Wildfire 4: The Heart of the Flame

Chapters

Chapter 2 - The Filly in Fillydelphia
Chapter 3 - Home Sweet Home
Chapter 4 - Introductions
Chapter 5 - Life's Tapestry
Chapter 7 - Manic Monday
Chapter 8 - The Journal of FC359
Chapter 9 - Of Heat and Pancakes
Chapter 10 - Fire!
Chapter 11 - Endings & Beginnings
Chapter 12 - Conception
Chapter 13 - Autumn Leaves
Chapter 14 - Interventions
Chapter 15 - Recovery: State of Mind
Chapter 16 - Recovery: Old Wounds
Chapter 17 - Recovery: Heart & Soul
Chapter 18 - Bible Discussion Study Meeting
Chapter 19 - Closure
Chapter 20 - Memories to the World
Chapter 21 - Riding the Storm
Chapter 22 - The Heart of the Flame
Epilogue - Honeymoon
Chapter 1 - Fire & Rain
Chapter 6 - Happiness, Love, and a Caramel Donut

Chapter 2 - The Filly in Fillydelphia

“That finishes the tour of my relatives,” Airmail said with a smile as Wildfire joined them at two thousand feet in the air. Flying in a slightly north-easterly direction – according to Wildfire’s headset – the three herd-mates were cruising at a steady and very manageable fifty miles per hour.

“Just my sister left in Fillydelphia,” Tempest commented. Once again, she had taken the lead, a role which Airmail was happy for her violet lover to assume.

“We’ll need to meet up with Serenity's parents and that will take care of the mini herd.” Airmail announced, more for Wildfire’s benefit than Tempest’s, seeing as of course she had met the teal unicorn’s family many times since they had all become an established herd.

“Home is a nice place to be, isn't it Wily?” Tempest asked over her shoulder at her little yellow lover. Looking back, she was, as she always was, amazed and impressed with how well she was able to fly using just the headset for guidance. She herself had flown in the dark countless times at night, but she didn’t fancy flying in total absolute darkness.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire smiled in reply. “I've enjoyed the big tour, of course I have, but it'll be so sweet to get back to Manehatten…” she went silent for a long few minutes then, so much so that Airmail was about to ask her what was wrong. Wildfire was deep in thought. A scary thought, a thought she had been thinking for a little while now, if she was honest. “Airy, Stormy, can we stop on the next cloud for a moment, please?”

“Sure,” Tempest responded somewhat automatically, scanning ahead for a suitable cloud. Thankfully one presented itself not all that far away. “No problem.”

“Thanks Honey.” Wildfire adjusted her course to match Tempest’s new direction when she banked slightly to the left.

“Tired,” Airmail asked, her keen ears perked up at the unexpected request for a break. It concerned her, for her fiancé had made a five hour flight with no problems at all, and they’d had a two hour break at Raindrop’s house, so asking for a break now was a bit of a worry. “Or is there something on your mind?”

“I'm fine Pretty,” Wildfire answered her quickly, “It’s just…well, I've just been thinking, is all.”

“You were correct,” Airmail giggled, an opportunity for teasing presenting itself, “the answer was two.”

Tempest alighted herself on the top of the cloud and turned, all at once concerned by the look on Wildfire’s face. There was no humour there. It was a shock and a surprise to see the diminutive pegasus look so serious. “Airy,” she said, holding up a hoof, “she's looking serious.”

Now she had landed, and had the chance to see just how serious Wildfire was. She’d only seen her lover looking that serious a few times over the past three weeks. “What is it, love?” she asked gently, her azure blue wing draped almost instinctively over her back.

Wildfire knew what she wanted to say, the problem was saying it. She wanted to laugh at the irony of a mare as good as she was with words not knowing what to say, but she tried to marshal her thoughts. “It’s...it’s about Wildflower. I-I don't think I need her anymore…” she lowered her head, for she heard the audible gasps from both the older mares stood in front of her. “I-I'm grateful she was there, these past few weeks, and the other day on the train...”

Stepping around her, Airmail very, very gently silenced her with a hoof placed softly at Wildfire’s lips. “My love, did you think we'd be upset over that?”

Tempest, likewise stepping closer to Wildfire, gave her a very affectionate little nuzzle to her left cheek. “Another question is, do you wish to have the collar removed?”

“Oh no,” Wildfire replied as soon as she was able, when the hoof at her lips was removed, “no I didn't Airy, not at all, I just wanted you to know I've thought it through since the other day, when I had that dream I told you about in the bath.” She thought just a little further before turning to Tempest, “no, no I'd very much like to keep the collar on. That aspect I like.”

“What about being Mapper's pet?” Tempest asked kindly, trying her very best not to lead the young mare on, “do you still want to play that game?”

“Yuppers Honey, I really do have fun with that.” Wildfire didn’t have to hesitate or think about that. Being Mapper’s pet was just awesomes! “I just didn't want you to think I was ungrateful for all the good that Wildflower's done me.”

“So,” Airmail said, lovingly licking her way up Wildfire’s right ear, “I still want that to be your special code word if you find yourself in trouble and alone. It just means that when you’re naughty now, you'll still be Wildfire.” She explained with a little giggle.

Tempest kissed Wildfire’s forehead. “Don't think this will make picking up chocochips any easier.”

Wildfire let out a very relieved little giggle, glad that things wouldn't be changing too much. “So…everything's cool?”

Airmail kisses her fiancé’s lips. “Yes, Wily, everything’s cool.”

Tempest also kissed her lover once Airmail had made room for her. “Forgive me if I call you Wildflower again though. It’s such a cute name.”

Still rather relieved, Wildfire kissed them both. “You’re forgiven my love, it is pretty cute.” She smiled then, “thanks for being so awesomes about all this.”

Airmail smiled, she couldn’t help it. She was so proud of her fiancé she didn’t have the words. “I think we made that name up to put you in a safe place. Now, you are always in a safe place.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire couldn’t agree more with that assertion, “that's how I feel Airy,” she then touched her collar, she ran her hoof over the blue and violet coloured collar which meant so much to her. “With you, marrying you, Stormy, the herd, now I’m back with my friends and mum, I feel...I feel like me again.”

“That's good, it would be terrible if you were me.” Tempest giggled, feeling a need to lighten the mood just a little, “My clothes would all be the wrong colour, for a start.”

“Ha, ha,” Wildfire pouted, though a teeny little giggle escaped her as well. “Miss Snarky Feathers!”

Tempest sniffed and threw her head back in as haughty a fashion as she could manage, strutting around the cloud they had stopped on so that the sunlight shone off of her body and the gentle breeze wafted through her black mane, “that's right, it’s Miss to you, Miss Last Word.”

Wildfire snickered, she too felt the cool south-eastern breeze, “yes Miss Last Word.”

Overcome, Tempest wrapped the little blind mare up in a very big hug, forelegs and wings as well. “So,” the violet weather pony said, looking around at the cloud they were stood on, “I think this cloud looks a bit short on water…” the very next thing Wildfire heard was the sound of Tempest peeing and the sound of the pee stream hitting the surface of the cloud.

Airmail backed away from the spreading yellow stain with distaste, “ugh…you don't have to mark every cloud in the sky you know, Stormy.”

Wildfire giggled when she heard Tempest raspberry Airmail for her comment. “Well, I suppose it’s easier than writing 'Stormy was here' on every cloud we pass, just save some pee for me when we get home, please Honey.”

Airmail rolled her brown eyes, “I don't know if Stormy can run out of pee.”

“Ready to fly?” Tempest asked as she shook the last drips of pee from herself and spread her violet wings wide in preparation to take off, “my sister, the doctor, awaits!”

Wildfire laughed as she too flared her wings wide, “me in a bath says I'm willing to find out, Pretty,” she sniggered when she turned her head to face Tempest. “Yuppers, I'm ready to move on…um, which way?”

“To Infinity and Beyond!” Tempest exclaimed heroically before launching herself into the air towards the northeast. “Yeah, that is in the neighbourhood, alright.”

Wildfire, her ears following Tempest, and with her headset guiding her, took off with Airmail to the northeast. “Hey, when it gets darker you can chose the second star to the right and we'll go straight on till morning!”

“I may be a bit old for that destination.” Airmail snickered, running her left wingtip along her fiancé’s neck and her muzzle. “So, will you still keep me when I'm sixty four?”

Wildfire giggled, the azure blue feathers finding her ticklish spot just under her jaw. “Hey, somepony has to, and the day you get too old to go there is the day I marry Dusky!”

Airmail laughed at that, “If you do that, Oils will have the start of a harem.”

“Nah,” Wildfire giggled as she angled her yellow wings and rolled over onto her back, her forelegs behind her head, “Oils can keep him, I've got enough keeping you young, Missy!” she grinned, doing a passable impression of Tempest flying backwards, though she had to ignore the contradictory reports that her headset was giving her due to the sudden change of attitude, “only young Pretty mares get to put their hooves in me.”

“I like where you’re going with this,” Airmail giggled, “but I still want things clean.”

As she flew along backwards, Wildfire spread her hind legs so that her fiancé could get a clear unobstructed view of her glistening marehood. “Cleanliness is my middle name!” she called out, though when she heard from her headset she was losing height, she flipped back over the right way up, though she kept her black tail up high.

“And here I thought wet was your 'middle' name.” Airmail snickered, her eyes never straying from Wildfire’s snatch.

“Yuppers, it depends if I'm more wet or clean at a given time,” Wildfire replied, though as she flew along, the diminutive mare began humming, and ten minutes later she was singing a selection of her mother’s favourite Beautiful South songs, so happy and at peace was she.

Casually, as Airmail adjusted her flight to stray directly behind Wildfire, Tempest too allowed herself to fall back so that the two older ponies were trailing her. “Sing for me, love.” Tempest said with a smile in her voice, “sing your happiness.”

“You got it, babes!” Only then did Wildfire realise that she was leading their little formation. Checking her headset, that she was still going the right way, she started singing 'let love speak up itself’.”

“Don't whisper love and dream of wedding bells
Don't do all the talking, let love speak up itself
Let love speak up itself.”

Wildfire had just gotten through the first verse when Tempest called forward, “We're going to need more albums from that group, aren’t we?”

“So when you feel a little tatty and unhappy with your face
Let it breathe into us and put you back in place
Let it breathe, let it breathe
From the day it came into us till the day it wants to leave
For it will, it will go
And it will not say goodbye just like it didn't say hello
There will not be a send-off, a funeral or mass
Just a pathetic little vodka from a dirty little glass
To the world's greatest mum
From the oldest swinger in town
Let love speak up itself”

Wildfire finished her number on a very high note. She adored that song even though it wasn’t one of the band’s more successful ones. “Oh they did loads, mum had about nine I think,” After that, she started singing a song called 'rocking chair' from the album 0898. “Hey, is there anything you'd like to hear Airy?” she asked when she was finished, “cos I could sing these all day long.”

Airmail giggled, “how about ‘sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows?”

“Alrighty! You start and I'll join in!” Wildfire called back with a giggle of her own, then she smiled when a sexy idea entered her head. “Babes, can I dock for a ride?”

“And I thought my mom's collection of vinyl would be common knowledge to you!” Airmail laughed, missing what Wildfire had said, as she was concentrating on flying. That and looking at her lover’s crotch.

“I didn't say I don’t know it, I just want you to start while I ride you.”

Tempest’s ears perked up, catching on at last from her position next to her herd-mate. “Are you tired from flying, Wily?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“A little,” Wildfire admitted, “and I wanted a sneaky mid-air cuddle too.”

“You can ride on my back,” Tempest offered as she accelerated and once more regained the lead position in the little formation, “I have the wing strength to carry a pony.”

“That's true,” Airmail was willing to give her herd-mate that one, “she is a much stronger flyer than me.”

“Oh…alrighty Honey…” Wildfire sighed. She was more than willing to admit that Tempest was the strongest flier among them, but that wasn’t why she sighed. “Guys I'm alright, really I am, I was just after a sneaky cuddle, that’s all.”

“Oh!” Airmail facehooved, kicking herself for not seeing that one coming. “I’m sorry, I guess I was too focused on flying.” Now she saw what Wildfire had in mind, she was all for it. “You're better at flying upside down, Wily.”

Up front, Tempest snickered, “you two going to do the pony with four wings?”

Wildfire smiled, “I was thinking about it.”

“So flip over again and show me that spread!”

“Well, as you asked so nicely, oh love of mine…” once more, Wildfire angled her wings to allow her to barrel roll over onto her back. As soon as she did so, she spreads her hind legs wide open, giggling when a gust of air blew over her exposed marehood.

“Incoming!” Airmail yelled out the only warning she was going to give as she flew forward and wrapped her forelegs around Wildfire’s barrel and kissed her lips deeply. Almost immediately, Wildfire opened her lips and Prench kissed her fiancé, sliding her tongue into her mouth.

“Synchronise those wings or you'll do your ‘Pony is a Brick’.” Tempest advised them both warningly, for she could see them getting lower already just after a few seconds in the hug.

“That's Air Raid's technique!” Wildfire giggled, though she flapped her wings steadily and above her, Airmail moved to time her wing flaps with her lover’s as she ground her lower belly against her. Flying upside down, Wildfire concentrated on her steady pace. “Hmm, Airy that's nice, love.”

“It will even be nicer when you're swollen with milk.”

“I'll moo just for you…”

Airmail shook her head, “I learned long ago to not call my mom a cow, so I won't call you one either. But, I do like the idea of a cowbell for your collar.”

“Hey,” Wildfire said defensively, “it's just a bit of fun, baby.” She placed a tender little kiss squarely on Airmail’s lips, “I'm sure MiAC sell them, there's some kinky ponies out there.” Again, she kissed her older lover, “no calling cow then, but the bell is definitely cool.”

Leaning forward, Airmail nuzzled her ear. “MooOOooOO!”

Over her shoulder, Tempest was a little alarmed. You two are below one thousand seven hundred and fifty feet.” She was rightly worried. They should be at two thousand. “You’re now below one thousand five hundred!”

Airmail snickered in her mare’s ear, “I think Stormy is worried we might crash in our bliss.”

Wildfire was of course aware of the loss of altitude thanks to her headset, “Hmm…not the 'going out with a bang' I had in mind,” her sentence was cut off when Airmail silenced her with a deep kiss before slipping down her body, trailing her tongue leaving a wet trail as she went. Just before she separated, she nipped at Wildfire’s belly, making her squeal before she rolled over. “Pretty, you are so finishing that off later!”

Airmail, ogling Wildfire’s wet marehood, stayed right where she was. “Say, pretty pony, want to go home with me tonight?”

Tempest, who had been waiting for her moment, leapt straight in. “Sure!”

Wildfire sniggered at that, “me too!”

“Aw…do I gotta share?”

Airmail rolled her eyes at her violet herd-mate, “Yes you do, Stormy, dear.”

“Sharing is caring,” Wildfire added quickly, “and you can spank me over the bed, if you remember how to swing a crop, Honey.”

Tempest suddenly let out a very evil little chuckle, just like an old style black and white movie villain, “They do say practice makes perfect, Wily.”

Wildfire giggled, “Yes it does. You gonna do that thing you did to my hoof again Airy? Cos that was way cool.”

Airmail cocked her head in consideration at that, pondering the ideal response. “That depends, are you a naughty student?”

“I dunno Professor, ask me a question and we'll see.” Wildfire knew it was all in good fun, but she was still nervous, nonetheless.

Airmail thought seriously for a few seconds. She knew anything she asked was likely to be met with a wrong answer, but it wasn’t her intention to make her lover feel stupid. Not when she was more than capable of doing that to herself. “What is the square of the cubed root of sixty four?”

“Wha...um...well, it’s, um...” Wildfire flustered, clutching desperately for any kind of answer. “Is it ten? No...ugh...I have no idea…”

“Sweet sixteen,” Tempest answered for her.

“Stormy,” Airmail giggled, “don't break that crop on her ass, I'll need it for her hooves.”

Wildfire blushed hard. Already she could hear Professor Calculus’s derisive sneering voice – the voice of the unicorn in her dream – putting her down and calling her stupid. “I want another.”

“Multiply by five the result of dividing eight by four.”

“Alrighty, here we go...” Wildfire stuck out her tongue in concentration as she tried to simultaneously answer Airmail’s math question and put the nasty voices from her past out of her mind. It was easier said than done though. “Um...eight into four...hmm, that's two, cos two fours are eight...now, eight multiplied by five...ugh, what's that?” she struggled, she was right the way back in school and it felt horrible. “It's, oooh its...thirty!”

“Airy,” Tempest shook her head and raised her hoof, “let me try one.”

“Go for it,” Airmail acquiesced somewhat reluctantly, “and it was ten, by the way.”

“What‽” Wildfire spluttered, so disconcerted she struggled to fly straight for a moment, she had been certain of that one. “Ten? How can it be ten?”

Tempest decided on a different, more word-associated approach using something she was sure Wildfire was familiar with. “There are sixteen foals trapped on the roof of a burning building. There is you and three other pegasi on your fire team. Each of you can only carry two foals. How many trips do each of you need to make?”

Wildfire answered in the space of three seconds flat. She didn’t even stop to think, her brain automatically switched to ‘firefighting mode’. “Four pegasi carrying two foals each, we'd need two trips each to get all sixteen off that roof.”

Tempest held back a little and brushed her lips with the tip of a primary feather. Not only was she proud at how fast she had answered, but the confidence in her voice. “That's right, Wily!”

“I know you can do this,” Airmail said supportively, “As to my question, how many sets of four are there in eight?”

Wildfire smiled, thankful that her training was still there in her head. “There’s no way I'm leaving foals behind in a building, Honey.” As to Airmail’s question, she thought about it, probably more than it required, but she thought about it. “There's two lots of four, um…one, two, three, four, then there’s five, six, seven and eight, so um…two!”

“Okay,” Airmail smiled, “and how many total is two sets of five?”

Again, Wildfire thought long and hard. “Well...it, it’s ten, isn't it?”

“So, five times eight divided by four equals ten.”

Wildfire processed that for a few seconds. “Hang on...” she was confused, in spite of her efforts or because of them. “Right, yeah...” she giggled, “you're right, it is ten!”

Airmail flew on by her obviously self-doubting mare so she too could brush a feather over her lips. “You're a smart pony, Wily, and don't let anypony, including yourself, tell you otherwise.”

Wildfire blushed so hard her cheeks were redder than Serenity’s after Mapper had used the cricket bat on her. “Well, if I'm honest, Tempest's question was easy. Yours Airy, well...yours was just a load of jumbly numbers. I'm still not sure I get it.”

“I know, I know,” Airmail sighed. Very quickly she realised the key with Wildfire and math. “It is all to do with context and setting. We'll have to see how you do with the numbers in braille.”

“Picturing the burning building and the foals, it was like being at work, it was natural, y'know?” Wildfire tried to explain it as best she could, though with a loud annoyed ‘harrumph’, she didn’t feel like she was, at all. “Ugh, it’s hard to explain!”

“It isn't, really.” Tempest replied as she adjusted her course to Fillydelphia. Already she could see the wide ribbon that was the Delamare River that transected the large coastal city from where she was in the air. “It's just a matter of association, why I asked my question the way I did. I could have simply said what is the result of sixteen divided by four times two.”

Wildfire, completely blank, asked, “huh?”

Both Airmail and Tempest giggled, “Same answer but two ways to ask the question.” Airmail clarified from her position to Wildfire’s left. She too could see the larger upcoming landmarks from her vantage point such as Independence Hall, where the peace treaty following the second great griffon war was signed as well as the Museum of Art.

“Aargh!” Wildfire exclaimed violently, so much so that she momentarily stunned Airmail and Tempest, “I'd have never got that in a million years! Calculus was right, I am stupid!” she hung her head, her ears slicked back to her scalp and her black tail was right down between her legs. All she could hear in her head was the flashbacks to her traumatic math classes.

Airmail’s mouth hung open for a few long seconds until she got control of herself. “Wily, what did I just say?”

Tempest, up front, had to count to ten forwards and backwards in order to stamp down on her rising temper. She knew it wasn’t Wildfire’s fault, but she also knew if she carried on with these derogatory thoughts, she would find out why her nickname was ‘Stormy’. “If there is anypony that is stupid it was Calculus by not showing you a different way to look at a problem.”

Wildfire wouldn’t listen though. “Yuppers, but I bet Seedling, Seashell and Sand Dune can do it without it being dressed up as a fire thing…” she muttered miserably. All of a sudden, she didn’t feel like meeting anypony new. She just wanted to curl up on the nearest cloud and be left alone.

Very quickly indeed, Airmail scooted up so that she was next to Tempest. Through a series of hoof bumps and ear flicks, all of course invisible to Wildfire, the azure blue mare managed at length to calm her herd-mate. “Probably, but would they get a word problem like you did?” she asked back over her shoulder. It simply broke her heart to see Wildfire crushed like she was right then.

“Oh…I don't know, maybe…” Wildfire murmured, not feeling any more buoyed than before.

Tempest, who by now was calm enough to talk, but only just, her anger management coping mechanisms working well for her now, “There are a few ponies out there that are pretty good at everything,” she said finally, “but all ponies are really good at something.”

“So, my love,” Airmail said as she flew back alongside her troubled fiancé and caressed her flank tenderly with her wingtip, “you are good enough at math to make it count, but you're really good at doing your job.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire grinned eventually, for in her head Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity had silenced Calculus’s harsh criticisms of her. “Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?”

Just then, thankfully when her temper had fully receded, Tempest’s phone rang in her saddlebag. Reaching back, she placed the Bluetooth connection in her ear. “Hello…Oh, hi, sis!” Tempest greeted her sister, Wind the doctor. “We are about an hour out…okay, sure, not a problem…really, yeah we can do that…love you too, bye!” smiling broadly, she put the Bluetooth back in her bag.

“Wind and Knife are running late,” Tempest said over her shoulder, referring to her brother-in-law and sister respectively, “but Thunder and Breeze, their teenage colt and filly, will be home to let us in. Wind wants us to pick up pizza for dinner this afternoon.”

“Pizza!” Wildfire squealed excitedly, her mood flipped a complete one eighty from the maudlin state of just a few moments ago. “Are we really only an hour away?”

“It’s only a three hour flight to Filly from Baltimare,” Tempest explained to her.

Wildfire smiled, “I know that now, don’t I? Hey, when we get there I can show you where I've been living all these years!”

“Yes,” Airmail laughed, seeing the funny side of what her lover had said, “I'd love to see your Fillydelphia mansion, Wily.”

“Oh it’s a huge place,” Wildfire spread her forelegs as wide as she could, gesticulating the size of her imaginary house that never was, “there’s many rooms, all full of things, shiny poetry books, Shakespony plays and math is never mentioned.” She laughed, unable to contain herself, “On to pizza! I'll have the seafood one if you're buying.”

Tempest giggled as they flew closer to the large city, in the distance to the east there were ships of all sizes on the Celestia Sea, including luxury liners, “I hope, I mean, I think Buca di Beppo is still around. They have Frutti di Mare I'd think you'd like, Wily.”

“Yes!” Wildfire let out a celebratory whoop, “you know me so well, Honey.”

“You can even make Airy eat a slice,” Tempest snickered over her shoulder at her older herd-mate who pulled a yucky face which made her snicker louder, “like she made you eat celery that one time.”

Wildfire giggled, “It's a tempting thought.”

“I'll eat it,” Airmail grumped, “It just isn't my first choice. How about I get a crispy garden pizza with celery?” she shot back, sounding far more sulky than she intended.

“Just teasing, Airy.” Tempest sounded subdued, realising she may have gone a bit too far.

Wildfire reached out with her right wing, hopefully reaching for Airmail's side. Thankfully she found it. “I’m not gonna force anything on you babes, I only like fish because of the meat I had to eat at the home, and eventually I started liking it, but fish is way better.”

“Well, Airy?”

Airmail sighed, feeling more than a little silly for overreacting to her fiancé and her herd-mate, “I've eaten griffon rations. Since I've gotten out I tend to avoid any meat, but yeah, fish isn't too bad. That pizza has squid though…” she said in her own defence.

“Not a squid fan, sweetie?”

Tempest burst out laughing, “She thinks the suckers will get stuck on the way down.” the violet mare’s laugh only got more intense when Airmail treated her to a long, loud raspberry. That was entirely the reason she hated squid and Tempest knew it, too.

“Aha! The squid's revenge!” Wildfire joined in the easy laughter, “I tell you what, you have a slice of mine, I'll have one of yours, how’s that, Pretty?”

“Actually I think you'll like her favourite, Wily.”

“White alfredo spinach, artichoke, garlic, and mare cheese.”

Listening, Wildfire could easily pick up on the yearning lust in her fiancé’s voice when she mentioned the mare cheese. “Yuppers, everything on that sounds cool,” she sniggered, “if the suckers do get stuck I can always try the ‘hind lick’ manoeuver to shift it.”

Her mood brightened, Airmail let out a giggle, “That is a good joke, Wily!”

Wildfire giggled, “You just wait ‘till I lick your hind end, Pretty.”

“Challenge accepted!”

Wildfire snickered, “before or after you cane my hooves, Miss Teacher Pony?”

“After of course, as a penitence…”

“Ah, good they are still in business!” Tempest interrupted the jovial banter when, flying over the outskirts of Fillydelphia she saw in the middle distance the bright neon lights that said her sister’s favourite pizza joint was still open. “They will have four large pizzas ready when we get there.”

Airmail drifted over and nudged Wildfire’s side, “That is why we keep Stormy around in the herd. She is the practical one.”

Wildfire playfully tossed her black mane in the airstream, “I'm here for my looks then, I assume?”

“Maid service,” Tempest countered, “none of the rest of us like to dust. Of course, watching you dust is very easy on the eyes.”

As Airmail giggled at that, Wildfire laughed, “I see, and I suppose having my own uniform helps?”

“Wasn't a job requirement,” Airmail put in, “but it’s a big plus.”

“Feather duster is a nice touch too,” Tempest commented, “much better than using your own wings.”

“Stockings though…” Airmail and Tempest said together in perfect unison, “are required!”

Wildfire giggled, she couldn’t help it. She realised then, after her downcast mood, just how much she loved and appreciated her fiancé and her herd-mate. “They're provided too, just for you two to ogle at.”

Smiling a wide sly smile, Airmail flew a little lower so she could gaze up with an unobstructed clear view at her lover’s crotch. “Ogling you right now.”

Grinning, Wildfire raised a hoof up to her forehead, “oh…the pit falls of being so sexy…” still, she raised up her black tail and opened her legs to give, in her mind, Airmail a better view of herself.

“We all have our burdens to bear,” Tempest said dramatically, then she began a steady descent, “Pizza joint at twelve 0'clock low! Pizza, down below!”

“Wohoo!” Wildfire squealed excitedly, “I smell food!” following Tempest’s lead, as well as those prompts given to her by her headset, she too started a descent towards the ground.

In low voice, but not quite low enough so as not to be heard, Airmail said, “Stormy and Wind are very close, Wily, maybe because Wind is the oldest and Stormy is the youngest with poor Storm in the middle.”

Wildfire nodded her understanding, “oh okay, Pretty I gotcha…” she thought for a moment, “sometimes I wish I'd had a brother or sister, then other times I'm really glad I didn't.”

“I was the oldest so they were a joy. Stormy was the youngest.”

Tempest huffed, “I'm not deaf, you know.”

Wildfire giggled as they got close to the ground, her headset giving out a hundred feet altitude warning. “I bet you just loved all those older ponies, Honey.”

Smirking, Tempest put on a very whiny voice indeed, “Airy, Wily is picking on me! She’s making it sound like I'm older than Celestia!”

“I'm pretty sure you weren't born before Celestia,” Airmail laughed, “because I'd remember that.”

“Or, you might have been, and you just use really good anti-wrinkle cream,” Wildfire said with a giggle which Airmail joined her in, even as Tempest began an obviously fake flood of tears, “like, the industrial strength stuff that can smooth out mountains.” Wildfire adjusted her descent so that she could stroke the ‘sobbing’ Tempest with her wingtip, “cheer up Honey, if you measure it in ice ages you're not very old, only like, three.”

On the descent, Airmail was now laughing so hard she was having difficulty flying while Tempest managed to stop her fake crying and, with a smile in her voice, she said smoothly, “Wait ‘till I tell Mapper how old you think I am. She is older than me.”

Wildfire giggled, “I'm not worried, my cuteness butters many parsnips, and at worst I'll get an awesome spanking.”

Nearer the ground now, Airmail snorted at that while Tempest simply rolled her blue eyes. “Hmm…maybe I could suggest 'celery' role play of some sort.”

“Oh Honey!” Wildfire put on a hurt voice, “and I thought you loved me?” she asked, even managing a big sniff for added effect.

“Maybe you two can make up over pizza or something, seeing as we are here,” Airmail commented as both she and Tempest hovered to a landing outside of the pizza joint.

“So we are.” Tempest fluttered her wings and folded them away as Wildfire came in to land neatly beside Airmail. “You sure there was no celery pizza, Airy?”

Wildfire shuddered, “only if you ordered it straight from the depths of Tartarus,” she giggled, “I'd still eat it for you though.”

Taking the joke as it was intended, Tempest turned and gave Wildfire a very deep passionate kiss straight on her lips. A kiss that lasted a good few seconds. “May you be as spry as me when you're my age.”

Airmail raspberried both her fiancé and her herd-mate. “Due to my advanced age, I'll expect you to carry the pizzas, Stormy.” Obligingly, Tempest nodded and trotted into the pizza place, leaving Wildfire and Airmail standing outside on the street of Fillydelphia.

Wildfire, who was at last in the place where she was reported to have been for the last five years, shuffled her hooves on the sidewalk. As far as she could tell, Fillydelphia felt and smelled just like Trottingham, but then that was just like Manehatten, so she wasn’t the greatest tour guide ever. Putting that out of her mind, she felt for and kissed Airmail. “I hope you're both still around when I eventually get to your age.”

Wrapping her forelegs around Wildfire’s neck, Airmail returned the kiss. “You won't lose me that easily, my young foal.”

“I really hope I don't, Airy,” Wildfire kissed Airmail again, “just so we're clear Airy, Mistress, Pretty, you're not allowed to y'know, 'go', under any circumstances.” She said, not letting her fiancé go as she gave her another kiss for good measure, just so she got the point.

“But what if I really need to tinkle?” Airmail asked with a giggle.

“Ugh!” Wildfire exclaimed, still not letting go as she heard Tempest re-emerge from the pizza place with four sixteen inch pizzas and two free garlic breads tied together with twine held in her mouth, “that's not what I meant and you know it, and besides you can go in a cloud like the rest of us.”

Once the three were airborne once more, this time headed towards Tempest’s sisters house, Airmail turned to Wildfire and caressed her with her wingtip. “Love, I've seen a lot of life and death, more than any mare should see. I'll be as careful as I can, but I'll not stand by and do nothing. When it is time I hope that you two through the biggest party ever. Your one friend understood that.”

“I know Airy, and I know you, mum and Heatwave will have a great time wherever you end up,” try as she might though, she couldn’t keep the saddened tone out of her voice. “I just...I don't want you to go anywhere.”

Still caressing her lover’s flank, Airmail slid her wingtip up her body and along Wildfire's muzzle. “For as long as I enjoy life in this mortal realm, I will be enjoying it with you.” She giggled at the silent glare she received from Tempest, “and with our herd-mates.”

“Hmm, okay...that'll do me.”

“Good, because I think I'll do you too.” Airmail flapped forwards then to briefly take the lead in the formation, “Follow me, it’s just a few minutes to Wind's place.” She said as they flew over the wide Delamare River to the north of Fillydelphia, the well-to-do ‘pony’ part of the coastal city, leaving the more mixed species areas that housed minotaurs, griffons and the gang controlled areas in the south behind them.

Wildfire, unknowingly passing over Horsehead square where her old friend Brightstar had been living for the past four years, grinned, “I'd follow you anywhere, Pretty.”

“And I'm going to keep you, too.” Airmail steered them northwest over the city and landed in a very nice residential area that flashed up on Wildfire’s headset as Chestnut Hill. Immediately in front of her was a modest, by Chestnut Hill standards, three storey townhouse along with Tempest at her side who pushed the doorbell with her hoof.

Wildfire giggled as she too landed by the red bricked townhouse with its white windowsills and shutters, “I hope so, now I've got you, Pretty.”

A young teenage slate grey colt with a dark grey mane answered the door a few seconds later, “Hi Aunt Tempest, come on in.” he turned to allow them room, and he yelled into the house, “Tempest is here and she has pizza!” with that, Tempest entered the townhouse along with Airmail, who encouraged Wildfire to follow them inside.

A lapis blue teenage pegasus filly with a flowing arctic blue mane stuck her head out from the great room, a huge smile on her face. “Welcome Aunt Tempest, Airmail!” she greeted them, while Tempest raised a wing in greeting and proceeded straight to the kitchen.

“Hello Breeze,” Airmail greeted the lapis blue teen with a smile and a welcome hug, “thank you for the welcome and thank you for answering the door, Thunder.” She then stepped aside and nudged Wildfire forward a few steps with her foreleg to thrust her front and centre. “This is my marefriend, Wildfire.”

Stumbling forward in the entrance hall, Wildfire was for a moment struck with a heady scent of lavender and jasmine. It was everywhere, literally everywhere, so much so that almost all the other scents that she was accustomed to were drowned out. She moved her head left and right, sniffing all the time as she held up her hoof. She assumed there were room fragrances plugged in, which there were. “Oh, hey guys, call me Wily!” she beamed in an attempt to hide her confusion.

“Hi Wily!” Thunder trotted over to her from the kitchen where he had been helping Tempest with the pizzas and bumped the offered hoof. Far more masculine than a hug, of all things. “So, you’re living with the mares?”

“Hello, Wily,” Breeze, far more restrained than her brother, moved next to Thunder and gladly bumped Wildfire’s hoof. “How long have you been blind?” she asked tentatively, hoping the blunt question wouldn’t offend her.

A little overwhelmed, Wildfire huddled into Airmail’s flank to calm herself down. “Yuppers, Thunder,” she answered him first, her scarred face turning to him. “I'm giving the mares the benefit of my presence.” She then turned her head to the softer sound of Breeze's voice, “hey Breeze, I've been blind for five years, since I was nineteen.”

“Oh wow,” Breeze gasped as she took in every detail of the slightly taller yellow mare’s face, the ugly acid scars that spread across her upper face and her cheeks from the bridge of her nose up to her forehead, “that must be hard.”

“It’s...” Wildfire cocked her head to one side, considering her answer as she heard the sound of hooves diminishing, she assumed it was Thunder going back to the kitchen, “It...It can be hard, yes, but I've learned to live with it and get around it, for the most part.”

“Moving on, as Tempest and mom says.” Thunder interjected, sticking his head through the kitchen door.

Wildfire nodded at that. That certainly sounded like something that Tempest would say. “Yuppers, it hasn't stopped me being a firefighter or being me, it just means I can't see that's all.”

“Pizza's ready!” Tempest hollered, and with that, Breeze, Airmail and Wildfire all made their way down the short hall. Wildfire couldn’t help but feel more comfortable when she stepped into the kitchen as the smell of the fresh hot pizzas overpowered the lavender and jasmine.

“Ewww!” Breeze’s enthusiasm waned somewhat when she saw the selection of pizzas arrayed on the breakfast bar in front of her. “You got one with meat!” she wrinkled up her muzzle and even backed away a couple of steps.

Tempest rolled her blue eyes, “It’s shellfish and mollusc.” She explained with a sigh.

Breeze didn’t change her opinion. “Ewww!”

Thunder however was far more adventurous than his more restrained sibling. “Can I try some?” he asked, risking a tentative sniff, almost as if he was worried it might kill him outright.

“Of course,” Tempest nodded, playing server she had the pizza cutter in her hoof ready to slice up the steaming hot food.

Wildfire giggled, “There’s nothing wrong with seafood, Breeze. Stormy, I'll have a slice of that one, please.”

“No problem, love.” Tempest cut Wildfire a slice of the requested pizza and passed it to her on a plate while Airmail went and helped herself to a slice of the artichoke and mushroom pizza.

“Oooh thank you!” feeling for her plate, Wildfire found it in short order and took a very big, very messy bite of the shellfish pizza, an equally big happy look plastered all over her muzzle. She was a happy pony right then and there.

As Thunder took a slice for himself, and Breeze played it safe with a slice of the one Airmail had chosen, he asked, “How long have you been with the herd, Wily?”

Struggling to chew and swallow her massive mouthful, Wildfire replied, “thirteen days Thunder, I met Pretty first in Caffy's coffee shop.”

“Oh wow,” Breeze smiled, “that must be exciting.”

Thunder nodded, “Manehatten is a cool city.”

Wildfire smiled at that, as she recalled the events of that day that while just two weeks ago felt so long ago now. “That was my first ever trip to Manehatten, and yes Thunder it’s very cool. My friend took me with him to a party at Caffy's place.” She paused and finished off her slice of pizza, “it certainly has been an exciting time.”

Breeze, eating far more daintily than her brother, spoke up, “We're going to a party at Mr. Caffeinated's house tomorrow.”

“The game night?” Wildfire asked, this time she got a garlic bread placed on her plate, “awesomes! Airy, you up for a Mortal Kombat rematch?”

“With or without sound?” Airmail replied thickly around the pizza in her mouth.

Wildfire giggled, “with sound, please.”

“I want to challenge you to some Dance Dance Revolution, Wily.” Tempest announced as she made a huge dent in the slice of pizza she was working on behind the breakfast bar.

Thunder smiled, “I like dancing.”

Wildfire reached for her garlic bread and took a much smaller bite of that than she had the seafood pizza. “Alrighty Honey, challenge accepted.” To Thunder, she smiled, “my friend Darkstar likes dancing too, she'll be able to dance way better than me.”

“Will she be there?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded quickly, speaking with certainty as she knew Darkstar was living with Air Raid at Caffeinated’s ranch. “She'll be there. What games do you like, Breeze?”

“I like the board games, like Parcheesi.” Breeze answered, though tentatively, carefully, she broached a subject she really wanted to talk about with this newcomer to the family. “Airmail and Tempest told me how they learned they were interested in mares. How did you know, Wildfire?”

Thunder too was very interested in this topic, though he tried – without success – to make it seem like he wasn’t that bothered. “Yeah, I'm looking for mares that like stallions and don't want to mess up.” He admitted with a spreading blush over his grey cheeks.

Like Thunder, Wildfire blushed, though hers was a fierce red. “I um, I realised I fancied mares when I first saw Air Raid at university in Canterlot...” Wildfire’s voice took on a dreamy quality that made Airmail’s eye twitch, which in turn made Tempest’s ears twitch to silently calm her herd-mate. “She was so gorgeous, it was like fireworks going off in my head every time I saw her…”

Breeze giggled, “You blush like Tempest!” Tempest performed a picture perfect eye roll and Breeze continued, “Airmail said it was the scent that put her off.”

“True,” Airmail nodded, “I didn't like how stallions smelled, especially in the field.”

“If I had eyes, I bet I'd roll them like her too,” Wildfire giggled, reaching for another piece of the seafood pizza, “there was just a 'thing' I felt when I looked at her. It was more than just a crush. Then while our friends were playing truth or dare she asked me out on a date.”

Breeze let out a rather girly squee, “that sounds so romantic!”

Thunder, however, had a much darker look on his face. “Truth or dare is a stupid game.” He huffed, while Breeze laughed a bright tinkling laugh.

Tempest, in the process of taking another slice, burst out laughing. “You shouldn't play it with your sister, Thunder.”

Breeze shrugged innocently, “I needed to learn to kiss from somepony.”

Wildfire giggled, she was unable to stop herself. “Thunder, truth or dare is awesomes. It gave me my first marefriend and my first date on a cloud.”

Poor Thunder blushed even harder, if that was at all possible, though Breeze just giggled all the more. “I apologised later. I was just curious, that’s all.”

Wildfire snickered, thinking that she rather liked Breeze, a lot. She fancied the teenage pegasus reminded her a lot of herself when she had been in school, and whole. “You should only apologise if the kiss wasn't very good, like if his tongue was in your mouth too long or his breath was rank.”

Thunder still huffed, “She wanted to see what an erection looked like and then she poked me really hard on the testicles!”

“I didn't know!”

Wildfire burst out laughing, “You should never risk injury to a stallion's joy department, they'll get brain aches!”

Thunder wanted to be cross, but instead he snickered, “yeah, what Wily said.”

“I never did it again!” Breeze protested, covering up her embarrassment with a slice of pizza.

“I know sis,” Thunder had to give his sister that much, she hadn’t ever tried it again. “I’m just saying truth and dare is a dumb game, that’s all.”

“Besides,” Wildfire continued, “erections are like lollipops, only sweet for the first ten minutes and by then they're half their size.”

“Ewww!” that was too far even for Breeze, “I didn't taste it!”

Thunder made a little retching noise, “Yeah, that sounds gross…”

“I think further education can be left to Wind and Knife, Wily.” Tempest said firmly, tapping Wildfire’s muzzle with her hoof for emphasis.

Wildfire ‘looked’ down at her hooves, realising she had gone a teeny bit too far. “Ooops…”

“Don't worry they will figure it out for themselves,” Airmail stepped over and ran her hoof comfortingly along Wildfire’s cheek. “More pizza, Wily?”

Quickly, Wildfire perked up and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yuppers Pretty, I'll have another slice of the shellfish one. You sure you won't try some too, Breeze?”

“It was different,” Thunder interjected, “but not that bad.”

Breeze though wouldn’t be swayed. She stuck by her original opinion. “Ewww.”

Thunder grinned, “In that case, I'll have her slice.”

“Okay!” Tempest passed him the slice of the seafood pizza she had just cut up.

Just then, as Wildfire was about to say something along the lines of how nice the seafood pizza was, the front door opened and two cyan pegasi, a stallion with a dark grey mane like Thunder’s and a mare with a mane the same colour as Breeze’s, strode into the now crowded kitchen. “Any pizza left?” Knife, the stallion, asked as he eyed the half empty boxes arrayed on the breakfast bar.

Wind, his wife and Tempest’s sister, giggled, “With Stormy, I very much doubt it.”

“We saved all the pizza bones for you two,” Tempest offered her older sister a box full of half eaten crusts as Thunder and Breeze both laughed at the outraged look their mother gave their aunt.

Swallowing her own bite, Wildfire giggled. Again, she tried to sniff the air to discern where the two new arrivals were, but all she detected was pizza, lavender and jasmine. This did frustrate her a little, as all she had to rely on was her hearing. “Hey, I think there's some of this left, if you want some.”

Knife turned and at last took in the diminutive yellow pegasus stood in his kitchen. Prepared due to Tempest’s messages and emails, he already knew her name and felt like he knew her as well. “Oh, I'll have that!” he declared, taking up one of the seafood slices from the almost empty box.

Thunder nodded approvingly, “It is pretty good, dad.”

Wind, however decided to go for the artichoke and mushroom one instead. “I'll have the shroom, thank you. And you will brush your teeth before bed, mister!”

“I agree with Thunder, this pizza is lovely!” Wildfire took another bite and finished her second slice off altogether. “It’s nice to meet you two.”

Wind smiled, looking Wildfire over as she made a start on her slice. “You must be the renowned Canterlot socialite that Airmail is going to marry.”

“Yuppers that's me,” Wildfire held up her hoof, to which she duly received a bump from both Wind and Knife. “Please, call me Wily.”

Airmail sniffed as she helped herself to another slice of the pizza, “I don't need her anymore for that. I can get unannounced audience with Princess Luna anytime I like,” she said, earning herself suitably awed looks from Thunder and Breeze. “I'm going to marry her anyway because she is a sexy pony.”

Wildfire giggled, “At least I have my sexiness to fall back on now my contacts aren't needed.”

“Huh?” Breeze asked, suddenly confused while Wind and Knife snorted at her joke.

Wind laid a hoof on her teenage daughter’s shoulder, “She is making fun of her own disability, Breeze.” She explained.

“And why not?” Wildfire asked with a nonchalant shrug, “I can't hide away from it, so I may as well laugh about it seeing as I can't cry.”

Breeze was again awed, this time at Wildfire. “That sounds so brave!”

Airmail kissed her fiancé’s lips, both of them sharing the taste of each other’s food. “Wily is a brave little filly.”

Wildfire blushed, again going a bright red. “Oh um, I don't think I'm brave Breeze, I just do what has to be done when it needs to be done. Pretty will argue I know, I can feel her retort coming even now.”

“Since Wind lacks a soapbox,” Airmail snickered, again kissing her mare’s lips, “I'll just have to do it standing.”

“Preach it sister!” Tempest hollered, passing out more pizza to Wind, Knife, Thunder and Breeze.

Airmail though simply kissed her way up Wildfire’s ear. “I love you Wily, so there!” she said, finishing with a loud raspberry.

Her substantial blush subsiding, Wildfire giggled, “Oh no! Not the dreaded raspberry of dreadedness!” she smiled, quickly returning the kiss to Airmail, “I love you too, old lady.”

“See Breeze,” Airmail smirked, “it is good for you young folk to respect their elders.”

Her slice of pizza consumed, Wind shot her younger sister a long sideways look that was full of meaning, over the breakfast bar. “I'll remember that, most honoured ancestor.”

Wildfire sniggered, “ancestor makes it sound like she's gonna be mummified any minute now!”

“Oh, I don't know,” Knife chuckled, “there are rumours going around that Airy here is a Vampony.”

“Dad!” Thunder wailed, sharing a couple of playful hoof swipes with his father, “You already played that trick on me, it’s getting old now!”

“Well, that all depends on where she bites,” Wildfire commented, “besides Vamponies are way sexier than dusty old mummies any day.” Wildfire could practically feel Airmail’s blush it was that intense, “And Airy is the sexiest pony, living or otherwise I know.”

“Oh really,” Tempest said slyly, “sexier than you Wily?”

“Of course she is, her brown eyes are beautiful.”

Wrapping her forelegs around Wildfire’s neck, Airmail pulled her into a crushingly tight hug. “You have very pretty eyes too, my love.”

Wildfire also hugged her fiancé as tight as she could, even kissing Airmail’s nose. “You see kids? Scars are sexy.”

Thunder shuddered, not at Wildfire’s scars, for he had seen worse with his dad being a surgeon, but at the thought of getting scarred himself. “I'll wait to get mine if that’s okay, aunt Wily.”

Breeze agreed with her brother, a rare occurrence to be sure. “Same here.”

“Yuppers, I don't recommend doing what I did to get mine.”

“Yes,” Tempest asserted, “I would avoid any scars.” She gave Airmail a loving glance and blew her a kiss, “I almost didn't, but Airy has good aim.” Knowing the story by heart, Thunder and Breeze both laughed at that. After all, it was a good story and it entertained them every Hearths Warming Eve.

“It's a good job she has good aim, too.” Wildfire commented with a wry smile, tapping her scars as she did so. “So did the pony who gave me these.”

Airmail wasn’t satisfied with that, however. “Wily?” she affectionately nuzzled her little lover’s cheek, “the foals should hear the whole story. I don't believe the pony was aiming for your eyes, was he?”

“No, he wasn't.” Wildfire shook her head. Not that she hated telling the story, she just hated the way it made her sound braver and more noble than she actually had been. “Blitzwing was a mean stallion. He was a proper bully. He and his diamond dogs had threatened Air Raid out of school, wrecked her car…” she trailed off, and Airmail hugged her as she knew this part of the story that was coming up.

“During science class at university,” Wildfire continued at Airmail’s behest, “I saw he was bullying my best friend, Dusk. I got between them and shoved Blitzwing away and then I turned to see if Dusk was alright. I heard Blitzwing say something and I turned to tell him to buck off when he threw a punch at Dusk who ducked. I shoved him again, he pulled back to punch me, grabbed two flasks of acid and threw them at Dusk, I managed to get in the way.”

Like Airmail, Tempest had come around and lent her wing to her herd-mate’s hug. “There may come a time when you have to take a stand against a bully. Wily did that, but not without cost.”

Breeze’s eyes were tearing up, and she had her hooves over her mouth. “W-Why?”

“Why?” Wildfire asked rhetorically, “because they'd threatened my marefriend, they'd wrecked her car, and they'd attacked my best friend. You know why, Thunder? Because Dusk and Air Raid are gay. Blitzwing and his dogs saw us as sub-pony. That's why. Yuppers, I got these scars and I'm blind, but I'd do it again. I'd go through the pain and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Extremely moved by their new aunt’s story, Thunder did something very uncool and gave Wildfire a hug. Quickly, Breeze followed suit. “You are brave, aunt Wily.” She whispered in her ear.

“It is okay to not be gay though, right?” Thunder asked hesitantly.

“Thunder,” Wildfire smiled warmly as she hugged them both closely to her, “it's cool to be anything you want to be, to love anypony or anything you want to love.”

Thunder grinned, “good, then I can love you too aunt Wily.”

Breeze sniffed, drying her wetted eyes on her foreleg. “Me too.”

“More pizza, Wily?” Tempest asked, blustering through the tender moment like her nickname suggested, with all the tact of a storm. “There is one slice of fruits of the sea left.”

“Yuppers Honey,” Wildfire nodded her head eagerly, “I think I have room in my left hind leg for one more slice.”

Knife nudged his wife’s barrel and chuckled, “Windy, we better get our slices before they disappear.”

Wildfire giggled around her last slice of pizza as she made that disappear as easily as if she’d been a unicorn. “I think this is me done, my hindlegs are getting full and this little pegasus won't fly if I have any more.”

