"She's your mother?"

"Yes! I'll say it again, Madam Eventide Velour is my mom!"

Cadance pursed her lips into a thin line. Shining felt dread build in his heart. The dreadful secret was out now, and he couldn't retract it. Thoughts of adding 'just kidding' or 'gotcha psyche' chased around his head, anything to divert and avert the reckoning that was surely coming his way. So much for ever getting a date with Cadance. So much for ever being a normal stallion in her eyes. So much for having her sympathy. He wondered if he could make a break for it now, before maybe Cadance left him with the bill anyway to punish him for being a sick freak. Not only did he pay for sex, but with his own mother, too!

Princess Cadance sat up, fingers tented, drawing breath. Then, though Shining Armor couldn't believe it, she giggled, "I thought so, but I just wanted to confirm with you before I made any motherfucking accusations."

Shining's jaw plummeted, reaching terminal velocity, crashing through the table, the floor, and burrowing into the bedrock. He swore he felt the waves from the planet's molten inner layers. Princess Cadance had just heard he was an incestuous whoremonger and she was LAUGHING. no, giggling? "Aren't you mad at me? Aren't you disgusted, outraged, grossed, freaked, anything?" He quickly glanced up at Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac. There was no such merriment in her eyes. He wondered if she was contemplating whether to supplex him or just snap his neck.

Cadance shook her head. "Shiny, Shiny, incest is surprisingly common in Equestria. When it's consenting adults, It's just an extension of love between family members. If everypony who kissed their sister or had a flame with their dad or experimented with a cousin got punished, the papers would be full of nothing but stories about incest. And don't worry about paying for it, either -- two consenting adults made a fair and mutually satifying, pleasurable deal, didn't they?"

"Uh-huh."

"So, what are you so down in the dumps about? You're not some freak, you're just a young guy who found company a little closer to home."

Shining wished he felt a sense of relief, but instead, he just felt a lump in his throat. He was going to have to tell her how he discovered the truth. How they'd gotten drunk together. How he fucked her, knowing he should not have, twice. How she'd punished him for his sin. How he'd ruined his relationship with his mother because he was a stupid pervert. "Cadance," he began, "I- Mom and I didn't just have sex, we did and said some things..." He wanted to disappear.

Princess Cadance immediately shaped back up. She was looking at him intently. "What kind of things?" It was a clinical question, no merriment, no puns, no teasing. She was reading his face but offered no comfort. "Go on."

That lump in his throat was threatening to asphyxiate him. He had to choke it out. "Whe-when I first had sex with her, I didn't know Eventide was my mom, I just thought she was some random escort mare. I saw her more than a few times. I guess, I guess, I guess, I should have seen the signs."

"What signs?"

"After that date to the water park, I found the same bathing suit at home in the laundry. I just thought it a coincidence, but really, I was just too stupid to notice. Same height, breast size, shape... I should've fucking seen it the first time we met; hell, just from her photos. But I'm a stupid pervert and didn't think anything of it. Then the truth came out." He wanted to cry.

"How did it?" Cadance asked.

"We were watching a movie together, drinking wine. She teased me, accused me of holding out on her about mares, got my phone, and saw the truth."

"What happened next?"

Shining flinched as he recounted, "Mom got mad, real mad."

Cadance held up a finger, stopping him. "But why? Didn't she know it was you the whole time?" Something lit up in the princess's eyes.

"Sorta, kinda, but not really, Cadance. It turns out Velour is her gestalt and she's not completely aware of everything Velour does, and I don't think Velour knows too much about Velvet unless they specifically trade information. So, by some oversight, she'd been fucking me the whole time as someone else."

The princess nodded understandingly. "I see... You wouldn't be the first, Shining, to have this happen, but this isn't what really made you run away from home, is it?"

"No," answered the stallion, "What made me run away was what happened next. She was disgusted, but drunk, too. She was mad, but she owned up to escorting. We argued. She dared me to fuck her if I really was such a pervert, if I really liked her body. And I- I- I-I couldn't stop myself. I-I don't know what I was thinking, okay!" He found himself yelling, tears bubbling at the sides of his eyes. "I just wanted to make her not angry. I swear she'd been hitting on me all night long, like slipping me peeks through her robe and everything. She dared me to fuck her, and I did." Shiny pulled at his mane. "I came inside my own mother. Raw. No condom. It was like being an animal, I almost felt like I was in heat."

Cadance took hold of one of his hands. "What then? Is that everything?" She was frowning, not meeting his eyes.

"No, Cadance, it isn't. She practically yelled at me to go away. I took a shower and fell asleep. The worst was later. I came home and she as waiting for me. Sober this time. She flirted with me and we ended up in bed. We did it again. We came together. I ejaculated inside her, balls deep, calling her name, holding each other close. I kissed her." Shining Armor took several deep breaths, but he was losing the battle. "I told her I love her as I came, and you know what she did?"

