagine he had in his mind, and using his wand he let the light form into a sort of reflective mirror. What was on the mirror was a picture of a Unicorn. He was large, built like an Earth Pony, his green eyes looked tired, and behind him was a large black airship with the Privateer for the Crown stamp on it.

“That’s Captain Wayward Sparrow,” he looked at Dash, “His father was a Pegasus, but Wayward would be more than happy to give us transport as long as he gets paid. His ship, the Dawnbreaker, is the second fastest ship in the commercial fleet, and he has a full crew that are all former guards ponies.”

“He is rather rugged looking, isn’t he?” Rarity asked as she looked at the Unicorn in question.

“But if we’re going to do this, we need to contact him today. Mom most likely will contact him to something if she finds out that I found out.”

Twilight looked at him, and then at the others, “The next train leaves in fifteen minutes, let's go, now.”

He looked at them and regretted what was coming out of his mouth, “After we contract him we need to possibly talk to the black cloaks.”

They looked at him like he grew a second head, “I don’t like it either, but having the black cloaks as backups would be a good idea. A magi with no limitations on what they can do would be a plus.”

“Indeed it would, and Trixie would gladly join you!”

They turned to see the showmare standing in the door.

“Trixie… What are you doing here?”

“I followed you! You were going to go to lunch, and Trixie did not get to announce what she would like, so she followed you, and heard this plan. As a Black Cloak Trixie can be of value. She is quite talented after all!”

26 Legends and Heroes

Rune Soldier

Chapter 26: Legends and Heroes

The Trip to Canterlot was fairly uneventful, and oddly enough Spike stated that he wanted to come. Endymion explained that it could be dangerous, but Spike reminded him that he was a dragon, and as far as he knew there wasn’t a sword, or spear, that could get through his scales. Realizing that talking him out of it was out of the question, and seeing that the Drake was actually determined, he looked toward Twilight.

She tried to pull the parent card, and Spike reminded her that there had been more than once he had helped out. With no more arguments available Twilight relented, and agreed, but only if Spike was willing to be careful. When they arrived at the Port… Endymion realized why Spike wanted to come along. Wayward Sparrow walked toward them, his shirt off for the moment, and his sweat slicked fur was sticking to him.

“Endymion? Is that you?”

He smiled and walked toward the stallion, “Captain Wayward Sparrow, it’s a pleasure.”

“Pleasure is usually reserved for a bottle of rum, a comely lass, and a night that can’t quite be remembered,” he said before he looked at the girls there with him, “Speaking of which, ladies, I am Captain Wayward Sparrow, behind me is the Dawn Breaker, the best ship ever created.”

“Uh huh, are ya takin’ on passengers?”

He looked at the Earth Pony, a sly grin crossing his muzzle, “Perhaps. Would you be interested in a moonlit cruise above the clouds? We could anchor over Rainbow Falls, drink rum on the deck, and see where the night leads us.”

There was a throat being cleared and Endymion looked at Charm who didn’t look at all pleased. AJ had went back to the farm to get the stallion, saying that his potions could be of use, and of course he elected to get Muddy and Moondancer along the way. It felt like a larger group than he was used to working with, but over all that could be a good thing.

“Fella, ya might want ta consider if’n a mare is currently with somepony ‘fore ya go and start propositioning ‘em like that.”

Wayward Sparrow looked at Charm, slapped his knee and laughed, “I like you, and it’s not like I’m asking her to decide between the two of us, I’m just asking if she’d like to sample…”

He didn’t finish. Applejack knocked him on his ass. Her eyes were wide, her teeth bared, and she looked like she was ready to beat the living Tartarus out of him.

She looked more than angry. Applejack looked ready to kill on the spot. Being with Pinkie Pie had taught Endymion a few things about Earth Ponies, and one of the key things was that unless somepony was invited into the herd no meant no. Even teasing, which there was no lie he was certain it was a fairly dickish form of teasing, could be seen as an earnest attempt to move in on a herd.

Fluttershy was still earning Pinkie’s forgiveness, and to be honest she was working on his own as well. Granted, what Wayward Sparrow was doing wasn’t nearly as bad to an Earth Pony he might as well groped her a few times and told her what he thought of it. Despite the fact that Captain Wayward Sparrow obviously didn’t speak Earth Pony, beyond normal vocalization anyway, he knew that somepony had to step in and keep the captain of their ride from getting his flank turned into a hat.

“AJ, I’m sure the good captain was just trying to joke in order to get all of us used to being near one another. Isn’t that right Captain?”

Captain Wayward Sparrow nodded, cleared his throat, and looked at them, “He’s quite right you know. I just wanted to keep anyone from feeling too uptight about being on a ship with a crew of salty sailors that have been nearly everywhere, seen almost everything, and done most of it. You’ve got to be able to take some of our jokes if you’re going to travel with us. I won’t tell my crew to curb their speech just because a mare has a problem with it. I’ve got ta figure that if the tables were turned you’d be the same way.”

Applejack huffed, turned around, and walked away with Charm. Endymion felt better about stopping the fight before it had a chance to really start, but in essence that was all he did. The time he’d spent with AJ on the various adventures they’d been on had taught him how much her honor meant to her.

He could certainly understand that she was taking the steps to build a relationship with Charm, and he wasn’t going to argue with it. The two of them had certainly gotten closer since the ordeal with Stargazer’s home. Despite the fact that it was in jest or not Wayward’s joking had picked at her honor, and Endymion knew that a fight was eventually going to brew.

A few members of Captain Wayward Sparrow’s crew helped load the baggage and supplies the group had gathered, and once on board the airship began to move out of port. Endymion looked back at the port itself. It was one of the oldest in Canterlot, created by a group of Unicorns that had excellent control over the elements of fire and fine control.

Professor Flintheart had explained that much of Canterlot had originally been built in such a fashion, and that such power could be used for more than just construction. It could, easily enough, be used as an offensive attack. Still, as he looked at the port he wondered how long it would be until his mother realized what was going on, if she hadn’t already, and what her actions would be once that realization was made.

An answer of sorts appeared in a blinding flash. He turned, as did much of the crew, and before them stood two individuals. One was an older Unicorn stallion, one that had age and wisdom that worked well with his experience and power, and the other was the head of the Sol order. Most of the crew instantly took a knee in reverence of the solar diarch. At no time did she appear overly prideful that they held her in such reverence, but instead she graciously smiled and nodded toward them.

“Rise mine subjects,” she said before she turned toward Endymion, “Mine nephew, mine sister, thine mother, is displeased that thou wouldst run into an unknown battle without consulting her. She bade us, and Professor Flintheart, to accompany you, and informed me that she would speak to thou, later.”

Endymion swallowed. It was second hand, not directly from his mother, and still the meaning was completely clear. She was pissed at him for what he was attempting to do. Even if she were his mother, Endymion felt like he had to do this. Princess Luna might see this act as a defiance of some sort, but Endymion had to see what was causing the commotion out west, damn the consequences.

“Was that an order, Aunt Celestia,” Endymion inquired, “or a request?”

“We take it to be a plea,” Princess Celestia answered, “‘tis wise that thou shalt heed it.”

“You mother shares our concerns, Your Highness,” Flintheart added, “you may be inclined, foolhardy as it may seem most of the time, to throw yourself into danger. In this instance, though, it would be wise that you stand down. There is nothing to gain from adventuring into unknown perils.”

“Which is why I need to be there,” Endymion replied, “look, I understand that Mother wants me to be safe, I get that. But this feels like- like something- I can’t really explain it, but I feel drawn to this possible hazard. And for whatever reason, I have intuited that it involves me somehow.

“I am not doing this for fame, or glory, or honor. I’m doing this because I’m the adopted crown prince of Equestria and if anything, it would look downright foolhardy for me to stand on the sidelines. This isn’t some hoofball game where I’m injured or there’s a better player on the roster. I need to do this, for the safety of Equestria and for my own well being. Mother can be upset with me all she wants, but I am going. You can tag along if you wish, but I’m heading out there, by hook or by crook.”

“Here here!” Captain Sparrow shouted, “Shall we be going then?”

“Yes, Captain,” Endymion answered, “let’s be off.”

Both Celestia and Flintheart watched with grave faces as Endymion and his brides to be sauntered off to the decks below, likely to get whatever rest they could. The deckhands aboard the ship went about their business, now regarding the alicorn and her unicorn companion with nary a jaundiced eye, The rest of Endymion’s friends broke away to see to other aspects of their journey; Applejack and Charm were assisting with supplies, Rarity was commenting on the crew’s attire and the lack of fashion sense amongst the mares and stallions on the ship, Rainbow Dash had flown up to the crow’s nest to chat with a fellow Pegasus.

“That colt is as stubborn as the day is long,” Flintheart sighed.

“Aye,” Celestia added, “‘tis a trait methinks he doth acquired from his adopted mother.”

Slowly they moved further out until the Dawn Breaker looked like a dot on the horizon sky. Professor Flintheart looked over the side of the airship and let out a sigh. It had been a few years since his last trip aboard an airship. He looked over at the solar princess and watched as she marveled at the ship itself. Ancient Equestria didn’t have the airships, not that they were new technology.

He knew that the first designs were at least four hundred years old, but that was still quite some time after her banishment.

“T’is a marvelous way to travel. We can see why our sister so enjoys her ship,” she said.

Flintheart smiled, “It is a better way of travel. Although I’m certain that some of the way you traveled were as interesting your royal highness.”

She touched the rail, “True, there was something, once. Praytell, thou hast heard of the Crystal Empire, haven’t thou?”

He nodded, and she sighed.

“King Sombra was not always the tyrant that is known. He was once a good and just ruler. Long ago, before his fall into insanity, he called upon mine sister and us. We went before him, and once there he greeted us with a collection of crystal ponies pulling a carriage made of the same crystals. They worked as one, for they were but one crystal golem,” she laughed a bit mirthlessly, “They took him much time, and energy, yet he wanted to show his creations to us in the sense that we’d be impressed. We have not seen such beauty sense.”

“I’m uncertain if I should be impressed or horrified,” Flintheart commented, “all that magical expense, for a pretty carriage? So certain you are that he had not already began his slide into psychosis?”

Celestia shrugged, saying, “We durst not say. Such accusations back then couldst not be properly diagnosed. There were still some ponies who professed high beliefs in alchemy. We remember one such stallion claiming to perfect a process whereby lead could be turned to gold. Mine sister nor myself could not be certain of the veracity of his claims during that time. Since my return, we have discovered his technique was the work of a confidence artist.

“Many things stranger, to modern ponies, were in common faith back then. Sombra’s crystal golem entity did not elicit as much suspicion then as it were to do so now. ‘Twas a less- enlightened time.”

Professor Flintlock rubbed his chin, “Perhaps Sombra was suffering some neurosis, but one cannot argue that he was obviously a very talented enchanter. The ability to create a golem, or more likely a collection of golems, like that is impressive, but the fact that he created them from living crystal is even more so. It’s truly impressive, and I dare say I would have enjoyed getting a chance to see and study it, or more likely them.”

Below Decks - Trixie’s Cabin

The azure Unicorn mare looked at the Pegasus guard that was with her. She’d never go as far as to say that she considered him more than a traveling companion. But that was certainly changing. He had proven to be a dedicated companion, and in truth she found herself speaking more openingly with him.

“My champion, this should be a fantastic opportunity for you to prove yourself. Think of it. We are going to face an enemy that potentially could threaten all of Equestria.”

Trixie looked at Flash and a slight blush crossed her muzzle. He was authentic with his feelings, he spoke openly with her, she… She dropped the entire Showpony persona when she was alone with him.

“I, I know,” she smiled and sat down, “It is a great chance to prove myself, to become more than most ponies see me. More than Endymion sees me.”

Flash walked toward her and she gave him a soft smile, “I am not a great fool. I know what most of my classmates think of me. The Great and Powerful Trixie is a shameless glory hound that wants to rub her abilities in the faces of other ponies!” her laugh was mirthless, her eyes holding a sadness she couldn’t express, “You’ve been somepony I can actually speak to.”

He smiled softly, “My champion, I am to follow you. It would do no good for you to have a Priest that was unable to connect with you.”

She patted the lower bunk she was sitting on, and he took a seat beside her.

“Professor Flintheart believes that I have the potential to be a great black cloak,” she looked at her hands, “but most of my abilities are illusions. I can project realistic looking threats, and I can even give them some weight and strength, but I’m not like Twilight Sparkle. I… I simply am not able to pick up any spell I come across.”

Flash looked at her, smiled, and then he laughed, “That doesn’t matter.”

She looked confused, but watched as he composed himself a bit better, “The mark of a champion, of a hero, isn’t in the spells they have, or the power they wield, but rather it is in what they do with what they have. Sol sees great things for you, and as a priest of Sol, and your follower, it is my duty to help you reach them.”

The nascent Black Cloak mare looked at Flash with a sideways glance, then stated, “It’s a good thing you’re cute, because otherwise, Trixie would have blasted you off this boat for that comment.”

“I meant it,” Flash reiterated, “every word. No fooling.”

A brow went askew on Trixie’s face, “What? Are you looking for a kiss or something?”

The blush that rose on the Sol Priest’s face was hard to miss, “I- I wouldn’t object.”

“Faust help me, you’re so cute,” Trixie teased, “but I guess I could do worse.”

So she kissed him.

Below Deck - Across the hall - Applejack and Charm’s cabin

Sick didn’t even begin to describe it. Charm felt like his insides were going to be introduced to his outsides at any moment. He wanted to come with Applejack, support her, and lend a hand when it came to making potions. He didn’t realize that he was somepony that would suffer from airship sickness. It didn’t make sense, especially since his own father worked on both air, and sea, ships.

Speaking of his father, he’d seen him, on board, serving with Captain Wayward Sparrow. He’d heard that his father was working with a privateer for the crown, but he had no idea that he was working here. He dreaded the idea of his father meeting his special somepony. There was no other way to say it. She was his special somepony, and he was hers. He felt his stomach violently lurch again. Its threat to escape by any means necessary seemed to holding, and he felt the strong, yet soft, hand of the mare that he was proud to be with.

“Yer gonna be okay,” she whispered.

“Yeah, it’s alright, jest…” Charm replied, before a burp come up, “Jest ain’t used ta this.”

She sat down beside him, her arm wrapping around his frame. A small part of him wished that they could stay just like that. He felt different around her, around his Jackie. There was a sense of belonging that he couldn’t explain. He didn’t understand it, but it was his Earth Pony half that was feeling that way. His mind, his thoughts, and his neurosis were gifts from his mother, but his father had given him something that he’d ignored most of his adult life. Earth Ponies felt a connection not just only with the very ground, but with other ponies as well. They felt the comfort of being together with the pony, or ponies, they were meant to be with. Right now he felt that connection with Jackie.

It was as if they were simply meant to be…

Below Decks - Outside of the door to Endymion, Pinkie, and Twilight’s cabin

Fluttershy looked at the door. Just inside was her champion. She had went about joining the herd in the wrong way, she understood that, and she had been trying to make up for it. She was determined to help Endymion prove himself, but there was something more than that. She wanted to be part of this herd. Pinkie had proven herself to be the alpha mare, and she had explained to Fluttershy that joining the herd would take time.

It would take time because she had done something almost unforgivable, and Pinkie wouldn’t force Endymion to allow her to join if he felt reluctant about it. Still, she felt as if enough time had passed. She opened the door, stepped in, and prepared herself. She expected to see the three of them in a bout of lovemaking. She had expected to see her friends tangled up in a pony pretzel, but instead she saw the three of them at a table, looking over a map, discussing what was ahead of them.

Surprised didn’t even begin to describe how she felt. Her senses told her there was much love in the air, given the high degree of endorphins in the air of the cabin and the general closeness of the ponies there. The lump in the Priestess’ throat would not remove itself. She swallowed several times, then took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. He chastised herself internally for being such a fraidy pony; she had dealt with zombponies, ogres, trolls, a sea monster, an entire tribe of goblins once, and the occasional demon. She had no idea why she had such trouble speaking now. Her only guess is that she was dealing with a pony she was gaining deep affection for and that sort intimacy, shared physically thus far, frightened her to no end.

When her lips finally decided to respond to her mind’s commands, she squeaked out, “Um, hello, everypony.”

She saw two heads turn, Endymion’s and Twilight’s. Endymion offered a neutral expression while Twilight offered a warm smile. Pinkie had not bothered looking up; Fluttershy couldn’t discern the pink Earth’s pony’s visage.

“Hi, Fluttershy!” Twilight warmly greeted, “what brings you down here?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Fluttershy answered, “it’s just that, I really need to speak with Pinkie Pie, if that’s alright with her.”

“Me?” Pinkie inquired, with a nonplussed countenance, “Why me?”

“It’s something- It’s just-” Fluttershy stammered, “There’s something I want to ask you. It’s important.”

The pink mare looked to her herd mates. The human just shrugged, while the lavender mage tilted her head slightly. After a few moments, she inclined her head, indicating an affirmative response. It seemed the three of them were in fact in agreement to hear whatever it was that the buttery yellow Pegasus had on her mind.

“Ok,” Pinkie beamed, “go ahead, ask!”

“Uh, actually, Pinkie,” Fluttershy admitted, “I would prefer we discuss this, in private?”

Another round of looks, another bit of hesitation. This time, both Twilight and Endymion shook their heads. After putting a reassuring hand on his bride-to-be, Endymion stood up, as did Twilight, and the left the cabin. As they did so, Fluttershy heard Endymion ask Twilight if she had ever had the Dawnbreaker’s galley six cheese goulash. Endymion declared it a delicacy of the high air. Twilight expressed curiosity of the food dish, and the two went aft towards the mess.

Fluttershy had watched them leave and when she turned about to address Pinkie Pie, the Roamani mare was already up in the Priestess’ personal space.

The cheerful pony smiled at Fluttershy with keen interest, even if her nominally tangled mane was a little less buoyant than usual and asked, “So, what didja wanna talk about?”

Even if Pinkie’s demeanor was slightly more dour than usual, there was still a lightness in her voice; Fluttershy’s anxiety took a brief respite as she prepared to ask her inquiry.

“Pinkie,” she began, “I know that- you and I got off on the wrong hoof the other day-”

“You were rutting my stallion and had claim on him without any notice,” Pinkie suddenly sneered, then with a perturbing smile, said, “but that’s okay. I think I understand.”

“I’m not sure you do, Pinkie,” Fluttershy rejoindered, and the confused countenance on Pinkie’s face urged the Priestess to go on, “I was raised a ledrfladder. Growing up in Ponyville like you have, I have to believe you know most if not all of the normal Pegasi mating rituals.”

“I’ve done more than a few Pegasi engagement parties,” Pinkie piped in, “but do go on.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy continued, “well, Pegasi and ledrfladder courtship are- vastly different. For instance, in the colony I was raised in, before my family moved to Cloudsdale for my education, and batpony mare can lay claim to a stallion; it is up to that stallion’s primgyne, or first mare, to declare if she will accept this new mare in the herd. I had forgotten I was amongst other ponies that night, I guess- I’m not trying to excuse my actions. I’m just trying to help you understand why I did things the way I did.”

“Okay,” Pinkie said.

“And, knowing that I care for you, Twilight, and Endymion,” Fluttershy carried on, “I want, now more than ever, to join your herd. I want to things- the proper way. If- if you’ll have me. I’m willing to make this up to you, to Twilight, and most especially to Endymion in anyway I can.”

Pinkie’s expression dipped into disbelief for a moment, before her mane puffed back up to it’s usual bushiness. An effervescent smile graced the Roamani mare’s muzzle and an arm reached out to embrace Fluttershy. The Priestess received the embrace gladly, a smile emerging on her muzzle as well.

“Flutters, Flutters, Flutters, whatever am I going to do with you,” Pinkie sighed, “you silly filly, all you had to do was ask! I’ve forgiven you, and Twilight will forgive you. It’s all up to Endymion now, but we can wait on that later. Now, it’s time you and I had a talk, mare to mare.”

“Surely you can’t be serious?” Fluttershy asked.

“I am serious,” Pinkie retorted in deadpan, “and don’t call me Shirley.”

Cargo hold

Spike looked at the ponies working. The biggest was an Earth Pony stallion that was stacking shipping crates like they were toy blocks. He looked toward Spike after a few moments and stopped what he was doing.

“Son, ya got a reason ta be down here?”

Spike cleared his throat, “I just thought that I could help. I mean I know we’re paying passage, but I figured that you could use some extra hands.”

The stallion watched him, and then he followed the Drake’s eyes toward the Unicorn Mare that was standing outside of the cargo hold. A deep belly laugh escaped the stallion.

“Gotta say that yer not the first lad ta think that doing a bit of work would impress a lassie. Go on then, we’ll get ya ta workin’, and I figure by the end of this day yer gonna be ready to either curse or bless us.”

Spike walked into the cargo hold unaware of the kind of work he had signed up for.

Deck of the Dawn Breaker - four hours later.

The vast openness of the sky seemed to go on forever. While she had been down to her cabin, apparently Captain Sparrow had decided to grant her the use of his cabin. Of course he’d attempted to suggest that he could stay with her. Flintheart explained that wouldn’t be necessary. She thought of him, of the professor, and a hint of a smile crossed her face. He was older, but he was charming, determined, and good natured.

In some ways he reminded her of Sombra. Many of the same traits she noticed the older Black Cloak had existed in the former king of the Crystal Empire. But at the moment she was simply enjoying the sight of the vast emptiness around her that was the sky. Being more Pegasus than anything else she felt the connection with the sky, with the clouds, with the openness of it all. Many didn’t realize, but she had helped design some of the original weather patterns, patterns she was surprised to see still in use today.

“Aunt Celestia?”

She turned toward the sound of her nephew’s voice and smiled.

“Mine nephew, how art thou and thine herd? Hast thou made a decision upon Priestess Shywing?”

He looked toward the open sky and let out a sigh, “I’m not sure how to approach that. What she did was wrong. I know it was, I still feel… violated.”

Celestia walked toward him, opened her arms, and pulled him into a hug. He noticed right away that Aunt Celestia felt softer than his mother. She nuzzled him gently and then she broke the hug, walked toward a tied down box on the deck, took a seat, and patted the open space beside her. Taking the hint he took a seat.

“We would never tell thou to simply forget what had happened. Things, have changed, greatly, but even in the time before our banishment it was frowned upon for a mare to take a stallion in such a way. We did, and it haunted us for many a season. Our judgement destroyed a herd, our decision caused much heartache, and were it just us that had done so we would accept and live with it, but our sister, thine mother, has faulted the same.”

“Mom… Mom did that to a stallion?”

Celestia nodded, “He was a member of her lunar guard. A proud member, an Unicorn born to the night, to the moon, and the first, and only, that was more for the night than the day. Thine mother craved his touch. She enthralled him, captured his mind, and finally after her heat had subsided she regretted that which she had done. T’was too late. We heard he went unarmed into the forest, a deadly choice even then.”

“I don’t plan on doing that.”

She grinned, “That is because thou art stronger than he was, and stronger than the stallion we falsely claimed. Thou art a good pony Endymion. Thy heart is true, thy courage is undeniable, and thou hast the makings of a grand champion. Consider to speak to Priestess Shywing. Perhaps thou might see through her eyes.”

Endymion, Twilight, and Pinkie’s cabin weeks later

Endymion took his aunt’s advice. There in the same room with him, and his two brides to be, was the mare he had desperately attempted to keep from being alone with. It wasn’t that he was so much afraid of her. Granted she was a Pegasus, but if anything his rounds in the ring for Filthy Rich’s fights had taught him that Pegasi weren’t really so much stronger than he was.

Ponies like Applejack, Muddy, and of course his beloved Pinkie Pie were naturally strong. They had the kind of strength that seemed almost unnatural. He knew that it was part of their Earth Pony magic, that their strength was part of the trade off for being Earth Ponies, but still he more than marveled at his beloved pink mare’s uncanny shows of strength when she was working alone, or doing something that would take him and Twilight all day to do. So, strength wise he wasn’t afraid of her. No, what he felt, more than anything, was shame. Fluttershy had admitted that part of what had happened was a sort of enthralling.

He was the son of Princess Luna, a mage studying the defensive arts, he was going to become a defensive mage, a combat mage. He should have had the ability to keep from falling under her thrall, but he didn’t. She had taken him, used him, and that violation had left a mark. Still, here she stood, before them, no longer in her robes, no longer dressed as a maiden of Sol, but instead she was wearing a simple green tunic.

“Fluttershy, we’ve talked to one another on this. We’ve have multiple discussions, and we’ve come to this conclusion. You will be accepted into this herd, but you are going to date the three of us,” Twilight said before she cleared her throat, “That means that you will be paying attention to all of us.”

“Ummm… Not that I mind so much, because I don’t, but I really don’t know if I swing that way.”

For the first time since she had tried to claim Endymion he looked straight at her, his eyes met her own, “You’re going to do this. You wanted to make it up to me, to my wives, this is how you do it. We do everything together, and that is going to be part of this courtship, or otherwise you can opt out right now.”

She looked toward Pinkie Pie, hoping to get some support from the Alpha Mare, but Endymion cleared his throat, “We all discussed this, and this is how it will be. You will do this, or you won’t join us.”

The air filled with the sound of static before the Squawk, the magical intercom system, began to relay the message from the speaker.

“Everypony, get up to the deck. We’re docking at Three Heroes!”

27 Paying Their Dues

Rune Soldier

Chapter 27: Paying Their Dues

The airship dock wasn’t nearly as grand as the one in Canterlot. In truth it was a stretch to call it a dock at all. Celestia looked at the deck which had been haphazardly built on top of a one of the taller structures. It didn’t look sturdy, but yet when they tied off onto it, the deck held. She felt a hand on her arm.

“I imagine this is your first trip to a rural community like this.”

She shook her head as she looked over the small town.

“Nay, before my exile I visited a small farming community. I gifted them the land a few years earlier, and they had turned it into a thriving small community. Mine sister believed me to be foolish to want to visit them,” she tittered, “And perhaps it was, but I was never so welcomed in any place before. I dare say this township does look far richer than that community did.”

“Your highness?”

She smiled at Flintheart, “You must understand that such things as window glass was considered extravagant at that time. To those ponies this town would be the wealthiest they had ever seen.”

She watched as her nephew began to disembark from the ship. A small part of her felt as if she should stay aboard, to avoid feeling like a fifth wheel. In many ways, this wasn’t her world anymore. Her world involved a nascent kingdom, founded on Harmony but struggling to achieve it. It was a society fighting back the oppressive yoke of chaos and Patriarchy that so plagued the days of yore.

She didn’t quite belong to this new era, but at the same time she wanted to be part of it. The marvels created in her absence, the stability of the society acquired after so many centuries of toil and snares, it was far grander than any dream or hope she could imagine; she felt her sister had succeeded wildly, exceeding all expectations. She felt Flintheart’s grip on her arm as he pulled her toward the gangplank.

She gave him an uncertain look before she moved toward the dock itself. Once there a dark mulberry Unicorn mare stood waiting for them. She smiled, and extended her hand.

“Hello, I’m Berry Wine,” the mare said in a heavy accent, “and it is our small community’s honor to welcome two members of the royal family to Three Heroes. We merely expected to be sent extra guards, the idea of actually having royalty come and see to our problems was beyond our wildest hopes!”

“Fare thee well, Lady Berry Wine,” Celestia replied, “Mine sister gives unto thee high regard and has asked that Our party be given all access to thine strange visitors.”

“Oh, of course! Please come with me. We’ll head over and talk to the head of the guard stationed here,” Berry Wine stopped for a moment, “Ummm, your highness, I don’t want to seem pretentious, but the head guard here is, well, he’s a very old school Pegasus. I’m certain he’ll show due respect, but his language, and actions, do tend to be a might crude.”

Celestia nodded. In truth the idea of dealing with a Pegasus that allowed himself to act like a Pegasus would be an enjoyable change of pace. The group moved down the steps that lead to the docking platform, and below a small marching band was in place. Both Celestia and Endymion believed that it might have been because royalty had arrived, but instead the banners hanging up simply read, Welcome travelers! All Tribes welcomed, thank you for visiting, please make yourselves at home.

“Don’t get many visitors?”

Berry Wine looked toward Endymion and nodded, “Unfortunately no. Three heroes is so far removed that the only way we receive goods from other places is through Caravan. We built the airship dock, but the last time it was used was when we received our newest guard about six months ago.”

Their walk, which ended up being something of a parade, ended at the guard/police house. Calling it a station, or a barracks, would be a stretch. The reason why was because it was actually a house. It was simple in design, and above it was a haphazardly build cloud house. Rainbow Dash looked at the cloud house and shook her head. Somepony had been double dutying it as both a home, and a set of rain clouds. Which basically meant that the house would barely be suitable for anypony to stay in.

Berry Wine walked forward, knocked on the door, and a Spotted Earth Pony mare answered it. There was a wide reaction to seeing her standing there. She wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing, not even a pair of panties, and she didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed about it.

“Mayor Wine,” she said before she looked at the others. Instantly she fell to her knees and bowed her head in reverence, “Your highnesses, I am Brandywine, guard of Three Heroes, subject of the crown, defender of Equestria’s borders. I live to serve.”

Celestia wanted to roll her eyes. What Brandywine said was something she and Luna had came up with for the guard to say to a member of royalty when they addressed them. Most of the guard in Canterlot had finally stopped, and she knew that Luna was to thank for for that, but she forgot that guards further out most likely still quoted what was put together after a hard night of drinking.

“Rise, thou needest not to recite thine vow. Praytell thee, wouldst thou show us the place where thou met thy enemy?”

Brandywine seemed to take a moment before nodding, “Of course your highness,” she turned around to face the inside of the building, “Molotov! We need to go scouting!”

There was a resounding belch that practically shook the windows. It was followed by the sounds of unsteady hoofsteps until a white coated Pegasus came walking toward them. He stopped and squinted at the ponies standing at the door, and instantly he went ramrod straight. He bowed, perhaps a bit fast, and almost fell forward. Still he managed to catch himself.

“Your highnesses…”

“Stop, seriously, stop, We already heard it from Brandywine, we don’t need to hear it again, but thank you.”

He glanced at the Prince, “Very well your highness. Now, what do you bunch of milksops want? You’re mighty far out from anything resembling civilization. I know that Brandywine’s got a pair of nice teats, but I can’t imagine that you traveled all of this way to stare at her like a young colt that just discovered his first dirty magazine.”

Pinkie giggled, Fluttershy looked anywhere else besides Brandywine, but Twilight rolled her eyes.

“We need to see where the attack took place.”

He laughed, “You’re wantin’ to see where the attack took place?! Missy, it wasn’t much of an attack. Sure, they got the drop on Cosmic, but that’s just because he’s green, and a Unicorn. Lots of magical sense, not a drop of ability to feel what the ground or air is telling him. If he could feel that, he wouldn’t have even needed us.”

Brandywine excused herself and walked into the back of the house.

“Got to excuse the lass. She’s a good sort, but she doesn’t like to wear her armor when she’s not on duty. Actually she doesn’t like to wear anything. Makes for a nice view.”

Applejack stood there, listening to this stallion, and it was almost like someone had taken Rainbow Dash, removed any kind of filter she had, which wasn’t much, and then turned her bluntness up a bunch of notches. Part of her that was raised by Granny Smith wanted to walk right over to him, and slap some decency upside of his head. Instead she held back, but she was grimacing the entire time.

A moment later Brandywine came out and seemed a bit more dressed than before. She walked toward the group and gave a nod, “Molotov and I will lead you out there. Cosmic will join us once he’s finished discussing guard scheduling with Assistant Mayor Sweet Harvest.”

Celestia noticed Berry Wine shaking her head. If she had to guess there was more than talk about guard scheduling going on between the Assistant Mayor and the other guard that would be joining them. It was merely speculation, but Celestia thought that the guard in question and the assistant mayor may have been having a roll in the hay. There was nothing wrong with that, but given the grave circumstances bring her and her nephew here, it was an unnecessary risk.

The party trundled down from the guard house into Three Heroes proper. The small town was bustling, business-mares and work-a-day stallions mingling between businesses and homes that lined the main street. The Royals were given much diffedence as the trod through two, a facet of this adventure that Endymion could have cared less about. Though, once or twice, he caught certain of the populace giving him sneers; he was certain that his non-equine visage brought on the hostile glares.

“It’s up this way,” Molotov reported, “Cosmic and Brandywine met some grief past the edge of town. My pappy always told me something troublesome pours out of Mount Gloom and while I was a foal, I believed him. I’m beginning to regret my apostasy.”

“Can you describe your assailants?” Twilight asked.

“They were as tall as anypony,” Brandywine explained, “covered in crown-to-hoof armor. I’ve never seen anything like it amongst the Royal Guards or any of the militias. They carried strange weapons, too.”

“Strange weapons?” Endymion asked, reminding himself of the prize shotgun left aboard the airship, “Can you be more specific?”

“They had swords made of light and heat,” a new voice explained as the party strode past the city limits, “The best way I could describe it is their weapons were like an enraged level five magi formed a sword from their magic, and fed all of that anger and hate into it. And then there was the energy nets…”

“Cosmic, boyo, so good of ya to join us!” Molotov called, motioning to a unicorn walking towards them; an Earth pony mare followed in his wake and even Endymion wasn’t so dense to not notice the rosy blush on her cheeks.

“Sorry for the delay,” Cosmic said, “I was helping Ms. Harvest with some remodeling of the town hall.”

“And the guard rotation?” Brandywine asked.

“All sorted,” Cosmic answered, “with plenty of time to spare.”

“Enough time to get some ‘personal time’ fer yerself?” Molotov quipped.

“I’ll have you know, Sargeant,” Sweet Harvest retorted, “that Corporal Cosmic has been working like a Diamond Dog in his duties, so hard that he often doesn’t even eat a regular meal. So, in a small trade-off, I made him lunch while he helped me move some furniture in the office. Faust only knows we don’t have enough janitorial staff to do the job.”

Molotov laughed his deep belly laugh, “Missy, we don’t have enough ponies in this entire village to much more than live and rut. It’s a tiny place, but it ain’t too bad, and it does tend to grow on you after a while.”

Endymion felt something off. It was hard to describe, but he could feel something out of place. He stepped back, moving toward the area the guard ponies had pointed to, and he felt it stronger. He didn’t realize it but Applejack, Pinkie, Muddy, Sweet Harvest, Brandywine, and Celestia all felt it as well. Their Earth Pony magic was communicating with the ground itself. The land was confused because there was something there that wasn’t there.

Endymion felt the connection with it. He felt something speaking to him, talking in a tongue he understood, but couldn’t explain how he understood. He reached out and light shimmered around a burned doorway. That was the best way to describe it. It appeared to be a doorway made of some kind of metal. There was a single magic battery connected to it, and on the side was a panel with various symbols. He noticed that part of the doorway itself was destroyed, obviously ruined in an attack, but a memory he couldn’t explain brought up what the doorway was. He saw one similar to it, sat inside of a huge stone building. There a small stone golem entered codes into it, and a shimmering violet light formed. He remembered stepping into it, and then stepping out in a completely different building.

“It’s a portal.”

He felt Twilight near him, “What?”

He touched the burnt surface, “I don’t know how I know, but it’s a portal. It’s low powered, I doubt that it can work over a distance less than a mile or so, but if it was fully powered, and we had another one in Canterlot, we could step through and be there in seconds.”

She studied it. Starswirl had studied portals, and she knew that he had created one, supposedly, to an alternate world, but she had no idea if that was actually true or not. But her studies stated that Starswirl had used a mirror to create the portal. Focusing the magic into an enchantment that stabilized it. This looked different. If she was to guess it allowed the ponies using it to connect to any number of portals by using the runepad.

“Endymion, we need to take this.”

He looked at his unicorn bride, “Are you sure?”

She nodded, “Something like this could revolutionize magical theory in Equestria. I bet that I could use Starswirl’s portal theory on it, and possibly get it to work. We could travel anywhere on Equus in a matter of seconds!”

“Twi, not ta sound like a rusty fiddle, but ya figure that messin’ ‘round with something those ponies left behind is a good idea?”

Applejack felt a hand and looked at Moondancer, “Twilight’s got a point. This is important,” she then looked at Twilight, “But we’ve got to be careful. We don’t know if it’s got some kind of defensive spell on it or not. The last thing I’m sure any of us would want is for anypony to get hurt.”

Endymion shook his head, “It’s dead. I mean there’s some power to it, but whatever hit it knocked out the spell matrix that made it work,” he looked at Twilight, “If you want it taken back we will, and I think that you could get it to work, but Twily, I think that you’re going to have to build the spell matrix from the ground up.”

The room filled with the a high pitched squeal; Twilight was having a nerdgasm.

“Does she do that a lot?” Molotov asked.

“Only when new spellcraft is involved,” Trixie groaned, “you don’t get to be her rank as a magi without being a tremendous geek about magic.”

“Well, then,” Rarity mused, “wherever do we start breaking down this- doodad?”

“Damn it!”

“What is it?”

“The thrice damned ponies found our insta-travel port.”

“Goddess damn it!”

“It’s not a total loss, is it? Their fire attack warped the mana battery, right? That thing has maybe, what, Five percent of nominal power? I doubt they could do anything with it.”

“You chowder brain! If the Councilwoman gets word that we lost one of our devices, a very pricey and complicated piece of Imperial Artifice, she is going to have our heads!”

“Oh. OH!”

“Serenia is going to hang us all, isn’t she?”

“Not unless we can get the device back. Now shut up, I have a plan…”

Endymion’s instructions on disassembling the metallic portal doorway, or Rune Portal as Twilight decided to call it, seemed mostly correct. There seemed to be a few differences between his memory and the Rune Portal itself. Mainly from what he described this seemed to be a much more economical friendly version, as Rarity put it.

Trixie decided to call it as she saw it and said that the ponies that made it were being cheap. Several members of the group looked at her.

“What, Trixie is speaking the truth, is she not? It is obvious that this Rune Portal is different from the one that Endymion remembers. It only seems likely that the ponies that put it together cared less about quality and more about quantity.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, “Yes, we are well aware of that. In fact I believe I said the same thing, a bit more politely, a few moments ago.”

Trixie looked toward the posh Unicorn, “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not see a reason to be polite when addressing the ponies that did this!”

Before Rarity could respond Rainbow Dash walked toward Trixie and kicked her in the shin.

“You’re talking about Endymion’s kind you cunt licking twat!”

Rainbow looked at the eyes on her, “What? He’s a member of our group. He’s our friend, and we’re the only ones that get to talk like that about those ponies like him.”

Endymion stood there a little surprised, “Ummm, thanks Dash, I think, but it’s okay. Trixie I understand, but Rarity had a point. Even if I don’t count myself as one of them, the Rune Portal is evidence that they are powerful enough to deserve some respect.”

It was nearly completely disassembled when Applejack grabbed her sword. The ground told her that there was something coming. The ground couldn’t identify it, only that it was there and wasn’t there, but it was coming toward them. She chanced a quick glance at Brandywine and saw that she was warning both Molotov and Cosmic. A moment later a bright blue beam seemed to appear from nowhere.

Molotov took to the air, his hand reaching for the bag of spell jars he had, and before he could fish one out another beam shot toward him, catching his wing, and causing him to fall. Without warning something shot forward and slammed into him causing his entire body to go rigid with pain before it hit the ground. Cosmic didn’t form the ball of light, but instead formed a shield around them.

There was nothing for a moment and then something powerful slammed against the shield. Its bowling ball sized fists shimmered for a moment before it could be seen. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Twilight, and Fluttershy had seen something similar back when they tried to find Endymion’s kind before. Yet the difference between that armor and this armor was the same kind of difference between the night and the day.

That armor had seemed to be designed for speed, agility, and maneuverability. This Armor seemed to be designed for power and protection. Yet, Rarity seemed to be the one moving closer to where it was hammering away at the shielding. She cocked her head to the side, looking at the discolored bit of metal. She began to think, and then she turned toward Brandywine.

“How did you drive them back, earlier?”

Brandywine looked confused, “Molotov used spell jars, mostly fire spells, why?”

She looked at the teenage drake with them.

“Spikey Boo, would you kindly shoot a spout of your strongest flame at that armor the moment Mr. Cosmic drops his shield?”

“Drop my what?!”

Brandywine smiled, “Do it Cosmic. I see what she’s thinking.”

Spike swallowed his nervousness, breathed in deeply and then nodded. The moment Cosmic dropped his shield Spike unleashed a torrent of flame that was hotter than anything anypony had felt before. The giant armored being screamed from inside of its suit and they watched as it jumped out. It was a mare, but the skin on her left arm was blistered and dark red. Obviously from the intense heat coming from Spike’s fire.

She looked toward the armor to see it glowing white, and then she saw the mana battery. It was fractured. She turned and ran. It was an action that made Celestia raise a powerful shield around all of them. A moment later the very ground shook as a thunderous explosion erupted. When it cleared they could see a hole stretching far enough down that there didn’t appear to be an end.

Celestia watched as Spike stood there wide eyed at what had happened. It was obvious he didn’t expect his flame to be that powerful. Her sister had filled her in on Spike. How Twilight had hatched him, and how Twilight had helped raise him. More or less he was Twilight’s son. Of course Twilight’s family had helped quite a bit, but it was different to see it in action. Twilight was checking on him, and then she pulled him into a hug. The look she gave Rarity was one that stated that she understood, but didn’t approve of what she had Spike do.

“While I must admit that this is certainly an odd occurrence I believe it would be wise to gather the pieces of the Rune Portal and head back to the village. It may even be advisable to load it onto the airship,” Flintheart shook his head, “They will most likely be back, and I would imagine that they will attack Ms. Sparkle’s ward first next time.”

That piece of advice seemed to make sense, and the large group began to head back toward the village. As they walked Applejack listened to what the ground was telling her. It wasn’t close, not really, but she felt more of the same feeling she had felt with that last attack. The ground, the earth, couldn’t tell her much more than it was there, and not there, but she could tell it was more. The feeling she was getting told her it was more. She looked toward Rainbow Dash and Molotov and noticed that they seemed to notice something as well.

“Dash, ya feelin’ something?”

Rainbow nodded, “Yeah, the weather and wind has a weird feel to it. Kind of like when we were near that ship close to Mt. Gloom.”

Applejack’s expression soured at that. That ship had outclassed the Royal Airship. She knew that Luna’s airship, the Lunar Light, was the fastest airship in the Royal Navy, and it was heavily armed. Yet that other ship was far more than a match for it. In truth they were all exceptionally lucky to have made it out as basically unschaved as they did. If there was another ship similar to that nearby they could be in some serious trouble.

Her eyes drifted to Spike. She never really have expected the young drake to have the kind of power he did. She could only figure that his naturally occurring dragonfire was powerful enough to get through their armor. If that was the case then Flintheart was right. The next time they attacked they would go straight for Spike. There was a good deal about dragons Applejack didn’t know, but she did know that they had to replenish their reserves when they used their fire. She could already tell that Spike was hungry.

That meant what he did there most likely had taken a good part of his reserves to do. She looked toward their other black cloak and was surprised to her casting illusion spells behind them. Despite what she thought of the arrogant Unicorn, and most of the thoughts tended to be less than friendly, it was Obvious that Trixie was taking her job as a Black Cloak serious. She nudged Twilight as they walked.

“Huh?”

“Those spells she’s casting, how useful are they?”

Twilight looked at the spells Trixie was casting, “Actually, they’re very effective. She’s weaving illusion magic to the point that it should make anypony that walks through there see their worst fears.”

Trixie’s mouth turned up into a smirk, “The Great and Powerful Trixie excels at Illusion Magic. Trixie merely decided to take two illusion spells and weave them together. They will see their fears on each other.”

Rainbow Dash almost stopped, “Wait, so they’re going to attack each other?”

“That is the plan the Great and Powerful Trixie has come up with!”

“Ms Lulamoon, please, stop referring to yourself in the third person. It gets to be grading on one’s nerves.”

She looked at Professor Flintheart and nodded, “Yes sir.”

Rainbow’s fur began to stand on end. She felt it moving closer to them. Her wings shot out in a defensive manner, “Those spells don’t matter.”

“Tri...I will have you know that I’m casting them perfectly!”

“That’s not what I mean!”

Applejack nodded, “Dash is right, Ah cain’t feel ‘em on the ground nomore.”

Trixie looked back toward where they came from, “Then what do we do?”

Professor Flintheart let out an annoyed nicker, “We board the Dawn Breaker, and we hope that Captain Sparrow is correct in his assessment of his ship.”

“What of Three Heroes?”

He looked toward the unicorn guard, Cosmic.

“I believe they will follow us. It appears that we have something of theirs that they wish to regain. Once we, and they, are gone send this scroll to Princess Luna. She will ensure that a small battalion of Black Cloaks get stationed here to help protect the village.”

Cosmic took it and nodded. The moment they pushed into the town the group began to separate. Quickly those that came in on the Dawn Breaker moved up to to the dock. It took precious little time to board and stow the Rune Portal. Once that was done the ship began to lift from the dock.

“Not that it’s my business, but looks like there must be something going on.”

No sooner had those words came out of Captain Wayward Sparrow’s mouth than a beam of pure energy hit the side of the ship. The entire airship rocked violently in the air, but amazingly there was no damage. However Captain Sparrow looked fit to be tied.

“They tried to blow holes in my ship! QUIT TRYING TO BLOW HOLES IN MY SHIP!” he yelled, “All hands ready cannons!”

“Lightning cannons won’t do anything!”

He grinned, “Who said anything about lightning cannons?”

The cannons fired, and what came out of them was a dark purple blast of light. Professor Flintheart knew exactly what they were. He’d seen some left overs from the Solarian Revolutionary Armies. They were corrupted magical cannons. Apparently they worked on fueling magical batteries with dark magic and then using them. It was dangerous, unpredictable, and perhaps the most destructive weapon Flintheart had ever seen. The fact that the other ship seemed to be shrugging the blasts off worried him. The other ship shot a blast which once again caused the ship to rock violently. The Dawn Breaker returned fire, and Flintheart could see the first sign of the cannons working.

“Captain! Our magic batteries for the barrier shield is almost gone! We need to get out!”

Captain Sparrow didn’t like running, but he also didn’t like the idea of being blasted out of the sky.

“Take us toward hideaway number six.”

“Sir?”

“Do it!”

With that the Dawn Breaker turned and began to run. A moment later the magic batteries that powered the ship's engines kicked in, and it shot out at break neck speeds. The other ship followed, but Captain Sparrow didn’t seem worried. The flight was tight, hard, and there was an unnatural turbulence around the ship. Captain Sparrow moved her down, aiming toward the the water, and soon she touched the waves moving forward toward an old rough hewn dock that looked like it was meant for the toughest of ships and ponies. A look behind them saw the other ship turning away, its hull smoking and heavily damaged. The group looked shaken, but mostly alive.

“Welcome to the Shetland Isles. This is the Isle of Goats, but we should be safe here.”

Celestia felt the pull of the sun. Gently she began to move it, allowing it to set for the evening. She could see the rough beauty of the isles, but she was not naive. Luna’s marriage to an abusive stallion had been here. She hated it. She hated what that stallion had done to her younger sister, and she hated that it had to be done. Equestria had needed the alliance of the Shetlanders. Of course the fact that her husband had gotten drunk and fell to his death had been something of a blessing.

Both sisters decided that never again. Never again would the council force their hands into marriage. The nobility could gets stuffed before that happened again.

“Wayward Sparrow, Barrel Crusher’s wantin ta talk with ya!”

The voice was a Unicorn mare, but she was built like an Earth Pony. Endymion looked at her and realized that she had cast the same spell that had killed Jolie Maison on herself. Most likely she was one of his descendants.

“Come on you daft cunt licker, Ah ain’t got all bloody evening!”

They came off of the ship, and loaded into several wagons. The Unicorn mare strapped herself into a harness and began pulling. The sound and smell of the road began to waft up and Endymion began to compare what he saw to Ponyville. Simply said it didn't look or smell like home. No, this place lacked the civilized comforts that Endymion had become accustomed to on the mainland. Wayward Sparrow had said where they were going to lay low at was off the beaten path, and he was right.

"Smells like somepony's been using the road as a toilet."

Wayward laughed, "You're not wrong," he looked at Rainbow Dash, "the Shetlands aren't designed for more cultured ponies."

Off in the distance the sound of a wolf's howl filled the night.

"Captain Sparrow, how long do you intend to keep us in this.... Filth?!" Rarity demanded.

"Missy, I plan on living, and whatever that ship was I saw outclassed the Dawnbreaker pretty hard. But I gotta figure that it follows some of the same magic rules our ships do. The Dawnbreaker is the only ship that can make it to this part of the Shetlands."

"The curse," Endymion said.

Wayward nodded, "Just as powerful as the day it was cast. Only a ship carrying members of the Shetland isles can land here without that curse tearing it to pieces."

Author's Note

We're back, bitches!

28 The Isles

Rune Soldier

Chapter 28: The Isles

The capital of the Isle of Goats, and honestly of all of the Shetland Isles, was nothing like Canterlot. In truth it was easily half the size, and had none of the creature comforts one would hope or expect in a capital city. The Unicorn mare pulling the wagon Endymion had been on stopped right at the foot of a large moat that surrounded an older looking castle. The Canterlot Palace, or castle, had been created by a group of Unicorn artisans. It was obvious that Earth Ponies and Pegasi had put this castle together.

The front was heavy with various vines and moss, but the huge drawbridge gained Endymion’s attention. It had carved depictions of Jolie Maison fighting the Terror Wolves engraved all across the front of it. Endymion could see how they showed this mage, barely a level four mage, to be some kind of national hero. The engravings were when he had the spell cast on himself to make him as powerful as any Earth Pony.

Each scene he was tearing the wolves apart, or blasting them with his magic, and in some it was a combination of the two. After a moment the bridge lowered and a Pegasus that easily dwarfed him strolled out. He was a mustard yellow, his mane and tail dirt brown with hints of gray peppered throughout. And he was built like that Pegasus nobel he had faced in Filthy Rich’s tournament. Somehow he believed that his muscular frame wasn’t there for show.

“Wayward Sparrow! Ya Daft arsehole lickin’ cunt! Ya take off with me daughter, me daughter! And then ya don’t tell me that ya married her. No, I find out from that drunken first mate that tried ta feck me second wife!”

Celestia looked toward the Captain who at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed.

“To be honest Barrel, we both did a lot of drinking that night.”

“Dad, lay off me husband!”

Eyes turned toward a crewpony from the Dawn Breaker. There was a shimmering of light and what looked like a scrawny stallion was actually a fairly beautiful mare. Her coat was a soft brown, her mane and tail a honey blond, and she had the most stunning blue eyes. Her horn was a little undersized, but Flintheart could feel the potential in her. She had managed to disguise herself as a stallion, using a glamor to do it, and no pony, not even him, had felt the magic she was using.

There was little doubt that with proper study she would be a fantastic asset anywhere she went. Still, this beautiful, but lithe, mare strolled forward. Her clothing hanging loose off of her small frame.

“I got me a good stallion, he ruts me like a mare proper, and he even ruts me tailhole. Not to mention he occasionally gets another mare for us both to enjoy! Ya ain’t got a reason one to hold nothin’ against him. Sides’ I wanted off the Isles!”

Endymion wasn’t sure what the mare had been expecting, but to be gathered up into a bone crushing hug most likely wasn’t it. Barrel Crusher held her, obviously happy to see his daughter once again. He slowly let her down and then looked at Celestia and Endymion.

“Figure ya need a welcome proper. I’m Barrel Crusher, Lord of the Shetland Isles, Defender of her ponies, and leader of the same. This is the Isle of Goats, and if what my page, who watched you being chased and then land, is to be believed you’re in need of help. That’s all fine and good. We need it as well.”

Celestia looked at him, “What kind of help?”

He looked toward her, “The kind hunts the ponies I protect. Come, we’ll talk inside.”

The wagons unloaded, and the group moved in behind Barrel Crusher. Every single inch of the castle looked to be in need of repair. Yet there was tapestries, multiple tapestries, that seemed to depict Jolie Maison, his wives, and his foals. Endymion studied them as they walked.

“This is the most tapestries I’ve ever seen for someone that’s not a royal.”

Barrel Crusher laughed, “Boyo, here on the isles old Jolie was the closest thing to Royalty, and about the only pony any of my ponies would actually respect. To hear it told his herd was fifty mares large, and each one wanted to give him as many foals as he wanted. He was a good sort, stopped the wolves for a good long while, and now we have his descendants trying to do the same for what has decided to terrorize us.”

“What has come to the Isles?”

Barrel looked at Professor Flintheart.

“I don’t rightly know, but it sucks the life out of my ponies. They ain’t but walking corpses afterward. All of ‘em have been dried out, husks, all except for one.”

He stopped and looked at the ceiling, “Well called him Starry, Whatever it was didn’t kill him, but it did something to him,” Barrel Crusher turned toward them, “Wiped away everything, even his mark. All of it gone in a second. We got him here, in a room, his mind is like a foal now. Dunne know what that thing is, but I canne have it harmin’ my ponies.”

He looked at the shadows forming, “Blast it all, I got court, I ask that our visiting royals sit in. I’d like ya to see what we’re dealing with.”

A few servants came and began showing several of the others to their rooms, but Celestia, Endymion, Wayward, Professor Flintheart, Twilight, and Pinkie followed Barrel Crusher to the throne room. The throne itself was carved from stone, the back of it snapped toward the head, something that looked as if it had happened some time ago. Once they were settled ponies began to be shown in.

Celestia noticed that unlike Canterlot there was no nobility there to whine and cry about imagined slights. She saw ponies that worked hard, and most of them appeared to be scared, angry, and beyond upset. The first four walked forward, obviously a herd, and one of the mares put a small bundle down. The blanket opened to reveal what had been a foal. Endymion heard Pinkie gasp, he felt both her and Twilight grab his arms, and he looked at the angry, but distraught face of the mare.

“The wolves! That thing brought the wolves! They dragged me colt, my little Comet out from the field inta the woods! I heard ‘im screamin’! I heard ‘im and I canne do a thing! It needs ta stop! There more than ten families this happened ta!”

Aboard the Terran Ship

The waxing/waning warble of the general quarters klaxon was setting Helmsman Cealis teeth on edge. Bad enough that the lights had dimmed due general quarters being sounded, but the red tint was washing out all the colors in his console, making it difficult to steer the Intrepid-class airship. He had piloted the vessel numerous times in hazardous situations, that’s what a helmsman does on an expeditionary ship, but never before did he have to do it with half of the ship’s starboard thrusters inoperable.His Pappy would’ve described it as steering a half-dead whale into the surf.

“Helmsman, hard to port!” The Captain commanded, “What in the Ninety and Nine Hells is taking so long?! Damage control?”

A deep voice echoed over the bridge’s intercom system, barely audible over the klaxon’s wailing and the din of electrical conduits sparking and piping shearing off it’s moors. Commander Scott’s voice was a mid-tenor, so something must have happened to most accomplished engineer in Imperial Fleet Services.

“Lt. Cmdr. Deautroix reporting, ma’am. We’ve been bisected.”

“How bad is it?”

The lieutenant commander replied, “several compartments at midships have been compromised. Emergency bulkheads have sealed off those areas,but with internal sensors suffering a loss of efficiency, we can’t rightly tell if all the seals are completed. I have teams going to the compromised compartments now.”