“Yes,” Wind snickered as she ate her chosen slice. “That would be bad, you'd have to spend the night.”

“Yes,” Knife laughed, “That would be bad, we are going slow on the foals bedroom education.”

Thunder muttered, not quite under his breath enough to not be heard, “Yeah, real slow…”

Breeze’s ears twitched at her brother’s mutterings, “What now?”

Wildfire’s sharp ears immediately caught Thunder's mutter, “Hey, don't you worry Thunder, it'll all be revealed in time, then the mares will fawn over you, I’m sure.”

“I wish.”

Wind giggled, ruffling her colt’s dark grey mane with her hoof, “The patience of a fifteen year old is woefully short.”

Like Wind, Wildfire giggled behind her hoof, “Almost as short as me, I bet.”

Knife chuckled, “I'm not one to compare wingspan.” Saying that though, he had to admit the yellow pony was rather on the short side, in fact she was only just a little taller than his teenage daughter Breeze was.

“Oh I don't mind being tiny,” Wildfire smiled as she shook her hooves on the kitchen floor, “Airy and Stormy haven't complained anyway.”

“No complaints here,” Tempest snickered as she stacked the now empty pizza boxes on the worktop by the sink and passed out the lemon scented napkins she had picked up from the pizza place before walking out with the boxes tied up in the twine. “She's big enough for me.”

“Is that my sister the stallion speaking?” Wind asked with a wicked grin all over her cyan muzzle.

Airmail shared Wind’s grin. “Sure is.”

Wind’s grin never left her face, though she took the offered napkin from her sister. “Stallion Stormy is lots of fun!”

“That she is, Wind,” Airmail took three of the lemon scented napkins and proceeded to scrub her hooves with them until they literally gleamed, “that she is.”

Tempest rolled her blue eyes so loudly even Wildfire knew she’d done it. “All of you are just too kind.” She grumbled, though her grumbles were in good humour.

“I know Honey,” Wildfire snickered, “that's why you're so much fun!”

Once her hooves were clean, Wind busied herself cleaning and wiping down the work surfaces that had held Airy was the best thing that happened to Stormy.

“Thank you!” Airmail said with a proud bow.

“And Wind,” Wildfire put in with a grin, “both of them are the best things that ever happened to me.”

Moving around the – thankfully large – kitchen of her house, Wind gave Wildfire a hug. Not just any hug, it was a hug reserved for family members. “I'm glad for that.” As she hugged her, she remembered one of the many emails her sister had sent her over the past two weeks. “So, you plan on having a foal?”

Wildfire readily returned the hug that Wind had given her, “if I hadn't met Pretty in Caffy's shop two weeks ago, then I'd be back in Canterlot by now. And yuppers, I really want a foal.”

Knife grinned, waiting patiently for his chance to give Wildfire a hug as well, “I can say for certain they are wonderful things.”

“Oh I know,” Wildfire smiled, “I've wanted one since forever, since back before I couldn't see.”

Knife thought of something then, something that had been bothering him for a while, ever since Tempest had sent them the emails about it. “So, you guys are getting back together with Mapper and Serenity?” he asked cautiously, for he well remembered the big event that had split up their herd in the first place not that long ago.

“Yuppers, we're all getting a bigger house together soon!”

“That's nice,” Wind smiled a very forced smile at her husband, whose eye was twitching just slightly in that way she knew was a danger sign. “It has been a few years now.”

“Serenity's gonna have a foal too!” Wildfire added, causing Knife’s eye to twitch all the more.

When Knife spoke next, his voice was low, cautious and hesitant. Images of a battered and bloody Serenity ran very vividly through his mind. The only times the surgeon had ever seen a pony that badly beaten was when one of the south Filly gangs had left a pony as an ‘example’. “W-With Mapper, y-you mean?”

“We will be one herd again,” Airmail said, by contrast her voice was calm and assured. “So, I see no problems, Knife.”

Wildfire, entirely missing the point of what Knife was saying, mostly because she hadn’t been told the full and complete story, just bits of it, tried to defend her Mistress and her herd-mate. “Well, there's just as many issues with me having a foal. Like Airy said, we're a herd.”

“Knife,” Tempest said, trying to juggle her tone between understanding, sympathetic and serious all at once, “you should know by now that Mapper doesn't beat anything without consent. Those foals will get away with everything if she is watching over them.”

Airmail too had an unusually serious expression on her face. “Serenity is beyond that now, and that is why she can have the foal and our herd can be one again.”

“I’m sorry,” Knife said, still not wholly convinced, “but you know I've seen the aftermath of abuse.”

Feeling a huge sway of empathy for her brother-in-law as she made her way across the kitchen and hugged him tightly. “I know, Knife, but that won't ever happen again.”

“Hey, Knife?” Wildfire spoke up, still not in possession of the whole story, “you're looking at the aftermath of abuse. For five years after I was blinded I was abused in Canterlot. If it wasn't for Airy, Stormy, Serenity and especially Mapper I'd still be there. Living with them this short time, I know it's gonna be cool.”

Quietly, Airmail moved next to Wildfire and whispered, “When Mapper nearly killed Serenity to get her to use her safe word, it was Knife we called to save her.”

“Oh...oh I see…” Wildfire lowered her head, “I’m sorry, I didn't know that.”

“We never told you that detail,” Airmail said gently but firmly, “still the abuse you received wasn't meant to kill you, but to keep you injured for life.”

Knife, interested in a purely medical perspective in the injuries that Wildfire had sustained, stepped closer to her. He had read the emails from Tempest and from Airmail, so he was aware of just what she had lived through. “May I examine you by touch?” he asked, and when the little pegasus nodded, Knife ran his wings over her body as well as using his hooves a few times. “Extend your wings, please.”

“Okies!” always proud to show off her repaired wings she extended them both out to their fullest span.

Knife, whose experienced hooves easily found the places where Wildfire’s ribs and her legs were broken by the wardens at the care home, was absolutely amazed. So much so that for a moment the surgeon was speechless. “These wounds…these have been healed way too well.”

“Yuppers, at Mapper’s behest Princess Luna, with help from her and Serenity healed the damage to my wings twelve days ago.” Wildfire explained proudly, for she was so proud of her wings, “they um...weren't so well healed before…I think Luna said there were ten breaks on each wing.”

To say Knife was stunned was an understatement. “Amazing, truly amazing. Other than some scaring, they’re absolutely perfect.” With that, Knife hugged her, “glad you're with us now, Wily.”

“Yuppers, me too.” Wildfire smiled as she hugged Knife as hard as he hugged her, “I just need to work on muscle strength and endurance now. It used to be super painful to fly more than an hour before…” she lowered her head to the floor, “Luna couldn't do anything about my eyes though.”

“I don't even think you're a candidate for transplants,” Knife said as kindly as he could, “do you have an exercise plan, Stormy?”

“Yes,” Tempest answered with justifiable pride, “and she has shown improvement in the short time she has been on it.”

“I know,” Wildfire admitted sadly, a sad tone that didn’t go unnoticed by all present in the kitchen, “there's totally nothing left behind these scars…” she then shrugged her little shoulders, a grin playing over her muzzle, “oh well, Airy still thinks I'm cute. Flying-wise though, I’m sure I must be improving, we managed to fly from Canterlot all the way to Trottingham the other day.”

“Non-stop?”

“Two stops,” Tempest clarified, though she was no less proud of her lover’s achievement, “Airy's tummy was growling too loud, making it hard to navigate.”

“Even that would've been impossible for me before my wings were healed,” Wildfire said as she folded her wings away back to her sides.

Knife grinned, giving Airmail a cheeky wink. “Keep it up and you'll be out flying Airy in no time, Wily.”

“I'm getting there,” Wildfire agreed, “how's the rest of me, do I get a clean bill of health?”

Knife looked the diminutive yellow mare over once more, she certainly looked healthy enough, to his trained eye anyway. “It would take more than my touch to determine that, but I don't think you'd be here in Fillydelphia on vacation if it was otherwise.”

“Awesomes!” Wildfire let out an excited squee, hovering an inch off of the tiled floor, “well I feel alright, apart from a bit of pain in my face but that’s always there. I'm used to that by now, that’s nothing.”

In response to that, Knife lightly ran the very tips of his primary feathers gently over the ugly acid scars that covered Wildfire’s empty eye sockets. “Do you feel that?”

At first, Wildfire didn’t feel anything at all, then, she felt the feathers touch the sides of her face and she nodded. “I can feel ‘something’ on my face, Knife.”

Knife nodded, the doctor in him ‘hmm’ing’ as he thought about various options that Wildfire had available to her. Admittedly, there wasn’t many. “If you want to lose that, they can cut the nerves to the area and that would remove the real pain, but the phantom pain will always be there.”

“But,” Wildfire thought about it, “I wouldn't feel it when Airy or Stormy kiss my scars.” She didn’t want that, at all. She knew what she would prefer. “No, I'll keep it as is I think. Thanks though, Knife, but it's cool, really. I’m used to it by now.”

“Being used to something doesn't make it good,” Wind said supportively.

“That’s true, Wind.” Wildfire replied quickly, “I realised that when I was with Airy at Caffy's place, when I was freed for the very first time…” she paused then, when a familiar cramp swelling in her abdomen alerting her to the fact she had a very full bladder. A very full bladder that was suddenly in urgent need of release. “Um...can somepony show me the bathroom, please?”

“I will,” Breeze volunteered, though she giggled at little when Wildfire began the ‘pee dance’. “This way,” she said, walking in front of the little yellow mare and brushing her with her wing. “I um, I'm glad you're better,” the lapis blue pegasus smiled as she led the way from the kitchen through to the bathroom. “It’s in here,” she said finally once they were stood at the door, “do you, um...do you need help?”

Wildfire giggled, for she could hear the teenage mare’s blush in her voice. “Only directions to the loo roll and the sink to wash up,” she replied with a smile, “apart from that I’m good, thanks, Breeze.”

Breeze let out a very relieved little giggle, “It isn't that big a room, really. The toilet’s on the right, the sink next to it. Tub on the left. Towels on the far wall.”

“I gotcha, thanks Breeze.” Wildfire trotted into the bathroom and, as Breeze turned to go back to the kitchen, the diminutive blind mare proceeded to take care of her necessary business in the bathroom in just a few minutes. Once she was done, and after cleaning herself up she flushed and made sure to thoroughly wash her hooves. Once that was taken care of, she left the bathroom, but, discovering she didn’t know where anything was or the direction of anything, especially with lavender and jasmine everywhere, she knew she needed help. “Breeze?”

Immediately when she heard her name, Breeze trotted back down the hall. “Yes?”

“I just need directions back, please,” she blushed at that, “I don't want to hit anything.”

“Oh I’m sorry, that’s my fault.” Breeze smiled and brushed Wildfire with her wing, “I didn't think you wanted me to treat you like you couldn't do anything. This way back to the kitchen.”

Wildfire nodded, she understood that, for it was the same kind of mentality that Airmail and Tempest had with her. “It's cool, I’d just rather be careful in somepony else's home,” she smiled, “It took me a day or two to get used to Airy and Stormy's place too.”

“I guess I didn't think about it like that.”

“Did you wash your hooves?” Airmail asked with a giggle when Wildfire appeared behind Breeze back in the kitchen.

Wildfire reared up, an act which only increased her height by a little, she was still tiny, and raised her foreleg to her forehead in a very dramatic sigh. “Yes miss hoof warden,” she giggled, “I double washed and polished, just for you.”

“Told you all she loves me!” Airmail skipped over to her incredibly blushing bride-to-be and, after a very deep kiss, whispered, “Even I don't know if I'm teasing…”

“I hope you aren't teasing about me loving you,” Wildfire whispered as she too kissed her lover’s lips.

Knife rolled his grey eyes, tutting in such a way that Airmail rolled hers in return. “I'd say get a room, you two, but you might take me up on that, and you told me you wanted to be in your own bed tonight.”

“Well,” Wildfire smiled as she stole a kiss from Airmail, “I suppose it would be kinda rude in somepony else’s house, but we probably might take you up on it, maybe, definitely.”

“You can’t,” Tempest interjected with a playful grin on her face, “Filly has a noise ordinance that we don't have over in Manehatten.”

“Aw!” Wildfire pouted, turning to face Tempest’s direction, “You mean no screaming 'yes' 'yes' 'yes'?” she asked with a grin, “That means you'd have to control yourself, Pretty.”

Airmail laughed, “And you know how I lack any kind of control.”

Thunder, who had been busy spending the last few minutes teasing his sister by pulling at her tertiary feathers and ducking when she took a well-aimed swipe at him, paused in his ducking when he detected something adult being talked about and he got his sister’s hoof upside his head for his trouble. “Ow…hey, is this when you start talking about the juicy bits?” he asked hopefully.

“Depends whose juicy bits!” Wildfire giggled, earning herself a playful whack courtesy of Airmail’s hoof.

“I think your imagination can cover that Thunder.” Wind said in a definite manner that said that was well and truly that. Besides, she had in mind something way better. “Did you guys eat too much pizza, or is there room for ice cream?”

Wildfire suddenly came over all serious as soon as ice cream was mentioned. “Wind, there's always room for ice cream.”

Airmail and Tempest both giggled and, together as one, said, “Same here!”

“I hope you all like chocolate ice cream,” Wind said with a delighted little giggle, “seeing as that is all that we have. That and whipped cream to go with it too, if you’d like.”

“Oooh…I dunno if I like chocolate…” Wildfire smiled, and before Tempest could interject with what was undoubtedly a pithy comment, she followed up quickly, “I was gonna say I love it.” Several – too long – minutes later and the little blind mare bounced happily on all four of her hooves, especially as she was tracking every noise as Wind and Thunder delved into the freezer and served up the dessert. Breeze placed a bowl in front of her newest aunt with a spoon beside her left hoof. “Thank you!” Wildfire felt for the spoon and took a little bite.

Wind smiled affectionately, as a mother would to her foal, “Did you want some whipped cream on top, Wily?”

“Oooh yes please Wind!” Wildfire let out a huge squee as she heard a very good amount of cream get squirted from the can into her bowl. “Whipped cream makes everything better!”

Airmail nipped Wildfire’s ear. “Noted.”

“It’s true!” Wildfire insisted, “There's nothing that can't be improved with whipped cream!”

Tempest giggled and nipped her little lover’s other ear, “Yes, Wily, I quite agree.”

“You really can't beat ice cream,” Wildfire gave her measured opinion as she ate some more of her wonderfully chocolatey and creamy dessert. All around her, the conversation had diminished as they all devoured their respective bowls. While Wildfire was eating hers, a thought occurred to her about the gaming night at Caffeinated’s ranch. “Thunder and Breeze said you'd be at the game night tomorrow, what do you play?”

“We play cards.” Wind smiled as she swallowed a rather large spoonful of ice cream, “Thunder likes to play the video games that Airy plays, and Breeze likes board games.”

“That’s cool,” Wildfire thought about that, cards weren’t her thing, but they were Wind’s, so that was okay. “I gave Airy a good go at Mortal Kombat 2 the other day, I’m hoping for a rematch.”

Curiosity and scepticism vied in equal measure within Wind at that. No disrespect at all to Wildfire, but she just didn’t see how that was possible. “But…excuse me, Wily, how can you play when you can’t see the screen?”

Airmail snickered, for she had felt the same before their match. “She's tricky, she is.”

Wildfire just grinned as she started to explain her methods. “Well, you see, fighting games have little audio cues when a character is about to perform a move. If you listen carefully enough, you can pick it up. Like, the sound cue for jumping is different to the sound cue for a punch or the sound cue for a kick.”

“Let me help you with that, love,” Airmail said with a sly little giggle while Wind and everypony else, especially Knife, processed what Wildfire had said. Moving in front of her fiancé, she gave her a long sloppy lick right at the end of her nose. “You had a bit of whipped cream there.”

“Why, thank you, my love.” Giggling at the touch of Airmail's tongue on her nose, Wildfire took her spoon and dabbed it on the end of the azure blue mare’s nose before licking it off like she had to her. “Oh…you had something there too.”

Airmail kissed Wildfire’s nose. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“Walk around with whipped cream on your nose?” Tempest asked, making Thunder snort into his bowl.

“Oh, I'm sure you'd get by babes,” Wildfire giggled as she set her empty ice cream bowl back down on the breakfast bar, “though your lives wouldn't be nearly as much fun without me.”

Knife chuckled, he very much liked this little mare, a lot. He thought Tempest had made a good choice with her. “I'm sure my sister-in-law is having twice as much fun now.”

“On that note,” Airmail stated with a tone of finality when she saw that, like her, Tempest had finished her ice cream, “we'll be heading north.” Quite apart from that, the afternoon was wearing on, and she really wanted to get back to Manehatten before it got dark, if only to enjoy a warm bath before bed. “Thank you so much for putting up with us, Wind.”

Likewise, Tempest wanted to get back as well. After almost a week of travelling, nights spent in a train, Bluesky’s house, Emerald’s house and finally her mother’s, the violet weather pony really wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight. Hugging her sister tightly, she nuzzled Wind’s cheek. “See you both at Caffy's,” she went onto hug Knife, Thunder, and Breeze respectively.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire snickered, “thanks for putting up with them, and for having me.” she then went in for a very tight and typically ‘restrained’ trademark Wily tackle hug, one for each of Tempest’s family, twice on Breeze as she lost count. “I won't see you, but I'll feel you if you come over and say hi.”

Like Tempest and Wildfire before her, Airmail went in for her hugs, eager as she was not to miss her turn. “I hope you're ready for some serious dancing Thunder. Caffy has brought in some ringers.”

Wildfire giggled, “you wait till you see Darkie go, Thunder.”

“I'll be up for the challenge!” Thunder declared stubbornly as, for the second time that day, Airmail proceeded to – albeit playfully – drag Wildfire from the kitchen and down the hallway towards the front door.

“I loves you,” Airmail smiled as Tempest led the way and opened the door to the cool afternoon air of Chestnut Hill.

Standing on Wind and Knife’s doorstep, with the cool late afternoon breeze playing through her straight black mane, Wildfire gladly returned the kiss to her lover, her fiancé and her playmate. “I wuvs you too, Airwy.”

“That completes our mini-herd family tour,” Tempest announced once they were all three of them in the air, only this time they were at last headed for their home. “Looks like all parties have approved of the other. The only thing left is to visit Serenity's family.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire smiled that same excited wild smile she always did when she was in the air, a pegasus enjoying the simple thrill of being in her element. “I must say, I'm rather relieved at being so well received by everypony.”

Airmail, as she had done so often, and would continue to do so, caressed her lover’s soft yellow flank as they flew home. “You were yourself and that is what counts, Wily.”

Chapter 3 - Home Sweet Home

Airmail, as she had done so often, and would continue to do so, caressed her lover’s soft yellow flank as they flew home. “You were yourself and that is what counts, Wily.”

Wildfire giggled into the late afternoon sky, the chill sea breeze blowing through her feathers and her fur as she climbed up through two and three thousand feet, “who else would I be, Pretty?” she asked innocently, flying alongside Airmail and Tempest.

“I don't know,” Airmail replied honestly, flapping her azure blue wings hard to match Tempest’s easier rate of climb up to ten thousand feet, “because if you were a pretender I don't think we would be talking about this.

“What you see is what you get Airy, both good and bad,” Wildfire shot back. Listening to the proximity alerts fed into her ear by the headset, as well as using her nose and ears, she knew Airmail was to her left, while Tempest, who was on her right had sped up to once more take the lead position. Sensing she had the air space, she flew a horizontal rolling loop around Airmail, “and it’s all yours!”

“We are herd,” Airmail replied with a roll of her eyes she made sure Wildfire could hear, though she understood her sentiment. “I'll have to share, but you don't have to accept other offers.”

Grinning, Wildfire rolled over onto her back, partly for the thrill of having the chilling late afternoon breeze blow backwards through her mane, partly to show off but mostly to spread her legs and give Airmail a good show. “I know I don't. Pretty, but the other offers are fun, and how can I say no to Stormy?”

In response, Airmail accelerated just a little, sailing over her fiancé’s exposed upturned front and running her summer green tail up the middle of her yellow body. “Tag, you're it!” she called out with a foalish glee, and by the time Wildfire had flipped back over to initiate a pursuit, Airmail was already doing some wild manoeuvers to lose her.

Wildfire, sniffing this way and that, slowed almost to a hover in the air as she chased after Airmail, moving her muzzle about to try and sniff her direction. It was however a futile gesture as Airmail had taken off at full chaff and she couldn’t catch her scent, try as she might. Tempest, flying near her blind herd-mate, giggled, “Are you forgetting one of your tools, Wily?”

“What?” Instinctively, the little blind mare turned her head to the right and blushed at being reminded of something so basic. “Oooh those gizmos!” Carefully, Wildfire facehooved and remembered that she had her flight tech. “Point Two, direction and distance,” she requested, and a second later the computer in her ear responded with, ‘twenty seven degrees, negative thirty degrees, one thousand five hundred feet, one thousand five hundred and fifty feet.’

Over her shoulder, Tempest laughed as she flew away, “has it been that long, Wily?” she taunted her good naturedly, flying away after Airmail.

“Ha, ha, you'll not be laughing when I getcha!” Wildfire shot back as she matched the angle of Tempest’s ascent and got herself ready. “Range to ground, repeat.” She commanded her headset and she turned to face thirty degrees. A quick check of the whereabouts of Point One told her that Airmail was flying in a slow circle, but her gear kept her on track as she closed to within three hundred feet of her target.

Once she was that close, Wildfire used her headset and her flight suit’s proximity warning system to keep track of Airmail. She noticed her circular route and decided to cut a straight line across it to intercept her fiancé rather than follow her. “I'm coming for you, Pretty!” she giggled, increasing her speed and, as the azure blue mare didn’t alter her route, Wildfire lunged forward the last few feet. With a victorious grin on her muzzle, she touched her left forehoof to Airmail's body. “Tag!” she called out as she peeled away in another direction.

A wide smile on her face, Airmail shouted, “It! Is! On!”

When Wildfire heard Airmail’s call, and her headset tell her that Point One was catching up to her, she asked it to repeat range to ground, with a two hundred feet warning and turned over, entering into a vertical dive, like she had done when her Mistress had rode her in Canterlot.

Above her, she heard a lot of yelling and laughing, and after that, she heard Airmail cry out in joy, “Stormy's it!”

Pulling out of her dive, her face a furious crimson mask like the setting sun, Wildfire began to climb once more, calling out, “I knew that, Pretty!”

Mere seconds later, and violet feathers brushed the top of Wildfire’s head, ruffling her black mane. “Wily's it!” Tempest cried out triumphantly, her voice fading as she climbed up into the late afternoon sky. “Did you forget my number?”

Wildfire shot her herd-mate a raspberry that she didn’t hear. “No, Point One, I didn't!” thinking quickly, she spoke to her headset, “Point One and Two, direction and distance…” almost immediate, she got the now familiar computerised voice back in her ear. ‘Point one zero degrees, plus eighty degrees, three thousand feet, three thousand one hundred feet. Point Two, one hundred and eighty degrees, plus zero degrees, ten feet.’ “Buck!” Wildfire processed the thought that Airmail was ten feet behind her she resumed her dive.

A second later and Wildfire heard Airmail laughing in her ear, just behind her. “You're the one that's it silly!”

Grinning and blushing in equal measure, Wildfire pulled up and returned to where she was, sporting a little pout on her muzzle. “Gimme a break, it's been a while since I played tag!” As she said that, her flight gear told her that Airmail was flying level and was now two thousand feet away, while Tempest was four thousand feet above her. “Alrighty Honey,” she followed her point one, climbing as fast as she could manage.

As she got closer, Tempest laughed loudly, making sure she was heard. “Wily! Watch out for the rain!” giggling, she saw Wildfire take a wide curving path but she was still climbing to reach her. Grinning, the violet weather mare began to sing, “I'm just a little rain cloud, all full of yellow rain!”

“Keep singing, Honey!” Wildfire was very grateful her herd-mate was singing. She checked Point One’s distance and direction, she knew she was closing in fast, and the singing helped to further pinpoint her target’s location. “I’m coming!” she whooped with joy as she got closer. Just before she reached her though, she flew through a warm mist of a certain familiar odour. Wildfire giggled, lapping up the moisture on her muzzle as she tagged her, “gotcha Honey!”

Pausing for a hover, Tempest said, “You need to yell out ‘I'm it’ for Airy.”

“AIIIIIRY!” Wildfire hollered into the sky as loudly as she could, “HONEY'S IIIIIIIT!” with that, she very quickly turned and flew away from Tempest, lest she get re-tagged straightaway. A quick check of her headset told her that Airmail was about ten thousand feet north of both her and Tempest, flying at twenty thousand feet in altitude.

Looking up, Tempest’s keen eyes saw Airmail dip her wings, telling her she had heard. “Good enough.” She said, taking off to the north. Wildfire kept a track of Point One, flying north-west. She grinned when she heard from her tech that Point One was closing in on Point Two rather easily.

Altering her north-west course to fly north, Wildfire angled herself upwards. ‘Airy's gonna be it in a sec,’ she thought with a wry smile, ‘I wonder how high I up can go?’ Feeling the rush of air flowing over her feathers and her face, she once more requested the range to ground and asked it to repeat as she climbed. Requesting an altitude limit of twenty four thousand feet, she kept on climbing at her current speed, though she was starting to breathe heavy as the air began to get thinner. She heard a very faint cry of, 'Airy's it!’

Levelling off her climb, Wildfire slowed down a little. “Point Two, distance and direction.” Straight away, she was informed that in relation to her, Airmail was at ninety degrees horizontally, negative forty degrees, and at eight thousand feet away from her. Two seconds later and she was at seven thousand nine hundred and fifty feet. Wildfire put all this input into a mental picture and saw Airmail flying up to tag her. Another report told Wildfire that Airmail had changed now to one hundred degrees, negative forty five degrees and only six thousand feet away.

Though she was panting and breathing hard, mostly due to the extreme altitude but in no small part to the physical stress of the aerobatic manoeuvres she had pulled off, Wildfire kept flying level. When she reached twenty three thousand feet, the diminutive blind mare stopped, hovering in place to catch her breath. A grin spread over her face as she made a plan. ‘I'm gonna do that dive…I can do it this time!’ to her headset she requested, in preparation, the range to ground alarm be set to one thousand five hundred feet.

Flying upwards, Airmail saw – or rather, she thought she saw – a breathless prone Wildfire having a rest. Sensing easy prey, Airmail closed to five hundred feet.

Using her gear, Wildfire knew that Airmail was closing in on her. This was all part of her plan. Feigning breathlessness, she waited until Airmail was at one hundred and twenty degrees, negative sixty degrees, and four hundred feet. When her fiancé was three hundred feet away, Wildfire simultaneously rolled over and folded her wings, rolling into an inverted bullet dive. “Live with this, Preeeeeeetty!”

“Wily!” Airmail, about to tag her lover, saw what she thought was obviously Wildfire lose control and in genuine peril.

Almost immediately there was now eight hundred feet of clear sky between Wildfire and Airmail. “Come get meee!” she screamed as she sped towards the ground. She decided to add a couple of corkscrew spins to her dive, thrilling at the rush of the chill wind over her face and mane.

Airmail, falling further and further behind, saw the corkscrew spins and that just confirmed to her that Wildfire was in serious trouble. Already she was two thousand feet below her and getting further away by the second. Looking for Tempest, for she knew she couldn’t catch her. “Stormy!” she screamed in terror.

As she dived towards the ground, Wildfire was informed that Point One, Tempest, was closing on her rapidly from behind. ‘Two hundred and seventy degrees, plus forty five degrees, six thousand feet. Grinning like a lunatic, utterly lost in the intoxicating sensations of speed, she kept up her dive. “Repeat Point One distance and direction,” she commanded, and was told that in the space of a few seconds that Tempest had closed to just four thousand feet.

Several seconds later and Tempest was three thousand feet away from her, Wildfire herself was down to ten thousand feet. Still enjoying the feelings of the dive, Wildfire decided to try a roll. Flaring her yellow wings, she barrel rolled to the left. The manoeuvre, while a success, came at a price. The sheer force of the air rushing over her now spread wings buffeted her wing joints with the force of an earth pony kick.

Usually not a problem, Wildfire’s magically healed wings and her muscles were still weak. ‘Point Two, one hundred and eighty degrees, plus eighty degrees, five thousand feet. Point One, one hundred and eighty degrees, negative twenty degrees, two thousand feet,’

Wildfire, changing her mind, spread her wings wide in an attempt to arrest the dive she was in and fly level. Alas…her weakened muscles weren’t strong enough to overcome the natural downforce and the low pressure created by the air blasting over her wings. Breathing hard and heavy, she again tried to recover her dive. ‘Point One, one hundred and eighty degrees, negative forty five degrees, five hundred feet. Point Two, one hundred and eighty degrees, plus eighty degrees, four thousand feet.’

Wildfire knew her lover and her herd-mate were coming for her.

Wildfire also knew she was in trouble.

A lot of trouble.

Speeding almost at her top speed, faster than she had flown in a very long time, Tempest closed the last five hundred feet with an extremely scared look plastered all over her face. “Y-You okay, Wily?”

Finally, at last, Wildfire felt herself begin to slow down, though her breathing was hard and laboured, shallow and fast. “N-No...m-my wings...hurts to breathe…” she gasped, barely able to breathe at all. Her headset reported to her that Point One, Tempest, was right behind her now and just a little below her, while Airmail was catching them up at a slower rate, being two thousand feet behind her.

“You want me to carry you down or just be your wing mare?” Tempest asked, her fear diminishing somewhat when she heard Wildfire answer her. At least she was conscious and alert.

Ahead of the violet weather pony, Wildfire wobbled in the air, her wings flapping dangerously out of sync. “H-Help...help Tempest! Help me, I'm gonna fall!”

“Spread your wings and glide.” Tempest ordered calmly, the polar opposite of Wildfire’s panicked state. “Spread your legs wide, I'm coming up under you.” Obediently, Wildfire spread her wings and her hind legs, and her headset told her that her herd-mate was flying forward underneath her. A second later and Tempest lifted her up, supporting Wildfire’s body with her own. “Fold your wings tight.”

Doing as she was told, Wildfire folded her wings away to her barrel and hugged Tempest’s body tightly. “I'm sorry, Honey…” she whispered in her ear.

“We’re going to glide down now.” Tempest said with a satisfied smile, happy that at last her little lover was safe. “Nothing to be sorry for, love.” She scanned the ground and was very pleased to see a little coastal village just a mile ahead. “Airy was going to ask for a rest break after our tag game, you just beat her to it.”

When her headset informed her that Airmail was only a thousand feet away, Wildfire lowered her head into Tempest's unruly black mane, still holding on tight. “Did...did it at least look cool?”

Tempest had to admit that the dive had looked very cool, even more so when she was sure her lover wasn’t out of control. “Is that the ride you gave Mapper?” she asked, thinking back to the ride back to the palace after the big fancy meal and the show they had put on back in Canterlot the week before.

Utterly breathless, Airmail was really winded as she at last caught up with Tempest and Wildfire. “We...are, are we lan...ding?” she breathed, sounding remarkably like a ninety year old asthmatic pony who had just run the marathon of her life.

“Y-Yuppers...the inverted dive...” Wildfire gasped, she was sure Tempest could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. “M-Mistress really loved it…Airy, I’m sorry Airy, you sounded really worried when I rolled and dived.”

Airmail nodded, still not fully in control of her breathing. “I...was...”

“There’s a little rest stop,” Tempest said, pointing out the coastal village she had seen a few seconds before, “let's get us some snacks and coffee.”

“I'm so sorry babe...” Wildfire whispered quietly, keeping her head well down in Tempest’s mane, “I was in control until I tried to pull up. The um, the wind felt like it was pulling my wings off.”

“You okay, Airy?” Tempest asked, casting a worried glance over at her struggling herd-mate.

“Fine, I’m fine, as...long as we...glide,” Airmail answered, her azure blue wings wide and stiff.

Wildfire felt horrid, and was in the process of beating herself up over her mistake. “I really...thought I could...pull it off this time, Honey.”

“You tried,” Tempest replied comfortingly as she flew a little closer to Airmail, “and that does matter.”

Airmail saw that Tempest was closer to her, she took the opportunity to briefly caress Wildfire’s flank with her stiff wingtip. “S-Still love...you, Wily.”

Wildfire however still felt extremely guilty and wretched. “I didn't mean to worry you. The Point Two said you were right under me, so I dived.”

“Almost had...you too,” Airmail gasped, “you are fast!”

Wildfire managed a brief shaky smile in her fiancé’s direction. “I guess it was a little mean, diving after you climbed all that way to get me.”

“All is fair in tag.” Tempest announced like she was reading a rulebook, “after all, I misted you.”

Now, Wildfire actually giggled at that. All of a sudden she felt a little bit better about things. “Yuppers, I thought that was a treat for catching you up. I was gonna go a bit lower before pulling up, I'm kinda glad I didn't now.”

Arriving at the little village, Tempest made haste to locate and land at a little local diner that was still open and Airmail landed thankfully beside her. “I'm glad too,” she said as she looked over the tiny little diner, a Hay-In-The-Bale outlet, “I can't move trees like Mapper can.”

On very wobbly legs, Wildfire slid off Tempest's back and sat on her haunches, her head down to the sidewalk. She was so focussed on her error that she didn’t notice the beautiful sea air or wonder where they were. “That was a dumb move to pull, wasn't it?” she mumbled to the ground.

“You aren't dumb,” Airmail stated definitely as she stepped closer to the despondent Wildfire and, nuzzling her cheek, lifted her head up until she was able to kiss her. “But, you are still youthful. Would have been cool if you pulled off, right?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed as she returned the kiss. Her mood flipped a complete one eighty, she giggled, “It would've been super awesomes!” In sheer excitement she buzzed her tired wings, “I knew you were above and Stormy was below, I was gonna spin around and fly back between you both…”

“I'm just glad Stormy is both fast and strong at flying.” Airmail interrupted her tiny mare before she could enter into another self-deprecating rant. Tempest, rolling her eyes, had hoofed open the door and was holding it for them to enter. “Hi there,” Airmail trotted up to the counter mare, “three coffees and some daisy sandwiches please.”

The caramel coloured earth pony mare nodded and flashed Airmail a practised smile. “Coming right up, ma’am.”

Tempest led them over to an empty table and they all sat down, Airmail next to Wildfire, and Tempest opposite them both. “Yuppers, so am I, Pretty.” Wildfire was very, very grateful that Tempest was as good a flyer as she was. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.

“Two sugars for you, my dear Wily?” Airmail asked when the waitress set the tray down on their table between them.

“Please, Pretty.”

“At least I have my breath back,” Airmail smiled as she dunked two sugar cubes into Wildfire’s coffee and slid it and a sandwich in front of her. “You want some pepper sauce on your daisies?”

“Yes please…” Wildfire went quiet as she thought for a moment on what Airmail and Tempest had both said to her outside the little diner. “Um, was I really fast?”

Tempest, looking around the diner, was pleased to find it was like a miniature version of Caffeinated’s coffee shop, from the black and white checked floor tiles to the pale blue painted walls. She approved. “Yes you were,” she replied to Wildfire, her head snapping out of her musings, “You made me work to catch you.”

“Left me in your draft, you did.” Airmail smirked, playfully nipping Wildfire’s left ear.

Wildfire beamed, bouncing a little from the praise she was getting from the two older ponies with her. Feeling rather more buoyed than she had before, she took a happy sip of her coffee. “Hey, does that mean I'm getting better?” she asked, reaching for her sandwich.

Tempest considered that for a second, mulling it over with a few bites of her own sandwich before she answered. “You are getting stronger, to be sure.”

“You still are young and brash though,” Airmail smiled as she kissed Wildfire’s cheek, “and I love you for it.”

Wildfire returned the kiss, aiming for lips but getting cheek. “So, you like me pulling crazy manoeuvers?”

“I don't mind when you have back up.” Airmail clarified gently but firmly. “Think what would have happened if you had been alone.”

“I'd be a Wily coloured smear on the ground by now…” Wildfire replied, lowering her head to the table, her muzzle hitting her sandwiches.

“But you're not,” Tempest interjected, leaning over the table and lifting up Wildfire’s head with her hoof, “and that is what matters, Wily.”

Wildfire nodded thoughtfully. “I um, I panicked when my wings didn't work...Honey, you had to tell me to glide. I would've fallen on my own.” She knew that for a fact.

Airmail wasn’t having any of this anymore. “Hey, don't beat yourself up over this,” she said as she swallowed her sandwich along with a gulp of coffee. “Any landing you walk away from is a good landing, and a lesson well learned. I bet somepony is going to be practicing in the lake, I think.”

“Damn right I will, Pretty.” Wildfire smiled, her coffee tasting a lot better now. “Will somepony be cheering me on?”

“That will have to be me.” Tempest said with a sly grin over at Airmail, who simply stuck out her tongue and put on an air of indifference. “Airy will be in a beach chair sucking on a beer.”

Wildfire giggled, “as long as she saves me a beer.”

Airmail shrugged, “It's a big cooler.”

“Awesomes!” Wildfire giggled, brightening up even further, “I guess I didn't do that badly, did I?”

Airmail nodded at that, her hoof resting tenderly on Wildfire’s. “As soon as I get my wind back, we can finish the flight home.”

“We have time Airy,” Tempest said thoughtfully, munching slowly on a peppered daisy sandwich, “you're off tomorrow and I have no scheduled work to do.”

“Yuppers Pretty,” Wildfire agreed, “there's totally no rush.”

Airmail giggled before reaching for her coffee, “That's good as I'm not rushing.”

“Oh Pretty, you're not up for a huge race back home then?” she asked with a giggle, affectionately nuzzling Airmail's shoulder. “Airy, I'm really sorry I scared you up there.”

“As well you should be.” Airmail smiled, sharing a series of quick silent ear flicks with Tempest as she returned the nuzzle to her fiancé’s cheek and neck. “I need you to marry me before I can get the insurance money.”

Tempest giggled while Wildfire sniggered, she knew deep down right then that she was absolutely and completely forgiven, by Airmail and Tempest. “Well, the last time I scared you that bad, you spanked my flank and wouldn't let me cum for like, aaaaages, so I thought I'd get the apology in while I had the chance.”

“Apology accepted.” Airmail smiled, she recalled that day, that Monday now that seemed so far away. Wildfire had indeed scared her when she had pretended that she hadn’t got the firefighter’s job. Just like she had quite deservedly punished her on the bed later that day. “So, you're not in trouble and any spanking done is out of love for you.”

“Aw!” the blind mare let out a little squee, and in typically reserved ‘Wily style’, wrapped her forelegs around Airmail and peppered her muzzle with many kisses. “Aren't you just the best?” although, that said, she did nuzzle her warily, “and the orgasm denial?”

“Not tonight,” Airmail made up her mind following another set of ear flicks between herself and Tempest. “I want you too tired to play straight at Mortal Kombat tomorrow night.”

Wildfire, giggling with relief, slumped back in the seating pad in the diner. “Phew…that's alright then!” she smiled, reaching for the rest of her coffee. “I can stand losing a few games to your hacked character if it means I get bucked silly.”

“Well, that isn't much of a challenge,” Tempest snarked as she too drained the coffee in her cup, “you're silly already Wily.”

“Yuppers, and I'm proud of it too,” Wildfire grinned, “cos I'm young and I’m allowed to be silly until I grow up!” She giggled at that, “plus I'll be trying to hold the controller with sore hooves.”

Setting her own empty cup down, Airmail's voice turned deadly serious. “And, I'm not allowed to be silly?”

“That depends Pretty,” Wildfire smiled, “have you grown up? My mum used to say 'You're only as old as the pony you feel'.”

With a wide smile on her face, the forty eight year old lead editor ran a forehoof over Wildfire’s chest and belly. “In that case, I'm feeling pretty young then.” Airmail caught Tempest’s eye then, and again, they shared ear flicks between them. A more serious set of flicks as Airmail questioned her herd-mate. Finally, she was satisfied. “You’re young enough to fly some more.”

Nodding, for she knew she was right in this, Tempest reached over and patted Wildfire’s hoof with her own. “Set your system for home then love, as we will be somewhere.” Again, she caught Airmail’s concerned look, but she shook her head. After the very near miss, she knew Wildfire needed to do this, for the sake of her burgeoning independence.

“I gotcha Honey,” Wildfire really did understand, she understood the amount of trust and faith that her two lovers were about to place in her, given what had just happened in the sky. “You two let me know if you enjoy ‘somewhere’.” She flicked the activation button of her headset with her tongue. “Point Three, direction and distance.”

Airmail giggled like a little filly behind her hoof, “Wily, I'd recommend you exiting the building first, love.”

Wildfire pouted dramatically in an attempt to cover her faux pas. “And here I was going to Power Pony my way through the wall, too.”

“Well, you could,” Tempest laughed, “but there might be the arch villain Refrigerator in your way.”

“Aaah Refrigerator...my nemesis!” Wildfire declared loudly, drawing the attention of an elderly couple of zebra stallions snuggling over by the far window who were the only other patrons in the diner. “Very well, citizen Tempest, I shall avail myself of this 'door' you speak of, then I shall away post haste to Maretropolis to do honourable battle once more!” to accentuate her declaration, she made a very heroic pose on the seating pad that earned her generous applause from the two watching stallions.

Airmail snickered, bowing generously to the two stallions and their kind applause. “See how cute she is, Stormy?”

“I do,” Tempest giggled, “I do, and sat here I feel safer all ready.”

Wildfire giggled, carefully standing down from her heroic pose. “I'll feel you soon Pretty. Stormy, you look after her. You're my super pony deputy till you get home.”

“Wow…” Airmail was suitably impressed. “You have a promotion. So Deputy Stormy, what shall we do now?”

“Ha, ha.” Wildfire smiled, “just be safe doing whatever it is you're doing in Somewhere. I do want kisses before I let you go though.”

Immediately, Tempest slid off of her seating pad and, moving around the table, pulled Wildfire into a bone crushing hug and placed a lip lock on her such that she struggled to breathe after a few seconds, checking that she had no daisies in her teeth. Tempest decided to double check by running her tongue through Wildfire’s mouth a second time. “Yes,” she said breathlessly, “it is good to be the deputy.”

In return, Wildfire stole a quick kiss from Tempest’s lips. “Awesomes!” to Airmail, she turned to face her scent, “Pretty, kiss please.”

“Not sure if I need to use a napkin first,” Airmail smiled, “you have Stormy drool all over your...” Airmail didn’t finish her sentence and instead she applied a very severe lip lock as well as a thorough tonsil inspection.

As she had the chance, Wildfire flicked her tongue over Airmail’s before breaking the kiss so she could breathe. “Alrighty, I'm off home. I'll even get the coffee on for you once I'm done battling the fridge.”

“Okay, but you be careful,” Airmail giggled, “The fridge has upgraded to magnet power.”

“At least you’re immune to the cute drawings on it,” Tempest giggled.

“I borrowed Harry Trotters cloak of blindness to protect me from cute overload.” Wildfire giggled, then she whispered, “Just in case of sneak attacks.” She paused to blow them both a kiss and, trotting to the exit, she rechecked the direction and distance of Point Three, which was their home. Immediately, her headset returned with ‘Point Three, twenty eight degrees, seventy two miles.’ Turning just right of north, to face twenty eight degrees, Wildfire took off towards the north east, 28 humming to herself as she flew at a steady sixty five miles per hour.

Back in the quaint little diner, the two old zebra stallions had gone back to cuddling, and Airmail and Tempest both decided to indulge in a coffee refill. They also took the opportunity to make some phone calls while they were alone with each other. Wildfire, on the other hoof, performed a couple of easy left and right barrel rolls for fun as she hit the chorus of 'Prettiest Eyes'.

“Should we turn off our transponders?” Airmail asked, her brown eyes glued to the rapidly diminishing speck that was her fiancé as she disappeared into the darkening early evening sky.

Tempest shook her head. “What good will that do?” she asked seriously, “she'll know if we do.”

“Yeah,” Airmail agreed with that. She was also worried that Wildfire would suddenly panic if her transponders were switched off with no warning. “I guess it doesn't matter that she can track us going home.”

Wildfire, now out of visual range of the diner, now angled herself up to climb back up to twenty thousand feet. She knew up this high it would be easier to fly as the air was thinner. Increasing her speed to seventy, she was left alone with her thoughts. Chief among these was the fact that she was indeed alone. ‘Hmm, I’d better stop arsing about doing rolls, I'm solo and I'm not smearing on the ground…’

“Let’s give her space to get home.” Tempest smiled over the table, very grateful that Airmail came around to her side and snuggled into her side. “She has directions. She has a card key, and the smoke detector works.”

“I'm sure she can do coffee,” Airmail stated definitely, snuggling a little deeper into her lover’s violet flank. “How long to get there with me on your back?”

“Twenty five minutes with take-off and landing.”

Airmail nodded at that. “Enough time to have coffee ready.” Just in case though, so that they’d be ready, Airmail reached into her bag and pulled out her home security monitor while Tempest waved for another refill to pass the time.

Flying along comfortably at her current speed of seventy miles per hour, Wildfire had another thought. “Point One and Two, direction and distance.” Immediately, her headset responded. ‘Point One, one hundred and eighty degrees, negative sixty degrees, five miles. Point Two, one hundred and eighty degrees, negative sixty degrees, five miles.’ That actually stunned and surprised Wildfire for a few moments. ‘Wow...I actually am on my own...first time since that shopping trip that Monday...oh, I'd so best not mess this up!’

As the little blind pegasus flew on towards Manehatten, she kept checking the locations of her two transponders. Periodic checks did indeed show her that the pair hadn't moved. At ten miles out from her home city, Wildfire got a warning over her flight headset. "Pegasus traffic is restricted to a maximum altitude of ten thousand feet.”

Wildfire, responding to the traffic warning, grinned to herself as she descended from twenty to ten thousand feet. ‘I wonder what they're plotting back there…’ reaching the required altitude for the traffic zones in and around Manehatten, Wildfire knew she was approaching the city proper. To her mouthpiece, she requested, “Active Traffic Mode.”

Thankfully, the flight through the city was uneventful. There was a couple of soft target collision alarms, but she responded to them as she should, and no further incident happened on the flight back to the red bricked town house where she lived by the lake. The only alarm she received was the one for Point Three, alerting her to the fact it was now at negative ninety degrees.

“Negative ninety…that's below me...” she said aloud as she began her descent to the ground. “Range to ground.” Her headset began a countdown and gave her a proximity warning at a thousand feet. Carrying on, Wildfire eventually landed in the back yard of their house, on the grass by the old oak tree. Trotting up onto the decking, she skipped outside the door, thoroughly pleased with her little self that she'd made it home safely in one piece.

Almost as an afterthought, as she reached in her bag for the card key, she checked her transponders. Her headset told her that both points were now seventy two miles away. “Oh, I see,” she giggled, “diner coffee without me!” Giggling at the thought, she had another. “Canterlot Residential Cemetery, direction, distance.”

Straightaway, her headset computed what its wearer wanted to know and came back with a result. ‘Canterlot Residential Cemetery, two hundred and sixty seven degrees, one thousand nine hundred and eighty six miles.”

Wildfire smiled a slightly sad smile to herself as she swiped her security card key through the reader and hoofed open the door. “Rest well mum,” she said to the otherwise empty house. She had a lot to talk about with her mum after what she had learnt back in Trottingham. “I'll be seeing you soon, 'kay? We really need to have a chat.”

Airmail, who had just sunk her fourth coffee in the little diner, was immediately alerted by the flashing green light on her security reader. “Wily's key card just disabled the system!”

Likewise, Tempest swallowed her coffee. “Ready to fly?”

Airmail looked up at her lover and her herd-mate. “With you, always.”

Entering the kitchen, Wildfire took several moments to familiarise herself once more with the layout of the work surfaces and where things were. It had after all been a week since she had been here. In her eagerness to reacquaint herself with the kitchen, Wildfire forgot to turn off her headset. ‘Point One, seventy eight degrees, seventy miles. Point Two, seventy eight degrees, seventy miles.’ Wildfire giggled, “Oh I get it, I disable the security, then they take off…” with that, she busied herself with filling the kettle and flipped it on to boil. “Now...mugs.”

As she pulled the mugs from the cupboard, Wildfire was receiving a near constant update on her transponders. She quickly figured out that there was no way Airmail could fly that fast, certainly not as fast as was being reported. Added to that the fact that both points were always the same distance, Wildfire guessed what was happening as she spooned in the coffee and listened to her points getting closer. “I wonder what the fare is on Stormy Cabs...I'll have to ask if it's a kiss per mile…”

Shrugging off her saddlebag, Wildfire retrieved her scrapbook and her mother’s medal and, setting them both down on the kitchen table, she waited while the kettle boiled. Both of her transponders were fifty four miles away when the water started to boil. Bustling over to the kettle, Wildfire made sure to be very, very careful when it came to adding the water with her hoof while checking the water level with a wingtip for each mug.

When Wildfire finally had the coffee ready, her headset told her that Airmail and Tempest were thirty miles out. Knowing they weren’t long away now, she got a tray and carefully carried the three mugs over to the table, using a wing to find it before sitting back down with her scrapbook. “Why?” she asked it as she opened the book up at the fourth page that she knew held her mother’s picture. “Why didn't you say anything, mum? Why?”