Cadance braced, concern butting into her frown. She gripped him more tightly. She nodded at him to go ahead. "She kicked me out of bed and screaming 'I HATE YOU'" right in my face. My own mother seduced me twice then yelled she hates me!" He broke down. "She hates me. She hates me. She really hates me, all because I'm such a fucking useless pervert! All I'm good for is getting drunk and fucking. That's all I've done since then. I even lashed out at an escort; I'm no better than her! I can't even face her, nor dad, nor Twiley. I'm such a fucking loser, Cadance! I-"

He never finished that sentence. In that moment, he saw rage on the alicorn's face. "Unacceptable. Un acc fucking ceptable... That bitch, that fucking bitch...!" She was gripping him hard enough to hurt. She looked into his eyes, her own expression morphing from rage to compassion. "Shining, nothing's wrong with you. You've been treated very badly by somepony who should have known better. Whatever sins you've committed, we'll discuss those when it's time, but don't worry, your mom'll get hers. Abusing her own son like that! I can't say much yet because I don't have details from her but rest assured that we're going to have a very serious chat. You, me, and her." Poppy's eyes had softened. It wasn't stony disgust anymore, it was pity. Shining wished in that moment he would just disappear.

His eyes widened. "But I can't face her again, not after last time! Cadance, I ran away from home with her juices still on my dick, I still have the bruise on my gut where she hit me. I can't face my mom, not after that. I wouldn't even know where to begin!"

Cadance patted his hand warmly. "I know. That's why we're not going to talk to her."

"Pleasenotdad! Pleasenotdad! Pleasenotdad!"

"Not your dad, not Twiley."

Shining blinked confusedly, calming down. "Then who?"

"Velour."

He stammered, "But you can't just meet up with her -- she's in Canterlot, we're in Manehattan! She's got clients, and Twiley, and the condo! Dad won’t like his time with mom being cut short! And she knows all about it already; she thinks I'm just a freak like mom!"

"Relax, she's an escort, right? If she does outcalls and travels, we'll just make a booking."

"But it's so expensive!"

Cadance gave him a hard look. She then called out, "Poppy, please make a booking. Do a search for Madam Eventide Velour escort. Book her for a couple days here. Please list yourself as the client and handle whatever screening or deposits she requests. You have your phone, yes?"

"Yes, Princess."

"Good. If she demands an address, make it the local Shemareaton on Pawtucket.

"Yes, Princess."

Shining whined, "Cadance, you can't be serious."

Cadance turned her attention to him sternly. "I don't want to feel pity for you, Shining Armor. I care about you as a colt I've known for a long time, like what, more than ten years at least, and whose family I'm a friend of. I've felt and thought a lot of things regarding you over the years, but never pity. Don't make me pity you. I can feel compassion for you, I can feel appalled with you, I can feel anger for you, I can worry about you, but never let me pity you. You are too good a stallion to fall so low as pity. This isn't just my princessly domain, Shiny, what's happened between you and her is a serious problem for your family and I like you all too much to let this ruin what you had f you'll let me have anything to say about it. I can't fix it for you, but I can give you all the support you need to fix it yourself. So you can get on with your life, your mother can get on with hers, not to mention your dad and Twilight. I don't want to see your whole family miserable for this, and I know you don't either. If don't want my help just say it and I'll leave you alone to your own devices. If you want to deal with this your own way, I won't stop you. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

He put his other hand on hers. "Thank you for your help, Cadance."

"Don’t thank me yet, we have a long hard road to travel to make this right. Now, we don't have to do this. I'm not going to make you; you have to decide you want to confront Velour and Velvet, and you're going to have to face them yourself -- I won't fight this battle for you while you hide in a bottle. I won't let you cry clinging to my skirts forever. This escape of yours cannot last forever. Do you want to do this? Are you willing to see this through to the end?"

Shining Armor didn't hesitate despite his tears/ "I will. I won't just feel sorry for myself and run away. I can't let you down. I can't let Twiley down. I can't hide from mom and dad forever. Let's do this."

"You're being brave," Cadance purred.

"I'm scared, Cadance, of her and what's going to happen, but I'm even more scared of what'll happen if I don't get this thing unfucked. My family's counting on me. What kind of stallion would I be if I didn't show some spine and step up? And if I can't do this, how could I ever make it in the Guard?"

"You're a good stallion, you'll make it."

"I'm not even that good."

"Oh?" Cadance asked.

Shining wheedled, "Eeeeeyeeeaah, I've been spending the past week just buying sex and getting drunk."

"So?"

"The last girl I saw, she reminded me of my mom and Velour."

Cadance muttered. "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

Shining grimaced. "Not physically I didn't," he confessed, "but I had at her pretty hard and got kinda rough. I shouted at her, though."

"What did you tell her?" That businesslike bearing was back in the pink princess's voice and demeanor.

The stallion rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting his date's eyes. "I swore at her and called her a whore a bunch of times."

Cadance glowered, intoning darkly, "Did you ever do that to Velour?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why did you think it was okay to do to her?"

"I don't know. I just suddenly felt so angry. She looked like her, even sounded and felt like her. I didn't want to," he pleaded. "I had just wanted to try it a little hard, but then, I just felt angry, more like furious, and I took it out on her. I even screamed I hate you at her." He hid his face in his hands.

Cadance snapped, "And after you'd been on the receiving end of that! How did she react?"

"Well, uh, she didn't run, but she was clearly upset."

"Did you apologize?"

"Sorta, but just to kinda get it done with."