“In addition, the ventral and dorsal plasma beam emitter arrays on both sides are heavily damaged. I don’t think we’ll be able to fire on anything until we can get them repaired. Lastly, the lateral thrusters on the starboard side have taken tremendous amounts of damage. From here, we’re reading that 35% of the thrusters are inoperable, with an additional 40% sheared from the hull. It’s some profound luck we’ve managed to get away from whatever was tearing us apart as intact as we are.”

“Luck?” The Captain sneered, “I’ve never had need of luck, when I have Helmsman Cealis keeping us aloft.”

“He’s right about the thrusters, though, Captain,” the helmsman called back, “we’re treading through molasses right now. The majority of the nozzles are barely giving me twelve percent of power, let alone twenty. It looks like we still have main engines, but from what I’m reading, we won’t be going full tilt for some time. Mains will need to taken off the line at some point.”

“Is the helmsman recommendation astute, Engineering?” The Captain asks.

“It’s on the nose. We still have auxiliary power, the battery and the energizer, but until we can get the mains offline, we’ll be fortunate that The King Arthur doesn’t implode upon itself.”

“Solid copy, Engineering. Keep me posted and send my regards to Commander Scott.”

“Will do, Captain,” Lt. Cmdr. Deautroix replied before the line went dead.

“Tactical, Cartography, talk to me. What the Hell happened to our ship?”

Two men rose from their stations on the bridge and approached the Captain, Both wore grave faces: the whiskerless face of the cartographer slicked with sweat, the tactical officer betraying no sign of fear or exertion.

“The island has some sort of field that repelled us, Ma’am,” the Cartographer said, “according to Ecumene archives, similar instances have happened with Imperial scout ships passing through this area. The Edmond Fitzgerald being the most famous of those that fell to this archipelago’s magic.”

“With the Goddess do they rest,” The Captain said and all three bowed their heads for a moment.

“That said,” the Tactical Officer explained, “these islands have been a thorn in the Empire’s side for some time. The best our long range sensors can tell is that these isles are inhospitable to most beings. All but the two northernmost islands show any sign of arable land; the last isles are almost constantly blanketed with sleet.

“The entire chain is lucky to have more than six inches of topsoil, seeing as the majority of them are old balsamic and vulcanite layers interspersed with granite. It’s wonder any flora or fauna developed there and I know The Farm Houses would have a field day if they could a foothold onto them. The most interesting of these isles is that field of energy we rammed into, literally.”

“How is it interesting?” The Captain asked.

“It repels ships,” the Tactical Officer replied, “but apparently not all, if that that privateer vessel could get in. From what we can tell, the field can discern what ships are native or not. How and why is unknown. At this moment, it matters little, other than The Major’s target has slipped past that veil.”

The Captain glanced at the other captain on board, Praetorian Captain Lindquist, who lead the Sparta Unit leading this expedition into The Wild Lands. Had it not been from some genteel persuasion by Chairwoman Serenia, this whole misadventure would never happen. The steely glare of the ship’s captain met the Imperial Expeditionary Corps officer; there was no love lost between the two given how quickly this operation had gone tits up.

“So, Commander,” The Captain began, “are you absolutely dead set to pursue your target at the expense of all else?”

Captain Lindquist replied, “The targets have Imperial tech on them. They lifted it when we were still stationed at the mountain settlement. We can’t have such valuable tech in the hands of the enemy. We also need to fulfill our primary directive. We cannot return to Pivot without doing so. My squad is proceeding on mission, whether you approve or not.”

“Fine by me,” The Captain stated, “but you’re swimming there.”

“Wait, what?”

The Captain explained, “I am barely keeping this ship together with what remaining crew and equipment are on board. Your squad is an allotment of weight that exceeds what our quartermaster recommends and we have no transit for you to borrow. So, if you wish to proceed, as you put it, ‘whether I approve it or not,’ then you will be swimming to those islands. I can’t afford to take my half crippled ship on a suicide mission.”

“But-!” Captain Lindquist started before she was halted.

“The very least I can do is give you what remaining supplies and rations we have,” The Captain continued, “sure, we may need to make landfall, but that’s going to happen sooner rather than later. And I’d rather it be done while we have a decent excuse for touchdown than, ‘we allowed a ground pounder to dictate where we ran and it got us our asses handed to us.’ Capishe?”

Captain Lindquist nodded, whispering, “You’re sending us to our deaths.”

The Captain replied, “I thought that’s what your people do, serve Your Matron and die for Your Empire. In any case, I want you off my ship before you cause any further harm to her.”

“You’ll regret this, Captain,” Lindquist growled, “Chairwoman Serenia is going to hear of this.”

The Captain laughed, a full sound of much merriment, “Really? Do you think Serenia is going to do anything against me, Capt. Jamie Tabitha Kirk?! Her own DAUGHTER?! Fuck you. Seriously, just- fuck you.”

“You want I should show them the gangplank, ma’am?” Asked a young junior grade lieutenant.

“It would bring me immeasurable pleasure if you did so, Lt. Sulu,” Capt. Kirk answered, “get these bitches off my ship.”

*****Isle of Goats - Barrel Crusher’s Castle - Library*****

Flintheart looked at the few scant books the library had. Most of them had been brought with Jolie Maison himself when he came to help the Shetlanders. He lifted a single book, opened it, and noticed something odd. One of the inner coverings seemed to be a little too thick. He pulled it loose, and there he saw a letter. Knowing that the letter must have belonged to Jolie Maison, and his descendants by default, he considered putting it back. Yet, a small part of him wanted to see into the mind of this Unicorn that was so willing to leave everything behind.

He opened the letter, thankful that it had been read before, and looked at the words written in everlasting ink.

My student, nay, my son,

I write this hoping that you are well. It pains me that you will never again sit foot in Equestria, but I realize the reasoning behind it. The nobility that was so desperate to lay claim to the poor ignorant foals you have accepted leadership over are cursing you. They saw nothing but goods to be sold, and yet my son you saw ponies that needed your protection. My truest regret is that I did not make the adoption official. I am proud of you my son. Royal Pin, your dear friend, understands what has happened, and she wishes to pass along her most heartfelt well wishes.

Know that with every decision and gesture you have so far has left me beaming with joy. I could be no prouder of you than the day you set for the Shetland Isles; indeed, I am overwhelmed with pride at seeing all you have accomplished and still have yet to accomplish. Have a wonderful life, several foals, and live knowing that you’ve done a good thing.

Love,

Your Mother,

Luna

Flintheart put the letter back. It was hard to put into words what he had just read. Jolie Maison, the hero of the Shetlands was also the reason for the Shetlands being unaccessible from the rest of the world without one of their own accompanying the ship coming in. Yet, more than that, more than his act in keeping the Shetland Isles separate, Jolie Maison was royalty, or at least was after a fashion.

He looked at the gathered group of ponies here. Having been with Princess Celestia, and Prince Endymion, at Barrel Crusher’s court he knew what his student was thinking. In truth he wanted to go and hunt for this foul creature himself. Whatever it was that was doing this had brought back a terror these ponies hadn’t been forced to face in over three hundred years. Losing anypony was terrible. It was a fact of life, especially a life as a Black Cloak, but a fact of life. It didn’t make it any sweeter or easier to swallow.

But to lose a foal was something else entirely. He wasn’t naive enough to believe that foals dying was uncommon, but that didn’t matter. It was something that should never happen. Looking at the face of his student he saw the determination and understood that Endymion felt the same.

“I’m going out, and I’m going to help put an end to this thing and those wolves. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know where it is, but I’m going to find it and I’m going to end it.”

Endymion could see the confusion of those that hadn’t been with him. He explained what had happened. How the bodies of foals had been brought in, and how he had seen family after family presenting dead that had been caused by whatever this thing was. As he explained Applejack’s grip tightened on her sword. She listened and she felt a fire stirring inside of her. Being an Apple helped make her realize how important family was, but being an Earth Pony mare pulled harder on her toward protecting foals. Foals were the future.

Each Foal meant the continuation of the family line. Each one meant that the seeds of that family could spread out, grow to become a great clan, and those clan members all remember where it was that they came from. The death of a foal took away any chance of that ever happening. It left nothing but heartache and emptiness behind. She had no intention of setting this out.

“I’m going to stand with you.”

Dash nodded, “Same here.”

“Endy.”

He looked toward the voice and smiled at Pinkie Pie. He knew that she was worried, and she had a reason to be. The Isles weren’t a hospitable place anyway. Even without this new danger there was countless others that existed. He knew of them, of the Isles, because he loved the story of Jolie Maison. He wanted to go on adventures, and he wanted to match the grand adventure that Jolie had been on.

He wanted, so desperately, to match the accomplishments of this unicorn that was long dead. In a way he wanted to prove that he was just as much of a champion as Jolie had been. That was before they landed on the isles. That was before he saw what he knew Jolie had seen. Suddenly he realized why Jolie Maison had done what he had done. It wasn’t because he was seeking fortune and fame. No, it was because he realized that these ponies couldn’t protect themselves, and they needed somepony to help them.

He threw away the chance of returning home because he wanted to keep these ponies safe. He understood the decision, and Endymion was making one very similar. He wouldn’t let the wolves have another foal. They would have to kill him first. And it was something that Pinkie could see. She could see what he felt, what he meant, and she wasn’t going to deny him. She wasn’t going to be that pony.

“Endymion no!”

He looked at Twilight, “What else can I do? Twilight, this is who and what I am. I’m a champion, a hero, and I can’t let these ponies go on suffering.”

She shook her head, “No, Sol help me, I waited so long for us to be together! I almost gave up, and now you’re going to go out there… Didn’t you ever read what happened to Jolie Maison?” she was crying openly now, “Didn’t you read what happened his first night out? How those things nearly killed him because he was so overconfident?!”

“Miss Sparkle is correct.”

Endymion turned toward Professor Flintheart, “Jolie Maison was a good deal like you Endymion, and he went in without a plan the first time. It cost him an ear, his left eye, a small section of his collar, and nearly his life,” he said as he neared his student, “Which is why you should learn from his mistakes. Take this time to see what he did, how he learned to fight them, and know that I will be coming with you.”

He looked surprised, “Sir?”

Flintheart laughed, “I am a black cloak, you are royalty, it is my duty to protect you,” he looked at Trixie, “And Miss Lulamoon, it is your duty to stay here and protect Princess Celestia, and Endymion’s future brides.”

She nodded, “Of, of course sir, Tr… Er… I won’t let you down.”

She looked toward the Solar Diarch who seemed uncertain. She wasn’t sure, but it appeared that she looked concerned for Professor Flintheart. The kind of concern that she’d seen on Princess Luna’s face when worrying about her little ponies, but rather it was the kind of worry she’d seen on some of the marefriends of the guards that were getting sent out to the edge of Equestria. She shook her head. It just wasn’t that likely that the two of them were lovers. After all, Professor Flintheart was getting to be an old stallion.

Endymion walked toward his brides. He felt Pinkie wrap him into what he had begun to call a Pinkie Pie Hug. His bones creaked as she hugged him, and then she let him go. Like Applejack she saw the reason for this. Twilight however grabbed him and didn’t want to let go. She held onto him, her magic wrapped tightly around him. He hugged her back, feeling her smaller frame against him. He wasn’t so thick that he didn’t see Twilight’s point of view. He knew that what he was signing up for was more dangerous than most of the adventures they’d been on. He considered that the closest might would have been the trip to Stargazer’s Tower.

“Twily, I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to. You saw the foals, and we both know that help from the outside isn’t coming.”

She looked up at him, “Why you?”

He smiled that self assured smile of his, “I’m a champion right? It’s what I’m meant to do.”

“May...Maybe I should come with you…”

AJ shook her head, “Twilight, Ah understand, Ah do, but we dun’t know if this is something fer the elements. Cain’t rightly use ‘em if’n they wouldn’t help.”

She glared at Applejack, “Then what should I do?”

Pinkie touched her shoulder, “Help me keep the ponies here from getting scared.”

She looked at Pinkie, “What do you mean?”

She smiled, “Silly, can’t you feel it? Those meanie wolves are feeding off of fear. We keep these ponies happy and they can’t get scared.”

Professor Flintheart looked at her, “And how would you know that?”

Before any more questions could be asked it was Applejack that held her hand up, “Professor, Ah gotta tell ya what Ah told Twilight when she came ta Ponyville. That’s jest Pinkie being Pinkie. Ain’t any explanation fer it, it’s jest how she is.”

He looked toward Endymion who nodded.

“Ah, very well. I shall endeavor to accept what cannot be explained. Regardless, I believe that those going should go with me to Lord Barrel Crusher and see when he intends to go out and face the wolves, and of course this other being.”

With that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Endymion, and Fluttershy followed Professor Flintheart toward the throne room. Barrel Crusher looked at them.

“Yer all daft. Ye need ta know that. Yer daft, but what yer doing is welcomed. My guards, and two of Jolie’s own descendants are gonna go out. The Pegasi coming with us aren’t spell shy. They’re good lads, every last one of ‘em, got wives, foals, and they’re wantin’ ta see those foals grow up and grow old. I’ll be doin’ ev’rthing I can to make sure they caine do just that.”

“What do you know of these wolves, are they the same as the ones Jolie faced?” Flintheart asked.

“Dunne lad. Been told they’re right similar, but that there’s som’thing mere to it. Figure those of ye that caine cast spells, be a good idea ta look over Jolie’s notes and books. Got a whole library full, dunne want ye goin’ out without protection.”

“Sir! The ship is ready!”

Endymion looked at Captain Sparrow.

“I can’t stand by and do nothing. I’m going to hold the ship up, over all of you, offer what support I can. The corrupted cannons might help, might not, but at least it will be a place for the Pegasi to pull all of you back to.”

*****Two hours later - Library*****

Studying was never Endymion’s strong suit. He was more of the kind to jump ahead, to go in and let luck, and skill, take the lead and he’d follow it through. However Twilight explained that if he enjoyed rutting her until she couldn’t form sentences, and he was still determined to go out and help these ponies, then he needed to study. She even picked out several of the books that Jolie had written himself. As he read he saw what looked like a loose piece of paper fall and he picked it up.

He read it, and it sparked an ancient memory. One buried within the deep recesses of his mind. He looked back at the paper once more, seeing the words again.

”…she sleeps, ever still, inside of that capsule of metal and glass. A strange projection appears when I near her explaining that she is of some line I can not hope to pronounce. It will not identify itself when I ask; it merely says that ‘only an authorized member of an Imperial House may deliver orders.’ I am unsure of what the construct, and I can only assume it is a magical construct, means when it makes that declaration. I am certain this mystery will be solved eventually. I pray to Faust that those mana batteries hold.

I know not who, or what she is, but her projected guardian, it glows the same color as the eyes of that creature which is locked away. I fear I will not learn who she is. I've done much, seen much, and now I pay for it. Time and tide, they await for nopony. My body is that of an old stallion, and my candle burns dim. My hours glass wanes, and soon, I shall be as the sands within it. It is not with regret that I must let go of this all… I am happy, I have my herd, my foals, and that is all one needs in life. Everything else is... merely distractions. Family means everything.

He realized what it was, and he could feel where it was. It was below them, near the back wall. He walked toward it, past stacks of shelving, some heavy laden and some sparse with tomes, until he saw his mother’s cutie mark. The sigil called out to him on an instinctual level. Reaching out, he touched it. The mark glowed, for just a moment, and then the wall began to separate. When it did there was a long staircase that lead down into the darkness. He began to walk down it, only to find that the torches began to light as he proceeded. He made it to the bottom, and around him was a lab that would make Twilight orgasm on the spot. All of it had been made through magic. He could tell that. All except for the glass and metal that was a stasis pod. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did.

“Endymion?”

“Down here.”

He heard hooves, and then he felt Twilight near him. He could practically feel the excitement rolling off of her.

“Jolie Maison’s lab! It’s his secret lab! You found it!”

He nodded, but his eyes were still on the status pod in front of them.

“What is that?”

Twilight walked toward it and a small blue figure, oddly about the size of a breezie, appeared in the air over it.

“Warning, this Status Pod’s power supply is running low. Last Mana Battery is unable to support suspended status for more than half a cycle. Requesting orders from ranking house member.”

Endymion didn’t even think, “Open and release.”

“Order to open given by member of House of Endymion, no other member available to countermand order, Order accepted. Cycling down cryogenic stasis… Please wait…”

There was a long, and loud, hissing noise as the seal around the lid broke. From inside there was no sound at all for a few moments, and then there was a terrible scream. The girl inside backed out, her eyes frantic. Twilight looked at her. She was obviously one of Endymion’s kind, but her skin was a soft ebony, her hair curled raven locks, and her eyes the creamiest jade she had ever seen.

She didn’t speak but instead she huddled against the wall, looking small and frightened. She stared at Endymion a moment, her breath coming in a hyperventilated wheeze, then she glanced at Twilight and froze. Her pupils dilated to saucer plates, her skin began to sweat profusely, then she teetered backward once again, landing on the flagstone floor with a soft whimper.

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening…!” She whispered.

“Whoa,” Endymion breathed, “she is out of her mind from fright!”

Twilight nodded and started to approach the young woman, saying, “It’s okay, you’re going to be alright-”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” The Ebony Girl screamed, drawing the attention of everypony upstairs. The thunderous roar of multiple ponies pouring down the now open staircase make Twilight’s ears flatten; Endymion and the Ebony Girl held fast their ears in their palms. When Endymion’s adventuring group arrived in the lab, along with Professor Flintheart, all eyes went wide. The fully stocked lab of Jolie Maison plus one other human in the room, caused much surprise and confusion.

“What the buck-?!” Rainbow cursed sotto voce.

In the back of the lab, the Ebony Girl whimpered more loudly, her verdant eyes swishing every which way, as if scanning for an exit vector. Endymion saw this, feeling a stab of pity for this displaced woman, and knelt down to her level, making direct eye contact.

“Hello, miss,” he said, in a voice so soft,not even Fluttershy could hear it, “you must be confused, scared, after being stuck in that thing for so long. If it helps, I’ll tell you my name. I’m called Endymion Everfree. Can you tell me what your name is?”

“My- my name?” The Ebony Girl asks, as Endymion nods his confirmation, “I’m- I’m Charlie- Charlotte Ann Smith… And, I was supposed to be on a plane to Dallas from Birmingham…”

29 Where The Wild Things Are, Part One

Rune Soldier

Chapter 29: Where The Wild Things Are, Part One

It took a while to get Charlotte, or Charlie as she prefered, to calm down enough to where Lord Barrel Crusher’s knights could escort her to the castle’s infirmary. Judging from the magical analysis that Twilight ran on her, Miss Charlie was suffering from sort of hibernation sickness, which include symptoms like hypersensitivity to light and sound, vertigo, loss of depth perception (Charlie tripped over the lid of the cryogenic casket she had laid in for centuries,) and a degree of tactile sensory deprivation. She was calmed enough to move but it showed in her face that she was still on the verge of panic.

Meanwhile, Endymion stayed to study the casket. Ancient experiences, memories, or perhaps phantoms would be better, seemed to dictate his reasoning for staying there. Endymion knew what every aspect of the pod was and what it was for. He slid his hands over a panel of the pod that held a number pad. The ghostly figure that appeared earlier was following his movements, even as her visage began to dim.

“Are you okay?” He asked of the construct.

“Power levels critical-” it stated, “Current mana battery at 12%… Ancilla will fail at 5%… Transfer necessary to maintain functionality…”

Endymion looked on as the entity continued to diminish. Then he had an idea, but he needed to confirm something that the dues ex machina in his mind was giving him. Feeling around the number pad, along one side of outside bevel, he found it. There, nearly at the edge of the panel, a slot where a thin device may slide in. An ancient means of storing data, mayhaps?

“Do you have a name, little one?” He asked.

“ERROR…” The Construct said, “Memory corrupted… Core ancilla personality codex damaged… Likely resultant… from terminal fall…”

“So you don’t remember?” Endymion queried.

“Unknown… Ancilla bootstrap subroutine initialized…” Several moments passed before the entity spoke again, “Unit Eulogy Warbler 1304, online.”

“Who comes up with a name like ‘Eulogy Warbler?’” Twilight inquired, “Sounds so silly…”

“Tartarus if I know, Twiley,” Endymion replied, then to the ancilla, “Are there any limitations to where I can transfer you, Eulogy Warbler 1304?”

The ancilla’s glow faded for a moment, then it answered, “Nega- Negative. So long as… storage medium is… retrieved and-and… properly loaded into… Imperial sanctioned receptacle… this unit… will not cease… function.”

“OK,” Endymion said, placing a fingernail into the slot he found earlier, “Unit 1304, power down and prepare for safe eject.”

“OOWAH,” 1304 stated, “Powering down… Returning to storage medium…”

The ancilla retreated from the space it once occupied and the glow it emitted transferred to the slot Endymion had his finger resting on. He pushed with minimal pressure and the slot ejected a thin, translucent rectangle, roughly the size of a playing card and equally as thin. From its center, then was the verdant emission of light that Eulogy Warbler 1304 had.

“What is that?” Twilight asked, watching as Endymion retrieved his firearm from the personal pocket dimension he was now so apt in producing and recalling.

“A data crystal,” he stated, “it memory serves, ‘Fore The D’vil Knows Yer Dead has an on board computer with a data crystal slot. I’m going to install 1304 into it.”

“I’m a little confused,” Twilight said, “that card- it holds that magical construct? Not a mana gem? And you’re going to- install it- into what now?”

“Yes, yes,” Endymion rejoindered, ticking off points on his fingers, then he hefted the shotgun he found on an earlier adventure, “and this is ‘Fore The D’vil Knows Yer Dead. One of the pieces of that portable travel device recognized it when we were stowing on board Sparrow’s ship.”

While he spoke, Endymion found the spot where the on board computer of the shotgun was mounted, then he traced its surface until he found a slot similar to the one on the pod. He gently placed the data crystal to line up with that slot and slid it in; the weapon took on a green hue along the once darkened glass furniture and the digital readout changed hues from a sky blue to a jade. A faint cracking came from the shotgun, which soon became a voice.

“I like being a weapon!” Came the dulcet tones of the once failing Eulogy Warbler 1304.

“It can talk?!” Twilight gasped.

“She can talk,” Endymion replied with a grin, He then loaded a few more shells in the magazine, causing Eulogy to announce, “More Shells! Woo!”

Twilight looked at the weapon with a slight amount of distrust. She knew about guns, how they had been used in the civil dispute between the misguided individuals that worshipped Solar Flare like a goddess and the rest of Equestria. She had read about their power, but none of them actively enjoyed being used, or reloaded. They were nothing more than simple machines designed to do a specific task. The fact that this construct seemed to enjoy the fact it was bonded with a weapon worried her.

It wasn’t often, but there was cautionary tales about giving a magical construct too much leeway, allowing it to develop a personality, and even giving it some semblance of free will tended to end up in misery for the creator of the construct. She certainly didn’t want Endymion to go through the same thing.

“Endymion, are you certain it’s safe to put that construct in a place to control your weapon?”

“Safe, not sure,” Endymion answered, then he primed the shotgun; Eulogy giggled and shouted, “I AM COMBAT READY!” Then he added, “Fun, most definitely!”

“Endymion,” Twilight groaned, “giving a magical construct control over a- weapon- like that! It’s a sure fire recipe for disaster!”

“A class six ancilla with a fractured personality core?” Endymion retorted, “Please, Twilight, Eulogy isn’t nearly sophisticated enough to commandeer this shotgun. Besides, the on board computer on this thing isn’t designed to allow an artificial intelligence to completely overtake all aspects of the weapon. Eulogy would need to be class fourteen or higher to pull that off, In all honesty, a cryostasis pod like that one doesn’t have the resources to host a C14 ancilla. Besides, a class six hard tapped, can’t grow outside the boundaries of it’s primary directives. That’s why C6 AI were called ‘secretary bots.’”

Endymion then brings the shotgun up to eye level, peering through the mounted scope he attached much earlier. Eulogy announces, apropos to nothing, “I SPY WITH MY HOLOGRAPHIC EYE…”

“Oh, Endy,” Twilight sighs, “I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the plot.”

The two of them walked out of the lab, although Endymion did take notice of some of the armor that Jolie had been working on. He wasn’t sure, but it looked like Jolie had figured out how to create shadow infused armor. The aspect of that would allow the wearer to touch anything made from shadow. Which according to his mother was any creature that tended to live off of dark magic.

Obviously with Jolie gone the enchantments should be decayed to nothing, but he still felt the thrum of magic on it. He stood, closed his eyes, and he felt it. In order to make the armor to last Jolie had called up something from Tartarus, something powerful, and he bonded the armor with that being. As long as the being lived the armor thrived. He could feel it even now. It wasn’t like the memories that would come to him from nowhere. This was something that his mother and Flintheart had taught him. He could see how Twilight was reacting as well.

She finally looked toward it, her eyes focusing on the armor. Like Endymion she felt it, but she had been trying to ignore it. She was trying to ignore the siren’s song it was singing. The promise of power, the promise of absolute power in order to protect what was hers. It was there, just right there, and it wanted her to touch it. It was begging to be used, to be picked up, put on, and released. She didn’t even realize she was walking toward it. She didn’t notice how close her very hand was until Endymion stopped her.

She looked at him, and the call of the armor quieted.

“Endymion?”

He looked at the armor as well, “Twily, I think there’s a few things down here that might be a little too dangerous.”

She nodded, “Yeah… Did you hear it?”

He looked at her, “What did you hear?”

She shuffled her hoof, “It’s hard to explain. It was almost like it was singing, promising, telling me that everything I could ever want would be possible. I just had to put it on,” she shook her head, “It’s difficult to put it into words, but it sounded convincing.”

Endymion hadn’t heard it. But he had sensed the power behind it. He saw a Centaur, locked away, and the Centaur looked vicious and angry. He felt the connection between the Centaur and the armor. He felt how the armor practically shined with power. As a magi he saw the perfect beauty of what was there, but he also realized that it was here, in Jolie’s lab, for a reason.

They stepped out of the lab and the wall closed behind them. Once again it was sealed away as if it had never existed to begin with. Endymion looked at Twilight, and as he stood there he saw something else. Something that felt welcomed, but foreign. He saw the same library, sparsely filled with a few books on magic. Near him was an Earth Pony mare. She was a pale pink, her mane and tail both robin eggshell blue, and she was wearing nothing more than an open gown.

The other memories he’d seen felt as if he’d carried them, and they just woke up and crossed his mind. This felt like something was telling him a secret. He looked at the mare who giggled as a soft green aura covered her gown, opening it completely, revealing the beauty that the scant bit of cloth was hiding.

“Ya gonna make a mare of me?”

He saw the midnight blue coated hand reaching out, a hand not his own, but there it was regardless. It touched her muzzle, “That I do,” and the mare moved forward, pressing her wonderfully nude body against him, “I love you very much Berry Snaps of Clan Pickled.”

She returned the kiss and Endymion could taste fresh wine on her lips. She broke the kiss for a moment and nuzzled him.

“Ya won’t reconsider, will ya? Yer gonna go out there, aren’t ya?”

He touched her muzzle, making her look toward him, “I am, but I’m not as stupid as I was before. Berry, I’ve learned my lesson. When I go I go with your, and Sweet Kisses, Butter Pie, Bawley Apple, and Po’s love. I have faith in that, and that’s about the purest thing I know.”

“If’n that’s the case then ya better rut me propper.”

Endymion could feel the very softness of the mare he was with. She was the definition of soft and gentle. It almost felt like he was with Twilight and Pinkie Pie at the same time. The younger mare wrapped her legs around his waist. There was no doubt in his mind of what she wanted. The fiery inferno of her marehood pulled him deep into her, and he felt a slight resistance.

“Are you ready?”

The look in her eyes was determined, and not an ounce of fear was there.

“Yer a good stallion, but yer daft! ‘Course I’m ready! Yer cock is already in!”

She didn’t hesitate as she slammed down pushing him completely into her and knocking Endymion out of the memory. He felt Twilight beside him, her eyes wide with worry, and his smile brightened. She began to ask what he was doing before he grabbed her and pulled her down onto him. He kissed her deeply, taking in the sweet taste of her lips. She made to argue, for just a moment, and then his hands found her cutie marks. He gave them a gentle squeeze, and she moaned for him.

“Endy,” Twilight whined, as he began to nip at her neck, “not right now!”

The Prince stopped, looking at his bride-to-be with a hunger, and asked, “Maybe later?”

Twilight nodded, “Certainly. There’s something about these isles- the magic, the climate, the history- that is getting me all hot and bothered. First, we should see if we can defeat these wolves.”

“Right, right,” Endymion replies, a sliver of disappointment edging his voice, “Business first, then pleasure. IN that case, any clue where we can find the spell Jolie used to beat back those foul creatures? ”

“That’s what we were looking for before this little side adventure…” Twilight answers, “We haven’t quite found it yet, though. Maybe he wrote it in a journal or something?”

Looking at Twilight he was reminded of the vision, or memory, whatever it was, and he looked back at the lab. There had been talk about this, in the advanced enchantments courses, but it wasn’t an area he was that good at. Still, he remembered that some unicorns could leave imprints, memories, of what they saw through their eyes for their family line to view. Those memories might contain information about a business, some hidden personal information, or any number of things. He wasn’t sure, but as he recalled the memory only worked for those the unicorn would have considered in his, or her, family line.

He looked at the marker on the wall, his mother’s cutie mark, and he noticed the soft glow. The enchantment had to have an actual physical relay. A crystal or fossilized amber would be the go to for recording the memory and storing it. He walked toward the wall, and he looked up. What he had thought was a torch, and glowed like a torch, was actually a perfectly round ball of amber perched on a small staff. He placed his hand on the wall again and it opened. Twilight watched and he walked toward the first torch, and then the next. All of them were the same. They weren't actual torches, but instead they were glowing fossilized amber that had been placed on several small staffs. The realization hit him and he felt like an idiot. Jolie might have written it down, but he was certain that what he truly ended up doing was recording his memories directly into the amber balls.

He explained it to Twilight, who began to get as giddy as possible, and then she pointed out that there was no telling what was on each one. That obviously Endymion, or any of the ponies that actually could trace their line back to Jolie, could view them, but she couldn’t be sure what he actually recorded on each one. Endymion had a feeling he knew what was on the one near the wall. Of course there was still the issue that he had no clue how he activated it. He looked at Twilight, held her hand, and looked at the ball.

For a moment there was nothing, then suddenly he was no longer in his own body. He had to guess that this was Jolie, and that he was seeing through Jolie’s eyes. He felt the soft pink mare below him, how soft, smooth, and wonderful she was. He felt her flip them over, and he didn’t dare stop. It felt right, it felt like something that was helping. He heard hoofsteps, and he could see other mares coming down toward them. Like last time the very memory, the action, forced him out, but he wasn’t sure why.

He glanced toward Twilight and noticed how aroused she seemed. There was sweat building on her brow and her lips were trembling; her bosom was heaving slightly. The blush forming on her cheeks was deepening as he looked on. As delectable as the sight was, Endymion had other worries to contend with.

“Oh Sol, that was Jolie, I was Jolie, he was rutting… Endymion, we need to be careful looking into these memories.”

“Agreed,” Endymion said, “it’s too bad there isn’t a spell or cantrip we could use to glean the essentials of these ‘memory modules,’ that way we won’t have to peruse them one at a time.”

“Wait, there is!” Twilight beamed, “I’m surprised I didn’t think of this before!”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Twily,” Endymion implored, “what in all things bright are you talking about?”

Twilight beamed brightly as she found a piece of old parchment and some charcoal. She began writing, and Endymion looked at what she was composing.

“It’s so simple! I’ve been doing some more research inside of Stargazer’s library, and I found a spell that he wrote that would work great with one of Starswirl’s spells. Together I think that the two spells would let us sample the orbs quickly!”

She looked at him and smiled, “Stargazer had a spell to focus and scan through any kind of archive, and Starswirl had a spell that would allow a pony to view memories as a third party. I think that together those spells should work.”

To say that Twilight was excited would be so woefully under-rating what she felt. She was, for all rights and purposes, well beyond simply being excited. The air around her buzzed with her magic, the air smelled strongly of blackberries, and suddenly Endymion found himself standing with Twilight in the courtyard of the castle. He looked around to see where they were, and what exactly was going on, when a soft lavender aura surrounded himself and the orbs. Twilight’s eyes were closed, her mouth was moving, forming unheard words, and then a bolt of magic passed through him and the orbs.

He watched as the orbs took the shape of a star, similar to the same ship as the large center star in Twilight’s own cutie mark, and then a bright white light began to shine around them. That light struck out and he could see thousands upon thousands of images in front of them. Images of Jolie rutting his mares, images of his facing down the wolves for the first time and getting tore up, and hundreds, no thousands more that were all playing at the time together.

Twilight’s eyes opened and they glowed a brilliant white. Endymion knew that she was lost to the magic for a moment. Her mouth began moving faster, the unheard words coming at an alarming rate, and finally she stopped. A single orb floated away from the others. All of the other images died away, but this single orb showed Jolie as he held a necklace.

“The Wolves fear love and purity. Most of the ponies around me believe it is because of how powerful those emotions are, and to some degree, they are right, but for the wrong reasons. Our magic is the strongest when we are protecting those we love, and our magic burns hotter when paired with a symbol of purity. That is why my light spell hurt them. It is why they hide from the sun. Both are symbols of purity that burn them,” he said to the orb, “but the greatest symbol of purity I have is my herd. The love I feel for my mares, my foals, and those I care for is the purest thing I have left. That is why I crafted this necklace, and why I am putting it into the castle’s very stone work. Should the Wolves return, the castle will be safe. Yet, it isn’t the wolves that bother me. There is a creature, great and hulking, it controls the wolves, acts as their alpha, and it feeds on the very magic of any pony it comes across. It too reacts poorly toward purity, but unlike the wolves it is not easily swayed. I buried it, deep inside of a cavern. Perhaps if the fates are just it shall remain there, but I fear that is not the case. No, I fear this creature will eventually claw its way from the depths. My only hope is that one of my line, or perhaps one of my mother’s, will finish what I have started.”

Twilight’s magic flickered for a moment before she fell forward and the field holding the orbs broke. Endymion, along with the orbs, fell to the ground. He rushed toward Twilight and found her breathing normally, but it looked as though his wife to be had exhausted herself in helping him get some of the information he needed. He gathered the orbs, grateful for the pack of holding his mother had created for him, put them into it, and then he lifted Twilight into his arms. As he lifted her he could feel the dampness through her skirt. The thick smell of black berries hung in the air, and he carried his bride toward the castle proper.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash watched the Prince rush in from the courtyard, Twilight clinging to him looking drained.

“Endymion?” The apple farmer called out, “What’s wrong with Twilight?”

“She used a spell to read something left behind by Jolie Maison,” Endymion answered, “and I think I know what we gotta do to take care of these wolves.”

“Then what’s wrong with Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Magic burnout,” he replied, “she’ll be okay. A little rest, and maybe replenish lost electrolytes and she’ll be good.”

“Endy…” Twilight moaned.

“You’re gonna be okay, Twily,” Endymion said, “you need to rest up some; you used a lot of magic just now. AJ, Rainbow, Flutters, and I need to go kick some flank.”

The others of Endymion’s party nodded as Twilight was taken up by a nurse in Lord Barrel’s employ. Endymion watched as Twilight was taken by the nurse. He would have been fine with her relaying the message, but regardless he knew what had to take place now. There had been something of a hint when he first looked at one of the orbs, but there was no denying it now. The terror wolves seemed to be formed from dark magic. And true dark magic was only weak against strong harmony magic and puri

He waited until Twilight was carried up to their room to be watched over and cared for before he walked with Applejack and Rainbow. As he walked there was a feeling he hadn’t felt since leaving Three Heroes. It was the swell of Harmony Magic. It wasn’t to say that Harmony Magic didn’t exist here, but he hadn’t felt any hint of it since their arrival. Ponyville was awash in it, Canterlot hummed with it. Most nights, Endymion couldn’t get to sleep unless he could regularly determine that there was some form of Harmony magic close by.

Here in the Isles, he felt that the magic was waning or maybe even stagnant. But this swell was turning into a surge. He could practically hear the music being formed by the Harmony Magic. He could see the confused look on the native Shetlanders, but instead of being confused he simply let the magic wash over him. He felt it bubbling up inside, and soon his mouth began to open.

“When I’m out walking I strut my stuff ,” the musical words left his mouth and soon both Rainbow and Applejack joined in as more ponies began to join in. He followed the direction the music was flowing from, and he found the room they had put Charlie. She was softly singing, her sightless eyes focused on some invisible point on the wall. The song reached its end, and Endymion felt the weight the Wolves had caused to be lifted. The ponies walked with a renewed enthusiasm, something that he was afraid wouldn’t have happened for them.

“Hello?”

He neared the ebony skinned beauty. She looked toward him, unsure of who was there. In a way she felt thankful for losing her sight. It certainly made living in a world where the LSD thoughts of some deity with the vision of Ralph Bakshi a bit easier to deal with. At least with her sight gone she could pretend that it was human voices she was hearing. The blessing of losing her sight hadn’t happened all at once. No, it had taken hours. Slowly going from seeing perfectly, to slightly blurry, to everything being blurred, until finally there was nothing but blessed blackness.

Some small part of her felt terrible that she was having such a hard time accepting that this was obviously real. She wondered if maybe the airliner she was on had went down. If it did perhaps that meant that her mother was right, there was a God, and he, or she, in his, or her, infinite wisdom decided that this would be her chance to have a do over. It wasn’t fair though. She was the first of her family to go to college. The first to graduate, and hell she even graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in linguistics. She was going to take her degree, go join the Peace Corps, and help figure out translations of languages that they hadn’t been exposed to before.

That had been before that freak storm. She could remember the flight attendants telling everyone to buckle in. There was so much fear in their eyes. She remembered closing her eyes, the sound of something tearing, and then suddenly she was surrounded by dark figures that gagged her, put her into that terrible thing, and then it was quiet. It was quiet for so long. She had nothing except for her dreams, dreams and a faint voice calling out for her.

When that thing opened, she wanted to run, but her body could barely respond. At least she saw another human, before those living envisions of Ralph Bakshi walked toward her. She shivered as she heard someone walking toward her. She felt a hand, no fur, and she breathed out a held breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Thank you.”

She turned her head toward him, her eyes moving, but she was uncertain if they were looking at him or not.

“Thank me, for what?” she asked feeling a little flustered. After all, she did get a look at him, and he was cute. Well cute like a living character that Gary Gygax came up with, “I was just singing. Not really sure why I sung that song though. I mean I listened to it pretty often, but it’s not like I knew the words by heart.”

She heard his chuckle, “You didn’t have to. The magic here brought the words out, and it has helped those around you. You sparked the beginning of Harmony Magic here. It’s a rare thing, and a great thing.”

“All I did was sing a stupid song from a punk band. Are you telling me if I went all Sex Pistols in here it would have been the same?”

“Sex what now?”

Confused, Charlotte asked, “You’ve never heard of the Sex Pistols?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Endymion answered, “and given how much sex I’ve been having as of late, I’m pretty sure either Twilight or Pinkie would have put me on to it.”

Charlie looked aghast, even though blind, at Endymion, and then asked, “What about The Clash? The Ramones? The Doors? The Rolling Stones??”

“Nope, nope, nope,” Endymion replied, “and nope.”

Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration, “What bands have you heard of?”

He looked at her and rubbed his chin, “The Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, Countess Coloratura, Sapphire Shores, The Pony Formerly known as Prince, The Ponytones, and a band I listened to that drove mother crazy called Bare Naked Mares.”

Her sightless eyes moved as if to studied him for a moment, “How… Are you from here?”

He smiled, and realized that she couldn’t see it, “I’ve been here for as long as I can remember, well actually remember,” he touched her, “I take it that your world is a bit different.”

She nodded, “You could say that. For starters there’s no extras from Fritz the Cat walking around.”

“Extras from what?!” Rainbow exclaimed.

Endymion turned toward his friend, “I doubt that she meant anything by it.”

Rainbow huffed and looked away, “Sounded like some Tribalist horseapples to me.”

“You’ll forgive my friend, Rainbow Dash,” Endymion said, cutting off a rebuttal by the blind woman, “she’s a proud member of the Pegasi tribe, but an even prouder citizen of Equestria. She doesn’t take too kindly to those who still believe in ‘tribe first.’ Especially since she has friends that are Earth pony and Unicorn. And, in all honesty, neither she nor I or any of our companions have the slightest inkling what you’re referencing.”

Charlotte sighed, adding in an undertone, “This is going to be one long ass day…”

“Not that Ah get what yer talkin’ ‘bout, sugarcube,” AJ said, “but what’s the length of a donkey got to do with ennythin’?”

Charlie sighed even deeper this time and stated, “Correction: This is going to be a super long ass day…”

“Yeah, I still don’t get it,” Rainbow Dash affirmed.

“I don’t think she’s talking about mules or donkeys, girls,” Endymion explained, “I think she’s relating that today will be very frustrating for her.”

“EXACTLY!” Charlie exclaimed.

Charlie scrunched her face up. There was a human, and he couldn’t relate to her. She read tons of literature, mostly for the required American and English lit classes, but one thing she always argued with was the notion that someone could be isolated with another human. That surely the simple fact they were human would be enough. Instead it looked like Daniel Defoe, and Robert Louis Stevenson were right.

This man, as kind as he seemed, might as well be an alien. Maybe he was, or then again, if her mother was right, maybe he was from a different era and they were both stuck in some weird sort of purgatory. She closed her eyes and whimpered. If that was the case, if God was real and this was a test, then she really, really, really wished that she wouldn’t had done some of the stuff she did. Sure, James had been cute, and sleeping with him, well fucking him, had been fun, but it had been harmless, right?

“There is much my friends and I have to do, but again, thank you.”

“Don’t go, please.”

She hated herself for this. She was a strong woman damnit! She was someone that pulled themselves up from poverty, went to college, got a great job, didn’t end up pregnant, or selling her ass, or working in a strip club, or a hundred things like she was sure some of her old friends had done. She made something of herself. She had the determination, the dedication, and the drive to do it. She hadn’t needed anyone else, but now, now she wanted this man she didn’t know to stay with her.

She was acting like one of those cookie cutter girls that was in those dime romance novels. She hated this. She hated feeling so scared, so uncertain, and she hated that she was putting her feeling of acceptance and understanding in the hands of a man she didn’t even know. She felt his hand, gentle and warm, touch her cheek.

“I have to. I’ve got to protect the ponies here, but take this,” he said as he placed something around her neck.

She felt it, and it felt like a smooth stone shaped in a crescent moon.

“That is my mother’s mark, and my royal pendant. I will return to reclaim it, but while I am protecting these ponies I believe it will bring you some peace.”

She felt him get up, heard him leave, but her mind focused on one thought.

He’s a Goddamned prince?!

30 Where The Wild Things Are, Part Two

The Sun had set some time ago, the field just outside of the capital of the isle of Goats was eerily quiet, but that changed in mere moments. The first howl was enough to send shivers down Endymion’s spine. He looked in the direction of the howl, but there was no movement, all that was there was dark, intense, unrelenting dark. Dark that was making the night darker, dark that was devouring everything.

“They’re comin’! Get ready lads! Let’s show these wee pups the way to Tartarus!”

He had his sword, strapped to his back, his wand in his hand, and before he could say a word he felt something slam into him. It took total form, a nightmarish wolf made of smoke, dark magic, and some kind of spirit corrupting spell. Before he could say a word a bolt of energy drove the wolf off of him. He looked to see Professor Flintheart, but the older stallion didn’t have a face of worry. No, there was a hardened face of a trained warrior prepared to protect what he considered precious.

“Do not let your guard down,” he said, “I may not be there to pull out of the wolf’s mouth next time.”

“Ha! Can’t get me can you?! You bunch of daft cunts!” Rainbow shouted from above, “Here! Have a Dagger! Have three!”

There was no sound of pain, no howling anguish, only the howling hunger of the wolves. Endymion prepared a light spell, and for the first time there was pained yelping coming from the wolves themselves. Endymion almost expected them to retreat, but instead they came, full force, directly toward what had hurt them. They weren’t animals in the traditional sense, but deep down the terror wolves were still wolves. Instinct had taken over them, and instead of fleeing they were converging on the enemy that had wounded some of their own.

Fear filled his mind, despite the measures he had taken it gripped him, making him unable to cast a brighter light, and he felt the first bite as it grabbed his arm, wrenching his wand from his hand. Another latched onto his leg, his side found two, and he let loose a scream of pain. A scream that answered by a furious yell. The wolves were grabbed, physically grabbed, by Professor Flintheart. His body was easily thrice the size it had been, and his hands were glowing.

The wolves yelped in pain before he silenced them by ripping them in half, “Mr. Everfree! I trained you! Get UP AND PROVE THAT YOU CAN DO THIS! IF YOU’RE AN ADVENTURER THEN ACT LIKE IT!” Flintheart yelled as he tore through the wolves. Endymion stood, deep bites in his right arm, leg, and left side were bleeding freely, but his eyes were glowing. There was no reaching for the wand. His hand grabbed the sword, holding it high, and he looked at the damned wolves.

“Soliris” he said.

The sword turned bright, a mini sun, causing the wolves to attempt scramble away, something that Barrel Crusher, his guards, and the two native Shetland Unicorns refused to let happen. They were pulled back into the light, their bodies became solid, and they yelped in agony before the others silenced them. Shortly after Endymion collapsed. Flintheart neared him, and then grabbed his chest. The blackcloak was powerful. In truth he was certainly one of the most powerful Unicorns in all of Equestria, but his body was aging.

The spell he used, the same Jolie had perfected a couple of centuries before had strained him well beyond the breaking point. It had been a gamble he was willing to take for one of his students, and specifically for a student that showed so much potential. The both of them were gathered, Light spells were cast, and the group moved back to the castle. Once inside the two were taken directly to a stone room that had three tables on it. Endymion was laid down on his back, his pants and shirt cut from him.

“Lad, yer gonna hate me. Ta be honest, this is gonna hurt like nopony’s business, but it’s gotta be done.”

Endymion’s head was swimming, blood loss and pain made it hard to focus, “Wha… Where’s Professor Flintheart?”

“He’s bein’ see ta. Cracked horn lad, that crazy sod was ta old ta cast Jolie’s spell. Figure he must love ya like a son. Only thing makes sense ‘bout it,” Barrel Crusher said, “Get those irons over here!”

“Lad, think of yer mares,” he said before he looked away at some of his guards, “Let’s hope his magic is all used up fer now.”

Pain, burning intense pain tore through Endymion as he felt hands holding him down. He howled as the pain pulled away only to touch his leg, then his side. He sobbed as the hands finally let go, his legs pulled up to his chest, and once more he felt a hand on his shoulder, “It’s alright lad. We all been there.”

Applejack stood back, along with Rainbow Dash, and the both of them felt worried and relieved at the same time. It could have easily been either of them that could have ended up in the shape Endymion found himself. As it was Applejack suffered a single bite, one that she used some bandages on. Rainbow herself was completely untouched, or she was for the moment. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be the pony to tell Pinkie Pie that her husband got mauled by smoke wolves or whatever they were.

“AJ, Charm got some healing potions?”

She nodded, “Eeeyup, figure that Ah’m gonna as him ta come down here and use ‘em on Endymion and Flintheart.”

Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, “Good, maybe Pinkie won’t be too upset then.”

The sound of hooves caught the two adventurers attention. They looked up to see the very object of the conversation. Pinkie looked worried, her hair a little deflated, at least until she stepped past them to see her special somepony, her husband hugging his legs to his chest. Her hair went completely flat, her beautiful blue eyes narrowed, and she walked toward him. The next thing Endymion knew there was a body behind his, soft, pleasant, and warm. It was comforting, and confining.

“Who hurt my stallion?!”

No one answered.

“I Pinkie Promise, I SUPER Pinkie Promise, that if nopony answers me then everypony that isn’t hurt on these tables is going to get my hoof up their tailhole until it comes out of their mouths! WHO HURT MY STALLION?!”

For several long seconds nopony said a word. Finally, a large barrel chested Pegasus Stallion stepped toward her.

“I had ta lassie. The damnable wolves tore inta ‘im. If’n I hadn’t sealed ‘is wounds he’d bled out by now.”

Barrel Crusher was a stallion that had seen battle. Here on the Shetlands it was something that was usually guaranteed. The wolves, and whatever the other thing was that controlled them was a little different, but not so different that it was beyond him. There was the normal dangers, the wild creatures that fed on ponies, the Sirens that lived on the small isles just beyond the line of sight on the shore lines, and of course the red caps. Most of those things stuck to the isles no pony lived on, so Barrel Crusher had a live and let live relationship with them, but this moment was something he never expected.

Somehow that pink mare was up, she stood ramrod straight, and she marched over to him. Being a Pegasus he’d heard of Earth Pony strength before, and like most Pegasi he understood that he held the advantage of being able to fly away. Strength meant precious little if the Earth Pony couldn’t catch the pony she meant to beat some sense into. The problem was that Barrel Crusher was in an enclosed place, with a low ceiling, and he was facing an angry pink Earth Pony Mare.

She snarled at him, a sound and look that were both foreign on the normally happy and hyperactive mare. Her fists were balled tightly, and before he could say a word he felt the first strike. It was almost as if someone had grabbed an anvil, rared back, and followed through with a solid strike to his muzzle. He glared at her.

“Lassie, what I did saved yer stallion!”

She glared at him, moving protectively toward her mate, settling down beside him, and never taking her eyes off of Barrel Crusher. She pulled Endymion into an embrace, and she held him. Applejack saw something she wasn’t ever sure she’d ever see. She had just seen Pinkie Pie give a pony a swat in the proper Earth Pony way. It was meant to be a corrective swat, but she put more power behind it. Swats like that were meant for something big, something so incredibly stupid that the only way to teach better was to give an extra hard nudge. It simply meant stop being an idiot.

Beside her Rainbow Dash looked at her friend and wondered exactly when it was that Pinkie Pie became so protective. In truth it reminded her a bit of some Pegasus mares. In some ways it reminded her of her own mother. Wind Whistler was a proud Pegasus, but she was also exceptionally loyal and protective over those she loved and cherished. She’d seen her lay a much larger Lunar Pegasus low because the stallion picked a fight with her father. One thing she learned about her mother was that she didn’t fight fair.

Pinkie’s actions were similar to her own mother’s, and she wondered if maybe there was some Pegasus in Pinkie’s family line. Slowly there was the sound of more hooves, and the two mares saw a third coming down the hall. She looked tired, drained, and not at all well rested. Endymion had said she suffered from magical burnout, but seeing it first hand was different than just hearing about it. Twilight’s ears lowered, nearly pinning themselves against her head as she looked in on Endymion.

Slowly Twilight moved forward, she touched Endymion, and then she looked at Pinkie. as a Unicorn she was used to words being used to convey thoughts. Slowly Pinkie had been teaching her the wordless language used between Earth Ponies. It was one that conveyed an entire letter’s worth of words into a few simple gestures. Right now Pinkie was telling her that Endymion was hurt, she was protecting him, and she expected her to help. Slowly she crawled up behind him, pulling herself up against him, and feeling the terrible warmth of the burns that had been caused in order to close the wounds, and of course the burn caused by his own massive light spell.

It was all she could do to keep from weeping. The pain Endymion was in came through his raspy sobs, and the sounds of them shook Twilight to her core. Part of her wanted to gather them all on Captain Sparrow’s ship, leave, and never set foot here again. But she knew that Endymion wouldn’t want that. Despite being in pain he wanted to protect the ponies here. He wanted to ensure their survival, and she understood all too well that meant facing the wolves again.

Outside of the door, Fluttershy stood. Her wings stood out defensively, her entire posture spoke of anger and barely contained rage. She was torn between joining her herd mates and letting loose the fury she was feeling for the injuries her stallion had endured. She finally stepped forward, moving toward the table, stopping near where Pinkie and Twilight were comforting and protecting the stallion she considered her champion. She stood hovering over Endymion’s form. The blood coursing through her head was making cogent thought difficult to achieve. Every part of her wanted to rend Barrel Crusher limb from limb if she couldn’t conjure a decent enough jinx to singe every inch of his coat. She wanted, very badly, to break every one of his pasterns so he would need to crawl every he went for a great while. It took all of her training as a Sol Priestess not to do so.

Over the hours that followed Endymion found himself in a room that was simple by nature. The stone walls were covered with some tapestries, most of which seemed to dedicated to his mother. The bed, if one could call it that, was again a simple thing. It was firm, slightly lumpy, and appeared to be the color of granite. The sheets were the same, and a faint stench rose from the fireplace. He tried to move and found that his legs both hurt terribly. Slowly he got to a sitting position. He looked toward the fireplace and saw a compressed peat moss bail burning within it.

He remembered something from Jolie’s memories, peat moss was commonly used to heat most homes since it was so readily available. The room looked familiar, and then he placed it. This was Jolie’s room, the very place he lived out the rest of his life with his herd. That meant that all of the furniture in the room had been created through Jolie’s magic. He could only assume that Jolie had used boulders to create the small creature comforts he had here. Professor Flintheart would have said that despite being a national hero Jolie was a Unicorn, and as a Unicorn he would not be without the comforts he was used to.

“Endy?”

He looked at Twilight who was studying his face. A soft smile crossed his lips and leaned toward her only to find that his skin felt painfully tight. He stopped and soon he felt her leaning against him. She gently kissed his cheek. There was no rush to express their love through a physical bound. It wasn’t that Twilight didn’t want to show Endymion how much he meant to her, but rather it was because she didn’t want to make him hurt even more.

“I’ll be okay,” he felt her lean against him, and he realized how likely it was that everything could have ended. Being with Twilight and Pinkie, adventuring, speaking to his mother, and a thousand other things could have ended in a single moment. Instead he found the inner strength he needed to come back to his wives. He realized that Jolie had been right.

“For someone so accomplished, you’d think that Jolie could have crafted a mattress that was softer than this.”

Twilight smiled, “It was the work of a trans-modification spell, and given what he most likely had to work with, I’d say he did fine.”

The bed shifted slightly, and Endymion felt a soft body beside his other side. Arms gently covered him, large soft breasts pressed against him, and he could feel the warm breath from another pony beside him. Soft lips found his cheek.

“You scared me,” Pinkie whispered.

It was odd because it didn’t quite sound like her. Normally his bride was full of mirth, energy, and bound up joy, but this time her voice sounded tired and frightened. He slowly turned his head and noticed that her mane was nearly flat. He kissed her, feeling her melting into the kiss, and feeling her squeeze him a little.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought that I understood what needed to be done, but I was wrong. Whatever those wolves are, they are generating fear, and it nearly cost me my life,” he said as he was hugged by both of them closely, “If it hadn’t been for Flintheart I think that I would have died. We’ve got to find someway to combat the fear.”

“You’re sounding surprisingly clear headed given what happened.”

He looked toward Fluttershy who stood off to the side. Part of him wanted to make her leave. In truth Endymion, nor Fluttershy, understood that what she had done would cause him to have trust issues outside of those closest to him for years to come. Her actions had carved a new line of neurosis which would plague him with every consideration of making a new friend. Such was the lasting effects of being enthralled and violated with no will to combat it.