Airmail and Tempest were five miles out when Wildfire’s cell phone rang, disturbing the diminutive blind mare’s many thoughts regarding her mother and what she had, and had not, done. “Wily,” Tempest said once Wildfire had found her phone and answered the call, “Could you please make your way to the tub and get in it?”

“Yuppers Honey, will do!” Wildfire answered.

“Too much coffee!” Airmail yelled, managing to make herself heard on Tempest’s back.

“I gotcha, Pretty.” Wildfire giggled and, once Tempest had hung up, she set her phone down on the table next to her scrapbook and she got up from the seating pad, leaving the scrapbook open and the medal out. “Saved by the bell mum, but we will talk about this, I promise you that.” With that, she made her way over to the stairs and ascended up to the landing, counting the doors along to the bathroom.

As she climbed up the stairs, Wildfire heard the range quickly go down from miles to feet until they are twenty five feet away. Wildfire quickly hopped in the bath, laying back to rest her head on the side as she at last turned off the headset, listening intently.

After a moment she giggled to herself, “I don't think I want pee on this suit…” very quickly, she peeled herself out of the advanced flight suit and, removing it and the headset, she laid both of them on the floor out of the way beside the tub. “I bet the dry cleaning bill would be huge!”

Just then, tack door opened and two ponies charged up the stairs. Wildfire snorted out a laugh. “The stealthy cat burglars have arrived!”

Tempest was the first in the bathroom and she jumped into the wide bathtub next to Wildfire and laid down like she was. “Ready Airy!” the violet weather mare called out, excited and breathless as Airmail followed her in and hovered up so that she could straddle both Tempest and Wildfire. Lifting up her summer green tail, she pressed her forehoof to her belly and with a deep sigh she relaxed her bladder muscles and released her hot stream of piss over the two of them.

Immediately, as soon as the first drops hit her nose, Wildfire opened her mouth in an attempt to catch some of the hot urine that spattered all over her face and muzzle. “So,” she said as the yellow rain hit her face, “how much was the fare Pretty?”

“Lots and lots of coffee!” Airmail moaned with a deep sigh in her voice, her stream seemingly never ending.

Wildfire drank some more, allowing some of the piss to splash on her face, she felt some of the hot steaming liquid pool in the bathtub under her. “Stormy Cabs is best taxi!”

Once her stream had at last diminished, Airmail let out a very contented sigh. “That was hard to hold in.”

“Out,” Tempest squealed as soon as Airmail’s stream had ran out, “It’s my turn.” Straightaway, Airmail exited the tub, hovering over to the sink to thoroughly wash and scrub her hooves as Tempest took her place.

“Ooh do I get more?” Wildfire asked as she licked her lips, “I am a lucky little mare today!”

“We get more…” Tempest clarified kindly as she straddled Wildfire’s chest. Unlike Airmail, she sat very low on the yelloe pegasus’s body, she was almost rubbing her marehood on her yellow fur. A deep sigh and a clenching of her abdominal muscles later and Tempest’s urine hit Wildfire’s body. Dry humping her as she pissed, Tempest used her hooves to direct the stream everywhere to make a real mess in the tub.

“Hmmm…” Wildfire giggled, “I like that...” she stroked a forehoof though her wet stinking fur, lifting the sodden hoof to her lips for a thorough licking. Tempest, once her own stream had ran out, leant forward and passionately kissed Wildfire’s lips. Wildfire returned the kiss just as passionately, sliding their tongues together they spent minutes tasting each other and the urine. As Tempest rubbed her body against her little herd-mate’s, Wildfire giggled as she kissed her way down Tempest's wet body. “This is wonderfully dirty, Honey.”

“It isn't dirty,” Tempest protested, “there is no mud on me. Just good wet fun!” she smiled as she nibbled on Wildfire’s dripping wet black mane.

“I'm glad there isn't,” Wildfire cooed, squirming all the time under Tempest’s tender loving touch, “I'd have to ask you to clean it off first.” Tempest giggled at that and rolled over, dragging Wildfire up on top of her. “Whoa!” she exclaimed, her weight falling on top of the violet pony, squishing her into the shallow puddle in the tub.

As Wildfire began kissing and nibbling Tempest’s neck, she tasted Airmail’s pee, while Airmail herself giggled and left the bathroom now that her hooves were sparkling clean. Tempest leaned up and kissed Wildfire’s pee stained cheek. “I'll be here for you for this.”

“Thanks Honey,” Wildfire smiled, adding slurpy little kisses to the licks she was delivering to Tempest’s neck.

Tempest giggled, “You taste wonderful, did you already relieve yourself?”

“Oh no,” Wildfire shook her head, “I haven't gone since visiting Wind's bathroom earlier.” She smiled though as a delicious little thought crept into her head along with a familiar little cramp that crept into her abdomen. “I kinda need to though, now you mention it.”

“You are on top,” Tempest reminded her, her voice hitching up a little in anticipation.

“Why, so I am!” Wildfire had a gleeful smile on her face as she pushed herself upright so that she was sat straddling Tempest’s belly just as she released her own hot steaming stream. “So...you left your points switched on?” she sighed as she pissed all over Tempest’s violet belly, even grinding herself down to force the stream everywhere.

“Thought you'd worry if we turned them off,” Tempest replied as she used her hooves to spread the piss all over her chest.

“Mmm…that's sweet, but I was cool,” Wildfire said as her stream started to putter out. “I minded what you said about being careful going solo, and I listened to my directions.”

“No problems then, on the return flight?”

“Nopes!” Wildfire squealed and, as she finished her pee, she leaned forward to wrap Tempest up in a tight hug so that the hot urine was squelched between them both. “I barrel rolled twice, sang a little song, climbed to twenty thousand and I flew at seventy. Before I knew it I was home.”

Very much impressed, Tempest kissed Wildfire’s nose. “And your mind didn't think of all the things we might be doing?”

Wildfire blushed at that. “Um, a little, I checked your positions once or twice. “I noticed you hadn't moved. I figured you wanted some alone time, y'know, just you and Airy.”

“Aw, that was sweet of you to think that,” Tempest smiled, “Truth is we thought you needed some alone time. Not to prove anything to us, but to yourself.”

Wildfire got it. She knew that Tempest was referring to the very close near miss that had happened while they had been playing tag, and she was pleased that they had given her the space. “I was kinda chuffed I managed it on my own, and I was tempted to go nuts and do something crazy, but like you said, time and a place for being a silly filly, and a time for doing as I was told and flying properly.”

“You were asked to go home without us.” Tempest commented gently but firmly, “How you did that was up to you. Until you disabled the security system there was no way for us to track you.”

“Exactly!” Wildfire made an excited little squee as she rubbed herself against Tempest’s body, once more squishing their wet fur together. “There was no way for you to know if I binned it and smeared on the ground.”

“We trust you Wily.” Tempest said definitely, “And we love you enough to let you go. I was happy when you answered the phone. Airy was afraid she'd piss on me mid-flight.”

“I had a feeling you'd ring, and you didn't interrupt anything that can't wait.” Wildfire smiled as she kissed Tempest’s lips, “thanks, for letting me go on my own, Honey.”

Tempest simply squeezed her little lover just that bit tighter to her at that. “You're welcome, Wily. Being able to doesn't mean you have to, but that you can when you want to.” As soon as she said that, she sniffed herself, as well as Wildfire in the tub. While she enjoyed watersports, she knew Airmail wouldn’t let them within five miles unless they cleaned up. “After we shower though, we'll drink that coffee I smelled coming in and I think there is some of Thespy's black forest cake waiting in the fridge.”

Immediately, Wildfire brightened up, if that was even necessary. “Oh well, that's alright then!” after one more very deep kiss, Wildfire sat up and felt blindly for the shower controls. Tempest laid back and watched, not helping, confident she could do it.

After a moment, Wildfire found the faucets and, with hot water pouring over them both, Wildfire and Tempest both shampooed each other. “Plus,” Tempest smiled as she worked the scented soap into Wildfire’s mane and fur, “now that I've made room for coffee, it’s time to drink what you made for us.”

“I just managed to get it done before you and Airy came home.” Wildfire replied as she too massaged the shampoo deep into Tempest’s violet fur, “I hope you like it, I even remembered where everything was!”

“Ah,” Tempest tried very hard to supress her giggles, “but did you put everything back when you were done. No lids on the worktops?” she asked, knowing full well that the lids had been left off of the coffee and the sugar jars. Wildfire had, she noticed, put the milk away. On that note she made a reminder to thank Thespian for replacing the perishables while they had been away.

“Oh...” Wildfire blushed, only just remembering the coffee jar. “Well, maybe the coffee lid kinda found its way off the jar...”

The giggles that Tempest was supressing burst forth, “You are soooooo in trouble!” she sang in a singsong voice.

Wildfire hung her head just a little. “I know...but Honey, there was a thing, and it happened, then you rang...and I forgot...sorry…”

“Time for black forest cake and coffee, then we’ll go from there.” Tempest replied and, once they were both sufficiently cleaned and dried, she led the way back down the stairs, going down considerably slower than when she charged up them.

Airmail was sat at the kitchen table, she looked up when she heard hoof-steps coming down the stairs. She saw Wildfire following Tempest and she grinned. “I was worried you both went down the drain.” She giggled, taking a sip of her coffee. “This is good coffee Wily, but you really do need to put stuff away correctly. At least you turned off the gas.”

“Thanks Airy, I’m sorry about that.” Wildfire shuffled her hooves nervously in the kitchen, “I um, I was distracted.”

“So,” Airmail giggled, “you are going to blame Stormy's phone call?”

Wildfire shook her head, “oh no...well, not entirely, maybe it put me off a little, but while the kettle was boiling I got the scrapbook out…” she rested her forehoof on the table and found the book was still there where she had left it, “I know I can't read it, I just wanted to touch the pictures.”

“Okay,” Airmail admitted, pulling Wildfire into a tight hug and sitting her down on the pad next to her, “it is a beautiful book, even by hoof. Still, you put away the coffee without a lid!”

Quickly, Wildfire returned the kiss to her fiancé’s lips. “I know...and I shouldn't use mum as an excuse either...I’m sorry, Pretty.”

“Yeah, you need to save that for a good time, like the dishes.” Tempest laughed out loud as she sat down at the table and took up her still warm coffee, “like, ‘sorry, gotta go, I hear my mum calling,’ sort of thing.”

Somewhat calmer, Wildfire took a sip of her own coffee. “How was the cab ride home, Airy?” she asked with a little giggle, “I assumed you hitched a lift, your transponder returns were too close together and too fast to be otherwise.”

Airmail shrugged, “I know when it's time to let others help me.”

“And she is still an independent cuss.”

“Backseat flier?” Wildfire snickered, “I bet she was all 'there's a tree over there, careful, or watch out for that lake'?”

Again, Tempest laughed, though this time she struggled not to spit coffee everywhere. “No, the worse part was the old mare drooling on me after she fell asleep.”

Wildfire giggled when she heard Airmail deliver a perfect raspberry to Tempest. “You’d better keep the false teeth in Pretty, maybe you won't drool so much?”

Playfully, Airmail nipped Wildfire’s ear. “All the better to bite you, my dear.”

“Eeek!” Wildfire squealed at the sudden bite, thankfully she wasn’t holding her coffee mug at the moment Airmail bit her ear, “y-yes, oh big bad wolf.”

As Airmail howled up into the kitchen ceiling, Tempest facehooved. “Please, Wily, don't get her started.”

Wildfire just snorted out a laugh, “I don't think you need to worry about being silly, Airy.”

“I don't know,” Airmail sniffed, affecting an air of indifference, “you're a major challenge for all the silly ones in the herd.”

“Oh good!” In a very good imitation of Airmail, Wildfire howled as loudly as she could. She could almost hear Tempest’s second facehoof. “I need to keep you all on your hooves!”

“That you are, my fine mare.” Tempest grinned around her facehoof, “The serious ones will hold onto the scorecards.”

“I should hope so!” Wildfire put on her very finest Canterlot accent as she took a delicate sip of her coffee, “growing up doesn't mean growing old, and if someponie's keeping score, I want to win!” she pulled a very heroic pose before finishing her coffee and reverting to her regular tone of voice, “that really wasn't bad. I'll have to make it more often.”

“Yes,” Airmail giggled, “you will.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire snickered, “and who knows, with more practise I'll be able to clean up afterwards…”

Tempest leaned over the table and squeezed Wildfire’s hoof with her own. “You don't have to clean up on your own, Wily,” she explained tenderly, “just ask for help and we'll be happy to do so.”

“I know Honey,” Wildfire’s smile grew larger when her hoof was squeezed. She knew her lover and her herd-mate had her interests at heart. “And sometimes I will, but I really want to do stuffs by myself.”

Airmail piped up then, for she wanted Wildfire to know how she felt too. “And both of us want you to do stuff on your own, like flying from Fillydelphia to Manehatten.” Just like Tempest had done, she squeezed Wildfire’s hoof with her own. “Did you get any warnings close to town?” she asked, curious to know just how Wildfire had coped with the Manehatten traffic system.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded eagerly, “ten miles out, I got a max altitude warning from the traffic system to descend to ten thousand feet, I was up at twenty most of the way.” She leant in close and tenderly kissed Airmail, “it was really cool flying like that.”

Tempest snorted and Airmail rolled her eyes, “yes it certainly is cooler at altitude.”

Wildfire giggled, “well yeah, but I meant like, following my flight gear's instructions as opposed to you two calling out directions and stuff…”

“We got it,” Tempest interrupted her little lover, “that was just Airy trying to play the straight mare on the comedy team.”

“Ah I see,” Wildfire giggled when she realised she had been had. She fell for it every single time, and she didn’t care. “The freedom really was, well, cool. I could've asked it for anywhere and just gone. I'm glad I didn't though, I'm not up to flying one thousand nine hundred and twenty six miles to Canterlot Cemetery just yet.”

Tempest’s hoof once more found Wildfire’s foreleg. “Keep up the practice and you'll be able to do that in two days.” She stated very confidently.

“Oh I'll keep up the practice,” Wildfire declared, just as confidently, “but not for just taking off when I feel like it, I got the work starting Monday morning.”

“Poor Wildfire,” Airmail sighed a very dramatic little sigh, “reduced to the working class just like the rest of us.”

“II know right?” Wildfire grumped playfully, “I should just get paid for being sexy and awesomes!”

Airmail and Tempest both giggled at that, and, following several quiet ear flicks, Airmail got up and retrieved the black forest cake from the fridge, seeing as she was closest. “You could,” she said as she served them each a very generous piece, “but I’m not sure that is a job you'd like.”

Tempest’s blue eyes were wide indeed when her slice of cake was placed in front of her. “You did do well on Coco's runway for that lingerie show, though.”

“I sure did, well I wanted to please you both. So I made sure to put on a good show…” Wildfire went quiet when she sniffed black forest cake under her nose. It was a concerted effort to not bury her face in the bowl. “It’s a good thing Serenity coughed though otherwise I'd have been off the edge on my ass, giving you all a different show.”

“A reminder that just because you can do it on your own, you don't have to.” Airmail said serenely as she placed a spoon touching Wildfire’s hoof and taking a reserved bite out of her own piece of cake.

“Don't worry Pretty, I know when to shout for help when I need to,” Wildfire commented, though she was thinking primarily of the ‘Wildflower’ code word when she said that. She just hoped against hope that she wouldn’t ever have to use it. “It's just good y'know, being able to do it myself.”

“That it is love, that it is.” Airmail smiled as she took another spoonful of her cake, “I'm proud of you for making it home, to our home.”

“Aw, thanks babes!” Wildfire, with a mouthful of cake, gave her fiancé a cake flavoured kiss, “I was kinda proud of my little self too!” she smiled then, actually genuinely proud, too. “I suppose it does sound better like that, 'our' home.”

“It is what it is,” Airmail commented, “Now then, are you enjoying your cake?”

“Yuppers! This cake's amazing!”

Tempest snickered, “I'll be sure to let Thespy know you approve, Wily.”

With that, Airmail flicked her ears in a complex pattern that Tempest immediately picked up on. Questioningly she flicked her ears in reply, to which the azure blue lead editor nodded. Since Wildfire had left the lids off the coffee and the sugar, some discipline was in order. “Please excuse me for a few minutes, love, I'll be right back.”

“Alrighty Pretty!” Wildfire, completely oblivious to the silent communication between the two older ponies, was focussed on her cake. “I thought it was Thespian's,” she commented as she heard Airmail’s hoof-steps disappear up their stairs. “We had one like it after the open mic night, remember?”

“True, but most of them were lost to Luna.” Tempest had her head cocked to one side, apparently in thought. She knew what Airmail had planned for the evening’s fun, but she was curious to see just how clueless Wildfire actually was to what was about to happen. “So, no troubles, or issues on the flight here?” she tried very hard to keep her voice natural, “Wing muscles feeling fine?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire answered, having already assessed herself on the way back. “Everything was sweet, I kept up a steady seventy, there were no cramps, tweaks or twinges. You have no idea how nice that is after those years of having them broken. Just to fly and not hurt.”

Tempest thought about that for a moment. “You're right, I do have no idea, nor do I want one.” She said, though she was mindful of the time that Airmail had shot her and blown her feather in half. “You did really good Wily, I can't say that enough. Tomorrow you can do some underwater swimming at the lake. After I'll preen you while Airy gives you a massage. Then the two of you can preen me and both of us preen Airy before we go to Caffy's.”

Wildfire nodded so hard she almost gave herself whiplash. “That sounds like a plan, Honey.”

“I'm going to have you...” whatever Tempest was going to ‘have her’ was unfortunately lost though when Airmail came silently back down the stairs and noisily cleared her throat. Tempest, looking at her herd-mate, had to force her jaw to not drop open. “Judging by what is in your mouth, everything is ready?”

“Yesh.”

Tempest nodded solemnly. “Time for phase two of our little plan, my pet. To the bedroom with you!”

Wildfire grinned the very second that Tempest uttered the word ‘pet’. “Yes Mistress!” immediately the little blind mare got up from her seating pad and she trotted her way through the kitchen and the dining room over to the stairs. Climbing up them, she quickly found the bedroom. Her search wasn’t exactly helped when she felt Airmail trailing a crop along her toned flank.

Just before she reached the bedroom, Wildfire paused at the door as a scent she hadn’t smelled in the house before made its way to her nostrils. Sniffing the air, she tried to place it. “Is…is that sandalwood?” she asked, sniffing all the time, “Hmmm what's that for?”

Stalking silently past Wildfire, Airmail set the crop down on the bed next to the other things she had arranged there. “I like it, what do you think?”

Wildfire was immediately confused. She knew Airmail had walked, because her hoof-steps affected the cadance of her voice like it always did, but she didn’t hear any steps. It was just like her hooves had been muffled again, like Darkstar had done to her back in Octavia’s nursery, but she knew that was impossible now. “I, I think it smells nice.”

“Good,” Airmail smirked for she could see Wildfire’s confusion and she could hazard a guess as to why that was. “I have a variety of incense.”

“Though she used to burn it to get the smell of war out of her nose.” Tempest purred behind Wildfire as she walked past her and stood by the bed.

“Now it’s something to set the mood.”

Wildfire flicked her ears. She was able to follow Tempest’s distinctive hoof-steps easily, but Airmails, it was like she was invisible, especially as the burning sandalwood incense overpowered her usual jasmine fragrance. “I um…I only noticed it cos I haven't smelt it here before. It is nice…” she shuffled her hooves uncertainly.

For their own benefit, the bedroom was lit by a few bunches of sandalwood scented candles placed in the corners where they wouldn't be hit by a stray wing or errant crop. Airmail, stalking over to the bottom of the bed, stood with her legs body width apart. “Come and feel what I'm wearing, Wily.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I’m coming, Airy.” Very quickly, hastening to obey, Wildfire followed the sound of Airmail’s voice. It was all she had to go on and, once she felt her way with a wingtip to the bottom of the bed, she found Airmail’s body. Running a tentative hoof over her, she felt what her fiancé was wearing.

She felt the skin tight body suit that perfectly followed the contours of Airmail’s body. She felt the suit that left only her hooves and eyes exposed, even her tail was tucked down her left leg. All this Wildfire felt, and she was unnerved in the extreme. “Her suit is blacker than Luna's night.” Tempest said in a very hushed, subdued voice. “It is what she wore when hunting.” She licked Wildfire’s ear. “You just might be her prey…”

Nervously, Wildfire shivered, once more touching Airmail's suit. “It…it feels...I dunno, silky...my hoof just slides off it.” If she was honest, it scared her just feeling it, she dreaded to think what she would feel like if she could see it.

“It reflects ground radar too,” Airmail giggled, but even the giggle sounded dangerous. “I'm supposed to look really scary, but I'll just have to see if it feels that way.”

“True,” Tempest commented, “it is hard to scare our Wily with just your looks.”

Wildfire shivered as she once again touched the strange suit, again trying again to feel...anything and coming up with almost nothing. “It feels a little scary,” she said, trying very hard to sound braver than she felt right then. It didn’t really work.

Wasting no further time, Airmail pressed her lips to Wildfire’s. She fancied she could feel her heartbeat hammering away in her little chest. It was…empowering, to know she was this intimidating even when she couldn’t be seen. “Now.” Her very voice was commanding, “I want you to feel the bed and tell me what is there.”

“Let us know if you'd like us to use any of the toys,” Tempest said, resting her hoof supportively on Wildfire’s shoulder.

Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips, very grateful that Tempest’s hoof was there. It helped remind her that this was supposed to be loving and fun. Carefully, she moved back to the bed, feeling with her hooves as she went. Her experienced hooves told her, after a thorough search, that there were four cuffs, with leads attached to the bed posts. Feeling some more, she detected the crop that Airmail had teased her with and, with a shiver, there was a paddle and some toys. Notably a vibrating egg, a butt plug, a gag and a blindfold.

Feeling them all one more time, Wildfire made her mind up. “I'd like you to use them on me,” she pointed to the hoof cuffs, “And the crop, the egg, the plug and the gag, please.”

“Do you want to wear the collar,” Airmail started, her voice considerably softer, more like ‘herself’ than it was literally seconds before, “or are you past that now?”

Almost instinctively, Wildfire reached a hoof up and ran it along the two tone purple and blue collar around her neck. “Y-You um, you can take it off, Airy.” She said nervously.

“We will keep this though,” Airmail said as she slowly, carefully, removed the collar that had been a permanent feature of her fiancé’s neck for the last few weeks. “It will have a special place on the shelf near the feathers.” Placing it reverently on the nightstand by the bed, Airmail turned and kissed Wildfire once more. “Please climb up on the bed Wildfire, but remain standing.”

Smiling, feeling somewhat more at ease with herself and, more importantly, her present situation, Wildfire hopped up on the bed and, doing as she was told, she stood more or less in the centre. With a gentle nudge, Airmail and Tempest helped to centralise her and then they securely fastened the cuffs around her four hooves.

The next thing Wildfire detected was a shift in the weight of the bed, and this close, she smelled a faint hint of jasmine in front of her. Airmail gently kissed her, and yet again, Wildfire felt her heart beating like a huge drum in her chest. “You know that I love you.” The azure blue mare breathed into her lover’s ear.

Wildfire nodded. “Of course I do, Airy.”

“And that Tempest loves you too.”

The diminutive blind mare smiled. “I know with all my soul you both love me.”

“Wildfire, there are no safe words in sharing pleasure.” Airmail continued, not moving from her position in front of her fiancé on the bed. In the half-light offered by the bunches of flickering candles, she appeared to glow, “Just speak what you wish and we shall do so to please you and us, and we will do the same.”

Wildfire nodded, “I got it…” no sooner had she said that than Airmail kissed her, deeply and passionately. “I love you…” again, Wildfire’s sentence was cut short. This time though, it wasn’t by a tongue, it was cut short by a very slippery hoof tip playing with her tail hole. She hadn’t even noticed Airmail slip around her on the bed. “Hmm,” she wiggled her ass, lifting up her black tail as the hoof tip was withdrawn and, a second later, she felt something larger push against her tail hole until the larger blub slipped past her well used anal ring. “Aaah...” she took several deep breaths as she felt full up.

“Have you been a naughty mare?” Airmail asked, gently but firmly tapping the base of the butt plug.

“Aaah, y-yes Airy,” Wildfire gasped as the plug wiggled inside her, stimulating her anal passage, “yes I have!”

No sooner had Wildfire said that, than Airmail swung the riding crop she held in her hoof. With perfect aim, the end slapped the base of the butt plug, forcing it deeper inside her for just a moment until the muscles of her spread sphincter forced it to sit where it had been. “I love my naughty mare because she is so sexy,” Airmail purred.

Wildfire, wincing from the effects of the slap of the crop on the plug, gasped, “I-I love being naughty!”

Swinging the crop, Airmail delivered two very forceful slaps to Wildfire’s left and right cutie marks, thrilling at how delightfully Wildfire whimpered before her. “Do you like me to be naughty, too?”

Wildfire did indeed whimper, she lifted up her tail and she could feel her marehood begin to leak onto the bedsheets underneath her. “AAaaAAH!” she screamed, “Yes, I love you being naughty!”

Without any warning, Airmail delivered another hard slap to both of Wildfire’s cutie marks. “Do you want to be naughty with my hooves?” she asked, while Tempest watched on, her blue eyes riveted to the action on the bed.

“AAH…Nggh! Gaah…” Wildfire winced at each slap, though her marehood got wetter with each slap too. “Y-Yes I do, v-very naughty!”

Wildfire then heard the sound of a zipper being unzipped, but she didn’t have time to process it as a hard slap landed on her right butt check. “Do you know what my hoof is doing right now?” Airmail asked.

Sniffing the heady scent of arousal that wasn’t hers, Wildfire’s nose told her what Airmail’s hoof was doing. “Oooh!” she tried to concentrate in spite of her own juices leaking down her inner thighs, “I...y-you’re touching yourself with your hoof, Airy.”

“I'm a naughty mare, aren't I?” Airmail asked rhetorically as she slapped Wildfire’s left butt cheek with the crop.

“Aaahn!” Wildfire squealed, “yes, you are naughty!”

Airmail, in her element, grinned. “Does my naughty mare want to lick my hoof?” she herself could only just see her own hoof, thanks to the meagre light from the scented candles.

About to answer, Wildfire paused when she felt the crop was now rubbing against her reddened ass cheeks. She had her mouth open to reply when the next thing she felt was the length of the crop pressed deeply into her sopping wet slit. “Aah…yes please!” she begged, her tail swishing and her wings fluttering in excitement. “I do, very much!”

Airmail ground the crop against her folds, loving the way her juices glistened in the candlelight. Seconds later, her hot wet tongue moved with it. “You are such a naughty mare, wanting to taste my hoof.” Brushing said hoof over Wildfire’s muzzle, she held it in front of her nose. “Reach for it with your tongue.”

Immediately, not wanting to be told twice, Wildfire stuck her tongue out and leant forward, searching the air for Airmail’s hoof. She found it a second later and tasted Airmail’s pussy on her tongue. The lead editor smiled over at the antsy look on her herd-mate’s face. “Stormy wants to mount you, may she?”

Wildfire nodded eagerly, “oh yes she may!” she squeaked, licking her tongue along the toe of Airmail's hoof, loving the taste of her on it. While she was doing that, she heard he squishing sound of Airmail's other hoof and the crop left her backside. As Wildfire was about to whine a little at the loss of contact, she straightaway felt somepony playing with the butt plug and it came alive with intense vibrations.

Once she was satisfied with the cleanliness of her hoof, Airmail switched it for her other hoof as Wildfire felt the weight of hooves on her back. Automatically, the little yellow pegasus shifted her stance a little to take the weight of Tempest bearing down upon her. “Hmmm…” she purred as she sucked Airmail’s pussy juices off the sole of her hoof.

Tempest, in position behind Wildfire, and with the stallionator strapped tightly around her waist, slid her full length into Wildfire’s very wet snatch in one smooth thrust of her hips. She was so wet and aroused that even the medial ring went in with no resistance at all. At her head, Airmail moved from kissing to nibble licking Wildfire's neck. “Ooh…oh wow...Stormy...hmmmm!”

Hearing that, Tempest wasted absolutely no time at all in going to town, for she was intent on rutting Wildfire’s marehood as hard as she could possibly manage. As Tempest picked up her tempo, Airmail’s nibbles turned into bites on her neck and upper shoulder. “YOOOW!” Wildfire screamed as she felt her inner muscles clench around the thrusting invader inside her. “Oh yes!” she braced herself against Tempest's hard rutting thrusts, “ngggh! Airy...”

Wildfire’s heavenly moans and screams were all the encouragement Tempest needed and she slammed into her little lover harder and harder, especially as she was bucking herself at the same time. Likewise, up front, Airmail got rougher, her bites deliciously painful as she moved towards a wing joint. “AAahaaAAH h-holy sh-shit!” Wildfire started shaking and panting, feeling an Equestria shattering orgasm fast approaching. “D-Damn...”

“N-Now…ngggh…now, Airy!” Tempest grunted and Airmail went for Wildfire’s left wing and dived under it.

“Wha...?” Underneath Tempest, Wildfire was at first confused about what Tempest meant by that when she felt Airmail going deep into her wing to tease her erogenous zones with her mouth. “Oooh!” she put those thoughts out of her mind as Tempest slammed in hard and reached her climax, holding Wildfire’s waist tightly as she thrust her shuddering self against her and the vibrating butt plug. “STOOOORMY!” Wildfire screamed her lover’s name as she too came, soaking Tempest's crotch with her cum. “Oooh buuuuuck! Oh buuuuck!”

Tempest, utterly and completely spent, though still deep inside Wildfire, rested her weight on her back just as Airmail emerged from under Wildfire’s wing. “Well done Wily,” Airmail congratulated her fiancé, “I think you wore Stormy out.”

On wobbling legs, Wildfire giggled a soft giggle. “I…I do my best, my loves.”

“Yes,” Tempest breathed, trying to get her breath back, “but some poor pony has yet to come. We can't have that, now can we, Wily?”

“N-No…” Wildfire gasped, also managing, just, to get breath back as she came down from her orgasmic high. “No, we can't…” she breathed while Airmail busied herself with unfastening the four leads from the bedposts and removing the hoof cuffs from Wildfire’s forelegs.

Once that was done, Tempest pulled herself and the toy out of Wildfire’s spread open pussy but she left the vibrating plug in her ass. As soon as the cuffs had been removed, Wildfire flexed her forelegs, “hmm…that was so good!”

Wildfire was pretty sure it was Tempest then, that crawled underneath her and pressed her back against her chest to lift your forehooves up off the bed. Then, she felt a warm cloth between her hooves scrubbing her forehooves very clean indeed. “Wh-Whoo!” she grinned, for she had a shrewd idea as to what was coming next, remembering the disaster of a few days ago.

Once Wildfire’s hooves were absolutely spotless, she felt herself lowered back to the bed. “Well,” Airmail said, trying to keep the level of confidence in her voice, “I know what to expect this time and I'm sure you can do better than last time, right my love?”

Wildfire smiled, “right you are, babes.”

“You want me on my back or on my belly?”

“On your back,” Wildfire directed her fiancé, “Just like last time.”

“What would you like me to do, Wildfire?” Tempest asked, more than willing, in this instance, to defer to the more experienced member of their little herd as Airmail flipped over onto her back and spread her wings out as well as her hind legs.

Wildfire knew what to do. She had this. “Help me get her ready, Stormy. Nibble her neck, play with a breast, whatever gets Airy wettest the fastest.” As she said that, she felt her way down to Airmail's left breast and started to rub around it, teasing her with the sole of her hoof.

Airmail giggled, “then I suggest you do what you do best, Stormy.”

“I’m on it.”

Wildfire giggled, knowing full well that the movement she felt was Tempest moving to begin her signature preening on Airmail’s wing. As soon as Tempest started, and Airmail cooed, Wildfire moved her hoof from Airmail’s breast down to her marehood and she was pleased to feel it glistening wet. “Oooh wow…” she felt around Airmail's puffy lust swollen labia. “Airy, this won't take long…” she then nudged the toe of her hoof into her dripping wet tunnel.

As soon as she entered her, even just a little, Wildfire felt her lover tense up. Tempest also felt Airmail tense up. The violet weather mare decided to fix this. Smiling, she nipped the blue primary feather in her mouth. “Ow!” Airmail squealed, immediately relaxing. “Oh, heh, yeah, don't shorten it on my account. I'm good, go for it, Wily.”

“You sure?” Wildfire asked, very gently pressing forward with her leg, getting the whole front half of her hoof inside her accommodating snatch.

“Oh yeah, I'm good.” Airmail purred, knowing she was on the way to heaven, “Ohh, Sweet Luna, on two fronts!”

“Alrighty Airy,” Wildfire, reassured, slowly inserted her hoof up to the bulbs of her heel, all the time using her other hoof to rub around Airmail’s clitoral hood. Straightaway she heard Airmail begin to pant, while Tempest was lost in the preening and has tuned out the world around her. Forging ahead, Wildfire pushed her hoof in up to her fetlock, she slowed the rubbing of her other hoof.

Feeling her already wet marehood get even wetter as it was spread open by Wildfire’s questing hoof, as well as Tempest’s awesome preening, Airmail’s hind legs spread even wider apart and straightened out while her forehooves dug into the cloud mattress underneath her.

Wildfire, feeling Airmail’s hind legs straighten up, withdrew her foreleg back to the heel of her hoof and pushed it back in a bit further. “Ow!” Airmail squeaked, then she giggled, “Heh, sorry, looks like I'm giving birth or something.”

Wildfire, as soon as heard the ‘ow’, she paused. “Airy, are you okay?”

“Yes, as long as Stormy stops biting.”

Wildfire giggled, “I think she's hungry…” carefully, the little blind mare pushed her foreleg in all the way up to her elbow, pulling out a bit then thrusting back in again.

“Ohhhh,” Airmail moaned, “I'm feeling so full and so good!”

“You're doing awesomes babes,” Wildfire tried her best to reassure her fiancé as she pushed on deeper into her stretched open wet snatch, while with her other hoof she found her hard exposed clitoris.

“Rock me, Wily!” Airmail pleaded as she moved her forehoof to rub at her breast.

“You got it, Airy.” Wildfire smiled as she felt the toe of her hoof reach her lover’s cervix before she pulled back part way and thrust back in again. Airmail, in sheer pleasure, went into spasm around Wildfire’s leg. “Somepony liked that, huh?” she thrust her leg a little harder, each thrust tapping the entrance to her womb.

“Oh, yes, yeeeeeees Wily!” stars exploded across Airmail’s vision as Wildfire pulled her leg out three quarters of the way then thrusts hard back inside again, and Airmail orgasmed long and hard. “Y-Yeeees, yeees Wildfire!”

Feeling her climax and her clenching tunnel squirting cum out with each movement, Wildfire slowed her thrusting down to a much gentler pace, pulling out a little so she could bend down and lap at her crotch. “How was that, sweetie?”

“Mmmmm…Mmmmm…Mmmmm…”

Smirking, Tempest pulled off of the wing the wing she had been preening. “I only got through one wing, so do it again.”

“Yesssssss…” Airmail hissed pleasurably as Tempest moved around the bed to start on the other wing. The azure blue mare’s hiss was cut short when Wildfire slid her hoof back inside her gaping marehood, this time much faster than before as she was so very wet and ready.

Airmail arched her back in an attempt to take more of her lover’s leg inside her snatch. Wildfire slid her leg all the way in as far as it would go and held it there at her cervix as she took a rock hard nipple in her mouth. “Gah! AAaaAAAH!” she screamed and shuddered as a violent orgasm surged through her.

“And I haven't tapped you yet,” Wildfire snickered as she sucked Airmail’s nipple harder, adding little nibbles while her hoof gently tapped at her cervical wall.

A second later and Airmail’s pussy muscles clamped down on Wildfire’s leg. “Ahhhhh!” she screamed, and in response, she pulled her leg out and thrust back in, adding little nips to the nipple she was sucking on. Airmail’s writhing and squirming grew even more frenzied, “AhhHHHHhahaahhHHHHaaAAAAhhh!” Airmail screamed her loudest scream yet as a third momentous orgasm ripped through her.

Wildfire leant over slightly and sucked hard on the other nipple, Airmail bucked her hips hard into Wildfire’s leg before going limp on the bed. “Oh sweet Luna! GAaaAAh!” she let out another weak scream, juice leaking out around Wildfire’s soaking wet foreleg.

Sensing Airmail’s whole body going limp, Tempest poked her head up from the wing she was preening. “Well done, Wily!”

Carefully, very slowly indeed, Wildfire pulled her hoof out of Airmail’s wet marehood. “Nice one, Stormy!”

As a precaution, Tempest rested a forehoof on Airmail's chest and was rewarded with a faint heaving. “Still ticking.”

Wildfire though sounded extremely worried. “Airy, are you still with us?”

“Y-Y-You…” Airmail panted, “you won't get rid of me that easy.”

Tempest snorted, “I guess I won't call the insurance company just yet then.”

Wildfire, after taking a few moments to lick her hoof clean, smiled down at where she imagined Airmail to be laying in front of her. “Have fun, babes?”

“I did,” Airmail panted, her breathing still a long way from being normal, “and it was far better this time.” A few long minutes later though, and the oldest mare in the bedroom was finally able to sit herself up, using the pillows of the bed for support. “Did you have fun, Wildfire?”

“Oh, oh yeah...it was way better this time around. I loved it…” Wildfire smiled, though when she touched the part of her neck where the collar had been, she went quiet.

“Do you miss it?” Airmail asked.

Wildfire nodded, “um, a little, but it was Wildflowers, not mine.”

“What about your relationship with Mapper and Luna?” Tempest asked curiously.

“That’s...that's a good question, Honey.”

Airmail rested her hoof on Wildfire’s foreleg. The dry one. “Didn’t Serenity say you had multiple Mistresses?”

“She did,” Wildfire nodded once more, “but...I don't think I'm calling you two 'Mistress' anymore.”

“Only if it is part of a game you wish to play.” Tempest attempted to clarify, “I did really enjoy swinging that crop, though.”

“I enjoyed receiving it Stormy,” Wildfire replied quickly, though her serious mood was lifted a little when she heard Tempest break out in giggles, “it's just saying goodbye to her, taking the collar off, I feel different y'know?”

Airmail knew just what the diminutive pegasus meant. “You mean like taking off the mane bow when you no longer thought of yourself as a filly?”

“Yuppers...that's it.” Wildfire agreed, “That’s it right there. I'd still like to be spanked and stuff, that's too cool not to do, but I don't need to be a pet anymore to do it.”

Listening and watching, Tempest got it too, she understood partly what Wildfire meant. “Wearing the collar makes you a sub, but not a pet per say. You see, Serenity always wears a collar not because she is Mapper's pet, but more because she’s her possession.”

“Yeah,” Airmail spoke up, “It took me time to understand it. For Serenity it is saying to the world, 'I'm taken'.”

Wildfire turned her head down towards the bed. “Amethyst Glory saw me as her possession, I know she’s not the same as Mapper, and being hers was nice, for a time...”

“She does love you and will let you go with no argument.” Airmail stated with absolute confidence in her pink herd-mate. “And Mapper will be happy to spank you should you feel that you deserve it.” she concluded with a giggle.

Still, Wildfire’s head was pointed downwards. “I…I kinda feel a bit ungrateful Airy...like you've done all this to help me these two weeks...”

Immediately there was a very tight hug from Airmail, along with an extra tight hug from Tempest from the other side. “Explain.” The violet weather mare said simply.

“It’s just…I dunno, I feel like I've used you all, you, Stormy, Mapper, Serenity, being your pet, and Mapper's pet, to get myself back together to something resembling me again and now I'm like 'fine thanks for that, don't need it no more'.”

Airmail blinked once then twice. “You saying you don't need us anymore?”

“No!” Wildfire exclaimed very quickly indeed, “no, not that, not ever that! I love the bones of you all, I'm marrying you Airy...I just, I dunno, it's kinda hard to put it in words.”

Tempest saw her little lover struggling and thought she knew a way to help her out. “If you think we didn't want you 'back together' then you're thinking wrong, Wily.”

Airmail added, “My love for you didn't change from the first day to now, but has only grown stronger.”

“If you want to do something serious then walk up to Caffy and say, 'I've given up coffee for tea'.” Tempest couldn’t help but erupt in a fit of giggles at her own joke.

Wildfire shook her head vehemently at that idea. “Dusky has tea, the freak!” she did join Tempest in the giggle fit. She knew she could always count on her mares to make her feel better. “I think...I think I see myself as an equal to you all, where before I didn't, y’know?”

“Good,” Airmail smiled as she pulled Wildfire down to lie next to her on the bed, “then you see us the way we've always seen you.”

“Don't worry about Mapper either.” Tempest said as she lay down on the opposite side to Wildfire, making her the mare in the middle of the snuggle pile, “She will let you be what you want to be, but you did have to work her over to be her pet.”

Snuggling down in between her two mares, Wildfire took a moment to kiss them both. “Hmhmm, smacking her was fun!” she giggled, “And I do still want the crop now and again, like we did here, if that's okay?”

Airmail draped her left wing over her fiancé’s body. “In love, all games are available. Only now, do I still need to let you know if you're doing something naughty?”

“No Airy, I don't think so,” Wildfire smiled as she felt Tempest’s right wing fold over her to complete the heavenly feathery cocoon, “I know I can get a decent spanking without leaving the lids off coffee jars.”

“I'm okay with that,” Airmail replied as she got herself comfortable on the bed, snuggling into the pillow under her head. “So, is this the end of the first day of the rest of your life?” she asked, kissing Wildfire’s nose while Tempest kissed her ears one after the other.

Wildfire could only think of one, very suitable word.

“Yuppers.”

Chapter 4 - Introductions

With an alarming sense of regularity, Friday morning followed Thursday. This Friday morning however was different. This Friday morning came after the big gaming night party at Caffeinated’s ranch the night before. It had been a memorable party for a number of reasons. Air Raid had gotten together with Amethyst and Cream, zebras from the Sand and Coffee Tribes respectively. Darkstar had gotten with Slate, a zebra stallion from the Broncs in Manehatten.

Most of all, from Wildfire’s point of view, it had been a memorable party because Princess Twilight had cast the spell on her and Serenity to guarantee them fillies when they were next in heat and, more than that, she had been able, for the first time in five years, to catch up with her old friends.

She had met Brightstar’s wife, Moonbeak, the thirty five year old griffon who had kindly agreed to supply the photography for her upcoming wedding to Airmail. She had met Dusk and Brush Stroke’s delightful little unicorn colt that they had adopted back in Trottingham.

Yes, all in all, everything considered, it had been a most excellent party.

That, however, had been the Thursday. Now it was Friday and at six a.m. Airmail’s alarm buzzed its very loud and irritating discordant noise through the bedroom of their townhouse. Wildfire, who had been snuggling deep into Airmail’s wing joint with Tempest behind her, stirred with a loud wide yawn. “Ugh…s-stupid alarm…” she muttered, not for the first time, she cursed the fact that she was a light sleeper.

Beside her, and nearest to the offending alarm clock, Airmail reached a hoof over to the nightstand and quickly turned it off. “I’m sorry for that love, but after the party last night, I can't trust myself to wake up.”

Stretching her wings, Wildfire let out another wide yawn. Almost as if to rub it in, Tempest produced a snore so loud she swore the windows rattled. “I suppose I'll get used to it, babes…” Wildfire grumbled, though there wasn’t much feeling behind the grumble. Instead, she felt for her fiancé’s body and, having found her, she gave her a very passionate good morning kiss.

On the receiving end of the kiss, Airmail allowed her little lover to put the effort in to get that kiss. “I'm making breakfast,” she announced as she too stretched her wings and her legs, feeling several loud pops in response. She had to admit, the gaming night with her greater herd had been one of the best in recent memory. “You can go back to dream land.”

Wildfire absolutely did not argue with that, at all. Giving the older azure blue pegasus one last kiss on the nose, she collapsed back to the bed. “Y-You have a good one, sweetie…” with a chuckle, Airmail turned to head through to the bathroom to begin her morning regimen. She wasn’t at the door when she heard two sets of cute snoring coming from the bed behind her.

Three hours later, at the far more respectable time of nine a.m., Wildfire was awoken by a series of soft nibbles delivered up and down the length of her left ear. “Hmmm...” in her half-awake state, she tried to roll over away from the offending lips that were nibbling her ear, only to discover four strong legs holding her still.

In an attempt to shake off the lips that were nibble kissing her ear, she flicked it only to discover teeth holding it still. Holding it still and gently biting at the inside in just that way that made her yellow wings want to flare outwards. “Ahh...hmm!” again, she yawned herself fully awake. “I-I'm awake, honest…”

“Good,” Tempest beamed a victorious smile that reached all the way to her voice as the morning sunlight shone through the open drapes and illuminated the bedroom. “Then you can make me coffee.”

“Oh, alrighty, seeing as you asked nicely,” Wildfire smiled. As wake-up calls went, this wasn’t the worst she had ever endured. Added to that, the fact that she was still in a very good mood from the party, the little blind mare couldn’t help but smile. “Kiss first, please.”

Tempest saw that as a far trade. Kiss for coffee. Quickly, the violet weather mare released Wildfire’s ear and nibbled her way down the side of the yellow pegasus’s face. When she reached her cheek, Tempest made her way across her face, lightly kissing her way across one empty eye socket until she got to her mouth. One very, very deep kiss later and Tempest let her go. “Nice to start the day with somepony.”

“It's nice to start it twice with kisses!” Wildfire replied, for the second time she got up and, like Airmail before her, stretched her wings and her legs until she heard muscles pop.

Tempest giggled, for she could see the point of that, too. “Airy could molest me when she gets up and I wouldn't know,” she added with a smile. This much was true. When she was asleep, Tempest slept the sleep of the dead.

As Wildfire slid off of the bed, and began stretching out on the floor, she swore she could hear Tempest snuggling back into the bed and especially the very comfortable pillows. “Heh, are those pillows snuggly, Honey?” she asked, stretching her toned ass in the air one last time. She giggled to herself as she heard Tempest making many happy mumbling noises into her pillow.

“Alrighty,” Wildfire yawned, “coffee time…” with that thought in mind, the blind mare trotted out of the bedroom into the hallway. Counting the doors with her wingtip pressed to the wall, she found the stairs where she had left them and, hovering her way down, arrived at the dining room. Turning ninety degrees to her right, she walked ahead until she felt the carpet change to tiles. That told her she was in the kitchen.

One more step forward into the kitchen and she walked nose first into an index card hanging from the centre of the open door frame. Wholly not expecting it, Wildfire squeaked at the contact of something new and different. Reaching her left forehoof up to touch it, she found that there were regular bumps on the card. Very quickly she surmised that somepony, likely Airmail, had used her braille tape machine. “Oooh it's a note, aww!” Wildfire squealed in foalish delight and, taking down the card, found the top left corner and scanned it with her hoof.

‘If you feeling this, Stormy is still asleep. Coffee is prepped, start it and done in fifteen mins. I made hay cakes. Staying warm in oven. Remember diet starts today. Syrup and butter okay to use. Love you and I kissed this card.’

“Aww Airy!” Wildfire beamed and, kissing the braille lettering, she placed the card on the worktop near the coffee machine. “Alrighty...” she felt with her hooves and flipped the switch, “Sir Coffee on, tray ready, mugs…” she talked to herself, checking off a mental list before turning to the fridge.

As she opened it up to reach for the butter and syrup, she noticed that there were now braille labels on everything inside. Offering up a silent thank you to her fiancé, she placed the items on the tray next to the coffee mugs. Next, as planned, she retrieved the still warm hay cakes from the oven. “Yay!” Wildfire clapped her hooves happily, very proud of herself. “One breakfast in bed all sorted, wohoo!”

Taking the wide tray up in her forehooves, Wildfire spread her wings and hovered her way back through the dining room in search of the stairs. Trailing the toes of her hind hooves on the floor to feel the change in surface material.

Once she was back up the stairs, she hovered her way along the hallway to the bedroom. She hadn’t even reached the open door before she heard soft regular snoring breaths coming from Tempest on the bed. Snores that is, until Wildfire hovered into the bedroom. Then the snores changed to sniffing. “Room service, Honey!” Wildfire declared loudly.

Tempest, who was by now wide awake, thanks in no small part to the delicious smell of coffee and hay cakes, rolled over onto her back. “You, my love, are a keeper!” she clapped her hooves and inspected the tray, curious to see if Wildfire had bought enough for them both.

Giggling, Wildfire hovered carefully over to the sound of Tempest’s voice until she felt her hind leg hit the side of the bed. “There's enough for you and me, Honey. Guide me in to land.”

“Let me take the tray and then lay next to me,” Tempest giggled like a big filly, “so eighteen inches forward for tray delivery and twenty four inches to your left for landing.” Doing as she was told, Wildfire moved forward still careful to avoid dropping the tray and, once Tempest had taken it from her, hovered up and onto the bed.

“You made hay cakes too!” Tempest let out a delighted little squee, her attention momentarily distracted away from the wondrous scent of the much-needed coffee. “I hope you're still okay with this, Wily,” she said in all seriousness.

Wildfire cocked her head to the side, “Well to be totally honest Airy made them, I just served them,” she admitted, not wanting to take credit for another pony’s work. As far as the hay cakes were concerned though, she understood Tempest’s hesitance. “Yuppers, I'm totally cool with it.”