Cadance looked at him squarely and said, "You can be asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Well," Cadance said dryly, "I don't need your apology. Before you go home, you're meeting that escort again and you're going to give her a proper apology. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Cadance."

"Good." She pulled out bits and placed them on the table with a metallic clatter. "I know you're better than that, Shining Armor. I won't tolerate that kind of behavior from my stallions; if you pull any shit like that with me, that'll be the last time you ever know what color panties I'm wearing. Anyway, no use raking you over the coals for it now. Bill's paid -- let's go. Take us back to where you got him from, Staff Sergeant."

"Say, Cadance, you weren't going to really make me cover the whole bill, were you?"

"No, of course not, I'm concerned, not cruel."

It was the middle of the afternoon at the Sparkle residence. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were cooking together. The stallion wore an uneasy smile while the mare's mouth was a tightly pursed line. They were not speaking, instead preoccupied with their culinary tasks. The stallion was seeing to several stalks of celery with a paring knife. Twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap- twap! Night Light brought the blade down repeatedly on his green victims. It was stifling in the household.

Twilight Velvet was kneading dough. Her hands were covered in oil and flour. She was making repetitive, stereotyped motions. The mare rocked her body back and forth to use her weight to assist her hands in their task. Her thumbs jutted and crushed into the dough. She wasn't kneading it, she was more accurately pulverizing it as if she had a vendetta against all baked goods.

It was too calm -- tense enough for one stray anything to cut a bleeding wound in the air.

They worked for a while with no words, the silence between them deafening.

He opened his mouth. "Any news about Shiny, dear?"

"Nothing. The kid's MIA." Her expression was like stone. He imagined her as unforgiving, like some ancient carved matriarch, like a statue he had seen of Countess Antimony, the great-great-grandmother of Princess Platinum, immortalized in an eternal, tight-lipped gaze without warmth."

"Have you tried contacting Spring?"

"Why would I do that?" Twilight Velvet asked, not even pausing in her kneading of the dough.

Night Light chopped the celery, bringing down the knife hard enough to -THUD- on the wooden cutting board. "Because Shining Armor is our son and I'm worried about him. He doesn't miss a chance to hang out the little time I'm here. If there's any chance I can find him and talk to him, I'll take it. He hasn't been back to me on my cellphone. That's not like him, Twi, and I want to know what's up!" He saw a slight flinch followed by a lip curl.

Twilight Velvet droned dryly, "He's a grown adult. If he doesn't want to talk to us he doesn't want to talk to us. The police haven't been around with bad news. He's a young guy in good shape; he can take care of himself."

"He is my son -- our son. Don't you care about him? Don't you wonder where here's been, what he's got up to?"

"I do care," said Velvet, putting up some odd expression, "but I don't fret over him. Would it help?"

Just then, a phone went off. Night Light pulled it from his pocket and checked. He smiled. "The boy's okay! He says he's okay and we'll talk later."

"See, I told you." Velvet smiled, too, giving him a warm peck on the cheek. He reciprocated with a kiss on the lips and a boop on the snoot. "I love you, Ni Ni."

"I love you, too." Ding! Ding! Another phone went off. Velvet retrieved it this time in a glow of magic. Her husband looked over at her, hopeful and standing on tiptoes. "Is it Shining?"

She shook her head, sighing heavily in irritation. "No, it's just work."

Night Light's shoulders immediately sagged. "Oh..."

"There's a call for a big booking."

"That's nice..."

"In Manehattan."

He looked over at her. "For how long?"

"Two days. That's a lot of money."

"That's also a lot of time..." Night Light sighed.

"So says the stallion who leaves his mare for more than a month."

Night Light ignored the barb, though the next several chops to the celery were more brutal than is strictly necessary. "But what about our deal? Velvet, when you became Velour, we agreed that we'd take care to not let it take over your life, to not let it impact us. We have rules, like -- we agreed that you'd have to be notified of big bookings at least a week in advance so you could make time, and a full two weeks for any kind of travel. It even says so in the ad which you asked me approval for." He took a deep breath and asked, "What are you going to do, Twilight? Who's gonna take care of little Twi?"

She answered, "It's two and a half thousand bits, Night, what do you think I'm going to do? I care about this family." She huffed a stray tuft of hair out of her face. "Besides, she's twelve; she can take care of herself for a bit."

"That's our daughter you're being so casual about... but you do have a point but what about Cadance? Does she even have time to take care of this byproduct of your latest little stunt?"

"Cadance is MIA, has been for a while. You know how princesses are. Don't worry, I will-" Twilight stopped, noting her husband's raised eyebrow. She considered speaking, but instead let him interrupt.

"Of course... I know exactly what you are going to do, love," he sighed and scowled. "I want you here with me, but that's a few weeks' salary for me, but it eats up our days."

"Always about yourself? Why is it that when you go away for months it's okay, just business as usual, but when I get an opportunity to earn a windfall for just a few days of work, it's unacceptable?"

He put up a hand. "Twilight, I didn't mean it like that..."

She ignored him, playing away on her phone. She announced, "I've accepted. I'll be getting two and half thousand bits for a couple days of work in Manehattan. They're putting me up in someplace nice, too."

"That's great, dear, but..."

"But what?" Twilight Velvet asked.