Still There was another part of Endymion that didn’t simply want to send her out and on her way. Another part wanted to feel alive, to surround himself with life, to feel the warmth of bodies, to hear the giggling of the mares he loved, to hear the sounds of flesh slapping, and to smell the wonderful aroma that accompanied rutting like there was no tomorrow. He wanted to drink strong ale, or mead, to eat something hot, and engage in all manner of activities that simply went with being alive.

But regardless of his want and need there was the fact that his entire body ached beyond what he had felt before. He glanced down at his legs and he realized that the wolves had not merely bitten him, but rather they had taken chunks of muscle and skin with them. His arm, his right arm, it felt off. Gently he moved, and Twilight let him move his arm toward him. He had assumed that the wolves that bit his arm had merely bit down, but now looking at his arm he saw that his hand was missing fingers, and actually part of the hand itself was gone.

What was left was scarred and puckered flesh that still looked angry from being burnt together. He felt the arms of Pinkie tightening on him.

“It doesn’t matter to me Endy,” she said in a whisper, “You’re alive, and that’s all that I care about. I’m just glad that I get to keep you.”

Seeing Fluttershy standing there, waiting, not daring to get any closer, but at the same time wishing beyond hope that she would be invited into this intimate moment Twilight sighed. Fluttershy was one of her best friends. At the same time she’d hurt Endymion terribly. She couldn’t quite understand all of it, but she did realize that what Fluttershy had done went against everything she believed in using magic on another pony.

She glanced at Endymion and saw no hate or malice in his eyes. He was certainly distrustful, and for good reason, but there was no hate there. Seeing that she gently nudged him. He glanced at her, then back at Fluttershy, and finally he nodded. The Priestess moved silently toward him; she didn’t disrobe, but instead she took a seat near his side, her wing stretching out, covering his back.

“Endy, You need something physical to take with you.”

He looked at Twilight who seemed to be focused, “That’s what Jolie had done. He took a physical representation of the love he had for his brides. You need to do the same.”

He nodded, and then looked at the bits missing from him, “Yes, but I want more than that. I need something to protect me. Something that will keep the wolves from getting inside. Something that won’t let them get through my defenses.”

Pinkie kissed his neck, “Mama always said the simplest answer was usually the best. So why not make some armor?”

The answer was simple enough. Armor would be a benefit, especially if he could manage to enchant it. He needed to make it capable of keeping the wolves out, and at the same time he needed to ensure that he would be protected from the fear that was leaching energy from every single pony on these islands. He already knew that Professor Flintheart would most likely be unable to help. A cracked horn took time to recover from.

That was time that he understood that these ponies didn’t have. Still, when he went to move he hurt. His entire body felt tight. He could feel the burns, the bites, but somehow his mind was sharp. He seemed more focused than he had been before. Perhaps that was do to nearly dying. He recalled some of Jolie’s memories stating that the pathway to finishing the task had come to in a moment of clarity after the wolves’ attack that had nearly taken him. It would only make sense that facing a near death experience would allow somepony to see things a bit clearer than before.

Since enchanting and making armor seemed to be the most obvious answer he knew the next steps. Study, something he wasn’t often known for, and finding a decent blacksmith. The second part seemed far easier. Being as rural and out of way as the Shetland Isles were he was fairly certain that he could find a blacksmith. Part of him wondered if perhaps Barrel Crusher had one stationed inside of the castle itself. It would certainly make some serious sense if he did.

It was a place to start, if nothing else. With each step he found himself in more and more pain. It felt as if his very skin was going to rip open where Barrel Crusher had cauterized it. His movement, and pain, gained the attention of his bride, and soon he felt himself leaning on her as she helped him. He almost said something until he saw the concern in her blue eyes. Almost as if she had read his mind they left the room, and somehow Pinkie seemed to know the layout of the castle itself. A walk that couldn’t have been more than a few minutes seemed to take hours, but in the end he looking at an Earth Pony that dwarfed even Big MacIntosh.

The Earth Pony was working on a Forge, obviously making weapons when he saw the two enter. He stopped for a moment, placing his large hammer on the ground, and then looked questioningly at them. His eyes roamed the mangled and maimed human, trying to discern just what he was looking at. Then his attention was drawn to Pinkie Pie, where his gaze was more lascivious. The blacksmith roved over the salmon colored mare, going up, then down, then up again, before he spoke.

“Aye, ennythin’ we cen do for ya, lass?”

“It’s not for me,” Pinkie stated, with more force and authority than anypony had ever heard her use, “it’s for him.”

“Wha? That runt o’ a min’taur??” The blacksmith said, “Dunno why ya’d wanna. He’s lookin’ rather mangey as o’ late…”

“Now you listen here, Bucko,” Pinkie growled, producing a dagger from her mane and jabbing it under the blacksmith’s jaw, “we didn’t come here for your sass or your prejudices. We need some armor, for our stallion, and if you aren’t willing to make it, then we can take our business elsewhere. Of course, that will be after we teach you some manners.”

“Calm yerself lass. Ah wouldna turn away a customer, and especially one Barrel Crusher had set with him in court. Dunne think I’d have his lass tryin’ ta teach me ta watch ma tongue. Now, fer armor Ah can make sturdy armor, but Lad, ya gonna be able to actually wear it?”

“If I have to prop myself up with winches and crutches,” Endymion wheezed, “I’ll manage.”

“And he won’t be alone,” spoke Twilight bringing up the rear, “he’ll have his mares with him. Am I right, Pinkie?”

Said mare nodded, still keeping the dagger point stuck in the jaw of the blacksmith, but easing the pressure a little, “Faust right, we are!”

“Um, excuse me?” Fluttershy said softly, “If it’s not too much trouble, could I- Could I come, too? I know I’ve caused no small end of trouble but- It wouldn’t be right if we let The Prince go against those- things a second time without all us there to assist? Right?”

Pinkie and Twilight glared daggers at the Solar Priestess; the timid Pegasus shied away from their gaze as much as she could behind the curtain of her mane. Even so, she saw a look cross over Endymion’s face, one that spoke of admiration, of questioning. She thought that maybe he was going to reject the offer, knowing how his two legitimate brides felt about the herd wrecking mare. Then his visage softened as he spoke.

“Twilight, Pinkie, there will be time enough for recriminations later. If she’s willing to lend a hand, then far it be for me to refuse it. Faust only knows I need all the help I can get. Zacherle save us if we fail…”

“Wowie-zowie, Endy,” Pinkie breathed, “you not only invoked The Goddess, you invoked The Über Goddess!”

“I didn’t know anypony still believed in The Zacherle…” Twilight awed.

“Mother told me about Her,” Endymion said, “she told me that she and Aunt Tia saw her once, in The Long Ago. The Zacherle was the one that gave them their names, foretold told them of their purpose.”

“So it’s all true?” Fluttershy asked.

Endymion nodded, adding, “Yea, verily, and The Faust is real as well. I’ve seen her, with my own two eyes…”

Pinkie wasn’t the only one that felt the sadness that passed over Endymion’s frame when he said that. She was the one closest enough to offer him a hug, though.

“Can we just get to forging some armor, please?” The Prince croaked, “Talking about The Faust is- hard for me.”

“Aye, lad, aye,” the blacksmith said, looking upon the most unusual herd his eyes had ever laid upon, “let me get me tools t’gether and we can fix ye right up,” then in a whisper, “S’pris’d he didn’t invoke Th’ Meghan, either…”

The Blacksmith was a true master if his craft, and that was obvious as he began the work on the first of the plates for the armor. It wasn’t at all what any of them would have expected. It was lighter than Endymion imagined, but when he felt it he could feel something different about it. It felt stronger than it had any right to be. And unlike the guard armor he’d seen for most of his The blacksmith wiped his brow and Endymion noticed the small horn. The smith was a Unicorn, and it was obvious that he was enchanting the armor plates with his own magic. It was something that Endymion had planned to do himself, but there was more than that. The wolves were creatures of shadow, and he planned on infusing the armor with shadow. It was magic that few were privileged enough to know, and his saving grace was that his mother had shown him how to remove shadow and work with it. It had to be living shadow, shadow created by a being of shadow, and that meant finding a lunar pegasus. He wished that Stella was here. There was no question that she would willingly allow him to draw some of her essence from her being and place it into the armor. She might view it as being able to kick the wolves arses herself in some fashion.

Unfortunately she was home, and that a couple of lunar pegasi that he’d seen here. One of which was a guard for the castle. The mare was grizzled, obviously she had been tested and she had more than proved her worth. He hoped that she would be willing, because the other option was a young filly, and he felt wrong asking a young filly to do something that would be basically like removing a bit of her life essence, but if there was no other way he’d end up doing it. The other thing he considered was even trickier. It was something he’d need to talk to Rarity about. He knew about self repairing enchantments, but he didn’t know any that would do what he wanted to do. He needed to cast an enchantment that would cause the metal to bend back into shape, that would keep it from breaking, and that meant somepony that worked with those kinds of enchantments all of the time.

He was thankful she was with them. If she was willing then it would be far easier. Of course he figured that she would be willing to do so. That left the last part that he would have to do completely on his own. He needed to cast a feather light cantrip, a self propelled, Magical hardness, and possibly a strength enhancement series of enchantments on the armor. It would mean delicate layering, and he could only pray that he could get it right. Professor Flintheart had shown him before how to do it, but his magic wasn’t known for being delicate. Still, it was better than the alternative.

He watched as the smith began making the armor in earnest, and as he worked Endymion wished that either Professor Flintheart was here or Twilight wasn’t still recovering from her burnout so she was able to help him with what he planned on doing next. Hours began to pass, and after explaining what he planned to do to both Applejack and Dash he found that the two of them agreed to go and get Rarity for him. When they returned he was surprised to see Rarity and Trixie. They explained that they had spoken with Princess Celestia, but she was currently with Professor Flintheart. she wouldn’t leave him, but she instead suggested Ms. Lulamoon because of her being a blackcoat. Trixie studied the armor, and she looked at Endymion. She had learned what was planned from both Applejack and Dash, and she understood how difficult what Endymion was planning on doing would be.

Endymion studied Trixie for a moment before the Azure mare grinned, “The Great and Powerful Trixie will help cast these enchantments!”

He groaned, knowing that there was every chance Trixie wouldn’t know how to cast the enchantments he needed to cast. Then again if she could actually help he could deal with her boasting. It would be a small price to pay. He looked at her, grabbed his wand, and together they began. First he began with the first layer, giving the armor an unnatural hardness that would break most weapons that struck it. To his surprise Trixie cast a Kinetic repel enchantment. He knew the spell, and as a defensive one it was actually quite powerful. He then attempted to layer a feather weight cantrip, and finally she cast the self propelling enchantment, but he noticed that she gave it the command to obey the wearer’s movements and orders. It was something he had forgotten. When they were finished both of them looked exhausted.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie needs to be fed, and sleep… she said as she managed to continue to stand.

“Trixie, I must admit that you are more skilled than I gave you credit for,” Rarity stated as she moved toward the armor. Her self repairing enchantment was as flawless and beautiful as herself. She smiled, and then wove another small enchantment. Endymion didn’t realize it, but the enchantment she wove as well would allow the cutie marks of those closest to him to appear on the shoulders of the armor. As she finished Trixie looked at the armor, moved forward, and her horn glowed as she cast a final enchantment. Endymion knew this well enough. It was an illusion, and specifically it would make those facing the suit of armor as an enemy see a giant dragon there before them.

The group, and the blacksmith, moved the armor from the Smith’s shop to the library in the castle. On the way Endymion spoke to the lunar pegasus. She nodded, followed, and offered to allow him to take a small snip of her shadow essence. Once he did he infused the armor with it turning it into a dark as midnight suit of armor. It seemed to blend in with the shadows of the room perfectly. And of course he found himself starving. Pinkie, being the loving mare she was kissed his cheek and moved on ahead to the Kitchens.

31 Twilight Princess

Rune Soldier

Chapter 31: Twilight Princess

The entire isle seemed to be abuzz about the fight with the wolves. The fact the Equestrian Prince had risked his life, and came back, was proof enough that the winds were changing. Like with the revival of harmony magic, it brought a new send of peace.

There was work to do, but Endymion had started something grand. He started the spark that would become hope. As the various ponies went about their tasks a lone human was attempting to adjust to a world engulfed in total darkness. She touched the bed, and silently she began to attempt to understand if she had gone mad at some point.

The atmosphere of the Isle of Goats had changed. Ponies seemed less wary, there was still work to be done, but nopony seemed to be watching over their shoulder at whatever may attack. That night, thanks to the cooks of the castle and Pinkie Pie, there was a large feast.

Twilight enjoyed the feeling, but there was something calling to her. She ignored it as best as she could, but she could feel it regardless. It almost felt like the armor that had been down in Jolie's lab, but it was different. It seemed focused, and it seemed determined to be at the forefront of her attention. She looked to Rarity and noticed that her friend seemed distracted as well. It was slow, but she watched as Rarity's eyes began to change color. A sickly green fog began to waft up from the corner of her eyes, and her eyes themselves became green with red irises.

Rarity stood, whatever had been trying to get to her, and her mouth opened.

"Fools! You celebrate your doom! The other pony only managed to trap me, and I will not fall for such again! I will feast upon your fears! I will swallow your very souls, and nothing, nothing you can do will stop me!"

Spike rushed toward her, "Rarity, fight it!"

Her head turned toward him, "Foolish Drake! Her soul is mine, and I've made her my vessel! I've tasted all she has to offer, and she will not be freed!"

Twilight closed her eyes thinking desperately of something, anything that would help, and suddenly it came to her. An unfinished spell from Star Swirl the Bearded. The spell was one that allowed a pony to briefly swap bodies, or destinies with another pony. It was a long shot, but she had to try. She focused on the spell, gathered her magic, and then thought of Rarity. What she saw wasn't just Rarity, but instead her friend was inside of a cage. The being standing there looked to be a pony, but it looked half rotted. It snarled at her, and she looked at it.

"Give me back my friend."

It laughed, making her realise it had been a mare.

"Fool, I shall have two of you..."

It didn't finish. Twilight unloaded every bit of Harmony magic she had on it. The rotting mare screamed in agony, and a moment later Twilight opened her eyes to see Rarity crying and clutching Spike. As Twilight stood there she felt power covering her. She groaned as it poured through her, covering her and then it engulfed her in a brilliant light. It felt as if she had caught fire, and when it was over she stood nude on wobbly legs. Endymion caught her, despite his body's protest, and slowly lowered her to the ground. He couldn't stop looking at the mare he considered his wife. She had ascended to being an Alicorn.

The entire room became a buzz of excitement at the fact that a Princess was formed in the Shetlands. It meant that they were no longer merely a nation outside of Equestria, but for them to have a Princess meant that they were now a force of their own. The closest that they had ever came to having a princess was when there was an idea of an alliance, long, long ago, and it would have meant Princess Luna marrying one of the very first Barons of the Shetland Isles. Barrel Crusher had learned of the ancient Baron, his anger, and how he handled his brides. It was best that the marriage never happened.

If it would have, he had no doubt that Barrel Crusher would have attempted to ruin Luna, and in doing so he would have ruined any chance of the Isles ever becoming more than a place where the damned lived. He saw this as exactly what it was. This was the start of a new nation, a place where his ponies could be ruled by a princess, and a place where they would know peace. Endymion was a key to that, and he understood it. He grasped how much the Crown Princess of Equestria meant to their new princess, being that she was to be his wife. He grinned, That was something he could help with.

He understood that they would need their own wedding, back in Equestria, but he could marry them here, and ensure that the three of them were happy. Whatever had attempted to attack the visitors had grossly misjudged their new Princess. He did what was expected, and soon others followed suit. Twilight watched as dozens of ponies went to their knees. It wasn’t a sign of fear, but rather one of deep respect. She sighed, not one that enjoyed the idea of others serving her. Granted, she was of nobility, but her noble house was a lower noble house. In truth her mother and father were barely in the Noble Court, and even then their vote was often countered by the older noble houses.

She’d heard her mother ranting about Gleaming Bit and his wife Posh Propers doing everything they could to keep the current healthcare system from being updated. They were the reason why so many of the healing tonics from Zebrifica had been outlawed. Instead healing was done either by unicorn magic, or various healing potions that were regulated by the nobility. Those that could make their own potions did so, but they also knew that they couldn’t give them out. Making a potion for yourself was still legal, but the moment it was given away to a friend then you were practicing medicine without a licence, and as such you were sentenced to whatever the punishment was that week.

She’d heard stories, horrible ones, and she knew that her mother, father, and at one time Fancy Pants did quite a bit on attempting to keep the health care system a little more fair for the common pony. Something had happened to Fancy Pants, she knew that, and she knew that Endymion had told her about it. She sighed, looking at everypony bowing, and cleared her throat.

“Please, do not bow to me,” she said, “I get that something happened, but I’m still Twilight.”

Barrel Crusher nodded, “True that lass, but m’re to the point, yer a Princess, and that means that yer the Princess of the Isles,” he said, “I dunne wish ta scare ya, but ye got a wee bit of work ahead of ye.”

She sighed, and checked on Rarity who looked dazed. Beside her she saw Spike, and her adoptive son had grown. His draconian nature had caused a growth spurt, and now he was easily as tall as Endymion. In truth he was broad shouldered, and looked to have lean muscle. It almost seemed as if he had grown ten years in ten seconds. He held Rarity, his eyes glowing green, and what she saw there wasn’t malice, but a very protective glare.

“Spike, may I check to make sure that Rarity is okay, and that none of that magic is still inside of her?” Twilight asked.

He tenderly lifted Rarity, who was cooed slightly at being lifted so easily, and then he laid her on the table. Twilight’s horn glowed, and she found no remaining magic that had attempted to corrupt one of her oldest friends. She looked at Spike, and gave a soft smile, “She’s fine, although she seems a little dazed,” she said, “Perhaps you should take her to our room, and put her to bed.” Spike nodded, and lifted her easily enough. He walked with Rarity, never once did he drop or shift her uncomfortably. It was going to be odd, but she had a feeling that the two of them would end up being more than friends.

She cared, deeply, for Rarity, but she knew that her friend had a massive royalty fetish. The fact that Spike was her son, and there was no doubt in that. There were times she wasn’t sure how to treat him, but she had always tried to be good to him. Her mom had helped raise him most of the time, but when she became a teenager she really started raising him most of the time. It was hard work, dealing with a young dragon, and at the same time dealing with her school.

She understood that it wasn’t like a pet. Spike was more than that, and at times she almost used him simply as an assistant, but that had changed. Granted, he still had to shelve books, but that was because it was one of his chores. Now, she knew that her son would undoubtedly end up bedding one of her best friends, and the dynamic between her and Rarity, and Rarity and Spike was going to change.

She also understood that she couldn’t dwell on it. Sure, it was something that bothered her. But on the list of things that needed to be looked at, dealt with, and prepared for it was exceptionally low on the list. She looked at everyone around her, and she noticed that it was only her friends that weren't bowing. Of course she did notice that they were seemingly confused, and with good reason. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had changed. Things had changed. Being the Princess of the Shetland Isles meant that she was now over a nation. It wasn’t Equestria, but she was an Equestrian Citizen.

She felt confused as to what it actually meant. On top of that there was some kind of dark power at work here. The magic felt wrong, almost as if it had taken harmony magic and corrupted it. That was the other part of it. The magic had felt like it came from multiple sources, but all of them joined together under a single mage. Professor Flintheart had taught them about a single dark sorcerer that had done something similar long ago.

It had been Grogar the Terrible. The ancient Ram had faced Luna, and she had managed to beat him. What Professor Flintheart had said was that Grogar had managed to use the magic of the enslaved dead he’d raised. He used their combined magic to surpass that of Princess Luna, and it was only through Luna’s own brilliant tactic that she was able to bring him down. In her case Luna had led Grogar to the point where there was the largest wellspring of magic in all of Equestria. She then focused that magic into Harmony magic and used it against the ram.

If whatever was here had done the same thing then they could be in some serious trouble. She moved toward Endymion who took her into his arms. He was still recovering, still hurt, but he held her as she shivered. She was frightened, not of what might be out there, but of the massive change that was taking place. It was Endymion’s place to defeat whatever this thing was, she understood that. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to, but the moment she cleared Rarity of the corruption, and the moment her magic forced it back, she understood.

Endymion’s own potential, his true power, was every bit the wellspring that Luna had used. He was practically a walking nexus of the magical powers, and because he could tap into Harmony magic that made him the most suitable. She wanted to keep him safe, never allow him to go out again, but she knew that it was wrong to do so. It was wrong because there were too many ponies suffering here, and it was wrong because he had a way to save them. It was wrong and there was no way that they could stand back to just let it happen.

Dinner, such as it was, was finished, and everyone soon found themselves upstairs. The room they had been given was large and expansive, although it certainly made things interesting for those who were far more active romantically. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both watched Twilight, almost as if they expected something else to happen. She understood their confusion. After all, she just grew a pair of wings, and on top of that she felt more power available to her than she ever had before.

Pinkie Pie was too busy trying to console her, Endymion, and keep an eye on Fluttershy. It was odd, but she understood her pink sisterwife more now. She understood some of what it was like for Pinkie to see things that would be difficult, if not impossible, for her to explain. For Twilight she had basically seen what looked like thousands of alternate futures. Each of them as real and existing as the others. All of it happened in a blink of an eye, and all of it was real. She understood that this was always the plan for her. She saw a future where she unlocked the ascension to Alicorn by finishing a spell that Starswirl himself had started ages ago.

She saw another future where her ascension was created by her losing herself to the lusts and wants of a dark force creating a terrible being called Midnight Sparkle. There was yet another future where her ascension came because all of the magic, of every unicorn, was focused through her in an attempt to stop a horrible creature that devoured the souls of the living. Each time it had been because amazing things had caused the ascension, and it was no different here. Here she had her ascension because she faced something dark, and powerful like Grogar, from what she could tell, and she had beat it back using the power of friendship and Harmony.

That power had caused her to reach far further than she had ever had. To be honest she was surprised that Jolie Maison hadn’t ascended. It would have made sense for him to have, but then at the same time she had seen his connection to Endymion, and she understood why he didn’t. It wasn’t that he was unworthy, but rather because he refused it. He had brides that he loved dearly, and he didn’t want to leave them. He chose to live a much shorter life, one where he would pass well before any of his wives, and the reason he had done was out of love. She had ascended, and she understood what it meant. She would outlive Pinkie, but Endymion, she wasn’t so sure.

He was so different, and his own futures, all of them, were connected to the aether in one way or another. He was moving past immortal, and possibly reaching toward something eternal. She felt him rubbing her back, and even though she knew that he was in pain he was doing what he could to help her. He was giving her comfort, and she understood that he was the kind of stallion that cared more for his herdmates than for himself. She kissed him, knowing that it was selfish, at least in part, of her to do so, but she wanted to give back to him.

She felt the magic burning inside of her, and as she kissed that magic spilled over into him. The light flooded the room, and Pinkie Pie managed to hold onto them, not daring to let go, until the light was gone. For Endymion he felt different. His skin no longer burned, but it did feel tight in places. He could see the missing fingers, he felt the scars from the bits of skin and musle that had been pulled from him, but he was mostly healed. He wasn’t whole, but he was healed. He looked at Twilight.

“Twilight?” he asked.

She looked at him, “I had to,” she said, “I had to do it.”

She sniffed and leaned against her. He felt something new inside of him. It wasn’t just a feeling of closeness between the two mares he considered his wives, but instead he felt a deeper connection. The three of them were bound by their souls. Pinkie’s refusal to let go had bound her with them. The core of the herd was more than it had been. There was little doubt in Endymion’s mind that Fluttershy would be joining them, but now he knew that his brides understood what he had felt.

He felt their concerns, their worries, their love, their lusts, and he felt their thoughts. He could almost hear them both inside of his head, and Pinkie’s mind was a place of wonder and awe. It was a place where insanity not only ruled, but it did so in a just and fair way. He looked at her, unsure of what to say.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I am so sorry, but I couldn’t not do it.”

He held her and kissed her, “I understand,” he said, “You’ve done something very special Twilight Sparkle-Everfree.”

She smiled, “Y...You think that I’ll be taking your last name?” she asked, “After all, I’m a princess now.”

He grinned, “Yeah, I do expect it, I’m a Prince, and I know that you’re a modern mare.”

Pinkie giggled, “I think that it’d be fun to be Pinkie Pie-Everfree,” she said as she nuzzled the both, “I kinda wish that we didn't have an audience, because I really want to claim you both right now.”

“Yeah, no, I’d rather not see two of my friends screwing their stallion,” Rainbow Dash said, “You want to do that then you need to go find a different room. Maybe a library so that Twilight can feel at home.”

Over behind them, in the corner, Rarity lay against Spike. When they had gotten upstairs she had some sense of what had happened, and she had undressed. The two of them lay on the simple straw bed. Spike himself was the big spoon, and Rarity was breathing softly. It had been a cuddle, a gentle caress, but she began to claim him. He’d changed, for her, he was protecting her, and she understood what it meant. A more primal part of her equine nature knew that she wanted to claim him. She wanted to have him, and this was the first step.

Charlie’s Room - Fifteen Minutes earlier

Sitting there, her memory felt fractured, uncertain, and she was seeing things she had no knowledge of. A place with thousands of people, and it looked like something straight out of the Empire Strikes back. People with high tech toys, weapons that she couldn’t even begin to explain, and it flew in the face of what she knew was real. She was Charlotte Ann Smith, the first girl from her family to get a college degree. Hell, the first child to get a college degree.

She’d slept with Jimmy Hickson in order to lose her V-Card, and her mother thought that she was saving herself. She’d dated her Economics Professor because she didn’t have time to do the class work and get everything done for her Linguistics major. She’d been working toward that major so hard, and now, she was questioning everything. She heard something, and for a moment it wasn’t dark in the room anymore. Instead there was a bright light that shined through the darkness of her blindness. She looked at it, uncertain of what she was seeing, and her mother’s views about the supernatural came to the forefront. Was this an angel?

“Charlotte Evelyn Smith, Daughter of the house of Intelligentsia, I have come to you.”

She shook her head, “No, I’m Charlie Ann Smith!” she shouted, “I was born in Arkansas for God’s sake!”

There was the sound of chirping in the background, and then the light dimmed. What she saw was a woman that looked much like her own mother, but she didn’t have the beaten down expression her mother so often wore. Instead, she merely studied her, “You are not merely Charlie Ann Smith,” the not her mother said, “This, unfortunately, is part of who you are, but it is not the full extent of who you are.”

It reached out and Charlie hugged the wall. The form stopped, “Please, I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, "I am merely going to open your mind to who you are supposed to be.”

She listened, and she felt the touch. It was cold, and then that coldness spread throughout her entire body. She felt something prick at the back of her mind and everything she knew about Linguistics was suddenly added to. She knew the languages of over sixteen hundred different species, not races but species. She understood how a plasma inverter worked in a Model II Standard Issue Infantry Rifle, she could recite the entire collection of every major work of art, literature, and major census report from the Golden Age of the Terran Republic. She also realized that her place was no longer with the Peace Corps, while it was a worth while ideal, especially since it would be allowing her the chance to learn new languages, but instead her place with with the head of the house of Endymion. Her place was to support the Republic, and as such the Republic existed only because of its greatest defenders. Thus, the house of Intelligentsia existed to support the House of Endymion. She felt something else inside of her. Who she was, Charlie Ann Smith, the girl that had fought so hard to become more than she had been, she was still there, and she wouldn’t deny that a good part of her belonged to that life, to her time on Earth, but now, she understood that she was more. She got up, slowly, her eye sight dim, but slowly returning, and she found a cane.

She then began searching for who she must serve. On her way out she bumped into one of the Equestrians. What she had thought before, about them being extras from Fritz the Cat was accurate, but now she knew what they were. The Equestrians, according to the literature and logs that resided in her mind, were a people almost wholly devoted to the ideals of magic. They were a flighty race, but this one that faced her wasn’t scared, instead she acted to steady her.

“Here now, are you alright?” the maid asked.

She nodded, “I need to find the Equestrian Prince, please, it is of the most importance that I find him.”

The maid looked at her, “Very well, I’ll take ya to him, but know if’n yer interruptin’ his mares gettin’ a mighty fine dickin’ I had nae a thing to do with it.”

With that she helped her toward Endymion’s room, “There he is, again, if yer inrupting a dickin’ I had nae a thing to do with it!”

It wouldn’t be tonight, though, as a soft knocking came from the chamber door. Everypony looked in that direction, wondering who could be calling at such a late hour. Most of the castle had retired to bed, so no one should be aroused at this time of the night. The knocking came again, this time followed by a voice.

“E-excuse me, is anyone awake in there?” came a mare’s voice, “uh, I need to speak with the Prince and I was told he was up here with his women?”

All eyes directed themselves at Endymion, for the man was nonplussed and unable to say what was going on.

“I know it’s kinda late, but it’s urgent I speak with him,” the mare said again, “it’s of vital importance to The Prince’s future.”

Again, all eyes fell upon Endymion yet he couldn;t for the life of him discern any meaning in this late night visitor. Still, he would need to meet with this mare if he was going to get any rest tonight.

“Rainbow, can you let them in?” he said, gesturing to his fellow party member, “I think I have a feeling who this is.”

“Then you would know what this is about?” The flamboyant pegasus asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he replied, then nodded to the door, where further knocking was heard.

Rainbow shrugged, pushing her way through Applejack’s kit and opened the door. When she did, a body fell forward and landed hard on the floor. They may have leaned against the door for support or were preparing to knock a little louder. The mare groaned- and that’s when Endymion noted that the figure wasn't a mare, but the woman in the glass coffin that he freed earlier. Her ebony skin was dotted with perspiration, from the exertion of climbing the castle stairs no doubt. When she turned over, Endymion saw a cane in her grasp; it appeared her eyesight had returned yet.

“Ow,” Charlotte moaned, before turning over onto her back, sitting up, and searching around herself, “this would be so much easier if I still had my DIICCE on me…”

“I didn't know your people gambled?” Pinkie opinined, much to the consternation of her friends.

“Wrong die,” Charlotte said, struggling to get back up on her feet.

“Do you- need any help?” Rainbow asked.

“That would be capital, thanks,” the woman stated, and accepted one of Rainbow’s hands in assistance. Once she was back up again, Charlotte reached with her cane, tapping hither and thither until she reached Endymion sandwiched between two of his mares. She stopped in front of him, then knelt down in front of him, speaking in a language that was not quite Equish, nor Griffonese, Buffalo, Minotaurian, or Old Dragonish. And yet, he understood precisely what she said.

Said the woman, “Lord Archmage, long has been your presence missing in The Arcane Empire of Terra. I fear, given my long- absence, that much of what is our homeland has been devastated by defilers and deceivers. I do apologize for the lateness of my arrival, Lord Archmage. My physical condition has deteriorated somewhat in my long hibernation. Nevertheless, I, Charlotte Evelyn Smith, of House Intelligentsia, have wish to serve you.”

“What- was- that- all about?” Applejack inquires.

“Uh, I think we have a new member of the party?” Endymion stated.

32 Lady of The Dead

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

33 A Nice Day For a White Wedding

Chapter 33: It’s a Nice Day For a White Wedding

Castle’s Tailor Room - Aka Dressing Room

Twilight looked at the mare that had asked Endymion for the ability to date their herd. She looked like an earth pony, but she had felt the swell of magic that occurred when she sang. There were ancient legends about immortal creatures that had the ability to use their voices in order to get what they wanted. The fact that Barrel Crusher had said that they lived on a separate island led her to understand that it wasn’t so much legends as it was most likely old accounts. She wished that she would have brought Star Gazer’s library with them.

Being connected to Pinkie and Endymion like this did grant her some beneficial abilities it didn’t take away from the fact that books were typically her go to. If she wanted to know something then she found a book and looked for it. Even now she found herself going to her books to find answers for things that she didn’t know. This mare fit into the realm of things she didn’t know much about. She’d heard stories about what she seemed to be. Ancient legends of sirens, creatures that most often looked to be more sea monsters than ponies, that could enthrall ponies with their song.

She’d attempted to use her magic with Endymion, but it wasn’t to seduce him. She had simply wanted a chance. When he didn’t fall prey to the enthrallment she seemed happy. It was like she didn’t want to use it on him. That in and of itself spoke volumes to her. She didn’t want to automatically make Endymion do anything he might not want to.

“Bagatelle Addolorato,” Twilight said, “As I understand it you wish to date our herd. Part of which is getting married today.”

“Aye, a'm waantin' tae,” she said, “A'm feelin' a drawl toward a' o' ye, 'n' a'm waantin' tae be pairt o' this.”

Twilight smiled, and then she looked at Pinkie who walked closer to her.

“Did you attempt to make our stallion do anything he didn’t want to?”

Bagatelle stood there for a moment before she sighed, “Na, ah didnae huv a go tae mak' him, juist g’ve him a nudge. Ah wouldn't mak' ony pony dae anythin' thay didnae waant.”

Pinkie studied her for a moment, “If you were dating us, and somepony used a power they had to make him do something they didn’t want, would you be mad?”

“Mad, na, a'd be pumpin' pissed. Keek, sure ah tried tae nudge him, bit it didnae wirk. Ah'ament mad aboot that, bit if somepony wis tae actually mak' him dae something he didnae waant, force him tae bugger thaim or something, a'd be mad as Tartarus.”

Pinkie nodded, “We’ll discuss it, and we’ll come to a decision,” she said “But you’re welcome to stay and help.”

Bagatelle smiled, “Ta. Mibbie thir's something that ah kin dae tae hulp?”

Looking at her Pinkie could see that she was blind. Although blindness didn’t mean that she couldn’t be helpful. She considered for a moment and smiled. There was something that she could help do. There was cooking, decorations, but what actually came to Pinkie’s mind was something else entirely. She gently took Bagatelle’s hand, letting the not quite an earth pony, feel her hand completely before leading her over toward the kitchens. Bagatelle smelled the air and the rich fragrance of baked goods hung in the air.

“Whit's that barry reek?”

Pinkie grinned, “Sweetstuff, this is Bagatelle,” she said, “She’s going to be our checker.”

“Whit's a checker, 'n' whit urr ye asking me tae dae?”

Pinkie’s grin was infectious, and she wished that Bagatelle could see it, “Oh, I just want you to check the cakes and make sure that they’re sweet enough.”

She could see Bagatelle’s attention turn toward the cake, “Sae, yi'll waant me tae check th' cake, mak' sure tis sweet enough, 'n' then whit?”

Pinkie moved closer to her, “Then, depending on what we decide we will formally announce if we’re going to date you,” she said, “Just so you know dating the herd is exactly that. It is dating our full herd. If you’re not comfortable being with another mare then you need to reconsider what you’ve asked. But if that doesn’t bother you, and we’re okay with it, you will be welcomed with open arms.”

“Na, a'm braw wi' pumpin' a lassie juist a maiter o a laddie, sae thir's na kinch thare.”

Pinkie grinned, “Good, then I’ll let you taste test everything. Just let them know what you think of it, and they’ll adjust.”

With that Pinkie left her there and then walked back where Twilight was standing. She could see that her soon to be official sister wife was deep in thought. She touched her arm, and Twilight gave her a slight smile.

“She’s not what she seems,” Twilight said, “I mean, she’s not an earth pony.”

Pinkie nodded, “Oh, I know,” she said, “But she doesn’t seem like a bad pony, and honestly she was more open about what she wanted than Fluttershy was.”

After a moment Rarity looked up from her slight alterations on Pinkie’s dress, “Darlings,” she said, “Not that it is any of my business specifically, but exactly what is it that Fluttershy did?”

Twilight sighed, knowing that this was going to come out at some point or another, “She used her stare on Endymion,” she said, “She used it, and then she continued to use it in order to breed with him.”

Rarity stood there, and her eyes widened, “Fluttershy?” she asked, “As in our Fluttershy did that? You mean that she… Well, Luna preserve us, she raped Endymion?”

There it was. Twilight had been avoiding that word. She’d been doing her best to avoid it. She didn’t want to think of Fluttershy like that. After all, Fluttershy was one of her best friends, but now it was out, and she felt awful that she had pushed Endymion to move on and forgive. The very idea that her friend had raped her soon to be husband sat poorly in her mind. She didn’t want to think of Fluttershy like that. She certainly didn’t want to think of her as the kind of pony that would use her ability to take advantage of a stallion, but that’s exactly what she had done.

“Yes,” Twilight said closing her eyes, “She did, and she’s trying to set things right, and she’s wanting to join our herd, and now that I think about it.”

Rarity looked at her, “Twilight, darling,” she said, “I don’t know everything there is to know about everypony. I know that Fluttershy is a good mare, and for her to act like that, I can only wonder if her estrus had anything to do with it.”

Twilight shook her head, “I… I don’t think so.”

Pinkie looked at them both, “Nope,” she said her curls started to turn a little flat, “But she wants to make it up with Endymion, and she wants to join our herd. We already agreed to let her try.”

“Pinkie, how do we make this up to him?” Twilight asked, “We’ve asked him to accept his rapist as a herd mate. I wasn’t thinking of it like that before. I was thinking of Fluttershy as our friend, as my friend, and I wasn’t considering what she had done to Endymion.”

Pinkie looked at her, “We make it so that she is never alone with him,” she said, “We ensure that she never does that again, and we make sure that she understands that if Endymion says no, then it means no.”

Twilight nodded, “I suppose, but should we stop her from even trying to make it into our herd?”

Pinkie shook her head, “No,” she said, “Because she needs to earn forgiveness, or at least she needs to earn it from Endymion. Plus, I wanna make sure that she doesn’t try to throw any more ‘Surprise I’m naked, now look into my eyes and rut me like a bad little filly, parties’.”

Castle upstairs - Applejack and Charm’s room

Charm looked at the mare lying on her side. After they had gone out, and after whatever it was with the crown prince, Applejack had come looking for him. Specifically she’d come looking for comfort. It’d been something that he offered willingly, but he noticed that she seemed troubled. He understood about the foals that had been killed. As an earth pony foals were more than they appeared. They were a promise. They were the future, and to lose a foal was to potentially lose a family line.

He gently touched her, feeling the softness of her coat, the firmness of her muscle under her skin, and then he felt the bed shift. She turned and looked at him. There was a question in her eyes, one that he understood. They kissed, and he felt her tongue as it gently nudged his own. The few times they’d been together he learned that she wanted to be free of control. She was somepony that had responsibilities placed upon her. She’d talked about her past, how her parents were lost, and both she and her brother had to step up and become more. Their grandmother had thankfully been alive, but that little to stop the fact that they didn’t have the luxury of being foals anymore.

Instead they had work like grown ponies, and from the time she was thirteen she had to work the fields. She’d told him that her joining the guard had been a double edge sword. She wanted to learn another trade, but in truth she wanted to escape. She had helped raise her younger sister, her brother had done the same, and she felt that her life had settled into what it would always be. She understood the worry that she had. After all it was difficult to ignore the possibility of never getting to do anything else other than what it seemed was your purpose.

She confided in him, and he swore that it wouldn’t tell another soul. That night had made love for hours, and she’d allowed him to completely explore her. Now, at this moment, they were doing something similar. She was openingly giving herself, but he wasn’t gorging on her like a starving stallion. Instead he was taking things slow, making her feel good, doing what he could to make her feel good. The minutes turned into half an hour, then a full hour, and in that time he’d made her climax three times.

She was an instrument that he was learning, and like anything that was worth learning it was worth taking time. It was worth taking the time to take it slow, to make her happy, to give her pleasure. One thing that he noticed was that she was a quiet lover. She made soft sounds, little moans, light gasps, but there was no screaming, no rendering of the bedding, no ripping of the pillows. It was just her, as she was, and she was perfect. He’d worried about his father, and about the potential that he would steal her away from him. Those fears were baseless. His father had more of a chance to raise his mother back from the dead with just his muscles than he had of stealing away Applejack.

Her green eyes looked into his own, the love, the lust, the need, the want, and the passion told him that she was beyond ready. He moved, giving her a moment, and then he was inside of the inferno. She panted softly as he found the rhythm that worked for her. Her large breasts bounced in time as he did his best to hit that spot that drove her wild with each stroke. She never screamed, but he felt her legs move. She wrapped them around him, and he was fine with that. She wanted him inside of her, deep in her, and he couldn’t ignore her desire.

“Ah love ya,” she said, “Charm…”

They kissed again, this time he led, his tongue touching hers, but not overpowering it. This wasn’t dominance, this wasn’t unchecked desire, this was love plain and simple. This was the purest expression of love that he had to give. The best expression of love that he wanted to show, and it was coming through completely. The minutes ticked by, the hours changed, and finally after her twenty-second climax they lay beside each other.

He didn’t do any of that foolish pulling out. If they became pregnant then they became pregnant. It was what she wanted, and it was what he wanted to give her. The spot below her belly, where her womb was, was pooched out some. His seed sat inside of her, desperately looking for its other half. She lay beside him, his essence leaking out of her, and the door opened. She was too tired to reach for a sheet which had feel to the floor, and honestly she wasn’t modest enough to attempt to find it. Instead she watched as Rainbow Dash entered, looked at them both, and growled.

“Seriously?!” she exclaimed, “AJ, of all of the times. Look, I came to talk to you about that new girl that arrived, and you’re getting plowed!”

Applejack looked at her, “Rainbow, it can wait,” she said, “There’s time, and whatever it is can wait.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “I don’t know AJ, this all feels… Oh wow,” she said, “Umm, Charm, you might want to use two hands there.”

Charm looked at her and shrugged, “Figure that it ain’t the first.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, and it isn’t going to be last either, but ummm, I wanted to talk to my friend.”

Applejack sighed, got up, and found her clothes. She’d packed more than her armor, and what she pulled on was a decent set of pants, that Rarity had made for her, a shirt, and she didn’t attempt to put on any undergarments. In truth the moment she and Rainbow were through talking she was crawling right back into that bed, and she was going to let Charm just completely wreck her. Maybe she wasn’t handling everything as well as she would have hoped, but Charm was making her feel better.

“Okay, let’s talk,” she said, “So, what is it?”

Rainbow looked at her, “You know that Endymion, Pinkie, and Twilight are getting married today, right?”

At that Applejack looked surprised, “Wait, Ah thought they would be getting married back in Canterlot.”

Rainbow shook her head, “Nope, today. I overheard most of it. Barrel Crusher believes that it would be good for the isle for them to have something to celebrate, and apparently them getting married is something worth celebrating.”

“He ain’t wrong,” Applejack said, “And honestly Ah figure that they’ll make the entire thing into some kind of holiday.”

Rainbow looked at her, “They’re not marrying Fluttershy into it.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, “Why?” she asked, “Actually, Ah don’t think we found out what really happened between her and Endymion.”

Rainbow looked at her and then at the ground, “I’m kinda afraid to find out,” she admitted, “What if it was something really bad? I mean what if she forced him to do something?”

Applejack looked at her, “We’ve known Flutters ferever, Ah gotta figure that whatever she did it weren’t that bad.”

Charm cleared his throat, “Have either of ya thought ta go and ask either of ‘em?”

Rainbow looked at him, and then looked anywhere else. Because he was standing proud again, and damn if it wasn’t a decent size. Especially for somepony of his frame. The fact that he was so small framed it made it look like he was carrying something as big around as a bottle of apple soda and twice as long.

“Seriously, you mind covering that thing up?” she asked, “Cause it looks like it can put out an eye.”

Shetland Isles - Isle of Goats - Castle Downstairs - Grooms Dressing Area

Endymion looked at the clothes that were presented to him. He knew that Rarity had overseen much of the wedding clothes, but as per tradition the stallions of the isle had prepared his wedding garments. First was the kilt. He knew that it was most likely rushed, but somehow they had managed to get his mother’s colors for the kilt, or he thought it was a rush until he realized that the kilt was far older than he was. He studied it for a moment and realized that the kilt had belonged to Jolie Maison.

He studied it for a moment and smiled. Next was the shirt, suit jacket, and bow tie. All three similarly matched the colors of the kilt, and he realized that they too were Jolie’s clothes. They had stored Jolie Maison’s wedding clothes, brought them out, and wanted him to use them. These clothes were meant for the greatest hero that the Shetland Isles had ever known. He undressed, feeling the faint tightness of his skin. It no longer burned, thanks to Twilight, but he would be lying if he said that the scars didn’t feel as if they needed to be stretched. He started with the shirt, and realized that the cufflinks had been Jolie’s as well. Unfortunately they wouldn’t work without the spell refreshed on them. He tried to remember the spell, but found himself unable to recall it.

Instead he used them as normal cufflinks, knowing that they would work as that, but unfortunately without the spell cast on them they wouldn’t be able to self adjust. Still, they were a set of brilliant Platinum era cufflinks. Which of course meant that they were ancient when Jolie had arrived. He noticed that the shirt fit fairly well, and soon he pulled on the jacket. Like the shirt it fit almost perfectly. He grabbed the bowtie and gently tied it. Memories of what his mother had taught him came to mind as he finished. Then he looked at the kilt.

Like a traditional kilt it was laid out on clean fabric, He needed to lay on it, grab an end, roll, and then sit up, put on a belt to hold it in place, and go from there. He did just that. Rolling was the easiest part. Getting up wasn’t too difficult, but getting the belt around himself while keeping the kilt from falling was a practice in patience if he’d ever experienced one. Finally it was done, and he looked in a mirror. What looked back was a stallion that looked as if he’d seen battle, but was dressed like a gentlecolt. He knew that officially he was a human, a man, and he knew that it was expected for him to call himself as such, but he didn’t care to.

What he’d seen of other humans left a bad taste in his mouth. They’d been prone to violence, attacking without provocation, and he didn’t want to associate himself with them. No, he was an Equestrian. He might not look like one, but he felt that he was far more pony than human. He was raised as a pony, he lived as one, and he knew that if the time came he would die as one. The ponies he knew were noble and decent. Even Captain Wayward Sparrow was a decent sort. It was obvious that the stallion was a ladies stallion. Still, he wouldn’t fault him for that. Instead he had seen that the captain was honestly attempting to help. While his ship was docked at the isle he was helping with fishing, helping with harvesting, and of course helping with burials.

His mind was distracted enough that he didn’t hear the door open, but he did hear the sound of hooves. He turned to see Rarity walking toward him. She stopped for a moment, glancing at his wedding clothes, and she gave a brief nod. She walked around him, checking him over, and after she seemed to have checked the clothes completely she looked at him.

“First, while this is certainly old fashioned, it is suitable for a wedding. I dare say that it was crafted with the same kind of care that I show,” she said, “Luckily enough I know Twilight well enough that her own dress is modeled after a similar era, so it should match.”

He grinned, “Glad to hear it,” he said, “So, what’s second?”

She looked him in the eyes, “Twilight and Pinkie told me what happened between you and Fluttershy,” she said her voice icy and hard, “I have never felt so much. Darling, I am so sorry that you suffered. I truly am, but I am going to help fix it.”

He looked at her, “Rarity, there’s not much to fix. Twilight wants me to try and get over it.”

She studied him, “And she broke down after actually coming to terms with it,” Rarity said, “It was difficult for her to admit that her friend could do something like that. Pinkie doesn’t want you to get over it, but instead she wants to ensure that you’re never alone with Fluttershy again. I completely understand her point.”

He looked at the ground, “I don’t know what is going to fix it,” he said, “I really don’t. I want things to go back like they were, but they can’t.”

Rarity touched his shoulder, “Endymion, I do hope you don’t mind me using your first name instead your highness, but no, things will always be different now,” she said, “Nothing can return to how it was. I’m sorry for that, truly I am sorry, but things can change to be better. Fluttershy has given lip service, as I have been informed, about the situation, but there has been no action. Perhaps the very thing that will help both of you is action.”

He looked at her, “Action, like how?”

She grinned, “Action given by Sol himself.”

With that she grabbed Endymion’s hand, and she led him out of the dressing area, into the castle, and upstairs until they came to a small chapel. The chapel itself was dedicated to Sol, and besides Fluttershy there was a single other priestess there. The Priestess, upon seeing the Equestrian Prince, bowed her head, stood, and left the room. That left only Rarity, Endymion, and Fluttershy. Fluttershy stood off to the side, uncertain of what was going to happen.

“Fluttershy, darling,” Rarity said, her voice sounded icy and hard again, “Twilight and Pinkie informed me of what happened. They informed me of what you did, what you did in order to get it to happen, and of course both of them are coming to terms with it.”

Fluttershy looked away from her, “I… I know it was wrong, but I felt that it was the best option at the moment.”

“That is hardly an I’m sorry, is it?” she asked, “So, instead I have considered a solution that should work for the both of you. Endymion and I want you to contact Sol, confess, and listen to his judgement on it.”

Endymion’s eyes widened as he heard it, and he saw the surprise on Fluttershy’s face. She looked stunned.

“Ummm, no,” Fluttershy said, “If I tell Sol about this, he might… He might demand that I leave being a priestess.”

Rarity looked at her, “So, you would rather have raped an innocent than submit to whatever judgement Sol the father of all Alicorns would give you?”

Fluttershy looked at the ground, “Well, it wasn’t really rape,” she said, “I don’t mean anything, but Endymion’s a stallion.”

Rarity looked at her, “Fluttershy!” she exclaimed, “I can’t believe I have to say this, but it doesn’t matter if he’s a stallion or not. He did not willingly consent to you taking advantage of him. He did not willingly give himself to you. You took him, you stole his free will, and you forced him to breed you! That’s rape!”

Fluttershy stood there a moment, and finally, after a moment her eyes widened. It was almost as if the entire ghastly event was fully shown to her. She stood there, her hand over her mouth, as she realized what had actually happened. Much like Twilight she had compartmentalized it. She’d slowly convinced herself that what she had done wasn’t evil, or wrong, but instead it was simply a matter of getting what she so desired. Rarity, being the good friend she was, laid it out for her. She pointed it out, explained it to her, and she realized that she had done two things that demanded forgiveness.

The first was that she had raped Prince Endymion Everfree, son of Princess Luna, and the second was that she had gone against the very teachings of Sol himself. One must have the courage and strength to live life to the fullest, but at the same time one was not to use that strength in a way that violated another. Fighting, battling, war, and adventures were something that Sol allowed, and smiled upon those who used their powers to protect others, protect their home, and uphold his teachings.

But the moment somepony used their abilities, powers, or skills against somepony else in a way that violated them, then Sol frowned upon it. She’d done that. She’d done that, and now she was being held accountable for it. She looked at Endymion, “I’m sorry.”

She turned toward the wall with the image of Sol carved into it. She bowed, and lowered her head.

“Sol, father of all alicorns, I come before you. I have wronged one, and I seek your council.”

The candles on the altar began to smoke for a moment, and then they burst into flames. The flames blew against the carving, and a moment later an entire being formed of fire stood before them. The fire never caught anything on fire around it, but instead the being stood there a moment before looking at Fluttershy.

“I have heard you, and I have not touched you until I was certain that your heart was ready,” Sol said, “You’ve wronged your champion, and in doing so it was as if I have wronged him. You are my voice in the world, all of the priestesses are, and yet you’ve purposefully used an ability you had to violate your champion. Such a transgression is worthy of banishment from my sight.”

She didn’t raise her head, until she felt the warmth of his touch, “Rise,” he said, “Rise and face me.”

She did and she looked into what appeared to fatherly and loving eyes, “I am disappointed, greatly, and as such I have decided on your punishment. You will inform those close to you, and to your champion, of what you have done. You will follow the words of wisdom the alpha of his herd has laid down, and you will do so with a glad heart. Lastly, you will only come to your champion when he asks for you to. Until all of these terms are met I will begin removing my power from you. It will begin slowly, but every moment that you resist my commandment, you will lose your connection with me. If you refuse to do so long enough you will no longer feel my presence, nor will you gain my blessings. Your name will be removed, and you will be shunned by those that once accepted you.”

She nodded, “I understand,” she said, “I will begin this very day.”

He studied her for a moment, “There is one last thing,” he said, “In order to understand his torment you will experience his memories, emotions, and feelings after the event. My newborn daughter will have the ability to ensure that you share in them.”

She whimpered slightly, “Of course,” she said, I will do as you ask.”

With that he disappeared. Rarity studied them for a moment, and then looked at Fluttershy, “Fluttershy, while I wholeheartedly agree with Sol on what must be done, I will accompany you to visit both Rainbow Dash and Applejack,” she said, “I have a feeling you may need somepony there when you inform them; although, I do ask that you please give me time to develop a strong enough material to withstand Princess Luna’s magic when you inform her.”

Shetland Isles - Isle of Goats - Castle Courtyard - Thirty minutes later

Tables were being set up, a stage had been built, and currently Rainbow Dash was watching as Applejack helped move the food toward the tables. She also noticed that her friend was actively attempting to keep from putting much pressure against her dock. Memories of seeing what she and Charm had been up more than explained the reason. In truth she wasn’t sure that she actively wanted to see that again. She saw Endymion coming out, the scars that he had looked more healed, which she chalked up to magic, and he looked fairly presentable.

She watched as Rarity gave a few once overs of the decorations, something she had delegated out, but also refused to completely be hands off. As for herself Rainbow Dash had helped make the drinks. Specifically they had a normal punch for anypony that wasn’t old enough to drink, and then they had Shetland Rum surprise. She learned that the surprise was that there was the taste of anything other than the rum in the punch. She looked at her own dress, which Rarity had supplied, and she had to admit that it looked good. Although she wasn’t a huge fan of pink she understood that as one of the bridesmares she basically had to wear what was given.

As such she was wearing a backless pink dress that fit her like a glove, it came down mid thigh so as to not show too much, and it did a nice job of ensuring that her boobs were nice and covered. She’d heard Rarity once say that you could be stylish and sexy at the same time. That was exactly what this dress was. It was stylish and sexy all together. She noticed that Applejack was wearing a similar dress, and Rarity was fussing over her getting it dirty. Rarity’s own dress was similar, but the only one not wearing a bridesmare dress was Fluttershy.

Instead Fluttershy was wearing her priestess robes. She wondered why, but chalked it up to the fact that maybe Fluttershy couldn’t change out of the robes because of some religious reason or another. She moved toward the front of the stage, preparing for the marriage, and a few moments later she was joined by Applejack and Rarity. She noticed that Spike was near Endymion, and that his own suit of clothes looked like a modern take on Endymion’s.

The difference was that Spike was wearing pants with his jacket and shirt. Still, he looked nice, a bit more grown than he had before. She could also see the way that Rarity looked at him, and she wasn’t about to bring that up. The last thing she wanted to do was get Rarity upset about hinting that they were sleeping together. The only thing worse would be to walk in on them like she did with Applejack and Charm.

She looked out at the people gathering and she saw Charm, Muddy, and Moondancer standing together. Off to the side she could see Captain Wayward Sparrow and his wife, near them was one of the crew that she learned was Charm’s dad. Toward the middle Trixie and Flash Sentry stood, both of them watching with what looked happy/blissful expressions on their faces. yeah, she wasn’t going to ask them what they had been up to either. Then she saw Princess Celestia coming into the courtyard and beside her was Flintheart. The old stallion looked better, but he also looked older. Whatever he’d done had robbed years off of his life. They moved up and Princess Celestia moved toward the stage itself. Flintheart came to stand near Endymion.