Satisfied at that, Tempest wasted no further time in spreading butter and syrup on her hay cakes. “Okay, as long as you don't think there’s any pressure,” she said, pausing as she took a huge bite and swallowing, “I'm sort of looking forward to some messy play.”

Wildfire nodded, she appreciated Tempest going slow with this. “I’ve known pressure Honey.” She stated as she too took a bite out of her stack of cakes, “trust me, I'm looking forward to trying this with you too.”

Fifteen minutes later, the only sounds that filled the bedroom were the two lover’s eating their breakfast. “For today’s exercise,” Tempest said, breaking the silence after her fourth hay cake, “let’s take a trip to the Manehatten weather factory. You can get some way points and meet a few ponies you'll be dealing with.”

“Oooh,” Wildfire liked the sound of that, a lot. The underwater swimming she had done yesterday at the lake before the gaming night party had been great, but going to the weather factory almost sounded like a treat. “Honey that sounds awesomes!”

Tempest nodded as she took a drink of her coffee. “Come Monday, you'll be ahead of the game.”

“I do like the sound of that,” Wildfire agreed, taking a very welcome drink of her black coffee, “it'll impress Rung too, show him that I'm willing.”

“I think he knows that already, love,” Tempest giggled, placing a little kiss on Wildfire’s lips, “but this will show him how proactive you are too.”

“That's kinda what I meant…”

Playfully, Tempest kissed Wildfire once more, “I thought as much, but your Canterlot accent got in the way,” she said with a giggle.

“Hey...” Wildfire said reproachfully, sneaking in a kiss of her own, “don't make me do the really posh voice!”

“It is funny though.” Tempest giggled as she finished off her coffee. “Airy did a good job on the cakes and the coffee was fresh. Thank you Wily, for the room service.” She looked at the now three quarters empty tray, “Is that enough breakfast for you? It is a little over fifty miles over to the weather factory.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squeaked, having finished her third hay cake. “That was super yummy Honey! Any more though and I shan't be able to fly.”

“Okay,” Tempest said, giving Wildfire a nudge to get her moving, “You go to the computer room and get your gear programed, I’ll take this tray down to the kitchen and wash up. The factory has a beacon for balloonists and airships since it doesn't stay in one place.”

With a groan of a very full belly, Wildfire slid off of the bed. “Ugh, I gotcha Honey, let’s do this!”

“I just like to make things easy.” Tempest snickered as she took up the tray in her hooves. “You sit down and get to it please, Wily, I got this tray.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire, taking the lead out of the bedroom, took a left and entered the spare bedroom that they used as an office. As she sat at her terminal, she heard Tempest making her way on down the stairs. Feeling to the right of her keyboard, her hoof touched the right cable and she attached it to her headset. Not for the first time, she was grateful that everything was in the exact same place that she left it.

A little fiddling with her computer later, as well as one well used curse when she accidentally used the wrong link, Wildfire found the website she needed. https://manehatten.weather.com was the main site, and just a few button clicks later she had the weather factory frequency programmed into one of her flight suit beacons. “Manehatten Weather Factory is Point Seven!”

“Very good,” Tempest smiled when Wildfire came downstairs, all victorious with her flight suit and her headset on ready. It was the little things like that, that made Tempest so proud of her little mare and how far she had come in just the few weeks she had known her. “Set the pace, Wily,” she said as she followed her outside into the back yard, “I'll stay near.”

Wildfire nodded at that, her aspect all serious. She didn’t take lightly the responsibility that Tempest had just given her. Sliding the power button on the bit of her headset in her mouth with her tongue, she requested, “Point Seven, distance and direction.” Straightaway, she was told it was at one degree and fifty three miles.

“If you take the direct route, you'll need to climb to three thousand feet to avoid the Manehatten Air Traffic Control,” Tempest supplied helpfully.

“I was just gonna check the altitude,” Wildfire smiled, “you beat me to it by like, one second I swear!” Still smiling, she spoke to her headset microphone, “altitude alert every five hundred feet, cap at three thousand.” With that done, she spread her yellow wings and launched herself into the air.

A second later and Tempest followed Wildfire, taking off into a steady climb up to three thousand feet. She did have an ulterior motive to allowing her diminutive lover to lead, that she was watching her moves, sharp blue eyes ready to spot any weaknesses.

It wasn’t long into the flight, just a few hundred feet up into the clear blue cloudless sky that Wildfire began to favour her left wing. Beating a fraction harder than her right, just ever so slightly. “I tell you what Honey,” Wildfire said, unaware of this, “I think those exercises of yours have paid off.”

“I agree,” Tempest called from behind, “but I'm still having you do some underwater laps,” she snickered, “I love the idea of sitting on the beach eating ice cream while I watch.”

“You'll get fat!”

“I was hoping you and Airy would exercise me,” Tempest threw back at Wildfire’s shapely rump. Her shapely rump that was well defined by the very, very tight flight suit. “Unless you like round ponies of course.”

Wildfire was about to reply to that with snark of equal quality when her proximity sensor warned her of a soft collision with an object approaching from plus zero, and one hundred and eighty degrees. “Uh...” the blind mare quickly processed that, “that's behind me...” angling herself upwards, she climbed to avoid the pony.

“Aw!” Tempest exclaimed, thumping one forehoof into the other. She didn’t expect it to work, but she had hope. “I guess there is no sneaking up on you now.” While she was of course pleased that Wildfire’s tech worked, she was a teeny bit annoyed her prank had failed.

“Honey!” Wildfire giggled as her suit told her that the object had moved out of sensor range off to her right, “Who's to say I don't like round mares? We could be your feeders.”

“Sounds like fun,” Tempest snickered, once again taking up her position behind Wildfire, just so she could check out her flying. Not to check her out. Not at all. “I don't want to be a round mare. Too hard to get into my uniform.”

“All sexy and curvy?” Wildfire giggled, “Hmm…yummers!” As she flew along, getting ever closer to the weather factory, thoughts ran through her little head. Still she was drifting on the wing, but this went unnoticed as she was thinking mostly about her immediate future. “Y’know, Honey, I can’t believe we’re going to be in a new house soon, and that I’m going to be pregnant with Fireflight…”

“How did you, and do you feel from Tinkerer?” Tempest asked kindly, wanting to gauge Wildfire’s feelings on the subject.

“I felt secure,” Wildfire answered very quickly. It was the same kind of feeling she had with Airmail and Tempest. “I felt like he'd take care of me.”

Tempest understood that feeling. “They have only been in the herd for about two years. I really like Belle, she’s a lot of fun with the tickle dry. Tinkerer is the serious one in the marriage.”

“Oh, I remember the tickle dry!” Wildfire really, really remembered the tickle dry courtesy of Belle and her magic. “I can’t believe I’m gonna be a future beach ball smuggler.”

Tempest laughed, “Sounds like another super-secret mission for stealth pony!” for a moment she forgot about flying as she was laughing so hard, “Mother Hen can coordinate the activities!”

Wildfire had to agree with that. “Honey, you're the bestest Hen ever!”

“Bawk baw bawk suuuuuuuper chicken!” Tempest squawked, flying a little circle around her little herd-mate.

Wildfire laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Y-You're pretty high up for a chicken!”

“That’s because I'm super chicken,” Tempest declared heroically, “I’m not just your ordinary cluck!”

Wildfire’s laughter turned to giggles that threatened to never end. “Oh…oh Honey s-stop...I'm trying to fly straight!” she protested, although she had a definite and distinctive bank to the left happening as she flew along.

This banking did not go unnoticed by Tempest who was following close behind her. “Tell me, Wily, how are you doing?”

“Alrighty...why?” Wildfire asked, as without any visual references she was unaware of her bank to the left. “I’m flying straight…” fifteen minutes later though, after getting continuous course corrections from her headset, Wildfire slowed down to a hover. “Stormy? I-I'm confused.”

Tempest, seeing Wildfire hover, moved in to within two metres. “About what, love?”

“The Weather Factory...” again, Wildfire moved her head about this way and that, “either they're constantly moving it to the right, or my headset's bust!”

Tempest scanned the sky ahead of her. Immediately she spied some clouds not far away from where they were. “There’s a bank of clouds about four miles out from here,” she said as she hovered closer and stroked Wildfire’s flank with her wingtip. “Change your headset to follow me and then follow me to the cloud. Okay?”

“Yuppers, you got it Honey.” Switching her headset from Point Seven to Point One, Wildfire obediently followed Tempest in a straight line the four short miles to the bank of clouds.

“Still think your headset’s bust?”

Wildfire was even more confused than before. “Well, no...so, the factory's moving? You said it did, Honey.”

“It does move, yes, so I'm going to take a break here and you switch back to the factory and let me know if it’s moving.” Tempest said to her, intent on waiting for some stiffness to set into Wildfire's wing. She had an idea that she wouldn’t be waiting very long.

“Alrighty,” going back to her headset, Wildfire turned her target back from Point One to Point Seven. She cocked her head to one side in concentration. It most certainly wasn’t moving now. “Ugh…it-it’s staying still now... nggh...damn!” she cursed, still not understanding why now all of a sudden the factory was still.

“Fold your legs under you and spread your wings.”

“Okay,” hastening to do as she was told, Wildfire sat down on the cloudlet and she spread her wings out to their fullest span, flinching as her right reached its full stretch.

The next thing Wildfire felt was Tempest straddle her back, facing the same way she was. Very, very carefully, the violet weather mare poked the phalanges of her right wing into Wildfire’s right wing joint at the body. “Hurt a bit?”

“Aaaah! Y-Yes, it does a little…”

“You know what I'm going to do next?”

“G-Gimme a wing rub?” Wildfire asked optimistically, her chin resting on the cloudlet’s surface. Wordlessly, Tempest used her other wingtip and distributed an equal force on Wildfire’s left wing joint. “Huh...th-hat feels fine…”

Curiously, Tempest tilted her head to one side. She processed what her wingtips were telling her as well as what she had witnessed on the flight so far. “Hmm, that is odd. You've been favouring your left wing this whole flight…” trailing off, Tempest lowered herself to Wildfire’s back and started a functional back and wing massage. “Tell me where the pain is.”

As she received the massage, Tempest’s diagnosis percolated into Wildfire’s head. “So, I've been drifting, not the factory?”

“Yes Wily.” Tempest replied as she massaged her lover’s wing joints at the barrel of her body, “I thought at first you were favouring your left wing for an injury. Now though, it seems your right wing is better developed.” This was good. Tempest knew just what to do with this issue. “That means physical therapy in your future.”

“Hmm,” Wildfire didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded her head in understanding. “That kinda makes sense, Tempest.”

“Why is that?” Tempest asked curiously, noting immediately the use of her actual name rather than nick name.

“My left wing was broken more frequently at the Home.” Wildfire answered her herd-mate, “It was Amber Leaves’ favourite area to go for. She was vicious with her bull whip.”

“Oh,” Tempest mused, she was trying with all her focus to not start preening Wildfire’s wings, otherwise they’d be here on this cloudlet for a long time. “It seemed when Luna was healing you, both your wings were in bad shape,” she said as she leant forward to deliver a kiss before returning to the massage. “Just means we need to work on the left wing more than the right, that’s all.”

“They were,” Wildfire agreed quickly to what Tempest had said. “Well, you remember how bad they were as well as I do, I’m sure, I can only guess the ligaments and tendons are taking longer to attach on my left than on my right.”

Tempest looked her lover over once her impromptu massage was completed. “It worries me love, but it has been a short time since Luna cast her spell. We’ll see what exercise can do, but I'm having Ser check you for pain and Luna give you a check-up in two weeks, just to be sure.”

“Oh I'll be fine Honey,” Wildfire waved her hoof a little dismissively, “don't you fret about me.”

Moving around to face Wildfire on the cloudlet, Tempest playfully booped her yellow nose. “I may not be your wife, but I'm still senior to you in the herd.”

Wildfire giggled, “everypony's senior to me!”

“And don't you forget it, young mare!” Tempest declared, punctuating her statement with another little boop to Wildfire’s nose. “Ser would love to feel your pain, so you be a nice little pony and let her. In two weeks it’s BDSM night, you really think Luna will be a no show?”

“Of course not Honey,” Wildfire replied, flexing her wings and finding they felt rather excellent. “I can't see Luna missing any at all in the future,” she giggled, nodding her head as she did so. “And, yes ma'am, I'll be a good pony for Beauty.”

That satisfied Tempest. “Good mare, that will save me the trouble of tickling you into submission!”

“Oh no Mistress!” Wildfire laughed, “Please, not the tickling!”

“Love you too, Wildfire.” Tempest snickered. She checked over her massage and found it adequate to her standards, which was to say, excellent. “Now, you need to know what you're doing and try to work your left wing a little harder to keep you straight.” When Wildfire nodded her understanding of Tempest’s instruction, the violet pegasus continued, “You're in the lead again and this time I'll let you know when you start to drift left.”

“You got it, Honey.” Making sure her headset was set for Point Seven, Wildfire took off from the little cloudlet. Her tech told her that there was just twenty miles left to go. “Not much further now Honey, we’re nearly there.”

Tempest laughed, “You're the one with the fancy gear, Wily!”

“It just said twenty miles, so we're under half way.”

“Yes, you were doing well getting to the cloudlet.” Tempest commented, “You're in good shape, it’s just your right wing is in better shape than your left. I guess you're Celestite at heart.”

Wildfire sniggered, “I guess you're right, even with her sun being raised at stupidly early times!”

“I wouldn't know,” Tempest said as she laughed, she could count the number of times she’d seen a sunrise on the primary feathers of her left wing.

Wildfire shrugged her shoulders as she flew towards the Manehatten Weather Factory. She made sure to work her left wing harder than her right. Straightaway she noticed she wasn’t getting nearly as many course correction notices. “The benefit of being blind, neither do I.”

“Then, how do you know it’s early?”

“Airy's alarm goes off!”

“It does?” Tempest asked with a giggle.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded eagerly, “it does this really annoying 'beeeeep' that makes you wanna hit it with a hammer, just to make sure it’s turned off.”

“Ooohh, I think that’s when I'm dreaming I'm pushing Airy's nose and it makes that cute sound.” Tempest snorted out her loud barking laugh.

“It's not cute...” Wildfire grumbled playfully in the lead position, loud enough to make sure Tempest heard her. “Neither is the revving chainsaw lying next to me in bed.”

“Airy snores!” Tempest whooped with delighted glee. Of course she knew it was really her, but that didn’t stop her teasing the feathers off of her little lover. “I'm going to so tease her. Besides, I like to think of myself as more a buzz saw than a chain saw.”

Wildfire giggled, “whichever, you're still cute.”

“My saving grace,” Tempest commented as they flew along. By now she could see the weather factory appear in the distance. She was pleased to see they were on target, but… “you're doing better, but you are still drifting a little to the left.”

“Uh huh...” Wildfire grunted, still working her left wing harder, “I figured as much. It's weird...it doesn't feel like I'm drifting until the headset corrects me.”

“Your left wing muscles are weaker than the right, but since you feel you're using both at max capacity, it is hard to tell.” Tempest explained.

“Hmmm....and if I could see then it'd be immediately obvious I was going off course.”

That didn’t really sit well with Tempest. Yes, Wildfire couldn’t see, but she hated hearing her say it as bluntly as that. “Don’t say it like that, Wily. You need a real reason to say it. After all, your gear won't tell you the colour of their eyes, or if they are leaking under the tail just seeing you...well,” she corrected herself, “Your nose may give you that information.”

Wildfire giggled out loud, for she was reminded of her conversation with her old nurse as they got ever closer to their location. “Now you sound like Eirene, Honey.”

“I'll take that as high praise indeed, then.” Tempest replied, “I’m swooping in for a kiss.”

The only other warning Wildfire got was her proximity alarm going off in her ear as Tempest dived in and kissed her lips. “Heh, 'nothing to it, but to do it', she used to say.”

“There’s a lot of truth in that,” Tempest said gently, “That is why I know you can do this job. Sure you need some more training, but that won't stop you, right?”

“Pfft! Of course not!” Wildfire shook her head defiantly, determination rife in her voice. “Nothing's stopping this little yellow pegasus now!”

“Good,” Tempest added, stroking Wildfire’s flank with her hoof, “Factory is about a mile out now.”

“Stormy?” Wildfire spoke up, her voice sounding far more serious than she had in the last few minutes. “In all seriousness, I haven't come this far just to stop now.”

Tempest smiled at that. She just loved that determined tone in Wildfire’s voice. She dearly wished she could hear it more often. “I know love. It helps when there are those around you that won't let you give up on yourself.”

“You mean like you and Airy...and a whole load of other ponies who believe in me as well,” Wildfire said with a nod of her head. “Each and every one of you inspire me Honey. Mum, you, Airy, everypony in the herd!” she smiled, a smile that got a little wider when she heard the weather factory get very close now.

“I expect a poem on my desk by Friday of next week,” Tempest ordered, though her definite blush was hidden by her bright little giggle.

“Yes ma'am!” Wildfire giggled and put on a mock salute. “You can have one when we land, Honey.”

“Okay, the beacon should be the main gateway to the city which is coming up fast.” Tempest gave Wildfire a little warning as they glided the last few dozen feet to Cloudhatten and the Weather Factory. “I'll follow you in to land.” She watched, again impressed at how well the blind mare followed her directions to land on the cloud at the gate.

“Okay,” Tempest said as she landed perfectly next to Wildfire’s right side on the cloud step outside the factory. Bigger even than her old university in Trottingham, it was a huge white edifice made of cloud. “It will take time to know your way around, and to set some more way points. To our front is the admin building were we will start the tour. Past that is the different divisions. Rain clouds will be your mainstay, unless you want some snow in our backyard.”

Wildfire giggled, as soon as she felt the mass of the cloud under her four hooves she could tell it was a lot different to the cloudlet they had rested on. It felt stronger, firmer, a lot more permanent. Wildfire supposed it had to be as it was supporting what she imagined was the massive factory. “The ah, the snow would be cool oh...and here you go…”

“Open your heart to happiness
Let every pore absorb light
Swim in the joy of the here and now
And cast off the darkness of night
Walk in the summer of sunshine
Fly in the blueness of sky
Know possibilities are boundless
Understand that nothing can die
Step from the shadows of torment
Sing 'til your throat gets too sore
Smile for as long as the day is
And laugh just a little bit more
Breathe slowly and deeply and listen
Give all your ideas a chance
Let the sun beat down on your goodness
And kick off your shoes and dance.”

Again, though for a different reason now, Tempest was impressed with her diminutive lover. How she could just come up with that, amazing poem on the spot like that. Not for the first time, she wondered why her cutie mark wasn’t something literary related. She did have the talent, after all. “Lovely, just…lovely!” Tempest squee’d, “of course it seems more Celestia centred than Luna centred, but I won't tell.”

“As long as you promise not to,” Wildfire snickered, already committing her most recent poem to memory so she could record it in her new electronic journal later. “I think we're safe.”

Tempest grinned as she stroked Wildfire’s flank with her wingtip to get her undivided attention. “Walk beside me with your wing touching and I'll introduce you to a few ponies.” She said gently, for she knew her headset wouldn’t be of much use inside the weather factory’s almost labyrinthine interior.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded, and with her hooves she felt her way around to Tempest’s left so that her older taller herd-mate was on her right – she just felt ‘right’ with her there - and she reached out for her with her right wing. She was excited, but also she was nervous as well, unsure how these very important meetings would go.

As they walked together through the front door of the factory, Wildfire had an unmistakeable feeling of walking through a mister, almost like popping through a very thin layer of cloud. She supposed, with a smile, that was just what had happened. Tempest, full of confidence in herself and her rank as commander of the first weather battalion, marched smartly up to the front desk of the entrance foyer. “Hello, is Bluefeather in?” she asked.

The sky blue stallion that was working at his computer behind the desk didn’t look up straightaway. “Do you…” he trailed off as he finally looked up, “have an appoint...M-Major Te-Tempest,” he stammered, for Tempest’s stormy reputation was well known and well founded, “is she expecting you?”

“Of course not,” Tempest replied, suppressing a snicker as the receptionist stallion’s tone changed in a heartbeat from indifference to respect when he realised just who she was, “where would the fun be in that?”

The pegasus stallion pointed a hesitant foreleg down the hall through the security doors to the left of his desk, “she uh, she is in her office, yes, Major.”

“Thank you,” Tempest beamed, “and you may warn her too. Come along, Wildfire.” As she turned to walk down the hall in the direction that the receptionist had indicated, it was at that point that he finally saw the little yellow mare next to the major. Thankfully her back was turned and she didn’t see the shudder he made at the blind mare’s scarred face.

“I'm coming!” Wildfire giggled brightly. She fell into step beside Tempest, her right wingtip not leaving her flank. “Do you ever have appointments, Honey?”

Tempest considered that for a few moments as she made her way down the long straight hallway. Dotted along the walls were framed photographs, employees of the month, notable weather patterns, even a wall of honour. To Tempest’s intense blush, her picture was on all three. “Sometimes it does make it easier or if I don't want them to go into hiding.” She said by way of reply. She did so hate ponies standing on ceremony.

“Bluefeather is the Weather Factory manager,” Tempest continued, secretly glad that Wildfire couldn’t see the photographs. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be honoured, more that she wanted the rest of her battalion honoured as well, not just her. “You’ll be working for the Manehatten fire department, but she will be the supervisor for the pony you will liaison with to get the needed clouds.”

“I gotcha...” Wildfire, her right wingtip still touching Tempest’s flank, was hanging on every word her herd-mate was saying. A thought entered her head though when Tempest said that. “Ooh...I bet this Bluefeather knows Cyclone!”

“I think you're right.” Tempest replied, her head cocked in thought. Just like Belle, she did rather like the young jet black pegasus mare. She had liked her since the first time she had spoken to her on the phone on the way back from Vanhoover. She had liked her even more when she had met her in Cloudsdale. She had been struck by how sexy she was. “We can ask. We need to find out who is managing clouds for the fire department anyways.”

Wildfire nodded solemnly, “Cy said she liaised with the other factories to co-ordinate winter.”

Tempest’s ears perked up, “Did Cy stay in town or head back to Cloudsdale?”

“She stayed at Caffeinated's place last night,” Wildfire answered quickly. That much she did know. She knew her nappy wearing friend had stayed the night in one of the big orange zebra’s many spare rooms. “She said something about exploring Manehatten today.”

“Okay,” Tempest said in consideration, for that bit of her between her legs was glad she was sticking around. “You think she will stay till Air Raid's big race on Sunday?”

“I'd have thought so, Stormy. It's a fair old way to come for just one night.”

“And she’s still unattached and does like mares?”

Wildfire smiled, she recognised that tone in Tempest’s voice. That gentle careful meddling tone that screamed there were ulterior motives in the air. Wildfire might be blind, but even she could see that Tempest, Mother Hen herself, was up to something. “Yup and yup...Honey, you're matchmaking, aren’t you?”

Tempest blushed, her violet cheeks turning an intense bright red, at being caught out so quickly and easily. “I’m not sure if she is single at the moment,” the weather pony answered, again thankful that Wildfire at least couldn’t see her blush. “But, I do know her likes. Bluefeather will play with Cy in both her states of being.”

“Aw!” Wildfire let out a very fillyish squee as she felt Tempest at last come to a halt outside what she guessed was an office door, “Cy'll love that!”

Outside Bluefeather’s office door, Tempest paused and collected herself. Always best to present a calm front, after all. Raising her hoof, she knocked once to announce her presence and, knowing that the factory manager had been warned by the receptionist, hoofed open the door. “Hello Stormy,” Bluefeather greeted her friend and colleague from behind her desk, “I’m sorry, but you'll have to wait till poker night to get your money back.”

“As if I ever will,” Tempest snorted out a laugh as she led Wildfire into the office to make the necessary introductions. “Bluefeather, I'd like to introduce you to Wildfire. Wildfire, the mare over there with the bad wing dye job runs this motley outpost.”

“Hey!” Wildfire, sniffing the air, caught the distinct scent of blueberry, and she immediately associated that scent with the manager’s broad Manehatten accent. She even gave her a little wave of her hoof as she stepped further into the office, wondering what Tempest meant by bad wing dye. “I’m Wildfire, but call me Wily, please.”

Behind her desk, which was cluttered with all sorts of paperwork, Bluefeather, a middle aged mid grey pegasus with a scruffy electric blue mane and tail, was caught staring at Wildfire with her jaw hanging open. So stunned was she that her green eyes were wide open and her primary feathers, which were as blue as her mane, were stuck out at odd angles. She tried to say something, anything, but after several attempts all she had done was impersonate a goldfish.

Tempest caught this wide eyed look and snickered behind her hoof. She supposed it was only to be expected, especially given Wildfire’s appearance. “Wily here came to have a look around to see what she could see about the place.”

“Huh? What?” Again, Bluefeather looked from Tempest to Wildfire and back again. The acid scars all over her face didn’t worry her too much, it was more of a surprise than anything. “How can you be so insensitive?”

Again, Tempest snickered, “Am I insensitive Wily?”

Wildfire laughed at that. “No love you aren't, not in the slightest.” She turned her attention back to the scent of blueberry in the air. “Bluefeather? Please can I have a look at you?”

“How?” Bluefeather asked incredulously.

Tempest simply giggled, “Oh, some more information,” she started as she looked around the office at the ‘love me’ wall full of Bluefeather’s qualifications and her past lovers. “Wily and Airy are getting married, so the last thing I need is to give Airy a reason to shoot me again.”

Bluefeather blinked once then twice. “What?”

Wildfire, her face all smiles, carefully followed the sound of Bluefeather's voice as well as her scent around her desk to stand roughly in front of the confused weather manager. “My visual range is limited to the length of my foreleg, I'm afraid. May I touch you, please?”

Again, Bluefeather blinked a few times, before realisation hit her and she smiled, feeling a teeny bit silly. “Oh, yes, of course you can.”

“Alrighty...here we go…” lifting up her forehooves, Wildfire felt for the strange new mare. A second later and she felt her hoof contact her chest. “Don't worry,” she smiled as she felt her way up to Bluefeather’s neck, “I have a soft touch.”

“You,” Bluefeather had to admit, as the tiny yellow mare’s got higher up to her jawline, she did. “You do.”

“Hmhmm...” Wildfire reached her face, and began feeling gently around Bluefeather’s cheeks and muzzle. In the process of building up a mental image, the blind mare could feel the older mare staring at her. She wasn’t upset, ponies always stared. She was used to it. “They used to be chestnut brown, in case you're wondering,” she said with a smile.

“I didn't mean to stare!” Bluefeather squeaked, Wildfire’s hooves at her jaw, “Oh...you caught me.”

“It's alright,” Wildfire smiled as she felt her way up and around the manager’s forehead. “Hmm, no horn, so you aren't the secret fifth alicorn...” she trailed off and giggled, “It can't be every day you get a mare as cute as me turn up, huh?”

Right then, Bluefeather lost it and her pent up nervousness all went in a fit of giggles that soon became a laugh that Wildfire and Tempest both joined in with. She knew right then that here was a mare she could have a laugh with and not worry about treading on eggshells. “I can see why Airy fell for you.”

“A sense of humour is essential!” Wildfire smiled, feeling up around Bluefeather’s ears. “The next answer, for five years, and I was nineteen at Canterlot University, it was acid in the face in a science class incident.”

“I'm, I'm sorry to hear that.” Bluefeather said as kindly as she could, though she was very grateful that the little yellow mare was making this all so very easy.

“Blue,” Tempest spoke up finally once Wildfire’s little inspection was completed, “Do you have time for lunch? We just flew in.”

“Sure, I can make time.”

Wildfire smiled, suddenly aware her belly was rumbling. “Thank you. Luckily I kept my stunning good looks. Even now I turn heads.”

Bluefeather looked Wildfire over with a critical green eye, as if appraising her again for the first time. She guessed, after the last few minutes, that this wasn’t a mare to underestimate. “So, there is more to you than meets the eye?”

“A little bit.” Wildfire replied, her smile firmly in place, “I'm a firefighter.”

“Wow,” was all Bluefeather could think of to say to that. Again, she made a mental note to definitely not underestimate this little mare. She must be good if Rung had hired her. “So, is that why you're wearing the ninja suit?” she asked, referring to the black flight suit with its sensors along her flanks.

“Keep this under your wing, but she’s one of the Power Ponies, code name Stealth Pony.”

Wildfire couldn’t believe Tempest had said that with such a straight face. “This bundle of awesome helps me fly without being a smear on a building, when I'm not helping save Maretropolis, of course.”

“Right,” Bluefeather blinked, “so lunch?”

“Yes,” Tempest and her belly agreed very quickly, “but we should invite one more, who would you suggest, Wily?”

Wildfire thought about that for a few seconds, though the noise from Tempest’s belly made it hard to concentrate. “Um...the pony that supervises cloud production for the fire team?”

“Fire team?” Bluefeather asked aloud, before she realised just whom Wildfire meant. “Oh! That would be Lancer. So you'll be ferrying clouds from here to the fire scene, Wild...Wily?”

“Yuppers, that's my main job, I reckon.”

Smiling, Bluefeather pushed some buttons on the intercom on her desk. “Lancer,” she said once the light turned from red to green, “report to my office for Lunch, I want to see if I've changed my mind about stallions.”

Tempest’s straight face devolved into a guffawed laugh, “Blue, you are a naughty mare.”

“Naughty mares are the best mares!” Wildfire put in her two bits worth.

Hearing that, Bluefeather knew she’d get along with this new pony just fine. She moved forward and nuzzled her cheek. “You got it, sister.”

“Speaking of which,” Wildfire said as she returned the weather manager’s nuzzle with one of her own, “I think we might have a mutual friend…”

“Calling Stormy my friend may be stretching things,” Bluefeather interrupted her while Tempest responded with a long, loud, raspberry.

“Oh I dunno,” Wildfire giggled, “she can't control chocolate drops though. No, I meant a black pegasus by the name of Cyclone.”

“Chocolate drops?” Bluefeather asked, her previous confusion momentarily resurfacing. That was, until Wildfire mentioned Cyclone’s name. “Wait, Cyclone…Cyclone…oh!” it only took a few seconds of thought and she knew who Cyclone was. “Admin over at Cloudsdale?” she asked, thinking of the very cute, very sexy mare with her turquoise mane.

Lancer, a buttercream yellow pegasus stallion with a fiery orange mane and tail entered his boss’s office, cutie mark of three lightning bolts proud on his flank. “Hi Stormy,” he greeted the violet mare with an easy smile, “It’s been awhile. Giving up on Airy?”

Tempest, by way of reply, rolled her blue eyes at the newcomer. “Okay, you're a colour scheme I can't forget.” Especially as he reminded her very much of Silverbolt. “Didn’t you work storm cloud production?” she asked, racking her brains to remember the stallion.

“Still do,” Lancer said with a proud bow.

“This is about your additional duty,” Bluefeather said, drawing his attention to her.

“Oh, fire suppression?” Lancer asked, to which Bluefeather nodded yes.

“Hey Lancer,” Wildfire spoke up, feeling a teeny bit ignored at the moment, though she supposed it was because she was that small. “I'm Wildfire, with the fire team.” Her own introduction made, she turned to face the heady scent of blueberry that was Bluefeather. “Yuppers Bluefeather, Cyclone's like, head of winter at Cloudsdale.”

“Oh, you're working for Rung and Cloud Burst and...” Lancer trailed off when he finally saw Wildfire. His shocked reaction mirrored his manager’s. “Woah, what happened to your eyes?”

“I lost them in a game of poker,” Wildfire sniggered, wholly not bothered in the slightest by Lancer’s reaction. After all, she’d experienced worse. A lot worse. “So, can I feel you up?”

Mentally, Lancer kicked himself thoroughly in the ass for his thoughtless remark. “Okay, sorry, that was stupid question.” The looks he was getting from Tempest didn’t help either. He was aware of her tempestuous temper, and he was thankful that she was letting Wildfire deal with it. “So, you want to touch me to know me, that's okay, we'll be working together.”

“By the way,” Tempest added, “she’s marring Airy.”

“Yes,” Lancer quickly amended himself, “professional relationship. Got it.”

Just as she had done with Bluefeather, Wildfire began to slowly and carefully feel Lancer’s face, gradually building up a picture in her mind of how the stallion looked. “It was an acid attack at university five years ago.” she explained as she went along.

“Manehatten U?”

“Sorry, Lancer, Canterlot.”

Lancer nodded at that while Wildfire reached up and felt around his ears and his mane. “So you're from Canterlot. They have a real state of the art weather factory over there…” he trailed off, suddenly very aware of Bluefeather’s green eyes burning into his very soul. “Ah, not that you don't run a good cloud, boss!”

Bluefeather smirked, “keep digging Lance and you'll run out of cloud.”

“You said you're buying me lunch?” Lancer said, trying desperately to change the subject to something that would stop his boss looking at him like that.

“No,” Bluefeather corrected, “Stormy is buying us lunch.”

Lancer liked the sound of that. “Good, then I don't have to use the bit menu!”

Wildfire shrugged her little shoulders. “I’m afraid I don't know much about the Canterlot weather factory, only that my mum used to work there.”

Lancer was getting into his stride, talking shop. “I really don't know anyone there. I got a tour after getting my cutie mark. That was nineteen years ago, but I keep up with things with my issues of Weathertronixs Journal.”

Wildfire’s ears perked up, it seemed like something she should read. “Is it interesting?”

Bluefeather rolled her eyes, sensing as Tempest did a lost soul already. “It’s so dry I fear the magazine will catch fire.” She deadpanned unenthusiastically.

Lancer chuckled, “that’s why we don't let you in the storm room, boss.”

Wildfire however was too interested in the weather magazine. “Do they do the journal in braille?”

Lancer shrugged, “Uh, I don't know.”

“I might check it out.”

“I'm sure you'll like it!” Lancer enthused, much to the eye-rolling displeasure of Tempest and Bluefeather. “All the very latest on weather production, and cool gadgets that you can...”

“Lunch.” Bluefeather said in a manner that stated it wasn’t up for debate. “And if you make me fall asleep in the soup with your tech talk you'll be buying donuts for the rest of the month. Both of you.”

Wildfire turned her face from Lancer to Bluefeather. “Are you two always like this?”

“No,” Bluefeather smiled sweetly, “sometimes we fight.”

“Usually on poker night.” Lancer laughed as he led the way out of Bluefeather’s office and down three halls to the well-stocked cafeteria.

Wildfire laughed as she followed Tempest, again with her wingtip on her flank. “Just like an old married couple.”

Bluefeather shrugged, though she did take careful note of how well Wildfire coped and managed, despite her obvious disability. “Makes work easier and speeds the day by. Hope you have deep saddle bags Stormy.”

Tempest rolled her eyes, “I think I can manage, Blue, the cafeteria isn't the Canterlot Ritz.”

“Do you read braille, Wildfire?” Lancer asked curiously once they were all seated around a table for six in a corner of the cafeteria nearest the door and the food counter.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied, sliding easily onto her seating pad next to Tempest by the window, “I read it and write poems in it, Lancer.”

“Cool,” Lancer said, actually genuinely interested, “wingtip or hooftip?”

“I was taught by an earth pony,” Wildfire replied, thinking very much of Eirene right then, and wondering what the nurse was doing now, “I use the frogs of my hooves.”

“Okay, I may need to check in on that,” Lancer made a mental note to do just that, while Tempest and his boss both sat with them at the table. “So, will you be using Cloud Burst's office here?”

Wildfire shrugged, she wasn’t clear on that, if she was honest. She wasn’t aware she’d have an office at all, until lancer mentioned it just then. “I'm not sure, I'm going to be fetching clouds for the fire team, mostly.”

“I gathered that,” Lancer commented, “Cloud Burst does the coordination for that and has an office, but he is very seldom here. I guess we'll wait and see.”

“That does make a great deal of sense though,” Bluefeather shared a nod with Lancer and with Tempest. “If you're here on site, you can get the needed clouds out that much faster…” she paused then, when her belly issued a loud rumble. “Now, time to pick your poison.”

Looking over at the food counter, Lancer had another thought, regarding Wildfire and the food. “The food labels are above the food and hard to reach with a hoof.”

“They’re not in braille anyways,” Bluefeather put in, “I can have them put braille labels on the tray ledge, it’s no trouble.”

Tempest couldn’t help but giggle, “They label it so that even the sighted will know what it is!”

“Yeah,” Lancer chuckled, “gotta love factory cafeteria food.”

Minutes later, when the four ponies had got up and walked over to the food counters, they were once more seated back around the table by the window. The view overlooking Manehatten city really was spectacular. Tempest had chosen pepper and tomato hash, daisy and watercress and mashed turnip for the sides. She also went for the cheesy rolls. Just to fill her up. To be different, Wildfire opted for a fruit and grain medley with just the daisy and watercress side. Like Tempest though she went with two cheesy rolls.

Bluefeather and Lancer both went for the hash like Tempest, though only Lancer had a side, being the mashed turnip. Both of them however filled up on several cheesy rolls. “Coffee for you?” Tempest asked Wildfire once they were all seated, as she had the tray with the drinks for them all on it. Wildfire nodded eagerly and took her black coffee, while Tempest wrinkled her nose at the offering. “Sweet Celestia I need cream and sugar for this muck…”

Both Lancer and Bluefeather laughed out loud at that, and, reaching for her own coffee, Wildfire took a sip and gagged. “Eeurrgh! Y-Yuppers…that's just like school coffee. Awful.” Still, it made her feel warm and fuzzy, strangely, that all cafeteria coffee was rank.

Taking a bite of his pepper and tomato hash, Lancer said, “What made you choose Manehatten over Cloudsdale, Wildfire?”

“Well,” Wildfire replied, swallowing a mouthful of her fruit and grain mix, “it wasn't much of a choice really. My friend had a job to do here and he brought me with him.” She decided to gloss over the details of the care home, Dusk, and everything else that had happened to her. “I met Airy at Stripe’s Coffee Shop and here I am.”

“Yeah,” Bluefeather mused, swilling her coffee, “I can't see Airy moving to the Canterlot area.”

“She would have, if that was Wily's desire,” Tempest put in before shovelling a forkful of her hash into her mouth.

“So, you prefer Wily over Wildfire?” Lancer asked.

“Oh, Wily, please Lancer, unless I’ve been really naughty.” Wildfire replied with a wide smile, she pictured just how naughty she could be, and the pleasurable spankings she got as a reward for her naughtiness. “And I wouldn't live in Canterlot again anyway, even if you paid me.”

Lancer considered that, but Tempest’s warning expression convinced him not to pursue the subject any further. “I'm good with Lance also, since we’ll be working together.” He paused and ate some more of his pepper and tomato hash lunch as a more interesting thought occurred to the buttercream yellow stallion. “How about the full story behind that gear you're wearing?”

As Wildfire ate some of her daisy and watercress side dish, Wildfire began to tell her new co-workers the story of the Kupanbana’s and the zebra owned ex-military hardware shop in downtown Manehatten and her many practices, as well as the shopping trip to get it. Both Lancer and Bluefeather were a very good audience, looking to Tempest to verify some of the more outlandish elements, like Luna whipping Octavia in the fountain with a sock.

“So, you will need way points,” Lancer commented when Wildfire had finished her tale, “Do you have beacons?”

Wildfire nodded. “I have a few spare.”

“Think we can get permission for one at the employee’s entrance, Blue?” Lancer asked his manager with a chuckle in his voice.

Bluefeather took a long moment to finish off her lunch and her coffee before she answered. “Well, I'd have to talk to me to see if I'll approve it. I think I will.”

Wildfire sniggered, “you never know, you might turn yourself down?” she asked with a smirk plastered all over her face before reaching down and taking the last of her fruit and grain medley in her hoof. She had enjoyed it, and she made a mental note to order it again when she worked here properly.

“I'm guessing you don't know your work hours yet either?” Lancer asked, guessing the answer already.

Wildfire shook her head. “Not as such, no, but I start on Monday morning.”

“Let me give you my contact details,” Lancer said as he reached for his cell phone. “Cloud Burst has them also. Now that my belly if full of lead, I can take you to Burst's office, give you a little tour.”

Bluefeather caught Tempest’s very meaningful look and nodded. “You two run along while Stormy and I talk about grown up things.”

“Okay, boss, okay!” Lancer laughed as both Bluefeather and Tempest made little shooing motions with their hooves.

“Have fun, Honey!” Wildfire called over her shoulder as Lancer led the diminutive blind mare out of the cafeteria. Her yellow wing was draped on his flank like it had been with Tempest on the way here.

Bluefeather’s green eyes were alive with mirth. “She call you that because of your sting?” she asked, more than well aware of Tempest’s violent temper once she was roused to it. Granted it took a pony a long time to reach that point, but once they had, Celestia help them, because no other pony could.

“No,” Tempest smiled sweetly, draining the last of her cream filled coffee, “it’s because I'm the second sweetest mare she knows.”

“Have you worked here long then, Lance?” Wildfire asked curiously as she was led down the hallway from the cafeteria and down a right turn into yet another hallway. On the way she had to giggle, she felt like the ancient earth pony Theseus in the labyrinth guarded by the minotaur.

“Since I was a colt doing mop duty,” Lancer replied with a very nostalgic smile over his face that went a long way to his voice. “Long line of weather ponies in my family.”

Wildfire smiled at that. The mention of weather pony put her in mind of her mother. Plus it gave them something of a common ground to talk on. “My mum was a weather pony, in Canterlot.”

“Was that your plan, before you were blinded?”

“Nah,” Wildfire shook her head, somewhat proudly. “I always wanted to be a firefighter. I was on the reserves for the Canterlot Residential District fire team while I was still at Uni.”

“Dangerous job,” Lancer commented as he took a left down yet another hallway. “But it needs to be done, for sure. I don't think I could do what Cloud Burst does.”

“It's funny,” Wildfire commented, trying to map in her mind where they were going. Wherever it was, she guessed it was to the outside, as the air was starting to smell fresher. “I never thought of it as dangerous until the time my partner died.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lancer said, seeing the open exit coming up not far away. “I want to die in my bed surrounded by all my loved ones.”

“It was fun!” Wildfire protested, “Flying through burning buildings, saving the day, being all heroic and stuff. It was an adventure. Then Heatwave died, the day I got my cutie mark. Then I grew up.”

“Did Heatwave die in the building fire?”

Suddenly, Wildfire stopped moving. She stood perfectly still in the hallway. Pictures of Heatwave appeared in her mind’s eye, her old partner. “No...No, he died after. There was a family of earth ponies trapped on the third floor of a building. I disobeyed my captain's orders and went in for them. Heatwave followed me in. We saved them. He died of heart failure down on the ground.”

Lancer considered that for a moment before turning and giving Wildfire a tight hug. “Well, that would be my second choice on the way to go. Doing what I love surrounded by those that care.” He nuzzled her cheek before turning back and leading her outside the factory onto the cloud. “This is the employee entrance.”

Once Wildfire was outside, she appreciated just how big the Manehatten Weather Factory was. I was huge. Bigger than huge. Lancer’s voice in front of her shook her from this brief reverie however. “There’s a key card reader to the right of the door. You'll get that when you in process on Monday. When you bring a beacon, we can mount it to the right of the reader.”

“I've got one in my bag,” Wildfire said, thinking of the spare she always carried, just in case.

Lancer was impressed. This little mare was certainly prepared. He liked that. “I can take if off your hooves and have it mounted here at the employee entrance sometime Monday morning.” Straightaway, Wildfire fished the beacon out of her saddlebag and passed it over to Lancer.

Once he had the beacon from Wildfire, the buttercream yellow stallion used his key card, swiping it through the reader to re-enter the factory. “You just press your key card, no code needed.”

“That's alright then,” Wildfire giggled as she followed Lancer back inside where they had just emerged from. “I already have eight beacons to remember, amongst other things.”

“Like this short tour,” Lancer added over his shoulder. He did feel for the little mare, but he was sure she could cope. “First door on the right is the employee break room. There you’ll find the fridge, Microwave and some tables. Left, is the employee locker room. Beyond the locker room is a small gym and showers. Next to that and three doors on the right are shift supervisors, they share an office for each branch. Inclement weather, crop rain, and cloud cover.”

Lancer, having taken a little break in the tour to allow Wildfire to catch up so that she knew where she was and not overloaded, carried on with the tour. “Next door on the right is the Weather management supervisor. To the left is weather planning.”

“I gotcha,” Wildfire said confidently, “did you say I had an office?”

“Yes,” Lancer smiled at her eagerness, “The next door on the right is Fire Suppression which is Cloud Burst's office, but it would be the one you use, and on the left there is City Liaison. That is my office.”

“It's so cool, I have an office!” Wildfire clapped her hooves and was so happy she even broke into a happy little four hooved dance in the hallway. “I have an office! My mum'd be well proud!”

Unperturbed by Wildfire’s impromptu dance routine, Lancer continued, “Next office on the right is quality control and on the left is Bluefeather's. After that is the reception foyer.” Once his little tour was completed, Lancer went back and opened the door to Wildfire’s brand new office. “Look around so you know where stuff is. Do you have sight impaired software?”

“I do indeed!” Wildfire squee’d in utter delight as she started to investigate her new office.

“You'll need it for here,” Lancer said as he watched the little yellow pegasus investigate every little nook and cranny of the office. His smile grew wider when she reached the desk. She seemed utterly enamoured of the simple piece of furniture. “I don't know if the fire department will reimburse you or not, though.”

“I've got this tablet that's just amazing, and this headset…” Wildfire trailed off as she explored her office, thoughts of what Lancer was saying left her mind as far, far more important things became apparent. “There’s a filing cabinet and a desk!” she let out a very excited squee, “I have a desk!”

“Desks,” Lancer laughed out loud, unable to contain himself any longer, “the gift to fat bottomed ponies everywhere.”

“But this is mine!” Wildfire buzzed her wings and hovered in sheer joy, “I get to sit and do officey things! In my office!”

Lancer’s laugh showed no sign of abating any time soon, “At least when you're not putting out fires.”

“Sometimes you're putting out fires in the office.” Bluefeather commented from the open doorway while Tempest burst out into a little fit of giggles.

“You excited, Wily?” Tempest asked with a smile on her face at her little lover’s antics. Wildfire didn’t seem to give much of a damn that the office was coloured a particular shade of puce green, she was clearly very excited.

Again, indescribably excited, Wildfire squee’d. This time she even did a little happy bounce. “A desk! Look Honey! This is my desk, look!”

Tempest grinned, “You’re going to make me jealous with your fancy desk.”

Wildfire was in full flow now. “It’s gonna have my name on it just here,” she pointed to what she imagined was the middle of the desk. “A picture of you and Airy will go just there,” she carried on, actually pointing now to the air, missing the desk completely.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Tempest was genuinely very touched by her diminutive lover’s youthful enthusiasm, she imagined this had been a dream of hers for quite some time. “But, my eager little pony, will you get any work done mooning over Airy?”

“Of course I will silly,” Wildfire replied. She didn’t care that she hadn’t asked the colours of her new office, all she cared about was that it was hers. It was hers and hers alone. She had an office! She felt so grown up! “I'll just moon over her in my break times, of course!”

Bluefeather chuckled. She couldn’t help but feel young when next to this excited little pegasus. It was like she was infectious with her energy. Like a literal wildfire. “It must be good to work for the city.”

“I bet it is, although it's good to work at all…” Wildfire beamed out a happy smile, “Oh hey Bluefeather, did Stormy tell you about Cyclone?”

Bluefeather nodded at that, taking a little sit down on the as yet undiscovered couch in Wildfire’s new office. “She told me about last night, all of last night, which included the Weather Management Supervisor from Cloudsdale.”

Tempest picked up immediately on the slight breathlessness in Bluefeather’s voice and decided some first class teasing was in order. “Then she made me mop the floor,” the violet mare added, nudging the grey mare in the ribs.

“Hush you.” Bluefeather snickered, though she playfully rolled her eyes.

Wildfire, how had by now discovered the seating pad behind her desk and sat on it looking like all her Hearths Warmings had come at once, giggled. “Was it a case of clean up on aisle mare?”

Lancer burst out laughing, holding his sides with his forelegs. “I see you'll fit right in here, Wily.”

“I try my best Lance,” Wildfire said, barely containing herself as the realisation that she was sitting on a seating pad. In her office. A pad, that was hers, in an office, that was hers! “Bluefeather, was it the nappies or the Power Pony plushies that caused the 'wet floor' signs to appear on aisle mare?”

Lancer snorted out a laugh that he just couldn’t hold in, “W-What?”

“Cy just loves wearing them,” Wildfire smiled, oblivious to Bluefeather’s and Tempest’s looks they shared between themselves. “Almost as much as she loves playing the foal.”

“Wait,” Lancer at last caught the looks between Bluefeather and Tempest. Immediately his laughing ceased. “You're being serious.”

“As serious as I'm sitting here Lance.” An oblivious Wildfire beamed, making Tempest want to facehoof over and over. “Cy won't mind me telling you, either.”

Lancer looked at Bluefeather who, rather reluctantly, nodded in turn. “Yes Lance,” she admitted, “I'm into that, and I'd ask that it stops here and go no further, for the both of you.” She added, a very serious sounding tone in her voice.

“I um, I totally understand, Bluefeather.” Wildfire said very quickly, only now just aware she may have said too much. “I swear nopony here will hear about it from me. Not everypony has Cy's confidence with it, Tartarus she wore one on the train from Cloudsdale to Manehatten!”

Bluefeather shook her head, her electric blue mane tussling about her shoulders. It was impossible to be angry with this little ball of enthusiasm. “I do try to separate some of my private life from my office life.”