"I just always feel like I'm getting your scraps.” He stopped, his ears flattening to the sides. “It’s like I'm not being properly taken care of as a husband."

Twilight softened her posture. "What do you mean?” She turned to look at him, “Of course I care for you, Ni Ni."

"Vel, I don't see you for months, we don't even talk on the phone that much, and when I get home, you just seem tired, worn out, almost treating me like a nuisance."

She shook her head vehemently. "I don't."

"You sorta do, Velvet. You're testy with me, you get defensive. You like to turn things around on me. And this time around, you've seemed just more or less emotionally unstable. One moment we've spent all night and morning making love and I've made you breakfast. Next thing I know, I wasn't in the mood to go with you to someplace and you're storming out the door not even twenty seconds after making out all lovey dovey with you. My love, darling, are you okay? Is something going on?"

Her ears flattened for just a split second, but then, as if inflated from within, she popped back. "Nah, I'm fine. Say, wanna fuck, since it'll be ou- your last chance for a while?" She kissed him on the chest, then trailed a line of delicate kisses all the way up to his lips, where she opened up an engagement with tongue. She clapped a hand to his hip and trailed round to his ass, giving it a squeeze. And when he kissed back, she answered with a moan and pressed their bodies together, letting her generous chest squish against his. His hand brushed her cheek. Warm and soft. A nice stallion. And here she was, filthy, dirty mare, unworthy of the title of wife, leading him on, using her body to misdirect him from his more than justifiable unhappiness with her. Sex. In her life, everything came down to it.

In the end, every fucking thing in her life was fucking to fucking do with fucking fucking.

Bad day? Fuck the gloom away. Good day? Celebrate with sex. Bank balance looking good? Enjoy some leisurely sex with her husband. Need money? Get fucked for pay by a client. Marriage happy? Feed it with sex. Marriage unhappy? Distract with sex until she and him had forgotten what they had even been upset over to begin with.

Fuck her life.

At that very moment, there were a half dozen things and feelings buzzing around in her head, but she was going to flee them into her one safe space, the nearest bed. Velour was buzzing away to talk to her about the business for something or other. She was actually more craving culinary meat than stallion meat. Cadance had been MIA and a babysitter may need to be found for her daughter. She had to pack. She really would have been better served in talking to Night Light about their problems and maybe even their son. Fucking hell, she needed to book a train ticket lickety split.

But she wasn't going to do all that.

She was going to have sex instead.

'Great adulting, Twilight,' she snarked internally at herself. Urg, she knew Velour was going to give her a dozen earfuls when she finally let the gestalt talk. His hand was between her legs. It felt nice. In that moment, her troubles sprang a half mile away. She ground into him, breaking the kiss she'd been holding him in. "What do you want to do to me?"

"I got some ideas," Night Light said, sinking too his knees. As she gazed down over her breasts at him, their eyes met. He still had that shine she'd first noticed all those years ago, that astonished, abashed, eager, skittish innocence that was on full display that very first date. She fully expected him to say something along the lines that she should be gentle with him for his first time and he couldn't believe his luck to be with such a beautiful mare, not that amazed, happy, grateful gasps and declarations of love were uncommon in his languge of lovemaking. Night hooked his fingers through her panties and pulled, exposing her pussy. He never took his eyes away from hers. He saw in her eyes the mischievous mare who had made him a stallion all those years ago and had granted him the supreme honor of becoming a father with her. He groped her breasts, teasing, "We never did have lunch..." With that, he licked her slit from bottom to top.

She grasped at his hair, hissing in delight, "Eat up your special muffin, honey."

"Fuck you!" Night Light laughed, slapping her ass hard in punishing reprisal. She didn't mind one bit.

"Harder, Daddy."

He ignored that line. He hated it. He ate his wife without reservation, lapping up her juices, but most importantly of all, focusing on her clit. The resulting chorus and tremors told him everything he needed to know. He grasped her ass with both hands and squeezed, pulling her onto himself. Her knees buckled slightly, lowering down to meet his hungry mouth. This was love, one mate pleasing another for no other reason than it was enjoyable. He could not be there for her a lot of the time, so he would be make up for it by being as dedicated a husband as he could be during their limited time together.

The scent of her arousal increased and he plunged his tongue a few times into her vagina. Yup, she was getting very wet. She grabbed tufts of his mane and twisted. She lifted a leg and put it over his shoulder. Pros of that: he got even better access to her slit, even better reign to make her call his name. Cons: stability, his back, and on the tile floor of the kitchen, his knees! Yup, he was going to feel this later that evening. He made a note to draw a hot bath once they were done playing. Ow, that really hurt. He ignored the pain to bring her pleasure. From her tells, he'd be getting more than fair compensation soon enough.

"Oh!" Twilight panted. "Ni Ni!" Yup, starting to get close. He planted a deep kiss, then drew back and made out with her inner labia. Then he did the same with her outer, tracing their outline with his tongue. His face was slick with her. Then he drew up his lips to her clit. He kissed it. And sucked. And applied tongue. Hard. His wife quivered. His bride bucked, calling his name. "Night, Night, Night...!"

"Having fun?"

"Oh, yes, a little more and I'll be helpless against you."