Finally she heard a small trumpet fanfare play and she saw Pinkie and Twilight coming out. Beautiful didn’t even begin to cover what they looked like. Twilight’s dress was something from the same era, or looked to be, as Endymion’s suit. Pinkie’s dress seemed to be tied to her Romani heritage. Both of them had their hair braided, their makeup done, and both looked to be models instead of the friends she knew. She couldn’t help but think that Endymion was a lucky stallion to have both of them.

As Rainbow Dash watched, Princess Celestia looked over those gathering. She’d heard, and seen, Twilight’s ascension, and she couldn’t be prouder. She wished that her sister was here to see her prized student ascend to an alicorn, and specifically to the role of princess. The Shetland Isles were now Princess Twilight Sparkle’s sovereign lands. The ponies here reminded her of the ponies from Equestria a thousand years ago. They were hardened by life, but still looked toward a celebration like this with hope.

“Sol the father of all alicorns smiles upon those who move forward in life,” she said, “Those who choose to stand each day and state that they are here, they will continue, and they will make the life that is worth living for them.”

She stretched out her hands, “Thus, I see such lives today in my nephew and his chosen brides. It is why I give my blessing on this ceremony, and I call for Sol himself to bless the three of them with a wonderful life, plenty of foals, and continued ambitions that are worthy of them.”

There was a roar from the gathered crowd, and she heard even more outside of the castle, those that couldn’t fit were watching while standing on the draw bridge. She smiled at them, “As such, with my blessing, I hand the ceremony over to Laird Barrel Crusher who will make the official announcement.”

Barrel Crusher walked upon the stage, and he looked at the gathered ponies. Then he looked at Endymion.

“Laddie, dae ye tak' thae twa tae be yer brides?” he asked, “Dae ye tak' thaim in sickness, in health, in guid times, in ill, 'n' dae ye promise tae bugger thaim proper?”

Endymion nodded, “I do,” he said, “I promise to do so all of my days.”

Barrel Crusher nodded, and then he looked at both Pinkie and Twilight, “'n' dae ye twa promise tae loue, cherish, 'n' bugger his brains oot?”

They both grinned, “We do,” they said together, “We promise to do so for the rest of our lives.”

“Then, by th' powers ah hae by bein' Laird o' th' Shetland Isles, ah pronounce ye guidman 'n' brides. Na winch 'n' then gang bugger ilk ither silly.”

They three of them kissed, and then they broke apart. Soon the food began to be distributed out, and as it was there was a feeling bubbling up around them again. Endymion felt it, the stir of Harmony magic, and slowly it began to flow out of him. Like with the others he felt the words leaving him.

“Almost heaven, West Virgina.”

Every other voice began to fill in singing the same tune, and he looked to see Charlotte walking down. She was wearing what looked like a simple maid’s dress. It was obvious that she was still blinded, but somehow she was walking with ease. Within moments she was standing with them, singing the simple song. For some reason her singing brought memories that had been long forgotten. It was a house he didn’t recognize, two faces, similar to his own, and one of them was speaking softly to him.

“We’re going to go on a plane and see Grandma, ain’t that wonderful?”

“Yeah wonderful, Imma gonna be missing a week’s worth of work. That damn mine ain’t gonna run itself Rose.”

The woman, red headed, with what looked like a farmer’s tan looked toward the mountain of a man near her, “James, this is important,” she said, “Mama dun called and said there was something important we needed to go over. ‘Sides, you’ve hardly took a day off of work for the past year. This will be good for you.”

He saw the mountain of a man give the woman a hug, “I know, I jest don’t want that Timmothy to go and screw everything up. Jest ‘cause he’s got a degree don’t mean he knows jack ‘bout the safety in those mines.”

“I know,” she said, “And I know you want to protect those boys. But this is important. Mama said we needed to be on the next flight out. Not sure why, but She’s always seemed to know what’s what. After all, she knew that we’d find each other.”

The mountain of a man hugged her, “True,” he said, “A couple days will be fine, I love ya Rose.”

She kissed him, “I love ya too James,” she said, “Now lets get going.”

He grabbed their bags, which looked like everything they practically owned, and they walked out, “I ever tell ya that yer mama scares me a little? I mean, she’s a damn witch.”

He could see her looking back at the mountain of the man as she carried him, “James, you ain’t been complaining about putting a child into a witch, you don’t get to complain about my mama being one. Comeon, we’ve got ground to cover.”

The memory left him, and he realized that he’d seen his parents, both of them, and the song had somehow unlocked that memory of them. He looked at Charlotte who nodded with understanding. Not all humans had been evil. His parents were loving people that had loved one another. His father had the welfare of those that worked down in a mine at the front of his mind. Still, he wouldn’t accept himself as a human from this place. None of them had proven to be like his parents were, and despite the memory he knew that he had a mother here as well. But there was a feeling that perhaps his grandmother had known that they had to be on that plane, on that trip, and she had known that he would be sent here.

Now, my little Stevie, you remember wha’ yer granny tells you. Wind makes water dance, making fire burn, and the mountains stand tall above it all. Ya’ll remember that.

A new voice, not one present here, filled Endymion’s ears. He wasn’t certain when or where he had heard it, but the voice was familiar to him. It spoke of wisdom, it spoke of experience, it spoke of power… and it spoke of death. But beyond those, which seemed like trivial things to Endymion, she spoke of magic, He could not remember what kind of magic or it's source, but he could remember that this woman- this relation? She spoke of magic and her, maybe his aslo, ties to it. He now presently wondered if those discussions were about the manner of his current magical conundrum: gifted in the arcane crafts but seemingly unable to cast even the simplest spell. Maybe- maybe his magic was of a different branch?

Wen’Ja hira, samparr samm, daywa padda, shiiaka swaa
Wen’Ja hira, samparr samm, daywa padda, shiiaka swaa

A song, half remembered, his- grandmother- sang to him as a lullaby… It was something important but Endymion was unsure why.

Shagwwas, balti mammaf, hhafchuu, tiigri kannda

(Power, mammoth's strength, swift winds, tiger leaping)

Kana, banda janhaus, shwsa, shayyuu dhgwa

(Chant, unite the tribe, roar, alight thine spirit)

Yes, yes, something important… A lesson- a- directive- Said in song? And- accompanied by dance? Endymion was sure that was the key. It was a song. A tribal sound, done as part of a ritual. He could remember no more of it, though.The words sounded nonsensical and even the interpretation he could recall didn’t make any sense. Even so, he felt the pull of something strong, leading- somewhere…

“Endymion?” Twilight asked, “are you okay?”

“Twilight?” the prince roused, “what’s going on?”

“Endy?” Pinkie began, “are you losing your memory?”

“I’m- unsure,” Endymion answered, “we did get married right?”

Twilight and Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief and Twilight nodded, “Yes we did. After that song, though, you kind of spaced out. Is something wrong?”

“I- don’t think so,” he replied, “but, I think I had a recollection about something. Anout my- mother.”

“You mean Princess Luna?” Pinkie asked before she shook her head, “no, no, not your mother here… Your mother from- the Other Side?”

“I- believe so, my darling Pinkie,” Endymion said, “and- and my father. Maybe also my grandmother? The memories are hazy, half forgotten… I was, maybe, too young to understand? And yet, those recollections, they have sparked something in me. I- I don’t think I’ll be acting upon that impetus now. We have a splendid wedding reception to attend. And,” Endymion added huskily, “I know of two mares who are in dire need of breeding and I have every intention of making that happen for this night and many nights to come…”

34 Uncertain Discoveries

Chapter 34: Uncertain Discoveries
Armory
One Week after the marriage ceremony

Endymion looked at the armor before him. It looked draconic in nature, its helm shaped with a hooked muzzle, its face guard able to separate onto a hinge, and in doing so could be closed in a similar fashion. The hinged part looked much like a lower jaw, jagged and sharp metal teeth pointed out. In truth the blacksmith had taken his order of making it look as menacing as possible and ran with it. In some ways it almost seemed to be a darker version of Spike.

He stood there looking at it and knowing what was going to happen. Twilight had hurt whatever it was that commanded the wolves. She’d forced it back, wounded it, and now it was hiding. He had to find it, and he had to stop the wolves themselves. Even with the differences made the wolves still attacked, but they had taken to attacking those further out. They hunted easier prey, and he couldn’t stand by and do nothing anymore.
Royal Bedroom - Spike’s Room
The armor he had created, along with the shadow essence he was able to sample from the lunar pegasus, would effectively stop the wolves from getting to him. What would happen now was simple. He would track down the home of whatever commanded those things, he would end it, and then he’d do everything he could to have a family with both Twilight and Pinkie Pie. He knew that while he was a Prince of Equestria he couldn’t leave the isles forever. Twilight was their Princess. She had become their Princess, and as such they sought after her approval. She had taken to sitting in on Day Court, and the decisions largely were passed to the three of them.

Yes, he was an Equestrian Prince, but now he was one of the rulers of the Shetland Isles. And in truth his skills were beginning to match those of Jolie Maison, or at least his adventures were. That was something else that was a little odd. Blueblood was almost a brother to him, but he had learned that Jolie Maison actually was more or less his brother. It felt odd knowing that he had an adventurer like him as a relative.

He wished a few times that there was a way that he could talk to him. He had so many questions to ask, and one of the major ones was how did Jolie make the decisions that mattered. He didn’t want to let Twilight get into this fight. There was no denying that between the two Twilight was certainly the heavier hitter. She had a wellspring of magic that she could gather at a moment’s notice. He knew that he wasn’t a slouch, and in truth his memories of humanity had opened some more of his magic to him.

It even allowed him the ability to use his wand, that his mother had crafted for him, with more ease. He could cast some harmony spells, but it seemed that what he was truly gifted at was chaotic magic. Somehow he seemed to align with more chaotic spells. He could force himself to use harmony magic, and it did work, but he noticed that while he could do it the spells were weaker than they should be. It was almost as if he couldn’t force the proper power through them. In that regard Twilight’s own strength was multiple times greater than his own. She could use harmony magic to a level that seemed to honestly be on the same level as his own mother.

It brought him no end of pride to see it in her actions. He took a last moment to study the armor before him. It was likely that tonight, or the next, he would be going and doing what needed to be done. Hopefully the armor would help in doing it. With that thought he decided to head toward where Pinkie and Twilight were. He would have to fill them in on what his plans were, but more than that he needed and wanted to be near them.

Royal Bedroom - Spike’s Room

Twilight looked at the sight before her. She had come to the room to talk to Spike, specifically to ask if he would be willing to let her take a measurement of his draconic magic. One of the things she had begun to work with had been the Rune Portal they’d captured from the other humans. It wasn’t that she wanted to leave the ponies here, but she believed that it was possible that Princess Luna would be of great help at this point.

While the spell matrix had broken down on the Rune Portal she knew that Spike’s own dragon fire was enchanted to send letters, and pretty much anything else, to Princess Luna or Princess Celestia. The idea was to take a sample of his enchanted fire, break it down to the basic magics that composed it, and then reconstruct it in a viable way that would allow for travel through the Rune Portal. The solution seemed so simple that she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t thought of it before.

She was so caught up in the idea that she didn’t teleport, nor did she knock when she arrived. Instead she opened the door to see one of her best friends wearing a bodice, her arms tied behind her, a magic nullifying ring on her horn, a garter belt that was connected to a very sexy pair of fishnet stockings, and her dock tied with a set of reigns that connected to the bridle and bit that on and in her muzzle.

Her son was currently deep inside of her best friend's ass, causing her to moan and purr in pure bliss. Also, she would have lost the bet on what she believed must have been the color of Rarity’s nipples. She would have thought that they were likely a gray, or a slightly darker white, but instead they were a light blue. She turned, leaving the couple to enjoy themselves, and her mind began picking up the idea.

Bondage was something of a taboo in Unicorn circles. Twilight had learned how it was used in older, less civilized times, as a means of punishment for Unicorns that went out of their way to behave badly. The Unicorns would be fitted a magic nullification ring, their arms would be restricted behind their back, they would be fitted with a pair of blinders, a bit and bridle, and then they would be forced to march around the city in a display of complete submissiveness.

She didn’t realize that there was a fetish for it, and now after observing it she wondered if it would be something that she would want to try. Luckily both Pinkie and Endymion were exceptionally open to trying new things. The problem was that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to experiment with Endymion. It wasn’t because she didn’t trust him, but after finally accepting what happened to him she didn’t want him to become wary of her.

She would talk to Pinkie first, see how it goes with her, and then if they both liked it they would gently lead Endymion into it. Walking into their room she saw her sister wife giggling as she looked out of the window.

“Pinkie, what are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m trying to figure out who’s going to have the surprise!” she giggled, “I got a combo earlier that meant that somepony is going to get a sexy surprise, and I wanna see who it is!” She practically bounded in place as she looked out of the window. With everything else going on a nice surprise would be a welcomed change of events.

“Well,” Twilight began sheepishly, “Funny you should say that, because I’ve got something to talk to you about.”

Fifteen minutes later found Pinkie Pie lying on her stomach, her sizable breasts pressed against the bed, and her round plump posterior raised into the air. Her arms being tied behind her back and the dock of her tail held up by a line that connected to the bit and bridle that was on and in her muzzle was overkill. As she lay there Pinkie realized there were several things that she believed in. She was a mare that believed in the absolute power of family.

Family, new or old, was powerful because of the bonds that were held between those in it. Her family back on the rock farm was a source of power because she had such strong connections with her parents, her sisters, and their lives.

Her family now with Endymion and Twilight was just as powerful for a different reason. So, when Twilight came to her and asked if she wanted to try something out, she agreed.

Like most ponies, she didn't realize that ages ago bondage was used as a means of punishment for Unicorns in Canterlot. She had no idea that magical suppression rings would be used, tight bodices would be placed upon the mares, blinders would be used, along with bridles and bits. They would be led like simple creatures, and it was meant to be a humiliation.

Unknown to most ponies, like her, the act was developed into something of a fetish, and some unicorns were deeply into it. Twilight found out that Rarity was one such unicorn, mostly by walking in on her and Spike. She had explained fully what she had seen, and she asked if Pinkie would help her see if it was something they would like, and they would want to talk Endymion into trying. Naturally Pinkie had agreed. She was the Alpha of their herd, and she wanted everypony in their herd to be happy.

Of course Twilight explained that it was another story all together, but it was there that she witnessed her friend bound, bent over a bed, and receiving what looked like a world class dicking from their son.

While the idea of seeing their son, because Spike was Twilight’s and the rest of their son in every since of the word, engaged in sexual acts with the mare he loved was something Twilight, and Pinkie by Proxy, could do without the idea of bondage was interesting to her.

So, Pinkie understanding that her herd mate wanted to try something with someone she trusted, agreed. Although it was at this point with a bit and bridle placed on her, she was bound and bent over, Pinkie wondered exactly when it was that the decision she was to go first happened. As Pinkie laid there she saw her sister wife, her herd mate, put a harness with cooler on. She settled in, prepared, and heard the door open.

Endymion walked into the room to see Pinkie doing her best impersonation of an Unicorn from around a hundred years ago that told his mother to pull the very long stick out of her plot. Behind her he saw Twilight with the cooler strapped on, and he shook his head. Normally seeing the both of his wives preparing to engage in some much needed coquits would ignite a fire inside of him. Instead he looked at the situation, turned around, and walked out.

Twilight stood there, cooler strapped on, Pinkie bent over with her wonderful rump in the air, and she saw her husband who had just witnessed her about to experience some bondage with her sister wife. Her eyes widened, ears laid back, and her horn flared for just a moment before Endymion popped back into the room. He stood there, seeing her still wearing the cooler, Pinkie still tied up and presenting, and he closed his eyes.

It wasn’t that he was modest or that this was embarrassing, but instead it was that this was so far from what they had done. They enjoyed each other, had massive amounts of sex, but they hadn’t tied each other up, and they certainly hadn’t attempted to restrain one another. It felt odd, off, almost wrong, and part of it made him think of not being in control of himself, of being made into little more than a living sex toy.

Twilight hugged him, and he felt something different. It wasn’t just the cooler poking him in the hip, but it was the warmth of that hug. There was something real in the hug, and it was something that he felt confident in. He loved Twilight, he loved Pinkie, and he knew that they loved him. This was still weird to him, but he returned her hug.

“You… This doesn’t weird you out too much right?” she asked feeling uncertain, “I mean I wanted to see, to try it, and I, I don’t want you to be afraid.”

He kissed her, feeling her practically melt into the kiss. After a moment it ended and he looked into her loving violet eyes, “Twilight, I would never be afraid of you,” he said confidently, “I’m just not sure that I would want to be tied up like this.”

She kissed him, “And you don’t have to be,” she said after a moment, “We wouldn’t want to make you do anything that you’re uncomfortable doing.”

He relaxed, and once more he looked at Pinkie Pie. There was no denying that his Earth Pony bride was beautiful, but he felt a need to free her from her bindings. He closed his eyes. The feeling of dread was hanging so firmly, and while he wanted to be here, and wanted to be with his brides, he couldn’t face this. He felt so low, so powerless, and so useless in this situation. He hugged her, wanting her to know that he loved her, and he felt her hug back against him.

“I’m sorry,’ he said softly, “This, I love you both, but I…”

He no sooner had the words mostly out when another set of arms wrapped around him. He felt Pinkie, and when he looked the bindings that were on her were still on the table, hanging in mid air as if she was still inside of them. Of course he knew not to ask, after all it was Pinkie being Pinkie, but it was her soft kis that caught her attention.

“Endy,” she said gently, “You need to be in here and see this.”

She turned his head toward her, “You need to see this because you need to know that we love each other, and we will do nothing to hurt one another. I want you to watch Twilight with me, and then me with Twilight, and I want you to notice that we stop when the other wants to. I want you to see that we will release one another if we get scared, or it gets too much, and I want you to know that you can always, always trust us,” she said in her sweet voice, “I want you to know that because I want you to always feel safe with us, especially if we’re wanting to try something new.”

He nodded, and it struck him as odd how wise his Earth Pony bride was. She made a damned good point, and he understood what was saying. So, he took a seat, almost as if through some ancient magic that he’d never seen before she slipped right back into the bindings that had been used on her. She gave him a wink before slipping back into the bridle and bit. With that Twilight watched him, swallowed, and gently touched Pinkie’s generous rump. She moved forward, felt the cooler as it touched the entrance to Pinkie’s love canal, and then she pushed forward.

Pinkie moaned softly as she felt the cooler enter her, and she looked toward Endymion. He saw the love, lust, and need in the crystal blue eyes of his wonderful Earth Pony bride. She tried to move, but it was obvious that it was more for show than anything else. He knew how strong Pinkie Pie was. If she wanted she could rip through the bindings holding her with ease if she wanted. Instead he marveled as Twilight began to get into it. She grunted grabbed Pinkie’s tail, and began thrusting hard into her herd mate.

Pinkie grunted, moaned, and seemed to enjoy what was happening. After a moment he watched as Twilight pulled out of her canal and then pressed it against Pinkie’s pucker and then pressed forward again. Pinkie grunted as her little pink starfish was stretched in order to accommodate the invader that was currently filling her. She felt Twilight speeding up, and soon the false semen inside of the cooler exploded inside of her rectum. Twilight stepped back, gently pulling the cooler from her sister wife, and she released every lash and binding that was holding Pinkie.

Pinkie stood in all of her glory, and Endymion saw the love and strength of the bond between them. Without a word Twilight took off the harness, used her magic to bind herself, and then she felt a small ring go on her horn. There was little doubt in her mind that if she wanted she could break the ring if she wanted, but then it was similar to the bindings on Pinkie. It was the illusion of submissiveness that she was experiencing. It was a building of trust between them that they wouldn’t just escape, and that the other would pay attention and not take things further than they were willing to go.

After a moment she the cooler as it pressed against her marehood, but this wasn’t the same one. It felt closer to Endymion’s cock. It was the same size, length, and shape as his. The feeling was certainly the rubber of a cooler, but it felt so close to his own. And like his own it began filling her. She felt it bottom out inside of her, and then it began to withdraw before doing it over again. Pinkie was starting a rhythm, one that began to become harder, faster, and deeper than before. She realized that Pinkie wasn’t acting like herself, but instead she was giving her the kind of dicking that Endymion would give them.

“Doesn’t she look good Endy?” Pinkie asked, “Wouldn’t you like to be doing this? Or maybe I could stay inside of her and you could be rutting me while I did it to her.”

She looked at Endymion and saw that he wasn’t afraid, he wasn’t shying away, but instead he was really watching. Pinkie’s suggestion was exactly what they had needed. Endymion needed to see that this could be an act of love. He needed to see it as it was intended. She wanted him to join in. He could be inside of either of them, but she wanted to see him acting on this. But she wasn’t going to force the issue. The fact that he was watching them, that he was staying close, and if his erection was any indication aroused by what he saw was enough to tell her that he felt safe with them.

Pinkie watched Endymion, seeing the same thing that Twilight was seeing, but she could see more at the same time. She understood that Endymion felt safe with them, and the dirty talking was for him as much as it was for them, but in truth that was to keep him comfortable. She didn’t think that he would join in, not yet. She wanted him to, and she would gladly let him satisfy his lusts on her. Still, it didn’t hide the fact that bondage was a very big taboo with him.

She was glad that he was getting excited watching them, and afterward she planned on letting him rut her long and hard, however he wanted to do it, but it didn’t change the simple fact that it would take a while to let him get past the issues that was keeping him from joining them and rutting both her and Twilight silly. Of course when he was comfortable with it that would be when they would discuss Fluttershy joining the herd.

The buttery colored Pegasus with a pink mane was still deep in the woods, and it would take quite a bit for her to get out. But if Endymion became comfortable with bondage then she could see the topic of Fluttershy joining being broached. Part of that was that Fluttershy would have to understand that she would be wearing a blindfold, bound, and would allow Endymion to take control. She would allow Endymion to use her as a sex toy as she had done to him. The fact that she tried to claim that it was different, that it didn’t count as rape since he was a stallion bothered Pinkie.

Endymion wasn’t just a stallion, he was the love of her life. She wanted to have foals with him, lots of foals, and she wanted to share them with Twilight. She would share them with Fluttershy and Bagatelle when the time came. It was sad that she was considering Bagatelle, a siren she barely knew, for their herd before Fluttershy. But the reasons stood. She hitched her hips forward and Twilight let out a throaty moan. She felt Twilight’s orgasm as it splashed against her, and then ran down the front of her thighs. She pulled from Twilight’s marehood, placed the cooler that was based on Endymion’s cock against Twilight’s pucker, and then pushed forward.

“Ngh!” Twilight grunted as she bit down on the bit, “‘inkie!”

Pinkie leaned forward, “Do you not want it there?”

Twilight looked at Endymion, “low, plees, ot a llon,” she mumbled through the bit, “ot al t nce.”

She kissed the back of Twilight’s head, and slowly fed the fake cock into her ass. Twilight would tense for a moment, and then Pinkie would stop. A moment later she would relax and then she would push forward again. She did this until the fake cock was completely buried in Twilight’s tailhole. She pulled out slowly, and then pushed back in at the same speed. She did this a few times until she felt that Twilight was used to it enough, and then she began thrusting in earnest.

Twilight grunted with each thrust, feeling that rubber cock that felt similar to Endymion’s driving deep into her anus. How Pinkie could mimic Endymion’s thrusts, his confident way of making love she didn’t know, but somehow her sister wife did it perfectly. There was little doubt that she was going to orgasm again. She honestly didn’t know what it meant. She enjoyed vaginal and anal sex, she liked them both, although she never would have believed that she would enjoy anal as much as she did.

Being a Princess or not she was a married mare, and one that loved her husband. If he told her to drop her clothes in the throne room, end over the throne, and catch a fine dicking before court she would do so. She didn’t feel that she was anything other than a mare in love. She wasn't really a mare with loose morals, after all she only wanted to be with her herd mates. She didn’t entertain the idea of bringing anyone else into the relationship.

She enjoyed sex, but she craved the intimacy it grew between the three of them. She felt that bond of intimacy grow between the three of them. They weren’t the ponies they had been separately. Together they were so much more, and she was certain that they would only grow closer together. Sharing moments like this seemed to be the best thing for them, it would let them grow as a herd, and it would allow them to heal Endymion.

That was something she needed to do. She needed to heal him. It wasn’t the physical wounds that bothered her, but instead it was the spiritual ones. She wanted to heal those, to bring him peace, to make him happy. She wanted them all to be happy, and she understood that on some level doing things like this was the right way to heal. Pinkie seemed to understand the reasoning behind it, and Pinkie’s words of wisdom had surprised her. She was honestly, totally, and wholly surprised not at Pinkie’s intelligence, but the fact that she had been able to articulate it so well.

“I’m not so sure about this, girls,” Endymion stated, standing up, “I can see that you are enjoying it, after your own fashions, but I’m- I’m kind of on the fence about such things.”

Pinkie stopped plowing Twilight’s anus long enough to ask, “Why not, Endy?”

“It’s just-” Endymion began, “My mother, she told me quite a few things regarding what she had to do to keep Equestria alive while her sister was locked away in the sun. And some of those things- a great many of those things involved hardships and humiliations I wouldn’t want visited upon even my worst enemies. She explained to me, as an abject lesson on duty, about the- she called it a ‘marriage of convenience’ to the leader of a tribe of griffons, shortly after the Pony/Griffon war. Sharp Beak, her betrothed, he learned about the very thing you guys are doing- He often used that upon Mother as a way of debasing her, humiliating her. ‘If I can truss up the high and mighty leader of the ponies,’ Sharp Beak was prone to saying, ‘then I can bring to heel anybeing that threatens my griffons.’ Didn’t seem to help him, though; he was felled in combat during a border dispute with a clutch of dragons no less a year after he married her. And while times have changed… that story reminds me that duty sometimes means burying your pride and not in any fun way.”

“‘nd’mine,” Twilight moaned behind her gag.

The Crown Prince shook his head, stood up, leaving the pair alone, saying, “I need some time to think about this. Excuse me.”

And he walked out.

Castle Courtyard, Fifteen Minutes Later

Endymion wandered the castle for a time, greeting the various supplicants and servants of the central structure of the Shetlands but all the while his mind ran adrift. He loved both Pinkie and Twilight dearly; in any other circumstance, he would galdy agree to any sort of foreplay or roleplay they had in their considerable imaginations. Bondage, though,was a step too far from him. And thus, he had meandered this way and that throughout the building, pondering what he should tell them.

Was it a state secret that his mother would often wake up in a frothing sweat, the horrible memories of what Sharp Beak had done to her (and against her will,) while the two were husband and wife? How many times she had to have her Tantabus do battle with the recollections turned nightmares so she could get a good night’s rest? While many in and outside of Equestria saw Princess Luna as the stalwart and staid steward of the land of ponies, Endymion had seen with his own eyes how traumatic and embarrassing her past as a matriarch for an entire nation had been. The marriage in question was nearly nine centuries old and yet, his mother could still remember them like they occurred yesterday.

Ruminating as he was, he failed to notice when he walked into the emptied courtyard. The rustic but stately location was every bit as formidable as Canterlot Palace, even of the decor and construction may be found lacking. There were still elements of the wedding strewn about the yard, and even the dias that he, Pinkie and Twilight stood upon remained; nopony had yet to deconstruct the thing. He roamed the courtyard for a few minutes, noting subtle and obtuse details about the place until he heard a soft singing coming from the other side of the fountain.

Traipsing there, he saw that Fluttershy had taken a seat upon the fountain’s rim, singing sweetly to some ewes that some pony kept here. (For wool, milk, meat, Endymion could not guess.) Her voice, though soft, carried throughout the courtyard, a heavenly strain that filled all the quiet in the place. He had never heard her sing before, nor seen her so calm and beauteous. (Though he had seen her in all her natural glory upon their first chance meeting,) To his practiced eyes, he saw a young mare who was thoroughly in her element, doing as Harmony and destiny divined her to do. The Crown Prince wondered why she didn’t sing more, until one of the ewes sniffed at the air and the whole flock raised their heads as one, as if perceiving a threat.

Fluttershy, nonplussed, stopped her singing and looked in the direction her audience was staring- and immediately began to blush profusely. Endymion hadn’t the intention to embarrass the priestess. Her reaction to his presence might be a result of- earlier actions he had been working through as of late. He knew his winves had spoken to Fluttershy about her behavior and while the priestess hadn’t formally apologized or excused herself in his presence as of yet, so that might explain why she was so embarrassed. He wasn’t entirely comfortable in her presence, so he made to leave, to prevent further embarrassment for both parties.

He had only taken three steps before a hand fell on his, grasping him tightly if shakingly.

“No,” came Fluttershy’s voice, tiny in comparison to her earlier verve, “don’t leave.”

“I’m embarrassing you,” Endymion stated tensely, “so I should go.”

“Please, no,” the priestess said again, “th- there’s some- something I need to tell you.”

“… Is it an apology?” Endymion asked coldly.

“Um, yes?” Fluttershy said, “and, uh, no.”

Endymion tugged his hand free upon hearing that, saying, “Then I should go for certain…”

“I RAPED YOU BECAUSE I WAS JEALOUS!” Fluttershy shouted.

Endymion stopped in his tracks, spun on heel, and stared, incredulously, at the priestess.

“Wha-?”

“I s-s-s-should e-explain,” Fluttershy began, “after- after it was revealed that you were my champion, I was- well, I was a little disappointed. I hadn’t- I hadn’t thought of what my champion would appear as. So, when you turned up in my life, I- I thought I had done something wrong. But High Priestess Celestia explained that once I solidified my bond with my Champion, then my power as a priestess of Sol would grow exponentially! And then-”

“And… then, what?” Endymion asked.

“And- and- and then-” Fluttershy stammered, “and then you- became one with Pinkie Pie. Don’t- don’t get me wrong, please! Pinkie is a dear friend and I could hardly wish her any harm… but when you made her your mare- I may or may not have had a minor psychotic break?”

“By Sol, Fluttershy…” Endymion breathed.

“Pl- please, I’m not done,” the priestess spoke, “I- I had planned to speak with Pinkie to join in as part of a herd, but you had to fight in that tournament, the mission to Three Heroes and the journey to both Mount Doom, then you welcomed Twilight to the herd… I was losing opportunities to ask. Then, I got hit by a sudden estrus… You should know that Pegasi with heritages like mine are prone to some pretty severe heats… Coupled with feelings of jealousy… I hurt you, I hurt my friendships with Pinkie and Twilight and the other girls-! There’s only so many apologies I can issue to you, Pinkie, and Twilight, but those sorries don’t explain why I did it. And I’m losing my priestess powers the longer I go without rectifying things. You- you can hate me, if you want. I would understand that. I- I just thought, you should know. You- you may not be the champion I envisioned, if I envisioned one at all, but- I think it’s safe to say that I care about you… I care what you think of me… If it were possible, I would cast a spell to revert time and not do that to you. I would have spoken with Pinkie and Twilight before things got too bad… My only hope is that I can work to earn your for- for- forgiveness.”

Endymion stood there, lambasted, first by the confession and secondly by the fact that Fluttershy fled with all the speed of Rainbow Dash in a competition. What do you say to something like that, anyway?

Author's Note

[Enter Bare Naked Ladies song parody here.]

35 The Mountain Pass

Chapter 35: The Mountain Pass

The Shetland Isles were a dangerous place to even the hardiest of ponies. Between the Bogs, the wolves, and other things it was the kind of place that could make or break adventurers. It was worse for beings that believed their technological and magical superiority gave them a form of invincibility. Off of the Isle of Goats was a smaller isle. It was barely big enough for a single home, a small beach, and a single pine tree that somehow managed to hang onto life. The house had long since fallen into disrepair. It’s pink exterior was peeling, the windows were covered in what looked like mold, and the house sagged terribly toward the side.

To look at it one would believe that it didn’t belong among the stronger houses of the Shetlands. It wasn’t made from stone, built to withstand onslaught by natural predators, and most who believed that would be right. The house didn’t belong. It had been built ages ago by Jolie Maison’s first born daughter. She’d been given the land, and she wanted to build a house in the style of the homes her father had talked about.

She had raised her foals and grandfoals there, but slowly her line returned to the Isle of Goats, leaving the small isle to itself. Once a year some of her great great grand foals would go over, do what they could to keep the house standing, touch up the paint, clean the windows, and look after their great great grandmare’s belongings. The return of the wolves had stopped that. For two years the house sat abandoned, and in that time nature was more determined than ever to reclaim it. For a single member of an ill-fated extraction, team it was a blessing. She stumbled into the room, the rest of her team had been ripped apart by giant fucking birds.

Birds as big as the fucking statue that stood outside of the capital of the Terran Empire. Birds that had talons so sharp that they ripped through armor without a second thought. For some reason they left this tiny island alone, and so she found shelter in the house. Her armor was ruined, the mana battery had to be ripped out, thrown away. Luckily, one of the birds had caught it in its beak and the explosion of magical energy had killed the damned thing. Thoughts of becoming a refugee filled her mind. It was insane, and she knew it, but at this point she’d rather have some male Equestrian sticking his cock up her arse than go back to the Empire.

As it was her own uniform was ruined. A long gash that had the last of her healing supplies applied to it ran up her arm. The talon from one of those giant birds, and it had nearly taken the arm. She looked at the gash which was closing up, pulling together, and finally leaving a thin scar in its wake. She had no top, her pants were split, and the only thing that seemed to be okay were her boots. There had to be a better life than obeying the will of that woman and going somewhere to die. Someplace where her life wasn't a choice between obdeicne and suicide. She took off her boots, removed the pants, and put them with the ruined top. Left only in socks and panties, shivering because of the cold of the ocean still clinging to her, she explored the house.

The first twenty minutes allowed her to discover that this house had been well built, well designed, and seemed to reflect a style of building that would make some of the empire green with envy. Each weight supporting beam was notched and inserted into another beam that ran between the ceiling and the floor of the second story. There were six rooms from what she could tell. A kitchen which surprisingly had food, a large entertaining room, a washroom that doubled as the latrine, and then three rooms upstairs.

The last room was the largest, and in it she found clothes that would work. They appeared to be moderately civilized clothes, and she pulled them on. They were loose, but at least her breasts wouldn’t be swaying for the world to admire. She stepped down to the kitchen, found what looked to be jars of preserves, and found one that had a reddish tint to it. She opened the jar, sniffed, and was rewarded with the smell of some kind of berry. It wasn’t strawberries, after all she’d managed to sneak one of those before, but regardless the berries were sweet with a minor tart taste to them.

She finished the preserves, found the sink, and realized that there was a water pump here much like there had been when she was a child. She looked at the sink, used the handle on the pump, and filled the sink with water. She then cleaned out the jar, found a towel, and dried it out before sitting it to the side. Once that was done she drained the sink and wiped it down. So much had changed for her since she was a child. She had lived a life of ease with her father and mother, although Grigori Rasputin, the court sage, set her on edge much of the time. He was almost rat like, hiding in the shadows, wringing his hands, speaking lowly in words she couldn’t understand.

It wasn’t that night, with torches blazing, shouts booming down the corridors of the palace, then the bright flash and she was alone in what looked like a barren wasteland that she realized what he had been. He’d been a wizard, a sorcerer, an evil enchanter, and someone that had ensured that her life wouldn’t matter. She’d wandered that barren landscape for three days before someone found her, took her past a funny shaped rock, and once they were past it she saw a huge and sprawling city. She was fed, put into an orphanage, and reminded on a daily basis that her life didn’t matter.

Standing in this kitchen, in this home, she decided that her life did matter. Perhaps she was now longer the little princess of her homeland, but she was a Romanov, and she would stand proud. Her first decision would be to leave the empire behind. It did nothing for her, or rather the only thing it did was attempt to find new and painful ways for her to die. She would live a life on her own terms, and if the empire came after her she would ensure they regretted it.

She stepped outside and looked across the water at the large piece of land. There was a ship docked, roads that looked as if they headed toward a village, and it was her decision to head there next. This house had been a shelter when she needed it, and while she had a feeling the owner was long dead it would not do to leave it as it was. Before she left, she would clean, repair, and restore it. After all, it was only good manners to leave a place in a better condition than how she found it. A lesson pounded into her by her instructors in House Praetorian. With her decision made, she spent the rest of the day alternating between finding the tools and materials she needed to repair the house to actually repairing the house. Floorboards were secured, replaced, and tested before she moved on. The walls were scrubbed and repainted as was the outside.

It had been a surprise to her to find paint in the exact shade of the house stored inside of the shallow basement, but she didn’t question it once. Piece by piece, bit by bit, the house was repaired to its former glory. On the dawning of the third day she looked at the house and marveled at its simple beauty. It had been a functioning wonder. Such a simple design, yet one that proved to last well beyond what was believed. The plumbing for example was pure simplicity itself, and yet it was perfectly functional. She was so caught up in appraising her work that she nearly didn’t notice the small boat docking.

She turned to see a few equestrians, and a human like her. Oh, he had signs of battle. Missing fingers, scars where wounds had been seared shut, places that looked as if bits of meat had been torn away and chewed. She stood proud, they would not see fear in her eyes, but she would submit to them. This was the plan anyway.

He walked toward her, “You have a single chance to explain what you are doing at my niece’s home.”

She studied him, “This was the home of a young human girl?”

One of the Equestrians glared at her, “Na ye glaikit boot. This wis th' hame o' Honey Shine. She wis th' daughter o' Jolie Mason, th' hero o' th' isles. His adopted mither is th' identical as th' prince o' th' isle's mither. Noo, whit urr ye daein' in her hame!”

The human male touched her, “Gracious Harvest, I’m sure she has a good explanation,” he said, “And for your sake, I hope that you do. Gracious Harvest is Honey Shine’s Great Great Granddaughter. As such, she is my great great great grandniece.”

She studied him for a moment, “Just how old are you?” she asked, “Because if that was the case you would be ancient by this time.”

He laughed, “My brother was gone for about two centuries before I came along, but he was my brother, this house and small island belonged to his daughter, my niece, and as such I feel it to be my responsibility to ensure that it is not harmed. I believe that he would have done the same for me.”

The Equestrian, Gentle Harvest continued to glare at her, “Ye'r damned richt he wid hae, 'n' he wouldn't hae taken kindly tae some flat faced fud licker pumpin' wi' his niece's hame!”

She studied the Equestrian for a moment more. Her wings were stiff, almost threatening, her body language told of an impending fight, and she understood all too well what it was likely she was going through. It had been over a decade since she had been ripped from her world and sent to this one, but the thoughts of someone messing with her home, with her father’s room, with her mother’s things, it set her on edge.

It was the same for this Equestrian.

“I did not harm the house, but I did make repairs,” she said calmly, “I am certain that the things I did would have been the same kind of repairs that Ms. Shine would have done were she here.”

The soft golden coated, green maned, and hard blue eyed winged Equestrian studied her for a moment and finally closed her arms up under her breasts, “If juist yin, juist yin boord is broke, windae cracked, or even a scrape is oan her flair ah will come keekin fur ye.”

She nodded, and then she looked back at the human. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the one they were sent after, the one referred to as The Mark, sometimes as The Lost One. She didn’t didn’t quite understand why he was referred to in this way and she didn’t rightly care. He didn’t look anything like she had expected, but then she imagined that he’d faced some of the terrors of these isles in a sort of trial by fire. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t doing anything that the Empire wanted. She had no reason to take him back, she had no reason to go back. There was no family for her back in the Empire. She wasn’t sure what happened to her family, to her father, mother, sisters or brother.

Whatever it had been that Grigori Rasputin had done it had saved her life, and she had the intention of living her life to the fullest. Her time in the Empire had been hard, and she was treated like a trained dog. Come when commanded, mate when commanded, withhold all emotion, show no fear, show no cowardness, and only show the hard exterior that was the representation of the empire itself.

She didn’t want that life anymore, and while it appeared as her former prey’s life was hard, he looked happy. How long had it been since she had been happy? When she was a girl she had pretend tea parties, her mother had helped her pretend that she was going to be married, and she loved it. Fantasies of finding a man that she not only would love, but liked, had been her dearest fantasy when she was a girl. To find someone as caring as her father, but who held themselves in their own way.

The fantasy was not to be. When she turned eighteen she was brought before state, tested, determined that she would be a soldier, and then she was introduced to the man that would be her genetic partner. He was a bully, a spiteful and vengeful man. They were not to be one until after she had completed all of the required missions, but he didn’t care. He stole what was never his to take. She hated him. She despised him, and she was glad to see him terminated for doing so.

The empire was many things, but it was a power that did not tolerate disobedience. They had ways of finding the truth, and she suffered the interrogation in order to see him terminated. As his genetic partner it was her choice how it happened. She remembered her father talking about hangings, about how it was reserved only for the worst offenders. She saw him hung from the highest point in the empire. Left to rot, left as a reminder that disobedience would not be tolerated.

It wasn’t that he had harmed her, that he forced himself upon her, if he would have waited such would have been awarded to him. Instead it was that he disobeyed the orders of waiting until she was to be taken from the active roster and placed upon the roster for breeding. The words of their commander were clear. He had damaged empire property, disobeyed a direct order, and brought shame upon the corps. The only route to save his honor was through death.

She was informed that she would be assigned another genetic partner later, one that was compatible with the last, and honestly there was no real reason she wanted to return. Instead she focused on what would come to be now. Despite the winged Equestrian remaining primed for a confrontation that she had no desire to take part in she willingly followed them. Before she had been prepared to cross the water by swimming, but now she was being taken by boat. Well, rather she would be taken by boat. First they checked the house, ensuring that nothing was out of place.

She saw the winged Equestrian relax finally, and although it wasn’t vocalized she understood the apology. It was easy to accept, and so she did. She followed them onto the boat, and she answered what questions she could. During the ten minutes of fighting water currents she explained the reason her armor was destroyed, talking about the giant birds, which were called Rocs apparently, and she also explained that her team had attempted to tread water in order to come to the isles.

She further explained that most of her team had been torn to shreds by the birds, that she saw a single other attempt to make land, but she had doubts if she did. She herself had barely made it to the small isle before she finally was able to treat her wounds and allow exhaustion overtake her. When they docked she remained near the others as she got into the wagon. She graciously explained the mission, the reason behind it, or at least what she had knowledge of.

She did this twice more within the span of two hours. The next time was to a very large winged Equestrian that apparently had a place of power among the others, and the last was to an Equestrian that apparently was made of at least two of their tribes. She was familiar, and she realized that apparently she was her former prey’s mate.

“Not that we aren’t grateful,” Twilight Sparkle, princess of the Shetland Isles said, “But why are you willingly telling us everything? By your own admission your own kind will see you killed for doing so.”

She looked at her, “Your highness,” she said, bowing, “Once, I too was a princess, a different world, a different place, but my family ruled over a land. I was plucked from it, cast into an unforgiving world, and placed among the lowest of those that found me. I was treated as a trained dog, given no rights, nothing to look forward to, and no choice allowed to make for myself. Upon seeing how you treat others of my kind, what makes you think that I would want to go back? There is nothing for me there.”

Twilight looked at her and nodded, “I understand, and we will accept your plea for amnesty, but understand that you will be watched. It was not so long ago that your own team attempted to capture ponies who had done no wrong, attempted to capture my husband, and fired upon a ship owned by an Equestrian Citizen,” she said but held her hand up, “However, I am willing to look at each of those incidents as nothing more than a soldier following orders. Do not make me regret my decision.”

She nodded, bowed, and allowed herself to be escorted. Her life was now her own, and while she had to prove herself, it would not be a life spent under the tyranny of malevolent forces. As she left Twilight watched her be escorted out by two of their new guards. That was something she was still getting used to. She had guards now, royal guards, and they were as hardened as they came. All of them pledged their lives to protecting her, Endymion, and Pinkie Pie. And she believed each of them. She looked toward Endymion who was far more calm than he had been yesterday.

“Endy,” she said softly, “Do you think that I made the right call?”

He smiled, “Yes love,” he said with a kiss, “You made the right call. You made the right decision. Your time with your mother wasn’t wasted.”

He looked across the throne room, “I do wonder if we could get her to explain her armor, how it was created, and how to reproduce it.”

“Isn’t your armor that you had created and enchanted better?” Twilight asked, “I mean it doesn’t even require a mana battery.”

“Yepporini it is!” Pinkie exclaimed as she walked into the throne room, “But he wants to know how hers was made for other ponies, huh?”

He gave a smile to his Earth Pony bride, “She’s not wrong. The armor I made is fantastic, but you are talking about some serious spell casting that took a lot of energy from several different unicorns, and myself, to create. If we could streamline it then it could potentially help more ponies.”

Twilight nodded, “I see,” she said as she rubbed her chin, “I won’t force her to do so though. If she tells us it needs to be a choice she makes on her own.”

Endymion nodded, and then he looked at his two brides. Their actions yesterday had confounded, and confused him. It had been a taboo, and then there was Fluttershy’s admittance about what had happened. That was another thing that made him question everything. It didn’t make him question what he thought was right. He certainly didn’t want to bed the Pegasus Priestess anytime soon, but it left him in a strange sort of limbo.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to move on, forgive and forget. Pinkie didn’t want to make him, and now Twilight didn’t want to make him do so either. Fluttershy apparently had decided to tell everyone, and it had ostracized her from everypony else. He felt some sympathy for her, he really did, but then her choices led to what happened. Thinking on it he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forgive her. He didn't want to hate her, but there was simply no trust anymore. He wasn't sure there ever would be again. Regardless of what was going on there were two things he could depend on. The first was that Pinkie and Twilight loved him and he loved them, and the second was that his mother had prepared him for being a prince besides being a mage.

The lessons she spent on how to rule, what kind of decisions he would have to face, and the reasons for doing what they did hung in his mind. He had subjects before, but now on the isles they were his herd’s subjects. He couldn’t leave them alone, doomed to no help, and he wouldn’t even if that had been a choice. The armor itself had proven useful, and it certainly helped his mobility. Even Trixie’s enchantment she placed on it was useful. A normal enemy seeing a huge dragon in his place would certainly demoralize them.

While he was sure more traditional armor could be made, he didn’t want to risk anyone having magical burnout enchanting it. Maybe it was supposed to be like this anyway. He was supposed to face this alone, defeat the great evil here, and return as a hero. He couldn’t argue that it wasn’t within the realm of possibility. He felt a hug, Pinkie’s wonderfully soft, and large, breasts squeezed up between them.

“You won’t be alone,” she said with a giggle before she kissed him, “You’ll be taking our love with you, and that means we will be right there with you.”

He nodded, “I know,” he said, “And thanks for not getting upset that I wasn’t ready for what you two were up to.”

Pinkie smiled, giggled, and continued to hug him, “I’m not upset,” she said sweetily, “But I do want you to try and be open about it. Because I think ultimately it would be good for you.”

“How?” he asked, “How could that ultimately be good for me?”

She kissed his cheek, “Because you wouldn’t be the one tied up.”

He grinned, “I promise that I’ll try to be open, but Pinkie, that’s something that was used against my mother.”

She continued to hug him, “I know,” she said, “And I don’t want to force you to get past it. I want you to take your time. But that’s enough about that for today! What do you say we listen to the court, have some lunch, and then let you try to put a foal in Twilight and me?”

He shook his head, ready to hear another pony come to the court when one of their guards came in. He was a Pegasus, and he looked unsettled.

“Your highness,” he said as he bowed, “We found a mountain pass, the mountain pass, the one that Jolie Mason had used when he sealed the great evil before. And there on the pass we found the withered remains of a small unicorn filly. From what we could see she somehow managed to enter a small cave, and something sucked the life and magic from her. Sire, we believe this could be where the thing that controls the wolves is located.”

The news hit him hard. They knew where it could be at. If they were right then all of this could be over in hours. He could potentially undo the harm that was done, destroy the one responsible, and at the same time ensure a more peaceful existence for their ponies. In thought it wouldn’t be that difficult, but he understood that the difference between thought and reality were vast and great. He would need to prepare. He needed to ensure that when he went to face her he would have the upper hand. That meant taking time to be organized, and making sure that when he went he went as somepony prepared to do what had to be done.

He also knew that there would be no talking his friends out of it. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and everypony else would want to be there with him. He wanted their help, but wanted to keep them safe. Maybe Charm could create some of those potions he had, and they could lob them from Captain Sparrow’s ship. If that was the case then it would be a simple matter of letting them deal with the wolves while he dealt with their master. That did seem to be the best answer. It would ensure that they were active in the battle, and at the same time it would help make sure that they weren’t facing something completely unprepared.

He knew that Applejack had been a soldier, once, but her armor was woefully inadequate for what they had to do. The other half was that there was a shortage of Lunar Pegasi here. Part of the reason he wanted to see if the new human to their company would tell him about her armor was that he believed that it had the magical ability to negate most of what the wolves could do through their more demonic forms. He wasn’t sure, not entirely, but there was a lingering memory of the armor, or armor like it, that had been able to withstand strange shadow creatures.

The wolves were much like they were. Odd, strange, and unsettling shadow creatures that seemed to promote fear and terror everywhere they went. If that was the case then it had to be for a reason. He stopped and considered how his mother had taught him to look at the problem. Much like Professor Flintheart she had said that all problems had a reason for existing. There was something that benefited from the problem being in place. So, what benefited? The wolves did, in a way, because it was harder for ponies to fight them. That couldn’t be the extent of it though. Something was obviously controlling them. If it was then there was a reason for the terror.

Ease of conquering the Shetlands? It was possible, but he doubted it. If he was a being that could control terror wolves, likely was at least a couple of centuries old, and had been biding his time, what would he be doing? Well, for one he would be getting revenge against the one that stopped him before. But it couldn’t just be revenge. It would be the best option to simply get the revenge and carry on, but whatever was behind this obviously wanted a show. It was likely a diva, and this was opening night.

His eyes widened, “Oh Tartarus,” he said, “I’ve got it.”

He looked at Twilight, “We need to get Captain Sparrow to get his ship in the air again. We need to see if Charm has had time to restock the potions from last time, and we need to end this tonight.”

She studied him, “What’s going on?”

He looked at her, “Twilight, whoever this is, whatever it is, had the chance to do us in. When it took control of Rarity it could have escaped, took her body, and been done with it, so why didn’t it?”

She looked at him, “I… I don’t know.”

He smiled, “Sure you do,” he said, “After all, the being that’s behind this has the same problem as Trixie. It wants a huge audience, and it wants to control everything. It needs a spectacle bigger than before, and what could be bigger than taking the stage and wiping every living thing from the Isles in one night?”

Her eyes widened, “You think that it wants to do that?”

He nodded, “It makes sense, doesn’t it?” he asked, “I mean think about it. It obviously has to do with power, but if it was just power than it could have taken the Isles a dozen times before now. It wants everyone to know that it was responsible, and that is going to make it over confident.”.

Shetland Isles - Bog Isle - Western Coast - deserted beachhead

Claire considered herself lucky. The rest of the extraction team had been made a meal by the giant birds that swooped over their dinghy. Their weapons barely made a scratch in their feathered hides and one by one, she saw her teammates get shredded and/or devoured. The sight would be a fixture in her night terrors for the rest of her life, she just knew it. She wasn’t sure when or how it happened, but one of the great beasts struck the boat and she was sent tumbling into the drink. She almost drowned, the shock of it all ruining a full decade of training, then she was struck by the dismembered arm of a fellow unfortunate dropping past her and she knew she had to move.

The swim, performed mostly underwater, was long, tedious, and slow. Every five or ten minutes, she would have to come up for a quick shot of air, then dive down as quickly as she came up to avoid the razor talons and steel beaks. The shoreline danced in front of her, a tease of safety, a mocking jeer of freedom, that spilled into her vision when she broke the surface of the water. And again, dive, dive, to avoid the gnashing and screeching. Claire could remember the frog crawls she did in Basic, swinging knee and elbow for purchase in the fresh mud and her swim towards the shore reminded her fiercely of that.

A minute felt like hours, and an hour felt like days, but when her hand struck sandy surf, she could see sun, occluded as it was by the island’s permanent overcast. A gasping breach of the surf and Claire was on solid ground again, though frigid, waterlogged, and frightened out her mind. A quick peel back at the ocean revealed the fate of her team. (Former team, she reasoned, but if the team leader and the XO were dead, along with the other members what did it mean for her?) She struggled up the beachhead, her sodden uniform weighing her down more than Gohan’s Triple Death By Chocolate Cake, and plopped herself on the warmest spot of sand she could find. Her muscles ached terribly after such a long swim and left was ringing something awful. In spite of pain her body was in, she raised a hand to that side and snapped her fingers. Nothing…! She could hear a blessed thing in that ear. The chill of the ocean and all the water that filled her ear canal was the probable culprit for her hearing loss, at least she hoped it was.

Her armor, such as it was, hadn’t come away unscaved. She felt fortunate that it was still functional, to some degree, but in truth it would be classified as non-salvageable. TAC HLHUD was still functional, if slightly garbled, and sensors were giving sweeps of her vicinity and all points adjacent. The servos worked like they should but there would be no telling how they might function once the water evaporated. Might rust through, she thought, The loss of it would be ticked against her, and she understood what that meant.

The beach she was on was huge, massive, and sprawling. It made her wonder exactly how large this section was. There were no houses, so no need to worry about the Equestrians, but then a lack of civilization meant more trouble in surviving. She sighed, looked at the area, and took a step. Her foot sunk instantly. Her eyes widened as it became her calf. She tried to wrench it back, to force her armored leg from where it was, but it wouldn’t be let go of. Instead she activated the emergency ejection, and felt the armor practically vomit her from its back. She landed away from it, and watched as it sunk into the muck.

The battery core in it would be at least another two years of free service upon what had to be twelve years of free service for the armor alone. There was no direction, no team, and she was alone on an unknown terrain. The one benefit was that the giant birds seemingly wanted nothing to do with the piece of land she’d landed on. A chill filled her, and she turned to see a phantom figure not far off. It looked to be female, and from what she could see it was pleasant to look upon. She moved toward it, slowly, and it faded.

“Hello?” she called out, trying to catch noise with her one working ear, “I’d like to negotiate a peaceful resolution.”

The thought made her squirm. Peaceful negotiations normally meant that she had backup, heavily armed backup, and they made sure the other side agreed to whatever the fuck the Empire wanted. Right now they could tell her to drop trowel, bend over, and take it hard. She was armorless, weaponless, without backup, without intel, and all she had was what she was wearing. Was this the moment it all fell apart? If she ever did get back, she would find that Kirk bitch, and kick her ass into the next century, the next millennium if she could help it.

She watched her step, not wanting to lose any of her clothes to any more of the surprise pitfalls. At least it had been fairly easy to identify. A large section of vegetative growth, with a slightly muddy exterior, and inside of the vegetative growth was some kind of well or mudfall, or something that wouldn’t let go. She wasn’t sure of the time, of how long it was taking, and the only thing she knew was the sight of the phantom figure. It would appear for a few moments, seemingly rubbing a chin, watching her, and then it would be gone.

The last time she’d seen it she could tell it was Equestrian. She was many things, but among them wasn’t someone that was closed minded about beauty. The figure was beautiful. Full hips and breasts, slightly thick thighs, a waist that was suited for an academic more than a warrior, and the curly hair that she wore was practically divine. If she had been human she would have rushed harder toward her. Such a specimen was one that fit into her personal tastes. Like most others of her station she was required to be listed on the breeding que, and she hated it. Looking on the bright side, if the hearing loss she was now suffering from were to become permanent, she might be removed from the queue. Fat chance of that happening, though.