“No big deal Blue,” Lancer held up his buttercream yellow hooves, “just…well...”

“Seems different from what you thought?” Tempest offered helpfully. She of course knew all about her friend’s tastes. In fact she had been thinking in the back of her mind about Bluefeather ever since she had met Cyclone back in Cloudsdale.

“Yeah.”

“Do you want her number?” Wildfire asked, in an attempt to make up for her perceived blunder.

Bluefeather only thought about it for a second before nodding her head. “Actually, Wily, yes I would.”

“Alrighty,” with that, Wildfire dug her forehoof in her saddlebag, fishing for her cell phone. It only took her a moment of swiping through the menus with her wingtip for her to find her old friend’s number. “There you go, I’ve got it.”

Bluefeather licked her lips in anticipation, but not before she turned to Lancer with a nod of her head. “Thank you Lance, for the introductory tour.”

“No problem.” Lancer saw when he was being dismissed, and took the hint. Grinning, he glanced at the beacon he still held and knew how he could make himself useful. “I'll go and take care of the beacon. See you later Wily.” That said, he bowed out of his soon-to-be colleague’s office and trotted across the hallway to his own.

“That’s my fault,” Tempest said apologetically as she closed the door behind Lancer’s orange tail. “Sorry Blue, I told her about your little fetish.”

“Hey, I'm uh, I’m sorry if I stepped on your hooves or anything, Bluefeather.” Wildfire said from her desk, a good portion of her enthusiasm leeching out of her.

Bluefeather couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the little yellow mare. “The gossip rags are always looking for something,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders, trying to play it down. “I trust Lance and I don't think anypony else heard you. Stormy filled me in about last night, but she really didn't know a lot about Cyclone. She’s the black Pegasus with green hair?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire beamed, picking up on the happier tone in Bluefeather’s voice. “She's the one!”

“I saw her at the last weather conference in Trottingham…” Bluefeather tapped her chin, trying to rack her brains to remember anything at all about the very cute young pegasus. All she could come up with was ‘cute’, ‘young’, ‘sexy’ and ‘black’. “My counterpart in Cloudsdale is Misty Morning, but Cyclone was his assistant.” Try as she might, she couldn’t think of anything else about her, “Dayglow is my assistant. You haven't met her yet.”

Wildfire too was trawling her brains for anything about Cyclone that she could add. “The way Cy described it last night, she was 'Mare-in-charge-of-Winter',” she giggled, “and when they were hoofing out confidence Cy skipped the queue and took everypony's share for herself.”

“Winter?” Bluefeather asked, her eyebrow raised.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied, “she organises Cloudsdale's Winter, and co-ordinates Winter with the other factories around Equestria.”

Now Bluefeather understood. “Oh, okay, she was the Weather Management Supervisor when I met her.” Again, she tapped her chin, now trying to work out what could’ve gone wrong for her. “I wonder what happened that she would be doing inclement weather now instead.”

“Oh, I’m afraid I don't know, Bluefeather,” Wildfire admitted with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. “You see, we're friends, but we haven't had much contact these last few years.”

A look from Tempest spoke volumes. “Oh, okay, when did she tell you she was in charge of winter?”

“Last night at the party.” Wildfire answered, “That was the first time I've seen her in five years.”

“Okay, I won't ask about it then,” Bluefeather determined, “It may be a touchy subject. Is ah, is she currently single, do you know?”

Wildfire grinned, “It's okay, you can ask as much as you want. I have no secrets and I'm not ashamed of what happened.” She hadn’t realised that wasn’t what Bluefeather had meant when she had asked her question. “And yes, Cy likes mares and she’s very single.”

“Wily,” Tempest said gently, “she was talking about Cy's secrets. No need to prod why she was demoted, is what she meant.”

“Oh...ooooh right…” Wildfire giggled in an attempt to cover her newest blush. “I’m sorry, I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask.”

“She may have been acting supervisor at the conference,” Bluefeather mused as she looked at the phone number in her hooves, turning the scrap of paper over and over, “I didn't say much more than 'hello' to her.”

“I do know she's staying in Manehatten for a few days though,” Wildfire offered as, like Tempest, she was trying her best to set Cyclone up with a special somepony.

Bluefeather shared a glance at Tempest. “Stormy said she is staying at Caffeinated's house,” she said, to which Tempest nodded yes.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire confirmed that, “at least until this Sunday coming.”

Turning the scrap of paper containing Cyclone’s cell phone number over in her hooves, Bluefeather smiled, many possibilities running through her head like a herd of ponies running the leaves. “I have a nice playpen and a crib at my place. I’ll have to see if she wants to change her plans for Saturday.”

Tempest nudged her old friend in the ribs. “Or, you could see if she wants to change her plans for tonight?” she asked with a very suggestive look on her face.

“Out of the blue?” Bluefeather asked, suddenly taking a step backwards, “No, it’d be best if I have some pony give an intro, like you two.”

Tempest grinned as she trotted over to Wildfire’s desk and licked her little lover’s ear. “Wily, why don’t you call Cy now and do the introduction?”

“Eeek…” Wildfire squeaked as her ear was licked, “Y-You got it, Honey!” excited, she reached for her phone that was resting on her desk by her left hoof and, after a couple of swipes with her wingtip, dialled Cyclone’s number.

On the other end of the line, at Caffeinated’s ranch, it took Cyclone several rings before she answered the call. Romper suits didn’t do hooves any favours with touch screens. “Y'ello, Wily?”

“Hey Cy,” Wildfire greeted her friend with a smile. Even after catching up with her before and during the gaming night last night, it still felt…odd, hearing her voice after five long years of being apart. “So…whatcha doing?”

“Oh, not much,” the jet black pegasus answered truthfully. She wasn’t really. Dressed in her bright, eye wateringly bright pink romper suit, she was currently secreted in a pillow fort that Thespian had helped her to build, with her Radiance plushie under her right wing. “I’m watching cartoons in the great room, I’ve got me a clean nappy, a full bottle and my plushies.” As far as Cyclone was concerned, life was good.

Wildfire snickered, and as she had her phone on speaker, as was her custom, she heard Tempest and Bluefeather do the same. “I'm at the Manehatten weather factory with a grey mare called Bluefeather.”

“Ooh I remember her,” Cyclone replied, shifting a little inside her hoof-crafted pillow fort, “She’s a cute mare,” since Wildfire had her phone on speaker, Bluefeather and Tempest both giggled at that, especially Bluefeather who wore an impressive blush.

“Tempest and I are talking to her now,” Wildfire grinned, “It turns out she likes the same thing you do.”

“Power Ponies?” Cyclone asked as she took a quick suckle of the formula foal milk in her bottle. She was suitably skilled with her romper suited hooves to hold the bottle and the phone.

Carefully, Wildfire facehooved. And ponies thought she was oblivious! “Ugh…no you plum, I mean nappies!”

“Oooh…”

Chuckling, Bluefeather decided a slightly more ‘direct’ approach was called for. She stepped closer to Wildfire’s desk and nearer to the innocuous looking cell phone resting upon it. For added effect, the grey pegasus affected her best ‘matronly’ voice, just to get the point across. “Cyclone, I like to take care of foals and I have a lovely playpen and crib for the foals I take care of.”

That did it. That was enough for Cyclone, whose wings were having a hard time staying by her sides inside the fort. “I'm single and I have no plans for the immediate future.” She didn’t need to hear anything else. It had been such a long time since she’d had a proper nana, no offense to Air Raid, but since their split as a couple four years ago, the experience hadn’t been the same.

Bluefeather smiled, knowing full well she had the jet black pegasus at the word ‘foal’. “I live her in Cloudhatten, but I can meet you at a place of your choosing.”

Buried deep in her very comfortable pillow fort, with the Friday morning cartoons for the moment forgotten, Cyclone thought that was a good idea. She knew just the place. “I'm cool meeting up at Caffeinated's coffee shop, then going on to your place.”

Bluefeather checked her watch and saw it was eleven a.m. “How about four o'clock?” she asked, “If it works out we can do dinner and then I can read you a bedtime story.”

“You had me at four o'clock, Blue.”

Bluefeather’s blue tinted grey wings fluttered with excitement, and it was a concerted effort to maintain her motherly tone of voice. “Be a good foal and be on time, then.”

“Y-You got it!”

“You're gonna go start getting ready now, right?” Wildfire asked with a massive grin plastered all over her face as she heard Bluefeather step away from the phone. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she fancied that there was a spring in her step that wasn’t there before.

“Yep!” Cyclone squealed in sheer delight, knocking over her pillow fort as she burst from its depths. “A four hour scented bubble bath, just me and my plushies!”

Chapter 5 - Life's Tapestry

“Oooh…”

Bluefeather smiled, knowing full well she had the jet black pegasus at the word ‘foal’. “I live her in Cloudhatten, but I can meet you at a place of your choosing.”

Bluefeather checked her watch and saw it was eleven a.m. “How about four o'clock?” she asked, “If it works out we can do dinner and then I can read you a bedtime story.”

“You had me at four o'clock, Blue.”

Bluefeather’s blue tinted grey wings fluttered with excitement, and it was a concerted effort to maintain her motherly tone of voice. “Be a good foal and be on time, then.”

“Y-You got it!”

“Yep!” Cyclone squealed in sheer delight, knocking over her pillow fort as she burst from its depths. “A four hour scented bubble bath, just me and my plushies!”

“Wily,” Bluefeather asked once the blind mare had hung up her call to her new potential marefriend / foal. She was trying very hard to keep her blue tinted wings in place, if only to save face with her friend, Tempest. “Ah, has Cy said anything on how she feels about discipline?”

Wildfire tapped her chin, apparently in thought. It had after all been a while. “Well...as I recall, she likes a light spanking, she has been tied up before and she enjoyed it.”

Bluefeather affected a really shocked look on her face, though she was giggling deep down. “I'd never tie up a foal!”

Wildfire giggled at that, “I'm sure whatever discipline you deem fit will be fine, Blue.”

“Okay,” Bluefeather smiled, her thoughts were, admittedly wandering from her weather factory all the way up a meandering path that lead all the way to the nappied rear of a very cute black pegasus, “well, Wily did you want to see the cloud production room?”

Wildfire nodded, excited to ‘see’ everything now she was here, and cloud production seemed like something she’d need to know about. “Ooh, yes please!”

“Alright,” Bluefeather grinned and saw her way out so she could go and get herself ready to properly, for the first time, meet the black mare that sounded like a lot of fun over the phone. She was grateful that Wildfire had left her phone on speaker. There was just something cute about her Canterlot / Cloudsdale accent. “C’mon, I'll turn you over to Dayglow, then.”

“Alrighty, thanks Bluefeather!” Wildfire smiled and, as Bluefeather and Tempest left Cloud Burst’s – now Wildfire’s – office, the little blind mare slid off of her seating pad behind her desk and followed the two of them out into the hallway.

Bluefeather led the way down the hall, passing several closed doors until she stopped at the one she wanted. Knocking twice, politely to announce her presence, she hoofed it open. “Dayglow,” she said to the very bright yellow pegasus with the pure white mane and tail seated at her own desk, “this is Wildfire. She’s working for Rung for fire suppression. She may be in Burst's office. Can you give her a production tour please?”

“Sure I can Bl...” Dayglow began to reply but, when she actually saw Wildfire, who had still been behind her boss as they had entered her office, trailed off to a somewhat awkward silence, her mouth hanging open.

“As you can see,” Bluefeather said with an air of authority that snapped Dayglow’s mouth shut, “it will be more than just a visual tour.”

“Ye…Yes…” Dayglow stammered, still trying to process the sight before her, the blind mare, her scars and the fact that she was here to work fire suppression.

Bluefeather caught the dangerous look that she was getting from Tempest and knew from past experience what ‘that’ look from her old friend meant. “Stormy will be tagging along for the ride.” She said, immediately making Tempest feel better about the situation.

“Um, okay…”

Bluefeather eyed her young assistant carefully. “You good?”

Her cheeks lighting up in a very red blush, Dayglow took a moment to shake out her eye achingly bright yellow fur, as well as her white mane. She realised just what a huge foal she had just been. She was also aware of Tempest’s reputation regarding her temper. She did after all cast a long shadow. “Yes Blue, I'm fine. I’m ah, I’m sorry, for that.”

Completely oblivious, Wildfire stepped forward up to Dayglow’s desk. “Is everything okay?” she asked, a wide smile all over her face.

Dayglow could still feel her blush radiating over her cheeks. “Yes Wildfire, I’m sorry for that reaction, it wasn’t very professional of me.” she looked at the little yellow pegasus and felt even more dumb for how she had acted. “I take it you're most interested in the clouds we churn out for the fire department?”

“Oh don't worry about it, it's fine.” Wildfire beamed. While Dayglow’s reaction hadn’t been ‘bad’ as such, she guessed she was more surprised than anything. Besides, she’d experienced far worse. Wildfire knew just how to best to deal with it. “Bluefeather should've warned you a stunning beauty was coming!”

“Yes, she should have!” Dayglow laughed out loud, the ice well and truly shattered. “Follow me please.”

Bluefeather, satisfied that her assistant was fine, shared a nod and a smile with Tempest, who quickly – and thankfully - returned the gesture. “I'll be in my office, Dayglow.” The grey weather manger said as she turned to leave the office, her thoughts once more drifting towards a certain black mare. “I plan on leaving at two thirty.”

“Okay,” Dayglow replied, leading Wildfire and Tempest from her office, “I have this covered. Oh, there’s a budget report you do need to review and sign today. It’s on your desk.”

“Got it.”

“So Dayglow, awesome name by the way, you make the clouds?” Wildfire asked out in the hall just as Bluefeather danced her way back into her own office. She knew they were in the hall from the feel of the cloud floor. Out here it felt like an approximation of tiles, whereas all the offices so far had felt ‘carpeted’.

“Thank you.” Dayglow’s blush, which had been retreating, came back in full force, much to Tempest’s undisguised glee. “We sure do,” she said in reply to Wildfire’s query about the clouds, glad to be talking about something she knew a lot about. Clouds were safe territory. “They’re made to order, though we always have a few in stock for emergencies.”

Wildfire giggled, “I'm guessing your coat is a nice grey or black, something muted and subdued?”

Dayglow choked and burst out laughing. “A-Actually, it’s teehee, b-bright yellow with a white mane.”

“You just had to be my favourite colour with a name like that,” Wildfire snickered, rather pleased with her little self that she had made Dayglow laugh. “Do you make the clouds that Stormy uses?”

“Yes,” Dayglow answered once she was in control of her breathing, “but those are all made per schedule. Depending on the request will determine which part of the factory does the work.”

“We've had this whole place jumping to put in some inclement weather systems.” Tempest spoke up proudly, pleased that her old friend’s assistant seemed more at ease now, and at the same time proud of the way that Wildfire herself had put her at ease.

“You um, you don't release any rogue ones, or faulty ones?” Wildfire asked, unable to keep the anxious nervousness from her voice. Tempest had promised her on the way to Trottingham that she would be careful, but with weather you were never wholly safe. She knew that from experience. Painful experience.

“I pride myself on quality control.” Dayglow announced with a justified little swagger of her hips. “The last incorrectly made cloud was seven years ago, which cost my predecessor his job. He let slip a type two hail storm when it was supposed to be a type two thunder storm.”

“Oh...” Wildfire immediately brightened up, thanks in no small part to Tempest’s wing stroking her right flank, “that's alrighty then, I was just checking. Those Cumulonimbus can be tricky things.”

Again, Dayglow was proud. “My quality team is very diligent,” she explained as they walked together down a new hallway now. “We do get some spectacular storm request on occasion.”

“Mostly for the tourists,” Tempest put in, “they just love to watch off shore storms.”

“I just don't trust those clouds.” Wildfire said, her voice still bright, though her ears were slicked back to her head. “I’m sorry, Dayglow, I wasn't passing judgement on your work.”

“You won't be getting any of those anyhow.” Dayglow said confidently as she led the way into the cloud production area to begin this part of the tour, “Lighting strikes don't help in fire suppression.”

Wildfire blushed fiercely. “I wasn't worried for me…” she muttered, though thankfully the rest of the tour drove thoughts like that from her mind. The cloud production simply fascinated Wildfire. Dayglow was a very good tour guide too. She led them around the cloud banks, where they stored the clouds, she even enjoyed the Voltron 7000 and the Static-O-Matic, the two machines that created the lightning charges for the clouds. In spite of her misgivings, it had been hilarious when her mane stood on end.

“Thank you Dayglow,” Tempest said finally once the bright yellow mare had introduced them to the Cloudbuster Super Soaker Turbo machine that injected the clouds with rainwater siphoned from the ground by the pegasi that formed the hurricanes with their wingpower, “I’m glad to see some of the changes since my last visit.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire giggled, her fur still felt tingly from the Static-O-Matic, “this tour was properly awesomes, thanks!”

“I look forward to working with you,” Dayglow said with a smile in her tone. Over the course of the tour, she had grown to like the diminutive yellow pegasus. She didn’t take herself too seriously, knew how to have a laugh and when to be serious. Dayglow fancied she’d fit in just fine. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Um...no I don't think so, Dayglow.”

Dayglow however was certain there was. “There is some lovely shopping here in Cloudhatten, if you like.”

Now, as anypony who knows a mare knows, a mare cannot resist shopping. Wildfire was certainly no exception. The moment she heard the ‘S’ word her ears perked up. “Shopping?” she asked excitedly. “C'mon, Stormy, can we go? Please? I'll get you something nice!”

“Okay, okay…” Tempest placed a delicate little kiss to Wildfire’s lips. Her enthusiasm was infectious. “Maybe we’ll get something for Airy too.”

“Yuppers, of course!” Wildfire squee’d as she returned the kiss to Tempest’s lips, she was excited. More than excited. Shopping was still something relatively new for her after the care home. “I got her some sandalwood perfume for our two week anniversary...what else do you think she'd like?”

“Exotic coffee, really dark, dark chocolate.” Tempest replied quickly, knowing as she did Airmail quite well. “Maybe even somepony wearing a sexy outfit…”

“I can think of something better,” Wildfire commented, thinking back to her nineteenth birthday many moons ago and the surprise that Darkstar had left her on her bed.

That caught Tempest’s attention, for sure. “Now I'm intrigued.” Looking back at the very bright yellow pegasus, she saw she had an amused look on her face. “Thanks again for the tour, Dayglow.”

“I mean, the coffee and the dark chocolate, sure,” Wildfire said, for the moment not thinking about Dayglow, “but two ponies wearing sexy outfits?”

“Oh,” Tempest snickered playfully, “so if you're shopping and I'm with you, I can shop too?”

“Of course you can silly,” she giggled, “oh, thanks for the tour, Dayglow.” The three mares shared a three way hug fest that lasted a good few moments before the bright yellow pegasus had to take her leave and go about her business for the day.

“Let's say goodbye to Lancer on our way out,” Tempest said, leading the way back through the many identical looking hall ways to where the offices were. Tempest counted herself lucky there were regular signposts on the walls.

Wildfire nodded, falling into step alongside Tempest. Like before, she had her wingtip touching her thirty eight year old herd-mate’s flank. “Good idea, Honey!” she grinned, “I don't want him to miss me.”

“Unlikely,” Tempest commented with a loud roll of her blue eyes, “but best to not risk it.”

“There’s that, and I get to walk past ~my office~ one more time!” Wildfire squealed in a singsong voice as she skipped along down the hallway.

“Of course…” Tempest replied. She couldn’t help but smile. Walking with Wildfire was like walking with an over-excited foal on the sugar rush of her lifetime. When she reached Lancer’s office, the violet weather pony knocked on his door and stuck her head around it. “Wanted to say goodbye before we left,” she said in answer to his questioning look.

“We did.” Wildfire added, “want to say bye, I mean.” As she said that, she heard Lancer get up from his desk and, once he was closer, she heard Lancer and Tempest hoof bump each other.

“Hoof bump?” Lancer asked, standing in front of the little blind mare.

“Oooh, go on then!” Wildfire smiled and, as she held out her left forehoof for the bump, she picked up an intense waft of mulberry. She filed it in her mental filing cabinet, next to blueberry for Bluefeather and banana for Dayglow.

Straightaway, Lancer bumped Wildfire’s hoof with his own. “I do hope they give you the office,” he said in a conspiratorial tone, “you're a lot prettier than Cloud Burst is.”

Wildfire smiled, the mulberry scent firmly remembered. “And with a better sense of humour too, I'll bet?”

“Time will tell on that one,” Lancer commented, although he had a sneaking suspicion that the little yellow mare was quite right, from the little he had seen of her today, “The beacon should be active by noon on Monday.”

“Thanks for that, and thanks for the ‘pretty’ comment.” Wildfire leant forward and offered Lancer a friendly nuzzle that he gladly accepted. “That earns you a Hearths Warming card!”

Tempest, who had been patiently listening to and watching the playful banter between Wildfire and Lancer, had a rather wonderful, sexy idea. A wonderful, sexy idea that involved her, Wildfire, her new desk, and sex. True she wanted to go shopping, but the sexy idea won. “Wily, do you want to kiss your desk before you go?” she asked, an impish glint in her blue eyes as she leant in close and whispered, “or give it some special mare polish?”

“That is a great idea...” Wildfire admitted, her wings fluttering at half mast, “I don't want my desk to miss me too, do I?”

Tempest knew she had her then. “In that case, we should inspect your office. From behind closed doors...” she finished with a long slow lick straight up the inside of Wildfire’s ear.

“Aaaahn...” Wildfire moaned, subconsciously flicking her ear to fend off the marauding tongue, “y-yuppers...w-we really should, go and do that!”

Once they were safely secreted back in Wildfire’ brand new office, devoid of anything but for the desk, sofa and filing cabinet, Tempest casually inspected her forehoof, “I will I have to say I've never done it on a desk before.”

“It has been a while,” Wildfire giggled, “oh wait...we need a unicorn with an invisibility spell, to complete the effect!”

“Hmm, that could be a problem.” Tempest snickered. She recalled the tale as Wildfire had told it, of her and Air Raid on the math professor’s desk. She had to admit it was a hot thought. “Wait!” she exclaimed, “I think I have a scroll of invisibility. Want me to use it?”

“Well,” Wildfire stroked the edge of her desk with her wingtip, “it would make it like old times...but, nah…” she shook her head with a smile, “let’s make us some new better memories!”

Tempest liked that idea. Very much, did she like that idea. “That's the spirit, Wily!” she congratulated her little lover with a passionate kiss. “Hmm…so many options. You have a favourite position? Seeing as we really can't do mine right now.” Tempest said wistfully, regretting that she hadn’t bought her stallionator in her bag.

“You can sit on my muzzle first, then we switch?”

“I like this plan,” Tempest enthused with an energetic nod of her head, “but first let's clear the surface of the intercom and pencils, but leave the green blotter. We can see what shades we can make on it.”

“It might go yellow,” Wildfire mused out loud as she heard Tempest removing the few meagre things that were occupying the desk.

“All clear,” Tempest said once the desk was clear of everything but the blotting paper. “Now, up you go my little love taste tester.”

Wildfire didn’t need telling twice. “You got it, Honey!” one quick feel for the desk later with her hoof to check where it was and she had hopped up on it. The moment her hooves made contact, she did a very happy little dance. “This is my deeeesk!” she sang out, before laying down on her back.

Tempest couldn’t help but giggle, more so when she saw that, due to her small size, Wildfire’s hind hooves didn’t even reach the end of the desk. “So, did you do this for every desk at Uni?”

“No!” Wildfire squeaked, her wings flaring under her at the very thought. “It was only Calculus's...just because. Well, Raid was hot, I was extremely horny and her desk was there.”

Tempest just giggled harder, at the misunderstanding. “I meant, the happy dance when you got a new desk in class.” The violet mare’s giggles only got harder when Wildfire blushed bright red. “Are you ready?”

Wildfire heard Tempest climb up on the desk, she sniffed and felt her larger herd-mate and lover getting into a sixty nine position. Oh by Luna’s sainted fetlock was she ready for this! “I’m ready Stormy!” she replied quickly, spreading her hind legs apart until she felt the edges of the desk with the heels of her hooves.

Glancing back underneath herself, Tempest saw Wildfire lift her head up to get at her marehood. Sneakily, Tempest quickly wrapped her black tail between her hind legs and up along her belly just as she lowered herself down to Wildfire’s muzzle. Anticipating the warm wet folds of her lover’s labia, Wildfire instead got a mouthful of tail. “MmmMMph!”

Snickering, Tempest dipped her head down and, once her nose touched Wildfire’s marehood, she delivered a slow lick down the centre of the yellow mare’s slit. “What was that?” she asked silkily.

“MMmmMph!” Wildfire squeaked out a muffled squeal as she felt Tempest’s hot wet tongue lick her most private of places. The black tail was like a sandalwood scented gag, one that became her whole world at that moment, especially when Tempest dragged her tail down along her muzzle until she was at last fully exposed. “Aaah!” Wildfire moaned, gasping for breath and at the same time Tempest slid her tongue inside her wet tunnel.

“Sneeeeeaky m-maaare!” Wildfire wailed as she started to lick at Tempest’s crotch with gusto. Delivering a lick to her hard swollen clit, Wildfire soon dragged her tongue all the way up her cleft to swirl its tip around the muscular ring of her anus, her nose snuffling at the dock of her tail.

As a result, Tempest moaned a very lusty moan when she felt the tip of Wildfire’s tongue enter her tail hole. Spurred on, she buried her muzzle deep into Wildfire’s dripping snatch, tongue-bucking her lover. “AAaaAAaah...” both mares let out a simultaneous half moan, half scream. Tempest, as Wildfire tongued her puckered asshole and Wildfire, as Tempest delved into her pulsing, dripping, sopping marehood.

Feeling Wildfire’s tongue in her butt, Tempest went all in, in her attempt to make her lover cum as soon as she possibly could. “AAaaaaaAAAH!” Wildfire screamed, screamed as much as she could scream, given where her tongue was, which just allowed her to taste the bitter taste of her lover’s sphincter all the more. Panting and gasping, she bucked her hips up into Tempest’s face, already very close to her climax as she swirled her tongue around the walls of Tempest’s ass.

Squirming with the amazingly pleasurable sensations of having her ass eaten out, Tempest clamped down with her anal ring on Wildfire’s tongue and busied herself with her teeth and tongue dancing on and around Wildfire’s clit. “Aaaah…” Wildfire moaned, spurring Tempest on with a forehoof massaging her tail hole. That tipped Wildfire over. “AAaaaAAAH STOOOOORMY!” her scream, while muffled, was still pretty loud as she swirled her tongue deep in Tempest’s ass.

Above her, Tempest continued to chow down on her snatch, drinking every drop the little mare could produce, which was a lot, considering. “Ooooh...” Wildfire ‘Mmm’d’, still squirting into Tempest’s muzzle. Several swirling licks with her tongue lip-deep in the violet mare’s butt and Wildfire felt the tell-tale sign of Tempest’s thighs clenching at her shoulders.

Taking her cue, Wildfire pushed her tongue as deep as it could go, slurping and licking all around the muscular walls of her lover’s anal canal as she could reach. That tipped Tempest. A second later she screamed, “WIIIIIIIIIIIILY!” as she came with her muzzle buried deep in her crotch.

Coming down from her orgasmic high, Wildfire slowly pulled her tongue out of Tempest’s slowly closing asshole and lapped at glistening marehood. “Mmmm,” Tempest purred, “that was nice and it has been way too long.”

“Y-Yuppers...I love your ass, Honey.”

“I was a bit too focused to explore that titbit,” Tempest smiled, “but after we switch I may just do that.” Having got her breath back, Tempest climbed off of her and landed on the floor beside the desk.

Grinning, Wildfire rolled over and slid off the table as well. “Now, Honey, it’s your turn.”

Without hesitation, Tempest climbed up onto the desk and rolled onto her back. “Wily,” she said with a trace of hesitation in her voice, “ah, would you like to hoof me?”

Now, whatever Wildfire was expecting, that wasn’t it. To be honest, that was the last thing she had expected Tempest to ask her to do. Still, it was her favourite thing to do. “Um, s-sure thing Honey...I'd love to…”

Tempest, to be fair to her, had wondered what it was like to be hoofed. She had watched Airmail hoof Wildfire twice in Vanhoover, and Wildfire hoof Airmail the other day back in their own bed in Manehatten, so she was curious. “I would like you to please, I really would.”

“Okies!” excited to be finally treating her violet lover to what she saw as the best thing ever, Wildfire reached over the desk, feeling for Tempest’s hind legs. After a short moment, the blind mare succeeding in feeling the wet inside of Tempest’s upper right thigh.

Tempest laid herself back on the desk top, purring as Wildfire’s hoof inched upwards over her cum slicked fur towards her needy snatch. “I-I think you left me rather lubricated, Wily.”

Wildfire giggled, it was perfectly true, of course. She could feel Tempest moistness on her hoof. “Okay, here we go, Honey,” she said warningly as, once she had her hoof resting on the entrance to Tempest’s impossibly wet snatch, she carefully slid the front toe end of her left forehoof around her puffy labia, making sure to coat it thoroughly in her glistening juices before gently inserting it.

“Oh,” Tempest moaned almost instantly. Wildfire had put the barest of pressure on her hoof and already it was inside her up to the bulbs at the back of her hoof. “Hmm…that is nice, I'm working to dilate.”

“You do feel relaxed, Honey.” Wildfire commented, grateful her lover was giving her this feedback. Pushing gently still, the blind mare eased her whole hoof all the way in.

“T-Too relaxed love,” Tempest purred, her hind legs spread as she watched the yellow hoof disappear inside her hungry snatch. “Time to wind me up.” In response, feeling that Tempest’s marehood was accommodating, Wildfire slid her hoof and her lower foreleg in further, up to her fetlocks.

“Uuugh…mmmm,” Tempest let loose the guttural moan as she felt herself get filled up more than she’d ever been filled by any toy. It wasn’t the length as such, it was the sheer girth. It was amazing! “Oh, oh love, you'd put a stallion to shame!”

“I should hope so, sexy,” Wildfire smiled as she pulled her foreleg out a little way, to just above the ankle of her hoof and pushing back inside, this time delving deeper, going up to her knee.

“Oh yeah,” Tempest panted, doing her very best to keep her eyes from rolling in her head, “I'm ready, rut me Wily.”

“Alrighty Honey!” Wildfire beamed and, given the go ahead, she pushed her hoof in all the way, right up to tap Tempest’s cervix. Tempest, her tongue hanging out, jumped at the unexpected tap and let out an extremely happy moan as Wildfire pulled out and thrust back inside, quickly getting into a steady but firm rhythm.

“Somepony sure sounds like they're having fun,” Wildfire commented, satisfied that Tempest could handle what she was doing to her. Once she had the steady rhythm established, each firm thrust inwards Wildfire tapped her hoof to Tempest’s cervical wall.

As Wildfire’s right forehoof strayed towards her clit, Tempest inadvertently closed her hind legs around Wildfire’s foreleg, trapping it deep inside her before she could force them open again. Once she was able, Wildfire rubbed teasing circles around Tempest’s clitoral hood. “D-Don’t…” she whispered pleadingly, “Don't let me come if you can.”

Wildfire was confused at that, to say the very least. “Huh? You...don't want to come?” she asked, unsure of what she’d heard as she slowed her hoofing but still tapped her with every in stroke.

“I-I AAaaaAAH…I w-want you to take me t-to the MMmmm, the brink and back me off.”

“You got it Honey.” Personally, Wildfire hated being edged. Amethyst had loved driving her insane with it in the home. One time she had made her go over an hour…Wildfire shook her head, reminding herself that was the past. All behind her now. Tempest had requested this. Slowly, she slid her hoof inside her, at the same time leaning forward and licking around her hard clit.

Almost as soon as Wildfire’s tongue touched her nub, Tempest began to pant under her ministrations. Smirking a devilish smirk, Wildfire stopped after just three licks and blew a breath of hot air across her exposed clitoris, her hoof inside her barely moving.

As a result of Wildfire slowing down, Tempest steadied her breathing and she let loose with an anguished moan, which just made Wildfire giggle. Knowing she was doing it ‘right’, as it were, she started to slide her hoof in and out a little faster now, her rhythm building in tempo along with Tempest’s pleasured moans.

When Wildfire gave Tempest’s clit a couple of hard sucks, Tempest sighed in sheer pleasure and raised her ass off of the desk. Adjusting herself just a little, Wildfire began to rub Tempest’s spit slickened tail hole with her right hoof while at the same time slowly, torturously slowly tapping her cervix and licking her nub.

A second later, and Wildfire felt Tempest tense up like she had done while she had been on top of her, she felt her thighs clench around her foreleg. Doing as she was told, Wildfire duly eased off all her stimulus, simply blowing gently across Tempest’s clit, eliciting a needy whine from her. “Ohhh, W-Wily…y-you tease!”

Wildfire shrugged. “You said you wanted to go to the edge, Honey.” She excused herself as she delicately licked Tempest’s button.

“Yessssss,” she hissed, “But you are still a tease…”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire giggled, once more tapping Tempest’s cervix and wrapping her lips around her clit, sucking on it gently. As she did so, the violet weather pony took a sharp intake of breath and she clapped her forehooves together to keep from touching herself. Sensing that Tempest was yet again on the verge, Wildfire stopped sucking and gave her clit a gentle nibble instead.

Under Wildfire’s ministrations, Tempest squirmed like a worm on a hook. Wildfire giggled as she started to blow on Tempest’s hard begging nub while she slowly hoofed her. As she did so, the little blind mare felt the older pegasi’s vaginal walls rippling along her foreleg as her breathing became fast and shallow. Wildfire knew Tempest was going to cum.

Wrapping her lips around Tempest clit she sucked on it like she was trying to remove it with her lips and tapped her cervix hard. “W-W-WIIIIIIIIIIIIILY!” Tempest screamed and exploded around Wildfire’s thrusting hoof, arching her back and gasping for breath.

After an almost non-stop minute of seeing stars explode across her vision, Tempest remembered she could actually breathe. Another minute and she started to calm down from her orgasmic bliss to the level of 'boneless chicken'. Wildfire giggled as she listened to her lover’s ragged breathing. She licked her lips. “Well, I'm not thirsty anymore.”

“I’m…g-glad I co-could help…” Tempest panted, each blink of her eyes sending fresh stars dancing across her eyes, “th-that was very good…”

Wildfire took what she felt was a well-deserved bow. “Why, thank you sexy, I do try my best.” Licking her lips, she tasted the remnants of Tempest’s cum. Several moments later and Wildfire became aware of the puddle of Tempest’s sweet nectar on her desk. “You still wanna go shopping?”

“Yes,” Tempest panted, “but I want a nap first. And maybe fly through a shower cloud afterwards.”

Wildfire nodded. “Yuppers, when we wake up…”

Tempest gave out a chuckle. A tired but happy chuckle. A tired but happy chuckle that said she’d just had one of the best orgasms of her life. “You know what the next best thing in your office is besides the desk?”

Wildfire had a shrewd idea to that. “Um…have I got a couch?”

“Do you know, you do!” Tempest exclaimed with a happy giggle as she rolled off of the desk and, standing on extremely shaky hind legs, wrapped a powerful violet wing around Wildfire’s back. “It’s snuggle time.”

Wildfire let out a delighted little squee, “I've got an office I can snuggle in!”

~ ~ ~

Two hours later and Tempest, snuggling with Wildfire on the couch in her new office, began to stir at last. She blinked open her blue eyes and for a moment she didn’t realise where she was. It took her a few minutes before it sunk in that she was in the weather factory. She wanted to get up, because she wanted to go shopping, but… “Ugh,” she grunted as she reluctantly disentangled herself from the yellow bundle of feathers next to her. “Th-The universe doesn't begin until coffee…”

Next to her, Wildfire stirred, lifting up her head from Tempest’s chest, leaving a trail of drool in the process. “I-I feel you there, Honey…” she paused for a split second and, literally a split second later, once she was fully alert and awake, she bounced on the couch. “Honey! Do you know what we just did?”

“The same thing we do every day,” Tempest, the pre-coffee Tempest, groused, although there was a smile on her face, “revolve around your world.”

“My world?” Wildfire halted her bounce, seemingly freezing in mid-air, “n-no...I meant we napped, in my office!”

Almost instantly, Tempest felt a little lousy for her grump ruining Wildfire’s mood. It wasn’t the fault of the little yellow pony that her bloodstream needed coffee in it like, seven minutes ago. “Ah,” she hitched up her best, most genuine smile and reminded herself that this was still so new to her lover. “So, this was practice for what you’ll do regularly?”

As soon as her mood had deflated, Wildfire perked back up, again bouncing on the couch as she stuck her tongue out playfully. “Maybe,” she giggled, “I know! We should totally go hunt for coffee!”

Tempest liked that plan. She liked that plan a lot. A lot of a lot. “Mother Hen to Stealth Pony…” she said in her best ‘straight’ voice as she got off the couch and licked Wildfire’s ear.

Immediately, Wildfire fell into the role, not least because she wanted coffee almost as much as Tempest did. Almost. “I’m reading you loud and clear, Mother Hen.”

“Commence operation Java Bean.” Tempest ordered, stroking Wildfire’s flank with her wing, “You have point.”

Accepting her mission, though she felt it was far from impossible, Wildfire giggled and, putting her memory to the test she felt for the door. Once she found it, thankfully where she had left it, Wildfire stuck her head out, 'looking' into the hallway. “Any enemy fridges on the radar, Mother Hen?”

Again, Tempest stroked Wildfire’s flank, letting her know she was there. “I have your six, Stealth Pony.”

At heart, Wildfire knew Tempest would always have her ‘six’. She knew she was there, of course, she could smell her and hear her, but feeling her made it all the more ‘real’. “Thanks...um...” unfortunately, that was where Wildfire’s memory decided to take a little vacation and left her hanging. Try as she might, she couldn’t recall the layout of the new place. “Um, left or right?”

“Left is the escape route so right will lead deeper into the objective’s lair.” Tempest replied, not breaking character.

“Aah...I remember now...” Wildfire blushed and turned to the right. Once she was sure she was going the right way, she tip-hooved forwards down the hallway past the offices on the way to the cafeteria. “I’m breaching the enemy lair now, Mother Hen.”

Accustomed to his boss’s ‘eccentricities’ Lancer looked up from his office at the tip-hoofing antics of Wildfire and Tempest, he just shook his head and returned to his work. Tempest snickered at the pegasus stallion through his open door and followed Wildfire to the cafeteria. “I show the radar is clear, Stealth Pony.”

After another twenty feet of stealthy tip-hoofing stealthiness, in which Wildfire was convinced she was wholly invisible, the blind mare began to detect the unmistakeable scent of coffee. “I hear you, Mother Hen.” Wildfire creeped forward and paused. “Mother Hen, I smell coffee, repeat coffee is detected.”

“Copy that, Stealth Pony.” Tempest hid her snicker with practised ease. This was just too much fun! “Proceed with caution, I detect a bogie on the radar.”

“I hear the bogie, Mother Hen…” Wildfire flicked her ears, listening intently as the ‘bogie’, a pastel blue pegasus mare, exited the cafeteria with a giggle and a roll of her eyes as she walked past the two stealthy ponies.

Tempest had to compose herself for a moment. “Good work Stealth Pony, you've gone undetected.”

As the swing door to the cafeteria was still open, the scent of coffee was very strong indeed. “The objectives is real close Mother Hen, the nose sensor doesn't lie.”

“Proceed to target,” Tempest ordered, “physical confirmation is needed.”

Oblivious to the stares of the ten or so other pegasi in the cafeteria, Wildfire creeped up to the counter. “I'm in,” she announced with confidence when she felt the old fashioned Bean Brew Master coffee machine. “Coffee is confirmed. Repeat, we have the objective.” Just to make sure, she felt the pot full with hot fresh coffee.

“I have procured the cups,” Tempest announced. While Wildfire was oblivious to the stares, she just didn’t care. “Have you secured the coffee?”

“Yuppers, I have the objective. Coffee is acquired.”

“Roger that, Stealth Pony.” Tempest said and, after a very brief glance over the cafeteria she saw an empty table not far away from where they were. “Now, proceed to your seven o’clock and I'll meet you at the table shaped airbase.”

Wildfire nodded, already turning to the right direction. “I’m on it, Mother Hen.” Giggling all the way, she made her way over to the safety of the ‘airbase’.

“I declare this mission a success.” Tempest said as she sat at the table and set Wildfire’s black coffee with two sugars down to touch her left hoof. “Did you have fun Wily?” she asked, taking a long sip of her creamy coffee.

“Yuppers.” Wildfire replied, ‘oooh’ing’ as she sipped hers, “we infiltrated the enemy base and procured their coffee. How can you not have fun?”

“Of course, starting Monday, you'll be part of this enemy base.”

“Yuppers...” Wildfire smiled, “y'know that's really cool, right?”

“Yes it is.” Tempest agreed. “I'm a weather pony, you're a firefighter. We both get our clouds from the same place. Now I have a reason to visit, if only to steal your coffee.”

Wildfire laughed as Tempest giggled, “I'll get a machine in my office then, so I'll always have some to hoof.”

“Oh, I don't know…” Tempest waved her hoof in the air, “In your office I'll be tempted to drink something else.”

“I'd certainly hope so,” Wildfire smiled, taking a very long sip of her black coffee, “unless we were working.”

Tempest nickered, enjoying the few stares of the ponies that were still looking their way. “If I'm visiting you, then I'm goofing off.”

Wildfire giggled, “and that's different from the normal you how?”

Tempest sniffed indifferently, her nose high up in the air. Remembering, as she did so, that Wildfire wasn’t being personal. “I will ignore that comment, my love. I'm just lucky I get to work from home most of the time unless in the field. Telling others what to do is very demanding.”

Again, Wildfire giggled, snorting loudly around her mug of coffee, “I bet it was exhausting watching me in the maid's dress then.”

“You did give my wing a work out!”

“Good,” Wildfire smiled, “we'll have to do that again one time soon.”

“We can of course,” Tempest agreed with a broad smile on her face, “It would be nice to have Airy to assist me. We need to ensure the seasoning on your desk remains fresh, too.”

Wildfire nodded eagerly at that. Particularly the idea of more fun on her desk. “Now, that would be fun, to have Airy play too. You do need to get more of those jumping chips though.”

“I try to, but some filly keeps eating them all.”

“Only when I can catch them,” Wildfire snickered, before her mind wandered, reluctantly from her coffee to the far more important prospect of shopping and spending bits. “So…shopping,” she broached the subject with a smile, “do you have any ideas?”

Oh, Tempest had ideas. Second only to Thespian in the herd, Tempest prided herself in her shopping ability. “We should plan for our new home,” the violet weather mare said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. “For example, we could get a wall hanging that you could enjoy.”

Wildfire considered that for a moment. If she was honest she’d have never thought of that in a million years. “Y’know, that's not a bad idea Honey, one with different textures on it would be cool.”

“Yes,” Tempest agreed, the more she thought about it, the more the idea did sound cool. She was certain the others would like it too. “I'm sure we will keep some of the paintings we already have, as well as those Mapper has, but it would be nice to have some hoof on art.”

“I can appreciate a good painting,” Wildfire giggled, “as long as you describe it to me.”

Tempest laughed, banking the idea of a textured wall hanging. Next on her mental shopping list was bedding. “Have you been in Mapper's bedroom?” she asked.

“Um...nopes, I haven't.”

“Well, you've felt Caffy's beds, right?”

“Yuppers, they were super cool!”

“Maps has one of those beds.” Tempest began, grinning when Wildfire’s jaw dropped. “I'm thinking we could get some linens too. When we all move in together, we five will be sharing that bed.”

That only just dawned on Wildfire. After having spent five years sleeping alone in her cell in the care home, she was now facing a future with a loving herd in a comfortable bed in a new house. “Wow...yeah, yeah we will...” the enormity of just what was happening to her began to sink in. “That's gonna be awesomes! We deffo need linens, and books, we need books, lots and lots of books!”

Tempest raised her eyebrow. “Books?”

“Y'know, books, little paper things full of words?” she said with a bright little giggle. She loved books. Her mother had loved books. Amethyst Glory had understood this and used books as one of the ways to control her. She had used books as a reward, for when she had been a good pony.

“Oh, okay,” Tempest drained what was left in her coffee mug, “so why do we need lots of books? Something to stand on when you mount Airy?”

“Ha ha,” Wildfire stuck out her tongue and raspberried her violet lover. “I'm not that small, Honey.” She groused, even though she knew full well that she was in fact, that small. “No, we need books because books are the best thing ever.”

Tempest had to give Wildfire that much. “They are good. So, audio books, braille books, or shall I read you stories?”

“Um…” Wildfire thought about it, though she knew what she wanted. “I’d like some braille ones, of course, but we need other ones for those who can't read it.”

Tempest leant over the cafeteria table and placed a very tender kiss on Wildfire’s lips. “Yet.”

“I know, 'yet',” Wildfire smiled once the kiss had been released, “but I can't expect everypony to want to read it all the time, can I?”

Tempest giggled, “True, but it’s a talent I know Airy will pursue, and I shall too.” Looking at her now empty mug and out the window of the cafeteria at the sprawling cloud city, she asked, “Cloudhatten or down into the big city?”

Now that, Wildfire definitely did not have to think about. “Oooh!” she squeaked, drawing the stares of the few pegasi that remained in the cafeteria. “Cloudhatten!” she clapped her hooves excitedly like a filly on her birthday. “Now we're here I want a proper feel about.”

“Very well then, my love.” Tempest stated, again, wholly ignoring the looks until they went away. “The city in the sky it is. Although I would suggest we have a late afternoon snack at some snooty zebra's place where an odd ball pegasus mare has an office above.”

“Now that's a good idea Honey, do you know of such a place?”

“I'm sure I can think of one while we are shopping for inspiration, amongst other things.”

Wildfire giggled at that, “Well, now that I think about it, there was this weird zebra's coffee shop I happened into about two weeks ago. That was pretty cool.”

“Oh,” Tempest joined Wildfire in her giggles, “I didn't know you'd been to Cloudhatten before.”

“Oh I haven’t,” Wildfire started, before realising that Tempest was teasing her. She knew that the weather mare knew she had never ever left Canterlot – unless you counted the suburb of Ponyville at the base of the mountain – in her life, “but...and the best bit, there's a pegasus working above this coffee shop!”

“Really?” Tempest asked, her eyebrow once again raised, “Is she an odd one with blue fur and does the snooty zebra speak that native speak?”

Wildfire chuckled as she emptied her mug of its black coffee contents, “do you know there was a blue pegasus? And the zebra said he only rhymed to please the tourists.”

“I'm intrigued,” Tempest snickered, “we shall have to go there after shopping. Of course you had me at the word coffee.” Once she saw that Wildfire had, like her, finished her drink, she guided the little blind mare back over to the serving counter where they duly washed their empty mugs. “There are a number of good places, but we can start at the CM Mall.”

Wildfire giggled as she dried her hooves, “you had me at 'the Mall', Honey.”

“To the Mall!” Tempest declared loudly, springing from her seating pad at the table and pulling a very heroic pose in the weather factory cafeteria.

“To the Mall!” Wildfire pulled a similarly heroic pose and held her hoof out for a bump. This time however, none of the other ponies eating their lunches paid them any mind.

Grinning, and landing back on her four hooves, Tempest bumped Wildfire’s hoof. Walking past her, which admittedly wasn’t a long journey, the violet weather pony brushed Wildfire’s nose with the tip of her black tail to get her lover’s attention. That done, she walked out of the cafeteria, this time keeping to the left, following the ‘escape route’.

“Ooh, I remember this game!” Wildfire giggled as the heady scent of sandalwood was wafted over her nose. Taking the scented hint, she quickly walked along behind Tempest.

Tempest grinned as she led Wildfire through the hallways of the weather factory, following the signs to the exit. “The early days when I'd wet my tail for you.” She smiled at how far her lover had come in just a short amount of time. “You're much more the independent mare now than you were.”

Wildfire nodded as she unerringly followed the scent in front of her. “I feel more like me than I did when I first met you, Stormy.”

On the way to the exit, Tempest paused and used her wingtip to caress Wildfire’s cheek and her neck, appreciating the soft yellow fur. “I liked the feel of you then, and I like it now.”

“It feels like a whole other life…”

“Don't forget it. It was an important part of your life.” Tempest said kindly but firmly, “A part of you that has attracted Airy and the rest of us. A part she wishes to marry.”

“I don't want to forget it,” Wildfire replied confidently, “I'm proud of the fact I came out the other end of that home. There were a few that didn't make it out. They were my friends in there. Forgetting them would do them a disservice.”

Tempest nodded. She didn’t understand what Wildfire had endured in the care home, nor did she want to comprehend it, not really. It was a horror that was thankfully beyond her. “Your past got you to your present with which the two of you can build a future.” She said, remembering what Requiem had said to Airmail, “Airy isn't her past either, but she'll never leave it behind.”

Wildfire smiled. “Our past is not today, right?” she asked, following up her reference to the poem she had read out at her mother’s graveside with Airmail and Tempest in attendance just the other week.

“Truth,” Tempest said once the kiss had been broken and she hoofed open the back door that lead to Cloudhatten. “Celestia and the pegasi have given us a very, very beautiful day.”