He said nothing back. Her orgasm was close. He reached up with both hands and grabbed her breasts. Fingers found nipples and rubbed. The effect was instantaneous. He felt her chest contract and the thumping of her heart from through her sternum and ribs.

Twilight Velvet put her hands over her husband's and pushed, prompting him to speed up his groping of her breasts. She was so close now. Any second she'd cum. She'd stopped their argument, and gotten laid out of it, too. Well done her. "A little more, Night, I'm gonna..." Twilight braced her whole arm into the sink, one gripping her husband strong around the back of his head. "Yes! Right there! Just like that, just like that, just like that. Don't stop." Her body quivered. There was a sensation like boiling that rose from her loins to her guts and then navel. "Night!" she cried out, bucking her hips as his last loving kiss sent her over the edge. "Night, yes! Night, yes! Night, yes!" The mare shook and ground her pelvis against him, eating up the jolts of pleasure, letting her husband get a face full. Electricity danced against her nerves, her sensitive body on fire. Bliss! Her legs shook and she nearly fell, but she kept her balance on him. "Fuck me!" she yelled.

In an instant, she found herself turned around, both elbows in the sink. "Certainly, Twilight," her husband laughed from behind, kissing the nape of her neck. She was so wet. Instinct made her push out her ass to give her mate access. And as all animals did when offered a chance to copulate with a willing and desirable partner, he took it. His hands gripped hard on her hips to keep her in place while he lined up his cock. Then, he pushed in gently, but firmly, soon hilting. "I love you -- you feel like heaven." Then he began thrusting, slowly but with great pressure, savoring just being inside her pussy. She felt like silky, hot, wet euphoria all over his dick. She squirmed and moaned, still feeling the trailing edge of her orgasm with all its wonderous sensitivity. He reached around for her clit.

"FUCK!" Twilight screamed, jumping as if struck by a bolt of lightning, jumping what felt like a foot in the air and pressing onto him, biting her tongue hard enough to draw blood.

He withdrew a bit, ready to stop everything if need be. "Too sensitive?"

"Ya thunk it!?"

"Sorry. Stop?"

"Less touchey more fuckey." She ground her hips against him, letting this welcome intruder brush against her inner walls, savoring the sensation of fullness it gave her. He massaged her back, soothing her with touch, bringing her back down to earth. He made love to his wife, partaking in her body and mind. He soon had his arms entwined around her in a tender hug. He inhaled her scent and made a happy mumble. In spite of whatever troubles or stresses may face him, he could always find solace in his wife. Heh. In his wife. He almost chuckled.

Night Light was already excited; he knew this was not going to be a long fuck like yesterday's. He would still try to not pop in the first minute. He held balls deep, caressing his mare from the outside while he made himself at home. He petted her back, her nice ass, her shoulders, her generous breasts. He lay his hands on them and squeezed. He ground in deeper with his hips. Velvet's moan was slight; her sensitivity had passed. She stood more up to press more of her body against his. His balls make audible slaps as he fucked her.

He responded with more thrusts, going yet faster and faster. Soon, he was rutting her. He felt the underside of his cock scraping against a very nice spot on the front wall of her pussy. Her heat was immense. She was flooded from her orgasm. And being fully aroused, her pussy was like a silky sleeve that perfectly and effortlessly embraced his cock. He was not going to last, and he didn't want to. He wanted to lose control, to flood her insides with his essence -- give himself to her. He wanted to hold her close and strain against her body as his own was wracked with uncontrollable spasms with pleasure, making him cry out in euphoria while she received him and his organ.

His balls had stopped making their slaps; they were coiled tight to his body in preparation for the climax, his climax. He put his head by her shoulder, whispering into her ear, "Vel, I'm gonna soon..."

"I know. I want you to cum inside me."

"I love you." He gripped her harder, shuddering as she fucked back at him. "You feel so amazing. Be mine." He felt his heart could burst from love and excitement at moments like this. His genitals were primed to fulfil their purpose, just like hers were.

"I'm yours."

He hilted. She gasped, "Yes!"

Pleasure engulfed him without a word, instead making him groan deep as his cock twitched, sending a spurt of semen into his mate's depths. He clung to her, arms coiled around her chest, white knuckle hands clenching at her soft breasts. All his misgivings were forgotten in the flood of dopamine and oxytocin, just as was needed to ensure that this breeding pair stayed together. She rocked against him, milking him for his body's release, amplifying his pleasure. He released balls deep inside her, just as he always did, just as she always made him do. He bit into the side of her neck to stop himself from crying out loudly as her gyrations ran that nice patch of pussy right over the most sensitive spot on his dick, over and over again. He clung momentarily for dear life, instinct unwilling to yield anything. He pressed inside a dozen more times, letting his balls drain, her pussy flood, and ultimately go soft as he was expended. He kissed her cheek. "I love you. You were great."

"Always a pleasure, Ni Ni," she said with not quite a smile.

They got cleaned up and finished cooking. He helped her pack and then took a hot bath.

He stepped into the hot water and reclined. Ooowwww, fuck, his knees. had it really been worth fucking them up like that? He was in his 30's -- he was't getting any sprier or more resilient. He had still gotten laid, so it was all fair, all right, alright? He looked down at his penis. It was a shriveled thing, spent and depleted. He took the soap and washed it first. A bit of remnant semen and secrets had remaiend on it, but they were soon scrubbed away. And here he was, taking his time off, alone, without his wife. That had been a fun, passionate romp, hadn't it? Holding her close, groping her, making her moan, hearing how she loved him, feeling her kiss him.