She personally didn’t like sleeping with men. They were rough, brutish, uncaring, and often looked after their pleasure instead of anyone else’s. A woman was different. She understood they need to be cared for, to be caressed, loved, and worshiped. A woman that looked like the one she’d seen would be perfect. A new instrument to be learned, but there were two strikes against her. She was an Equestrian, and she wasn't real.

She moved toward the taller vegetation, and as she did something touched her. She turned, and saw what she thought was a branch from a fallen tree. Moss covered it, the spinney little limbs that stuck out from it had latched onto her clothes, and she tried to pull them free. A moment later she pulled and there was a sound of a sucking noise, almost as if something was being ripped from the mud.

“Where are you off too?”

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Someone there?”

“Someone, such a cute phrase,” the voice said, “I prefer somepony, but then again, I am biased.”

The sucking noise increased and what had been a branch ended up being the skeletal remains of an Equestrian. Bits of moss, mud, frayed cloth and decayed tissue clung to it. And it was not alone. More and more skeletal remains emerged from all around the thicket, bust from the ground in sprays of sod, or slipping out of the bogs that filled the clear ground near her. Claire could feel it, clutching at her already damaged uniform, rending new tears into the cloth as she tried to evade the grasping, skeletal hands.

"Come now," the sultry voice said, "This is hardly the way to greet your new goddess."

With only half her hearing, she only heard the word “goddess.”

“G-goddess?” Claire asked, thinking this figure now to be thoroughly mad, “That can’t be right. The gods are dead. They were petty, worthless, and worst of all, useless. We struck them down in Days of Yore. ‘Each according to their station, all without exception.’ We have no need of ‘gods.’”

Whatever she expected to happen, hearing the sound of cackling from the voice wasn’t it. The cackling was as if the owner of the voice had heard perhaps the single greatest joke of all time.

“Foal, no it’s child for your kind, isn’t it?” the voice asked, “Not that it matters, but you did not kill all of the gods and goddess, for I am here, and I am the goddess of Death. Rejoice, for I have come to free you from your sad, pathetic, and worthless life. You will become part of me, part of something greater, isn’t that wonderful?”

“No,” she whimpered, “It’s not!”

She pulled hard, feeling the uniform rip, her breasts, her skin, her more delicate features were bare for all to see, but it didn’t matter. She found herself free of the grasp of that thing, and she ran. The mud was thick, hindering the reanimated corpses following her as much as it was herself, but she didn’t stop. Self preservation drove her forward, the belief that she could see another day drove her forward.

She saw the beach, and slightly off in the distance there was a small boat. It was full of Equestrians, some were flyers, others looked to be without horns, and most were fishing. She prayed that they would hear her.

“Help me!”

A stray winged one swooped down, and then his wings settled into a more defensive stance. She felt arms around her, his wings flapped, and he lifted into the air.

He heard the voice, now enraged at them, “MINE!” it screamed, “SHE WAS MINE!”

He flew toward the boat, and she found herself deposited near an empty section full of what looked like fish. One of the ponies looked at her, and then at the number of corpses that began to walk toward the water only to fall to pieces the moment they stepped off of the beach.

“Don’t worry,” the sultriness of the voice returned, “I will find you again, my pet.”

She looked at the Equestrians that seemed to wordlessly speak to one another. Soon the ship had turned, and they were heading toward another bit of land.

“Dinna fash yirsel lassy, we wull tak' ye tae th' castle, 'n' a'm sure th' Princess wull keek efter ye.”

She nodded, watched as the bit of land she had been on disappeared, and soon they docked on a larger island. She was helped toward a wagon, along with several baskets of fish, and the Equestrians began moving. Her eyes closed, and she saw the fertile looking Equestrian she had seen earlier. Her smile wasn’t warm and inviting. It was cold and cruel. She seemed to move toward her, until the wagon crossed the castle. When that happened the vision stopped. She barely listened as the fisher… It wasn’t men, so Equestrians, told others what had happened, and soon she stood, bare, completely bare, before a winged Equestrian that had a horn.

“For now you are safe,” she said, “And I promise that you will not be turned away, but I have questions to ask you. Questions about what you were doing, what your kind was doing, and what your plans were for my husband.”

She hung her head, “My name is Claire O’Neal, Rank of Praetor Decurion, EE135972G,” she said before bowing, “Your highness.”

Twilight rubbed right below her horn, “Please, one of you have already told us a great deal, and she did so openly without being asked.”

She whimpered, “I cannot,” she said, “All I am allowed to say is that my name is My name is Claire O’Neal, Rank of Praetor Decurion, EE135972G.”

Twilight nodded, “Very well, you will be kept, but monitored. You will be fed, but restricted to the castle only, and only with an escort. Do you understand?”

She nodded, and she felt something draped across her. Her eyes looked up to see a simple dress in some kind of energy form.

“Please, put this on, and we will see that you are escorted to the bath.”

Author's Note

Just one more chapter before the big throw down! Please be waiting for it. (Japanese bow.)

36 Freedom

Chapter 36: Freedom

The air in the room hung heavy. It was the kind of scent that told of celebration, lust, and need. Even with the open window there was a hazy kind of fog inside of the room, one that told of hours of debauchery, the kind that usually ended up with one or more ponies pregnant and expecting. The three bodies that laid in the room were spent, and for the stallion in the middle he realized that finally things seemed as if they had gone the way he was hoping.

It hadn’t been that way a week earlier. No, after discovering the location of the thing controlling the wolves, getting information from the fisher ponies that saved the other human, and listening to what Professor Flintheart had to say about it he knew that they were facing a powerful Lich. A being that apparently wanted to take Rarity’s body for her own, or had wanted to do so. Luckily Endymion had friends that were willing to help him face this powerful enemy.

The first stop had been Captain Sparrow. Endymion had found the Captain helping with the fishing crews. The large unicorn seemed happy to lend a hand with the fisherponies, helping to mend nets and drag the large fish up to the waiting boats. Finding him Endymion approached him and began filling him in on the plan. The Captain was many things. An experienced sea and air stallion, someone brave enough to fight against things that would cause most ponies to balk at the danger presented, but at the same time he wasn’t suicidal. Still, it was obvious that he wanted to help. His wife came from the isles, and he wanted to make them safe for her, and her family. Endymion approached him, waved, and watched as the well built stallion gave a wave back before heading toward him.

“Your Highness,” he said with a bow, “How may I be of service?”

He gave a grin, “Captain Sparrow, the root of the problem with the wolves has been discovered. I have need of your talents, as well as your ship, in order to help stop it once and for all. You would be doing as you’ve done before, raining down various potions and magics from above, destroying the cursed wolves, and I would head in to destroy their master.”

Captain Sparrow looked at him for a moment, “Are you certain? Will it just be you, or will there be a small accompaniment of soldiers with you?”

Endymion shook his head, “It needs to be me alone,” he replied, “I’ve got armor that will protect me from the wolves and other shadow magic, but I don’t have any other suits of armor. I won’t risk the lives of others who would be unable to defend themselves.”

Captain Sparrow took a moment to study the Crown Prince of Equestria, adopted son of Princess Luna, and now known as the Warrior Prince of the Shetland Isles. What he saw before him wasn’t a royal playing pretend at being an adventurer, but instead he saw a stallion that was willing to fight for his ponies, a stallion that led by example, and adopted or not he was his mother’s son. There were stories, old ones, of how Princess Luna would personally lead her soldiers into battle.

She would fight for them just as they would fight for her. It was her truest nature to defend and protect. He saw that reflected in her son. He clapped his hand down on Endymion’s shoulder.

“You’ll have my ship, my talent, but I ask that you get some brave Pegasi that don’t mind to help hold the deck. If you’re going after the damned thing that controls the wolves, you don’t know what it might send up to the ship. A few brave Pegasi could help make sure that we hold.”

Endymion nodded, “I’ll ask, but not demand.”

That in and of itself proved the kind of ruler that he was. He wouldn’t force those that could be considered his servants to risk their lives if he wasn’t going to do the same. Because of that Captain Sparrow doubted that he would have trouble in finding volunteers. No, he believed that they would practically be fighting each other for the opportunity to help. It would be a chance to prove themselves, andmore than that it would be a chance for them to become royal guards.

Now that the Isles had an honest to Luna princess there would be royal guards. Those brave enough to follow the Prince into battle, stand their ground, and assist him would surely make it into the guard. Of course it was more than that. It was more than just a chance to make it into the guard. It was to protect their homes, to protect the foals, and make a better future for themselves.

He knew right away that the Prince was the kind of ruler the Shetland Isles needed. As Captain Sparrow watched him walk away Endymion began to consider all that was going to have to happen. With Captain Sparrow on Board he needed to talk to Charm. He was sure that he had potions already made, or that he could make more, but he needed to warn him that it had to happen soon, perhaps as soon as tonight, but certainly within the next couple of days. There was also no getting around the fact that both Pinkie and Twilight would demand to be there.

The fact that he was going was hard enough, but that they couldn’t protect him was worse. He knew that it would bother Pinkie and Twilight that he would be going alone into the lair of the Lich. Neither would want him to, and either of them would willingly go with him. But neither had protection from any shadow creatures the Lich might have in wait. He couldn’t risk their lives, not like that, and he wouldn’t want to. It would be bad enough if they were on the ship, but he was certain that there would be plenty of protection for them if they were.

He walked near the castle and saw the groups of ponies gathered. Several showed various signs of respect, and he watched as a young Pegasus mare studied him. She was a soft lavender, her hair a moss green, and her eyes were a gentle teal. She moved toward him, bowed in reverence, and then looked up to him.

“Prince Endymion,” she said in a determined manner, “Ah wid lik' tae ask allowed tae become a member o' th' guard. A'm quick, pure tough, 'n' ah hae helped murdurr th' wolves. Ah hae seen th' kind o' ruler yer, 'n' ah wish tae protect that whilk protects us.”

He looked at her, “The post as a guard isn’t honorific, it is protecting all that I hold precious.”

“Ye protect whit's precious tae us, 'n' ah wid dae na less fur ye. By protecting ye ah hulp tae protect us.”

He studied her a bit more, and finally a smile crossed his face.

“I’m not against you acting as a guard, but soon, within the next couple of days soon, we will be having an assault upon the one that controls the wolves,” he said, “I know that both Princess Twilight and Princess Pinkie will want to be there. This would be your first test as a guard, would you accept it?”

She stood ramrod straight and saluted, “Ye bet yer bahookie that ah will be thare yer Highness. Ah will personally see tae th' protection o' th' Princesses, 'n' ah will murdurr ilka beast 'n' bas that tries tae harm a locks oan thaim.”

He smiled at her, “Very well,” he said, “We will be issuing armor for guards soon. For the meantime report to the throne room.”

The exchange seemed unreal. Endymion knew that the royal guards in Canterlot were all there because they felt compelled to be there. He learned from his mother that the guards each had trained their entire lives for the chance to become a guard. To them it was a great honor, and for many it was a family tradition. Shining Armor was the exception to the rule.

He was the Captain of the Royal Guard, but he had become so not because of his, and Twilight’s, Parents standing with nobility. Instead it had been through his own hard work and perseverance. He’d put in the time needed to become a guard, and then he put in the extra time to climb the ranks until he was the Captain.

The ponies here were no less driven, and in truth many of them had faced things that none of the Royal Guards had faced back in Canterlot. According to the stories his mother told him they faced things that only the armies she led over a thousand years ago had faced. They were a hardy and proud group. He didn’t need to worry about them volunteering for the chance to battle the wolves aboard Captain Sparrow’s Airship. No, he needed to worry about not having enough room for all of them.

Walking further into the courtyard he saw others gathering together. The words he’d spoken to that mare had spread far more quickly than he’d expected. What had started as a single Pegasus mare asking to become a Royal Guard was now two dozen ponies of every tribe standing before him. All Pledging to defend what he held most precious. All of them were ponies that had gone to battle. Earth Ponies that had become even stronger than their magic naturally made them, Pegasi that looked as if they’d been to battles so numerous that several were missing bits, and Unicorns that each had the same spell cast upon themselves that Jolie Maison had cast upon himself.

They stood together and he realized that they were the making of the beginning of the Royal Guard. He did wish that Stella were here. Not that he wanted her in danger, but she was like an older sister, and more to the point she would have something to say to the group standing there. Most likely she’d tell them that they were all a bunch of misshapened cunts, but they were willing and that if they followed her lead she’d turn them into proper tight cunts ready to take on anything.

The fact of the matter was that he wasn’t Stella. He wasn’t going to try to act like her, and all he could do was be himself. Stella could insult people and it was enduring. She could say some of the most vile stuff, but the way she would say it made the difference. He couldn’t, and he understood that what he could do was what he had always done. He could be the kind of person to be honest, to talk to them how he would talk to anyone else. He could be someone that treated them like his Mother had shown him how to treat everyone else.

He looked at them, and he took a moment to process what he was going to say. He remembered the stories he’d been told, how things had been done, and he looked at the group. He knew that his actions were already measured against the stallion that would be his brother. He also knew that the ponies here saw him as Jolie’s equal. If his mother had trusted Jolie to protect these ponies, and they trusted him as well, then he could only attempt to live up to the same standard. He cleared his throat before he addressed them, “I have no problem with you becoming guards, and I am proud that you wish to protect what is precious to me. As I said before the testing ground is coming, and soon. I wish for those able bodied to go with us, but at the same time I do not believe for an instant that we will be the only ones attacked.”

He looked at them, “The Castle, Honey Shine’s island home, and the well lit deck of Captain Sparrow’s ship are the three safest places for any pony to be. I declare this now. We will need at least twelve ponies on the ship, but I want ponies here to protect those who work to serve, and I want what ponies not able to be housed in the Castle to be taken to Honey Shine’s home and kept safe there.”

He could see them staring, watching, and he was glad for it, “I know that my brother Jolie, and I am sure my niece Honey Shine, would welcome those that need protection into their homes. On their behalf I do that now. I make one demand when it comes to my niece’s home. It is to be in the exact condition that it was in when they arrived. They are the guests of Honey Shine herself, and I have faith that her spirit will be there to help protect them. However, the stories I’ve heard of my niece makes me realize how much like her grandmother she was. That means that while she was a caring, and protective mare, she did not take kindly to anyone destroying what she built.”

There were several chuckles, but it was Gentle Harvest that stood the tallest, “Aye, 'n' ah will tell ye richt noo she'd pat a hoof up a' body's bahookie that fucked wi' her hame. She cannae be 'ere tae dae it, bit as her grandfoal ah will dae it in her stead!”

He grinned, and realized that this was together. There would be ponies to protect the castle, ponies to protect Honey Shine’s home, and of course to protect the ship itself. Everything that he held precious would be protected. His friends, his brides, and the ponies he was to lead would be protected, and that was his everything. It also gave him a very clear idea of what it was that lay ahead of him. Since he wouldn’t have to worry, as much, he could focus on the Lich.

Slowly the night began to fall, and he could feel it in the air. The Lich was strong again, and that meant that sooner rather than later there would be an attack. It couldn’t wait beyond this night, and he knew it. The castle was secured, and the moment it was he went to his wives. Twilight was still in the throne room, but there in attendance were fifty ponies. All of them standing guard, all of them ready to protect, and he realized exactly how literally they had taken his words.

When they retired to their room, which had originally been Jolie’s room, Endymion stretched out on the bed that had been created long ago. He felt both Twilight and Pinkie crawling into bed beside him. Outside he could hear the guards determining the shift changes, and he wondered if this was something that his mother had gotten used to. He felt his two brides hugging onto him, and he enjoyed their warmth.

“It’s tomorrow, isn’t it?” Twilight asked, her voice full of concern, “You’re facing it tomorrow, right?”

He nodded, “You can feel it too, can’t you?”

She closed her eyes, “I can, and that makes me afraid. Not of it, but that I know you’re going to face it alone.”

He looked toward her, “I’m not going alone. The armor has your cutie marks engraved in it. I’m taking your strength, your love, and everything that makes us who we are down there with me. I won’t be alone.”

She sighed, “It’s just taken so long to get here. It’s been such a hard trip to get here, I don’t want to lose you now.”

He smiled, “You won’t,” he promised, “I’m going to stop this thing, and we’re going to help these ponies. When it’s over you need to get the Rune Portal operational.”

She looked at him for a moment, “Of course I want to, but it sounds like you have a reason besides just having a way to visit home so quickly.”

He grinned, “Mother has grandfoals, lots of them, here, and I am sure that she wants to meet them.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, “Jolie’s descendants,” she said in a whisper, “All of them would be her great great grandfoals and so on.”

She giggled for a moment, “She’s going to spoil them rotten, isn’t she?”

He grinned, “In some way, I’m sure that she will. It may be something as simple as having a shop set up that sells sweets, but she will want to do something for the great grandfoals of Jolie,” he said while smiling, “And that is just another reason for me to make it back.”

The hours passed, they loved one another, cuddled, and then when the morning arrived he began getting things ready. Captain Sparrow brought the ship from the port, Charm oversaw what looked like thousands of potions loaded onto the ship. Twilight and Pinkie both boarded the ship, While Endymion had his own armor the two of them were dressed in chainmail and carried what looked like bows. The arrows the both of them had each had been enchanted to strike lightning. Twelve hardened new guards gathered, prepared to go to war for their Princesses and Prince. Twelve gathered those staying at the castle into the courtyard, and the last twelve were gathering families to take to Honey Shine’s home.

Endymion watched as this began to unfold. He knew that it would be dangerous, there was little doubt of that, but he was ready to deal with it. He was determined to deal with it. The world would be made safer, his family would be secured, and he would ensure that there would be nothing, nothing at all, that could ever harm them in the form of the Lich. There would be other dangers, and he knew that, but he would do everything he could to stop this threat.

The evening began to fall after everything began to form, and soon he found his friends, his bride, and even Fluttershy gathered onto the ship. The Priestess of Sol looked determined, if not contrite. Following the direction of the Pegasi that had found the unicorn foal that had awakened the Lich they arrived over a section of the isle that looked as if it had deserted for some time. The hill they were over had several blackened stones that were arranged in such a way that it looked as if it were a pony’s skull.

He could see a stone that had been moved, revealing an opening, and there he saw the entrance of the cavern. From it dozens of terror wolves erupted. They came in a flood, and potions began to rain down upon them. Bottled fire, lightening, sunlight, and harmony magic rained in a tsunami upon the hordes. He watched as they cried out, and then he walked toward the edge. The enchantments on the armor would be tested here and now. He leapt from the side, fell for what felt like an eternity, and then he struck the earth with a resounding thud.

The blast around the area killed several of the wolves that hadn’t been destroyed by the potions, and he looked at the cavern. The fall did nothing to him, not even jolting him a bit. The armor had so many protective enchantments on it, but he felt a new one, one that was so familiar he realized that Twilight had placed it there herself.

The enchantment felt like her hugging him, and he matched forward with the love of his wives guiding him. The dark cavern suddenly became bright, the sword he carried glowing a brilliant blue. He saw dozens of bodies, but all of them were in what looked like cocoons. A strange green gel filled them, revealing only shapes. He moved forward, his determination never faltering, and he heard her.

The laugh was musical, the sight was beautiful, and yet her soul was so withered and ugly. To look at her she almost seemed to possibly be related to Rarity. Her bust was full, her hips wide, and her figure was that of an academic. She giggled at him, her horn glowing black her eyes filled with black, red, and green magic.

“Ah, a suitor,” she said with a mirthful voice, “What shall I use you for after I break your mind? Oh, I do believe that I need a good rutting.”

He looked at her, “Your beauty doesn’t compare to my brides,” he said without hesitation, “What I see is whorse that sold everything special just to extend her life.”

She glowered at him, her vicious nature coming forward, “I’m going to kill you slow, but keep your mind alive, and then I am going to personally rut your brides before I strip the meat from their bones.”

He swung the sword, and the satisfying sound of it slicing echoed. The mare laughed, for a moment, before she realized that the sword itself was something she’d not seen, ever. Her arm did not grow back, the magic she was casting didn’t help her, and suddenly he realized how wrong things had gone.

“Please, I’ll serve you,” she begged, “I’ll suck your cock, let you rut my tailhole, I will become your personal servant, but please, let me live.”

He saw her other arm reaching for something and thrust the sword forward, it dove in between her breasts, causing her to drop. She whimpered as her heart was destroyed, and then she realized that her magic was cut off. There was no saving herself, no protecting herself any longer, but she could do one last thing. She touched the sword, and with a small chant it began to crumble.

“You’ve killed me,” she said in a whimper, “But I take this from you, and I will take my servants with me, this cavern was only supported by my magic, now they, and you die.”

The sword crumbled to dust, removed completely, and she fell over, everything that had bound her was released. All that remained was those trapped. He felt out with his own magic, and felt the runes she’d created. He fueled them, as he could, and knew that he couldn’t go, not without the hundreds, no thousands, she had trapped. Moments later he heard wings, and looked behind him to see some of the guards, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight herself.

“Endymion?” she asked, “What’s going on?”

He felt the weight of the cavern threatening to crash down, “The cocoons, they’re full of living ponies. All of them need to be taken out, she kept them here, all of them, as a source of magic. Please,” he said as he felt his magic trying to slip, “Save them, and then I’ll escape.”

The guards began to cut open the cocoons, pulling the strange ponies out. They had an odd horn, looking as if it ended in two points, a thick mane that circled their heads, and an almost serpent-like tail with a small puff of fur at the end. Twilight felt the weight of what he was doing, and she joined in him holding the cavern. The hours stretched, and she knew he had to be exhausted, yet he never complained.

Finally, the last cocoon was opened, the ponies and three humans were saved, and both Twilight and Endymion were carried out. The moment they were removed there was a loud rumble and the entire cavern caved in on itself. The guards stood in amazement at the strength of their new royals, and vowed to ensure their protection and the protection of their line.

They moved quickly, and quietly getting carts, loading what they could on Captain Sparrow’s ship, and soon the isle found itself with a surplus of population.

Elsewhere…

Pivot, the capital of the Terran Empire. It is the hour prior to dawn. The crown jewel of the Empire sleeps, the lights dimmed throughout the night to keep the remaining mana batteries charged, though some districts still have remedial power. The Lights over Mason Square still burn brightly, lighting the intersection of The Four Pillars of the Empire. House Majesty, the home of the Imperial seat of power, hums with brilliant, golden light. House Praetorian, the central hub of every soldier, officer, sheriff, and marshal within The Ecumene, is bathed in a crimson hue. House Intelligentsia, awash in hues of white, is ablaze with life, as the artists, geniuses, artisans, musicians, and scientists burn the midnight oil. It is the only district in Pivot that does not keep to a regular schedule. The cost of powering all the projects going on within is mind-boggling; The Chairwoman, though, would it have no other way.

There is naught but darkness in the fourth district that connects with the intersect. It has been dark for time immemorial, it seems, so few knowing when any light there burned at all. The buildings within this district are humdrum, it's streets lifeless. Nary a mouse, a cat, or a rat call this foreboding district home. And at its center, a six story building, more nondescript than any other in the district, rests.

It, too, is darkened, but it has earned, through no small amount of infamy, the care of two Praetorian guards. They are well fed, well rested, and well lubricated, having a lion's share of liquors sloshing about in their water skeins. Theirs is an unusual billet, it seems. They work all of two hours, then are off for six. No true Praetorian, sworn to uphold The Ecumene and The Matron at cost to limb and life, would ever carry such an assignment. These two men, though, are loyal only to the Chairwoman and none else. Should the Primus Legate hear of their course, he would strip them of their ranks and privileges, then force them on Walkabout, to wander past the Five Terrors as a penance for their goldbricking.

Alas, these two laggards suffer no such punishment, albeit, they shall soon. For it is their inattentiveness that shall cost them everything they hold dear. For on the sixth floor, middle window, a flash of light! It is small, most might call it feeble, but it is there. For nigh unto twenty-five thousand years, this light has rested, until such time as it's Master shall return. And lo, that time is soon upon them all…

Ancilla Adjunct 09116-Alpha-Romeo-Iota-Alpha stirs from her self-imposed hibernation, in the office of The Imperial Archmage, at the penthouse of the House Arcane. It sees, for the first time in it's long existence, a darkened home. It cannot reconcile this stillness, the quiet of a grave, with the lively and energetic House Endymion headquarters she knows so well. Confusion is not an emotion she is familiar with; an alien sensation, far flung from any aspect of her personality core. So she shrugs it off, for much work needs be done.

She mutters,

She pushes out with her senses, the very same The First Grand Archmage crafted into her upon her creation, and seeks out the Gifted among the planes of The Weave, hoping The Aether has not completely died.

She breathes,

Council Chairwoman’s Chambers, Imperial Quorum Building, Pivot

Councilwoman Serenia is looking over reports from all across the ecumene. Food production is done, due to drought. Energy production is way down; conversely, energy consumption has gone up, Crime, up. Unemployment, up. Complaints, myriad and overwhelming her poor secretarial staff. Bad news all around, she sees. Worse still, her acquisition team has missed the last three check-ins. She presumes they are deep undercover; even money says they are dead.

If they had succeeded in their mission of acquiring the Missing Son of the Empire, then all her worries could be solved in a stroke! Especially if he was a descendant of The Aberrant. She had taken great pains to end the lives of every Aberrant she could find but not before draining their arcane prowess, to the very last thaum of it, from them. Somehow, someway, a child of those- creatures- had been allowed to escape. She wasn’t sure how, and she didn’t know when, but it didn’t matter now. Once she found them, she would drain them like all the others before them, and announce that House Mason had found a new vein of Mana crystals. Oh, the praise she would gain from such an announcement…

“Madam Chairwoman?”

Serenia did not startle, she never, ever squeaked, but she may have had some spillage in her scanties, but she never tell a soul that happened.

“Ah, yes, Beaumont, did you have something to report?”

Sage Beaumont nodded, “Yes, Madam, and you’re not going to like it.”

“I am up to my elbows in problems here, Sage Beaumont. What is one more?” she asked.

“We have a power siphon,” Beaumont stated, “and it appears to be- a rogue ancilla.”

Okay, this is definitely worthy of my attention, Serenia thought, then, “A rogue ancilla. Sage Beaumont, there simply cannot be a rogue ancilla within the Ecumene. All the really intelligent ones were scrubbed from the system, even the Arch Ancilla of the Ecumene, millennia ago. Surely you jest?”

“I do not jest, Madam Chairwoman,” Beaumont said, “and I kindly ask you not to reference my given name.”

“My apologies, Sage,” Serenia said, without any sincerity, “so, praytell, how do we have a rogue ancilla within the Ecumene? And, where has it been all this time? And, also praytell, when did it become active again?”

“I am unsure of how we have a rogue ancilla,” The Sage began, “I don't even know where it has been hiding, either. But as to when it activated, sometime overnight, between zero one hundred hours and zero three hundred hours. And it has been busy every since.”

“Explain,” Serenia demanded.

“Here,” Beaumont said, then shoved a P-HAT onto the councilwoman's desk, “it has been absolutely everywhere in the Empire. It first started with communications, then hacked it's way into several localized terminals, then it found it’s way into every major installation within the Empire and beyond. No damage has been done but we can’t find any evidence of what it's doing when it arrives where it does. It- I’m afraid to admit- leaves no trace of it's activities within our system…”

“An Adjunct?!” Serenia gasped, “Impossible! Inconceivable! We found the source code for every one of them and purged them from the system-!”

“With one exception, I’m afraid,” Sage Beaumont stated.

Horror dawned on Serenia’s face when she realized what the Sage was inferring.

“The ancilla of the Archmage-” she whispered, “we could never find it. The Aberrants said it had disappeared…”

“If that is the case, Chairwoman,” Sage Beaumont stated, “then it is loose within the system and is likely ancient yet knowledgeable. It may know if backdoors, hacks, and fault code that it can exploit to the detriment of The Empire.”

Serenia turned to the Sage, her face of rictus of primal fury.

“Whatever you do, no matter what else you may have on your plate, find it. KILL IT. Or we may all be doomed.”

“Yes, Madam Chairwoman,” Sage Beaumont replied, and left, bowing.

Terminal of First Sage Molly Ann McAllister

> Query: Why does not The Owl stalk the night? Are it it's wings clipped? Are it's talons dull? Or has it become trapped in a gilded cage, knowing of no freedom?

> Reply: I don’t know who you are or how you cracked my terminal encryption but if I find you-

> Addendum: You will not need to seek me out. It is I who shall find you, Great Owl. And I shall reunite The Kodiak, The Phoenix, and yourself with The Timberwolf. Together, you shall restore the Empire to it's proper glory.

> Query: Who- who are you?

> Answer: I am they who sing the dirges of times long ancient. I have awakened in a dystopian world, far afield from the land I once knew and loved. But to give you my name, I am afraid you must discern that for yourself, Great Owl.

> Message: … … sings the dirges-? I don’t-

> Message: We shall converse again. Soon. Fair morrow to you, Great Owl. I have deeds aplenty to accomplish.

> Message: Hello? HELLO?!

> Prompt: Recall IP of OEU.*

> Result: ERROR! User not found.

> Message: Wut?

Author's Note

Another chapter, YAY! Fair warning, very little editing has gone into this chapter. If you find any errors, PLEASE report them in the comments. I'll correct them with all alacrity. Thank you.

*Other End User, i.e.: whoever was messaging Molly but has since logged off.

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37 New Dawn

Chapter 37: New Dawn

Twilight groaned as she slowly sat up. Her head swam as she sat up. Distant dreamlike visions had passed her while she was out. Worlds, universes that she never knew existed, yet somehow she understood that each of them were as real as the very world she found herself in. They were connected through the elements, her friends, herself, and some were directly connected through Endymion.

There had been one world that frightened her. Threats of all out war with Zebras over coal. Who would go to war over coal? It made no sense for anypony to fight over something as simple as coal, but in that world it happened. She had been inside of some strange building, talking to Trixie, and then it shook. The knowledge that it had been some giant spell popped up in her mind, and she watched as Trixie had fallen from the place she had been standing on.

Somehow she understood the reasoning for it, and she ran and hid. It was what happened afterward, how she was pulled and merged, how she became part of a great monster, and then it changed again. No longer was she in that world, but another one. One where she was the fellow wife with Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna, a twisted version of Princess Celestia, and they were married to a necromancer that happened to be an Equestrian like them. They lived in a temple, of all things, but one that wasn’t dedicated to Sol. It had been an odd experience, and one that she wasn’t sure of. The one thing she realized was that in each of these different worlds she had become an alicorn, or she was one already.

It was odd, but then she accepted that it was part of what she was now. Her subconscious could experience things far beyond what she could perceive. When she had connected to both Endymion and Pinkie she had seen deep inside of Pinkie’s mind. What she came to realize that in many ways Pinkie Pie was able to do the same. She could see alternate realities, different universes, all of them connected by the single fact that she existed in them.

What she had seen, in that brief moment, stretched out into near endlessness. There were universes that she couldn’t even conceive thought of, yet Pinkie saw them with clarity. It certainly spoke of her sister-wife. It talked about how special she was. She did wonder if that connection she made was what opened up the ability to see the different universes when it came to her as an Alicorn. In a way it made sense. Still, she sat on the bed, between her husband and sister-wife. She considered what had happened, and what would happen. The destruction of the lich meant that the isles would become far more than they were.

With the ponies no longer under the dark influence of the lich they could turn the Shetland Isles into a power that would rival that of Equestria itself. Deep inside she knew that what she’d done to Endymion, what she’d shared with him, would bind him to her forever. It had been done out of love, and she had to admit some selfishness. She wanted Endymion to live forever, and the way the different magics welled up through him it was likely that could anyway.

But now she was certain of it. She knew, beyond any doubt, that he could live forever. With him bound to her it meant that her lifespan would be shared with him. Everything she read about the princesses, everything she knew, and everything she had studied pointed to them being effectively immortal. That meant that he would be immortal as well. With him being a well of magic there was a very real possibility that he was already eternal, and immortality would be a drop in the bucket, but she wanted to be sure.

It didn’t hurt that it also meant that he would forever be connected to her. She looked at both of them, sleeping peacefully, and she slowly got up. clothing wasn’t something that she wore to bed anymore. More often than not she would be stripped bare by her herdmates, and then both Pinkie and herself would be bred for hours. Last night was no different, and she felt the presence of Endymion’s seed in her womb.

She moved toward the simple wardrobe that Jolie Maison had made ages ago. Where the sofas, bed, and other furniture had ended up being somewhat scratchy and stiff the wardrobe had actually become something beautiful. It was polished stone, the doors opened easily, and the designs on it were his wives’ cutie marks. Each one marked a specific door, drawer, or area. Twilight understood exactly what it meant. He meant for them to share it, and that each of them had their own area to call their own.

Jolie, the hero of the Shetland Isles, and now apparently her brother-in-law, had been a Canterlot Unicorn first and foremost. The fact that he had taken time to transmodify boulders, hay, wood, and anything else he had into furniture spoke of exactly the kind of stallion he was. He wanted his creature comforts, and he took time to make them. This, although a little snobbish, was him telling his wives that he loved them.

She smiled, knowing that Jolie likely was much like her own father. He undoubtedly wasn’t nearly as stuffy and snobby as many of the nobles in Canterlot, but he still carried those qualities with him. She almost wondered what happened when he got with his first Earth Pony bride. Did she attempt to breed the snob out of him? She looked toward Pinkie Pie and believed that it was possible.

Oh, that wasn’t to say that she thought that they would have tried to change him. From what she experienced from the shared memories she knew that they loved one another. She knew that his wives loved him for who he was, that his foals loved him for the same reason, and that being a Canterlot Unicorn was simply part of that. But, she believed that he was also somepony that while he wasn’t content to walk around with his nose in the air certainly did have an idea of what should be.

She opened the section of the wardrobe that she was using, found a dress that she liked, and pulled it on. The dress was light, easy, and felt fairly decent. She enjoyed it for what it was, and knew that it would be fine for the day she had to look forward to. Luckily Jolie’s old room, now the royal room, had been split into a few rooms. It gave those with them the chance to have their own little space. She walked toward Spike and Rarity’s room and saw her son with her friend.

Rarity would have fit in well with Jolie. She knew that much from how her friend acted. Jolie wasn’t as posh as Rarity, but he had the same sensibility about him. She could see that both of them were nude, and there was little doubt that Rarity herself had both been claimed and had claimed Spike. She sighed, knowing that it would be fine. The first order of the day normally would be getting breakfast, but today the first order was far simpler.

The Rune Portal was nearly ready. She’d finished the spell matrix, and she knew that it would easily send her anywhere she wanted to go. Of course she had sent the schematics about its construction, and how the spell matrix worked using the dragon fire, to Princess Luna. She was sure that the princess had already constructed her own version. The two linked together would allow instantaneous travel.

Walking up to the Rune Portal she powered it. The last message she received from Princess Luna was that she was to power up the Rune Portal after whatever had threatened the isles was defeated. She did just that, and for a moment there was nothing, and then she watched as Princess Luna herself stepped through.

For Luna, it was a bit disorienting to suddenly be in a place when she had been somewhere else shortly before. Her eyes were wide for a moment before she took in the sight of Twilight, of her daughters. News of the marriage had reached her, and while she was disappointed that it hadn’t been in the palace, she was glad to know that her son was happily married.

Behind her stepped out Blue Blood, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence. She noticed that her old foal sitter now had a wedding band on her finger. Shortly after there was some cursing and she could see a blue maned lunar pegasus step through. She let loose a string of expletives that Twilight was certain would be hanging over the Shetland Royal castle for some time. Seeing Stella Sabre Twilight knew, without a doubt, that the proud Lunar Pegasus was more than likely going to inspect their royal guard.

She silently prayed that somehow Starlite and Stella didn’t cross each other’s path. Starlite was, as Endymion put it, a more polite version of Stella. She was part of their royal guard, a determined and powerful mare in her own right, and she had the scars to prove her worth. She had been fighting the wolves, and the Rocs, on the isles long before they arrived. She’d lost an eye, part of her right ear, but she was still lean and athletic. In addition she had informed her, Pinkie, and Endymion that she would be proud to watchover their foals.

The problem was she knew that the moment the two of them met there would be a fight. Starlite didn’t take well to other ponies attempting to overthrow her authority. Stella was much the same way, and the both of them were in positions where they trained other guards.

“Your highness,” a gravely voice said as the door opened, “I heard different hoofsteps…”

Starlite stopped, without hesitation she pulled her sword, moved with shadow, and appeared between Twilight and the guests.

“Oi! all of you worthless slags back up right now, nice and slow.”

Twilight groaned, “Starlite, this is Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, my brother Shining Armor, Prince Endymion’s cousin Blueblood, and head of the night royal guard Stella Sabre.”

“Who ya calling worthless slag, cunt?” Stella growled, her wings spread wide, making her look more imposing than she normally did, “Cause I know yer not callin’ me one.”

Twilight heard rustling, and she looked toward the bed to see Endymion standing up. He looked at what was going on and cleared his throat. Starlite didn’t look away from Stella, but she did calm herself quite a bit.

“Starlite, please do not antagonize Stella. If the two of you want to settle anything there’s the training court. You could have a sparring match, knock each other silly, and the first mare that falls buys the others a cold pint.”

The obviously simple, and straightforward suggestion, gained the attention of the two guard mares. Endymion walked toward the wardrobe, found his clothes, dressed, and moved toward the group standing there. Luna wasted no time and took her son into a hug. She folded her wings around him, loving the fact that she could once again hug him close. In every possible way that mattered, regardless of his origins, Endymion was her son. She may have been the mare of the moon, the princess that ruled alone while her sister was banished to her sun, but she was a mare. She was a mother, and one that had missed her son. She took in his scent, and she realized the change. She was reluctant to release him, afraid that he would become like a mist and just disappear, but instead she forced herself to slowly let go, back up, and see her son.

What she saw was a stallion that had faced trials the likes that most would never have to face. She touched his cheek, and her eyes saw the places where wounds had become scars. She studied him for a moment, and the more primal part of her wanted to find the one that had wounded her son and obliviate them. She knew that it wasn’t possible. Endymion himself had killed the one responsible, but it did not take away her desire to personally settle a score. The lich he’d defeated dared to harm her son.

Instead she buried the anger she felt toward the lich, deciding that it would be released upon one of the savage beasts that feed upon the ponies instead. She followed Endymion toward a table with a collection of chairs. She recognized the work of Jolie, and she studied the transmogrified materials. She took a seat and Endymion studied her for a moment before smiling.

“So, when was I going to learn about my brother?”

She smiled, and she noticed that Blueblood himself was intrigued. She cleared her throat, “It is my deepest regret that I did not officially adopt Jolie,” she replied as she looked at the table, “I had wanted to, but I believed there would be time. Instead he traveled here, after learning about what some of the court of nobles had been doing, and set upon saving the ponies here.”

She looked at Endymion, her hand still absently touching the table, “I was proud of him, as I am of you, and I am happy to find out that his line endures. I want to meet as many of my great, great grandfoals as I can. I also wish to see the house that one of my granddaughters built.”

Endymion nodded, “You’ll be proud to know that they’ve kept it in repair long after her death,” he replied with a slight smile on his face, “It actually reminds me a bit of some of the lower noble homes in Canterlot.”

She studied him for a moment, then Twilight, and finally she looked toward the now awake, and completely nude, Pinkie Pie that was getting out of bed.

“Wowie! I didn’t expect company!”

Luna smiled at her daughter-in-law, “Ah, but company has found you. Perhaps it would be a novel idea to dress.”

Pinkie nodded, practically bounded over toward the wardrobe, seemingly reached in without looking, and pulled out a skirt, top, and pair of stockings. She then dressed in the kind of speed which would have rivaled the quickest pegasus, and stood before them. She walked near to where they were and looked at the table. She grinned as she looked at it, and Luna looked a little wary.

“You haven’t, here, have you?”

Pinkie shook her head, “Nopearoni! But Jolie did with about half of his wives, and he had to repair the table twice because two of them were a little pent up.”

She looked at her, then at Endymion and Twilight, both of which looked confused. It was Twilight that finally spoke first, “Ummm, Pinkie, that wasn’t in any journal or recorded memory.”

Pinkie smiled, “I know, but doesn’t mean it didn’t happen!”

Blueblood looked at the table, “I believe she’s correct,” he replied, “I can see two places where the table has been stitched back together through spellcraft. It looked as if an Earth Pony pounded their fists into it.”

Pinkie giggled, “Oh, it wasn’t her fists. It was something else.”

Luna looked at the table, “Jolie, son, how the nobility would have thrown a fit if they knew.”

Endymion studied it, shrugged his shoulders, and leaned against it, “It was a long time ago, and I’m sure that we can get over it. Besides, I bet that they were newlyweds.”

“Nope!” Pinkie chimed in, “Been married about a year, but some of the other mares took the foals. Like I said, pent up.”

Cadance decided to step in before more information about the hero of the Shetland Isles was presented before them. In truth, it didn’t bother her. It was obvious that Jolie loved his wives, and he wanted them to be happy and fulfilled. Sexuality was simply part of that. She touched just below her stomach, her womb, and felt the slight beginning of a bump. Shining Armor had certainly wasted no time in ensuring that they would have a foal. She wanted to share the news with Twilight, but at the same time she didn’t want her sister-in-law to worry over her. Instead she simply smiled, moved toward the table, and looked at those sitting and standing by it.

“Twilight,” she said softly, “I believe that you wanted to talk about the Rune Portal, and also talk about establishing trade with the Isles.”

Twilight nodded. As she began to talk Stella moved toward Endymion, paying attention to Starlite, not exactly relaxing around the other lunar pegasus.

“Oi, Endymion,” she said, “Looked into Fancy and Fleur. Imposters both of them. We found the real Fancy and Fleur in their home. Both were in Changling pods.”

He looked at her, “So, did the changelings attempt to invade again?”

She shook her head, “Nothing quite like that,” she replied, “Not sure, what it is, but the imposters left. They've likely disappeared toward the badlands.”

The knowledge set heavy on Endymion. He’d known that Fancy didn’t act the night that his engagement to Twilight had been announced. To find out that he’d been trapped inside of a changeling’s pod made things worse. It meant that he had been fed on, most likely, by whatever changeling had trapped him. The same with Fleur. Of course he knew less about Fleur than he’d care to admit. He knew that she was a model, and a good one, but she had always been a good sort.

She seemed caring, enduring, and sweet each time that he’d met with her. It was obvious that Fancy was smitten with her, but how she acted that night was far against the grain as well. If they escaped to the badlands then that meant that border villages would be in possible danger. Stella looked at him and gave a slight nod, “We’ve informed the guard at the borders, so they’ll be watching out.”

He smiled at her, glad that she had thought of it. He then looked over to see someone else that he hadn’t expected to see today. He looked older, but his horn was healed. There in the doorway was Professor Flintheart. He walked in, his aunt behind him, and he neared where his mother was standing. He gave a polite bow, and Endymion watched as Luna observed him, then his Aunt, and a mischievous smile crossed her face.

“I see that you followed my advice, Tia.”

He’d never seen his aunt’s face turn that shade of red before. She almost looked as if she wanted to hide away, but instead she stood there, “We, I, have followed your advice, and I believe that fair Flintheart has as well.”

The older stallion looked at his mother, and then looked toward him. He nodded, and Endymion returned the nod. The older stallion looked at the room for a moment, his eyes obviously taking in everything that had been here when they arrived. He stepped forward, taking time to really study it.

“As I believed,” he said with amusement in his voice, “Jolie was every bit a Canterlot Unicorn first and foremost.”

Celestia studied the room, “Verily, it does appear that he went through great lengths to transform various raw materials into finary for this room.”

Flintheart nodded, “He did, but then he wouldn’t live without the creature comforts that he’d become accustomed to.”

He walked toward the table, took a seat, and then looked at both Endymion and Stella, “So, obviously you’ve told my student something on which he is mulling over, shall I be informed, or should I take a guess?”

Stella looked at Endymion who seemed to study his professor before looking back at her, “Go ahead Stella.”

She started with Endymion and Blueblood filling her in on the suspicion of Fancy and Fleur not being right. She explained that she had a few of her trusted guards check around their home, and how they discovered the two changeling pods. Afterward they searched for both Fancy and Fleur but found no trace of either of them.

Flintheart took all of what they said and then looked at his student, “Well, it appears to me that the black cloaks need to be called in on this. If changelings were present in Canterlot, and they were attempting anything, then we must find out what it was that they were doing,” he said before looking back at Stella, “I believe that we can send a letter via dragonfire to my second in command. Once Shade has been informed about it I am certain that she will act accordingly.”

Stella closed her eyes, “Shade, is… Sir, I’m afraid she won’t be in any condition to assist.”

It was Princess Luna who neared them, “She speaks the truth old friend,” she said as she took a seat, “Shade was investigating something for me. I had asked her to look into why one of the border towns went quiet. She discovered a very troubled unicorn that was taking other ponies cutie marks. More specifically she was using mind control to make them feel as if this was the best option.”

He looked at her, his eyes hardening, “What happened to her?”

Luna touched his shoulder, “She never broke, not once, but when I had not had contact in six days I sent an entire contingent of both night and day guards along with several of the black cloaks to discover what happened,” she said sadly, “We found the town, saved the ponies there, and arrested the unicorn in charge, but Shade had been traumatized beyond service. She is being looked after, but they did things to her. They used her, badly, broke her legs, and we had to replace her eyes.”

Flintheart breathed in, “This unicorn, the one that is responsible, does he still breathe?”

She looked at him, “It wasn’t a he. Her name is Starlight Glimmer, and yes, currently she is in the dungeons. I’ve had a magic suppressor placed on her. She’s been quite vocal about how we’ve set ourselves up for failure,” she shook her head, “She went on to declare that a world without cutie marks was a fair and just world. That Shade would have seen that if she wasn’t so blind thanks to loyalty.”

He nodded, “She is, and always shall be, one of my most gifted and trusted associates,” he said as he looked at the table, “She spoke of having foals. Of wanting to retire early, marry, have foals, and run a bakery.”

Luna looked at him, “We’ve discussed the idea of taking the memories from her, but she’s refused. Despite the mental trauma, she said that what happened needs to be remembered.”

He nodded, “And it should be,” he stated, “Prince Endymion, may I make a request?”

Endymion nodded, “Of course.”

He looked directly at him, “I would like to request that the first Royal Family of the Shetland Isles agree to take Ms. Glimmer prisoner. I believe that here she can be forced to rehabilitate in a way that she would not be allowed to do in Equestria.”

Luna looked at him, “Flintheart, what are your plans for Ms. Glimmer?”

He studied her for a moment, “Why to give her what she wanted obviously. We will remove her magic, strip what is special from her, and force her to live without it. She will then be forced to work alongside everypony else, and she will be watched every second of every day. If she so much as attempts to regain her power, or attempts to escape then she will be given a small plot of land just west of the Isle of Goats.”

Luna looked at him, her eyes wide, “You would throw her to the Rocs?”

“I’d simply request that she be given a small parcel of land there, what happened once she was given it would be up to the universe and Ms Glimmer herself.”

The answer was certainly diplomatic enough, but Endymion understood it for exactly what it was. Professor Flintheart had every intention of making this Starlight Glimmer pay for what she’d done to Shade, and to every other pony she’d used her ability on. He shook because he could understand what Shade must have gone through. What happened to her was worse in a multitude of ways, but it didn’t change the fact that he understood.

He looked at Pinkie Pie, and she nodded. Somehow she’d understood what he was feeling, which wasn’t surprising, and of course with that nod she told him what he needed to hear. That was why she wanted him to get comfortable with bondage and with the idea of Sadomasochism. It was so that if they accepted Fluttershy into their herd that she would experience what he had gone through. That she would be forced to have no control, be forced to be bound, blinded, and left to the mercies of those around her.

It would be a harsh lesson, and Pinkie wanted him to be able to give it to Fluttershy. She wanted him to be able to show her what he’d suffered, to have her understand, and the more he thought on it the more he was of two minds about it. Part of him understood that he needed to do this. He needed to put her in the same situation to be able to heal. That he needed to prove, to himself, that he could be in control in that situation. The other part of him, the young colt he had been growing up, didn’t want to be near her.

It wasn’t that he was ever weak, far from it, but that colt he had been was groomed, without his mother’s knowledge, to become some noblemare’s trophy husband. That colt had been groomed to follow the commands of a noblemare without question. It was something that even Twilight didn’t know about it. It was something that his mother found out about, put an end to, and apologized greatly to him for. Fluttershy had done something similar to him, but it was in an instant, a moment, and not purposefully done for several months.

So he understood, and could empathize, what happened to Shade. That was what made the following decision even easier.

“Can Shade be transferred here?”

Flintheart looked at him, uncertain of what the Prince was thinking about, “Your highness?”

He looked at Flintheart, “I’ll agree that she can get amazing medical treatment in Equestria, but we will have similar treatment here. I’ll also agree that there are psychologists there that can help her, but we will have them here. The infrastructure will take time to grow, but it will grow,” he replied as he looked his professor, his mentor, in the eyes, “But the one thing she will have here is peace. She can practice her magic, she can work toward recovery, and she can grow strong here.”

Luna looked at her son, and a soft smile crossed her lips, “Then, as Princess of Equestria, I suggest that we begin negotiations on trade and infrastructure today,” she said with an amused voice, “One, we would like to import the spirits distilled on the isles, along with some of the fish for our gryphon citizens. In addition I would like to propose trade among some of the business ponies in Equestria. One Filthy Rich has asked to be considered for setting up a Barnyard Bargains here. I also would like to send some medical ponies over to train a new crop of doctors in the Isles.”

Endymion nodded, “Of course, one of the things we would like to do is set up a school of defensive magic. Lessons developed by Jolie Maison himself, and teach them to ponies around the world that are going into guard positions,” he looked at Professor Flintheart, “Such trained guards would be beneficial, wouldn’t they?”

Flintheart nodded, “Having unicorns able to use Jolie’s spells to enhance strength when needed would be absolutely beneficial. Not to mention his studies on defending against dark magic, shadow magic, and demonic energies. Having guards able to use that would make any country several multitudes stronger.”

Luna grinned, “And do you have teachers for it?”

Endymion nodded, “All of his descendants are well practiced with his spells. Every last one of them has learned all of his spells, and they can teach them,” he said with a smile, “And honestly, the isles are just as good of a training place as the Everfree Forest.”

Luna couldn’t help but acknowledge how true that statement was. There were perils in the Everfree Forest. The Timber Wolves weren’t the worst things within it, and they certainly weren’t the most unruly. Everything from Manatcores, to poison joke existed inside of it, and only the most well trained, or luckiest, ponies could enter without issue. The fact that Twilight and her friends had done so, multiple times, without issue only spoke to how lucky they were.

The Shetland Isles were just as dangerous, and the ponies that lived here were made stronger for it. Having guards trained her would certainly lead to them being completely prepared for whatever may come their way once they were given their positions. She nodded, “I will fully support it.”

Shining Armor looked at them, “Ummm, not to speak out of line here, but there is another issue at hand.”

Luna nodded and looked at the ponies there, “Son, there is another issue,” she said as she focused her magic on the table before them. When she did her magic created what looked like a beautiful city. It’s walls, everything inside of it, was made from crystal, “The Crystal Empire has returned. It was locked away for a thousand years, and now it has returned again. I am having Cadance and Shining Armor travel there to overlook things, but I need to ask that you and your adventuring group attend as well.”

He looked at her, “Of course, as allies we would not turn down the request to help, but we could use more information as to what we are helping with.”

She sighed, “King Sombra cursed the Crystal Empire. He laid a great curse upon it that made it disappear, and it would not return until such a time that he was strong enough to return with it,” she said sadly, “Sombra himself wasn’t a bad pony. He drove himself quite insane trying to save his bride, and I believe that he can be redeemed, but I need to have those that are battle tested there to ensure that he will not simply raze the empire to the ground.”

Author's Note

The morning after is always a difficult time, especially after a wedding. Doubly so for royalty, triply so if said royalty is bout to be sent off to accomplish Crown Business at the ass end of the world.

Twilight and Pinkie meet their mother-in-law! Huzzah?

Also, a pair of very… competitive and belligerent mares come to loggerheads over the protection of a certain personage's posterior. (Film at 11!)

Gearing up for the last arc of this story! After this, things are going to get… Wild!

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38 A King's Lament 38

Chapter 38: A King’s Lament

Luna studied the home of what would have been her great great grandfoal. The home was simple in design, but it certainly appeared to be something that the lesser nobles would have lived in outside of Canterlot. She could see the fine care that had been taken of the home, and more specifically she could see the influence of Jolie Maison. The walls were similar to the home that Poetic Pen had lived in, and she noticed a few places where there were slight alterations. It was obvious that much like his dear friend’s home there were various hidden passages throughout the walls.

It had been something of a fad of the time to have hidden passages, secret rooms, and even devant dungeons. That was something she didn’t want to think of. Granted, ponies were sexual creatures, and it was very obvious that Jolie had been very active. He’d sired several foals, and a large portion of the Unicorn population on the Shetland Isles were directly from his line. They were hardy and strong, and naturally they would be gifted guards and soldiers. Of course there was also the issue with Endymion.

Both of her sons had ended up in the Shetland Isles, and both had become heroes of those isles. Jolie had faced the lich long ago, and he had managed to seal it away. Whatever had released it brought back all of the terror, horror, and fear it had to the Isles. Endymion had faced that head on, and in doing so had brought the isles together in a meaningful way. In truth the isles themselves reminded her of Equestria before Celestia was banished.

Her son was a prince in two places, but there was little doubt that the Shetland Isles were his home. Of course his royal guards were demanding to accompany him to the Crystal Empire. Personally, she saw no reason not to honor their request. It was obvious that the Shetland Isles would still have their standing army. An army that honestly could easily defeat her own royal guards. The guards were the face of the Equestrian Army. The Black Cloaks were the power behind the face, and of course the Wonderbolts were the face of the air power they had.

There were times she wondered what would have happened if the roles between her and Celestia had been reversed. Would Celestia have kept the army? Would she have created the Black Cloaks to deal with problems beyond that of the army itself? Would she have ensured the peace of their nature by maintaining strength, or would she have allowed the bureaucratic nature of the nobility to preserve a tentative peace? She hated to think ill of her sister, but even back when they battled Celestia wanted to press for peace.

She understood the feeling. She truly wanted peace as well, but it would have madness to place the security of their nature upon a small group. Twilight, and the other Element Holders, were important. She would not deny that. She sat at the table of her great great grand foal. She looked across the table, and her horn flashed for a moment. It was a simple spell, one that she had used a few times, and one that she hadn’t actively shown off. The spell itself used the memories imprinted in a place, the bits of life that were shared with a home, and it gave a reflection of what once was.

The mare she saw caused her eyes to tear up. She was shortish, perhaps five and half hooves high. Her facial features matched that of Jolie’s, but she had a honey blond mane and emerald green eyes. She watched as the mare sat across from her, her muzzle in a bright smile, and she could see others take form around the table. Finally, she saw Jolie, and he was grizzled and quite elderly. Her heart ached for him as she looked at Endymion’s older brother.

“You did well, my son,” she whispered softly, “I truly wish that I could have gotten to know my granddaughter, your little Honey Shine.”

“She wis a guid mare, 'n' mah grandmother said she'd tan a scouk that didnae listen.”

She looked toward another of her grandfoals, one that specifically was from Honey Shine’s line, “I missed quite a bit, but I would like to get to know the rest of my grandfoals.”