“Mmm…” Wildfire stepped out, following Tempest into the mid-afternoon sunlight. She could feel the warm glow of the sun on her face. She guessed there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, going on Tempest’s comment. There was, thankfully, a gentle breeze which kept it from being too hot. “They have, haven’t they? Y’know, my mum'd be proud of this.”

“I'm sure that would make Bluefeather very happy.” Tempest said kindly, stroking her lover’s flank with her wingtip. As she nuzzled her cheek she checked her watch and saw it was four in the afternoon. “You think her and Cyclone have hit it off well?” she asked, knowing now was the time they were meeting down in Caffeinated’s shop.

Wildfire giggled, “I'm sure they have. By now, I reckon Cy is quite happily playing her filly.”

Tempest thought that was moving fast, even for the admittedly very cute and very sexy black pegasus. Still, she decided not to quibble the issue. She knew what Wildfire had meant. “Nappy changing is Airy's job, my job is to stuff them till they fill the nappy.” With a happy giggle, the violet mare spread her wings and took off.

Sensing the scent of sandalwood lift into the air, Wildfire also took off, following the sound of Tempest’s happy giggles. “You're both gonna be awesome with Fireflight then,” she smiled, picturing her long-desired little filly in her mind’s eye. Now Princess Twilight had cast her spell, that dream was at last within reach of becoming reality.

“Is there any doubt?” Tempest giggled as she led the way over the sprawling cloud city of Cloudhatten, her sharp blue eyes searching for the huge mall building. While not her regular choice for shopping, she and Airmail had been here once or twice. “Of course, she may be in a tie for cutest filly in the house.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “there's Hope, Airy, you, Serenity and Mapper all tying with her for cutest filly!”

“Alas,” Tempest raised her hoof to her head in mock swoon, “I'm but a filly in Wily's eyes.”

Wildfire giggled as she followed behind Tempest. Without her headset tuned in to Cloudhatten, she was quite literally flying blind. She didn’t mind though, she knew Tempest wouldn’t steer her wrong. “Well,” she said in her defence, “you said to me the other day when we had breakfast by our lake that I could picture you anyway I pleased.”

“That is true,” Tempest snickered, leaving the weather factory behind them as she approached the middle of the cloud city, passing over houses, bars and clubs below. With a grin she noted there was a Trixie’s Place. There was always a Trixie’s Place. “It still is true, but I'll tease you none the less.”

“If you didn't tease me, I'd assume a changeling was impersonating you. Badly.”

Tempest snorted loudly. “Good to know, Wily. I’m still going to be watching that left wing of yours. Wing ups and lake flying are in your near future.”

“I can't do wing ups.” Wildfire protested. She had never, ever been good at them, especially not after her experience at the home. “Underwater flying yes, I'm there,” she said as she flew up alongside Tempest’s left side for a few moments.

“Your wing bones are mended,” Tempest responded, “So why can't you do wing ups?”

Wildfire had a quietness to her voice when she answered. “I-I've never been good at them, Honey.”

“It isn't a test,” Tempest giggled, “nor will I judge your form. They do add strength to the flight muscles though,” she said, trying her best to talk her little lover around, even adding a caressing wingtip to brush her flank. “Will you try, for me?”

“Of course I'll try, Honey.”

“Good,” Tempest smiled, “you'll be sexy sleek in no time. I think it will get Airy to exercise, too.”

“What, I'm not sexy now?” Wildfire chuckled, more to herself than to Tempest. As she did so, a memory flashed across her brain. A memory of her old nurse from five years ago in the Canterlot hospital. “Y'know what? I changed my mind. I'm not going to try…”

“I'm sure Airy will still love the unsexy you, so I'll just drop it.” Tempest’s temper flared up just then as she cut across and interrupted Wildfire. She didn’t bother trying to hide it, either.

“H-Honey,” Wildfire’s ears slicked back to her head, she realised she’d stepped in it and had walked it into the house, “please, let me finish. I-I'm not going to try, cos I'm going to do it. Wing ups. I'll own them. You'll see.”

Too late, Tempest realised what her little lover had meant. Just as suddenly as her famous temper had flared up, did it vanish with a laugh. “Alright, I get it. Do or do not, there is no try, right?” Tempest kicked herself for ever doubting her herd-mate. She should’ve known Wildfire wasn’t a quitter. She was here, after all. She decided a treat was in order. “Fold up your legs as I'm coming in for an underbelly kiss.”

Obediently, Wildfire folded her legs. “You got it, my sexy purple Yoda. Can you really imagine meeting my old nurse and admitting I didn't even give something a go?” she asked with a smile on her face, and quoted Eirene. "Nothing to it, but to do it, Wildfire.”

Tempest decided right there that she loved that nurse. If she ever met her she’d give her more than just a kiss. Grinning in the air, she flipped upside down and flew under Wildfire’s black tail, moving up her body, kissing all the way up until she ended with a kiss to her lips. “Think you can copy that manoeuver?” she asked as she flipped back over to a normal flight position.

“Easy!” Wildfire declared. Sniffing the air, she detected Tempest dead ahead of her. Flying forward until her forehooves touched Tempest’s black tail, she flipped herself over and flew up Tempest’s body, delivering kisses just like she herself had received.

As soon as Wildfire reached her lips, Tempest flew with her to make the kiss last that bit longer. “You are a precision flyer, Wily, then again I tested that early on.”

“You have to be, Honey,” Wildfire commented as she flipped over back to her normal flight position, “windows are more forgiving than brick walls.”

Tempest giggled at that. “I try to use doors as they are the most forgiving. Then, lives don't depend on my flying skills.”

Wildfire joined Tempest in her giggles, “I would too if the raging fire would politely wait in its destroying of the house until everypony gets out.”

“Naughty fire!” Tempest yelled into the afternoon sky, making Wildfire burst out laughing as she led her into a nice, gentle landing at the Cloudhatten Mall’s upper deck, folding her wings away as the made their way off of the landing pads and onto the entrance galleries. “Now to spend Airy's bits!”

“It’s too bad there isn't a MiAC store at the mall,” Tempest continued, playing tour guide and leading Wildfire along the – thankfully – not too crowded store fronts. She knew had it been a weekend day, the crowds would be out in full. “There is a Rarity's Creations here, but no celebrities running it like there are downtown.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire commented. She knew Tempest was referring to Coco Pommel who ran Rarity’s shop in Manehatten. “I do love that MiAC store,” she giggled and, sniffing and hearing other ponies, she held onto Tempest’s flank with her wing. “I'm sure we can find something good though!”

“We can start with Bed and Bath,” Tempest announced as she stopped outside the store in question. A quick glance inside the store and she saw it was almost empty, but for the cashiers. That would make things easier. “First you will chose a texture, then I'll suggest colours,” she said, leading Wildfire along the first aisle they came to.

“First, we have towels,” Tempest said, gently halting her little lover at the towel section. There were a ludicrous amount of options to choose from, so she decided to just pick a few. “Let me lay out some and you give it the Power Pony touch test, okay?”

Wildfire nodded, sitting on her haunches with her forelegs out. “Hooves of touching, ready to deploy, Mother Hen.”

Reaching up, Tempest pulled down several towels for Wildfire to feel. “Commence operation 'Touchy Feely', Stealth Pony.”

“Normally it’s you or Airy I'm touching, but towels are fine.”

Tempest giggled, “They don't make a good enough towel to match my fur.”

“No, they don't.” Wildfire reached out and felt two towels directly in front of her, she took her time to compare how they both felt on her fur and her hooves before moving onto a third one that felt better than the first two combined. “Here, this one's pretty close though.”

“You picked the one with Saddle Arabian cotton,” Tempest told her, essentially telling her she’d chosen the second most expensive make of towel in the store.

Wildfire, who has used the most basic of towels these past five years, had no idea what that meant. “Um, that's a good one, right?”

“Very good,” Tempest confirmed, though she didn’t feel the need to tell her just ‘how’ good. That would just be vulgar. “So, I suggest five sets in pink, green, blue, purple and...um, maybe yellow. What do you think, Wily?”

“That's a good idea, Stormy.” Wildfire giggled, happy that Tempest had made some good choices. If she said they were good, then they were good. “That's why you is the brains, see?”

“Somepony has to be able to count high enough to make bail,” Tempest said with a shrug of her violet shoulders as she brushed Wildfire with a wing tip to get her to follow, the towels draped over her back. “Off to linens, then.”

“Hey!” Wildfire squeaked indignantly, walking along behind Tempest, “I can count to big numbers, I just can't do anything with them!” she exclaimed, sticking her tongue out for emphasis.

“There’s more to numbers than font size.”

“Now you sound like Calculus.” Wildfire muttered as they made their way through the store which, thankfully, while moderately crowded, they didn’t bump into anypony. She did hear other ponies stop suddenly when she drew near, but thanks to Tempest, most seemed to go about their business.

“Oh,” Tempest said as she stared down a green pegasus stallion, “You mean the scene we re-enacted earlier.”

“Yuppers, that's the one.” Wildfire sighed, “To be fair she did try almost everything with me, I was just too hopeless.”

“And you know we won't let you remain hopeless, either.” Tempest said over her shoulder, making sure to flick her black tail over Wildfire’s nose so she got the point.

“I know you won't,” Wildfire’s sigh became a giggle, “only cos knowing you, you'll tell mum on me.”

“You got me there,” Tempest replied, leading Wildfire around the store to the other end, “I don't know how many sheets Maps has for that bed, but I know we can use one more. Oh, I do like that colour, see how this feels?” Tempest said, stopping Wildfire at the linens and passing out one that was two hundred count cotton.

Reaching out her hoof, Wildfire felt the offered linen, stroking it up and down. “Oooh...oh I like this, a lot.”

Tempest giggled, pleased that her lover liked it. “It is what we already have at our place, and this one is the golden colour to Celestia's cutie mark.”

“I like it, we should get this.”

“I knew you were a smart mare.”

“As smart as I am pretty?”

“I’m sorry,” Tempest snickered, “I don't know if anypony can be that smart.”

“Nopes!” Wildfire shook her head, shaking out her mane, “I'm the looks you're the brains. That’s how it works.”

“So,” Tempest said after she had paused to give Wildfire a very important and much needed kiss, “we are in a bed and bath store, is there anything you want or need?”

Wildfire was taken aback by the suddenness of the question. If she was perfectly honest, she had no earthly idea what she needed or what she wanted. For the last five years all she’d had was her book. Amethyst hadn’t allowed her any possessions. She had been a thing. Things didn’t own things. “Oh um...” she flustered, “I really dunno, any ideas?”

“Of course I have ideas, silly,” Tempest giggled, if there was one thing she had plenty of, it was ideas. “You've been using our brand of mane and fur care products, perfumes, and other toiletry items. Maybe you want something for you to use?”

Wildfire froze.

Absolutely froze.

The little blind mare completely froze. Her own shampoo. It was laughable. It was so laughable.

Her own shampoo. As if she could own shampoo.

“My own shampoo!” Wildfire giggled, almost giddy because she could just, only just, if she tried really hard, remember a time when she owned shampoo.

A time she had taken for granted.

A time before Amethyst Glory.

“I um...I think I like herbal. I…I remember…I remember Saffron Swirl used to make this set of fur and mane brushes I used to have, or was it Fine Line?” she asked herself almost rhetorically, “I just can’t remember, sorry.”

“One way to find out.” Tempest said definitively as she walked up to the serving counter and spoke to the mare there. “Excuse me, Miss?”

The plum coloured pegasus mare looked up from her counter with the disinterest of a pony accustomed to forced smiling at customers all day long. “Yes, may I help you?”

“Yes,” Tempest smiled, shelving the looks that the mare was giving Wildfire and deciding to not punch her. It wouldn’t be polite. “Mane and fur brushes. Do you carry Saffron Swirl or Fine Line?” she asked curiously.

“Um,” the mare thought for a moment, “we have Saffron Swirl, but did you mean Fur Line?” she offered helpfully.

“Ah!” Wildfire exclaimed as she facehooved, “That was it, Fur Line! Thank you, Miss!”

The plum coloured mare pointed a hoof down a nearby aisle and fidgeted at Wildfire’s face. “You ah, you can find them over there in aisle four.”

Tempest rolled her eyes and turned away, lest she lose her cool. “Thank you.” with a swish of her tail, Tempest duly led the way along to the fourth aisle with Wildfire behind her, sniffing the air and taking deep breaths, breathing in lavender and jasmine fragrances.

“I see why you like our shampoo,” Tempest said when they arrived at the aisle, “since jasmine is one of our favourites.”

“I know,” Wildfire smiled, “it’s one of my favourites now too.” She tried to get a handle on what scents and fragrances were coming from which shelf but there were so many at all once from different angles it was next to impossible.

“We can pick up more, but for now, they do have both…” Tempest said, perusing the shelves for the names that Wildfire had mentioned, “Saffron Swirl, third shelf up, and Fur Line, fourth shelf up.”

Wildfire felt like a foal in a candy store. “Can I get the Saffron Swirl set? Please? She I remember she does a set with brushes, shampoo and soap, soap!”

Tempest giggled, “You don't need my permission love. Hmmm, sets…sets…” she murmured, looking for the sets that Wildfire was talking about. “Those are down the aisle a little bit.”

“I um, I’m…I’m um, sorry…” Wildfire shuffled her hooves as she followed Tempest’s lead further down the aisle.

“Where’s the self-confident mare I know and love?” Tempest asked, only now aware of Wildfire’s hesitance and uncertainty. Idly she wondered what had triggered it, though deep in her heart she had a fair idea. “Jasmine, rose, cherry blossom, and sandalwood. Those are your choices.”

“She um, she's still finding her hooves…” Wildfire muttered, trying very hard to not feel foolish. “Can, can I...I-I mean, I will have rose, I think.”

“Airy does like roses,” Tempest said, mostly to herself than to Wildfire as she added two of the rose sets to her back. “I got a Jasmine one too. Anything else?”

Wildfire was almost overwhelmed. “Uh...um…do um, do they do those hooficure kits here, with the files and fillers and polish and things?”

“I'm sure they do, Wily.” Tempest scanned the aisle signs and saw what she was looking for. “Aisle six,” she said with another swish of her tail. “You don't mind chasing my tail, do you?”

Wildfire giggled as she followed her older, taller lover through the store. “I haven't complained in two weeks, Honey.”

“Neither have I.” Tempest smiled when they were at the sixth aisle, she said, “Here are the kits, and polish too, if you like. Oh, Saffron Swirl does a set of these, too.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded, though she sounded nervous, like a foal scared that the Spirit of Hearths Warming would come and take her presents away any second. “I’ll um, I'll get one of those, I could get some polish for Airy too.” She added, knowing as she did how Airy was with her clean hooves.

“Colour?”

Wildfire tapped her chin, deep in thought. After all she wanted to get this right. “Um…um...colour...uh...I think I'll get a shiny yellow polish.”

“Gotcha.” Tempest duly added the items to her back. “Anything else, Wily?”

“Nopes,” Wildfire shook her head. “I can't think of anything.” She really couldn’t. She’d already gotten more things than she’d ever had in recent memory as it was.

Tempest affectionately nuzzled her diminutive lover’s cheek. “To the checkout then, my love.”

“Did I…get enough?” Wildfire asked uncertainly.

“I got what I needed,” Tempest shrugged, albeit carefully, so as not to dislodge the goods on her back. “So I can only hope you did too.”

“Well, I think I did…”

Satisfied that they did indeed have everything they needed, at least for now, Tempest went and paid at the checkout. True to her word, she used Airmail’s card. “Now,” she smiled like a mare on a mission, “On to the next store.”

“Alrighty Honey…” Wildfire agreed and, as she walked along the mall’s shop fronts, a few minutes later she smelled the unmistakeable scent of pastries, donuts and in particular, cinnamon. She couldn’t help but sniff the air as her mouth watered. “Hey, that's cinnamon, right?”

Tempest giggled as she purposefully slowed down in front of the Holey Cream dessert shop, one of the best in the mall and in Cloudhatten as a whole, for that matter. “Ready for some dessert, Wily?”

Wildfire didn’t need asking twice. Or once, for that matter. “Ooh, go on then, you twisted my hoof, Honey.”

“You're buying.”

“Of course Honey.” Wildfire beamed. Of course she didn’t mind buying something sweet in the slightest. In truth she was still on cloud nine from getting a simple shampoo set. Dessert was the least she could do. “What would you like?”

“A megabun and an appleaid, please Wily,” Tempest made her request as she went and sat at a nearby empty table.

“Coming right up,” Wildfire smiled, “point me in the counter's direction, I'll be right back.”

Tempest chuckled and rolled her blue eyes, “Your nose got you here, it can get you to the counter at your one o'clock position.”

Wildfire giggled, “Independent mare, got it.” With that, she turned to face the direction Tempest had indicated to her and she trotted up to the counter where a caramel coloured pegasus stallion awaited with a pleasant smile.

“What can I get you this afternoon, miss?” the stallion asked, not bothered in the slightest by the look of Wildfire’s face.

“Hi!” Wildfire smiled, “can I get a megabun, a salted caramel donut and two appleaids please?”

The caramel coloured stallion nodded, getting straight to filling the young mare’s order. “Coming right up,” he informed her as he moved around the counter, getting bun and donut from the display. “Here you go,” he announced once everything was on a tray, “That’ll be seventy five bits.”

Fishing in her saddle bag for the bits, Wildfire paid for the treats and carried the tray in her mouth over to where Tempest was waiting for her. “Just the table I'm at between you and me,” Tempest called to her so she knew where her violet lover was sat.

When she got close to the table, she felt for it with a hoof and she set the tray down. “Enjoy, Honey.”

Eagerly, Tempest reached for her bun and her drink, both of which were calling out her name in a tempting siren song. “I shall, my love.”

As Tempest was reaching for and taking a bite out of her bun, Wildfire lowered her nose and sniffed out her salted caramel donut. “Hmm…yummers!”

“Does little Wily have a big sweet tooth?”

Wildfire nodded. “Yuppers, a large one, just here!” as if to demonstrate said sweet tooth, she opened her mouth and pointed her hoof to a tooth.

“I'll have Airy make sure you brush that one extra good. Can't having you lose it, can we?”

“Oh I won’t lose it. I love caramel too much!” Wildfire giggled and, going back down to the table, she very slowly and very delicately licked at the caramel frosting on the donut. So delicately did she lick that she barely took any off the donut. It was almost as if she was worshipping the donut rather than eating it.

Half way through a bite of her megabun, Tempest swallowed with difficulty and her mouth hung open. “Just if you were wondering, yes that is hot…” she was almost drooling as she watched the frankly lewd display of licking going on in front of her.

Puzzled, Wildfire lifted up her head, caramel on her nose. “What? You mean me enjoying this donut?”

“You do have a talent for licking round things with a hole in the middle,” Tempest said, the image of Wildfire ‘enjoying’ the caramel donut still perfectly formed in her mind, where it would stay for a long time.

Wildfire shrugged, “When you're skilled, you're skilled…” she said before taking another long slow – albeit sensual - lick of the caramel. As she licked away at her donut like one would lick a lover, Wildfire felt a shiver run through Tempest beside her.

“You, my dear, are very skilled indeed.” She commented before taking a big bite of her bun.

Wildfire giggled, “I pretend you're covered in caramel,” she said as she slowly and lovingly licked the last of the caramel frosting from her donut.

“One doesn't have to pretend.”

“No?” Wildfire asked, blushing as it was her turn to shiver at the thought of Tempest covered in salted caramel.

Looking down at Wildfire’s almost un-nibbled donut, wholly intact but for the absence of the frosting, Tempest giggled, especially seeing as she had nearly finished her far larger bun. “You going to eat that or just pretend?” she asked with a smile in her voice.

“I am eating it!” Wildfire protested. Tempest just didn’t understand. She couldn’t understand. She hadn’t lived through the care home. “Tempest,” she tried to explain as best she could, “you don't just eat something like this, you take your time, savour it, enjoy it, love it and remember it, cos you don't know when you'll be allowed another one.”

“Yes, of course,” Tempest waved her hoof dismissively in the air, “a caramel plague may wipe them off the face of Equestria.”

“That's not what I meant.” Wildfire muttered, finally taking an actual bite of her de-caramelised donut.

Tempest knew in that tiny second she’d gone a little too far. Instantly she regretted it. “I know love, but you needn’t fear not getting another one, either.”

“I know, and it's still kinda weird that I don't.” Wildfire replied, her head down like she was nuzzling her donut. “To think I can just get up right now and buy another, just like that, it’s…odd.”

Tempest laid her hoof on Wildfire’s and gave it a squeeze. “Give it time, Wily.”

“It’s just...it’s mad, that's all…” she muttered once more as she at last finished off the rest of her donut.

“Love, please don't worry over it.” Tempest repeated herself, “Give yourself some time.”

“I’m sorry Honey...not being beaten daily is still kinda a novelty,” Wildfire admitted with a great deal of difficulty, “and here I am shopping for stuff for me, buying rose scented shampoo!”

Quietly, Tempest finished her drink, rolling the taste of the appleaid around on her tongue. “It is a part of you,” she said kindly, wishing that she was as good at this as Requiem. Or that Requiem was here. “That part won't drive us away, but instead we will journey the path with you. Now, on to the Tapestry store, love.”

“Onwards!” Wildfire declared with a suitably heroic pose as she finished off her drink. Getting up from the table, Tempest pulled her heroic little Power Pony into a feathery wing hug, which Wildfire returned as enthusiastically as it was given. “I’m…sorry, about all that, Honey.”

“If you're going to be sorry about something,” Tempest said, reminding herself that she was thankful she had never had to live through what Wildfire had, “be sorry for apologising for being you.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire tried to think about that, but she just giggled when her brain started to hurt. “It’s just, sometimes it gets a bit much, but I’m fine, really.”

Tempest understood that. She may not understand everything that Wildfire was going through, but she understood that much. “When it gets a bit much you can always talk to us and we won't jump down your throat, but we may do some nudging.” She smiled, before leading her lover along to the tapestry store. “Okay, the left side of the store here is all touchable tapestries. You’ll like these.”

“You do nudge,” Wildfire smiled, mostly because this new store smelled of the natural warp threads of cotton and linen. The air was thick with weft threads of wool and cotton, she could even smell the silk too. “But you're usually asleep when you do.”

Tempest snorted, “I'm so going to bed tonight with naughty thoughts and see where my nudging goes.”

“You'll have to see, won't you?”

“Nope, I'll see with my hooves just like you.” Tempest smiled, very glad that Wildfire smiled as well. “Now, you need to look and see what you want on the walls of our new house.”

“Alrighty…” Wildfire felt the first tapestry with her hoof, the first thought that struck her was that it was very smooth indeed. As she moved along the row of tapestries, she deduced that most felt like one fabric, though a few were quilted, then…wondrously, she arrived at one that was comprised of different fabrics making up a picture.

Wildfire stopped at the one that was the large picture. “Oooh...ooh what's this one?” she asked, her hooves busily exploring the different shapes, “there's different textures here!”

Curiously, Tempest ran her hoof next to Wildfire’s. “You're right.”

Wildfire wasn’t listening. She was lost in exploring the picture. “Honey…is…is it a picture of something?”

“It is.” Tempest replied with a smile, for she could see the whole picture. “See if you can feel it, but here’s a hint. It is very close to home.”

As Wildfire felt the tapestry, as she explored the pictures and felt the textures, her practised hoof fancied she could make out different cloud shapes and what may have been pegasi in the sky next to a sun. “Um...these are ponies? Uh...pegasi I think?”

“Yes, they’re creating a weather front.” Tempest giggled and nudged Wildfire’s hoof over to one of the stylised pegasi. “That could be me!”

“No.” Wildfire decided then and there. “Not ‘could be’. It is you, I decided.” She moved her hoof over to a second pegasus. “And this is up here is mum, she’s watching over you. Keeping you safe.”

“Wow,” Tempest saw it. She saw what Wildfire was showing her. “That is beautiful.”

“I um, asked her to watch over you, to keep you safe.” Wildfire continued, forming the picture that was in her head. “And that one there is Heatwave, he's helping mum, to keep you safe. And there,” she pointed to the bottom, where the Manehatten city was represented, “you can’t see it but we're all watching over you too.”

Tempest had to made a very, very concerted effort to not cry. She was only partly successful. “Okay, now we are getting this for sure.”

“That's what I see anyway,” Wildfire giggled, “the actual picture might be a teeny bit different.”

Sniffing, sounding just like Wildfire did when she cried, for that was exactly how she felt, Tempest moved her hoof next to her lover’s on the tapestry. “Believe me, I'm seeing what you're seeing, Wily.”

“It's a good scene right?” Wildfire giggled, “cos we're all in it, keeping you safe while you work.”

Tempest nodded and kissed her lover’s lips. “Yes, I like that. There’s a painting I want to get too while we are here.”

Now, that certainly had Wildfire intrigued. “Ooh, what is it?”

“It’s Manehatten, night time, under a brand new moon. Two pegasi are lying next to each other on a cloud looking out at the ocean below and a sea of stars above.”

“Aw…” Wildfire was moved to sniffling ‘tears’ at that, “that's so sweet, Honey,” she smiled, sniffling happy ‘tears’ as she cuddled in next to her violet herd-mate. “Ooh y'know what? We should totally get a group photo of all of us in a frame!”

“Before, during, or after the wedding?” Tempest asked, drying her moist cheeks with her wingtip as she arched her eyebrow.

Wildfire knew the answer to that one. It didn’t even need thinking about. “During, then you all can look gorgeous in your dresses.”

Tempest nodded, her eyes not leaving the tapestry for an instant. “As long as I'm in the middle between the two married couples.”

Wildfire nuzzled Tempest’s shoulder, the highest part of her she could reach without rearing up, “I wouldn't want you anywhere else, Honey.”

Tempest giggled, Wildfire’s nose finding that particularly ticklish spot on her shoulder just under her neck. “I think we'll have the two of these delivered, yes? Bookstore next?”

At the mention of the word ‘bookstore’, Wildfire actually bounced, leaving a small dent in the cloud formed floor of the mall. “Yes, oh yes, yes please, pleeeease!”

“C’mon Wily, the adventure continues.” Tempest snickered and, once she had taken a minor but necessary detour to the checkout to pay for the tapestry and the painting and to arrange for them both to be delivered to their house by the lake, Tempest led her excited herd-mate to the nearest bookstore.

When Tempest finally came to a stop outside Rizzoli’s Books, Wildfire was beside herself with glee. “Honey! Honey! Books! Proper books are the best! This is gonna be so much fun!”

Rolling her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day, Tempest took the lead and entered the bookstore. The moment she crossed the threshold she felt like she had been transported back in time two hundred years. Books were everywhere. Floor to ceiling, books and parchments, scrolls and more books. Old books, antique books, new books, this store had it all. “Wily, do try to not run in the aisles.”

One step inside the store and Wildfire was giggling excitedly. “Honey, just breathe in that smell!” Vellum, parchment, old paper, new paper and fresh ink were all in the air and Wildfire could smell it all.

Chuckling, Tempest thrust her nose deep into Wildfire’s black mane. “Yes,” she said as she inhaled, “it is very nice.”

“N-Not me, the books!”

Tempest giggled, even more so when she saw the store assistant shake her head. She did note though she had a smile on her face. It was hard not to, Wildfire’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Yes the books,” she waved her hoof in the air, “you sound like the Arch-librarian herself.”

Wildfire however wouldn’t be distracted or denied her prize. “Oh c'mooon! You can't not be excited, let's find the Shakespony!”

“You think it’s in modern literature?” Tempest asked, genuinely curious.

The bookstore assistant, a cream coloured pegasus the colour of the parchments she was selling, trotted up with a smile. “Good afternoon and welcome to Rizzoli’s, my name is Isles. May I help you find anything?”

“Hi, um…” Wildfire didn’t know what to ask for first. She wanted everything. “Do you have anything in braille?” she asked, before thinking maybe she should narrow it down just a touch. “Maybe Lord of the Rings, Harry Trotter?”

The mare was glad her customer had at least given her an idea of what she was looking for. Of course, looking at her, she could see she needed braille. “I'm sorry, our in-store braille section is very small, but we could order anything in for you.” She added helpfully.

“Oh that's alright, Ms. Isles,” Wildfire replied quickly. She didn’t care really, she was too happy. “What do you have?”

Isles smiled, this little mare that was her customer really was infectious. “For ease, all the ones we have are in one section. I can escort you there, if you’d like?”

“Yes please!” Wildfire squee’d, following Isles through the store with Tempest at her side. As they had wandered to the back, the braille section was over near the front, next to one of the wide windows that looked out into the mall. Once they were there, Wildfire learned that the braille section was tiny, comprised of just thirty books.

“In truth,” Isles said as she detailed the sections that were there in the braille area, five mystery, five romance, five history, five do it yourself, five classic and five non-fiction, “this is more of an 'awareness' section so that others know of the need. Sort of a conversation starter.”

“I understand, Ms. Isles,” Wildfire said, though she was somewhat distracted as she was busy feeling the embossed titles in the ‘classics’ section with her hoof. “Does it work, as a conversation starter?”

“Yes it does, especially with the foals.” Isles noted which books had drawn the yellow mare’s attention. “The bumps makes them curious and parents answer and ask questions. While there is a government program for print to braille, private donations do help, a lot.”

At last, after what felt like hours, Wildfire looked away from the books to the assistant. “That's really cool, that it gets awareness out to ponies like that.”

Isles nodded. She was justly proud of hers and her stallion’s efforts with the blind community. “I know it's not much, but one does what one can.”

Tempest, who had been idly looking over the titles while Wildfire and Isles fangirled over them, finally found one that sounded like her sort of fun. “I like this book, here Wily, I think you could read this one to me.” the violet mare chuckled as she passed her the book in question.

“Yuppers…” Wildfire however went quiet and blushed when she felt the title of the book, ‘The Corset Undone’. “I’ll um, I'll get this one!” with that, she felt two titles in the classics that she knew very well. “We need these too, Wuthering Heights and Moby Dick.”

Happy to be playing pack mare, Tempest took the racy book back and pulled down the other two. “No problem, love.”

“Now,” Isles started, “Is there anything else I can help you mares with today?”

Wildfire knew just what she wanted. A book she hadn’t read since university, a book she had used to ace Velvet Quill’s literacy class in her last year. “Could I order The Lord of the Rings, please, Ms. Isles?”

Isles nodded eagerly. She liked this little mare a lot. “Of course! Do you want the trilogy, Hobbit and Silmarillion?”

Wildfire smiled, everypony always made the mistake of calling The Lord of the Rings a trilogy, when it had originally been published as just one book. Still, she didn’t feel the need to correct the really nice store assistant. “Ooh, yes please! I want those!”

To her side, Tempest had caught sight of a series of educational books. A sly smile crossed her muzzle. “She would also like a series of books on Math Made Easy.”

With slightly less enthusiasm than before, Wildfire nodded. “Yes, yes I would like those as well, please.”

Isles smiled a smile that reached all the way to her voice and her sparkling eyes, mostly because she was ringing up the sales in her head. “Yes, we can most certainly get those too, no problem.”

Wildfire was trying very hard not to erupt in sheer happiness and joy, the thought of being able to sit at home and read her books. Her. Books. Books that were hers. Wholly hers. It was…almost too much to cope with. “Thank you so much for your help,” she said with a very wide smile, “can I please make a donation by card when I pay?”

“Of course you can,” Isles replied quickly, leading the way to the checkout counter.

“Thank you for your help, Ms. Isles,” Tempest said, setting out the three books that Wildfire had chosen on the counter top for the assistant to ring up.

As the purchases were being processed, Wildfire had a thought. A thought that made her, if possible, even more giddy than before. “Hey Stormy, do you think my book will be in here one day?”

“Of course,” Tempest answered without having to think about it. “Did Twilight mention a publication date?”

“Uh...August the twenty eighth, I think she said.”

“Excellent,” Tempest turned to the store assistant, “Ms. Isles, what does it take to set up a book signing?”

Isles looked up at that, her curiosity piqued. “Pardon?”

“Wildfire's…” Tempest indicated her little yellow herd-mate, “book of poems is being published on the twenty eighth of August, where better than here to do a signing?”

Isles was taken aback at that. Of all the things she had been expecting, she wasn’t expecting that in her bookstore. “Oh, well, you see, most authors do those in Manehatten, but I can get management involved if you really want to do it here.” She had to smile a little, as ‘management’ was her husband, Rizzoli.

“Wily?”

Wildfire turned to the sound of Tempest’s voice, “Oh yuppers, I'm more than happy to do it here.” The diminutive blind pegasus smiled, the heady aroma of the store still all in her head. She couldn’t think of a better place. “At the very least, awareness of braille books will go up, and that has to be a good thing.”

Isles was at once struck by the selflessness of this little pegasus. “If I could get your contact information, I'll get it in the works and then back to you with the details.”

“Certainly,” Wildfire took her cell phone out of her saddlebag and swiped through the menus. “Here's my phone number.”

“Thank you and I look forward to an autographed copy of your book.” Isles beamed as she scribbled down Wildfire’s details on her notepad.

“Thank you again,” Tempest smiled, a thought entering her head. “I believe you still need some thicker books, right, Wily?”

“I do not!” Wildfire stomped her hoof with a smile nonetheless plastered over her face, “I am not that small…well, maybe…”

Tempest giggled, “Seriously, you did want some other books though I believe.”

“You're awful, you...” Wildfire giggled, and even Isles joined in. “Yuppers, I could use some foal books.” As Tempest led the way over to the ‘Maternity’ section, a thought occurred to her. “Honey, was there any book you wanted, besides the corset one, I mean?”

“Yes there is, some by that same author, if there are new ones.” Tempest replied with a giggle, “I didn't even know that one existed.”

Wildfire thought about Isles waiting patiently at the counter, “I'm sure the nice mare can help you find some. Oh, what sort of books does Airy like?”

“Sam Spade, Medal of Honour, that sort of stuff.”

Wildfire liked the sound of those. While they weren’t her first choice of literature, she thought they were very… ‘Airmail’ in their content. “Ooh detective stories, okay, well that’s different...there must be some here, surely?”

Tempest looked about over her shoulder, finally spotting the relevant section. “Yes, there’s a whole section of them, and I think I know what she doesn't have.”

“Sweet!” Wildfire exclaimed, her thought turning to the other two members of their mini-herd. “Ooh, is there anything here you think Mapper and Serenity would like?”

Tempest took a long moment to ponder that as she led Wildfire to the foal books. Picking something out for somepony else was after all a serious thing. “Hmm…I think Maps has every bondage book ever written. Ser likes anything musical.”

Wildfire snorted, “We could get her 'Fifty Shades of Grey', for a laugh, I mean.”

“We could,” Tempest agreed, thinking that would be very, very funny indeed, “you want me to read it to you?”

“Yuppers, though I have heard it’s really, extraordinarily, very bad.” Wildfire commented, though she didn’t have first hoof experience of that, seeing as it had been published during her time in the care home.

Tempest snorted derisively, “Like my romance novels are works of art?”

“A very good point,” Wildfire replied as they arrived in the Maternity and the Toddler section. “Fun for a bedtime story though. In the Toddler section, they picked up several touch and feel chunky foal books, among them the Hungry Caterpillar and Spot The Dog.

After that, Tempest went and found one new romance novel for herself and the one that she got that was not in braille which she didn't pick up. A bit more wandering around the store, and Tempest found, with a snigger, Fifty Shades of Grey for Mapper’s enjoyment.

Once that was done, Tempest took Wildfire over to the Mystery section. “Here’s a new one, Wonderbolt Lust.” She giggled, “Nice name for a mystery. You are so going to read that corset one to me too, by the way.”

“Of course I will,” Wildfire squeaked, “I can’t wait. I might even wear one just to help me get in character.”

Tempest liked the sound of that. Very much so. “Raaaawr, nice indeed…” she giggle, playfully nudging Wildfire’s barrel with her foreleg. “How about we get a Scouter's Guide to Knots for Maps?”

Wildfire laughed so hard she had to clutch at her sides, “that one sounds so good for her!”

“Ohhh,” Tempest exclaimed, “here’s one for Serenity that you'll enjoy too, 'Bedtime Lullabies'.”

“Nice, I like the sound of that.” Wildfire agreed, smiling broadly as she heard Tempest take the books from the shelves. “Shall we go and pay for these, then go to Caffy's for a late lunch, Honey?”

Tempest nodded, taking care not to drop the small mountain of books that were balanced on her back, “That sounds like a good plan.”

Wildfire giggled as she walked back up to the checkout counter. “Operation Caffy is a go then, Mother Hen?”

“Yes, a total ‘go’,” Tempest snickered before putting the books down on the counter. “She's paying,” she said, nudging Wildfire to step forward.

“Hello again,” Isles smiled as she rung up the sales, “While you were shopping I put the order through with Rizzoli for the Tolkein books in braille for you. I’ll call when they come in. So,” she said once all the books had been bagged up, “that is two thousand two hundred and twenty five bits, please.”

Without flinching, Wildfire reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her card. “Can I make a two hundred and seventy five bit donation to the braille charity too, please?”

“Of course!” Isles beamed as she processed the sale and passed the bags and the card back. “Thank you for shopping at Rizzoli and Isles Books.”

Wildfire beamed, “It’s my very genuine pleasure, Miss.”

Chapter 7 - Manic Monday

Five a.m. Monday morning rolled around, following Air Raid’s big race the day before at the Manehatten Raceway stadium, and as ever it found Airmail, Tempest and Wildfire asleep in the darkness of their bedroom in the town house by the lake. As soon as the alarm went off, Airmail, the mare in the middle of their cuddle pile, woke up to shut it off. Thankfully there was Wildfire between her and the alarm clock, so she didn’t have a long way to reach.

Spreading her azure blue wings, she fluttered up and out of the bed to land by its side. Wisely, she moved the alarm clock out of Tempest’s reach. While she looked asleep, there was no telling sometimes. And Airmail didn’t want to buy a new clock. "Good Morning!" she said with a smile, noticing Tempest didn’t react at all.

Almost instantly, thanks to the fact that she was a very light sleeper, Wildfire was up and alert. “Good morning Pretty...” she smiled, for a split second later she remembered just what day it was, and what today meant. “Oh, it's morning, it’s Monday morning!” she squealed happily, fluttering her wings to land beside Airmail and the bed.

Airmail’s heart melted at the sheer enthusiasm of her diminutive fiancé. It was most contagious, especially as Airmail knew what today meant to her. It was another stepping stone to repairing her life. “What time do you need to report in?” she asked.

“Eight,” Wildfire answered quickly, “but I wanna be there a little before that, y'know, show Chief Rung I'm willing and all.”

“You wanna come to town with me and hang out?” Airmail asked, the idea coming to her mostly because Tempest was still asleep, and not a morning mare at all, and she wanted to avoid a confrontation. “Caffy's shop is open at six, but that is when I leave. Time for a quick breakfast before we go.”

In the bed, cocooned in the darkness of the thick comforter and under her pillow, Tempest mumbled, her voice muffled but distinctly annoyed. “Morning ponies leave bedroom now.” She said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire giggled and nodded, trotting over to the bedroom door where she knew Airmail was waiting for her. She recognised that tone in Tempest’s voice, muffled as it was. She was grateful, as she walked, that she hadn’t drunk too much at the after party following Air Raid’s race. “I'll hang out with you.”

At the door, Airmail kissed Wildfire deeply. “I'm glad, let's go get some Oatios and coffee.”

Gladly, Wildfire returned the kiss and at the same time she got a noseful of her lover’s scent. Early morning kisses were the best kisses. “Onwards to coffee, my love.”

“One moment,” Airmail, about to walk out into the hallway, suddenly remembered what she hadn’t done. She moved past Wildfire back into the bedroom and set the alarm over to alarm two for Tempest’s benefit. That done, she walked back over to Wildfire and, with a flick of her summer green tail under the little yellow mare’s nose, she headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

Downstairs in the kitchen, safely away from anything Tempest could throw, Wildfire was bouncing on her four hooves. “I'm so excited! And nervous! But excited!”

Airmail could readily understand that. “New job, new ponies, there’s a lot to be excited about. Get the milk please. It is a job you've done, so no reason to be nervous. Just don't forget the paperwork you got from Hot Spot.”

“I so got this!” Wildfire did another little bounce as she went over to the fridge and, having felt her way to the bottom shelf on the right, she got the milk for the cereal. “The paperwork's in my saddlebag to the right of the door, I checked and triple checked when we got back from Caffeinated's place last night.” And she had too. She had checked her bags so many times that Tempest had told her to stop.

As soon as Airmail had the bowls out of the cupboard, she put the cereal into each. “I'll get the coffee going.”

“Alrighty, Pretty!” Wildfire, with milk in hoof, felt for the bowls and added the milk. “Eat brekkie, flight suit on, have an awesomes day!” she ticked off her mental checklist before giving Airmail the milk for her coffee. “What's on your to-do list? Terrorise Lavender and Omega?”

“Omega I’ll terrorise if he turns in shoddy work.” Airmail snickered, “I have learned from experience that you never terrorize the one that manages the office. Other than that, I have a meeting with the Mayor at two p.m. about the budget.”

“I remember you being deadly with a paperclip!” Wildfire laughed, recalling that time following her solo shopping trip when Airmail had held Omega hostage because lunch had been late.

Airmail giggled at that. She remembered it as well as Wildfire did. That had been a good day indeed. “Yes, that is the rumour, but I'll neither confirm nor deny it.” Still giggling, Airmail poured the coffee into the waiting mugs and, nudging the sugar bowl against Wildfire’s hoof she added the milk to hers.

“Thanks Pretty!” glad that Airmail wasn’t doing everything for her, Wildfire felt for the spoon and, after adding the necessary two sugars to her coffee, she smiled a very wide smile.

“I'm sure your day will be more boring than mine,” Airmail said as she took a welcome sip of her coffee, “unless you go to the hospital, of course.” She giggled, sitting next to Wildfire at the breakfast bar. “Only, Lavender has told me a paper cut can be quite tragic.”

“Ha, ha.” Wildfire laughed sarcastically and took a mouthful of her cereal and sipped her coffee, tapping her hooves together. “I um, I just want to do a good job, that’s all.”

Airmail reached over the bar and squeezed Wildfire’s hoof that wasn’t holding the spoon. She knew nerves when she saw them. “That should be easy. Be you, and do what you do, which is your best.” It was easy, really.

Wildfire smiled, “Can't do any more, right?”

“Right,” Airmail agreed, “and if you do any less I'll let Mapper know you’re in need of an attitude adjustment.”

Wildfire found herself actually entertaining that as a viable alternative. “Well, it has been at least a hoof full of hours since I was spanked,” she giggled, realising her nerves had all but faded away. “Thanks Pretty, I needed that.”

Several minutes later, once both bowls of cereal had been consumed, Airmail glanced up at the clock in the kitchen. “Finish up, Wily. Would you like some help getting dressed?”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire quickly threw what was left of the coffee in her mug down her throat and got up from the breakfast bar. Her flight suit was waiting in the office on her seating pad by her computer. She didn’t ‘need’ help, but she’d like help. There was a difference. “I just need to know where the legs go and I'll be fine, my love.”

“Be up in a moment,” Airmail said, getting up and putting the dirty breakfast dishes in the dishwasher.

“Okies!” Leaving her to it, Wildfire trotted through the dining room and up the stairs, though she was sure to be quiet up here lest she wake Tempest early. Even she knew that would be an extremely bad thing to do. In the office, she stood by the desk where her flight suit and headset were waiting for her.

It wasn’t much later, after she had loaded up the dishwasher, that Airmail trotted into the office. “Okay, let me help you with this tricky suit.” Airmail proved to be very hooves on in her assistance, but thankfully there wasn’t too much teasing involved. She really didn’t want to be late at the Manehatten Times offices.

“Oooh!” Wildfire squeaked, despite wanting to be quiet, she couldn’t help but jump with an 'eep' as Airmail used her muzzle to check the tight fit of the crotch of her flight suit. “I can just never get that bit fitting right for some reason,” she giggled before trying the tricky spot once more until the outline of Wildfire’s marehood could be seen.

Wildfire giggled as she put her headset on. “Might be the wetness that is making it slip, Pretty.” Back downstairs by the back door, the little blind mare felt for her saddlebag and, slinging it securely over her back, she once more went through her checklist. “Got my tablet, got my paperwork, got my phone, got my watch...I is ready, well, as I'll ever be!”

“You lead and fly as fast as you can, and as fast as the traffic will allow,” Airmail said as she too gathered her bag, “Which shouldn't be too bad this early. I want to see if Stormy's training is starting to take effect.”

“You got it, Pretty.” As soon as they were outside the house, on the wooden decking, Wildfire flicked on the headset with her tongue on the bit in her mouth. Immediately she was greeted with the start-up procedure in her ear. “Point Six, direction and distance.” Straightaway, she was gifted with the heading to Caffeinated’s coffee shop and without further ado she took off, giving her headset one more instruction. “Repeat Altitude.”

Taking up a position behind Wildfire, close but not so close that she set off the proximity alarm, Airmail was mainly looking to see if Wildfire still pulled over in to the left. She did notice almost straightaway that Wildfire ever so slightly drifted left but certainly not by as much as she was before.

They flew in the loose formation in the chilly early morning, the sun just starting to rise above the horizon, at a steady sixty miles per hour. Wildfire only started to breathe heavily once they got to Manehatten proper. As soon as they hit the main part of the city, the Traffic Control system came over Wildfire’s headset, alerting her that the speed limit was thirty.

Cutting her speed in half, slowing to thirty miles per hour, Wildfire followed her traffic instructions to the letter, again demonstrating why she was a precision flyer. It wasn’t very long before she was being directed to land at Stripe’s Cup of Java. Airmail stayed close behind her all the way and landed beside her on the sidewalk in front of Caffeinated's shop. “I think Stormy will need to take you to the Cloudhatten gym!” Airmail declared once her wings were away at her barrel, “The lake training is working your left wing enough though.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, more than happy with how her wing had felt. “It didn't feel as laggy or lumpen as it did on the previous trips!”

“Let's go in and see if that silly zebra has anything worth drinking.” Airmail smirked, knowing full well as a leading member of the Coffee Tribe, Caffeinated had the best coffee in Manehatten. “There is a shower on my floor and a couch in my office if you'd like to rest before you go to work.”

Feeling for the door, Wildfire hoofed it open and stood aside for Airmail to enter the shop ahead of her. “Thanks Pretty, but I'm good, I'm way too buzzed to rest!”

Situated as ever behind the serving counter, the large orange zebra looked up from his newspaper when he heard the bell above the door ring. Straightaway he broke out into a pleasant smile. “Good morning Airy, my, you found another pony to come in this early? Good morning to you, Wily.”

Airmail smiled as she led the way to the counter and nuzzled her herd-mate. “I could be in earlier, but you don't open till six.”

“Which was ten minutes ago.” Caffeinated rumbled, looking at the large clock on the wall.

“Good morning!” Wildfire beamed, as excited as ever as she got a very tight bone-crushing hug from her favourite zebra. “We'd have been in at six, but Pretty here was helping me on with the flight suit.”

Caffeinated rolled his green eyes. He had a suspicion what ‘helping’ meant. “Yes, 'helping' I'm sure. You want a pastry, Wily?”

“She was a big help!” Wildfire protested with a snigger once the tight hug was released and she could breathe again. “Can I have a couple of cheese straws, please?” her nose, which never lied to her, said there were cheese straws behind the counter. They would be hers.

“No problem.” Smiling, Caffeinated prepared and placed Wildfire’s sweetened black coffee and her cheese straws on the counter on a tray along with Airmail's milky coffee and her morning blueberry muffin. “Wily,” he said once that was done, “Are you on Airy's tab or do you want to start your own?”

Glancing at her diminutive lover, Airmail at once saw the uncertainty on Wildfire’s face. She decided to step on it quickly. “When Tempest stops in, she puts stuff on my tab, so it’s okay if you do too.”

For a long moment, Wildfire thought about it. She honestly didn’t know what to do for the best. Eventually, she made her mind up. “I'll start my own please, Caffy, thank you. Independence, and all that.”

Caffeinated snorted and looked at Airmail. “While I do love your independence,” Airmail said gently, just wanting to help, “It’s house funds, our funds, that pays the tab. That’s why Stormy uses mine. Still, you can pay the zebra mafia their due,” she finished with a smile at the orange stallion’s eye roll, but she did note that he prepped a tab for Wildfire.

“I send a bill to herd members on the first of the month to be paid by end of month.” He explained once the cheese straws and coffee had been added to the new tab.

“I got it, thank you,” Wildfire smiled and took a long sip of her coffee, savouring the taste of the best stuff before tapping her hooves together nervously. “Pretty, should I um, should I have gone with yours?” The last thing she wanted to do was upset anypony. Or zebra.

“It's a point of view,” Airmail shrugged, “Will you use house funds for your tab? Caffy, how many couples keep separate tabs?”

Caffeinated laughed, “Thespy has her own tab, I can't afford it.” He said, making Airmail giggle, “The stallion club each keeps their own tab. Mapper of course is on Serenity's tab. Belle and Tinkerer keep separate tabs to track of how much they are consuming.”

“So it is a point of view.” Airmail repeated, but not before she took a drink of her coffee.

“Nopes I'll use my own bits...ugh,” Wildfire grimaced, not at the excellent coffee but at her own – perceived – foalishness. “I'm probably worrying over nothing, aren’t I? And, I know it's a small thing, I just want to pay my way now I can.”