He touched himself on the lips. Then he realized something. She had not kissed him after getting him in the mood. And then... Velvet had not told him she loved him, either, not even when he was on his knees, making her cum... He was still going to feel his knees tomorrow, too. Two days and three lays later, he honestly realized something that made him hug himself. Two days at home again. She said she loved him, cared about the family. And yet she hadn’t even said anything about caring for Twiley – what if he had to go before she returned? She hadn’t reacted as a mother should to her son being absent. And for him… sure they’d been having sex, but what about when they weren’t? His heart was not between his legs. Time and energy to do everything but have a heart, even for him. He magicked on the high nozzle to rain down on him, and maybe wash away what was going on in his mind.

He was going to have a very honest talk with her when they met next.

It was not too much later when he heard the door again. Was it her? Was it canceled? Oooh! It could be Shining! He got out of the bath and headed downstairs. He saw Twilight there. He put on his salespony smile.

There was one question on her lips: "Dad, where's mommy?"

"Really, princess, you don't need to do this."

"Poppy, grab it and bring it to me."

"Yes, Princess."

"No, it's not needed; I can do it myself."

"But it's so big, let us help you with that, Shiny."

"I never had a problem handling large packages."

"But it's so tight, I don't know if it'll fit."

"Uh-huh, let the Staff Sergeant help you with this load."

"Please, stop, I can take care of this myself."

"Almost in..."

"Ladies!"

"Just relax and let us take care of you!"

"It'll fit, Mister Armor."

"You don't have to-"

"And it's in!

"Cadance, it's so tight, wow!"

"The princess is good, yes?"

"So much, I can't hold it! Cadance!"

"Shining, almost there, hang on!" Cadance's horn lit up and closed the closet door. "There," she said, 'I got it in after all. Nice work, Poppy."

"Thank you, Princess, that was amazing."

Shining Armor sighed, "I hope nobody heard that from the outside; I don't want to think what that sounded like."

"Like what?" Poppy asked. She grinned when Shining blushed.

He pointed a finger at her. "You know!"

"Know what? This Staff Sergeant knows nothing," Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac denied, dusting herself off.

Shining huffed, "Argh, never mind. You know what I mean!"

"I don't."

Cadance interrupted, stumbling over herself with laughed, "Staff Sergeant, please don't make him squirm and blush all on your own; save some for me. And, Shining, Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac here is an immigrant; she doesn't natively speak Pone. She really does not get a lot of our innuendos and wordplay."

"Yes, my knowledge of Equestria's wordplay and informal speech is, well, punderdeveloped." Eyebrows around the room shot up at mach 2. "Much of what I know from my native Zebrok just does not translate, but that is crab pinching mountain."

Shining Armor turned to the tall zebra and apologized, "Sorry I shouted at you, Poppy. Thank you for helping me get my load out- ... ... ... Fuck!"

The zebra laughed. Cadance laughed, "Even she'd get that!"

"Yeah, I walked right into that one," the young white unicorn stallion chuckled and smiled. He was reminded of bullshit and banter sessions with Spring and Fletched -- nonserious ribbing and joking between friends. How he'd missed this. He knew now he was in good hands. "He had to be more serious again. "Cadance, are you sure this is really okay? I don't want to cause any public embarrassment or rumors by sharing a room with you and I don't have to have this covered -- I've got money, I could be down the hall..."

She nodded, answering, "Shining, the press start rumors any time I'm seen within fifty miles of a stallion who isn't gelded. I'm a sexy twenty year old princess; ponies have dirty minds and love gossip. So long as I don't do anything that looks solidly unseemly, let them rumor. It sells more gossip mags off the royal printing press. In a way, I'm running this trip at a profit for the crown." She took off her long jacket. "Besides, so long as I wear this to cover my wings, they can't confirm it was me -- ROC nor anypony else is going to confirm where I was, with whom I was, and what my business was." She unfurled her wings, filling the small atrium with a feathery flomf.

Shining rebutted, "But, still, I feel bad about making you spend so much on me."

Cadance reassured him, "Tell you what, you buy us dinner tonight and we'll call it even. It doesn't even have to be much -- take us out to a fast food ballpit soda and tendies burger joint, and even that'll count."

He shook his head. "Tempting offer, but I got a better idea." Cadance was closer to the bed than him. He advanced upon her, lidding his eyes. "Admit it, Cady, you've wanted to go wild for a long time, to do something crazy." She backed away from him, her cheeks turning pinker. "I've got a mind to show you a night of private delights."

"You don't mean...?"

"Yes, Cadance, I do.”

"You can't."

She fell backwards onto the bed, looking up at him. "Let's do it. Let's get room service."

"But, Celestia will know. What would she say about such shameless decadence?"

"I don't care."

"Shining, I don't do this very often; I'm not that kind of mare..." She cracked a smile. He cracked a smile. Their eyes met and then they laughed deeply. He pulled her up, still laughing. Poppy was fighting to not double over. After a minute, Cadance breathed out, "Okay, okay, that was pretty funny. Poppy, could you please go get a room service menu from the lobby restaurant?"