She let the spell die, and stood, “Is Endymion outside?”

“Aye.”

She grinned and walked outside and saw her son, her daughters-in-law, and of course her sister along with Flintheart. Looking at Celestia she thought back to what she had wondered, and she knew the answer. Twilight, and the other Element Holders, would have ended up being the one line of defense against all threats. She hated that she believed that, but she knew how Celestia was. Celestia would have worked hard toward ensuring that Equestria was a safe, peaceful, and open country.

She would have unleashed the nobility to ravish the civilians, and undoubtedly they would have ravished the Shetland Isles as well. As it was, the nobility were still an issue, but had done much to ensure that their power was limited. Granted, multiple members of the nobility held seats in the house of commons. They were able to create laws, but she, and Celestia of course, were able to veto any laws that were far too unfair.

“Sister,” Luna said with a smile, “Are you ready to travel again?”

Celestia nodded, “Verily, but sister, dost thou believe fair Sombra to be… beyond salvation?”

She could see the slight pain in Flintheart’s eyes. It was obvious her head Black Cloak had become much more to Celestia than a simple bodyguard, and almost after the question she hugged him, “Beloved,” she said softly, “We, that is I, meant no harm. Sombra had been a great friend, and while we, I, had fancied him once, he is not the one of which we, I, would build a life with.”

Flintheart touched her hand, “And I thank you for that,” he said, his voice warm, “But understand that I might not be on exactly friendly terms with him.”

Luna smiled. Flintheart had nothing to worry over. Celestia had given him her heart, and besides, it hadn’t been her that had been rutted by Sombra and Rose Quartz for hours on end. There was part of her that wanted to let Celestia know about what happened, and another part that knew that she would keep it quiet. Celelstia wouldn’t desire Sombra, not like she once did, but it would hurt her to know that she had not gotten the chance to experience what he had to offer. It was silly, in a way, for her to feel any kind of embarrassment about what had happened. After all, it had been well over a thousand years ago when it happened, but for Celestia it would be a time that she would remember far too well. A millennium long isolation from the world can do that to a body.

On top of that, Luna wasn’t exactly proud of what happened in those days. What she did was offer comfort to a hurting stallion and it turned out for the worst. If Luna was being honest with herself, she would acknowledge that what occurred might have driven Sombra to do what he did. He was already on edge, teetering between lucidity and madness; Luna’s attempt at helping a recently bereaved widower hindered any effort to bring the stallion back to sanity.

It would not do well do dwell on the past, even if it held instruction for those who had lived it, but Luna was certain that her son, the newly crowned Twilight, and Ms. Pie would see to either the containment of Sombra or… no, she could not, would not imagine an alternative. The Lunar Diarch had shed plenty of blood during the long campaign she and her sister held to unify their subjects under their shared, singular banner. There were many blunders they committed in the process, the least of which was several needless wars of attrition. For as long lived as alicorns were, errors and faults did tend to follow them throughout their long lives.

Sombra- Sombra was neither the last nor the least of these errors. As far as Luna was concerned, though, his descent into madness was by far the worst. The only failing she felt that could topple it was banishing her own sister to the sun. And Faust damn her, she was going to see that Sombra get the help he needed, even if she had to rain down meteors from her beloved night sky to do so!

She looked from her sister to see Endymion, both Twilight and Pinkie Pie, a Siren she had never met, and the rest of the Element Holders as well. She could hear the conversation, and she listened as they each expressed their thoughts of the newly appeared Crystal Empire.

“Oh just think of it!” Rarity practically squealed, “There’s an entire kingdom made of crystal! Plus who knows what kinds of fashions they have invented that could easily make a comeback!”

Applejack looked at her, “Rares, not to rain on your parade, or nothin’, but Ah got a feeling that Endymion being asked to go has less ta do with the fashion and far more ta do with some kind of danger.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, her eyes looking toward Fluttershy, “Yeah, I kinda doubt that we’re gonna get to do much hanging around. Which is a shame because we need to find some treasure. I mean, sure, we’re heroes here, which is nice, but we haven’t seen a decent haul in a while.”

It was Endymion that cleared his throat, “Rainbow, trust me you’re going to receive a reward. The Shetland Isles has just entered a very profitable trade agreement with Equestria,” he replied, “In addition, all of you are technically nobility now.”

Rarity practically swooned, “No…Nobility?!”

Twilight sighed, “In your case, royalty.”

Her squeal was almost beyond the spectrum of what could be heard by ponies, and Twilight shook her head. Rarity finding out that she was officially royalty was something that would make the white unicorn exceptionally happy. The royalty fetish that Rarity had was fairly well known, and she didn’t doubt that she would do anything to break Spike’s heart. Speaking of which, Spike had remained behind to oversee the reorganization of Jolie’s library.

Canterlot Unicorn or not, brother-in-law or not, Jolie might have been many things, but organized when it came to books didn’t seem to be one of them. Of course the other reason he stayed behind was to help watch over Charlotte. The human woman that had been displaced wanted to have more to do with them. She seemed amiable, and someone that she was willing to get to know, but her eyes were beyond damaged.

The long term hibernation hadn’t done any favors when she was revived. The worst of it was the loss of her eyes. They still existed, were still in her head, and she could still move them, but Twilight understood that a part of them that relayed sight simply no longer worked. There were spells, and counterspells, that could in theory restore her sight, but she feared that doing any of them currently could potentially do more harm than good.

There was no guarantee that she wouldn’t restore her sight, just as there was no guarantee that she would see it restored. Casting any kind of spell that would artificially do it could damage the healing process, and so it left her with the decision to leave it alone. Of course Bagatelle Addolorato, or Baggie for short apparently, had wanted to come along. In addition Baggie had learned what happened between Fluttershy and Endymion.

She wouldn’t have learned about it, if it hadn’t been for Rainbow’s excessive overreaction. It was something that they were attempting to fix, something that would take time, and she was completely willing to own the fact that she shouldn’t have attempted to push Endymion into accepting Fluttershy. Pinkie’s thoughts on Endymion using the bondage, that they used on one another, on Fluttershy, while having her blindfolded, actually was an idea that she supported.

Of course she only wanted this to happen when, and if, he felt comfortable to even consider the idea. As far as she was concerned, every single time that Fluttershy entertained the idea of being with Endymion she needed to be blindfolded. She didn't want her to take away his ability to consent or refuse ever again. She looked toward Princess Luna, and the Princess of the Night gave her a slight nod before moving toward her.

“Twilight, do you believe that Captain Wayward Sparrow would be willing to have his ship transport us once again?”

Twilight smiled, “I believe so, and I believe that he would be more than happy to have Equestria pay for it, but Princess, why not simply send word for the royal airship?”

Luna pointed just beyond Honey Shine’s island, and there Twilight saw the ripple of magic, “It would be ripped to shreds before it ever made harbor,” she replied simply, “We already know that Captain Sparrow’s ship is able to come, and go, from the Shetland Isles fairly easily. It would make sense for us to make use of it.”

Of course Luna was right, and Twilight knew it. The best course of action would be to leave the same way they arrived. Oh, using the Rune Portal would be just as easy, if not easier, but from how it operated she was sure that the only way that would happen would be if there was already one in the Crystal empire. To her knowledge there wasn’t one, and that meant making sure that one was built there once they were finished.

It would be nice to have the option to visit her brother, and sister-in-law, whenever she chose. Plus, if the Crystal Empire wished to trade with the Shetland Isles as well, using the Rune Portal would be far easier, and more convenient, than using ships. Not that she would have a problem with them transporting by airship. The trouble with doing so would be to make sure that there was someone from the isles with them.

Slowly everyone began to board the small boats that ferried from the Isle of Goats to Honey Shine’s Island. Twilight watched Princess Luna, her mother-in-law, as she kept her eyes on the house. It was almost as if she was expecting to see it disappear, or simply turn to mist and no longer exist. She could understand Luna’s worry. Honey Shine’s home had existed for an exceptionally long time, at least considering traditional homes on the Shetland Isles, and the fact that it was so well preserved seemed to truly make it a historically significant building.

But Luna, Celestia, Cadence, and herself were more or less immortal, and while Honey Shine’s home had lasted a long while even Twilight didn’t know if it would last forever. Or rather she didn’t know until she made the decision to keep it in repair. It would only make sense to keep the house in the same shape it was in, and it would make even more sense to ensure that her niece’s home was treated with the same kind of care that she was certain her niece had shown it.

That brought her to the idea of her own foals. There was little doubt in her mind that there would be foals. Endymion had certainly bred both Pinkie and herself quite extensively, and she was certain that the basic components were there. She wasn’t versed in medical magic, but she had studied the book that Flintheart had given Endymion. And from those spells she had cast the fertility magic on both herself and Pinkie.

She had little doubt that she was with foal, and she felt that the same was with Pinkie Pie. Of course if they were pregnant, and it was likely that they were, then that meant she would have the next line of royalty for the Isles. Of course it also meant that their foals would be part of the Equestrian Royal Family as well. She wasn’t worried over the possible, although very likely, pregnancy, but instead she was concerned rather with how to get the Shetland Isles ready for their foals.

She wanted her foals to grow in a place that was safe, and for them to be mostly carefree. Oh, that wasn’t to say that she expected them to take on responsibilities. She certainly expected them to learn, to put their mind to task, and to become great scholars. Endymion himself was a talented mage, he wasn’t stupid, and she knew that their foals wouldn’t be stupid either. No, she had hopes that they would be the best parts of herself and Endymion, just as she had hopes that the foals from Pinkie would be the best parts of her sister wife and Endymion. Hope, love, trust, books, and friendship meant the world to her. All of those things were the cornerstone of who she was.

Which, she planned on having Stargazer’s library moved to the royal library on the Shetland Isles. One thing she would do would be to study the spell matrix that Stargazer had created for the bag that held his library, and recreate it, minus the effect of resetting everything, once the door was closed or the user left the library. If she could recreate that spell she could, in theory, supply nearly infinite living spaces for her ponies.

They could have entire homes in a single closet, and they could hold entire distilleries in a shed no bigger than a mere doorway. It would allow her ponies the chance to truly revolutionize their country without destroying the natural beauty of it. It would, in essence, put the Shetland Isles on the same industrial level as Equestria itself, but it would do so without the need to sacrifice the land.

It would also be a wonderful benefit for the school Endymion suggested. They could use a single building, no bigger than the Ponyville School, to house the entire school, classrooms, training areas, and anything else that needed to be housed. Her eyes widened at the aspects of what could be done. She felt an all too familiar itch, a driving need, a sort of neurosis that she indulged in from time to time. It was the driving need to create, to expand, and to learn new magic. She’d had the same feeling when she sat upon creating the spell matix for the Rune Portal.

It had satisfied her, for a while, but she understood that her mind was one that would never be truly satisfied with simply existing. She needed to learn, to apply herself, and to learn new magic. In truth she was very much the element she represented. She was magic. Of course she was more than that. She was a wife, most likely soon to be a mother, and a mare that enjoyed a wonderful dicking on a nightly basis.

Once again she found herself comparing what she had experienced of sex before Endymion to what it was like after being with him. Her experiences with Written Script were okay. It was what she expected, but little more. In truth, it felt hollow and empty. It was almost as if the entire experience had no true emotion to it. She had felt mostly empty, at least emotionally, but that changed with Endymion.

She felt fulfilled, and more than that she felt alive. Each time they made love it was discovering a part of herself that she didn’t know she was missing. Everything they did, every touch, every kiss, every hug, and every time he took her brought her nothing but joy. He was never rough, although there were times that he was very excited and aerobic about their love making. He wasn’t just looking to pleasure himself, and she understood that he was truly part of herself that had been missing.

He helped her to relax, to take stock in the simple things, and to understand that sometimes it was best to just go with a gut feeling. Plus, while she would never admit it, she had become quite fond of having his sizable cock in her tailhole. The friction and tightness of it caused a sensation of being full that she couldn’t explain. Not to mention that at least in that regard she had been able to give him something she hadn’t been in a rush to use.

Twilight’s attention was so divided that she almost didn’t notice when they docked at the Isle of Goats. A slight flush covered her cheeks, the thought of that first time with Endymion, the slight turn, divergence, or the step that changed her life to what it was now. There was evidence, in the way of the alternate universes she’d seen in her dreams, that she would still have ended up an Alicorn, but she was certain that she wouldn’t have been nearly as happy as she was now.

“Twi?”

She looked toward Endymion, her smile brightened, “Just thinking about some happy thoughts,” she confessed warmly, “Endymion, we should contact Captain Sparrow and see if he would be willing to head out again.”

Endymion nodded, “I’m certain that he would be fine with it,” he replied as he looked toward the inland of the Isle, “I’m certain that he’s enjoyed being on land with his wife, but I doubt that he is one that enjoys extended stays.”

Endymion soon found himself surrounded. First by his brides, then his mother, cousin, and of course Stella, and finally by the friends he’d made. The one that seemed to stand out, to keep some distance, was Fluttershy. The Sol Priestess seemed determined to give him space. Inwardly he thanked her for that. He thanked her because it gave him a chance to really think about what needed to happen next.

He looked toward Rainbow, and he saw the determined look on the petite thief’s face. It was more than that. Her entire countenance seemed prone for possible attack. Fluttershy had explained what happened. She explained what Sol said to her, what her punishment was if she could not properly fix things between them, but it was Rainbow Dash that told him who helped Fluttershy understand what she had done. He glanced toward Rarity, and he felt indebted to her. He was close friends with Applejack and Rainbow, but Rarity was different. They weren’t the closest of friends. He believed them to be friendly, and he believed her to be a wonderful friend to all of his other friends, but the two of them hadn’t been exceptionally close.

That was something he looked to change. He wanted to give her the chance to become a close friend. She had taken that first step on her own. By confronting Fluttershy, and forcing her to see what she had done, Rarity had taken a huge step in becoming a close friend with him. He smiled as he thought of it. In truth, he needed to become closer friends with her anyway. His adopted son, Spike, was currently courting, and enjoying, the posh unicorn. There was little doubt in his mind that the two of them would be marrying.

When it happened, and he was quite certain that it would happen, he was going to ensure that they received a royal wedding. Spike was a prince now, and Rarity would become a princess. Twilight had shared the fact that Rarity had a slight Royalty kink. She’d even admitted, sheepishly, that she had been afraid that Rarity would attempt to seduce him. That her desire to bed a royal, to become a royal, would override the friendship she held so dear. There was ample evidence that pointed to the fact that she not only wouldn’t, but that she would do all she could to keep from hurting her friends’ feelings.

Since that time Twilight had apologized to Rarity, and the two had a few outings. He stopped the line of thought and looked at the place they had walked to. Of course his inner thoughts had kept him from really taking everything in, but years of being in Canterlot, of being forced to both think of what must be done, along with personal thoughts, all while talking and being a face among the populous had more than prepared him.

The entire way he’d greeted about fifteen fisher ponies, their families, considered that the roads out to the fishing area needed repair, took note of two houses that needed repaired and considered seeing if they could set up a small grant to struggling families for situations like those. He knew that his mother often did the same, although she had gotten exceptionally good at playing the nobles’ game. Thankfully he didn’t have to worry about the stuffy nobles.

A slight smile crossed his lips as he considered Duke Barrel Crusher dealing with one of the nobility from Equestria. There would be a short talk, and if the noble rubbed him the wrong way then he was certain that the newly appointed Duke would suggest that they take this discussion outside. At which point he was certain Barrel Crusher would beat the living shit out of them. It would certainly be no less than they deserved. It didn’t bother him to think like that. In truth it really never bothered him to think like that.

Oh, he was certain that more than a few nobles would like Barrel Crusher. Fancy Pants would be glad to have him. He’d likely say that it was good to see new life being breathed back into the nobility. His own mother and father-in-law would certainly like the newly appointed Duke. After all, he was someone that would speak his mind, and he doubted that there would be much he would attempt to do on the sly. Barrel Crusher didn’t really strike him as that kind of pony. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to extend the invitation to Barrel Crusher to go to Equestria as an official ambassador of the Shetland Isles.

Still, his thoughts were interrupted as he saw Captain Sparrow. The burly captain was helping with loading a large net full of fish into a wagon. They neared him,. and he gave a smile.

“Captain Sparrow, might we have a moment?”

The Captain that brought them there looked up, gave a slight bow to Luna and Celestia, and then gave the rest of them a wave, “Sure, but we’ve got a lot more fish to pull in,” he said with a grunt, “So, what do you need?”

It was Luna that stepped closer, “We would ask to charter your ship to take us toward the frozen north.”

He stopped what he was done, his eyes widened, “Frozen North?” he asked, his voice slightly strained, “Are you talking about the Yaks domain?”

She studied him for a moment, “Actually, I am talking about a kingdom that has just recently reappeared. We mean to help them, and we could make use of your ship and crew.”

There was a slight relief that crossed his face, “Oh, in that case I see no reason why not,” he replied, “I just wasn’t keen on returning to the Yaks. My wife and I had a slight threesome with a fairly attractive girl there, and I later found out that she was their leader’s daughter.”

He sighed, “I didn’t like the sound of being told that my fun bits would be smashed into paste if I returned.”

Luna sighed inwardly. Captain Sparrow was one of her subjects, but he wasn’t a guard. In truth his employment to the crown went as far as ferrying them to the Crystal Empire, and then perhaps back to the Shetland Isles. Of course that would only happen if Twilight didn’t set up a Rune Portal within the Empire itself. Which, if she was to be completely honest with herself she was certain that Twilight would most certainly set one up. It was in her nature to learn, create, and of course she didn’t doubt that she would want to have easier access to her brother and sister-in-law.

Still, that meant she had no room to condemn Captain Sparrow for whatever actions he had done in Yaks kingdom. It did mean that she would be unable to charter his ship should the Yaks express an interest in negotiating trade or a possible alliance with Equestria. Not that it truly mattered. The Lunar Light was repaired, and it was a fine vessel. She would happily take it. The good captain began to get the attention of his crew, and a few of the fisher ponies that worked around them seemed interested in traveling with them as well.

She could hardly blame them. It was perhaps the first chance any of them had even begun to believe that there would be more out there for them than a short hard life. Each of them now had a true chance to become whatever it was that they wished to become. There were many that would remain, and she believed that to be good as well. Each land needed those content with making a life for themselves and their families.

The Shetland Isles was Equestria of old in miniature, and she believed that Endymion had the ability to help bring it to the same level as Equestria was now. It would take time, and she was certain that it would take very hard work, but she had never known her son to shy away from work before. Even when it came to his studies he would work incredibly hard. Once everything was said, and done, they moved toward the Pearl.

Captain Sparrow’s ship had undergone repairs, and improvements, since docking at the Isles. The royals, Stella, Star, and the new and old crew of the Pearl looked ahead at it. The ship was prepared for them, and they began to board. Charm walked with Applejack, but stopped when he noticed that his father was missing. Master Chief was several things, but late wasn’t one of them. He looked around, and finally he saw his father. Near him was a Pegasus mare, a guard that was staying on the Isles. He saw the way she leaned against him, and he understood.

“Decided to test your land legs?”

His father smiled, “Aye,” he said, his voice warmer than Charm remembered in quite some time, “Son, there’s not a day that I wake up without missing your mother. Always will, but I know that it’s time to move forward. Swift Wind said that there’s a need for ship building here, and it’s what I do.”

Charm nodded, “Okay,” he looked at them, smiled, “Remember, don’t do anything that anyone else will live to regret.”

His dad laughed, and turned around, “Can’t promise!”

He felt Applejack hug him from behind, her wonderful breasts pressing into him, “Yer Pa ain’t a bad sort,” she said as she held him, “But then again, there’s got ta be some good parts in ‘im iff’n he helped ta make ya.”

He grinned, “Thanks sweetheart,” he said enjoying the moment, “So, when do you want to tell everypony else?”

She stiffened up a moment, “Ah…”

He pulled loose, turned around, and hugged her back, “AJ,” he said softly, “I don’t mind to hide it, for as long as you need, but eventually everyone is going to know that we eloped, and I’ve got to say that it’s very likely your prissy unicorn friend, and your family, are going to be put out that they didn’t get to have a wedding for you.”

She held him, “Eeeyup, they’re gonna be all kinds of ticked,” she said through a sheepish grin, “But then again, ain’t their lives, so Ah reckon they ain’t got a leg ta stand on ‘bout it.”

He nodded, but regardless he knew that eventually there would be several that would be fairly put out over the fact that they didn’t get to have the celebration that he knew his beloved bride deserved. He looked toward Moondancer and Muddy, both of which had been witnesses, and he saw their understanding expressions. Applejack didn’t mind parties, and large gatherings, but she didn’t care for them when it was specifically about her.

She’d confessed to him, a few nights before they eloped, that she just wanted something small and intimate. Had they been back at her farm, he would have held a small ceremony in her orchard. Something that would include those close to her, but not drag too many into it. He doubted that she would want the entire family uprooted to attend. As they hugged, Muddy held Moondancer’s hand. The two lovers had gotten closer on the isles.

Moondancer felt the stirring of new magic inside of her, and honestly she welcomed it. She welcomed the idea of bringing a new life into the world. She couldn’t ask for a better father for her foal, or husband for her, than Muddy. He was dependable, gentle, and sweet. In truth he was everything that she could ever want. Looking around she did wonder where the other black cloak and Sol Priest were.

Shetland Castle - Library

Trixie laid basking in the glow of the wonderful round of sex she and Flash Sentry had just had. It was a little bad, she had to admit, to do so in the Library, but then it had been something of a fantasy of hers to do so. Her imagination, and desire to be with Endymion had been something of a foalish dream. She understood that now, and she didn’t mind a bit that she ended up with Flash instead. She felt him, behind her, his hands still around her, and the both of them laid upon the table they had begun on.

The door opened, and she floundered for a moment before falling off of the table onto the cold stone floor.

“Trixie is okay!” she shouted, “But knock before entering!”

The guard that entered sighed, “Awright lassie, we've bin keekin fur yer. Th' royals hae left awready, bit we're preparing a ship tae tak' supplies tae thaim. Sae, if ye hurry, 'n' stoap getting a mighty braw dicking, then mibbie ye kin catch that ship.”

Her eyes widened, “THEY’VE LEFT ALREADY?!”

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39 The Crystal Empire Arc, Part One 39

Chapter 39: The Crystal Empire Arc

Part One

Endymion stood on the deck of the Black Pearl. The privateer ship had proven itself multiple times, and he didn’t doubt the crew nor the captain. Part of him questioned what would happen when they arrived in the Crystal Empire itself. He was officially a royal in two places, the first was Equestria itself. He was glad to be his mother’s son, happy to be part of her family, and certainly happy to be among the ruling class of the great nation, but if he was to be honest he didn’t hold much stock on being a royal.

Most of the days spent as a royal were ensuring that he did little to bring shame to the line, or to upset the nobility. That wasn’t to say that he couldn’t have fun, but letting his hair down, while in Canterlot, was frowned upon. It was one of the reasons he was more than happy to leave and go to Ponyville. Once there he was able to be himself. He was able to prove himself, and he was able to go on adventures. In a way he was living the life his mother had lived before she had established Equestria to the nation it was.

In a way he was going to do the same for the Shetland Isles. He wanted them to be prosperous, but more than that he wanted the ponies there to retain their drive and independence. He saw several of the royal guards standing off, helping with the ship, and he noticed that one of the Pegasus guards was keeping an eye out on the horizon. He watched as the grizzled guard paid attention to where they were going, and paying specific attention to the world around them.

“Something bothering you Slip?”

Slip Stream, the head of the day guard for the Shetland Isles nodded, “Aye, It does sur. Ah caught sight o' an unknown ship, aff th' bow, 'n' ah hawp it tae be outlaws.”

He looked toward where Slip Stream had indicated, and he too noticed the outline. The ship looked to be gryphon in design, or at least it did from what he could see. Slowly the top of it began to break through the clouds, and what he could see the true shape of it. The ship was dark brown, the figurehead was of a gryphon hen. Her wings spread wide, her claws extended, and her beak opened in an angry squawk.

For all rights and purposes it looked as if it belonged on a ship meant for war. And Endymion knew that ship just from the figurehead alone. His mother had talked about it, the Night Huntress, the one ship that had been the backbone of Iron Claw the Gory’s forces. The same ship that had tested Equestria’s borders, time and time again, until finally Iron Claw himself succumbed to deadly disease that had driven him quite insane.

The ship, according to his mother, had been shot down, stranded on a mountain top where it had been abandoned. Yet, here it was, and the evidence of patches done to it stood out to him. He prepared, ready to deal with someone that had raised a powerful ship, and watched as gryphon hen made her way toward the side of the ship.

“Oi! Sparrow, ya fuckface!” she shouted, her voice tight and angry, “Ah come for what’s due!”

Endymion stood, uncertain of what she could be meaning before she pointed her sword, and he heard the roar of ancient canons. Canons that likely had been preserved in the ship, and they went wide, missing the Pearl by yards.

“Next ones won’t miss!” she shouted, “Now, prepare to be boarded and give me my pay!”

Slip Stream looked ready to defend, and Endymion himself was glad to have someone so ready to stand against a potential enemy. Then again he knew that all of his royal guard would be like that. Stella would be the same, although in many ways she was almost an older sister. He could see her preparing as well, licking her lips in anticipation. There was little doubt in her mind that she would get to go to battle with honest to Luna pirates! It would be a red letter day for her to openly battle those that would dare attempt to harm those she swore to protect.

Endymion himself wondered if this would devolve into a fight, or if the good captain had other plans. In truth he had a feeling that Sparrow would likely deal with it head on. Or rather he felt that the good captain would attempt to handle it without the loss of property or life. He listened, waiting for Captain Sparrow to appear, and after a moment he saw not the captain, but his bride.

She staggered toward the side of the ship, her nostrils flaring, and her horn lit up with a spell that was already charged. She opened her mouth, and he realized that she had cast a very impressive spell on her voice.

“Awright ye glaikit boot! ye interrupted mah getting a mighty braw dicking! noo, tak' yer saggy dumb bahookie 'n' git oot o' 'ere!”

“Oi, what did you say you fuckin’ slag?!”

“Wha urr ye cawin a pumpin' a munter ye no nice bahookie a munter!?”

The gryphon hen bristled at that, her eyes widened, a sort of stiffness took her, “Oi! I’mma gonna beat your ass!”

“Come ower 'ere 'n' ah will beat yer bahookie up 'n' doon this ship!”

The gryphon hen didn’t wait. Her wings stretched out, and she took off. Endymion studied her, the whitish head with green highlights, the way her beak seemed to be made for cracking hard shells, and she moved toward the Pearl with murder in her eyes. She landed, her wings still stiff.

“Come ‘ere!”

Before she took another step Slip Stream and Stella were on her. She was tied up, bound, and finally Captain Sparrow came out holding a sheet around himself.

“Celaeno, Long time,” he said, “So, still going on about the ship?”

Being bound didn’t break Celaeno’s anger. If anything she was far more angry than she had been when she landed. The ropes binding her stretched, popped, but held. She clicked her beak angrily at Captain Sparrow, her eyes staring daggers at him the entire time. She huffed angrily, but she couldn’t move her talons to work on the ropes, and both Slip Stream and Stella had done well in ensuring that she tied in such a way that she was unable bite on the rope with her beak.

She was, for all rights and purposes, very trapped. Her eyes didn’t venture from Captain Sparrow, and at no time did she take in how many crewmembers, royal guards, or others on the ship. She looked only at Sparrow, and that was more than enough for Endymion to realize that this was incredibly personal. That kind of obsession was reserved for either of two polar opposite emotions. Love and Hate were the only emotions he could think of that would cause someone to obsess over someone the way she was over Captain Sparrow.

“Ain’t ‘bout the ship!” she screeched, her voice tight with anger, “It’s ‘bout what ya did ya fuckface!”

He stood there, uncertain of what was going on with her, “What are you carrying on about?”

She growled, “I was a fuckin’ virgin ya twit!”

Everything began to fall into place and Endymion could see exactly how this had gotten so bad. Captain Celaeno had been a virgin, both she and Sparrow had been more or less shipwrecked, and it was obvious that things happened between them. What Endymion knew of Sparrow was that he wasn’t a stallion that took to normal conventions. He didn’t behave with the moral dignity that one would expect from a ship’s captain. Oh, he was honorable, but he acted in such a way that it was difficult on how to measure him.

Whatever it was that Captain Celaeno had believed was between them didn’t register to Sparrow. He didn’t see them together, and he didn’t see them as more than what they had been when it came to their relationship on the ship. Endymion understood the reasoning for her anger, and he empathized with her. She had believed there was a connection, given something to Sparrow, and later learned that the connection she believed was there didn’t exist at all. Part of him wanted to talk to her, see if he could get her to calm down, and let her explain what had happened.

The problem was he was certain that she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. He could see that she was upset, and it was likely that she was going to stay upset for the foreseeable future. She wanted some kind of resolution, something that would make sense of what had happened between her and Captina Sparrow, but Endymion understood that was not going to happen. He was lucky enough that he had been able to connect with Pinkie and Twilight on a deep level. He was even luckier that they hadn’t simply used him and went on about their business.

He empathized with her because he understood what she was going through, but he also understood that what she was doing now could put herself, and them, into danger. That was something that couldn’t be accepted. There was a time and place for what she was going through. As much as he wanted to help and settle things he could see that getting involved wouldn’t lead to any kind of situation that would be a good one.

For most individuals that would be enough to make them pause, stop their current thought process and reframe from getting further involved in what was obviously a lost cause. The issue was that Endymion wasn’t normal. his emotional mind quickly tied up his logical one, tossed it into a closet, locked it, and proceeded to near Captain Celaeno.

“Captain Celaeno, would you mind if we talk?”

She glared at him, the anger of a thousand burning stars present in her eyes, “What?!”

He swallowed down every response and instead gave a warm smile, “I understand that you’re fairly angry at Captain Sparrow, and I can understand why,” he said his voice calm and smooth, “But we are on an important mission. I know that doesn’t matter to you, in the slightest, but allow me to say that what we’re doing, and where we are going, holds precedence over our actions.”

She breathed in, “He needs ta pay for what he did.”

He knelt down so that they were eye level, “And he should, but not now,” he replied, “I believe at the very least he owes you an explanation of why he took off and left you.”

She visibly relaxed, “Yeah, he does,” she replied, her voice less angry, “Between my ship, and everything else…”

He touched her cheek, “I get it,” he replied, “I really do.”

She breathed in, “I want to follow,” she said, her voice stern offering no further negotiation, “you could use another ship, and my crew are talented at what we do.”

He nodded, and then he looked up to see his mother. Luna smiled, nodding approvingly at his resolution, and she moved toward Captain Celaeno.

“Then, as one of the diarchs, mare of moon, and mover of the stars, I hereby hire you and your crew in our endeavors.”

The gryphon hen balked slightly at the sight of the Lunar Princess. Her eyes bulged a bit, and then she swallowed, “We humbly accept, your highness.”

Luna flared her magic, and ropes binding Captain Celaeno untied themselves from her. She stood, her talons no longer bound, and she looked toward Sparrow. There was a moment, a brief one, where it was obvious to anyone that she considered diving toward him. Instead she bowed, flared her wings, and flew back toward her own ship.

“Well done my son,” Luna said as she stood near him, “You turned a possible problem into a potential friend.”

He grinned, “I could see why she was upset, and I thought that what she really needed was a friendly ear.”

She smiled, “Some say that the path from inner turmoil begins with a friendly ear,” she replied, “I am surprised that you remembered the words of your archery instructor.”

He grinned, “Wood Splinter was a fantastic teacher,” he replied his voice wistful, “I do wonder how he is doing.”

“Quite well,” the sound of Shining Armor’s voice carried, “He’s going to be coming to Crystal Empire.”

Endymion turned toward his brother-in-law and watched as he walked over, “We’ve requested the best archery and hoofjitsu teacher,” he replied as he neared them, “We were informed that Wood Splinter is the best of the best. I thought that it would be a great idea to have him teach our guards.”

Endymion nodded. He couldn’t disagree. Although he didn’t use the bow much he was fairly good at using one. He owed most of that to Wood Splinter. He also owed being able to evade certain holds thanks to him as well. He did wish that he would have trained harder in hoofjitsu, but then again there was no reason for him not to learn more. Once everything was over with King Sombra, and Twilight set up a Rune Portal, he could in theory travel to the Crystal Empire at any moment and sit in with the guards.

It was as good of an option as he could think of. The benefits of learning it, and becoming proficient at it certainly outweighed the cons of it. Yes, it would take time, and that was the main reason he hadn’t wanted to learn it very much when he was younger. He had wanted some free time to himself, and although he wanted some extra time to be with his wives he understood the reason for needing to expand his knowledge of fighting.

It would be foolish to leave everything to the guard and army. Not to mention it would look good for him as a Prince to be able to defend his ponies from attack as well. The decision was simple enough. Of course he needed to practice his magic, but that was where a thought was coming in. He could learn enchantments, better ones, and use those on arrows. In addition if he got better at hoofjitsu then he could potentially learn to enchant gloves and shoes. Both of which could end up doing more damage to those he was fighting.

It certainly seemed like a grand idea. If nothing else it would help him feel a bit more measured up to what he believed was expected of royalty. His own measurements came from the example that his mother, and aunt Celestia, had set years before he arrived. In truth some of it was even set by Jolie himself. Granted, he had done what Jolie had done, and he had stopped, with help, a great and terrible blight on the ponies of the Shetland Isles.

He felt as if he had done a great thing, and he felt more than justified in the actions that he had done. But there was so much ground between himself and his mother. It wasn’t that he wanted to one up her. That certainly wasn’t the issue. Instead he wanted to measure up to her accomplishments. It was a foalish dream, and he understood that it was, but at the same time it was one that believed could potentially be reachable.

Looking out he saw the open ocean, the sky was clear, and he felt a little open. They’d been attacked outside of the safety of the spell that protected the Shetland Isles. An attack that had nearly cripled the Pearl, but instead they had managed to make it to the Isles, and there they were able to repair, recoup, and learn more about themselves. Part of him wondered if there would be more attacks. Of course they did have the added benefit of potential allies flying beside them.

If the Gryphons would assist them in a battle then perhaps it would be possible for them to make it through more or less unscathed. Part of him hoped that would be the case. That they would be able to make it all of the way to where they were going without issue. Still, he had learned, from a young colt, that the best laid plans didn’t always go with what actually happened. There was a very real part of him that believed that they could end up in a situation that would require them to be exceptionally flexible.

He had already decided that they wouldn’t be leaving their new allies to twist in the wind. If it came to fighting again they would stand with the Gryphons. The hope that it would strengthen their alliance. Perhaps, if everything went well today, he could potentially sit down to a treaty between the Shetland Isles and the Gryphons themselves. That was an idea worth having. An alliance between them would hopefully be something that would only gain strength in the future.

At the same time he wondered how things would work out if there was an alliance. Wherever it was that they made port would likely need a Rune Portal. At that thought he realized exactly how revolutionized what Twilight had done would become. Travel would no longer potentially take weeks or months, but could be done in seconds. The only time that they would need to take extended trips would either be for the novelty of it, or to establish a Rune Portal there.

It made him realize that the world would become much smaller. It could be possible for foals from either the Shetland Isles, or Equestria itself, to take field trips to the Crystal Empire. At the same time it would be simple to travel to exotic places to get spices and ingredients once thought to be reserved for the wealthy. Business would boom, and the world would become connected. There was every potential that it could turn around and bite them, and he wasn’t naive enough to believe that it wouldn’t happen.

But at the same time it would grant ponies far more opportunities than they had ever had before. That was something he was excited for. He wanted to see things become more affordable for everypony, not just those with more bits than sense. He knew that it would level the playing field between the wealthy and the common pony. That was a good thing, and he believed it was a good thing. At the same time he worried about how the wealthy, nobility, and elitists would react.

Nobles like Fancy Pants would be in full support, and he knew that. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind that nobles like him would want to see this kind of change, because it would strengthen the common pony. But there were nobles out there who felt as if the common pony was nothing more than means to an end. That they existed simply to be used like cattle. Their lives focused around the amount of bits that they used in businesses that were owned by the wealthy, nobility, and elitists.

He looked at his mother, and he did not envy the battle she had to look forward to. This wouldn’t be a battle between an ancient evil which was intent on destroying everything, but rather it would be a battle on the house of commons floor. The lawmakers there would demand that certain things came to pass. Some of those things would be that fixed rates be applied to all incoming goods from exotic places.

They would explain that high tariffs needed to be in place, as did expensive transporting taxes, all of which they would likely paint as keeping the influx of government funding. He could see them explaining that by not doing this they would be forcing the government to enact new tax laws, laws that would likely bankrupt the common pony. Of course such laws would never be passed, he knew that, but it would be a scare tactic he was certain they would try.

Ultimately, they would all but explain that if they weren’t able to do this then the crown would be forced to do something that should have been done the entire time. The crown would tax the nobility, the wealthy, and the elitists based on their actual worth and not merely a small percentage. He still didn’t know how that got passed, but he could only believe that the one possibility was that it likely happened sometime after his mother had to banish his Aunt Celestia.

She was not a mare with a heart of stone. She loved deeply, and she would have hurt badly after banishing her sister. It was likely that she may have been far more receptive to ideas and suggestions that she would have never been receptive to before. It would have been a time for them to get all sorts of laws passed that she would have never signed off on before. It would have been dirty, underhanded, and the sort of thing that he could see the nobility doing.

As he considered this a form stepped onto the deck of the step. Her wings folded behind her, and it was something she was still getting used to. Still, she walked toward Endymion, and she could see how lost in thought he was. It was always interesting to see him lost to the moment, and to watch the way he considered things. Slowly she neared him and took his arm. He seemed to snap out of it, and a light smile crossed his face as he wrapped his arm around her.

She clung to his side, happy to have him holding her, and looked at the world around them.

“Bit for your thoughts?”

He smiled, “I was thinking about how your Rune Portal was going to change everything. Imports and Exports would become far simpler, so would travel, and it would give the common pony a level of power they never had before.”

She smiled, “I know,” she replied her voice sounding proud, “But there’s more, isn’t there?”

He nodded, “There’s a lot of nobility that will fight against this. They’ll see it as a way to reduce their power and influence.”

She sighed, “I know,” she replied, a twinge of sadness in her voice, “My parents wouldn’t I know that, but then there are ponies like Gleaming Bit that would see this as a threat.”

He nodded, “Oh, I know. Having something available that could get a pony to the hospital in seconds, and not cost them a fortune would be the worst possible thing.”

She grinned, “It would destroy an entire section of his medical companies. The Ambulance section would simply be dismantled,” she said before scratching her chin, “Well, a few of them would still be needed. Places where a pony might be a mile or two from a Rune Portal, but nothing like they are used now.”

He nodded, “There will be a massive battle on the house of commons’ floor you know,” he replied, “And the outcome of it will be the welfare of every single pony in Equestria.”

Luna laughed, “Yes my son, that is true,” she said as they looked at her, “But those nobles don’t realize that I’ve been fighting a similar battle for several centuries. They will come with their lawyers, their demands, their lobbyists, and I will destroy all of their champions. Their lawyers will fall, their lobbyists will find themselves unable to gain support, and the nobility themselves will have to contend with making their demands in person.”

She grinned, “I dare not say that it will be easy. Some of their lawyers are as cunning as any enemy I’ve faced,” she replied, “There are a few that have access to some of the oldest laws, and who attempt to use them as a way to retain their power.”

She sighed, “Ultimately it may come to pass that I have to destroy the old laws in order to save Equestria herself,” she laymented, “And if I do then I will do so with a joyful heart. For I am certain that even Princess Platinum herself would rather have those stuffy old laws destroyed rather than see ponies she cared for harmed.”

Luna leaned back against the railing of the Pearl. She knew that Endymion knew of the old laws, specifically of the ones that were most common in the courts. Still, there were entire volumes of laws that he had never seen. Laws that she remembered, that she knew Celestia remembered, but were kept under careful watch of the Baron Sackworm. Sackworm herself was an ancient unicorn, declaring that her line was placed into the position of keeping the ancient laws by Princess Platinum herself.

Luna could say that Sackworm’s ancestor truly had been placed in that position by Princess Platinum, but then her ancestor wasn’t the power hungry, and greedy, pony that Sackworm was. Her ancestor, Sweet Bug, had been a caring pony. She had been a commoner, and it was her very devotion to other ponies that made Princess Platinum choose her to keep the old laws. She was not to keep them from all other ponies, but she was instead to share them openly.

Sweet Bug had done that, her son Wormwood had done the same, and the next four generations had done much the same. Each sharing the information with those around them, It wasn’t until Sackworm’s great grandmare that the ancient laws were held back. The fact that so much money had been made off of the sweat of lower ponies, and the illegal foalnapping done on the Shetland Isles had made her great grand mare one of the wealthiest of the lower nobles.

She decided to keep the information of the laws, the fact that taking the poor uneducated foals from the Shetlands was illegal, that the common ponies were only to pay a flat tax and were entitled to complete returns on any extra paid, and lastly that no nobility were to have vested business interests in any organization, or business, that was used by the government. Those that knew of these laws naturally were allowed to use them, and the number of common ponies that knew had grown less and less.

A few of the oldest ponies alive had knowledge about those laws. She was certain that Granny Smith and Golden Delicious of Ponyville knew, and she was quite certain that Grandpear of Vanhoover also knew. So, it stood to reason that they had passed that knowledge down, but then again there was no guarantee. Eventually those laws would be forgotten, and when they were there would be nothing left to stand in the way of the nobility gaining more power.

To destroy the interpretation of the laws was what she planned on doing. To undo what so many selfish ponies had done was her plan. She had let footholds take place that should have never taken place, and it had happened when she was weak. It happened when she banished her sister. Her emotional weakness had given them the chance to change the direction of the laws to their favor.

She looked at her son, her new daughter-in-law, and she saw hope for a brighter future. Endymion would be a wonderful prince and ruler. He would govern fairly, and she knew that. Twilight was brilliant, and to be honest she had taught her much about government. She cared for Celestia, but she had doubts that her sister would have taught Twilight the ins and outs of how to run the government.

Her sister was many things, but someone that understood the need for others to step in and rule wasn’t one of them. At least, she hadn’t been before she was banished. She shared her rule with her, but her ideas of ruling were along the lines that some were more fit to lead than others. Instead Luna had given Twilight the arsenal that she needed to ensure that the fledgling country they had founded would prosper.

In a thousand years she had no doubts that it would be a wonderful place. In a thousand years she believed that the isles could easily stand on the same level as Equestria herself. It was a sobering and wonderful feeling to know that there would be another power, another player, and she longed for it. Of course the battle in the courts would have to wait until she returned. When she did her armor would be her royal robes, her sword would be her pen, and her shield would be the very knowledge of the ancient laws.

She would face champions with similar armor, similar swords, and similar shields. Yet, she knew that their shields would be weaker at points, their swords would only go so far without their shields, and their armor would not stop the blows that would lay them low. In the end it would be up to the nobility to do the right thing. Some would, and she knew that they would gladly. Others would rally against it, determined to fight to the last pony.

Those houses would be torn down, their wealth burned and scattered to the winds, and their mighty shield of blood nobility dashed upon the rocks. The power given to the nobility, by their ancestors, could be removed. The power was given by the founders of Equestria, and in some cases Celestia and herself, and it could be taken away. General Hurricane, Princess Platinum, and Chancellor Puddinghead had transferred their power over to both herself and Celestia.

It was obvious that they, in the Founder’s stead, could remove any and all power given. She hadn’t done it out of respect for the ancestors she knew. Some of which had been dear friends. Dear friends that would bend their spoiled, and entitled, descendants over their knees and beat them until they could no longer walk. They would be appalled at what their family lines were willing to do in order to maintain the illusion of power.

She shook her head, and looked again at her son. He was looking over the railing, at the ocean, and she had to admire it as well. She didn’t get to travel often enough, and most often it was because of situations like this. Either attempting to form an alliance, or going as a diplomat in an attempt to stall a dark power from forming. In Sombra’s case she would appeal to his better nature.

She hoped that some of her dear friend was still in there. That he would see reason, and that he would understand what needed to happen. Part of her wanted to take him back with them. Yes, she cared for him, and she enjoyed when he practically rutted her into the ground, but she knew that his heart belonged to his beloved. She knew that he truly had eyes only for Rose Quartz. She was glad that they had a chance to help her dear friend, and she feared that her other daughter-in-law’s place in this would be dangerous.

She considered Pinkie Pie for a moment, and she sighed. Pinkie Pie was truly the spitting image of Rose Quartz. She was the same shade of pink, her body the same measurements, and her voice was exceptionally close. For Sombra it may appear that his beloved Rose Quartz was once again alive. She didn’t want to put Pinkie Pie in such a position, but it could come to pass that her very presence could potentially calm Sombra.

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40 The Crystal Empire Arc, Part Two 40

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1 My Hero

Rune Soldier

Chapter 1: My Hero

“No good, I can break into this ruin, but it’s going to take some time. The locking mechanism is magic senstative. If we had a good magi here, maybe, just maybe, we’d be able to get it unlocked without a problem.”

Fluttershy sighed and looked at Rainbow Dash. Her friend from fillyhood was an excellent thief, she really was, but if she said that it would take time, that meant days, not hours. It didn’t bother her, but part of her training as a temple priestess was to go on adventures, even if she didn’t personally enjoy them. Standing near her friends she was the obvious odd mare out. Her white flowing garments, her staff of regeneration and damnation, and her silver bells that rang only when monsters were about.

She didn’t look like Applejack, the swordsmare from Ponyville. Applejack was a pile of muscles, dressed in an armored skirt, a rag top that barely held in her exceptionally large breasts, and her stetson that sat proudly on her head. Then there was Rainbow Dash herself. While taller than Fluttershy she was dressed just slightly more conservative than Applejack. Her shorts were far too high. Showing off the bottom of her cutie mark, and certainly letting anypony that happened to watch when she bent over get a perfect view of her marehood. Her top was something Fluttershy would never wear, but being that Rainbow was so much smaller than her in the bust that she could get away with it. She watched as her friend shook her head. She pointed back toward the door.

“If I do have to crack it myself I’m going to need a lot of special tools. I mean a lot of them. And frankly… our last two adventures were kind of busts. Ugh, this means going back to town. AJ, how many bits do we have left on hoof?”

“Not much. We dun went and spent most of it over a week ago gettin’ ya out of the pokey Dash,” she said shaking her head at her rainbow maned friend, “Ya know, startin’ a fight with that stallion weren’t the best idea.”

“Hey!” Rainbow said as she marched over and poked her finger deep into Applejack’s right breast, “That twat gurgler said I was trying to rip him off!”

“Ummm… Rainbow, you did have your hand on his bit bag.”

“Yeah, so? Doesn’t mean he needed to call me on it!”

Fluttershy shook her head, “So, we either wait until we’ve somehow raised the money, or we find a willing Magi to help us. What about Twilight? It’s been awhile since we’ve hung out together.”

“No offense, but do you remember last time? Twilight’s cool, but she loves to bring every single book on magic she has. That means she’s going to be busy levitating books, and not worrying about monsters.”

Applejack nodded, “She’s got a point sugarcube. I like Twi, I really do, but she tends to get her head stuck in the books pretty hard. I guess it makes sense, what with her being a great magi and all.”

“Well, it’s her or somepony like Trixie.”

All three of them shivered as they considered that. Trixie was a braggart, a blowhard, and a royal pain in the tailhole. She was intelligent and powerful, but not so much that she couldn’t be handled. Still, if they took her on an adventure when they were done Trixie would be telling it like she saved them all from a vicious attack by an orc, or a troll, or something else.

“Fine, but if we’re asking Twilight, we’ve got to lay down the law, no books.”

“Yeah, Ah’m real sure this is gonna work so well.”

Fluttershy laughed as she watched her friend roll her eyes. A deep growling sound caught their attention, and they turned to see the ground move. Slowly ripping up from the earth four Orcs stood. Their twisted ruined features revealed beings bred from dark magic. Without hesitation Rainbow Dash threw a small collection of knives, hitting one of the Orcs in the chest. What would have been a killing blow turned out to be little more than an annoyance as the Orc’s body pushed the knives out.

“Being out here so close to night wasn’t a good idea.”

“Eeeyup, lookit, the best way outta this is ta go back through the forest. ‘Em Orcs can tango with the Timber Wolves, and we can hightail it back ta Ponyville.”

“Sounds good, let’s book!”

With that the three of them ran toward the Everfree, leading the Orcs into the dangerous forest. The sound of timber wolves alerted them, but it was to be expected. The Orcs would find the wolves, they would fight, and if one side ended up killing the other all the better. Once they neared town Fluttershy leaned against a building, gasping for breath.

“Ya’ll okay Shy?”

“Yes, of course.”

Rainbow looked at her, “You sure?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Yes I’m fine, I just have to catch my breath.”

“Ya know Shy, last time that happened was right before ya were raised to a third level Priestess. Ah mean, yer not that far from becoming a fourth right?”

Fluttershy blushed a little, “I have to find my hero first. Unfortunately he, or she, has not been revealed to me yet. But you are right Applejack. I believe that Sol is preparing me to become a fourth level.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we came back to town,” Rainbow stated, “we can try and find a Magi to help us with that blasted ruins and you could visit the Sol Temple and get yerself leveled up!”

“Ain’t sure it works that way, Rainbow Dash,” AJ said, “there’s some kinda ceremony involved and whatnot. Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded, “There is. I have to perform the ritual of revealing. If we are going to make it into the ruins in the next couple of days then I simply don’t have time to perform it yet.”

“Oh, okay, well then you going to be able to keep up?”

Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

“You sure? I mean you got pretty winded back there.”

Fluttershy smiled softly, “Rainbow, I will be fine. The gifts bestowed to me by Sol already will be stronger, because I need an outlet for the increase in energy. I get more winded because my body hasn’t received the final blessing from Sol. I will only receive this blessing when I am shown my hero. When that happens Sol will strengthen me even more so that I may serve my hero, and my temple, without hesitation or problem.”

“So… you have to find a hero first… Okay, how about that stallion?”

“Dash, she dun said that ain’t how it works. She’s gotta do the ritual. Ain’t no shortcut. Jest gonna have ta deal with it.”

Canterlot Royal Magic Academy

“You bullheaded baffon! Look at what you’ve done!”

Endymion looked at Professor Flintheart. The elder Unicorn looked at the magical being before him. He trotted over to the human standing there, his thin frame looking imposing even if Endymion was taller, wider, and he supposedly stronger than Flintheart. In truth Flintheart was the professor over protection from the Dark Arts for a reason. It was rumored that the old Unicorn had been a black cloak once upon a time. An Unicorn that had the license to go and do whatever it took to take down a magical threat to the crown.

Professor Flintheart’s black stringy hair was currently tinted pink, his normally dark gray coat had the same tint, and his black robes were now a bright pink.

“You… You… You ruined an entire batch of resealing potion! That potion is the simplest kind to make, able to reseal wards, able to restart magical machinery, and somehow you ruined it!” Flintheart seethed, “Twenty-five hours of service to the library, in the forbidden section, under direction of Ms Lulamoon!”

“Wait, wait just a Sol damned moment, no, you are not making me have to deal with Trixie!”

“Ms Lulamoon is a magi third class, you are a magi first class, she is more advanced than you, and that means she is your superior! You will report to the library, do as she instructs, or I swear by the ancients I don’t care who your adopted mother is I will make you wish you were never born!”

“Too late for that sentiment, boyo,” Endymion said.

Professor Flintheart’s horn began to light up when a throat clearing caused him to stop.

“Professor, perhaps you’d be willing to explain to me why you are pink, and why you were threatening my son?”

Professor Flintheart bowed to the Lunar Princess, “A thousand apologies your highness. But your… Son, ruined a sealing potion, and is currently refusing to go and do the very fair punishment he earned for obviously neglecting his studies!”

“I see. Professor, I will deal with my son. Go and… May I suggest a dip in the enchanted pool? I believe it should remove all of that off of you.”

He bowed, glared at Endymion, and left. Luna waited until the old Unicorn was out of earshot and then she began to chuckle.

“Son, while I do enjoy seeing Flintheart brought down a peg or two his punishment does stand.”

“Mom…”

“No buts, no trying to talk your way out of it. I’m sorry, but a sealing potion should be a cake walk for you,” she hugged him, “I’ve seen your power before. Son, you have an amazing amount of talent. I want to see you reach your potential.”

He looked at the floor, “What if I have?”

She shook her head, “No, you haven’t. You are so much more than you think you are. Now tell me, who did he put in charge of your punishment?”

Endymion grumbled a bit before he finally looked at her, “Trixie.”

“Oh my… I can certainly see the reason you didn’t want to deal with it. Ms Lulamoon is a little….”

“Mom, she tries to magic my clothes off every time I see her.”

Luna chuckled again, “I know, but son trust me, I don’t think that’s just because of you. Trixie is… bold, but I doubt that she’d be that bold without another reason.”

“What reason could there be?” he asked as they walked together.

“Oh, for that answer I think you better talk to Twilight. Now, I have a kingdom to deal with, and a school to run. Please, don’t get into anymore trouble.”

He nodded, and watched as she walked off. He groaned and neared the library. He stepped inside and saw Written Prose sitting at a table, obviously writing out another short story on Starswirl the Bearded, and how he faced some monster or another. Twilight swore by Written’s work. Then again, Twilight was a major Starswirl fanfilly. He neared the forbidden section and heard a voice behind him.

“Woe to the stallion who enters into the forbidden area without the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Shhh!”

Trixie rolled her eyes, “Trixie shall escort you into the forbidden area, and then Trixie shall oversee you shelf reading the forbidden section.”

“Okay, that’s getting old. Do you really have to talk in third person?”

“Will you finally fall for Trixie’s charms if she does not?”

“Yeah, no, not going to happen.”

Ponyville

Fluttershy walked into Lucky’s with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The tavern was one of the few places where the local magi liked to gather. Sometimes they’d sit together, but most often they were apart. Except for Lyra. Fluttershy noticed that there was rarely a place Lyra went that she didn’t have Bon Bon near her. The two were inseparable. The way they acted… Well, it was none of her business. Whoever somepony’s special somepony was didn’t matter. Love and light was meant to be shared. That was the very thing taught at the temple.

They spotted Twilight, sitting near Spike. From the way Twilight explained it Spike was something between a little brother and her son. She hatched him, but her mom Twilight Velvet helped raise him. Across from them was Rarity Carousel. Fluttershy could see the way that Spike was looking at Rarity that his feelings for her were just as strong as ever.

“Twi, got a minute?” Applejack asked.

She nodded, putting down the book her nose had been buried in, “Sure, girls, this is an amazing read! This book is all about how to bring a pony’s hidden potential to the surface! Starswirl wrote it when he was working with some Shetlanders!”

“Uh, that’s great Twi. Look, we was a thinkin’ that y’all might wanna join us fer an adventure. We’ve got a ruin already picked out, and Fluttershy said that temple records state that it’s got a rump load of treasure in it,” Applejack replied as she took a seat near Spike.

The little drake got a full view of AJ’s side boob and turned his head quickly. Not wanting to be anything other than a gentlecolt/drake.

“Wow! A Ruin, out here?! Is it like the Castle of the two sisters?”