“We are herd,” Airmail said, nuzzling her fiancé’s cheek for good measure, “but we can keep our independence. I might have to raise your rent by an extra kiss a month, though.”

Wildfire grinned, returning the nuzzle with one of her own. How often had she heard those words, ‘we are herd’, over the past month. She was just starting to understand it. “Deal! You can even chose where I put it, Pretty.”

“Public area,” Caffeinated spoke up, before he caught himself with a smile. “Ah, most of the time, anyway. Elevator is that way.”

“I demand kisses before you go, Pretty!” Wildfire declared after her cheese straws had been consigned to her belly.

Airmail giggled, for her muffin had just gone the way of the cheese straws, and kissed the little mare’s nose. “Not coming up with me, Wily?”

Just at that moment, Lavender walked in the front door. “Hi guys!” the tan brown earth pony mare called out, granting each pony, and zebra, a generous smile. A smile that got wider for the zebra when Caffeinated put her coffee and cheese danish on the counter. “Oh,” she said, giving her red mane a flick, “do I get to open today?”

“You might have to,” Caffeinated smirked, “I think those two are having a 'kiss off'.” He pointed a hoof over his counter to Airmail and Wildfire, who were indeed engaged in a tongue wrestling match. Airmail was winning.

Wildfire, once she lost the wrestling match two falls to one, checked her watch on her headset. “Yuppers,” she said once it told her it was just six thirty three a.m., “I'll come up now I think about it, Pretty, I got the time.”

“Don't rush on my account,” Lavender said with a smile as she headed for the elevator.

“Come on then,” Airmail grinned, “I don't want the employees to think the boss is lazy.”

“I'm right behind you, Pretty.” And Wildfire was, not only because her advanced headset was useless indoors, but because she got to follow under Airmail’s tail.

Lavender, at the elevator first, held the doors for Airmail and Wildfire to get in before letting them close. “Your interview with the Mayor is still on schedule,” Lavender informed her boss, she had the day memorised already, “Omega is going straight to the docks to cover the labour grievance, he plans on being in around lunch time.”

“Good,” Airmail nodded, “it will give him time to do a spell check before he submits his report.”

“Oooh!” Wildfire put her hoof in the air like she was answering a question at school, “I'm coming over at lunch too!” she smiled, “How are you doing, Lavender?”

“Better after a few aspirin,” Lavender replied to Wildfire’s question. “I think I had one too many red wines at the party.” Indeed, the events of the night before were very, very fuzzy. Lavender remembered the big race, and meeting up at Caffeinated’s place. She just remembered going to the beach, and the impromptu party in Caffeinated’s dungeon.

Airmail giggled and Wildfire sniggered. “I bet Raid's got a sore head too. As well as a sore ass. Amethyst was accurate with that crop. I’ve never heard Raid squeal like that. I, however, was a good little mare…”

“Oh,” Lavender interrupted her, “it must have been some other blind yellow pegasus I saw drinking from the chocolate fondue fountain, yes?” she asked playfully, and Airmail had a very hard time not laughing too loudly.

Wildfire erupted in a very red blush indeed. She was kind of hoping that her with her head in the chocolate flow wouldn’t have come up. “I um...I ah...guilty...but, it was chocolate!” she spluttered, as if just saying ‘chocolate’ was explanation enough on its own.

“Wily does like her hot chocolate.” Airmail said with a wry grin as the elevator doors popped open at the floor for the Manehatten Times. Taking the lead, the azure blue pegasus unlocked the main doors and Lavender took up her usual spot behind the front reception counter. Wildfire followed Airmail into the lead editor’s office and almost immediately the phone started ringing. Knowing she had little choice, she shrugged her shoulders and picked up the call, starting her working day as it was likely to continue.

As fun as being in her fiancé’s office was, Wildfire was quickly starting to feel like a fifth wheel. After a few moments of hearing her talk about politics or funding or whatever it was, Wildfire decided she was bored. Having already poked around the office before, she got up and trotted back through the offices to where she knew Lavender was sat. “Hey, you got a moment?”

"Sure,” Lavender grinned as she set down her all-important cheese danish, “what do you need?”

“I have a bad case of boreditis,” Wildfire explained with a playful stomp of her hoof, “and I wondered if you could tell me what some of the framed things are on Airy's wall, please?”

Lavender let out a little giggle, “Is she too busy to give you the two bit tour?” the tan earth pony smiled, “fine, I'll do it for free. What she keeps on her offices walls are pictures. She keeps her awards here in the lobby so that anypony visiting can see them.” With that, Lavender slipped out from behind her desk and moved next to Wildfire, “we can cover her pictures first if you like.”

“Yuppers, I'd like that, thank you.”

Walking alongside the little yellow mare, Lavender led her through the very modern white offices back to where Airmail was working. “She will need to update them soon,” Lavender said, albeit quietly as not to disturb her boss too much. At the door of the office Lavender made sure to keep her voice low as she wasn't sure who Airmail was dealing with on the phone.

“There is a group of photos here from Mapper's wedding,” Lavender said as she stopped at the first collection of photos on the left just inside the sliding doors. “They include the happy couple, the mini mares herd of four at the time, Serenity's parents, the whole herd, less Omega.”

“Was he taking the picture?” Wildfire asked in a low whisper, “ours will be there soon!”

Lavender leant in to her ear. She had to bend her legs a little as Wildfire was so small. “Omega has only been with the herd for about four years.”

“Oooh I see…”

“And, I'm sure you are the main reason for her to update her photos,” Lavender smiled as she continued the little tour around the sides of Airmail’s office. “There’s another group of pictures of Airy and Maps, Airy and Tempest., and the three of them. One is of Airy and Tempest covered in mud. Mapper took that one.”

Wildfire, who had been trying her best to stay quiet, burst into a fit of sniggering giggles. “I know the story behind that one.”

“Good,” Lavender nodded, “it is rather funny. Have you felt her feather rack? Yours is the third one on the rack.”

Wildfire nodded, remembering the touch of the feather collection mounted on the wall of Airmail’s office. “I have felt it, and I'm honoured it’s in such good company.”

“I offered some tail hair to put on there, but she just looked at me all funny.” Lavender giggled, “She does have the latest herd photo, the next one will include you I’m sure. I'm not sure you could hear that from over here, but Airy did an eye roll when I said tail hair.”

Wildfire covered her giggles with her hoof before she sighed a happy smile. “Everything's starting to come together, isn’t it?” she snickered, “sometimes I can feel and hear her eye rolls, Lavender.”

Once the little tour was completed, Lavender led Wildfire from the office out into the hallway. “The raising of the eyebrows does stir up a breeze,” she giggled before stopping at a heavily decorated wall. “Out here she has two Pulitzer prizes. One was for a report on the caretaker scandal in Manehatten. Then I think she said something about that.”

Wildfire nodded her agreement at that. “Yuppers, she's mentioned it once or twice. Something similar to Amethyst Glory and Helping Hooves care home in Canterlot, right?” she asked, proud of herself that she hadn’t flinched or stuttered at the use of the names that had inspired such dread in her for so long. “What's the other one for?”

“The other one got the attention of Caffeinated,” Lavender explained, “She did a story on how poorly zebra workers were being treated in Equestria. This was after Caffy got the laws changed on discrimination, but law has little effect on those that couldn’t care less. The mini herd of four joined the main herd shortly after that.”

“Cool, and look where we are now!” Wildfire said with an excited smile.

“Topper and I were the first to join the herd outside of Thespian's family.”

“Oh wow,” Wildfire commented, “so you've been in for ages then?”

“Yeah,” Lavender replied, thinking out more than anything else, “I was in a different job and different life. It was Topper that got invited. You may have seen the herd is 'theatre' heavy.”

Wildfire giggled and raised up her eyebrows. “Even I saw that. So, what were you doing before this?”

“I worked at Bank of Equestria before this, doing the books. Before that I worked for Sunburst Fisheries.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“This job is fun,” Lavender corrected her gently, “I actually get to play reporter sometimes. Over here is a citation to Airmail from Princess Celestia for the Highest Integrity in reporting,” the tan earth pony led her little tourist over to the other opposite wall. “She got that six years ago.”

Wildfire was suitably impressed. She didn’t know exactly what the citation was, per se, but it was from the Princess, so it must’ve been worth getting. “Wow...now that sounds impressive, Lavender.”

Lavender however frowned, as she always did when the citation caught her eye. “It does, sort of, then you look and it is certificate number 1839 given out, then again, Celestia has been around a day or two.”

Wildfire thought about that for a moment. Lavender had a point. “Yuppers, I suppose it matters when 1838 and 1840 were passed out.”

Now Lavender thought about what Wildfire had said, tapping her chin with her hoof. “I've never looked that up,” she admitted, though she conceded that her herd-mate had a point. “Omega has a citation from the Manehatten Mayor for his coverage of the last election debate. HIs first. I think Airy keeps all the rest of her citations in a box somewhere. “Now, these two items are of the highest importance.” Lavender said as she guided Wildfire’s hoof to two frames on the wall.

“Oooh,” Wildfire touched the frames, her interest piqued, “what are they that are more important than the other awards?”

Lavender giggled as she admired the contents of the two frames. “Crayon drawings of me and Topper by Sunset and Jasmine when they were at the age of five.”

As soon as the taller mare had explained the frames’ contents, Wildfire understood. “Well yes, of course they're the most important!” Wildfire had to agree with Lavender. “When Fireflight starts drawing I'll save each and every one.”

“Do post one here on this wall, please.” Lavender said, nuzzling Wildfire’s cheek. “I doubt that Omega has any foal plans.”

“Count on it, Lavender....ooh, what time is it?”

Again, Lavender giggled. “I thought that fancy suit of yours had a clock. It is just after seven a.m., you've had thirty minutes of boreditis.”

“Thanks for alleviating the bored,” Wildfire smiled, though she decided it was time to make a move. “I'd better get going, I don't wanna be late on my first day.”

Lavender took the opportunity to sneak in a second nuzzle, though she was sure Wildfire wouldn’t mind. “I'm confident you'll do well. May the winds be at your back and the skies be clear.”

“Thanks Lavender!” Wildfire squeaked as she gladly returned the nuzzle, standing on the tips of her hooves to do so. “I'll be awesomes, you’ll see!” she turned and waved a hoof back to Airmail who was still at her desk.

“Wow them!” Airmail called from her office, her hoof over the mouthpiece of her desk phone.

“Yuppers Pretty!” Wildfire called back, waving at her a second time, “I'll meet you for lunch!”

“Call when you're coming over,” Lavender said with a last, gentle nuzzle, helpfully pointing Wildfire towards the door of the Manehatten Times offices, “or if they have you do something so you can't make it.”

“Yuppers, I will, definitely I will!” Wildfire squeaked happily. Giving Lavender a nuzzle in return, Wildfire took her leave. In short order, she found her way to the elevator that took her back down to Caffeinated’s coffee shop. She paused, at the zebra’s insistence, to give him a nuzzle and a hug, and finally she was outside on the sidewalk.

Outside, the little blind mare flicked on her headset and requested direction and distance to City Hall. As a result of turning on her flight tech, she was informed, following the directions, that the air traffic had gotten substantially busier. Ultimately, as she had the time, she decided to walk.

“Alrighty,” Wildfire muttered to herself a little later when she walked through the lobby area, “I'm here...” after taking a moment to reacquaint herself with the layout of the City Hall lobby, she remembered where the elevators were and, thanks to the fact that all public buildings in Manehatten had braille signs, she took herself up to the seventh floor.

“I got this.” Wildfire said to herself when she found herself outside the door to Chief Rung’s offices. “I got this.” She liked how much braver she sounded as opposed to how she felt. Wildfire patted her saddlebag and made a last minute check that she had everything she needed. Satisfied, she hoofed open the door and made her way to the left, where she remembered the secretary’s desk was. “Excuse me, Miss?”

It took the secretary a moment – she had to look around her computer screen – to see there was a pony in front of her desk. “Good morning Wildfire,” she greeted the little mare with a pleasant smile, “you're a bit early. There’s a spot to your front left you can sit and wait. I have the forms you need to fill out in braille, but if you don't mind I can read them and you can give me the answers.”

“Oh no,” Wildfire replied quickly, moving over to her front left and, finding the seating pads that the secretary had mentioned, sat sown. “I don't mind, we can go through them together.”

“I'll still give you the forms,” the secretary said kindly, “but after your interview I should have a filled out copy you can go over and make sure it is correct.”

“Alrighty Miss!” Wildfire smiled, her nerves disappearing by the second. “Shoot.” Together, Wildfire and the secretary went through the standard questions such as personal history, tax ID, next of kin, did she have or need insurance, Statement of Work…all the ‘boring’ stuff. Wildfire filed it all under ‘boring’ stuff and answered each one quickly.

At a quarter to eight in the morning a bright orange pegasus stallion with a white mane and tail walked into the fire department offices. “Good morning, Comet,” the secretary greeted him with a professional smile, “the Chief is expecting you. Let me know when to send Wildfire in.”

Sat beside the secretary, Wildfire could virtually feel the presence of the other pony sizing her up, assessing her, judging her. Sniffing the air, she detected the faint waft of cinnamon, and she used her senses to ‘look’ in Comet's direction. “Good morning, Captain Comet.”

As first impressions went, Comet was suitably impressed. He had heard good things about this pegasus from Rung, whose opinion he valued greatly, but seeing was believing. “Good morning Wildfire, welcome to your first day on the job. You're with Tempest's herd, correct?”

“That's right, Captain.”

Comet chuckled and took a few steps closer to the little pony. “I would ask a personal favour of you then,” he started with a smile on his face that reached his voice. “If I ever piss you off or upset you, please come to me first or Chief Rung, before you go to Tempest.”

“You got a deal, Captain.” Wildfire replied, holding out her hoof for a bump as the secretary giggled behind hers.

Breathing a noticeable sigh of relief, for everypony was well aware of Tempest’s violent temper, Comet gladly bumped Wildfire’s hoof. “I'll let you know,” he said to the secretary before trotting off into Rung's office.

“Your herd-mate does scare a lot of ponies in this building.” The secretary said with a bit of a shudder, she remembered the last time Tempest had lost her temper in the City Hall building. “When she was in with you, it was a sight to see.”

“Stormy?” Wildfire asked, turning her head back to the direction of the secretary’s voice, “What do you mean?”

“She does have a short fuse and she isn't afraid to stand up to anypony.”

Wildfire was confused at that. “Short fuse, really?” she asked, completely and absolutely oblivious to ALL the instances of near misses with Tempest thus far. She was blissfully unaware of the times over the past few weeks that other ponies, such as Airmail and Mapper had made Tempest calm down.

“Yes,” the secretary agreed, “but you do need to ignite it. The weather team is loyal to her to a fault, because she won't take crap and is like a wall between them and bureaucratic idiocy.”

“Hmm,” Wildfire tapped her chin with her hoof, “okay, well I'm pretty sure I haven't ignited it so far…”

“She is easy going,” the secretary continued, moving back behind her desk to carry on with her work and Wildfire’s paperwork, “it is whining about one of two things that really sets her off. About something you have no control over so whining solves nothing, or something you have control over and whining isn't taking control.”

Wildfire mulled that over for a few moments. She was sure she hadn’t done either of those things. Well, not a lot, much, maybe? “Ah, I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Miss. Thank you.”

The secretary smiled, “the other thing is she is very protective of the herd. That is why Captain Comet and for that matter, Chief Rung would prefer you fix anything locally, with them.”

“I got it, again thank you, but hooves crossed I won't have any problems,” Wildfire smiled, “at least not today.”

“Today will be easy.” The secretary said with a degree of assurance in her tone, “Introductions, trip to the Weather Factory. You'll like Bluefeather.” She said, unaware that Bluefeather and Wildfire had already met days before. “Lunch, and then...well, there’s a fitness test you have to take this week, but that doesn't have to be today. Oh, the physical is today though, that is at three p.m. this afternoon.”

“Oh well,” Wildfire fluttered her wings proudly, “the physical should be okay, I've been in training.”

“You can take the fitness test too, that is always at four p.m., it’s up to you…” just then, the secretary was interrupted by the buzzing of her intercom and Chief Rung’s deep reassuring voice came over it, requesting that she send Wildfire in. “You can go in now, do you remember your way to the door?”

Getting up, Wildfire nodded. “It's this way.” She turned to her left now, and pointed to the door to Rung’s office. Again, once there, she squared her little shoulders and took a deep breath. “I got this, I got this...” before she could change her mind, she opened the door.

“Welcome back, Wildfire.” Chief Rung, a large scarlet earth pony stallion with a neatly trimmed white beard, greeted his newest member of staff as she entered his wood panelled office. He was very glad to see her back. “Seating pad to your front left. Comet is on the front right one.”

“Hello again,” Comet greeted Wildfire with an easy smile, “I'm sure you’ve been filled in on all the gossip.”

“Good morning Chief Rung,” Wildfire stepped forward towards the sound of that deep reassuring voice. She was reminded greatly of Heatwave, and by extension, Hot Spot. Immediately put at ease, she reached the seating pad on her front left and took a seat. “Yuppers, Captain, the secretary and I had a nice chat.”

Comet snickered, he knew a chat with Rung’s secretary meant a sharing of gossip on all matters whether you wanted to discuss them or not. “Good, that helps to avoid surprises.”

“Do you have the paperwork and the recommendation from Chief Hot Spot?” Rung asked, sharing a very knowing smile and a nod with Comet.

Wildfire was grateful that the subject had been brought back to work. “Yes Sir, I have the paperwork here for you, Sir.” She fished with her hoof into her right saddlebag and, after taking hold of the folder she wanted, she took everything out. “Here you are, Sir.” She passed the large folder over onto Rung’s desk.

A second or two later, and Wildfire heard Rung hoof some of the papers she had given him over to Comet. The orange pegasus looked over what he had been given, then he looked it over again, just to make sure what he had read. “Wildfire, why did Chief Hot Spot put you on administrative leave for almost five years?” he asked curiously.

“Ah...” Wildfire had, deep down, been expecting a question along those lines. She wasn’t necessarily expecting it this soon, perhaps. But, at least it was out there now. Ultimately, she decided on the truth. “Well you see, Captain, after my accident there was some unpleasantness where I was effectively sold to an abusive care home in Canterlot. My father told Chief Hot Spot I was in Fillydelphia. He didn't believe him and he kept my job open.”

“I thought you'd catch that,” Rung said to Comet, the scarlet earth pony impressed that Wildfire hadn’t dodged the issue. Instead, he passed over that day’s newspaper. “Here is an article in the Manehatten times. Look at the by-line.”

Comet smiled. Now things made a great deal more sense. “Oh, another of Tempest's herd-mates. Are you part of a triad?”

“Yes Sir,” Wildfire answered Comet’s question. “Airmail is my fiancé. All that stuff with Canterlot is far behind me now, thankfully.”

Rung’s ears perked up at that. “Oh, I hope we'll get invitations to the wedding. Tempest said she would work on your stamina. The fitness test is a hundred mile course. You can take it any day this week. It is always available on Monday, but with twenty four hours notice we can do another day.”

“Of course you will, Sir,” Wildfire smiled. There was no question in her mind that she’d invite Rung and Comet to the wedding. “Your nice secretary did mention the fitness and physical. I'd like to get them done today, please.”

Comet spoke up then, passing the paperwork back to his Chief. “The biggest cloud they produce is one hundred million cubic metres, and that is only for a really big fire. If we need one you'll have to start it up I'll send pushers over to help.”

Wildfire was a little in awe at that. One hundred million cubic metres was ten times the size of the one she had used to fight the fire at Trixie’s Place in Canterlot five years ago, and that cloud had been huge! “I understand, Sir. I've done cloud delivery before when I was a Reserve in Canterlot.”

“Chief Hot Spot still had you on the roster,” Rung said thoughtfully, stroking his beard with his hoof, “Any reason you didn't want to go back to that job?”

“Yes Sir,” again, Wildfire answered her new chief quickly. “My life is in Manehatten now, with my fiancé, my herd and my friends. Canterlot would be a step back, and I'm going forwards. The only thing I've left behind is my mother's grave which I will visit.”

That was enough for Comet. He reached over and rested his hoof on Wildfire’s, squeezing it gently. “Welcome to the team, Wildfire. I'll show you our barracks room and tomorrow we’ll have an all wings call to introduce you to the team. I have an appointment with Colonel Bluefeather at eleven a.m. with lunch to follow. She did say she has already meet you.”

“Yes Sir, thank you Sir.” Wildfire nodded to Comet and bumped his hoof with her own. “I met Colonel Bluefeather last Friday at the Weather Factory…” she trailed off and giggled, “I helped to set her up with one of my friends.”

Rung let out a rumbling laugh, “Knowing Bluefeather like I do, I'm guessing she has another nappy to change?”

Wildfire giggled, for she knew Cyclone. “Oh yes, Sir, most definitely she has.”

Comet looked from Rung to Wildfire and back again. The Captain shook his head with a smile, “You must have some interesting friends, then again, you are in Tempest's herd. After lunch, you will get a tour of the production, and revisit your office. You won't have an office here in the city, but there is a common workstation for when you visit.”

Laughing out loud, Wildfire thought back to all of her friends. “Yes Sir, they certainly are 'interesting'. I really can't wait to get started.”

Rung got up from his seating pad behind his desk and patted Wildfire on her shoulder. “Comet, she’s all yours.”

“Thanks Chief.” Comet grinned and again, he tapped Wildfire’s shoulder, this time with his wing to get her to follow him as he walked towards the office door. “We may as well start in this building first, seeing as we’re here already.”

Recognising she had been dismissed, Wildfire stood up from her seating pad with a smile. “Have a good day, Sir.” She flashed Rung her best smile before following Comet out of the office.

“Along this hall with Chief Rung are the borough Chiefs from each of the other four boroughs,” Comet explained to Wildfire as he led her out of Rung’s office and onto the seventh floor proper, “but they tend to be in their borough office. Barracks are the floor above. It's coed and cotribal. There are two hundred pegasi on the team plus me and now you.” He paused as he took her up a flight of stairs. “How good are you with that suit you're wearing?”

Following behind Comet, with her wing resting on his flank, Wildfire was taking in his every word with a rapt attention that Calculus would’ve been envious of back in University. “I've learnt to use this suit very well over the last two weeks, Sir. It was tricky at first, but I can use it well.”

Comet nodded without realising that she couldn’t see him do that. “All the fire department pegasi are stationed here as City Hall is a central place. The earth ponies and unicorns are in each borough for quick response. There is always twenty pegasi in the barracks at any given time.”

“Okay, cool, Sir.” Wildfire again wanted to show she was listening and paying attention. “The biggest fire I ever tackled took the combined efforts of four Canterlot District teams.” She said, casting her mind back to the huge fire she had attended at Trixie’s Place on her nineteenth birthday.

“Here in the barracks there will be sixty ponies at any given time.” Comet continued to explain to Wildfire as they ascended the flight of stairs, “we do have other fire stations around Manehatten. I was involved in a big one in the Wharf District. All five boroughs responded along with teams from Fillydelphia. One hundred and eight ponies died in that fire.”

“Wow...” Wildfire paused at the landing at the top of the stairs. “Just...wow, that's huge!” she was suitably awed and impressed by that. There was no way she could top that, not that she wanted to, exactly. “Mine was a club fire at Trixie's Place in twenty twenty five. The cause was magical self-replicating fireworks indoors in an overcrowded night club.”

Comet had heard of that incident. That Wildfire had been at that fire was even more impressive to him. “Ah, you were there? They use that very incident in the classrooms now, in training on how to deal with magical fires.”

Wildfire nodded, “Yes Sir, I attended the whole nine hours.”

“Things have improved since that fire,” Comet said reassuringly, laying a gentle hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. “We have mages that can enchant a cloud for extinguishing magical fire. Still your crews did a remarkable job saving as many as they did that night.”

Wildfire was very glad of the hoof on her shoulder. “Thank you Sir, that's very kind of you to say. I ferried several Class Eight Nimbostratus clouds from the Weather Factory - with help.”

“You shouldn't find this work too much different then,” Comet smiled as he opened the doors onto the barrack level. “You have a beacon for me?”

“Yes Sir,” Wildfire replied before searching in her left saddlebag for the beacon she had bought along with her. “You're number nine, Sir.”

“Actually this will always be with the Duty Officer,” Comet said as he took the beacon from Wildfire and lead her down a short hallway to the barrack common room where he knew the pony he was looking for would be waiting on her favourite couch. Turning a corner, he wasn’t disappointed. “Which for now, is Lieutenant Slipstream.”

Slipstream, a pure white pegasus mare with an ice blue mane and eyes to match, looked up from her Power Pony comic with a quizzical look on her face at the mention of her name. “Hello there Comet, happy Monday to you.”

“This is Wildfire,” Comet introduced the little blind mare with a nudge of his hoof, “she is our new factory rep. No more having Lance or Glass try to hunt down some weather pegasus.”

“Finally,” Slipstream commented, rolling her eyes. While she wanted to read her comic, this new pony was intriguing. “We've only talked about that for how long, now?”

Stumbling forward just a little, thanks to Comet’s nudge, Wildfire couldn’t help but feel like it was her first day of school and the teacher was calling on her in front of the class to stand up and tell everypony about herself. “Hello and good morning, Lieutenant Slipstream.”

Slipstream, reluctantly getting up from her couch and putting her comic down in her special ‘Slipstream-only-touch-my-comics-and-get-murdered’ pile on the coffee table, took the beacon from Comet and looked it over curiously. “Wildfire, I'll need your mobile number so I can put a label on this.”

“Yes Sir, Lieutenant, Sir.” Wildfire was quick to respond, giving the new mare her number straightaway.

Now sooner had Wildfire given her number to Slipstream than an alarm sounded over the barrack level and the common room. As he was nearest to the intercom on the wall, Comet pushed the green button below the voice grille and answered the alarm. “Control, this is Captain Comet, what’s the emergency?”

To Wildfire, the voice on the other end sounded just like an old intercom. “Some idiot protester started a fire at the docks, Local Twelve has responded, they haven't requested any cloud, Sir.”

“Thank you, Control.” Comet sighed as he flipped off the intercom. “Sorry for that, Slipstream.”

“It’s okay,” Slipstream shrugged, “that button was wearing a groove in my hoof anyway.”

“Actually, Wildfire,” Comet said after both he and the Lieutenant had shared their laugh, “about half the fires that get reported in don't need a cloud as local resources are usually enough.”

Wildfire joined in the giggles, “I understand, Sir, as long as it’s being fought that’s all that matters.”

“I'd take you into the barracks, but there’s no reason to wake anypony up since we have the all wings thing tomorrow.” Comet said with a grin as he saw Slipstream sit back down and pick up her comic. “I think for now, I'll watch you fly to the Weather Factory.”

“Yes Sir,” Wildfire bounced on her hooves, eager to show off to her captain what she could do. “I believe the landing pad here’s up on the thirtieth floor?”

“There’s only one way to find out. Please lead the way, Wildfire.”

~ ~ ~

It was just after eleven a.m. that Monday morning when an old grizzled red earth pony walked into Stripe’s Cup of Java coffee shop. Strapped into his wheelchair due to him having no hind legs, the ex-army Captain looked about and, seeing the earth pony at the counter was busy, he decided to try his luck with the guard pony at the elevator. “Excuse me, son,” he said, his rough voice like poured gravel, “how do I get to the Times offices?”

“You're in the right building Sir,” the unicorn guard stallion replied, looking Starbright over and seeing immediately his army cap, his stripes upon it and his saddlebags, “do you have an appointment?”

“I'm afraid I don't,” Starbright said, as he was straight off the Friendship Express from Trottingham. “I have a need to see the lead editor, it's about her fiancé.”

The guard shifted a little uncomfortably, this earth pony was rather intimidating. “Do you have a name, Sir? Also can I have your name, please?”

“I need to see Miss Airmail, regarding her fiancé, Miss Wildfire's mother. I'm Captain Starbright of the Equestrian Armed Forces Medical Corps, retired.”

“One moment, please Sir.” On his walkie-talkie, the guard called up to Airmail’s office and of course Lavender answered the call. “I have a visitor down here for Airmail. It is Mr. Starbright and he says it concerns Wildfire.”

Lavender’s voice was clear over the walkie-talkie. “I'll be right down in just a moment.”

“Sir,” the guard said as he snapped off the radio, “Lavender will be right down to take you to Airmail.”

Starbright coughed, his decade-long illness starting to catch up with him in his old age, the stallion more frail than he cared to admit, thanks to the effects of the Changeling War, and he nodded to the guard. “Thank you, Son.”

In less than a minute however, Lavender was exiting the elevator with Airmail by her side. The tan earth pony and the azure blue pegasus both trotted over to where the army stallion was waiting. “Starbright,” Airmail greeted him with a pleasant smile, “I didn't know you were in town. Wildfire is at work.”

Starbright spared the pony in front of him the barest of nods. She looked like Airmail, she sounded like Airmail. That however didn’t mean a damned thing to the experienced Captain. He had to be sure before he was prepared to say what he was here to say. “What did I give Miss Wildfire when you were at our house?” he demanded bluntly.

Airmail was expecting this. She knew of the earth pony’s – justified – paranoia regarding Changelings. “You gave her Silverbolt’s Equestria Star medal, the one you bought from Ebay when you saw Cold Front had put it up for sale. She has it in a box in our bedroom so she can feel it and her mother.”

Satisfied by her answer, Starbright snapped a very smart salute and smiled. “Colonel Airmail, it's you I came to see.”

“Can I treat you to a coffee and snack?” Airmail asked, very curious indeed to find out the reason for the earth pony’s sudden visit. Not that she was complaining. She rather liked him, especially after he had returned to Wildfire what was rightfully hers.

Lavender saw, quickly, that Airmail had this well in hoof. “I'll go back up to hold down the fort if Omega calls in,” she said, not wanting to be a third wheel. “I'm sure he has something on the fire.”

As Lavender turned and headed back up in the elevator, Airmail led the way over to the coffee bar. “Hello Latte,” she greeted the young earth pony stallion, “coffee and cream for me and please make this fine stallion a drink of his choice.”

Starbright walked himself over to the counter alongside Airmail, though his wheels struggled a little for purchase on the tiled chequerboard floor. “I’ll have a Celestia coffee, please Mr. Latte.”

“Be right out with those.” Latte hastened to fill the order, putting it on Airmail’s tab as the azure blue pegasus took a seating pad at a nearby table, conspicuously moving the one opposite her out of the way for Starbright’s benefit.

“Thank you Colonel,” Starbright said, walking over and nestling himself and his chair into the space at the table, “for seeing me on no notice.”

“It's not a problem, though I hope your visit isn't about a problem with the wedding.”

“N-No…” he paused a moment to indulge in a violent coughing fit. “Not at all. No...over the weekend just gone, I was visiting with an old army friend of mine, a survivor of Canterlot, a pegasus by the name of General Downdraft…”

That name caught Airmail’s attention straightaway. She remembered shooting a Changeling that was about to disembowel him, during the war. “To be honest, I didn't know he was still with the living, I haven't seen him in twenty five years.”

Starbright laughed, which just lead to a second coughing fit that was only halted when Latte bought him some water. “He's hanging on, the old buzzard's too tough to die.” He smiled, for the old pegasus was as frail as he was by now. “Anyway, we were talking, and I had Silverbolt on my mind from your visit. Downdraft didn't remember her, at all, until I described her to him. Then,” he paused, reaching into his saddlebag for the journal he knew was there. “He showed me this!”

As if he was displaying the Equestria Cup from the Games themselves, Starbright set the journal down on the table between them. It was a battered looking book with a simple red cover. In flowing mouth-written script it read; Journal, Property of Fireflight, FC359, 2001.

The very second that Airmail saw the book, and its legend on the cover, her brown eyes went very wide indeed. FC359 was a pony she hadn’t encountered since the war, when she had been a sniper fighting in the earnest defence of the capitol city. “FC359...where...how did the General get this?”

“You recognise it?” Starbright asked curiously, “Downdraft doesn't quite remember. He took a bad hit at the end of the fighting. I had him hospitalised during the medal ceremony afterwards. Silverbolt visited him and he woke up later with it in his bedside table and she was gone.”

Airmail was more than a little confused. FC – or Flight Cadet – 359 had been the call sign of the pony who had served as a spotter for her. And not a good one, either. “Wildfire's mom?” Airmail asked, her eyebrow raised, “I wonder how she got hold of it. I was the overwatch for FC359.”

Starbright understood the Colonel’s confusion. He had shared it too, until he read the book. Then it all made sense. “I was confused as well but, I had to come to Manehatten anyway to see another friend of mine,” the red earth pony smiled, “Dandy wanted me out of the way while he was busy.” Then, his smile turned sad, very sad indeed. “Forgive an old soldier Colonel, Silver was my friend, I…I, I read it on the train here.”

“I certainly can't blame you for reading the Flight Cadet's journal,” Airmail said thoughtfully, she saw nothing wrong with it at all. “I'm sure Silver left it for a reason…” she went quiet when Starbright reached for the journal and opened the red cover. Revealed on the inside was an old photograph, as battered looking as the journal it was part of. It showed a twenty something year old yellow pegasus with a cutie mark of five red lightning bolts next to another pegasus, titled 'Fireflight & Rainbow Gem, conscripts'. Airmail saw the photo and with a flash of memory she pointed her hoof at the young yellow mare. “That’s Fireflight, she never liked her call sign.”

Quietly, Starbright nodded and, reaching once more into his saddlebag, he pulled out another crumpled photo, this time of a very pregnant yellow pegasus with a red mane and a cutie mark of five red lightning bolts posing next to Cold Front. “I took that picture when Silver was heavy with Wildfire, four years after the war.”

It was very clearly the same pegasus in both photographs.

For a long few moments, awful, quiet moments, Airmail stared at the two photographs. Two photographs taken four years apart. Her brain didn’t want to believe what her eyes were telling her. Suddenly, she stood, shock all over her face. “Sweet sun and moon! No! That can't be. Fireflight had a colt, not a filly!”

Seeing Airmail’s outburst, Latte nervously set the coffees down on the table before backing away to the safety of the counter. Starbright pulled his mug closer and took a measured sip of his Celestia special coffee, his eyes never leaving the Colonel. “I suggest you turn to the end of Day Three.” He said, his voice full of sorrow.

With shaking azure blue hooves, Airmail slid the old journal in front of her and she opened it to the page that Starbright suggested. The first thing that struck her was the mouth writing was very neat. The second that struck her was the title part way down. ‘On Time’.

Day Three, four p.m.

The shield fell! Shining Armour’s shield fell! Oh Celestia the shield fell! Tartarus fell with it! There's fighting everywhere! Explosions and fighting! The Sky Trenches were overrun in minutes! Dear Luna there's so many of them! Changelings everywhere!

Hundreds, thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of Changelings swarmed us. They charged straight past the defences like they weren't there.

Oh Celestia! They're attacking the Residential District! The upper east quarter is a mass of fire and smoke...my home! Chill Wind, Cold Front! I can see Hot Spot and Heatwave working the fires in the distance.

Please be okay! Please! Celestia give me this, please!

Several Changelings exploded near me as ‘On Time’ blew them away. She saved my life. Why, save my life when my house is burning? She said if I don't start spotting she has a bullet for me. I called out three targets from my thunder cloud. A second later she killed them. She thanked FC359. I've never felt less like a pony.

All I want to do is check on my house and my family. ‘On Time’ won’t let me.

Swallowing with a very dry throat indeed, Airmail read the passage several times before she swallowed again and sitting back down. She tried to speak but she found her voice had been stolen from her. She was being forced to relive memories she had worked very hard to forget. “I-I…I remember that fight like it was yesterday…” she muttered, unable to meet Starbright’s eyes. “The Flight Cadet always had her mind in a cloud. Did...did you know what happened when they turned a pony into an incubator?”

Very slowly indeed, with a haunted look that crossed his face, Starbright nodded. His usually stoic visage was in tears. He didn’t care who saw him. He hadn’t enough tears in the world to account for what he had seen. “M-My medical team and I had no choice but to administer Luna's Grace to some incubators when we found a nest...”

Airmail understood why Starbright trailed off, she understood why he couldn’t finish his sentence. “If you didn't get to them within ten minutes it was too late. They were living dead...I shot FC359’s friend in a nest because she wouldn't do it.” Airmail could see it now in her mind’s eye. She could see the violet pegasus with the rainbow coloured mane in the cocoon, her abdomen bloated obscenely as if she was nine months pregnant with several foals. They were eggs. “I cleaned out the whole nest, and the four Changelings that were guarding it.”

“You did the right thing.” Starbright said as he pushed Airmail’s coffee to her and urged her to drink. “The only thing. Sometimes at night, when I close my eyes, I can see them begging us to kill them.”

Airmail shook her head. She cursed herself when she lifted up her coffee mug that her hooves were shaking. Her hooves never shook. Like Starbright, she could still see the victims. She could hear their pleading voices. She could smell them. It was like she was there in the nest again. “Most thought I'd rescue them. They couldn't feel any pain, even though all their guts were melted to nourishing goo to feed the eggs inside them.”

“And ponies wonder why I hate the damned bugs!” Starbright shook his head and reached for his coffee. “My medical squad was on hoof to help Hot Spot and Heatwave clear out the fires in the Residential District.” He could see the house, what was left of it after the Changeling swarm had left it a smoking ruin. “We found the colt’s body, no sign of the father.”

“The Flight Cadet wanted to go to her home, but when I looked through the scope of my rifle, I knew if they weren't out, they weren't getting out.” Her voice was barely audible. “I...I did threaten to shoot her…” Airmail pointed her hoof to the crumpled photograph taken four years after the war had ended, “that has to be a different pony. It has to be. And, if that is Fireflight, then she is pregnant with her colt.”

Again, Starbright shook his head, wiping away his tears with his hoof. “I'm afraid not, Colonel. I checked the public records in Trottingham at the town hall before I got the train here. Cold Front married Fireflight in 1999, they registered the birth of Chill Wind in 2000. There was no Silverbolt in Canterlot until after the war. She didn't tell me her name until after, when Celestia awarded her the medal.”

Airmail didn’t want to believe it. Airmail couldn’t believe it. “You have a photo of this pony with Wildfire?” she asked, seeking yet more proof.

Nodding, Starbright pulled from his saddlebag another photograph, this one of a three year old Wildfire and Silverbolt, dated 2009. “That was taken on Wildfire's first day of school. She was three.” Starbright actually managed a smile. “She was so excited that day. They were both excited. He was working, Silver asked me to walk with them to the school.”

Sadly, Airmail closed her teary brown eyes. Finally she accepted the truth of it all, and she found she couldn’t look at the beaming, excited, happy look on the little filly’s face. “How do I tell Wildfire her mother was a terrible soldier?”

Reaching over the table, Starbright put his old hoof on hers. “She was never a soldier like you and I. She fought to defend her family and her home. Doesn't change the fact she saved my life at Heartbreak Ridge. She didn't run, didn't think twice, just kept hurling lightning bolts at those damned bugs.”

Disgusted, with herself more than anything, Airmail pulled her hoof away and slammed it down on the table. “I threated to shoot Wildfire's mom! And I would have too!”

“Airy,” Latte said from the counter, “do I need to turn you in to Caffy?” the earth pony quailed though when Airmail shot him a very dangerous look that made him duck down behind the counter.

“I would have!” Airmail collapsed back down to her seating pad. “I-I would have…”

“I know, Colonel. I know.” Starbright once more held her hoof. “Afterwards, after the war, when I knew them, she never spoke of it, the war, neither of them did...then again, I didn't either.”

“For me the war didn't end…”

Starbright nodded in understanding. “My opinion, for what it's worth, I don't think Fireflight could live with what she did, least of all be awarded for killing, so she buried herself away to deal with it.” He smiled a sad smile. “I've seen hardened vets at the VA not cope as well as her.”

Airmail wiped her cheeks with the back of her foreleg. “Coping is remembering every kill. Every face, every name. The reason for most fade, the rest are remembered so that they are not repeated.”

“You're right, of course. Colonel, I never knew Fireflight, but Silverbolt was a very good friend to me.”

“Wildfire has poems of her mom, many poems.” Airmail said quietly, desperately trying to get her head in order. “I came close to meeting Cold Front, but I had to leave or he would have been another unsanctioned kill.”

Starbright squeezed Airmail’s hoof to stop it from shaking. “No mother ever loved their foal more than she did with Wildfire, I promise you that....as for him...well, I hear he's got what was coming to him.”

“I do trust Luna that he has,” Airmail said grimly, well aware of what the Princess of the Night was capable. She rested her hoof on the cover of the battered journal. “What was your plan for this?”

“Wildfire should have it.” Starbright answered quickly, subduing another coughing fit. “She should know she had a brother. I think with all of you, she's strong enough to hear the truth of it all, at last.”

“Do you trust me to give this to her?”

“Yes I do.”

Airmail smiled a very sad smile. “Trouble is, I don't trust myself. I'll not destroy it, but...I'm going to need some advice from those close to me.”

“That other mare, Tempest?” Starbright said, massaging his chest to get feeling, he could feel his failing heart give a little tremor, “She had a decent head on her shoulders.”

Airmail nodded, in full agreement of the Captain’s assessment of her herd-mate. “That's the one. She’s the 'brains' of this operation. I'm instant reaction. Wily is blissfully unaware.”

“Yes...she's unaware,” Starbright smiled, thankful that his little heart massage had gone unnoticed. Last thing he wanted was to portray weakness. “But, I think she's got a good unit behind her to deal with this.”

Airmail sniffed once more, before downing what was left of her coffee. “I do need to get back to work, I'd like to take this so I can read it cover to cover.”

Starbright had no qualms about that. “It’s yours, Airmail.” He said quickly before checking his watch, ignoring the little numbers that were monitoring his blood pressure. Newfangled apps, he just didn’t understand the half of it all these days. “I've got to meet my friend at Trinity Cemetery. Oh, before I go, in four months it will be the twenty ninth anniversary of the Changeling war. I wonder, ah...if you um, would like to attend the Cenotaph in Canterlot with me?” he asked, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be too long before he joined his friend in the cemetery.

“I'll...I'll think about it,” Airmail replied distractedly, “I thank you for this. I will let you know the outcome.” She stood up from her seating pad and gave the earth pony a sharp salute. “I wish you well in all you do, Captain.”

“Clear skies, Colonel.” Starbright said, returning the salute.

Taking the book, Airmail turned and, without another word or backwards glance, she trotted directly over to the elevator. Once she was gone, Latte risked a peek over the counter to make sure that she was in fact gone. “Sir, excuse me, Sir, would you like a refill? On me.”

“I'd appreciate it, Son, thank you.”

~ ~ ~

Following the meeting with Starbright, Airmail entered the Times office, "Hello Lav," she greeted her friend, "any word from Omega?"

Lavender nodded, "He called in about five minutes ago. Mayor is on site, and nopony has figured out he is a reporter." Lavender giggled, "He does have a story though. His interviews and clues show the rioters were from out of town, and he has it narrowed down to Baltimare."

Airmail moved into her office, "Okay, sounds like he has it well in hoof. I'll be in here till he checks in again." Lavender nodded in response and returned to her work at the reception desk. Airmail was tempted to close her door, but that would have been too much out of character. Instead, she sat at her desk with the book in front of her. With a soft sigh, she opened the book to start at the beginning.

Chapter 8 - The Journal of FC359

When the elevator doors popped open, Comet and Wildfire trotted out onto the Pegasi Landing Pads of the thirtieth floor of Manehatten’s City Hall. “A fitness test is part of what you really need to take care of,” the orange stallion said, speaking up a little over the wind. “If you'd like, we can call this a practice, based on the factory's location. If you touch your beacon in fifty minutes, we can consider the test passed. If not, then this is just a practice to assess your level of fitness.”

“I understand, Sir,” Wildfire replied quickly. She liked tests, as long as they weren’t math. Besides, she knew she could fly already. “I'm ready for the test.”

“Practice.” Comet corrected her gently, “We’ll call it a t est if you pass. I'll start my stopwatch when you take off, so be sure you're good and ready.”

“Yes Sir!” Wildfire flicked her tongue over her headset’s activation button on the bit in her mouth. She was nervous, yes, but she knew this was going to be fun. Besides that, she was eager to show Comet what this little blind pony could do. “Manehatten Weather Factory, distance, direction. Repeat altitude, repeat average speed.”

Comet was ready to start the stopwatch on his pad when Wildfire lifted off. A second or two later, when Wildfire had received the slew of messages from her headset confirming her instructions, she turned to face the direction of the Weather Factory and crouched low with her wings spread.

Thrusting herself into the air, she took off as fast as she could, especially as she knew she was being timed. She could practically hear the clock in her ear. Alas, it was the Manehatten Traffic Control. “Damn…” she muttered, knowing she was limited to thirty miles per hour until she cleared it.

Like a good mare, Wildfire reduced her speed and kept to thirty, paying careful attention to any collision warnings and soft / solid objects. She was ready. Within ten minutes though, she cleared the Flight Control Zone. “Alrighty,” Wildfire grinned when her headset told her she was past the FCZ. “Here we go!” putting Tempest's many hours of lessons to good use, she accelerated up to her top speed of seventy, determined to stay there.

Following behind, Comet was enjoying the scenery that was Wildfire in the skin tight flight suit. He knew she was with Tempest and Airmail, but there was no harm in looking. Besides, his cruising speed was a hundred and fifty, so this was easy at the moment.

Flying along at seventy, Wildfire was determined to follow all her automated instructions perfectly on the way to the Weather Factory. Thankfully there wasn’t any other pegasi up here apart from herself and Comet. Once she was clear of the FCZ, it was a clear run to her target. All she had to do was keep up the speed.

Nothing to it, but to do it.

Her headset alerted her to the fact that after forty five minutes, she had the factory in sight. She had just five miles left to go but her strength was starting to flag. Wildfire knew she had to average seventy five all the way to finish in time. She also knew she wasn’t going to make it. Still, that didn’t stop her putting on a huge spurt of effort.

Panting, out of breath, she landed five minutes out of time.

Behind Wildfire, Comet landed on the cloud just outside the main doors of the factory’s front entrance. “Nice placement of your beacon,” he commented, nodding to the blinking device placed to the left on the wall. “Just so you know, the real test is a fifty mile course and there is no traffic control to worry about, so I think you'll do fine on it.” He watched as she was breathing heavily, “So, how long to recover from this?”

Wildfire flexed and shook out her wings, breathing somewhat heavily before she folded them away. “J-Just...” she panted, “give...” panting again, “me a minute, I'll be fine.”

“Not a problem.” Comet smiled, putting away his stopwatch. “I would recommend some gym time, but knowing Tempest she must have you on a training program by now.”

“Un...un…derwater swimming,” Wildfire nodded, quickly getting her breath back, “there's a lake near our house, I've been doing lengths of that. We do tag, and precision flying too. You know the Narrows Bridge? I flew with her through the cables before I had this suit.”

Comet could easily believe that. “The Major is insane alright. Ready to go in?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire giggled as she followed her Captain inside the Weather Factory, her wingtip resting on his flank for guidance seeing as this was just her second visit. “She’s crazy, but it's a good crazy.”

Comet smiled when he felt Wildfire’s wing on his orange flank. He didn’t mind in the slightest, of course. Anything he could do to make her first day as painless as he could was a bonus. “Plus,” he said, referring to her flight through the bridge’s cables, “with all the proximity alarms, it would be a lot harder to do with the suit on.”

“Huh...” that made Wildfire tilt her head in thought. She hadn’t considered that before, but she supposed, with all the conflicting alarms, it would be a sensory overload. Which alarm do you listen to? “I didn't think about that, but I guess you're right, Comet.”

“We will be checking in with Major Lancer,” Comet spoke up as he led Wildfire past the reception area and down the hallways to the offices, “as the Colonel is out of town at the moment.”

Wildfire nodded, she knew where Bluefeather was and why she was there. “Colonel Bluefeather is in Canterlot. It'll be nice to see Lance...sorry, Major Lancer, again.”

Comet chuckled, turning a corner onto yet another hallway. Rookies were all the same, standing on eggshells. “Formality has it place, and at times is quite useless. This is where your office will be and these are the ponies you will have to deal with. For me it is habit, and I've been told by some to drop the rank.” He snickered, “now I just do it to bug them.”

“I'm sorry, Sir,” Wildfire blushed, feeling more than a little silly. “I'll be sure to keep that in mind. It's just something I've been taught, that's all…” she said, thinking just momentarily of Amethyst Glory and her love of the honorific.

“Can't argue against it,” Comet commented, “though I do know the Colonel is fairly laid back.” At that, the orange pegasus hoofed open the door to the recreation area in the factory, not far from the cafeteria, and led Wildfire inside.

Following Comet into the wide recreation room, packed with couches, TV’s, stereos and even a couple of treadmills over in the corner, Wildfire was very pleased that he hadn't pursued that, she didn't really feel like discussing those dark events of her past. “She sounded pretty fun when I met her on Friday,” she offered.

“Yes, she has some interesting play ideas.” Comet grinned as he approached his friend who was sat relaxing on his favourite couch over by the newer of the three coffee machines. “Major Lance?”

Lancer opened his eyes and smiled up at his colleague, half consumed mug of coffee on the coffee table in front of him. “Yo, Comet, and hey, good to see you again Wildfire.”

“Good morning Ma...Lance,” Wildfire smiled, smelling coffee, “It’s good to hear you again.”

“I can understand that!” Lancer laughed, getting up and going over to the coffee machine to get his guests a drink each. “I love to hear myself talk.”