"Yes, Princess."

"And you, Shining, should go with her to find an ATM."

"Good idea," he said, following Poppy Lilac out the door.

An hour and a half later, the party of three was camped out on the floor. In their midst was arrayed a small feast. It was a variety of vegetables, greens, and some meats with a bottle of sparkling prosecco wine in the middle. Everyone had a glass and was enjoying themselves very much. Shining had his back to the door. Cadance had her back to the TV. Poppy was watching the door, her Shkyorpyumg subcompact submachine gun chambered for 9x17 laid to her side. She was out of her formal clothes at Cadance's request, her firearm positioned for accessibility, for even during meals, a royal bodyguard on duty never was unable to do their job. She was a muscular mare, imposing even in her telnyashka and silkies.

One the bulk of the meal was eaten, they had gotten to drinking. Then they got to talking.

"So, Poppy, come on," Cadance cajoled, "tell Shiny about yourself."

The zebra responded stiffly, "What is there to tell? I am only your bodyguard. I'm just a regular mare without wings or magic or powers or titles."

"C'moooonn!" Cadance mock pouted, "If not for him, I'd like to know a little bit more about the sexy lady who sees to my safety."

The zebra's shoulders sagged. She sighed, "Very well, if I must. I was born in a small town called Olozelombu; it means something like you would say "Gold Sand By Sea -- Golden Beach -- Goldshore. And I was born as Ngolatane -- Purple Red. So you could say... Nazali Ngolatane, na wuti na engumba Olozelombu."

Shining Armor asked, 'Why did you change your name?"

"Same meaning, different sounds. You try saying Ngolatane."

He opened his mouth. "Engullatayn."

Cadance giggled, "Engolatani."

"The princess is closer," said Poppy with a smile. When I came here, I wanted to be an Equestrian. if I had wanted the same as was tradition for my people, I would have stayed there, married, borne five children, but I wanted something different for myself. You may think we Zebricans are all poor, that we live in huts, but that is not true necessarily. My family was working class, my father a day laborer. We had a small apartment. We don't live in caves and think electricity is witchcraft."

"Never said you did, Staff Sergeant."

"Thank you, Princess."

Shining Armor spoke up and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why join the Guard, though?"

The mare laughed, "That's what you want to know, guy? I wish I could say I am an Equestrian patriot, but after the history in my homeland, patriot is a dirty word and many evil zebras called themselves patriots. I join the Guard for the security, the steady pay, and the fast track to citizenship. My first enlistment as a counterspell technician ended, and I found myself suddenly twenty-two years old and a citizen of Equestria. I remembered the name of the princess who had signed my citizen papers, Mi Amore Cadenza, and I decided I would repay her with service for part of my life."

"That's nice of you, Poppy," said Cadance and Shining together.

She brushed it off with a huff, "Beh, it's just me showing gratitude. For giving me the life I have now, a life I chose, I feel like I should be willing to pay you back, even at a high price."

Another question popped into Shining's mind. "Are you sure you could, you know, do that if you had to?"

"Yes."

"How?"

She looked him full in the eyes and explained, "Every soldier must make a decision when they join the Royal Guard. They must make an informed decision before they sign on that line in the contract they are willing to pay whatever price comes in the line of duty, up to and including their life. And if they must protect Equestria, its population, its princesses, its interests, we are all taught to fight and win. Cadance has told me you want to join the Guard. When you sit with your contract and pen, you must make that choice for yourself. The price to protect what you love may be just a few years of your time, it may be your flesh, it may be your soul, it may even be your coffin. But only you can make that choice. Do you understand?"

"I think so..."

"Good colt; you cannot truly understand until you have faced it, and I am glad you have not. Nor have I yet needed under fire. May neither of us ever know."

It was Cadance's term to ask a question now. "Why do you have a gun anyway, Staff Sergeant, even though we alicorns are nigh goddesses?"

"Simple. It's faster and easier. I cannot use magic, but in our theory class, we were taught spells take time and energy. you have to summon energy, order it, place a spell on it, choose a target, cast the spell, and then wait for it to hit if it even works and they don't defend or dodge or resist. But a gun, it's fast and easy. I won't demonstrate with it because I am no fool, but I take it off safe while I lift it, aim it, and pull the trigger. While your horn is just beginning to light, I can strike you with a dozen undodgeable projectiles that only special armor and wards can beat. And now since you both asked me questions, I want to ask you a question. Forgive me, princess, for discourtesy, but how do you know each other and are you lovers?"

Shining blushed, almost choking on his salmon taco. Cadance merely cocked an eyebrow, but beat down her frown and gave a short, musical laugh before she answered for them both. "I babysit his kid sister, Poppy. I've known him and his family for eight years now and consider them all good friends. I like Shining Armor very much, but he is not my lover, nor am I betrothed or promised to anyone for marriage."

"Forgive me, Princess," said Poppy, bowing her head.

"It's fine," Cadance said. "Anyway, since you already told so much about yourself, Staff Sergeant, I think that it is only fair if I were to tell you a little bit of something about me and who I am as a person."

"You don't need to."