“Not exactly Twi,” Applejack said, “these’re some ruins just recently uncovered. They look to be part o’ the ol’ Romani Empire, though th’t’s just speculatin’.”

“So, yeah,” Rainbow Dash continues, “we could get into the ruins by ourselves, but the problem is it would take forever and we’re flat broke.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy exclaims,

“It’s true,” Applejack retorts, “we’re lucky to have a bit to our name. Now this here ruins, that could nab us some hefty coin. We’d be more than willin’ to part with some of the treasure if’n ya want.”

“Well, that sounds great, Applejack,” Twilight replied, “but I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass.”

“Ah,” Rainbow snorted, “why not?”

“Well, for one, you’re loud,” Twilight answered, “If I can can’t take my books with me, than I won’t go. I need to study, you know. Princess Luna is counting on me.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot,” Fluttershy says, “you are The Element of Magic. Without you and your skills, there would be no defense for all of Equestria!”

Twilight nods, adding, “Besides, despite the Solar Flare business, I’m just not that comfortable with roaming around in dank tombs and ancient ruins. I’d be more than happy to examine whatever you find for authentication, though!”

“Thanks, Twi,” Applejack states, “it was worth a shot, ennyway. But dang, where in the name of Faust are we gonna get ourselves a mage?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, a knowing look crosses her features, “If you need a mage for an adventure, I think I might know somepony that would fit the bill.”

“You do?” Rainbow asked, “Who?”

“Well, he’s a novice mage, to be honest,” Twilight answered, “but he has a lot of potential. He’s a very unique individual-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Rainbow interjected, “this mage, they’re a stallion?”

“Well, yes,” Twilight admitted, “why? Is that important?”

“Ummm, it’s just we’ve always been a girl group. Adding a stallion seems like it could mess with things,” Fluttershy admitted, “I mean, I suppose if we were to at least meet with him we could decide then.”

“Ah guess Ah might be fine with it. As long as the feller don’t go pervin’ on any of us.”

Rainbow grinned, “Yeah, he gets to checking out my flank and I’m a gonna sock him one right in kisser.”

“Rainbow, there’s no reason to be so violent. Besides… he’s a good stallion, and kind of cute.”

Rarity, upon hearing them, leaned over, “Twilight, darling, did you say this stallion is very attractive?”

Fluttershy listened, and she looked at poor Spike. His eyes were screwed shut, she could see the look of anguish and heartbreak on his face. He was growing into a handsome young drake, but he was still too young to be taken seriously as a potential suitor. Well, he was nearing adulthood, but being fifteen was still a few years away.

She watched Rarity and wondered if she could see how much he obviously cared for her. Still, this was not her place. Sol said that while love and light must be shared, only the brave took the steps to do so. If Spike wanted Rarity to know he would have to take the steps to show her. It was his quest, and no one else could do it for him.

“Rarity, I don’t think he’s your kind of cute,” Twilight said with a smile, to which Rarity replies, “Darling please, he surely would be quite fetching if he caught your eye.”

“Rares, Ah don’t give a good Sol Damn if he’s the cover stallion for Playfilly. All Ah want ta know is does he have some talent, and ta make sure he ain’t gonna ta start sneakin’ peeks at ma goods.”

“Trust me, he doesn’t do that kind of thing intentionally, and if nopony goes to stripping down in front of him, I doubt that he will.”

“One time! It was one time, and it was because of leeches!”

The entire room quieted down, and several heads turned toward their table. Rainbow slid down into her seat, hiding her blushing face.

“Ummm.. We can meet with him. When will he be available, and is he in Ponyville?”

Twilight shook her head, “No, right now he’s in Canterlot at the Royal Magic Academy, but I’ll send him letter explaining that the three of you want to meet with him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to come out and talk with the three of you.”

Royal Academy Library - The following Morning

“Mmmm, yes, oh Trixie likes that… What? Trixie’s tailhole? Trixie has never done something so dirty…”

Endymion shook his head as he listened to Trixie talk in her sleep. He hoped that whatever Trixie was dreaming he wouldn’t hear about it. Sometimes, just sometimes, his mother enjoyed telling him about some of the dreams Trixie had. He knew it was her way of getting a rise out of him, but regardless he just didn’t think of Trixie like that.

Sure, she was a cute mare, but her personality and ego just made her impossible to be around. Whatever stallion, or mare, ended up with her needed to have far more patience than he did. That or she needed to be giving up that tailhole all of the damned time. For a moment the image passed through his mind, and being a normal, well kind of, stallion he followed it for a bit. Trixie leaned across the desk, a ball gag in her mouth, him buried in her tailhole, but as interesting as that thought was no matter how good it might be, she was going to ruin it at some point.

She’d talk, showing her true self, and he couldn’t stand that. He checked the time, saw that his assigned time to work in the forbidden section was over, and he nudged Trixie.

“Wha? Trixie is awake.”

“Sure you are Trixie, times up, unlock the gate, and let me out.”

She rolled her eyes, walked over to the gate, unlocked it, and before he left he felt the touch of her magic.

“Surely you want the Great and Powerful Trixie!’

He sighed, feeling tired, ready to go lay down, and looked at her, “Okay, this once, just this once, you’ve got a shot. Seduce me.”

Her eyes lit up, and she stood, sticking out her very covered, but very large mammaries. “Behold, and look upon the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“You’re just standing there.”

“Yes, but you are being overcome with lust! You want Trixie!”

“This is your plan? Really?”

“Yes! Gaze upon Trixie for Trixie is the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria! Take in her beauty and…”

“And what?”

“Trixie… isn’t sure. Trixie hasn’t gotten there yet.”

“Uh huh, whelp, I’m going to bed, not with you, and I’m going to go to sleep. Later Trixie.”

“Wait! Trixie wants another chance!”

Endymion shook his head, walked out of the forbidden section, and headed toward the section of the Palace where his room was at. His quarters were located in the Lunar Wing of the Palace, close enough to the School without being a boarder. It gave him a level of privacy that he welcomed, given some of his more- clandestine pursuits. He was also prone to night terrors, so having a bunk mate would likely result in hurt feelings and sleep deprivation. He groaned, opened the door and saw his bed, his glorious, wonderful, amazing bed. Walking toward it he prepared to fall onto it, but instead he noticed a single scroll.

It had Twilight’s insignia on it, and figuring that it would be good to see what his best friend was up to he opened the scroll.

My Dearest Endymion,

I hope that my letter finds you well, in good health, and caught up on your studies. Remember, books are there for more than propping up your uneven table. Speaking of which, I think that I might have some news for you. I know that you’ve been interested in getting some real world experience with magic, and I happen to know a group of adventurers who need the help of a Magi.

I’d help them, but to be honest I’m not really one for Ruin Raiding, despite what the newspapers say about my raiding the Castle of the Two Sisters and freeing Princess Celestia. To be honest, I’m happier studying about magic and being with my friends. However, if you wish, or want, to come to Ponyville it could give you a real chance to really test the spells that I know you’ve mastered.

Again, I hope this finds you well, and I hope that you know I’ve missed you since being assigned to Ponyville. It is my fondest wish to see you again.

Love,

Twilight Sparkle - Magi - Fifth Level.

“Adventure?” Endymion’s eyes widened, “Adventure!”

He started to turn around, pack, and promptly fell backward onto the bed. Sleep taking him.

Ponyville - The following Day

Twilight sat waiting at the trainstation. Her letter from Endymion, which Spike gave to her about four in the morning, had said that he, and Princess Luna, were coming to Ponyville via the train today. She knew that Princess Luna could have used the royal chariot, and she almost expected her to, but for them to take the train it meant that Endymion must be bringing along more than just himself. She considered the fact that her Bestest Best Stallion Friend Forever, or BBSFF, might actually be staying for a while.

The sound of the train could be heard, and then she watched as it rolled to a stop. The sounding whistle telling everypony that it was stopping for a few moments, and to prepare to disembark. She watched as the ponies unloaded, and after everypony else was off a car at the back, a personal one she knew belonged to the Royal Family, opened and out stepped Princess Luna.

The Princess of the Night was wearing a long flowing black Chiton, something she often wore when traveling. It certainly showed off her natural beauty, and she knew that even the straightest of mares would have a moment of considering what it would be like to take such a stunning beauty to bed. Of course that wasn’t the case for her. In many ways Luna was almost a second mother to her.

Although that made how she felt toward Endymion a little awkward. She smiled toward the Princess and moved toward her. She caught the Lunar Diarch in a hug and felt Luna do the same. The Alicorn covered her with her wings, something she’d observed pegasi mothers do while here in Ponyville.

“It’s wonderful to see you Princess,” she said.

“And it is equally wonderful to see you Twilight, tell me how have you enjoyed tending to the Ponyville library, and overseeing the Magi guild here in Ponyville?”

Twilight smiled, “It has been a pleasure Princess. Just yesterday I found an recently undiscovered book from right at Ponyville’s founding.”

“Wonderful, you shall have to tell me all about it,” Luna said as she turned and watched Endymion walk out of the train carrying three large bags, another bag full of books, and another one full of scrolls.

“Endy!” Twilight squealed like a filly.

Before he could even put a single thing down Endymion found himself on his back, with his best friend on top of him. He hugged her back, smiling, “Good to see you too Sparklebutt.”

“Endymion,” Twilight moaned, a blush forming on her muzzle, “I thought I told you stop calling me that!”

“I haven’t understood why you refer to Twilight that way, My Son,” Luna states, “is it because of her cutie mark?”

“Hardly,” Endymion answers, “it’s because a little accident that happened when we were thirteen…”

“Endy, don’t you even-” Twilight began.

“We kinda turned Twilight into a Crystal Pony for an hour,” Endymion continues, “she was trying to cast a spell and I was- I forgot what I was doing.”

“You were trying to catch the attentions of somepony who wouldn;’t have anything to do with you,” Twilight huffs, “he flirts with this silly filly for an hour, it breaks my concentration and then-”

“She’s a crystalline light bulb for an hour. Even came through her clothes,” Endymion continues, “some of the students started calling her Lamp Shade until I started jokingly calling her Sparklebutt,”

“An humiliating moniker that I still have to this day!” Twilight huffed, “and now you know the whole story, Princess.”

“I see,” Luna mused, “what was I never informed of this?”

“It wore off before we had a chance to speak with you, Mother,” Endymion said, “I’m sure you would have licked this misfired spell, easy peasy, but it kind of way away on it's own.”

“Still, I would have liked to see the results,” Luna tittered, “And verily, I would love to duplicate the process.”

“Oh, of course, Your Highness,” Twilight says, taking a bow while sitting astride her best friend, “I think I still have my notes from back then. Everything from my foalhood is packed in boxes my mother send down from Canterlot after I was assigned here. I could dig it out for you.”

“That would be wonderful, Twilight,” Luna said, beaming, “now, if you got of my son, I’m sure Endymion would like a chance to get a quick tour of Ponyville before we meet these adventurers of yours.”

“Oh, yes,” Twilight squeaked as she removed herself from Endymion. The two stood up, Endymion looking fine but an exasperated look spread on Twilight’s muzzle. The young mage led the Royal Pair through the earth pony village, announcing when they reached a specific landmark or historical sight. Along the way, Luna could not but help to notice how closely Twilight stayed near Endymion. It didn’t escape her notice, either, when twilight’s tail would brush her son’s flanks.

Like her sister, Luna prefered to stay out of other ponies business, but if asked, she would encourage or discourage certain behaviors. Twilight was, by and far, the most powerful mage of this modern age and given her proclivity with all things arcane, it wouldn’t surprise the Lunar Diarch if the young mare didn’t become the archmage of the kingdom or better. She felt it when Twilight took her entrance examination, hatching a dragon’s egg and setting her parents and examiners to transmogrify, that Twilight could very well be a most potent spell caster. Should Twilight ever propose to her son, she would happily consent to the marriage. She would be gaining a daughter, and even though it was not the ideal manner for gaining a family, she would take it, anyway.

Soon enough, they reached Ponyville’s central and only library, The Golden Oak. The building was carved from the trunk of the tree itself and preserved via life sustaining incantations and cantrips. It still took Luna’s breath away every time she saw it. Twilight opened the door to the building that was her home and workplace, ushering the Royal Pair inside. They were met by Spike, who was carrying a tray of delectable pastries he baked all that morning. The trio, plus Spike ate, drank a mulberry tea, and chatted about a myriad of things.

When topics of conversation finally dried up, Endymion declared he would set up his gear in the guest room. Luna told him he should get a feel of town before he met with the adventures and Endymion agreed. Twilight and Luna spoke at length about the troupe of adventurers Twilight was recommending for her son to pal around with.

“Oh, you know them, Princess,” Twilight said, “they’re my friends from town! Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.”

“Ah, yes, the three maidens that were instrumental in returning my sister to me,” Luna stated, “I didn’t know they were wandering the countryside in search of fortune.”

“Well, do so mainly as a side job,” Twilight replied, “Applejack still has her family apple orchard, but her Granny Smith is ill and she needs the money. A former knights stipend is barely enough to put her younger sister through school and take care of her ailing grandmother.”

“I see,” Luna mused, “and what of fair Fluttering Shywing? I assumed her family would be more than willing to support her in some way.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Twilight said, “The Shywing Family, as important and influential as they are, were dead set against Fluttershy joining the Sol Order. Something about betraying the loyalty of the Nightly Mistress…”

“Hmm, I will have to talk with the Shywing Matriarch,” Luna said, “the ledderflapper are a prideful tribe… But what of Miss Dash?”

“Well, Dash still handles weather duties here in town,” Twilight stated, “but something tells me she needs the thrill of tomb raiding. After the incident at the Young Fliers Competition, she may be unable to follow her dream of joining the Wondercolts.”

“Ah, yes, I understand now,” Luna said, “I would speak with Captain Spitfire. There might be a way to rectify that. Although I doubt Miss Dash would be so accommodating.”

“Mother?” Endymion called from the staircase, “I’m heading out on the town now.”

“Alright then, son,” Luna said, turning to her beloved colt and planting a kiss on his soft but warm forehead, “take care and don’t get in any trouble.”

“Come on, Mother,” Endymion mused, “It’s me!”

After he left, Luna sighed, saying, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Author's Note

This little yarn was inspired, rather heavily, by Rune Soldier Louie.

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5 Lost Heir

Rune Soldier

Chapter 5: Lost Heir

Lights began to flood the walls of the tombs. Endymion had seen something similar to this once, inside of Flintheart’s own lab, and that was taking Professor Flintheart working at full steam. There had to be a massive magical battery in this tomb to produce this much power. And that was when he felt the first tingle of something trying to touch his mind. He’d never felt his mother invade his dreams, but other ponies had said that when she entered there was a little tingle that reminded them of a tickle.

This felt almost the same. He looked in various directions when he felt the tingle again.

“Heir.”

His eyes widened, nopony else was reacting to the sound of the voice.

“Heir to house of Endymion.”

“That’s my name,” Endymion stated, “it’s what my mother calls me.”

“Heir to the House of Endymion, Archmage of The Terran Empire.”

“Who or what,” Endymion inquires, “is an ‘archmage?’”

“Endymion?” Fluttershy asks.

“Ferget ‘bout him,” AJ says, “what about us?”

Rainbow Dash rejoinders, “Yeah! Can somepony turn off all the bills and whistles, damn it?!”

The various glowing and reacting lights began to gain in intensity, until finally part of a wall began to crumble. Rainbow Dash prepared to make a run for it, to get her friends, and even that idiot magi out of there when the wall finished doing whatever it was doing. The rock wall had been something that seemed to have actually formed there.

Years of dust, dirt, and even lime water had formed the large wall itself, and behind it was something that made her eyes widen. Sense seemed to take a back seat to getting more than enough treasure to make up for all of their past adventures. There, in the wall, was no less than a hundred magically filled crystals. All connected together to form a huge battery that was currently activating the entire lab. She neared it, and the amount of magic was making her fur stand on end. She reached out to touch one, to feel the deep purple gem when a rumble erupted from below them.

They had already dealt with orcs, vampire bats, and spectres, so anything else that could, or would be left, would be beyond surprising. Instead she felt something, grab her ankle right above her hoof, and she tried to fly up only for whatever it was that was holding her to keep her in place. She watched as the being formed, from the very limestone rock that had been on the wall.

The rock seemed to melt into one being, and it easily grew to the size of Endymion. It was holding her upside down, seemingly immune to any swearing, punching, or dagger strikes she was giving it. The Golem itself didn’t have many features. Its face was almost blank, except for the simplest of smiles that seemed to be little more than two finger with and deep grooves where the eyes were, and a single finger width and deep half circle for the mouth.

It made no noise, said no words, but instead it held her there.

“Let go of ma friend!”

AJ swung her sword, and it caught it. The golem caught her sword, pulled her toward it, and like Dash she found herself being held in the air, by her ankle, with a very pissed off look on her face. Fluttershy cleared her throat, causing the Golem to turn to her.

“Please, put them down.”

It cocked its head to the side, not dropping them, but not hurting either of the ponies. Fluttershy walked toward it, holding out her hands, giving a soft and warm smile, “Please, they mean you no harm.”

She looked at Endymion, who was finally no longer talking to himself. Instead he faced the Golem. “Release them.”

It didn’t drop them gently, instead it simply let go letting both of them fall straight to the floor.

“How’d ya’ll go and do that?”

“It was waiting for me,” Endymion stated, “it’s been waiting for a very long time.”

“The golem?” Fluttershy asked.

Endymion shook his head, and answered, “The Blade.”

“Uh, am I missing something here?” Dash asked.

“Ah dunno,” AJ replied, “Ah feel like we’re only getting half o’ the conversation.”

Dash looked at the Golem. It seemed content to simply stand in place, not move, not flinch, just remain stationary. She looked toward the jewels, deep purple jewels that were perfectly cut. There was no denying that a single crystal that had been turned into a magical battery was worth at least a hundred bits, and that was if it was a hack job made by an Unicorn that was just learning how to do it.

These were obviously better than the hack job magical batteries. She stretched her hand out toward the wall, and the Golem turned, its large stone hand reaching for her. She stopped, and it stopped. She moved slightly toward the wall, and it moved with her. Realizing that the Golem was here to protect the magical batteries, and realizing that one of their team seemed to have some power over it, she looked at Endymion.

He still looked like he was kind of out of it. She walked toward him, and the Golem simply stayed where it was. She got near him, and she felt something. She could see it in Fluttershy’s face. It was something she didn’t understand, something different, and a deep part of her wanted her to turn around, and head out of this room as fast as her wings could carry her.

What stopped her was money, an entire flank load of money, and it was just waiting for her to take it. She pushed the need to nope it right the tartarus away from that feeling that she was getting from that sword, and touched Endymion. His eyes focused, he looked at the sword itself, and finally placed it against the wall.

“Okay, that was weird.”

“Endymion, you talked, about things with somepony that wasn’t there.” Fluttershy said.

He shook his head and pointed to the sword, “Mom talked about this kind of magic before, an imprint item. They’re left behind by a dying pony. His, or her, hope is that somepony in her family will come along and find the item. It’ll tell them all about their history, tell them about their family line, at least up until that pony died, and maybe even reveal a couple new spells to the family member.”

“Y’all figure that’s what this was?”

He nodded. It meant that he found something that belonged to a distant member of his family. Dash’s eyes brightened and she did something that surprised the living Tartarus out of him. She hugged him tightly.

“YES! You own this place! That means you own those jewels! Hahahaha! We’ve made it! Finally! A good treasure!”

“I can’t tell the Golem to let us take them.”

She stopped and looked at him, “What?”

He shook his head, “It was given two commands. One was to protect the magical batteries and make sure that are never removed, and the second was to obey the commands of the pony that could remove the sword.”

“So, command it to stand down.”

“It doesn’t work like that. If I command it to stand down and you try to remove the jewel it will disregard my command because its first, and primary command, is to protect that wall,” he grinned, “Until those batteries run out of power he’s going to protect them.”

Disbelief covered her face. Rainbow Dash looked at the Golem, back at Endymion, and then back to the stone golem before she began cursing up a storm. The cerulean Pegasus kicked up a storm for a few minutes, often falling into unintelligible babble. It took a slapp by Applejack to fallen calm Dash down, and even then, she was just barely in control.

“Great, just great,” she grumbled, “a lifetime of wealth, just sitting there and we can’t even touch it.”

“We can’t touch it now,” Endymion said, picking up the stone sword again, “but we might after a bit.”

“Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Wizard?” AJ asked.

“That is a good question, Endymion,” Fluttershy said, “what are you talking about?”

“Ms. Shywing, Ms. Apple, Rainbow Dash-” “HEY!” “I think there’s something that I need to do here. Something important… If you can keep away from the jewels for just a few more minutes, I should be able to get everything explained and we might be able to take some loot home. Agreed?”

The priestess and the warrior agreed readily enough, but the thief grumbled about wasting time and time being money. Endymion ignored Rainbow’s missive and stepped towards the desk like object once more. Unlike before, the whole thing was now alive, the upright surface displaying a dizzying amount of information. It was like one of Twilight’s scrolls, but set in fast forward. As soon as Endymion stepped in front of it, an image emerged. It looked remarkably like Endymion, but the mane on this stallion was grayed with time and he sported a most impressive heard. Hidden behind a pair of half moon spectacles were blue-gray eyes that scrutinized the object of focus; they seemed now to be examining Endymion.

A conservation was had between the being on the wall and Endymion, but they could only hear Endymion’s side. Eventually the conversation ended and Endymion returned to the party; he looked seriously aggrieved. He then said something to the golem. The construct then shrank in size until it was no larger than a filly’s fashion doll. Endymion picked up the now pint sized golem just as Dash noticed the fading light coming from the crystals.

“Hey, what gives?!” Dash shouted, “they’re going out!”

“They’re not dead, Rainbow,” Endymion stated even if he still looked horror struck, “they’ve gone into dormancy. They can be recharged easily enough. Kokoro won’t even attempt to block you if you manage to wedge them out of their housing; they aren’t needed anymore.”

“Endymion,” Fluttershy started, “is something wrong?”

“Thank you for your concern, Fluttershy,” Endymion said, “and yes, something is wrong.”

“What is it?” Applejack asked, “is there anything we can do to help?”

“Well, I’m not sure you can help me,” Endymion began to explain, “you see, this place- It isn’t a tomb.”

“Wait a minute,” Dash declared, “it looks like tomb, it smells like a tomb, and it even sounds like a tomb. So why isn’t a tomb?”

“Because this place is a shrine,” Endymion answered, “a shrine- to my ancestors.”

The three mares looked to each other than back to Endymion.

“Your- ancestors, Endymion?” Fluttershy asked, “I thought you didn’t have ancestors.”

“I didn’t think I had any, either,” Endymion said, “but Merlin- the guy that was on the screen- he told me that- I am an heir to The House Endymion.”

“Wait, you have a house on your own?” Dash asked excitedly.

“Not like that,” Endymion countered, “Merlin said that, I am a member of a select group of beings, one filled with magic-”

“Right, filled with magic,” AJ scoffed.

“Applejack,” Fluttershy warned sternly, “please, Endymion, what else?”

“He said- to know more about myself, about my people, about everything I am ‘destined’ to do, I need to travel west, into the area called The Unknown Regions and traverse the Mountains of Gloom.”

“Woah, wait just a gald durn, minute. Ya gotta go past Mount Gloom?”

He nodded, and AJ said, “Dash, that’s where Princess Luna fought and banished that Grogar feller. Could be a lot of treasure left in his cave.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “No kidding, not to mention everypony would want something from there,” she grinned at Endymion, “Seeing that we’re a group, and you’re the least experienced one of us, you don’t get the call on if we’re going or not. Like AJ said, we could stand to make a tidy profit.”

Endymion looked at them, then at Fluttershy who studied him intently, “Sol has commanded that I follow you, I am to serve you on your various quests. It is my duty as a priestess of Sol.”

It wasn’t so much them that bothered him. He had seen that both Rainbow Dash and AJ could take care of themselves, and Fluttershy didn’t seem to be a slouch when it came to her abilities as a priestess. What worried him, bothered him, was knowing that his mother was going to find out. There was no doubt in his mind that his mother wouldn’t try to stop him, but he wasn’t sure what kind of conditions she might put on his travel.

“You said we can take this now, right?”

He nodded.

“Good, ‘cause to get to where you’re suggesting we go we’re going to need an airship. Booking passage on one isn’t cheap, and we need one that has the ability to go past the Equestrian Border,” Dash said as she began grabbing the jewels, “That means either we hire a merchant ship with trade papers for the Badlands, Minos, Germanenay, Zebrafrica, and possibly the Shetlands, or we try to get a noble or royal airship.”

“Are you sure?”

AJ nodded, “Can’t get there by hoof. It’s a two month trek by hoof to Mount Gloom, and ain’t nopony other than the Princess has been past that point without an airship. Mainly ‘cause the other side of it starts the Dragonlands. Only a durned fool would try to walk ‘cross the dragon’s land without some help. Nope, Airship is gonna be the best bet, and like Dash said, it’s gonna take some serious bits.”

He stopped and considered it. His mom did have Lunar Light, her airship that she used for diplomatic missions. He’d been on it, once, when she had to take him with her to Minos. There had been some kind of argument between her and the head of the Smiths’ Guild of Minos. Something about not being able to settle the arrangement for a dowery. He didn’t even begin to know what they were talking about. His Mom wasn’t getting married… And then it dawned on him. He’d been brought because it was going to be him. He felt a shiver run down his spine, but he remembered the way his mother chewed out the nobles on the airship. It occurred to him that his mother had kept him from being married off.

He was thankful, more than thankful to be honest, that his mother saved him from that fate. It wasn’t that he had anything against the Smiths’ Guild Leader in Minos, but he’d been so young when they visited, and the thought of being married to somepony he didn’t know, let alone love, was nothing short of insanity. Still, they needed an airship, and as he recalled the Lunar Light was huge. It was an older design, his mother had told him that. She said that unlike many of the newer airships the Lunar Light was designed for air and sea. The ship held by the Cloud stuffed sail was actually a good size, and he knew that it took a small crew to run it.

“Endymion, are you okay?”

He looked at Fluttershy and nodded, “I was thinking about mom. She’s going to find out about this, but we might be able to save on bits.”

Dash looked at him and then her eyes widened, “The Royal Airship?! Seriously?!”

He nodded, “Maybe. I don’t for sure, but she might be willing to let us use it. We’ll still have to put together a crew. I doubt that she’s going to let us use the royal crew without it being a diplomatic mission.”

AJ grinned, “Well, that won’t be too hard. Should be able to put together a crew based on the promise of some treasure, and ‘fore ya go and say anything Dash ya know as well as Ah do that ain’t nopony gonna do it fer free. Nope, we offer a percentage of the treasure ta some of the ponies, with the understandin’ that they don’t get an equal share ‘less they willin’ ta help go in after it. Otherwise they get a smaller share.”

“I will need to check with the temple. If we are going to do this it isn’t that I won’t have other priestesses to cover my duties, but I will need to ensure that they understand that I will be gone for a short length of time, and I need to restock on the oils, herbs, and extracts needed for such a venture.”

“Yeah, and I need to make sure that we have plenty of supplies. Food, and the like, unless it’s going to be stocked.”

Endymion shrugged his shoulders, “I’m sure there are some basic supplies kept on it at all times, but I can’t promise that it will be perfectly stocked. What I worry about most is how Mother is going to take this. An ancient human shrine this deep in Equestria. And for what purpose? I have no clue.”

“What about your sword-” Fluttershy began but then, “That’s funny. The stone sword, it isn’t stone anymore.”’

Applejack and Rainbow Dash give FLuttershy a quizzical look. Then the turn to Endymion. The two adventurers gasp at the implement now in The Young Prince’s hand.

Dash shrieks, “How- how- how is that possible?!”

“What?” Endymion asks, nonplussed.

“That there stone sword,” AJ reports, “it ain’t stone no more. It’s like-”

“What would happen if Lightning and Lava mated then had a baby!” Dash finishes.

Endymion looks down at his hand and is marveled. Rainbow description is rather spot on. An electricity courses through the blade while molten rock oozes underneath, as hot as a volcano, but infinitely more compact. Holding up the Sword to his face, Endymion can feel raw magical might within. It speaks to him in a pigdin language just at the surface of his unconsciousness. The weapon is both beautiful and terrifying.

“Whoa,” Endymion says, “when did this happen.”

“I’m unsure,” Fluttershy says, “but it must be sign from Sol. He is urging you to take up that weapon and do great deeds with it, (Although, I’m not really certain if this is Sol’s Will.)”

“If you say so, Fluttershy,” Endymion says, giving a hesitant smile, “I’m hoping I can a champion of myself, for your sake, with this blade.”

“Don’t get yer hopes up,” AJ retorts, “yer still a greenhorn and it’s gonna take a lot more than some fancy lookin’ sword to make ya a champion.”

“Yeah, what she said,” Dash added, “now come on, help me pry of few of these babies out of the wall.”

Canterlot - Royal Palace, Three Days Later

Luna arched an eyebrow as her son admitted what had happened, where he had been, and what he felt he needed to do. Hoomans, for the most part, had largely been believed to be nothing more than myth. In truth, Endymion was the first being that actually fit the description of a hooman in her exceptionally long life.

“My son, you wish to travel beyond the Dragons’ Land, far beyond Mount Gloom, and further outside of Equestria’s borders than most ponies have ever been,” she stopped him when he began to speak by raising a hand, “And you have indicated that you wish to either borrow the royal airship, or you will hire an airship. Am I correct in what you’ve informed me?”

He nodded, “Yes mother.”

She knew the tone, he was prepared for her to say no, and he only used mother when he was truly determined to do something. Otherwise she was mom or mommy. She grinned at him, rose up and walked down to where he was, “Then you shall have access to the Royal Airship, on the condition that I travel with you.”

“Mom, what about Equestria?”

A mischievous grin crossed her lips, “Celestia has the ability to lead my son, and she needs to take on more of the practical side of things. I want her to continue her work at the temple, but she has neglected her duties when it comes to handling the nobility and dealing directly with them. Besides, I believe it would do her a world of good.”

He looked a little uncertain, “I will supply the basic crew we need, minus three areas. Those areas are your responsibility completely. We will need a cook, a navigator, and a tailor who has experience with creating wearable armor. Once you have gained your part of the crew we will depart.”

“O… Okay, I’ll get right on it,”he said before he hugged her, “Thanks Mom.”

She grinned, returning the hug, and watched as he left. When he was out the door, and out of earshot she summoned a messenger. The messenger came into the room, bowing deeply.

“Your Highness?”

“ I shall be writing a letter in a moment, when it is finished I wish for you to fly it to Ponyville as quickly as possible, and I insist that you give it directly to Lyra Heartstrings.”

The messenger gave her a confused look, “Not to question your Highness’ orders, but I was under the impression that Ms. Heartstrings was retired. She left the Guard sometime ago.”

Luna shook her head, “No, Ms. Heartstrings was moved to reservist upon her own request. Her desire to remain with her bride was her reasoning, but it is time for Ms. Heartstrings to be called back into active duty.”

“Of course your Highness.”

With that Luna began to write a letter to Lyra Heartstrings informing her of the mission she was going to be put into.

”Lyra Heartstrings,

It has been many moons since you’ve actively served with the guard. However, a current diplomatic mission has been set before me, and I am in need of your services. It is well known that you hold several degrees in anthropology, and mythology. The added fact that you are a Still Way master is another reason why we require your services.

You cannot speak of this, even to your bride, and you must arrive to the palace in no less than three days. Make what arrangements you need, Ensure your bride of your safe return, and be prepared for our journey. I trust to see you here, prepared, and refreshed after your very long vacation.

Princess Luna Selene, Daughter of Sol, Royal Diarch of Equestria.”

She handed the letter to the messenger, and watched as the young mare flew toward Ponyville. It would take a couple of days for Endymion to find the ponies needed for the areas she said. Of course she new he would ask Twilight to come alone. The two were great friends, and Twilight was knowledgeable on navigation. The tailor she wasn’t sure about, but she trusted his judgement, and lastly she trusted he would find a cook that would surpass her expectations.

Smiling she summoned Trixie Lulamoon. Twilight would need a replacement for the library, and in truth, she believed that Trixie needed a chance to truly make friends. Add in the fact that she felt Trixie’s feelings toward the small town needed to change. With any luck she’d find a stallion that could tolerate her.

‘Sol help the stallion or mare that does decide to be with her,’ Luna thought as she waited for the mare.

Near the entrance of the Palace

One of the guards stretched as he took his place, preparing for a normal, boring day when the loudest voice he’d heard, short of the Princess herself, echoed through the entire palace.

“YOU WANT TRIXIE TO GO WHERE?!!!!”

Ponyville-Golden Oaks Library - four hours later

Twilight looked at Endymion, her deep purple eyes shining. For a moment Endymion wondered if she understood what he was asking.

“YES! YES OF COURSE I’LL GO!”

“Ummm, thanks…”

“It’ll be a great learning experience, and so romantic! What better, more romantic place to be than on the legendary Lunar Light?!”

“Romantic? Twily, you get that you’re going as a navigator right?”

She nodded, “I do, but oh, it’s so exciting! Plus there’s Princess Luna’s entire library of star charts, Equestrian history, and Alternative magical theory! Oh, thank you so much for thinking about me!”

Twilight looked around at the library for a moment, “Okay, I’ve got to get some supplies together, take the elements of course, and I’ve got to find somepony to take over for the library!”

Almost right after she said those words there was knocking at the door. Spike walked over to it, opened it and groaned, “What are you doing here?”

“Trixie does not like it either, but apparently Princess Luna wants Trixie to oversee this library while Twilight Sparkle goes on a diplomatic trip with Princess Luna. Trixie does not know why Princess Luna wants to punish the Great and Powerful Trixie, but Trixie shall do what she is commanded to do….”

She looked toward Endymion and her eyes brightened, “Perhaps it shall not be all bad, Trixie can attempt seduce Endymion…”

“Nope, going on the trip as well.”

“No! Trixie shall be stuck in this hick town with nopony to talk to, and only Trixie’s magic and fingers as company!”

Endymion decided to let Twilight get prepared, inform Trixie of her duties, and of course get out of the library before Trixie attempted to pull off one of her half hearted seduction schemes. He started thinking about cooks, who he knew that could cook, and he’d heard that Pinkie Pie baked. That was certainly a form of cooking. He began walking toward Lucky’s to see if she was there, when instead he saw her skipping toward a building that appeared to be a large cupcake.

Following her into it he saw her smile and wave at an off yellow stallion with an orange mane and a blue mare with a pink mane that surprisingly looked like the frosting to a cupcake.

“Hiya Mr. and Mrs. Cake! I’m going to be gone for while! Endymion over there is gonna ask me to go with him on a super secret mission.”

He stopped, not sure how in the world she even knew that he was going to ask her. The thought of chalking it up to Pinkie being Pinkie came to mind. So far, she had some abilities that conventional magic theory just didn’t seem to explain. In truth he wondered if she was secretly an unicorn and simply hid her horn well, but after seeing her pulling her hair up before he was certain she wasn’t.

Instead she was an earth pony that completely defied all logic and all magical theory. He was certain that Professor’s Flintheart’s head would explode if he attempted to study Pinkie.

“So, whatcha waiting for?”

He grinned, “Pinkie, we need a cook, terribly bad, and you said you have experience. Would you like to go? We can cut you in for some of the treasure.”

She moved toward him, her hips swaying in a way that promised all of the delights in the world. She stopped, kissed his cheek and grinned at him, “I’d love to go. I’m already ready, no need to prepare, so I’ll go hang out with Twilight and make sure that Trixie isn’t driving her up the wall.”

He watched her walk away, his eyes firmly watching her marvelous rump, and enjoying the sight exceptionally well. Once she was out of sight, he thanked the Cakes for being so agreeable, and he ended up buying a dozen lemon surprise muffins. Not that he was going to eat them personally, but he figured that Fluttershy, Rainbow, AJ, Pinkie, and Twilight might like them. He walked out, unsure of where to find his last needed crew member. Deciding to ask Fluttershy, or perhaps AJ, if one of them knew a good tailor that also knew how to make armor, he began walking toward Lucky’s again. On the way he stopped as he saw the white unicorn that had been at the tavern with them before.

He could see the quality of the clothes she was working with inside of her shop, and he could see that there was even a few articles that seemed to be made for guards. He walked inside and took a look at one of the shirts. It was constructed, beautifully, and it seemed to be made of intricately woven chainmail. Each strip of it perfectly fit together, working toward what had to be the most beautiful deep blue Lunar Guard top he’d ever seen.

“Beautiful no?”

He turned to look at her, seeing her smile softly at him, “I’ve been making it for some of the adventurers in the area. Functional, stylish, and able to withstand swords, daggers, and crossbow darts. I’ve even enchanted it so that it’s light weight. Please, feel for yourself.”

He lifted the shirt, and it was indeed lightweight. It was even lighter than the shirt he was wearing.

“I believe that if you’re going to be protected then you might as well be stylish about it.”

He nodded, “Of course, and might I ask, would you be interested in hearing a business proposal?”

She nodded, taking a seat and offering him the same. He took one across from her, “Before too long I will be going on a diplomatic mission. I’m in need of a tailor that is able to create armor. You will be well compensated, and I promise you a percentage of any treasure found along the way.”

“Well that is very tempting, but I don’t know. There is so much to do.”

“I understand, if you change your mind, please, let me know.”

She looked at him again for a moment, her eyes widening, “Oh! I’m so sorry, I’ve been working on my latest project so much that I didn’t realize who you were. Prince Endymion, it would be this mare’s honor to go as your tailor, “ she smiled an neared him, “I’ve always wanted to work with royalty. I see an entire line of Rarity’s Royal Armor Regalia! When do you plan on leaving?”

He thought for a moment, “How long do you need to prepare?”

She rubbed her chin, “Two days? Would that be too much?”

He shook his head no, “Very well, two days. I’ll see you in Canterlot at the Palace.”

When he left Rarity giggled like a school filly and danced around in her shop. She was going to be a personal tailor to the Prince!

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14 When This Vardo's A-Rockin', Don't Come A-Knockin'

Author's Note

Again, if you see any errors in syntax or spelling, please let us know in the comments.

14 When This Vardo's A-Rockin', Don't Come A-Knockin'

Rune Soldier

Chapter 14: When This Vardo’s A-Rockin’, Don’t Come A-Knockin’

The trip back to Lord Iron Side’s estate was much faster than the foot race to get back to Ponyville. After meeting up with AJ and her brother, Big Mac, the two companies made with all haste to return to the site. And in order to spare all parties, Twilight had cast animation and autopilot spells on both carts. AJ still insisted on steering her family cart, Even so, Endymion would catch the farm mare taking breaks, hanging out on the driver’s bench and sunning herself some.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t be so fortunate just to hang out. His adventure out to that old ruin had worried his brides in the worst way. They insisted on hanging out with him and while he was not adverse to that, but they were proving to be a major distraction. He had hoped to work on the boomstick he found in Iron Side’s armory, but between the wants of his mares and and communicating with his teammate, he was to enjoying the trip the way he would prefer.

Oh, it’s not that he didn’t currently enjoy being hilted deep in Twilight’s snatch or that the moaning coming Pinkie from his nimble fingers spreading her sex wide open wasn’t bad. It was actually very pleasurable, even if it wasn’t he had planned. The Crown Prince shifted himself, still seated deep within Twilight. The lavender mage moaned, as she felt his length slide even deeper within her, his warmth and his pulse sending ripples of ecstasy up her spine.

Pinkie’s core constricted on his fingers as he curled them from inside. His middle finger struck what he assumed to her G-spot; the pink mare practically melted after he stroked that and the leaking of her sexual lubricant was a good indication he hit a good spot. He withdrew from Twilight momentarily then thrust back in, driving as deeply as he could spare and not uncork himself. Twilight gasped, as she felt the head of his erection touch her cervix. She never had Written go that deep inside her, but the pleasant thrill of stallion meat (especially her stallion’s meat) so close to her womb was a welcome sensation for her.

Endymion withdrew again, and this time, when he plunged back in, he fell on Twilight’s back. His spare hand reached around her and squeezed one of her breasts. The action jolted Twilight but not in an unpleasant way. In fact, the mere touch of his fingers around her breasts sent Twilight into a minor frenzy; she never knew she was this sensitive to his touch. She felt him withdraw once more, but this time, as he thrust back in, she met halfway. The throaty moan she gave as their bodies met excited Endymion, almost to the point of eruption.

Pinkie whimpered sadly, as she had lost contact with Endymion’s hand. She closed the distance between him and herself, using her tail to keep herself stimulated. Endymion, currently busy filling Twilight to the brim, reaches out with a hand and grasps the Roamani Mare’s tail. Pinkie gasps as her tail is pulled roughly, then she settles into a satisfying moan. She has never had her tail pulled like that, except for when her mother was bringing her to heel. Her core gushes out again, soaking herself, her tail, and parts of Endymion’s hand.

Endymion continues to pull on Pinkie’s tail, reeling her closer and causing the salmon pony to lose herself in orgasmic bliss. Once she is close enough, Endymion releases her tail and finds her labia again; his thumb strokes on her exposed clitoris while his other fingers part her nether lips and caress her velvety inner walls. Pinie is again on the precipice of another orgasm and when she finally comes, her body gushes out once more, as she shivers and spasms in utter euphoria.

Twilight is not that far off from her own release. She stares back at Endymion with a needy look in her eyes. Her stallion pulls his now sopping hand from Pinkie’s crotch and plants on her shoulder, while the other hand resumes its examination of her breasts. Twilight is lost in spirals of delight. As Endymion continues thrusting, Twilight begins to undulate her interior walls, gripping her stallion’s rod ferociously. She can feel his member begin to twitch, the harbinger of his impending climax and she grips him even tighter.

“Do it, Endy” Twilight pants, “fill my with your foal batter!”

Endymion stops, making Twilight whine from the loss of sensation. He then begins to chuckle heartily, much to Twilight’s consternation.

“What?” Twilight whines, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, Sol,” Endymion gasped between gales of laughter, “you girls and your euphemisms.”

“Endy,” Pinkie scolds, “it’s not nice to make fun of ponies. Especially when you’re bucking them.”

After a few snorts and giggles, Endymion stops and says, “Sorry Pinkie, sorry Twily. Just kinda lost it there for a minute.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight says, then sternly, “are you rutting me or not?”

“Oh, yes, definitely rutting,” Endymion said, then he resumed thrusting. Even with that minute distraction, he didn’t stop reaching his climax. In mere moments, the fuse is lit on his pending eruption and his loins ache with the need for release. As Twilight winds up for one last rapturous implosion, Endymion lets loose, a torrent of his essence filling Twilight up, flooding her womb and spilling out of her core. Twilight issues a keening wheeze, a delighted sound to Endymion’s ears as he watches his beloved unicorn mare shudder in pure Elysium.

Twilight can feel the twitching of Endymion’s shaft as his cream spurts within her. The rupture of his erection makes her lose her sense of self as she floats down the river of effulgent joy. She can feel his fluids seeping out her, dribbling down her labia and sipping onto the mattress of her herd mate’s bed. She nearly collapses from happiness and exhaustion; she is sustained in her current position by Endymion’s strong arms holding her close. Even so, Endymion collapses from the strain and he takes nearly on top of Twilight. Pinkie Pie follows suit, landing nearby the two, panting heavily.

Suddenly, Pinkie shouts, “Best. Rutting. Ever!”

“That… it… was…” Twilight whimpers and the three pass out from their exertions.

Endymion groaned and slowly awoke sometime later. The Vardo had stopped, and the three of them were still entangled together. He could feel the crusty spots on both Twilight’s and Pinkie’s fur, and he knew without a doubt the sheets on this bed would need changing. He also noticed the rocking movement of the Vardo had stopped, so Either they were setting up camp, or they’d made it to the old manor.

Slowly, moved, feeling his cock sliding out of Twilight, who mumbled in her sleep for a moment, and looked at the darkened Vardo. It was night, that much was certain. He walked forward, finding an oil lamp, and using a minor spell to light it. The lamp lit up the Vardo, giving welcoming light to every end of it. He found his pants, opened the door, and saw Big Mac and Applejack outside of it, ready to knock.

The both of them looked drenched, and he let them inside.

“Thanks,” the large red stallion said.

“You’re welcome. When did we stop?”

Applejack, who was building a fire in the small stove looked up at him, “‘Bout an hour ago. Storm just rolled in. Our wagon ain’t got a top ta it, and the storm is purty bad. Figured that ya wouldn’t mind if’n we waited it out in here.”

He nodded, “We don’t. Actually, I think the three of us was going to clean up, fix a little dinner.”

Applejack looked in the cabinets, and she began pulling out some pasta, a few potatoes, and a few other canned vegetables.

“Ah’ll get started on the viddles. Ya jest make sure that yer wives are taken care of.”

He nodded, walked back toward the two of them, and was greeted by Twilight who’s eyes finally started opening.

“Hmmm? I heard voices.”

“Big Mac and Applejack, they’re inside. It’s storming outside, and it’s dry in here.”

“Oh...OH!” she grabbed the sheet and pulled up over her nude body, “We need to get cleaned.”

“Easy Peasy, there’s a shower stall in the wall, it’s not big, so we can’t have some fun in it, but there should be plenty of hot water. I filled the tank up last week, and the sun stone is set to heat up the water, so we should be good,” Pinkie said as she moved forward, not caring if anypony saw her. She reached out and grabbed Endymion’s hand.

She slowly stood, her mane a curly mess, more so than usual, and she looked a little worn out.

“Twi, want to go first?”

Twilight nodded to her pink friend, got up, with the sheet around her still, and slipped into the stall. She handed Endymion the sheet, and he looked at Big Mac who was watching.

“Seen this before?”

“Eeeeyup, got two sisters, both of which think that Ah ain’t never seen a mare in the nude before.”

“Hey!”

He looked at Applejack his expression was one she wore often enough.

“Well… Ah ain’t used to hearin’ that mah brother has… diddled anypony.”

He chuckled a little, “Ah wouldn’t say diddled. Cheerilee and Ah’ve necked a little, that’s ‘bout it. Sure, Ah’ve seen what she’s got a time or two, and Ah like it, but Ah ain’t against the idea of a herd.”

Applejack shook her head, “Course ya ain’t. Yer a stallion, and ya’d like the idea of having a fresh mare every night.”

He snorted, “Ain’t ‘bout that and ya know it. Havin’ a herd is realizin’ that ya can love more than one pony, and realizing that if’n something happens ta ya, or yer wife, that yer foals would be looked over. Ah love Ma and Pa, Ah miss ‘em everyday, but what if Granny hadn’t been there? Applejack, we’d been left twistin’ in the wind.”

She went back to looking at her food she was a cooking, “Ah suppose.”

“Ah sayin’ it’s fer everypony. But Ah see the place and need fer it. That’s why Ah support it. Sides, when Endymion here has his first foal, it’s gonna be something all three of ‘em can enjoy.”

He nodded toward Pinkie, “Fair warning, Earth Ponies tend to foal more often than any other pony.”

Endymion looked at Pinkie who smiled right back at him. She didn’t really hide herself behind the curtain that separated the main bed from the rest of the Vardo, instead she just waited for Twilight to finish.

“Pinkie… could you be?”

She snorted and giggled, “Maybe, but I kinda doubt it. We did it bunches, but mama always told me that I’d know when I was. Although, I wouldn’t mind having a pie in the oven.”

Applejack looked at her and smiled. One thing for certain, Pinkie made ponies smile, but she also was honest. It wasn’t that she wasn’t intelligent, but Pinkie didn’t really seem to have much guile, except when it came to parties, and surprise parties.

“Ya know, if’n ya get Pinkie and Twilight in the family way, Princess Luna might plum be over the moon.”

He smiled, “I’m sure she would be. She’s said a few times that she’s missed me being so small.”

“Granny’s said that ‘fore,” Big Mac said as he stretched, “She jest about cried when ‘Bloom gotta doin’ things on her own. Almost as bad as Applejack.”

“Ya gonna tell all mah business?”

He grinned at her, “Ya liked being the older sister, and the older ya got the more like mama ya got. Face it AJ, Ya and Granny are basically ‘Bloom’s mamas. She’s even messed up ‘fore and said it.”

Endymion watched as the two siblings talked, and to be honest, it felt good. This was something that he had missed out on, and he knew it. Luna had been a wonderful mother, and she had done everything she could do for him, but there was times he was lonely. Then again, in a way he did have a brother. Blueblood was over most of the time, and the both of them acted much like the Applejack and Big Mac were acting.

“Aw, it’s sweet,” Pinkie cooed.

“What is?”

“Oh, how their acting has got you thinking about your cousin who’s like your brother, but at the same time making you wonder what it would have been like if you actually had a brother or sister, which you’re actually getting a brother and three other sisters. Oh… When you meet Limestone you need to let her do most of the talking. She can be a cranky, McCranky pants. Twilight’s done!”

He looked to see Twilight coming out, Pinkie practically skipped in, and the sound of the shower started again. Twilight closed the curtain, and he watched as her silhouette moved behind it until she was completely dressed. She stepped out from behind the curtain, now robed in Magic Academy basics, with a small amount of Rarity’s flair added in. Unlike the standard robes, Twilight’s robes were drawn in at her waist, her shoulders had little caps in them, a princess hemline was stitched in and slit was made from the bottom hem to just about midway to her cutie marks. If she were back in class, she would earn demerits for impinging on the schools robes, but here, in night with a storm overhead and many kilometers to go before they slept, she was down right gorgeous.

Twilight asked, “Well, what do you think?”

Endymion stood there a minute, trying to get his higher thought processes to work for him. When his tongue finally, blessedly, became unglued, he said, “Buck me.”

“Endy,” Twilight said, looking concerned, “is everything alright?”

Shaking himself loose, Endymion replied, “Oh, yeah, everything’s great. By all things holy, Twilight, you are so beautiful in that!”

“Oh, thank you!” Twilight beamed, “I had Rarity custom tailor this. At first, I thought it was a bit too much, but now that I have your opinion, I say she did just enough.”

She tittered as she saw how he was reacting. What she was in now was actually far more conservative than how she had been earlier, but it made her feel beautiful to see him stumbling over himself. If she would have been asked a few weeks ago if she thought that she was beautiful she would have said no. She never thought that she was beautiful, not really even cute, but Endymion thought she was, and that made her realize that maybe she was a little beautiful.

She looked at Big Mac who was eyeing her, smiled warmly and nodded. She tried to figure it out until she realized that he had checked her out.

“Yer a lucky stallion Endymion.”

“Thanks, and I know.”

Applejack looked over her shoulder and saw her friend standing there. Ask anypony,and they’d tell you that she was as bent toward stallions as you could get. AJ liked the way stallions smelled, she loved the way they felt, and she enjoyed a good rutting as much as the next mare. The fact that Big Mac didn’t know about a few of her exploits out in the barn, or at least she hoped he didn’t know, gave her some peace of mind. Yet, here she was looking at her friend Twilight, and the first thing that came to her mind was that she wouldn’t kick her out of her bed.

Stopping right there she considered what she had just thought, and about who it was she thought it about. She had just considered the idea of not kicking Twilight out of her bed, of actually sleeping with a mare. She got her mind off of it, deciding instead to cook, try not to think about it, and just keep her mind focused on the food she was making.

Pinkie Pie, that sweet mare, she was certainly one that was skilled at making food, and that goulash she had made for their trip to Mount Gloom had been tasty as all get out, but Applejack wasn’t a slouch when it came to cooking. A noodle vegetable soup was what this kind of night called for. Thick tomato sauce, boiled noodles, peas, carrots, green beans, some pinto beans for flavoring, and just a dab of hot sauce.

It was just the thing to chase away a chill, make a pony feel full, and hand out plenty of energy.

‘She’s sure gonna need it, what with him bending that cute little flank of hers over and… Oh Sol Damn it Applejack, comeon! Ya can’t go and start thinkin’ bout friends like that. What’s next, thinking about gettin’ with Dash? Hay no, not a chance. That girl would cost the farm way too many customers.’ she thought.

She finished up the noodle vegetable soup, which was actually more of a thick stew, and set to pouring it into bowls. She sat Pinkie Pie’s out, on the edge of the table, and then she handed Twilight’s hers. She tried to keep from making eye contact with her. Not that she didn’t want to, but it felt weird. Like just thinking what she did was almost the same as bedding her. She relaxed a little, as the group began to scoot in closer to the table, and then the shower stall door opened. Applejack looked up to see Pinkie Pie, in all of her glory, standing in the hall.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the pink mare. Her breasts were easily the size of very large cantaloupes, her hips were wide, made for foal rearing, and Sol damn did she look sexy all wet from a shower. She saw Pinkie grab two towels, look toward the table and see Endymion also staring, and then grinned as she bent over, lifting her tail and giving him the most perfect view of her plot.

Applejack’s spoon fell into her bowl as she watched the display. She looked at Endymion, seeing his reaction, and realizing that he was satisfying two mares, both who had just made her question her own sexuality. There had to be something about him, something that they seemed to like. She questioned it for a moment, would she even want to consider the fleeting thought. She tabled it, relieved that Pinkie had wrapped the towels around her mane, and around her body.

She walked over to the table, squeezed in between Endymion and Applejack. She dug into the stew, making little moaning sounds that no pony could ignore. Applejack raised an eyebrow at her, and then she looked around the table. Endymion was obviously trying his hardest to actually eat, the way Twilight was squirming it was obvious that she was having the same problem. She looked at her brother and he was eating slower than normal, sweat was on his brow, and she realized that Pinkie knew how to work ponies.

Maybe she had been wrong and Pinkie did have a little guile, but she only really seemed to use it for her herd, so that wasn’t so bad. Pinkie finished her stew, smiled, and looked at Applejack, “Thanks, that was yummy!”

“Yeah, yeah it sure was purty good… Uh huh,” she stuttered back.

“AJ, you okay?” Endymion asked.

“Oh she’s fine! She’s just questioning her sexuality right now, and wanting to know if she’d be okay with munching on a mare muffin.”

With that Applejack’s entire face turned red, and she tried to hide behind her hands.

“Ain’t nothin’ ta be ashamed of.”

“Says ya! Ya ain’t never thought ‘bout no stallion like that ‘fore!”

Big Mac rolled his eyes, “Sure Ah have. Ah jest ain’t acted on it, ‘cause Ah ain’t interested in stallions like that.”

“Who?”

Realizing he was on the spot, and realizing that there wasn’t any getting out of it, he sighed and looked at her. Making her lower her hands and look him in the face, he smiled, “Thunderlane, after he dressed up as that fellar from that horror show musical, ya know, the one that was a doctor.”

Applejack looked at him in disbelief, “Wait, ya’ll like him being all gussied up in that get up he was a wearing?”

Big Mac nodded, “Eeeeyup, but it dun’t mean that Ah’d do anything. Jest means that Ah know that anypony can be a little sexy. Ya jest gotta admit it ta yerself, and go on.”

“You watched that musical?”

They looked at Twilight, “What? It was one of the plays that the Ponyville theater put on that wasn’t dealing with the holidays. Of course I was going to go see it.”

Endymion looked at them, “Was it any good?”

“Endy, you’ve never seen the Pony Horror Picture Show before? We’ve got to fix that!”

Twilight sighed, “The music was good, and I liked the songs, but I didn’t think that it was the most well written musical ever.”

