Changeling Therapy

Chapter 4 - New Beginnings

It was a little while later that Fluttershy and Iridis slowly awoke, having fallen asleep in a rather comical and awkward position. The pegasus was slumped half on the sofa - half on the floor, her head turned to one side on the carpet. It rested amid the clutter of her hair, strewn haphazardly from the turbulence of their passion.

Iridis had fallen asleep on top of her, hunched over her plot like his companion were a writing desk, though he was more the raven, dark and contrasting above the yellow coat of his mate. It took a little before either of the pair could speak or move, but then finally they slowly righted themselves until they were both sitting up on the sofa. Their bodies felt heavy with the memory of what had just passed.

Both exchanged a mutual glance and Fluttershy blushed.

“Iridis you’re smiling.” She proclaimed, smiling herself.

“I suppose I must be…” He said, actually grinning.

“I hope I did the right thing…” She pondered out loud. “I mean, I was a little reluctant at first… I didn’t know that you were…” He interrupted her with a slow kiss then drew back looking into her eyes.

“You did do the right thing. There was a wall in my head Fluttershy, but you’ve taught me it’s ok to want you, it’s ok to be hungry for you as long as you want it too. I can feel tender for you, and affectionate and lustful all at the same time. They’re all part of the same whole. You did want it didn’t you?” He asked with a small hint of residual doubt.

“Of course….” She said. “Oh Iridis… This wasn’t just some kind of ‘therapy’ session.. I’m in love with you Iridis. I was for a long time.”

“I feel the same.” He smiled, tilting his head down slightly as he saw her eyes moisten with tears. “I’m sure there is much more I have to learn, but I know that we can learn it together.”

“I think you might have taught me a thing or two yourself. I have to admit…” She blushed profusely, blinking out the stubborn half tears that had welled up in her eyes. “That when you ‘feed’ on me, it’s really quite, well, quite nice. And then when we, you know, at the same time…”

“It was quite something wasn’t it.” He agreed, smiling again and sighing out loud.

Fluttershy was about to make another remark of some kind when she suddenly shot bolt upright eyes widening in surprise. She pointed with her hoof to where Iridis was sitting.

“Iridis! Look!” She cried with such intensity that for a moment she had her companion very worried. He followed her gaze and the line of her hoof to where she pointed, a location on the side of his plot.

“What in the name of…” He exclaimed, as aghast as Fluttershy at what he saw.

Sure enough her surprise was justified as now, proudly adorning Iridis’s flank was the most unexpected accolade they could imagine.

Iridis had a cutie mark.

Well, not quite, something like a cutie mark, but it looked incomplete. There were three circles adorning his flank now, two of which were empty and one of which was filled with the same symbol that formed Fluttershy’s own cutie mark.

“I……” Fluttershy gasped. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know….” Iridis said, checking the other side of his flank to find a symmetrical token there too. He rubbed it a few time quizzically. “So, umm, we had sex and one of them was filled, if we have sex again do I get another?”

Fluttershy looked at him blankly for a moment and then saw his face break into a grin, they both laughed together, heartily, more so than they had ever done.

“Well..” She began. “I’m sure if anyone would have a better idea it would be Twilight. Just umm, promise me Iridis that you won’t umm, try to fill the others with you know, other mares.”

“It’s ok my sweet.” He replied. “You are the one I want, I know it now.”

They hugged each other tight as the warm afternoon slowly rolled on into evening.

“You did WHAT?” Was the predictable response from Rainbow Dash upon learning that Fluttershy and Iridis were now a permanent item. The situation had been uncomfortable but Iridis had soothed it with some of his new found wit.

“That’s right Rainbow first I conquer Fluttershy, then all of Equestria!” He had announced, and after a small pause, where everypony present had tried to decide how serious he was, Rainbow let out a little chuckle. After that the two started to get on pretty well.

In the end Pinkie Pie did get to throw her ‘Welcome To Ponyville - No Longer An Evil Changeling’ party, and Twilight Sparkle spent quite some time studying Iridis’s new cutie mark, sending back letters to canterlot where there was much academic interest.

Iridis never stopped learning and after a little while he was ready to start living without the inhibiting collar which had started to take quite a beating and was looking worse for wear. It meant he could change form once again but he chose not too most of the time, feeling now comfortable and accepted enough that he could wander freely about Ponyville, his body fully on display.

The only exception was for humorous purposes. Iridis delighted in tormenting Twilight while she was studying his cutie mark, sometimes changing into one of her friends and the then scolding her for staring at his ass. The final straw was was when he took on the form of Shining Armour and made some deeply inappropriate comment with a perfect imitation of his voice.

After the ensuing ruckus had died down, and the damage had been repaired, he decided it was time to perhaps quit while he was ahead.

Fluttershy and Iridis didn’t know when the other remaining spaces on his Proto Cutie Mark would be filled or indeed what any of it meant. But they did know they were so happy together. Just under a year later when they were visiting the Grand Galloping Gala together they took a walk out to the battlements, the same spot they had stood so long ago. Where Iridis had been so confused and pensive about his future.

Hoof in hoof, nestled together in the evening they took in the distant shimmering lights of a sleepy Ponyville and it was so plain to them just how far they had both come.

Iridis turned to his lover and looked deep into her eyes.

“I’m so glad I ran away.”

The End.