"It's okay, Poppy, Cadance is pretty cool about stuff like this. I kinda can't believe you two didn't have any kind of talk like this earlier."

"Well..." Cadance wheedled, "I haven't really been alone one on one with any of my detail in a really long time, so it's been partially from lack of chances and part because I don't want to play favorites and make anypony, anyzebra, anygriffin, or anydonkey feel jealous; I have to remain impartial. I chose Staff Sergeant Poppy Lilac because like most of my detail is made of stallions and it just wouldn't be good to be seen running off for a weekend in Manehattan with just one of my guard dudes."

"What about the rest, Cadance?"

Poppy nodded. Cadance batted a hand. "Oh, I gave most of them three days off and checked in with ROC Manehattan when I got here. They're in plainclothes, checking the hallway, the lobby, the bar, and the perimeter. This is as close to alone as a princess can really get outside a castle. Well, anyway, I was wanting to tell a little more about me. Well, I'm twenty years old. Sorry, Shiny, but you missed my birthday last week. I've been a princess for five years now after I ascended."

"How did you do that, Princess? I did not know alicorns were made."

"Long story, actually. Annnnd, moving on, we actually went to the same high school, but we didn't really talk that much because I was a grade above him, and I think I made him tongue tied." They all chatted for a while longer, but the night was wearing on. When the food was finally spent and the wine was drained, Cadance put it out into the hallway for the staff to collect. When she returned, Cadance turned her head her way. "Is she coming?"

"Yes, Princess." The bodyguard then drew back to a respectful distance to let the two ponies have a certain degree of privacy as she had in the cafe.

Cadance sighed, "Sorry, Shiny, but time for a little bit more business before we turn in for the night."

Shining Armor looked around, his pulse instantly quickening. He distinctly did not want to talk about this. Not here, not now, not with her. Actually, never ever talking about any of the whole business in his life would be a good starting point. "My mom?"

"Velour," Cadance corrected.

He seeth-sighed, "Shiiiiit... I knew it would come to this eventually. So, what's the plan?" He really could not fight his fate; better to confront it after running had brought him nothing but grief and debt.

"Well," began Cadance, "we have her pretty much all day tomorrow and until early afternoon two days later. I don't have any specifics yet, so for the first part of the first day, I'd like to just see how you two interact, keep myself off to the side as much as I can and observe. Once we have data, we'll take her to a restaurant I know -- real good place but a hole in the wall. Discrete, And we'll talk you, Velvet, and Velour over dinner. Sounds good?"

"Sounds great."

"You really aren't looking forward to this, aren't you?"

He admitted, 'Yeeeah, you could say that, not that there's really any choice unless I want to spend the rest of my life running. Not that I can, not with dad and Twiley waiting for me at home, and not without trying to fix things with my mom first."

"She really messed you up good, didn't she?"

"Yeah. I mean, she seduced me twice, and the second time, kicked me out of the house, yelling that she hated me. How would you react if your mother did that to you?"

Cadance looked distant. "Not well..." She brightened immediately. "Anyway, got anywhere you want to try going tomorrow? Any landmarks you've always wanted to see?"

"Nothing really?"

Cadance shot a quick look at Poppy. "Really, Shiny, you're about to have an all-day date with three very lovely mares and you don't want to go anywhere, see anything, do anyone?"

He started. "What?"

"Do anything!" corrected the princess.

"Still nothing."

"Okay then. Staff Sergeant, anywhere you'd like to go?"

The zebra asked, "If I may be so bold, Princess, as to request a favor?"

"A favor? Do elaborate."

"Well... I have a cousin in this city, and I was wondering if I could visit her...?"

"Certainly," said Cadance. "You can see her tomorrow evening -- I can't spare you for duty tomorrow, but once we're back at the hotel, the night is yours until six."

"Thank you very much, Princess. I am looking forward to tomorrow and I shall call her immediately."

"And speaking of tomorrow, when is Velour scheduled to get here?"

"Ten in the morning, Princess."

Cadance looked at the clock and scowled. "Well, it's two now; we'd better get to sleep; big day tomorrow. Good night, Poppy, Shiny."

"Good night," the others said as the stallion killed the lights. He found sleep evasive.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Thanks to Sparky and Samey for editing. Big chapter next time, I hope you're all excited for it as we are.

Thanks to Shakespearicles for the great feedback at Bronycon.

I constructed the names of Poppy Lilac at birth and her hometown from Lingala. Bonus points if you know what that is without needing to look it up.
Village: OloZelombu Gold-Sand-Shore (approximately)
Name: Ngolatane Purple-Red (approximately)
Sentence: "Nazali Ngolatane, na wuti na engumba Olozelombu" = "I am Poppy Lilac, I am from the town of Goldshore."

Lastly, I have started a Patreon and I would like to go to Bronycon this year. However, money has been tight and I need some help to get there. Support me on Patreon. It means a lot to me and it frees me up to focus more on my writing. It really does help me a lot continue to put out content for you guys, the best readers in the world.

Thanks for reading. As always, I love getting comments. I love hearing from ya'll and it gives me a ton of motivation to keep these coming.

I'm working on a new three week writing cycle. I hope to have the next chapter out before Memorial Day. Then, by my reckoning, you'll be due for two chapters in June. Stay tuned!

Kalash93