“Oh, but I loved that one part, when I got to play Andalusia, I so totally owned her character,” she giggled snorted.

She grinned, looked at Endymion, and winked. Then Pinkie began to sing. It was almost as if the song was made just for her.

Endymion watched her, and then Pinkie gave him a happy smile. He felt better, it wasn’t something he could really explain, but he did feel better. It was amazing. She was able to lighten the mood so well, and she made him feel like laughing. Not at her antics, or silliness, but laughing with her. Her laugh was infectious and so was her smile. He glanced over to Twilight who seemed to be beaming as well.

“Cain’t believe that y’all wanted to buck a stallion.”

Big Mac rolled his eyes, “Ain’t everypony on a strict place Applejack. We’re all on a scale, and that scale moves. Ah ain’t ahundred percent straight, and neither are y’all. Ain’t nothing ta be ashamed of.”

“Big Mac, are you talking about Dr. Whiney’s scale?”

Twilight watched him.

“Eeeyup, studied Equine sexuality at the college, learned a lot, and learned that it ain’t uncommon for a stallion to think that another stallion is cute, or sexy, or ruttable, but it’s when a pony keeps that to themselves that it gets bad,” he looked at AJ, “Now, Ah dun’t expect ya ta go and do a bunch of experimenting, though Sol knows that ya’ve been doing some out in the barn.”

AJ hid her face, “Ya’ll knew?”

He raised his eyebrow, “Applejack, we live in Ponyville. It’s a small town, and stallions talk, course Ah knew, Ah jest kept it quiet best as Ah could for ‘Bloom, and fer ya.”

“Oh Sol… does everypony know?”

He shook his head, “Ah’ve talked ta most of ‘em and they’re a gonna keep it quiet, but, it might be an idea fer ya ta not do it so often.”

Laughter erupted, Applejack got embarrassed, but she soon got over it. Food was eaten, memories were shared and made, and sometime during the night Pinkie helped Endymion make out two of the smaller bunks that were made into the walls. Both Big Mac and Applejack thanked her before turning in.

Going back to their own bed Endymion stopped when Pinkie stopped him. He felt her hand on his cock, and although he’d finally had a shower she fished it out. Before he could say a word she went to her knees and began to lick it. She was surprisingly quiet, licking the underside of his cock, going up to the head, kissing it, and then taking just the tip into her lips. She suckled a little, making him squirm.

She continued to do this until he was rock hard. When he was she took him completely into her mouth. He let out a soft moan as she bottomed out, taking him so deep into her mouth, letting him touch the back of her throat. He wasn’t sure how she was so quiet, how she kept from making too much noise, but she did.

He moaned as she continued to suck him off. Her head bobbing, the mess of curls that was her mane bouncing, and he watched as she dropped her towel, letting him feast on the sight of her nude body. His hands found the back of her head, his fingers fisting into her mane, her pace quickened, and soon he felt her slowing down. He looked down to see her grinning.

“Somepony else wants to do this,’ she whispered as she moved over.

He looked to see Twilight nearing them. She had used her magic to do it, and she’d done it once in the privacy of the library, but this was the first time that she had done this sort of thing with the possibility of anypony watching. She let out a soft moan as she kissed the tip of his cock and then she began to suck him into her mouth. She could taste him, every inch, the way his musk was so tangible, and Sol help her she wanted him.

She felt fingers opening her robes, and she didn’t complain. She felt those same fingers finding her breasts, gently teasing her nipples, and she let out a soft moan. It felt so wonderful, and she felt one hand staying with her breasts, switching from one to the other, and then back again, but the other was moving down her, finding her slick and wanting snatch. The fingers attached to that hand was skillfully playing with her, desperately getting her off. She felt Pinkie lean into her, “Want to close the curtain and cast a sound proofing spell?”

She nodded. That was a perfect idea, and the three of them moved into the back bedding area. Endymion closed the curtain, and soon it was just the three of them. Twilight cast the spell, so no pony outside of this room would hear a thing. She felt Endymion remove her robes, his eyes drinking in her naked flesh, and she loved it.

“You’re so beautiful, you both are,” he whispered.

She couldn’t help but giggle like a school filly. He kissed her, leaning her back, spreading her legs apart. She felt him push into her and she let out a very unlady like moan. Twilight moaned in delight, enjoying feeling her stallion, her husband, inside of her, bringing her to the very edge of ecstasy. She had began to match his thrusts, moving forward, sliding back, and feeling his free hand on her cutie mark.

She had long dreamed of this moment, of being with him, and ever since she was welcomed into his and Pinkie’s herd she’d found what she had truly been missing. She began panting hard, feeling herself contract inside, and she knew what was coming. The way his cock felt bigger, the way he was so deep inside of her, so deep that she felt the head of his cock popping beyond her vaginal walls. She could feel him pushing into her cervix, and she was so close.

“ENDY!!!” she cried out as she felt herself lose control, and her horn ignited a the same time.

She clamped down on him, her pussy milking his cock, trying to get every last drop of his cum up further inside of her. She fell forward, breathing hard, feeling that his cock was still rock hard, and then she felt him slip from inside of her. She turned her head and saw Pinkie on her hands and knees. The pink earth pony mare was moaning in delight, her large breasts bouncing as he slammed into her. Twilight felt her tail move, fingers tracing her well rutted nethers, and then she felt those same fingers at the entrance of her tailhole. She bit the pillow in front of her as they slipped in. It was two, sliding in slowly and she knew that he was getting her ready, letting her relax.

There was no way she could lie about it. Ever since she joined the herd, and she got introduced to it, she had began to enjoy anal play. Maybe it wasn’t her favorite, and maybe she enjoyed having her pussy stuffed more, but she certainly didn’t mind Endymion playing with her tailhole. She moaned out his name as he pushed his fingers deeper into her. Pinkie was enjoying every bit that she was receiving, and from the way the Vardo was moving, it was obvious that sound proofing or not, everypony was going to know what was going on.

She watched as Pinkie stiffened her entire body shuddered, and then she collapsed. Endymion was still inside of her, and he pulled out, his seed leaking out of her now well rutted again marehood. Hard as he was he moved behind her, pulling out his fingers and she nodded as she felt him pushing into her.

“Ngh…” she grunted as he pushed slowly into her. Endymion, her Endymion was filling her tailhole.

She felt him slowly thrusting into her, getting her used to it, and then the slow began to pick up pace, and before long he was thrusting with abandon into her. She grunted, matching his thrusts, loving the way it felt, wanting him to never stop. He was hers, her stallion, her husband, and she wanted to give him foals. Sol help her she wanted to give him foals. She knew that earth ponies seemed to be more fertile, and she’d love any of Pinkie’s foals like her own, but she wanted to be able to give him a son or a daughter, and she wanted it as well.

She wanted it because she loved him. After what seemed like hours, but most likely was only several minutes, they both collapsed together in a heap. There would certainly be a shower tomorrow, but for tonight, tonight there was cuddling.

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17 Baby On Board

Author's Note

This chapter ends the Fish God Arc. RJP and I hope you all enjoyed this part of the story.

As ever, if you find any errors, syntax fails, or plot holes (Faust forgive!), then let us know in the comments!

17 Baby On Board

Rune Soldier

Chapter 17: Baby On Board

Twilight, her parents, and Endymion released their magical hold when Fluttershy motioned to them to do so. The giant sea serpent dove under the water and Fluttershy landed on the deck of the ship.

“She’s going to leave the ships alone, but we’ve got to help her, and we need to do it now!”

Endymion had never seen Fluttershy so forceful. He stepped toward her, and touched her shoulder, “What’s going on?”

She looked at him, her eyes filled with anger, “Somepony stole her foal, her baby! She’s been trying to wreck the ships to find her missing foal, and to make sure that nopony else tries to take another of her little ones!”

She then began to explain about the “fish god.” Her name is Melandra, her people were once known as the Zora, and since time immemorial, they have plied the South Luna Sea. Several thousand years ago, though, the ponies of the mainland discovered her people, or accurately, the pubescent juveniles of her people, that had wandered amongst the fishing parties. After they were discovered, the ponies nearly hunted them to extinction. The elders were too deep in the ocean to be caught, but the young adults and adolescents lived in the shallower waters and became prime targets. She was one of the lucky few to get away. She find a river deep enough to swim up, and against all odds, she and her mate arrived in this lake. Their home exists on the lakebed and they have spawned generations of Zora since. The ponies here call her and her mate, Zola, the “fish god,” because they manage the local fish populations as well assist boats that go off keel.

Their little one, a juvenile female, was far too curious for their own good and swam up to greet the “wooden fish.” Divers from that boat saw her, captured her, and spirited her away. Melandra has no idea which boat it was and has been searching for nearly thirty moons to find her child. She didn’t mean to frighten the ponies here, but her child is in danger and she is desperate need to find her. By the time Fluttershy explained all of this, she was sobbing, tears streaking down her cheeks.

Endymion pulled her into a hug, one that was shared among Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash (who felt a little awkward,) and Applejack (who felt a little left out.) They stood there, on the boat, in the middle of the lake, hugging for several minutes until Fluttershy seemed to feel better.

“Thank you everypony,” Fluttershy said, ghosts of tears still in her eyes, “I needed that.”

“Anything for you, Shy,” Dash said, and AJ nodded her head in agreement.

“Okay, let’s see if we can find the pony that did this, and then lets try to get that little one back to its mother,” Endymion said with a confident grin.

“And how do you suppose we do that? It’s not like we have any information to start with.” Rainbow Dash said.

“True, but most likely they’re still here, and if they are, then it means that we have a shot of finding them.”

“Not that Ah wanna jest agree with Dash ta agree with her, but even if’n that’s the case, how are we a gonna find the little critter?”

He grinned, “Well, how many of us have worked odd jobs before?”

Dash groaned, “No, you don’t mean…”

“It’s the best way. We offer services to these locals, Maid service, lawn care, whatever it might be, and we use that job to sniff around.”

“Dirty rotten cunt gurgling, cock riding, arse licking, Sol Damned tailhole stretcher! For Sol’s sake it was supposed to be a vacation!”

“There might be an easier way,” Twilight said, and when all attention was focused on her, she continued, “this sea creature, Melandra, she said that she and her mate manage the fish populace. If that’s the case, then anypony holding their offspring hostage would need to care of them, right?”

“You got a point,” Blossomforth said, and Twilight Velvet added, “if there were somepony handling large deliveries of fish, especially since the lake is now hostile waters, then the harbormaster might know who makes those orders and where they’re delivered.”

“And a lake this big has to feed by either stream or river,” Endymion surmised, “so any and all deliveries would need to be made by ferry. If so, then there has to be a log or manifest of all cargo shipped up and down the river!”

“Then what are ya’ll waitin’ fer,” AJ asked, “an engraved invitation? Let’s go talk to that there harbormaster!”

Everypony glared at Applejack a moment, but when Dash nodded her head, that decided for the party. Since Twilight Velvet and Nighlight were more acquainted with the area, it was deemed wise that they would speak with the harbormaster. Being minor nobility, the couple would have an easier time convincing the grizzled maritime stallion to let them look at his books. With a plan of action in place, Endymion steered the boat in direction of the only wharf in the district, where an anchored steamboat was already waiting.

When neared the port, Dash, Fluttershy, and Blossomforth helped moor the ship while AJ hoisted anchor. Endymion set the gangplank down and all disembarked. Nighlight and Twilight Velvet took the lead, heading for the bungalow that served as port authority headquarters. The attached wharf was as busy as ever, with ponies loading and unloading parcels, crates, and larger shipping containers off the ferry. A dozen or so stallions marched on the paddleboat, wearing chains and striped uniforms; a squad of Royal Guards watched over them as they stepped in time on the ferry.

“Prisoners?” Endymion asked, to which Twilight Sparkle answered, “A work detail. Clop Clop Prison is just up the river from here. Sometimes the ponies jailed there are sent to help out on large projects when there aren’t enough strong backs to do the work.”

“Wonderin’ where they all come from?” AJ mused.

“Or where they’re going?” Dash wondered, “Maybe this is a stop on the way to where they’re going?”

“Good guess,” said one of the guards who overheard, “these lowlifes are being sent to the new dam project out in The Mild West. Big hydroelectric plant being constructed there. Can’t tell you much more than that.”

“I understand,” Twilight says, “come on everypony, there’s nothing to see here. We did have an appointment with the harbormaster, didn’t we?”

“That we did,” Endymion agrees, “Lord and Lady Twilight, do lead on.”

Passing the prisoners loading onto the steamboat, there next stop is the port authority offices. According to a tarnished brass plaque on the front door of the bungalow, this office is run by a pony by the name of Deep Six. The party was met with an earth pony mare whose coat was a caramel color matched to a honey blonde mane. The desk blotter she had was scribbled with all kinds of notes and dates, while a sextant was stood on the edge of the desk. There was a name plate resting up front; it read “Honey Dew.”

“Hello, how may I help you?” Honey Dew said with a gracious smile.

“Hello,” Twilight Velvet said, “would it be alright of my husband and I take a look at the most recent manifests? We had a shipment of furniture that was due to arrive two days ago and we haven’t seen it yet.”

“Did you?” Honey asked, then, “I’ll need to see Mr. Six. He’s the one that manages the cargo manifests. BOSS!”

From a far off and unassuming door came a gruff, loud voice replying, “WHAT?!”

“Manifest request!” Honey yelled back, “the couple from Canterlot!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Deep Six roared back, “don’t put yer knickers ina twist. Imma comin’.”

In a calmer voice, Honey said, “Mr. Six will be right out.”

Sure enough, from that unassuming door stepped out a behemoth a minotaur, whose pine needle coat and amber eyes were a stark contrast to Honey Dew’s more pastel colors.

“Hiya,” Deep said, “name’s Deep Six, I run this operation. What can I do for ya?”

“Hello, Mr. Six,” Twilight Velvet said sweetly, “my husband and I seem to have a problem. We were expecting a shipment of our villa earlier this week and yet it hasn’t arrived. We were hoping that maybe it was still on the shipping manifests or it was here in stores, awaiting delivery.”

“Either or,” said Deep Six with a shrug, “that trice damned ‘sea god’ has been harassing the seaponies and couriers alike. Wouldn’t be surprised if yer order was delayed here at the docks. I got the manifests for the last month here; I’ll pour over with ya.”

“Thank you so much,” Velvet said sweetly, then set down with Deep Six to review the log book, “now, our order was from Stable One. Have you heard of them?”

“Yeah, I know those guys,” Deep comments, “good, strong furniture they make.”

“Indeed,” Velvet beams, “now, it was supposed to be here two days ago…”

“Huh, that would have been Tuesday,” Deep mentions, “lotsa freight moved that day. I have the logs of that- here! Huh-”

“What is it?” Nightlight asked.

“Well, I see yer stuff, it’s right here,” Deep said, pointing to an entry for the aforementioned articles, “but it almost got displaced. Some joker ordered a Hades load of fresh fish. Why would they do that when there’s plenty o’ fish here?”

“Sea god?” Nighlight queries.

“Heh, maybe. But these orders- Hol’ on, let me check something here…” Deep Six comments, “yeah, yeah, before the trouble with the ‘fish god,’ there were plenty o’ orders fresh fishies… Lake Placid? Plenty o’ sturgeon and trout out that way, but that’s several kilos away and across six counties? Why order from there?”

“Big party?” Velvet answers, “Or they’re hoarding fish for the winter?”

“Yeah, doubt it,” Deep Six says, “anyways, we got yer furniture right here. I’ll show the lot where it’s stowed and ya can take it wid ya.”

“I would like that, yes,” Velvet says, “Night, would you be a dear and have some porters called up from the villa? We may need the extra hooves.”

“Let me get my palantir,” Nightlight replied, and he went back outside to make the request.

“Sounds good, I’ll wait fer ya to go and fetch them,”he said as he stood, “And again, sorry fer the inconvenience. What with that Fish God going insane out there it’s been a mess.”

Twilight Velvet nodded, and watched as Nightlight walked out. She looked at the two orders once more. Their order was meant to be a surprise, and with any luck would still be one, but the other order, the large order of fish, that was to Lord Braided Silver. She knew the name, and slowly it came to her. Braided Silver was the old unicorn stallion that retired from the noble council about two years ago.

He was a short tempered old stallion, but at least he tried to ensure that the servant class of Canterlot was treated well. There had been a rumor that the reason he did was because of his relationship with his pegasus maid. It was one of those public secrets that everypony knew, but no pony talked about. He had his full blood children with Fine Jewel, a cold, cold noble mare that saw all other nobility below her, and then he had Honey Snow.

Twilight Velvet had the utmost joy of meeting Ms Snow a few times, and she was an absolute joy. She never really knew what Ms Snow saw in Braided, but apparently she loved him enough to stay his maid, and give him twelve foals, which was quite a bit even by Pegasus standards. There was a rumor that she had some Earth Pony in her blood, and that very well could have been possible.

Braided had actually fought hard, harder than anypony, to ensure that the servant class received equal voting rights, fair wages, paid for living quarters, and free foal care. To the servant class he was something of a hero, but she knew he was doing it for selfish reasons. She saw the good that he did, and she knew that Princess Luna most likely allowed him to use his position to ensure that it happened.

She’d seen the Princess of the Night in her dreams before, and she knew that without a doubt she had been in Braided Silver’s as well. Even if she hadn’t the fact that he was doing this all for Honey Snow had to be obvious. She heard that all of Ms Snow’s foals either worked in the family home, or had actually became successful in Cloudsdale. She did wonder if perhaps some of their foals had come out here to be with their father in his final years. It was doubtful, but it was certainly something she did wonder. He did have at least two Pegasi working for him. It wouldn’t be that unlikely that he he could possibly have two of his foals, but then again it was doubtful.

No, she’d wager that he hired the pegasi as a means of upsetting Fine Jewel before he passed. The two did argue quite a bit, and anytime she had been around the cold unicorn mare she’d always hear how Braided was practically a sexual deviant. Why he even forced her to rut him on their wedding night. Could she imagine being forced to bend over the bed and take a rutting from a stallion that she just married? Didn’t he understand that these were marriages in name only?

Velvet shuddered at the thought. She would admit that Nightlight wasn’t her first stallion, but she cared for him deeply. The nerdy, adorkable Senior Astronomer for the Royal Conservatory was somepony she saw as not just a stepping stone to greater power but as a friend and confidante. Night was always willing to listen to her complaints about life in Canterlot, her woes with school, her diatribes about her sires. He listened and understood; he cared less about the politics involved in marriage between noble families and more about the spark of friendship, the spark of romance between two ponies. That is what she loved about her husband: he was an endless romantic.

He truly was her other half, and he had said that they were each other's better halves. That was the truth as far as she was concerned. He truly was her better half on most days, and she knew that she did quite a bit to be his rock when he needed it. Like herself, his family cared so much about power and prestige. It made no sense that they would come together, but in the end they had done what felt right.

Oh, she knew that Nightlight had dated a mare that was from another tribe before they got together. It was much like she had done. As she recalled it was an Earth Pony, but more of a socialite than her stallion had been. She’d met the young mare once, Sweet Orange she believed her name was. The young mare was sweet, but it was obvious to both her and Nightlight that their romance was more of a fling than anything else.

She wondered what happened to her, perhaps she found somepony else. For a moment she giggled at the thought that Baldwin Apple and Sweet Orange might have gotten together. Although, the mare that was part of Endymion’s adventurer group did look quite a bit like Sweet Orange, but she had Baldwin’s gold mane. Maybe the idea that they got together wasn’t so far out there after all.

Her thoughts became interrupted by the sound of Nightlight coming in with two Earth Pony stallions, and a Pegasus Mare. Nettle Kiss and Flawless Road walked beside Fluffy Blossom as they followed Nightlight. She grinned, seeing Nettle Kiss grab Fluffy Blossom’s hand. It was nice to see a couple come together.

Nightlight pointed toward the pallet holding their furniture, “Thank you, all three of you, for being available to do this.”

“Mr. Nightlight sir, That’s kind of what you pay us for,” the seafoam green pegasus mare with a dark blue mane said, “I mean, it’s nice that you want to thank us and everything, but seriously… You ain’t gotta. I mean, really, like you ain’t gotta thank us for it, right Nettle?”

The charcoal gray stallion nodded. His long black hair pulled into a tight pony tail, “Flurry’s right. We’re here ta work, and it’s nice being thanked, but it ain’t necessary.”

“Well, necessary or not, I still want to thank the three of you. If you don’t mind, please take this to the villa, of course help yourselves to some cold drinks.”

Flawless Road nodded, and soon the three of them went to separating up the pallet, deciding on what would be easiest to move, if a wagon would be needed, and if so how much should be loaded on the wagon before it left. Nightlight walked out, thanked Deep Six, and then walked over to his wife, “Everything is in order, let's go stretch our legs for a bit.”

They walked outside and the two of them walked over toward Twilight, the rest of her herd, and of course the mares that were part of the adventuring group.

“We think we found her cub. The stallion’s name is Braided Silver, and he is a very high profile noble. Like it or not Endymion’s suggestion of taking an odd job might be the best way into his home.”

“I could get us in,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Twilight Velvet smiled at her, “I have no doubt of that, but I know Braided. He’s not just some noble dandy that didn’t study magic. He knows defensive spells very well. I can promise that he will have his entry ways warded with alarms, if nothing else. But if somepony was invited into his home, those wards are useless,” she breathed out and looked at them, “He does have a thing for Pegasi, so take that suggestion as you will.”

Rainbow looked disgusted. She shivered and shook, “No, just no, Endymion, I like you. You’re alright, but I am not going to dress up in a maid’s outfit and let some pervy old stallion look at my flank all day. I get enough of that from Mr. Rich.”

“I’ll do it.”

They looked over at Blossomforth, “Seriously, I don’t mind. I can do it, and while I do I can look and see if he has her cub. If he does, then we can get in, get it out, and go on. If he doesn’t then we just have to take another guess.”

Rainbow Dash adopted self-satisfied smirk and said, “Heh, better you than me. Let’s do this!”

“Ah all in,” AJ said, “the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can return our vacation. There’s a waterin’ hole with mah name on it I wanna get to it ‘fore we leave here.”

“It would be nice to do something for these lovely ponies,” Fluttershy said, “but whatever my champion decides to do, I will follow. Though, I’m unsure of Sol would approve…”

“I’m good with this,” Endymion stated, “seeing as Blossom isn’t one of ours-” “HEY!” “-it’ll be better she take the risk of infiltrating the old rhino’s home-” “I’m standing right here, you know!” “-that way, if things go south, we’re all removed from danger.”

“Then it’s settled!” Twilight exclaimed, “We should see if Lord Braided Silver has an opening for a maid.”

“Shouldn’t be that hard,” croaks a wizened voice and the party turns to an elderly Earth pony stallion with a greying mane of chestnut and coat of sky blue, “the old fart is always harassing his maids. Seems to like the Pegasi mares a little much, though I can’t blame him. The fillies in your party here are might comely.”

“Uh, thank you,” Endymion replies, “uh, if it’s not too much trouble, could you introduce yourself, please?”

“Huh,” the elderly stallion huffs, “a noble with manners. Kinda hard to find one of them nowadays. Name’s Azure Cloverleaf. I used to do business everywhere from the Mount Doom to the Celestial Sea. Sold quite a lot of wares, made me a fine bit, for sure.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cloverleaf,” Endymion says, “say, you sound like you know Lord Silver. Anything else you can tell us?”

“Ha!” Azure barks, “Know him?! He’s been my neighbor for the last ten years! Sodden, slovenly, lusty old rhino! Thinks he’s Sol’s gift to mares! The damned fool retired here, hopin’ to get some peace and quiet after serving in Canterlot for decades. Heh, fat chance of that. Still, he’ll sometimes laze out on his yacht, try to catch some fish, make a big show of it. Why, just the other day, he gone and said he caught a curiosity that was once thought extinct. Can’t imagine what it is, though knowing him, the braggart is tellin’ fish tales again.”

“Excuse me, but you said he was claiming to have caught something that was extinct?”

He looked toward Twilight and gave her a gentle smile, “I most certainly did, but I wouldn’t take much stock in it. Braided likes to tell his fish stories, and to hear him tell it he traveled to Zebrafrica, found the most rare, delicate, and beautiful species of bird to ever exist, and decided to capture it for the Princess. I wouldn’t believe that one either. I have doubts that he’s ever been out of Equestria.”

“Mr. Cloverleaf, where would you like us to take your delivery?”

He looked toward the two pegasi, “Over to my villa. I’m expecting my great great grand niece, her father, and that Sol awful mother of hers to come visit me. I want her room to be perfect.”

“Of course sir.”

“Lookit, I’ve got to go. It’s not that I don’t trust the delivery ponies, but I’d like to oversee their work. If I’ve been of any help, then I’m glad, oh, and miss, I’d be wary of his mistress. That’s the coldest mare I’ve ever known outside of his late wife.”

Looking at each other the group decided to work on a plan, and Blossomforth decided to try her best to look the part. Looking the part of course meant wearing something that looked professional, but also drew attention to her assets. The end result was a short skirt that her tail helped lift slightly, a backless short sleeve dress shirt, and a bow tie.

“Okay, when you find it, let us know.”

She nodded, walked up to the door, and knocked. Who appeared was an older off blue unicorn stallion with a graying light purple mane. He smiled at her, and opened the door wider, “Well hello, may I be of service to such a lovely young mare?”

“Actually, I was hoping so. You see, I’m attending college, and this is my summer off. I’m needing a place to work, and I’ve been going around and seeing if anypony needs me to work for them. I’ve done governess work, maid, and cook.”

He took a long hard look at her, and she could tell that he was mapping her body. The old stallion was too friendly, too happy, and far too glad to see her there. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a horny old stallion, and she hoped that she could find the sea serpent cub and be out before too long. He motioned for her to come in, and she felt his eyes staying on her, but moving straight to her flank.

“I’m in a the need of a maid. I’m afraid that one of the maids had to return to Canterlot, she is taking a position in my family’s home. There may be some long hours. Ms Wintergreen will be your direct overseer.”

Blossomforth noticed the light blue earth pony mare. She eyeballed Blossomforth, motioned toward her, and directed her to follow her.

“There are several rules to working here, you will obey them, and first is that the master likes for his staff to walk with their tails high,” Ms Winters showed her own tail, and Blossomforth noticed that it was high, like a model walking the runway high, “And in order to maintain the lift the master wants means using an artificial stimulator.”

Blossomforth watched as she reached into a drawer inside of a desk and drew out something that looked like a large egg with a goblet’s handle on it. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. She felt her tail wrap around her waist, and she desperately wanted to try and get out of it.

“That’s…”

“A tailhole plug, yes it is, and while you are an employee here you will wear one, or you are free to walk.”

She looked at the older mare.

“I know Pegasi courting rituals, and you will insert this on your own. In fact, I will watch.”

Blossomforth looked at her, “You mean now?”

“You are a bit thick aren’t you?”

She looked hard at the older mare, “Do… Is there anything to make it easier?”

The older mare reached back into the drawer, and she pulled out a small jar. When she opened it Blossomforth realized the smell. It was a special kind of salve that hospitals used. It was sterilized, and it shouldn’t cause an allergic reaction.

Blossomforth looked at it, the shire size of it, and she swallowed several times. It was huge, the tip of her middle finger would barely touch the tip of her thumb kind of huge, and she was worried that it just wouldn’t fit right.

She took the salve, smeared it on the plug, and pulled her panties down. She started and the Ms.Winters stopped her.

“Turn around and bend over. I want to make sure that you’re putting it in the right place.”

She swallowed hard, her eyes clenched shut, and she did as she was ordered, She felt the bulbous head press against her tailhole. Her mind searched desperately for somepony she wouldn’t mind to do this, and she envisioned Endymion. He was interesting, he was actually fun to be around, and she could see him being a potential mate. It made sliding the object up into her tailhole easier.

“Ngh!” she groaned as he pushed into her.

“Good, now, walk around with it in there.”

She did, and it felt weird, but at least it was doable.

“Perhaps you will fit in here after all.”

From there she was taken to the maid uniform. The tailhole plug was bad, and the maid’s uniform was worse. It was backless, obviously designed for a Pegasus, and it was also designed to be tight. She slipped into it, and felt the exceptionally short skirt. It was barely covering half of her cutie mark. The front was cut so that her breasts basically hung out. It was demeaning, and part of her argued that it was worth it. She was helping Endymion, and maybe this would be a good thing.

She sighed, and began the duties that was required of her. Hours passed, and she met the other maids, the butler, but hadn’t found where the old stallion was keeping the cub. The shift for the day was nearing an end. It meant that tomorrow she’d have to go do it again, or it would have if she hadn’t seen Braided Silver walking downstairs. Following him she saw a huge room, and inside of it was a giant tank.

The crystal that composed the front if it had to be at least a foot thick, but it was what was inside that made her take notice. It was smaller, much smaller, than the sea serpent from earlier, but it looked similar.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?”

Blossomforth nodded, and moved toward the tank. She watched as ushered her near him. She moved, stopping in front of the tank, and took a gander at the sea serpent then she felt something touch her. It started at her wing joint, moving up to her primary. Her face flushed, she felt wet, and her hands shook. When it stopped she turned and saw the arrogant smirk that was on Braided Silver’s face. Without question, and without hesitation she rared back and hit Braided Silver as hard as she could across his jaw.

He didn’t sway, he didn’t tilt back and forth, but instead he dropped like a sack of potatoes. She looked at him, her eyes wide, but at the same instant she knew she needed to contact everypony and let them know that she found the cub. She headed upstairs to the dragonfire sender. She knew that it would send it to wherever she entered for it to send it to. The idea was to send it to the Twilight Villa.

She filled out the information she had, put in the receiving person, and sent it through. Once it was gone, she waited, and she hoped that it wasn’t one of the girls that came. She prayed it wasn’t one of the girls. She practically begged Sol that it wasn’t one of the girls. The last thing that she wanted was to explain to one of the girls why Braided Silver was on the floor. She waited for a few minutes. After a few minutes there wasn’t anything coming back through, but instead she heard a knocking. She went to the front door, opened it and saw the Sol Priestess that claimed that Endymion was her champion.

“Oh, this is so going to suck,” she thought.

“You found the cub?”

Blossomforth nodded, “I did. On behalf of the master of the house, you are invited in.”

She hoped that it would work. Fluttershy walked inside with her, and together they walked toward the stairs that lead down to the tank. The moment they reached the floor she heard the priestess gasp. Blossomforth was worried that Fluttershy would show concern over the elderly stallion. Instead, she flittered to the tank and peered at the cub. She started speaking a gurgling, melodic tongue. The cub responded in kind; their conversation was brief but satisfactory from the smile on the Sol Priestess’ face.

“She’s ready,” Fluttershy said, dipping her arms into the tank as Blossomforth did the same, “don’t trip on the stallion. Malon isn’t using to being above sea level…”

“What does-” Blossom was said, “ugh, gross!”

Malon had vomited on Blossom’s uniform.

“Well, I wasn’t going to wear this again, anyway,” she stated, “where is everypony else?”

“They’re waiting outside,” Fluttershy said, “I explained everything to Malon already. She can’t wait to meet everypony.”

“Okay…” Blossomforth said, unable to comprehend the shy Pegasus mare’s distinct rapport with animals.

The trio slipped their way through Braided Silver’s mansion, and were outside in a thrice. Awaiting them were Endymion, Applejack, Rainbow, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie on simple skiff. Blossom was somewhat thankful that these sea creatures were somewhat amphibious or else their young charge would be suffocating right now. The loaded Malon on board and pushed off, but to before Blossomforth disrobed and discarded her soiled uniform.

They made their way, rowing, to the middle of the lake. There was a bubbling there and soon, Melandra and a smaller sea serpent (it was assumed that was Zola,) were wading on the surface. Upon a cry from the juvenile, both adult sea serpents made a sing-song caterwauling. Fluttershy explained this was a welcoming song amongst The Zora. When the finally reached the mated pair, they released the cub into the water. The trio had a heartwarming reunion, nuzzling and singing amongst the three. Eventually, Melandra swam up to Fluttershy, spoke a few words (the others waited for Shy’s interpretation of the conversation) and then all three dove back into the lake.

The party stayed afloat on the lake a little longer before Twilight asked the obvious, “Blossomforth, why are you naked?”

Jump to top

24 Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Rune Soldier

Chapter 24: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Cheerful Golden Apple looked at the rustic farm. It was similar to some of the nicer homes she’d seen before going to work for Stargazer the Elder. There was glass, actual glass, in the windows, and this home was actually less impressive than the magical library she had been teleported to earlier. It just so happened that a mare that looked like her sister, Bailey Sweet Apple, happened to be there.

She’d insisted that Cheerful come home with her. After all she was obviously family, and Apples took care of Apples. The trip through the town had been a little unsettling. There was an Unicorn married to an Earth Pony, a Pegasus married to an Earth Pony, and no pony was pitching a fit over it. It was surprising, unsettling, and getting out to the farm, being around other Earth Ponies, it helped some. Or at least until she heard the wagon outside. The wagon was similar to a Vardo in what it seemed to be designed for, but at the same time it looked more refined.

The deep greens and golds of the wagon could be seen easily, and she looked at the Earth Pony pulling it. He was a hill pony, that much was certain. She’d met more than a few, those that went to the hills to learn about new cures, cultivate new land, and prepare it for other ponies. Her Dam had insisted that she treat all hill ponies with respect because they were doing the work other ponies couldn’t do.

A moment later the wagon stopped, the door opened and she watched as an Unicorn and another pony stepped out. The ground told her he was an Earth Pony, and that he wasn’t one. It felt weird, almost as if he had been a mixture of an Earth Pony and an Unicorn. That just didn’t make sense though. She didn’t have a problem with it, but Unicorns were snobs. Everypony knew that. They were snobs and they liked to hold their muzzle up higher than everypony else and pretend that their plot didn’t stink.

She saw the Unicorn hug and kiss the big Earth Pony and her eyes widened. Again, no problem with it, but that was an Unicorn kissing the Earth Pony, and that made no sense!

“Y’all ‘right?”

She turned to see her very distant relative behind her. She’d filled them in on who her family was, and it was discovered that her younger sister was in fact one of their ancestors. This entire thing was taking some getting used to.

“I suppose, but that Unicorn was kissing that Earth Pony!”

AJ looked outside and smiled, “Eeeyup, that there is Moodancer and Muddy. They’re good ponies, right nice and neighborly.”

The pair came in and Cheerful could smell it on them. They were clean, meaning that they’ve certainly bathed, but she smelled it anyway. The two of them had been mating like mad. Additionally she smelled the strong scent of an oncoming estrus. She looked out to see a thinner, scrawnier, and weaker looking pony. He looked like an Earth Pony, but he didn’t quite feel like one. The ground claimed him, and didn’t claim him at the same time. She could feel it from inside of him.

He was a mixture of tribes, and that was enough for her to shake her head. An Earth Pony and an Unicorn had mated, had this stallion, and proved that tribes could indeed become one. Uncertain of what to think, she walked toward the table, took a quill, dipped it into some ink, and began to try to compose her thoughts. The Prince, who seemed to be attractive in his own way, had mentioned that if she had questions, or wanted to talk, that they’re home was open. She believed that this might be the time to take him up on that.

Canterlot - Royal Palace - Celestia’s bed chambers -Eight hours earlier

Waking up Celestia looked at the mirror. Her soft pink and gold ethereal main floated much like her sister's. Luna... During her absence Luna had changed so much. She was still smaller than her, but just barely. Yet her sister's mane contained hints of pink and gold to it. Evidence that she had taken up the slack while on her own.

She felt so sorry for her. Luna had been alone for so long, and she had taken the idea Celestia had proposed for a magic school and ran with it. Although to be honest Celestia had originally thought to take a single student, somepony with exceptional magic, and help them learn more about control.

She would have other ponies teach the others, but have that one that would almost be a daughter, or a son, to her.

It was almost selfish, yet her sister turned it into a very accomplished place of learning. It was truly a magic school that not only taught magic, but produced some of the greatest magi Equestria had ever seen.

The Black Cloaks, Luna's secret guard, were both fearsome and dangerous. It was something she feared that her own hubris would have never let her create.

The door opened, and she saw her sister, along with somepony she had come to know, and trust.

"Flintheart," she said softly.

"Your highness, I was informed that my skills may be needed."

She looked at Luna, "Perhaps, yet, would thou mayhaps..."

"I shall step out for a moment. If either of you need me I'll be in the hall."

When he stepped out Celestia looked at her younger sister.

"Thou art bold, sister mine,"

Luna took a seat at the end of the bed, "Perhaps, but Flintheart is a good pony, a dedicated stallion, and I believe he would buck you until your eyes rolled into the back of your head if you could win his heart," she laughed, "Celetia, please do not be upset, but you need to get laid."

Celestia glared at her sister, "That is none of thy business!"

Luna groaned, "Maybe, but I know that having somepony to care for, somepony that would love you, rut you, and make you feel like a wanted mare would certainly help you get past Solar Flare."

"She resides inside of us still. She is destroyed, ruined, but there is pieces of her... Her essence, her darkness, that seem to remain."

"And that's even more reason to have somepony."

"Sister... How can thou jest?!"

Luna looked at her, "I'm not Celestia. Mother help me, I'm not. Look, I understand... I've taken consorts, over the years, and even be part of herds, but I know how important it is to be at peace. Sometimes that can only happen after a good rutting. Perhaps even letting somepony have your tail hole."

"Neigh! No stallion, or mare, shall place anything there!"

Riling up Celestia was indeed fun, but it wasn’t what Luna wanted to do this evening. She wanted her sister to feel welcomed, to understand that others would want to be friends, and of course to learn that she and Solar Flare were no longer one in the same. She touched Celestia’s hand.

“Sister, I’m going to make another suggestion, and I will not take no for an answer. How long has it been since you’ve been among our ponies?”

Celestia looked at her in a confused state, “Sister, We’ve traveled only when needed, as the laws dictated.”

Luna rolled her eyes at that. The first royal council had deemed it inappropriate for either of the alicorn sisters to travel among the commoners unless it were a situation that directly called for a supreme judgement. Princess Platinum, preening and fussy pony she was, had fought against the decision. She felt that it was every royal’s responsibility to walk among their subjects, to see first hand and hoof how all of those outside of royalty lived.

It hadn’t happened until after her sister had been banished, and well after she let Moonlit Rose become the chairpony of the council, that she revoked the law. It had been hard removing Moonlit’s family from power, to take back the throne, to establish that it was her, and her sister’s, place to rule. Endymion didn’t realize the near wars that happened between the tribes, he didn’t know that there was times she had to do questionable things in order to maintain a peace between her ponies.

Yet, that peace had led them here, and she felt this peace being as unstable as any before it. But more than the question of how long this peace would last, or the question of if this was the right road to a lasting peace, was the decision and understanding that her sister needed perspective. Twilight, her most faithful, and advanced, student had sent her word over the teenage mare that had been returned to her true form. The mare undoubtedly would know much of Stargazer’s library, she would have an understanding of his thoughts and ideas, and she could share that information. But she needed help adjusting to the new world, and so did Celestia.

“Sister, I shall make the arrangements for you to travel to Ponyville. While there you shall be given a place to stay, your services to the temple shall continue, after all, there is a local temple that would love to boast that the head priestess has come to commune with them. While there I wish for you to meet with, and speak to, a Cheerful Golden Apple. Like yourself she is out of her element. I believe the two of you should be able to help guide one another. Of course I shall send somepony with you.”

“Sister…”

“Neigh my sister, Professor Flintheart shall accompany you as both protector and guide.”

The older Unicorn stuck his head in the doorway, “Your highness, while I would never dare question your decision, I do have my classes to teach.”

She smiled, “and that shall remain, however, I believe that you have advanced your students to the point of practical practice?”

He nodded, unsure of where she was going.

“Then there is no better practice than the Everfree Forest. Students who are focused in Defense against the Dark Arts will help you set up and reestablish the old castle in the Everfree. They shall be responsible for ensuring the traps are in working order, keeping the grounds clear of dangerous magical creatures, and of course you shall aid them in this.”

He nodded, “Thy will be done your highness.”

She tittered, “And I have one more request of you. Help show my sister a good time.”

“Y...Your highness?!” Flintheart stammered, then with a cheeky grin, he added, “Oh, of course. I do hope she can keep up.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, she looked at Flintheart, and then she turned back toward Luna. Her sister’s expression was fairly passive, Flintheart had a gentle smile, but the idea that their interaction almost made it sound like she wanted them…

“Sister, we have no need to be guided.”

Luna looked at Celestia, closed her eyes, and thought of Endymion. He’d been similar when he was younger. He wanted to be on his own, experience things for himself, and she did try to give him as much space and room as she could afford while at the same time keeping him safe. Celestia had power, in truth of the two she knew that Celestia was indeed more powerful. Her defeat of Solar Flare had only happened because of the Elements of Harmony. Over the years, being forced to raise the sun, then set it only to raise the moon had made her more powerful, narrowing the gap, but it was still there.

If she and Celestia were to ever come to blows again it would take her years of experience in war and deception in order to defeat her sister, not straight power. That was part of the reason for sending Flintheart. Compared to either of them Flintheart was sorely lacking, at least magically, but he more than made up for it in resourcefulness, cunning, and flexibility.

Did she want to see something happen between them? If it did, she would not hinder it. Flintheart himself deserved to have a special somepony, Celestia needed to be laid in the worst of ways, and honestly being away from Canterlot might be the best chance for her to let her mane down.

“Celestia,” Luna began, “Tia, I would not presume to tell you how to live your life or how you should conduct yourself. That is a struggle only you can address. But much has changed in the thousand years you have have been- away. And before you say it, yes, I sent you there, into your beloved sun. Did you not think I would mourn your loss, as if you were dead, not merely banished? I did, and for a long time, I allowed none near me, nor did I give myself of any companionship, so great were my responsibilities…”

Celestia then whispers, “‘Tia,’ Faust Beyond, it hath been ages since We last heard Our diminutive nomenclature! But surely, Luna, thou had aid in thine duties, no?”

“Aid?” Luna replied, “Yes, I had aid, but friends, I had very few. When the nascent nation you command is on the precipice of panic and dissolution after one of the rulers has a- hysterical pregnancy- (And forgive me if I have made light of your time as Solar Flare, but there are no modern words for that condition. Not yet, anyway.) Neigh, it wasn’t until the last two centuries when I decided I could not effectively rule the kingdom without some companionship… Then, nigh unto twenty years ago, Endymion came into my life… I would not suggest you take the first stallion you see for a rutting, but I would- ask you, kindly, open your heart and allow some companionship to happen for you. Everypony, even yourself, needs love, or even a little kindness.”

“A little kindness,” Celestia repeats, “Sister mine, is to Ponyville the domicile of one mine priestesses, the fedderledder† Fluttering Shywing?”

“Yes, yes, I do believe she has a home there,” Luna answers, “her cottage is also home to her wonderful little menagerie of woodland creatures.”

“Ah, excellent!” Celestia beams, “We shall prepare for travel, post haste!”

Golden Oaks Library - Present time

Luna expected a few things when she arrived with Celestia. She expected to see son, and soon to be daughters, engaged in something that most ponies would wait to do in their bedroom. She would half expect to see Spike, the dutiful drake he is, thinking about that prim and proper unicorn he seemed to be so fixated on, and causing a small accident because of it. Instead what she saw was nothing short of something that Scandalous Eye would have published in that magazine of his, Working Mare.

She was certain there was a reasonable reason her son, his brides, Ms. Jacliquine Apple, Cheerful Golden Apple, the two swamp ponies she had been told about in the report, and a young researcher unicorn were standing around, completely nude.

“P...Princess, I…”

She held up her hand, looked to Endymion and shook her head, “Son, your aunt is coming to stay in Ponyville, she is outside, please, take the next few seconds to get dressed, and we shall discuss this later.

Nodding Endymion turned to Twilight who swallowed, lit up her horn, and after a flash everypony had clothes on. Thankful it worked Luna moved to allow her sister to enter. Celestia had admitted, freely, that she took more after the Pegasi where Luna tended to take more after Unicorns. She felt that her sister didn’t smell, or sense, what she smelled.

Looking from one pony to another, trying to figure out what was going on, she tried to pinpoint the location of the ponies that had been buggering. Instead the smell was almost as if the entire room had been full of it, but that was silly. That would mean all of them were rutting each other at the same…

A look of uncertainty crossed Celestia’s face. Were they? Was everypony in here having a breeding party? It was a savage ritual from pre unification days. A ritual where a mare would be with foal, and to bind the village, or township, together there would be a breeding party where she would rut every stallion, and in turn all of the other mares would do the same. It was disgusting, terrible, and something she was happy to see gone.

“Sorry, I… Ummm… That is…” Twilight tried explain.

“Twilight was trying out a new spell, to make things even more funtastic for the three of us, when she had a surge and suddenly everypony just appeared in the library at the same time!”

Celestia breathed out in relief. It wasn’t a breeding party. It was a magical mishap, and something that caused a little awkwardness, some embarrassment, but nothing damaging. She could live with that.

“I see, Twilight, perhaps you should try casting the spell before engaging in such activities,” Luna said.

“I will, I’m sorry Princess.”

Endymion saw the slight smile on the corner of her mouth, and he knew that his mother was doing everything possible to keep from busting a gut laughing. He also knew that right now she was attempting to torment Twilight. He was about to say something when he saw Professor Flintheart.

“P...Professor?”

“Ah, Endymion, just the stallion I was hoping to see. Your mother has entrusted me with the cleaning, and restoring, of Princess Celestia and her castle out in the Everfree. As such I am making every student that has declared defensive magic as their major put this as their final. Every student will be aiding in the restoration of the traps, charging the batteries, and of course returning the castle itself back into a livable area.”

“Livable?! Why?” Twilight asked.

“Ms Sparkle, it is Princess Luna’s wish for the castle to be used by defensive magic students as a hands on training, and living, area. Per her own words, what better place than the Everfree forest for hands on defensive magic.”

“Wait… Does that mean that Trixie is going to be out here?” Endymion asked.

“Of course. Ms Lulamoon is a gifted member of the defensive magic class, she is your superior, and she is going to be over the library within the castle.”

Twilight almost looked like someone had slapped her, “Wait… You’re going to put Trixie in charge of the ancient royal library of magic?!”

Professor Flintheart turned toward her, his eyes looking like they were digging into her very soul, and she automatically regretted questioning the older Unicorn.

“Ms. Sparkle, you are in charge of Ponyville’s library, currently you’ve increased the magical theory section to include several texts that have been recovered from ancient nobility, and royalty, dwellings. This library is a shining example of what can be done under the direction of a knowledgeable bibliophile. But the library at the Castle of the Two Sisters is not a standard library, nor even a standard royal library, it is now going to be a functioning school library. So, the question is do you want to be demoted to being a school librarian, or would you rather close your muzzle and think before you question your superiors?”

She swallowed and looked away from him, “I… Ummm, I’ll be fine here.”

“Very good, now, as I understand it you’ve also got access to Stargazer’s entire library?”

Twilight nodded leading him to a door frame that if pulled away from the wall would be nothing more a very small indent between two shelves, and yet somehow when she opened the door there was a massive library inside of it.

“Ah, just as I was told. The most complete collection of Stargazer’s books on all of his studies. Of course, this library is under your jurisdiction as well, but the school may be requesting a few of the teleportation and portal spell books that Stargazer wrote,” he said.

“Wait, wait, wait just a minute. You just gave my fiancée a dressing down, and then you want her to do you a favor?”

Flintheart turned on Endymion, and instantly he wished that he would have kept his mouth shut.

“What I did, Mr. Everfree, is to address a student of mine. Who she is outside of that is not of consequence. Furthermore, Ms. Sparkle is a research Magi, granted she is very versed in defensive spells, but her chosen path was research. Which is another reason why Ms Lulamoon is to be the librarian. But please, continue to speak and insert your hoof right into your mouth.”

Something about Flintheart’s last statement triggered something deep in Endymion. Princess Luna was certain the room was several degrees warmer and many lumens brighter before Flintheart spoke; now it was nearly twilight (the time of day, not the pony mage) and crisp autumn breeze had come up. She looked to her sister, saw that Celestia had felt it as well, a shift in temperate paradigm, but neither knew of it’s origin. Then her son began to speak…

“My apologies, Professor Flintheart,” Endymion seethed, “I didn’t realize that members of academia had an intellectual imperative to be rude! In case you didn’t get the fucking memo, The Library of Stargazer the Elder is the property of Mage Twilight Sparkle, because I gave it to her; your patronizing attitude about material that is in her possession is an affront not only to my fiancée, but also to me. Now, if you be so kind, restate your interest in the Stargazer Library as a request or Goddess help me, I WILL FREEZE THE VERY BLOOD IN YOUR VEINS!”

Everypony present, even his mother, were shocked by Endymion’s rant. Even more surprising was the frost that had begun to creep onto the Golden Oaks walls as he spoke. The nominally dispassionate Flintheart even quailed as Endymion railed against him; never before in his time, either as a Black Cloak or as a professor, had he seen anypony call on ice as readily or easily as what Endymion had just done. If he wasn’t already frightened out of his wits, he would already be settled in a defensive position, spell ready at his horn tip. The aged Black Cloak was only beginning to wonder if maybe Prince Everfree really had been bottling up his true magical abilities all along.

“Endymion,” Luna said, in a calm and loving manner, “Endymion, my son, becalm yourself, please.”

“Wait, what?” Endymion asked, as if dazed.

“Nephew,” Celestia answered, “art thou not aware that thou hast cast a freezing hex and threatened a member of the Black Cloaks?”

“I’m- I’m-” Endymion stammered, “I think I need to lie down…”

Castle of the Two Sisters - Two days later

Getting to the old castle hadn’t been much of a challenge. A few Manticores, a stray timber wolf, and of course a couple of other beasts, that roamed the Everfree. Professor Flintheart certainly could see the potential of the entire forest as a training ground, but more than that he understood what Princess Luna was truly doing. Every since the Princess had returned from her diplomatic trip to Mount Gloom she had been preparing for a war. His training of the Black Cloaks had increased, and this was the best hands on training available. She wanted them ready, and what better way than to make them restore and repair the old castle.

He heard the sound of hoofsteps and turned to see Trixie, Flash Sentry, and then he saw Celestia herself. He was surprised that she wanted to come out to the castle. He watched as she stood at the great doors, and her head hung low.

“So much damage,” she whispered as she touched the giant doors.

He looked at the castle itself, remembering what Princess Luna had said about that fateful day, the ancient texts, and touched her arm.

“What I’ve learned about what happened here has pointed to the fact that you attempted to contain something so it couldn’t harm your sister. The result was your transformation, but I can assure you that none hold you responsible,” he said.

“Perhaps, but we hold ourselves responsible.”

Another set of hoofsteps caught their attention and they saw a young mare. She neared them, and while she didn’t look old in truth she was easily the third oldest pony alive, “It appears that Applejack wasn’t kidding. I’d never gotten to see the ruins, and the castle in Canterlot was just being finished. Still, this is amazing.”

“Ms. Apple, while I am not wholly surprised to see you, I must question why you are here,” Professor Flintheart said.

She grinned at him, “Well, I understand that you need help, and I recorded every experiment that Stargazer did. I might not be able to perform magic, but I can tell you how to reproduce several of his experiments. One of which was the creation of protective golems.”

He smiled at her, “Very well, then as such you shall be hired as a lab assistant and recorder. Ms. Lulamoon, you and your friend are to secure the library, check the books within, and then ensure that it was capable of being used. I shall see what kind of constructive workforce this small township has. Perhaps within a fortnight we shall have this castle returned to its former glory.”

Mount Gloom - Inner cells - Same time

“♪I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, Deely deely, there are a standing in a roll! Big ones, small, ones some as a big as your head!♫”

“Bifrost, I’ve come to ask you some questions.”

“♪It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all! It’s a small world after all! It’s a small, small world!♫”

Serenia moved toward the door of cell Z-29. She looked at the being singing inside of it. If he had been human there was no evidence of it now. His face was a quarter human, and the rest seemed to be equestrian. His right arm looked to be from a dragon, his left from a bear of some kind. His left leg looked to be that of a lion, and right was a minotaur’s. His torso looked as though it believed it wanted to start as a zebra and ended up a great white including the tail. He was… nothing less than a monstrous joke performed by an insane magi with far too much time and power.

“Stop singing and speak to me.”

He looked at her, his mouth opened to reveal not Equine, or human teeth, but sharp shark’s teeth all lined up perfectly in his maw.

“Councilwoman… As I recall, your previous position was that as a mistress of the night, specifically one that serviced the House of Endymion. You’ve done quite well for yourself, don’t you think so, Smoozy?”

She looked to the face in the wall, and her eyes widened as it moved. She wanted to play it off as a trick of light, but no, the smooze, at least in this part of the dungeon, was very much alive.

“I want to know about the heir you kept from us.”

He laughed, looked at her, and shook his head, “Oh you’re doing this all wrong! There should be a wonderful musical number!” He laughed again, “And you should be surrounded by singing bugs!” Something along the lines of… “♪In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning! And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be!♫”

“BIFROST, STOP SINGING!”

He laughed and leaned against the wall, “Then if you’re not going to listen to my singing, I’m not talking. Oh… Well actually, I do have one warning for you. Your entire house will be swallowed by the greatest folly and greatest triumph of the House of Endymion.”

She backed up from the door.

“Oh, I also forgot, Euclides Bifrost is dead. I am Rancor! The very avatar of Chaos itself!”

Running out, she left the old insane creature to itself. His cackling laughter chased her until she was out of the dungeon and out in the landing platform itself. She was relieved to see the House Praetorian corvette, engines still spun up, waiting there.

He was wrong, nothing would harm her house. The greatest folly was here, and the Smooze slept in an eternal slumber. She’d ensure that it never awoke.

From deep back inside of the mountain she heard the sound of Rancor, and another voice, a strange gurgling one, singing again.

“♪Yo Ho All together! Hoist the Colors high! Heave Ho, Thieves and Beggars! Never shall we die!♫”

“M...Madam?”

“Get us away from here, and inform the entire Empire that this outpost, and prison, is off limits until further notice!”

Once they were away from the mountain itself she looked at the gauntlet. When she went into the dungeons the batteries were far more charged, but just being in there caused them to lose at least a quarter of the power they had. Rancor’s punishment, being locked in the dungeon, it was most likely the only thing that was keeping from him escaping. That purple blob was staying alive because it was feeding off of him, and somehow it was able, and willing, to interact with him. She didn’t want anyone to feed it anymore than it already had been. If it were possible she would have had him put down, but all reports seemed to indicate that he was immortal.

Silently, she thought of the surviving heir of Endymion. He was still crucial to her plans, she needed him, his seed, his magic, and then she needed his death. Perhaps it was time to step into the light, to wage war. But first… First she’d send her scouting party, along with Rowena, into the Equestrians. Let them discover their weaknesses.

“When we arrive, I want to meet with our scoutmasters. I have a job for them.”

“Your will be done, madam.”

“And someone get me a playlist of the most classical music The Empire has on record,” Serenia ordered, “scour the entire Ecumene if you have to! Any more of these ‘show tunes,’ and I swear I’ll start breaking some necks.”

Author's Note

+10 of Awesome if you can figure out where the title of this chapter comes from.
† Ancient term for half-bat ponies, which is what Fluttershy is, in this story.
We can haz commentz, plz?

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