Comet snorted out a laugh at that, glad that Lancer was getting him a coffee. He was ready for one after the flight here. “Yeah,” he said, steering Wildfire to the seating pad opposite the couch that Lancer had been perched on, “so, this is Lieutenant Wildfire's first day on the job. I understand Major Tempest already brought her for the grand tour?”

“That she did, and it was...interesting.” Lancer chuckled as he set the fresh drinks on the coffee table, nudging Wildfire’s to touch her hoof.

Wildfire hadn’t been expecting that. “I'm a Lieutenant? That's awesomes!” she smiled, “That tour certainly was interesting.”

Comet paused for a moment, surprised that Wildfire was surprised. He had assumed that Rung’s secretary would have gone over this with her earlier. No matter. “It was in your statement of work. Eh, it’s not a big deal. Anyway, Major, the duty officer has a beacon so moving clouds from here to where it is needed should be simple.”

“This is so cool, I wish my mum could see this!” Wildfire squee’d as she lifted up her mug and took a drink of the frankly horrible vending machine coffee, though sitting there it wasn’t that bad. “Yes, I was shown where they were produced on Friday.” She smiled, remembering Dayglow’s tour.

“You want to do a trail run?” Lancer asked Comet when they were both seated on the couch.

“Yeah,” Comet agreed thoughtfully, mulling his mug in his hooves, “I was thinking of doing one tomorrow. Just off shore on the south tip of Manehatten. An easy four block cloud.”

Lancer shrugged, “Easy enough to set up. I have lunch reservations at Cloud 9 for noon, so we have about twenty minutes till then.”

“A trial run sounds good,” Wildfire commented, before thinking for a moment, she realised that clashed with meeting Airmail and Lavender down at Caffeinated’s place. Still, this restaurant sounded cool, and it was with her new workmates. “Noon? Oh, I'd better ring Airy and let her know I'll be eating over here.”

“Yeah,” Lancer laughed, “she can put it in the paper 'Firemare eats on cloud'!”

“Oh. Ha. Ha.” Wildfire stuck her tongue out and laughed at that as she delved her hoof into her bag for her phone and, pulling it out, dialled her fiancé’s number.

“Hi, Wily,” Airmail answered her phone on the third ring, “have you got lunch plans sorted out?”

“Yuppers, Lance has reservations at somewhere called Cloud 9 so I'm going there, love.”

About to reply, Airmail paused, looking down at the red cover of the journal under her hoof. Such an innocuous looking thing it was. “Sounds good, I've been there, It's a nice place.” She tried very hard to keep her voice even, to not betray her warring inner thoughts over the phone. “I'll see you at home then tonight.”

“Alrighty, oh hey, how's your morning been?”

“Very interesting.” Airmail answered. Interesting was definitely a way to describe her morning, alright. Still, she put a face on it. “Omega wound up in a middle of a riot, but he's okay.”

Wildfire was reminded of the alarm earlier that went off at City Hall while she had been there. “Is that anything to do with an alarm that went off earlier for the docks?”

“Yeah, some protesters when a bit wild, set some stuff on fire, National Guard showed up.” Airmail once more looked at the journal. Part of her wished it wasn’t there, sat on her desk under her hoof like the proverbial elephant in the room. “Omega got a lot of good pics and the Mayor is doing damage control right now.” She did manage a genuine giggle, “She cancelled my interview for this afternoon.”

“You sound pleased about that, Miss Lead Editor.”

“Yeah, it means I might take a half day once Omega gets back.”

Wildfire giggled at that. She couldn’t fault her fiancé’s priorities. Fire was bad, but half a day was good. “That sounds like a plan, sweetie....oh! Guess what?”

“You have successfully completed a coupe and taken over the Weather Factory?” Airmail asked with a snicker in her voice.

“Shhhh! not so loud, you'll give away my super-secret plan!” Wildfire laughed, before taking a calming drink of her machine made coffee. “No, I'm a Lieutenant! This job is so cool!”

Airmail laughed at that. For a moment she wasn’t thinking about Silverbolt’s, no, Fireflight’s, journal. “Don't expect me to call you ‘ma'am’ all the time.”

Wildfire finished off her mug with a little giggle, “I won't...oooh! I should call my mum, I bet Emerald would want to know too!” The moment Wildfire said the word ‘mum’, the line went silent, Airmail was for the moment speechless. Wildfire cocked her head to one side. Her fiancé hadn’t hung up, she just wasn’t answering her. “Airy? Pretty? You there?”

“Yes,” Airmail found her voice after a few moments, the last thing she wanted to do was worry her lover on her first day. “That is a really good idea, Wily. It would be good to see how she is doing.”

Wildfire however wasn’t convinced. Her trained ear could detect a ‘something’ in Airmail’s voice. “Are you okay, Airy?”

Airmail at once cursed Wildfire’s ears. “It’s…it’s been a rough day, with the riot and all.”

“Oh okay Pretty.” Wildfire certainly wasn’t going to argue with that. She could appreciate the effects of a bad day. “If you can, you should go rest up if it's that rough, love.”

“Yeah, good idea.” Airmail said distractedly, her eyes once more drawn to the journal on her desk. “You have a fun lunch, and you can tell me about your coupe later tonight.”

“Yuppers, I definitely will. I love you, you sexy mare.”

“I love you too Wily, and I always will.”

Wildfire blew several kisses down the phone before she hung up. “Guys,” she said, looking back to Comet and Lancer, who had, while she had been on the phone got her a fresh coffee, “is it okay if I call my mum real quick?”

Lancer shared a look with Comet, an uncertain look that the Captain returned. Both were clearly thinking the same thing, they were just uneasy of voicing what they were thinking. Neither wanted to be indelicate. “I though you said your mom...was...well, ‘passed’.”

For a moment, Wildfire didn’t follow what the Major meant. Then it dawned on her. “Oh, sorry! I meant my step-mum, not my mum-mum.”

Lancer shrugged, taking a drink of the second coffee that Comet had made for him. “It’s your time, just don't make me late for lunch.”

“Alrighty, I won’t, I promise.” Wildfire smiled as, with her phone still in hoof, she dialled Emerald's number. “Thank you, Lance, for the coffee.”

Seconds later, and Emerald's soft voice came over Wildfire’s phone. “He-Hello?”

“Hi mum!” Wildfire squeaked in a typically restrained ‘Wily style’ that made Comet and Lancer snicker from the couch.

Emerald was, for the moment confused. Whatever she had been expecting on the other end of the phone, it certainly wasn’t an excited mare squealing ‘hi mum’. “Who…Who is this?”

Slightly less buoyant, like Pinkie Pie’s balloons with all the air let out, Wildfire felt just like that. Deflated. She immediately regretted calling, if her step-mum didn’t even remember her. Straightaway, she wondered what she had done wrong. “Mum...it's me, it’s Wily…”

“W-W-Wild…Wildfire!” Emerald stammered, very genuinely surprised, “I'm so sorry, I j-just...I’m sorry.”

Wildfire frowned, as much as she could, creasing her eyebrows over her facial scars. “Mum, are you alright?”

Emerald felt very silly at that, she shifted her slight weight on her seating pad in her living room. “It's st-still a...surprise. Y-You...y-you d-don't have to c-call me mum.”

Now Wildfire was confused. “But...you are my mum,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. To her, it was. It was very simple. It was easy. Wildfire liked easy. “Well, a step-mum, mum, but you're still family, right?”

Emerald didn’t know what to say to that. She was amazed that Wildfire was as accepting of her as she was. “Th-Thank you. Y-You, um, you started work, yes?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire beamed, all happy again. “I started today with the Manehatten Fire Department, they made me a Lieutenant!” the little blind mare let out a very loud excited squee that made Comet and Lancer chuckle with each other. “How are you doing, mum?”

“Th-That...that's w-wonderful, W-Wi-Wildfire!” Emerald squealed, calming herself with a quick drink of her herbal tea. There was something she had to tell her daughter too. “The bank, um, the bank has forgiven the mortgage after that...that bad bu-business. I’ve been p-putting the... the b-bits you gave me to good work…” she trailed off before her voice raised up in pitch. “I c-can send receipts!”

Wildfire shook her head, “Mum you don't need to send any receipts, we're family. Family helps family.”

Emerald reached for her tea and changed her mind, not trusting her shaking hooves and the new cream carpet. “I...ju-just...I th-thought 'he' w-was family...I’m…I’m s-sorry.”

“Mum...” Wildfire’s voice took on a very serious tone. She knew when to be serious, and this was the time. Her mother needed as reassuring a tone as she could manage. “I thought he was family too. I thought he was my dad, but...we aren't him, and our past is not today, mum.”

Emerald burst into tears, “th-he trial, the...I’m sorry!” the troubled orange pegasus mare dissolved into snivelling sobs.

Wildfire wanted nothing more than to hug her step-mum, hug her tightly from now until the end of time itself. Had she been in Canterlot, she would have, too. “Was it really bad? You didn't talk about it when we stopped over last Sunday night, and I didn't want to push.”

“It...I...I pr-pro...protected him!”

“Mum,” Wildfire tried to calm her down, again regretting that she wasn’t there to hug her. “He threatened you! No way are you to blame!”

“No!” Emerald squeaked, refusing to listen to the good sense that Wildfire was making, “He...d-didn't th-then...I...He said he was ga-gambling...I...said he was w-with me...I...I’m sorry.”

“Mum, please listen, dad was clever.” Wildfire said before taking a quick swallow of her coffee to gather her thoughts. “He knew how to get ponies to do what he wanted. He knew how to get away with stuff…” she sighed, “look at me, he beat me for years and I didn't say anything...but, but I know Darkstar. She doesn't blame you, none of us do.”

Emerald let out a long sigh. “Th-That is…is what Dr. Relook says.” She said, thinking of her new therapist in Canterlot she saw three times every week, “I...ju-just…when you first came to... to the door... I was so... so afraid.”

Wildfire wanted so much to hold her mother. “I know, because I was too. Mum, how are you really doing?”

“I...I will have some house guests in...in two weeks...to help each other.”

Wildfire knew about Emerald’s plan to turn her old house into a half-way house. She approved. A lot. That wasn’t what she meant though. “I mean you, how are you doing? Your wings, and your head? I worry about you.”

Emerald fluttered her ruined clipped wings, the tattered primary feathers that were Cold Front’s parting gift to her. “I should b-be able to fly in a...a month. Dr. Re-Relook is helping me...me a lot. Is, um, is it...it okay if...if I…I say I...I...I love you?”

“Of course you can,” Wildfire smiled, “But only if I can say it to you too.”

“I...I w-would li...like that dau-dau...daughter.”

“I love you, mum.”

At that, Emerald smiled so wide she was sure her step-daughter could hear it down the phone line. Hearing those four words spoken to her made her feel like she could fly already. “Visit...Visit me soon. I…Y-Your room will always b-be yours.”

“Well, I'm busy this weekend coming,” Wildfire thought out loud, thinking of her upcoming planned weekend with Tinkerer and Belle at their house. “But, if there's two weeks to go until you take ponies at your place, why don't you come over? Tempest and Airmail said you were welcome any time, and I can show you Manehatten.”

“I...um…” Emerald sounded very panicked indeed at the mention of leaving Canterlot. “I c-can't...Dr...Dr...Dr. Relook doesn't wa-want me t-to travel.”

“Mum, mum...please, calm down, it's okay, I promise. I'll do what I can to come over and see you.”

The relief in Emerald’s voice was palpable. “Th-Thank you, it is more th-than I could hope for. I…I love you, d-daughter.”

“And I love you, mum.” Wildfire said in such a way that she hoped her voice would hug her step-mum. “I'll let you know when I work something out to come over.”

Emerald smiled, Wildfire’s voice like a soothing balm on her frayed nerves. “Okay, y-you can call anytime. Family is...nice.”

“Yuppers it is. You call me too. I'll always talk to my mum. About anything.”

Emerald reached for her herbal tea and took a long sip, the tea calming her as much as Wildfire’s words. “Thank you, th-the p-place will be nice when you come, and...I hope to be a better mum, to you.”

“Don't beat yourself up mum.” Wildfire said as gently and kindly as she could, “We have to heal and move on,” she blew a loving kiss down the phone, “I love you, I need to go, but I'll call again.”

“Good bye W-Wi-Wildfi...W-Wily,” Emerald giggled at her own stammer.

Wildfire giggled, “You'd better call me Wily!” again, she blew her step-mother a kiss and hung up, putting her phone away in her bag before turning her head to where Lancer and Comet were sat sharing an in-joke between them over their machine coffee. “Right guys, sorry about that, I'm ready for lunch now.”

Lancer shrugged and laughed, “At least you didn't have to polish your desk before lunch!” he snickered, particularly at Comet’s quizzical look and the raspberry that Wildfire gave him. “C’mon, let's fly. I have one of your beacons, Wily, so I'll be easy to follow.”

~ ~ ~

She was about two thirds of the way through when Lavender called out to her, “Omega on line three.”

Airmail put a bookmark in the journal before she closed it. “Okay, got it.” She picked up the phone. “How’s it going, Omega?”

“The guard is locking the place down,” replied Omega. “They found out I’m a reporter and told me to move to the press pool area.”

Airmail snorted, “Where no reporting can be done.”

“Yeah,” said Omega. “Mayor is supposed to say something in about twenty minutes, so I’ll hang around for that. Never know she may say something useful.” Omega doubted there would be any chance of that. “I think I got all the info I need to scoop this event. So, I’ll head back in after the Mayor’s speech.”

“Okay,” said Airmail. “I may be taking off early, so I’ll look at your ‘final’ report in the morning before it goes to print and online.”

Omega laughed, “The boss is cutting out early! That is a story in and of itself!”

“Ha, ha ha,” said Airmail with an eye roll that traveled across the phone lines. “With the Mayor canceling my interview, I thought you’d like a low-pressure atmosphere to finish up your story before you can go home.”

“It will be nice to type without you looking over my shoulder,” laughed Omega. “I’ll email you a copy when I’m done and we can go over it in the morning.”

“Sure thing Omega, stay safe.” Airmail hung up the phone. She picked up the journal and walked out of her office. “Omega will be in after the Mayor’s speech on the riot. He will be working until his copy is done, but you don’t have to stay.”

“Okay, Airy,” said Lavender. “You’re not going to be here?”

“Nope,” said Airmail. “I’m taking an early day today. Let Omega fly on his own without me nagging him.”

“I would say, ‘Stop the presses’, but I think Omega said that as I could feel the eye roll from out here.” Lavender laughed as Airmail hung her head in shame. “I’ll run cover on any calls. Go enjoy your day.”

“Thank you, Lavender” said Airmail, “See you tomorrow.” Airmail walked out of the Times’ office and waited for the elevator. She peeked into her saddlebag at the journal. ‘I have to do something about this. I hope Stormy has some advice,’ she thought. The elevator opened and Airmail entered.

As she crossed the north shore of Stallion Island, she detoured to La Colt’s Park. There she settled down at a table and pulled the journal out of her bag. She opened it at the bookmark, determined to finish it before she talked to anyone about it.

An hour later she closed the journal and sat there as she thought about what she read. Airmail would be the first to admit she was a cold-blooded killer. Fireflight must have written it a hundred times in the journal. Regardless of what she read, there was nothing Airmail could think of changing during that battle. Fireflight was in her sights and her hoof was on the trigger. She waited for the mare to decide her fate. Fireflight sat on her cloud and called out another bug. Airmail moved her rifle and another bug’s head exploded in view of her scope. “I hope she can forgive me.” Airmail put the journal way and took wing for home.

Airmail entered the house and all was quiet. She knew Tempest was working from home today. As she left the kitchen she saw Tempest in the great room, when she expected her to be in the office. “Hi there,” said Airmail.

Tempest looked up from the book she was reading in surprise. One glance at her longtime lover ended the snarky remark she was going to make. “Hello yourself. Is everything okay?”

Airmail stood there for a few moments them moved over to hug Tempest. “No, everything is not okay.”

Tempest hugged her back and lowered both of them down to the couch seating pad. “Tell me about it.”

“I was reading today too,” Airmail led off. She looked at the book Tempest was reading and saw it was named after her lover. “I see you were reading too. The present Wily got you.”

“Yes, I was,” responded Tempest. “So, what were you reading?”

Airmail pulled the journal out of her saddle bag, “This.”

Tempest looked at the weather-beaten book and its title. Now she just had to pry the information out of Airmail. “Is this from one of your kills?” Airmail shook her head. “Then it is from the war.” Tempest nuzzled her lover, “You’ve talked about the war. I’ve seen you around others talking about the war. I’ve never seen you this… Apathetic.”

Airmail, “You don’t understand.”

Tempest looked at the cover, “Flight Cadet 359.” She kissed Airmail. “Help me understand why this pegasus’s journal matters.”

“This journal was written about me,” said Airmail softly.

Tempest snorted, “You should be honored someone took time to write a book about you.”

“Tartarus, Stormy!” wailed Airmail, “You don’t understand at all!”

Tempest’s eyes narrowed. “Fine! Is it filled with lies?”

“No, it’s filled with the truth.” Airmail broke down, “She calls me a jerk, and a heartless killer.”

“Luna knows you’re a jerk!” Tempest pushed a forehoof into Airmail’s chest. “I knew that the day you shot me! And you are most certainly a killer too! But heartless? When Mapper told me that you never miss what you’re aiming at, I knew you weren’t heartless, just a jerk.”

Airmail shoved Tempest’s hoof away. “It was written by Wildfire’s mother!”

Tempest wasn’t going to have any of that. She grabbed hold of Airmail’s shoulders with her hooves. “It doesn’t matter who wrote it! That doesn’t change who you were then, nor does it change who you are now!”

“I was going to kill her!” shouted Airmail.

That gave Tempest pause. She breathed in deeply and counted to ten. “Why are you here instead of being with Wildfire?”

“I killed her best friend in front of her. I threatened to kill her,” explained Airmail. “She hates me, Stormy. She hates me.”

Tempest hooves move around Airmail’s back and pulled her into a crushing hug, “She is dead, Airmail. She can’t hate anypony.”

Airmail countered, “But she writes…”

“Shut up when I’m chastising you!” interrupted Tempest. “I hated you when you shot me, and now I love you with all my heart. Wildfire may have to understand what you did in the war, and why, but that will not change her love for you. You’re the one she wants to marry. Don’t hide this from her.”

“Nopony wants to marry me,” complained Airmail. “You didn’t and Wily doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

Tempest when from a hug to shove Airmail to the floor. She spread her wings and stood on her hind legs. “How dare you say that! How dare you accuse yourself to be unworthy of love and marriage! You are well and truly a jerk, but I’ve always known that. There is no reason for you to gloat about it!”

Airmail’s eyes narrowed, but Tempest didn’t back down. She could easily take out this mare. No sooner did that idea form in her head then she squashed it. “Then why didn’t you want to marry me?”

Tempest lowered herself back to the floor with a forehoof on either side of Airmail. She lowered her muzzle to touch her jerk of a lover. “The same reason you didn’t ask to marry me. Serenity needed Mapper, and in truth, Mapper needed her. We had each other, but we didn’t need each other. Wildfire, on the other hoof, needs some pony, and that pony she has chosen is you. If you consider your heart you will see that you need her too.” Tempest pressed a kiss against her partner’s lips. “I will always have the four of you. Marriage isn’t a need for me.”

Airmail closed her eyes and sighed, “What do I do?”

“That is easy,” said Tempest. “You give her the book written by her mom and tell her everything that is in it.”

“I’m afraid,” whispered Airmail.

“We are herd,” responded Tempest. “You are not alone.”

Airmail opened her eyes and looked up at her lover, “I need more time.”

Tempest backed up a bit and sat down. “I’ll give you that, but you know as well as I do that these things don’t improve with time.”

Airmail nodded and then added, “Please don’t tell her about this.”

“I’ll agree to that, but only for so long,” said Tempest. “I’ll let you know when I think it has been too long. I’m leaving for Fillydelphia to push a storm front through here. You going to be okay tonight?”

“I hope so,” said Airmail. “Enough else has gone wrong today that I think Wily just knows I’m upset, but not the real reason why.”

Tempest shook her head, “Just don’t lie to her. Part of the storm is coming over this house. Just before it gets here I’m going to have every pony piss in the cloud.” Tempest giggled, “In case you want to see or feel my work.”

“Thank you for talking me off the cliff. I love you,” said Airmail.

“Love you too.” Tempest smiled, “Even if you are a jerk.” Airmail laughed and the purple pegasus headed back up to the office to do the final prep for tonight’s mission.

~ ~ ~

It was late in the afternoon of that Monday when Wildfire landed in the back yard of her house. As ever she had the old oak tree on her left. Walking up to the decking outside the back door, it was all she could do not to squeal in sheer happiness. She’d done her first day of work!

The moment she opened the back door, Wildfire could smell Airmail in the kitchen, and the kitchen was a riot of her most favourite food smells. “Airy! I'm home!” she called out, somewhat unnecessarily, seeing as the fiancé was right there not more than five feet away from her.

“So I see,” Airmail said in a much, much softer voice. She’d had all afternoon long to think about that journal. She’d read it cover to cover several times, now she was just trying to think it over. “What does your Wily sense think of dinner?”

Eagerly, Wildfire sniffed the air. All at once those beautiful scents came up her nose. Immediately she was transported to almost every diner and burger joint in Equestria. “Weeeell...it says we have hayburgers,” she sniffed, “hayfries, onion rings and brown sauce!”

Airmail giggled, very pleased that she had managed to time her cooking being finished with Wildfire’s arrival. “Impeccable nose as always. You want to eat in the kitchen or dining room?”

Wildfire, to her credit, did think about it. While it was tempting to eat there, she decided to be all grown up. “Hmm, dining room I think, my love.”

“Okay,” Airmail snickered, “but no table cloth. Not with that brown sauce.”

Wildfire kissed Airmail’s nose and giggled. “You don't trust yourself?”

“You heard my mom,” Airmail said with a roll of her brown eyes, “I've never been much of a neat eater.”

“I love your messy eating, you sexy pony.”

“You just like the way I clean up on aisle mare,” Airmail said, laying a soft delicate kiss on Wildfire’s lips. “I'll take the food out, you grab us a couple of beers.”

“Yuppers, indeed I do!” Wildfire said brightly and smiled. As Airmail carried the burgers, fries and onion rings through from the kitchen to the dining table, Wildfire investigated the fridge. In short order she found the beers and selected two. “So, how was your day?” she asked, following Airmail through to the dining room.

“Difficult.” Airmail answered bluntly as she laid out the plates on the table. “Omega ended up getting caught in the riot at the docks...” she chose not to mention the journal as yet. She was still thinking about it. “It's…been a day.”

“Yuppers, I heard about the fire at the docks,” Wildfire said as she sat at the table and gave Airmail her beer, “what was difficult, Pretty, is Omega okay?”

Airmail wasn’t really listening, if she was honest. Her thoughts were still occupied by a certain red covered book. “Hmm? Oh, yes. His shield magic isn't the best, but it was enough. Looks like some thugs came up from Baltimare to cause problems, and as a reporter he became a target.”

“Damn that kinda stinks,” Wildfire commented before taking a large bite of her burger. “I'm glad Omega's alright though.” Something however, didn’t sit right with the little blind mare. Her ears flicked towards her lover and she frowned once more. “Are you okay? You sound…distracted.”

Airmail blinked, quickly cursing Wildfire’s good hearing. “It…It cancelled my meeting with the Mayor, that’s all. It’s not been rescheduled.”

“Oh, okay…” Wildfire wasn’t totally convinced, but she decided to let it slide for now. “Sucks your meeting was cancelled.”

Not really sure what to say for the best, Airmail just stuffed as much of her burger as she could into her mouth and tried to talk around it. “Yeah…”

Hearing her slurred voice, Wildfire giggled, “Don't eat with your mouth full. I'll tell mom.”

With her mouth still full, Airmail asked, “Which one?”

Wildfire snickered, reaching for her fries and taking a big bite. “I'll tell both, that way they can both spank you for being naughty.” Once she had swallowed her fries she took a sip of her beer and had a think. “Oh, speaking of, I called mom. She's doing okay.”

With great difficulty, Airmail swallowed the huge piece of burger she had been chewing. “I feel safe, as long as you didn't call Stormy.” After that she giggled and ate some of her fries. “You're right about her though. Emerald does deserve a second chance.”

“I definitely didn't tell Honey,” Wildfire smiled, her ears twitching when she picked up on Airmail’s giggle. “It’s nice to hear that. The giggle suits you. Mom's doing okay. She's seeing a therapist, a Doctor Relook, and she starts taking ponies in her house in two weeks time.”

“Did she say she would be at the wedding?”

Now, Wildfire’s ears drooped a little. “Oh...no, no she didn't...she just said she wasn't allowed to travel for a bit. See, I offered her to come over but she said she wasn't allowed.”

“I wonder why?” Airmail asked, more to herself than to Wildfire as she took a mouthful of her beer and giggled, “If she thinks she can skip the wedding, I'll have Luna teleport her from there to here.”

“Do you think I should call her back?” Wildfire fretted a little, suddenly very worried that her step-mum wouldn’t be at her wedding. “I-I um, I didn't want to push her too much too quick.”

Airmail abandoned her fries to reach over the dining table and squeezed Wildfire’s hooves to stop her from tapping them together. “Love, calm down. She said for a little bit, right? Sorry my little joke upset you.”

“Oh…I'm not upset, as such, it's just...it’s silly, that's all.”

Giggling, Airmail gave her fiancé a brown sauce flavoured kiss. “Nice to have a worry wart in the herd.”

Smiling, Wildfire happily returned the saucy kiss, adding some of her own to the mix. “Its' just...ugh...it's been that long since I had a mom I could actually talk to, and hug, and get hugged,” Wildfire felt the need to explain herself, “I didn't want to scare her away being too 'hi mommy' too quick, y’know?”

Airmail did know. She understood all too well. She also knew how to put Wildfire’s mind at ease. “I have an advantage over you,” she said, kissing her blind mare’s nose, “I saw her face light up when you called her mum. If she can't visit us, we'll have to go visit her.”

Smiling, Wildfire felt herself blush a very, very deep red. “It'd be cool to visit, but I don't see how we can, not right away anyway.”

“Depends,” Airmail said, pleased that she wasn’t thinking about that damned journal for a little while. “Do you still have a job after today?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, going all squee happy and bouncing on her seating pad, “Today was the best! Rung, Comet and Lance thought I was awesomes! I even nearly passed the fitness test first time even with traffic!”

“With traffic?” Airmail asked as they both finished off their burgers, “That sounds a lot like hazing.”

“I didn't think about that,” Wildfire admitted, though it didn’t really seem like Comet’s style. “It was still cool and almost close, I was just five minutes too slow.”

Airmail giggled as she wiped up some of the brown sauce with her fries, “I'm sure you're faster than me…” she said, running her free hoof over Wildfire’s yellow wing nearest to her. “How're your wings after all that?”

“Oooooh...” Wildfire bit her lip and she felt her wings flutter when Airmail stroked them. “Th-they were a little numb and I was out of breath, but I got over it pretty quick, Airy.”

Airmail let her lover’s wing go and she returned to finishing off her sauce covered fries. “I’ll let Stormy know her training is working nicely.”

“Definitely working,” Wildfire agreed, “But…baby, you ah...you can keep stroking, though.” She tried not to make it obvious. She didn’t think she succeeded.

With her mouth full of food, Airmail smiled, “I'll give you a proper massage after we finish the rest of this meal.” Though, she looked down, all they had left was the beers. “If I'm lucky, Stormy won't wake me when she gets home. Like she usually does.” She giggled, “Maybe she'll wake you instead.”

“Mmm,” Wildfire thought about that as she sipped her beer, “perhaps she will. You know I'm a light sleeper, right?”

“I’ll have you know, I've managed to get out of bed without waking you.” Airmail laughed, “Or hearing you say 'Just a few more minutes'.” Draining the last of her beer, Airmail nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “I've even heard rumours that you're up past nine and still awake before noon!

“Oh, you heard those rumours too, huh?” Wildfire giggled as she too finished off her beer, “It has been known to happen, just like I sometimes leave tops off of jars and the tops off beer bottles...like these ones.”

Airmail snorted out a laugh, very thankful that she’d swallowed her beer. “Trying to be naughty already are we? So, after the massage, how about a nice body count movie to listen too?”

“Well...I’m not 'trying', per se…I think a pony count movie is an awesomes idea, Pretty.”

“Last Samurai?”

Wildfire cocked her head in thought. “I haven't heard of that one...ooh!” she squeaked, “next time can we listen to Transformares?”

“That is one movie that Stormy will watch. We could do that tonight, or a time when she is home.” Airmail checked the clock on the wall and tried to think where Tempest would be on her shift. “Right now, I think she’s sitting on a cloud on the north side of Filly. She has a storm to push through the area tonight and won't be back till after two in the morning.”

“Yikes...I haven't seen two a.m. for a long time…” then, seeing as her seating pad at the dining table was next to Airmail’s, Wildfire snuggled up to the older azure blue pegasus. “I um...is it a thunderstorm?”

“Yes, a class nine, she said.”

As she heard that, Wildfire shivered so much that her feathers fluttered and flared outwards from her wings. “Is she okay?” she asked, panic evident in her voice. “Has she called? Is she due to call?”

“She is fine.” Airmail said gently but firmly as she hugged Wildfire tightly, “She will not call in. If anything went wrong we would find out right away,” she kissed her lips, “after all, Silverbolt is watching over her. Isn't that what you asked when we last visited?”

Almost instantly, Wildfire calmed down. “Y-Yuppers...I did, I did ask that, didn't I?” she smiled at the kisses she received and returned them in kind. “Mum said she would look out for Honey, and she's never let me down.”

“I don't think she is going to start now. Stormy loves her storms.” Airmail giggled, “You going to wake up when it blows over? You never know, she might just pee on you.”

“You know, I just might!” Wildfire giggled, feeling more at ease. “I'm sorry, Pretty, I shouldn't be so skittish should I? I know Honey knows what she's doing, and she loves it like I love firefighting.”

Once more, Airmail kissed Wildfire’s lips. “I wouldn't have you any other way than the way you are now, Wily.”

~ ~ ~

Tuesday was a dull day of learning the ins and outs of the weather factory for Wildfire, but it wasn’t at all a dull day for Airmail.

Airmail hung up the phone. Wildfire was going to eat lunch in Cloudhatten as part of her orientation day. Airmail picked the phone back up and dialed. Mapper answered, “What do I owe the honor of Manehatten’s ace reporter calling me?”

“It’s Tuesday, so I was hoping you and Serenity were available for lunch,” responded Airmail.

“As long as you don’t mind Serenity’s cooking,” said Mapper. “She is being both naughty and nice at the same time.”

“Which is the cooking?” asked Airmail.

“That would be the nice part.” Mapper added, “The naughty part is she is dancing around the kitchen to some music on her headphones.”

Airmail thought about it for a few seconds, but didn’t get it. “How can dancing be naughty?”

“I know what she is listening to,” stated Mapper. “She is loudly singing the lyrics to a Spice Mares song.”

“There is something else besides lunch that I’d like to talk to both of you about,” admitted Airmail.

“Are you sure?” asked Mapper. “You are getting married soon.”

“Ha, ha,” said Airmail flatly. “Seriously, is it okay for me to come over?”

“I’ll see you soon,” Mapper hung up the phone, and let Serenity know there would be one more for lunch.

Airmail walked out of her office. “Omega!”

The stallion turned to look at her from his desk, “Yeah, boss?”

“Great work on that dock story. Take the rest of the day off,” Airmail said.

Omega stood up, “You don’t have to tell me twice. Bye Lavender.” He hastily left least Airmail changed her mind.

“Lavender,” continued Airmail. “You need to hold down the fort till I get back. I’m having lunch over at Mappers.”

Lavender laughed, “No problem, boss. I’ll eat your portion when the zebra delivers it.”

“All part of my plan,” giggled Airmail. “See you after lunch.” The pegasus left the office and entered the lobby. “I’m off to Mapper’s” stated Airmail to Caffeinated. “Lavender will eat my lunch.”

Caffeinated nodded, “Have fun.”

Airmail left the building and took wing on her way to Stallion Island. A short flight later she landed in front of Mapper and Serenity’s house. She knocked once and then let herself in. “I’m here for the lunch special!”

Serenity walked out of the kitchen, “Madame, votre table est prête. De cette façon s’il vous plaît.”

Airmail smiled, “Merci beaucoup. Veuillez diriger sur.”

Mapper spoke up when both entered the kitchen, “I know Prench.”

Airmail snorted, “You know the language of money regardless of its origin.”

Mapper shrugged her shoulders, “Lunch first, and then we can discuss the real reason you are here.”

Airmail sat down and looked at the luscious spread on the table. “Agreed. Now I understand Serenity’s greetings. This looks fabulous.”

Once the meal was eaten and Serenity cleared the dishes. Airmail pulled the journal out of her saddle bag and set it on the table. The other two ponies gave her their full attention. “Has Stormy talked to either of you about this?”

Both shook their heads, and Serenity added, “Was she supposed to?”

“I didn’t tell her she couldn’t, and sometimes she operates on her own initiative, Airmail said. “This was written by Flight Cadet 359. She was my spotter during the changeling invasion.”

“Friend or foe?” asked Mapper.

“She did her job,” replied Airmail. “But she hated me, and that is clearly laid out in this book.”

“It would depend on a point of view as to whether some pony would love your hate your job,” said Serenity. “Why does this pony’s opinion matter to you?”

Airmail swallowed, “The pony’s name was Fireflight.”

Mapper and Serenity looked at each other. “Interesting,” said Serenity. “That is the name that Wildfire is going to name her foal with.”

Airmail nodded, “At the end of the war, Fireflight change her name to Silverbolt.”

Mapper questioned, “How long have you known this?”

“I received the journal yesterday,” Airmail responded.

“You are here because you haven’t told Middle Pet, yet,” accused Serenity.

“Ture,” said Airmail. “I’m here for advice. Stormy has already given me her input.”

“Are the contents true?” asked Mapper.

“Every word,” answered Airmail.

“You say Wildfire’s mother hated you,” said Serenity.

“Very much so. I threatened to kill her,” stated Airmail. “In the end, she wished I had killed her.”

Mapper placed a hoof on the book, “This is evidence that you did neither. Again, why are you here?”

“Fireflight, Silverbolt, calls me a jerk and heartless killer. I shot her best friend right in front of her. She watched me kill a lot of ponies that day.”

“All ponies are bad ponies, but some can only see with their heart. Others can overrule their heart with their mind,” said Serenity. “She never knew the real you.”

“That feeling is mutual. I never wanted to know FC359,” stated Airmail.

“You are a fool to not tell Wildfire about this,” commented Mapper.

“I’d be a fool if I did!” said Airmail as she raised her voice. “This journal will open Wildfire’s heart to what her mother thought of me. She will feel the same way!”

“Mistress is right. You are a fool.” Serenity said with a flat voice. “Wildfire’s greatest fear is to disappoint you. If you truly want to disappoint her, you would have to hide this from her.”

“I was going to kill her mother!” yelled Airmail. “If I had, she would have never been born.”

“If you had, you wouldn’t have any problems today,” commented Mapper.

Airmail’s eyes went wide, but before she could speak, Serenity shoved a hoof to her mouth, and said, “You are a killer, and a bad pony, but you are not heartless. If you were, the words of this journal would not be eating at your soul.” Serenity flicked her ears and Airmail could easily read she was asking permission from Mapper. She did it so Airmail would know they agreed. “You will tell Wildfire about this journal and you will hide nothing from her. I love you too much for you to let this tear at your heart and mind.”

“I have told Middle Pet that I love her too,” added Mapper. “I may love to play mind games, but I’ll not let my pet suffer for something as silly as this.” Mapper smiled, “But thank you for sharing this with us. I did enjoy your suffering.”

Serenity moved her hoof away, and Airmail said, “Why did I bother coming here?”

Serenity laughed and the musical tone of her voice returned, “Because you needed to know we agree with Stormy in this.”

Airmail hung her head in shame, and Mapper added, “Do not fail me in this, or I’ll have Serenity beat you until she can no longer stand the pain.”

Airmail knew the implications of that. “Thank you for the lunch. I need to get back to work.”

“I love you,” said Serenity.

“As do I,” said Mapper. “Now you need to do what is right. It may not be without cost, but if you don’t you will lose everything. We are herd, do not throw that away.”

That implied threat put Airmail in a corner. Her first thought was to lash out, but the truth of what Mapper said sunk in. Wildfire was herd now, and the herd protected their own. Airmail nodded, “I understand. Please keep this to yourself. I… I will do what needs to be done.”

Serenity hugged her herd mate, and was followed by Mapper who added a kiss. “Life is pain. It is pain that lets us know we live.”

A grim determination settled onto Airmail as she turned and left the house. Neither of the ponies said anything further as she left. Once outside she took to the air to return to Manehatten. She was still afraid of the outcome, but realized that she truly had no other choices. “Tomorrow,” she said out loud. “I will keep it for today and sleep on it. I will tell her tomorrow. May Luna’s horn protect us both from what is in that journal.”

~ ~ ~

By Wednesday Wildfire quickly slipped into the routine of work, though she chose to spend most of her time in the Weather Factory’s recreation room than alone in her office. She had chosen her ‘spot’, a seating pad by a coffee table. Lancer, true to his word, had gotten her several issues of the cloud production magazine in braille for her to read.

The fitness test, which she had practised on Monday, was an unbridled success when she took it for real Wednesday afternoon. Without the Traffic Avoidance system to worry about, Wildfire smashed it with eight minutes to spare. While not a record by any means, it was good enough for Comet, and for her.

As she finished the test at three p.m., Wildfire had the pleasant surprise of being told her working day was over early. She knew by now that Airmail wouldn’t be home till just after five on Wednesdays. Smiling, the blind mare knew just how to fill her time. Shopping!

It was four thirty p.m. when Wildfire landed at the back door to her red bricked town house. Weighed down by her purchases, she trotted up the decking and let herself in. Taking in a very big sniff, she was sure that Tempest was home. Mostly because the door was unlocked. “Honey!” she called out, a wide grin on her face, “I’m home!” she giggled as she walked past the kitchen into the dining room. “I’ve wanted to say that for ages!”

From the upstairs, Wildfire assumed she was in the office, Tempest’s voice came. “I have been known to be out of the house now and again, you know!”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire giggled, reaching the bottom of the stairs at the side of the connecting hallway that lead from the dining room to the living room, “but your beacon said you were home. I got good news!”

“You got more choco chips?” Tempest hollered down the stairs as she paused what she was doing on her computer. It wasn’t that important, and it would keep for later.

“Yuppers I did, but I got somethings even betterer than choco chips!”

As Wildfire walked into the living room, she heard Tempest coming thundering down the stairs and into the living room behind her. “Oh, and what news do you have?” she asked, nuzzling her way all the way up Wildfire’s flank from her ass to her neck.

Turning, Wildfire laid an affectionate nuzzle on Tempest’s cheek. “Guess which Lieutenant passed their fitness flight test?”

“Hmm…I'm sure Frost passed his….let me think...” Tempest tapped her hoof to her chin, apparently deep in thought. “Can I get a hint?” she asked around the big smile plastered over her face.

Wildfire giggled and bounced excitedly, barely able to contain herself. “She's a sexy yellow mare, about a foot away from you.”

“Hmm…is it…you?” Tempest asked after turning a complete three sixty degrees.

“Yuppers, it’s me!” Wildfire squealed before hugging a laughing Tempest as hard and tight as she could, “with eight minutes to spare, too!”

Very proud of Wildfire’s vast improvement, Tempest placed a kiss straight on her lips. “That tells me your exercises will continue, then. Well done!”

Wildfire gratefully took the kiss and returned it with one of her own. “I averaged seventy the whole way! And I was only out of breath for like five minutes after I landed! Comet said I was 'well awesome'.”

“That's great,” Tempest gave her lover another kiss, “but I'm still going to push you. Once you can average a hundred I'll lighten up just a little bit. Maybe.”

“Alrighty! But, as I was so amazing, they let me knock off early. So I went shopping!”

The mention of ‘shopping’ certainly piqued Tempest’s interest. She was only equine, after all. “Sooooooo, whatcha get, Wily?”

“Well,” Wildfire thought with a grin, running over her latest shopping trip in her mind. “I got some tasty bluebell flowers, I got some sexy blue lingerie from Coco, a yellow crop from MiAC and Kill Bill 1&2 too!” as she described what she had bought, she laid out her saddlebag’s contents on the living room table. “Oh! I didn't forget you! I got an extra jumbo large tub of choco chips and...I ordered a Princess and a Slave pony outfit from MiAC. It'll be in store next week.”

Tempest sniffed the flowers and took a cheeky nibble, finding them to her liking. “Good choice of munchies. Terrible choice of movies.” She passed her judgement on the Kill Bill movie collection. “Airy will love it. I like the crop colour, it will be easy to see against your cutie mark.”

Wildfire giggled, especially when she heard the unmistakeable sounds of a pony eating who didn’t want to be caught eating. “I thought yellow would let you know where to place the crop. What do you think of the lingerie?” she asked, her hoof feeling the luxuriously flimsy blue material, “Ms. Marigold described it to me in the store.”

Curiously, Tempest inspected the blue lingerie. “Revealing.” Was all she had to say about the corset, the split crotch panties, the peephole bra and the stockings. She giggled when she gave the bra a closer look. “I like how there are cut outs for the nipples. That is right up Airy's kink.”

“Oooh!” Wildfire let out a delighted squee, “she did say there were cut outs...I was going to put this all on and surprise Airy when she gets home.”

Tempest checked the clock. It was four forty. “You have about twenty minutes for that. I can help you get ready, then I could do some quality assurance checks on those choco chips up in my office.”

“Thanks Honey, I'd appreciate the help, I think I might struggle on my own.” Wildfire was in fact certain she’d struggle to get herself into this get up even if she could see.

“Only too happy to help my head-mate.”

Wildfire smiled, “What herds are for, right? Besides…” she said as a thought came to her about Airmail and the way she had been acting and sounding since Monday, “I think work's getting to her, so hopefully I can cheer her up.”

Tempest snickered, for she knew exactly what had made Airmail act ‘off’. She had, of course, as per Airmail’s request, said nothing to Wildfire. It wasn’t her place to do so, though she knew Serenity would say something soon. “If any mare can, it would be you.”

That just confirmed to Wildfire that ‘something’ was off with her fiancé. She just hoped it wasn’t her, or worse, cold hooves about the wedding. “I hope so, Honey. She's just sounded a little 'off' since Monday, that’s all and I…”

“Let's turn you into a pretty present ready to unwrap.” Tempest interrupted Wildfire before she could build up a head of steam.

Instantly perking up, Wildfire smiled a huge smile. “Okies!” she was just elated to get to wear the sexy outfit she had bought. “What should we put on first, Honey?”

Tempest giggled, unable to stop herself, she couldn’t resist a little tease. “Given a choice, I'd say put me on first.”

Wildfire giggled and blushed behind her hoof, “You know what I mean, silly.”

Tempest did of course know, but that didn’t stop her sniggering at her own joke. “Hmm…the breast cover,” if you could call it ‘covering’, “has clips to hold the stockings, so those first then the panties. Last on would be the corset and the stockings.”

“Got it, Honey!” Wildfire said, doing her best to help Tempest put on the various parts of the lingerie, though admittedly, her assistance was limited to turning the way Tempest asked her to turn and lifting up her wings or legs. “I feel like a Hearths Warming present!” she giggled ten minutes later when everything was on.

“You do look very,” Tempest licked her diminutive lover’s left ear, “lickable like a candy cane.”

“Eeeep!” Wildfire squeaked and she felt her wings flutter out when Tempest licked her ear. She hated and loved the fact that her herd-mates knew just where to lick her. It was almost the weekend, almost time for her heat, and her tail flagged upwards.

Wildfire’s actions did not go unnoticed by the older pegasus. Especially the flagging tail. Especially the flagging tail and her sensitive flanks when she rubbed them. “I think some filly could use some very close and sexual attention from her future wife.”

“Uh huh!” Wildfire readily agreed, “I-I think so too!”

“I love you and she loves you too.” Tempest said gently but firmly as she noted the time was almost five p.m. “Always remember that. Now, I have some chips to inspect.”

“Yuppers Honey, I'll keep it in mind.” Wildfire gave her herd-mate a kiss to the lips and, as she heard Tempest trot back up the stairs to the office that was the second bedroom, the little blind mare hopped upon the couch nearest to her. Laying over it, she reclined in what she hoped was a sultry, sexy pose.

Just a few moments later and the back door opened to admit Airmail into the house. “Stormy!” she called out, “I'm back!” When no answer came from upstairs, or from anywhere else, Airmail decided to leave the kitchen. “Stormy? Have...”

Whatever Airmail was about to say next died on her lips when she trotted to the living room and saw Wildfire laid on her side, with her back to the couch, her belly was facing the kitchen, laid in what she hoped was a provocative pose with her wingtip stroking her nipples that showed through the peephole bra.

“Hey, Pretty.” Wildfire blew her fiancé a kiss.

Airmail’s wings answered for her, far more eloquently than she ever could in this situation. The sprang out from her sides with an audible *Pomf!*, narrowly missing her saddlebags in which the journal was held. From upstairs on the banister there came the sound of hoof clapping and a cheer. “Point to Wily!” Tempest whooped, her laughter fading as she went back into the office.

“H-Hey…” was all Airmail was able to say, her eyes were zeroed in on Wildfire’s exposed nipples.

Wildfire blew her fiancé a kiss and rested her chin on her forehoof. “Like what you see, Pretty?” she asked as she flagged her tail.

Airmail's eyes never left the peek a boo breast covers. “Yeah...” she liked it alright. She liked what she saw a lot.

“Wanna come get a closer look?”

“Yeah…” Airmail breathed shallowly, slowly moving forward towards her prize, her azure blue wings still wide.

Wildfire spread her hind legs and arched her back, thrusting her teats forward. “They're all yours, Pretty.” She circled her nipples with her left hoof. Seeing this display, Airmail said no more, simply rushing forward and latching on with her lips around Wildfire’s left nipple. One of her forehooves played with Wildfire’s chest fur while the other rubbed her panties.

“Oooooh!” Wildfire felt her own wings pop, the moment Airmail began sucking. Her hips bucked the moistening gusset of her panties up to her fiancé’s hoof. “N-Not be long before they're all milky...”

“Mmmm!” was all the considered discourse Airmail could muster as she suckled like a newborn filly.

“MmMmm!” Wildfire moaned, her panties were getting very wet indeed in short order and she moved her left hoof to Airmail’s summer green mane to scratch behind her ears.

Reluctantly, Airmail abandoned Wildfire’s hard nipples and she kissed her way up her lover’s body till their lips meet. Thankfully, it wasn’t a very long journey from one end of Wildfire to the other. “You've made coming home a whole new adventure for me.”

Passionately, Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips as they met. “You've made living an adventure for me.”

“Is this something I can look forward to every time I come home?” Airmail asked as the kiss was broken.

“Yuppers.” Wildfire smiled, “every single time!”

“I like the sound of that.” Airmail smiled, stealing another little kiss from her lover, “Of course if I get home first I'll have to take on that challenge, won’t I?”

Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips once more. “I got some other things for us too,” she said, thinking to the other things she had bought on her shopping trip.

“I...” Airmail started, though now there was a very slight but noticeable change in Airmail’s voice. A change that was bought about by thoughts of that journal that Starbright had given her two days ago in Caffeinated’s coffee shop. “I ah, I have something too.”

Immediately, Wildfire’s ears flicked in Airmail’s direction as she picked up on the change in Airmail’s voice. She’d heard it all this week. “There's that voice again! Pretty, have I done something wrong?”

“You…” Airmail kissed Wildfire as tenderly as she could manage. “No, you've done nothing wrong. I was wondering about something though.” She wondered how best to phrase this, she knew she had to talk about it, but she didn’t know how Wildfire would react. “You wish to name your foal, Fireflight. A lovely name, but where did it come from?”

“Fireflight? Um...” Wildfire went quiet. She cocked her head and creased her brows, deep in thought. “Well...I was dreaming, one time at the care home, when it first came to me. I'd been dreaming of mum as well, so I dunno, maybe I heard it when I was younger and forgot…” she turned her face towards Airmail, “why, what's so important about it?”

Again, Airmail kissed her diminutive lover. That was starting to make a bit of sense to her. “I once knew a pony named Fireflight, but at the time I knew her I didn't 'know' her name, only her call sign.” She said delicately, building up to what she knew would be something of a reveal.

“Oh...oh!” Wildfire put two and two together in her head. “Was she a friend of yours, in your forces days?”

Airmail let out a sigh. “Not a friend, but it was back during the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot.” The azure blue mare explained carefully, “My job was to snipe the bugs and destroy the nests. Starbright was there then too, as you know he was a Captain in the Medical Corps.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire smiled, but as soon as she heard Airmail sigh she nuzzled her cheek. “I remember the Captain from the other day,” she beamed with pride, “He gave me mum's medal that she earned for bravery.....the one dad sold.”

Airmail’s mouth went dry. “Did...Did Silverbolt ever tell you about that medal?”

“Nopes,” Wildfire shook her head. “I never knew it existed until the other day when we were at Oils’s parent’s place, Mum never ever said she was in the war, and dad certainly never said anything.”

Airmail took the nuzzle and rested her cheek against Wildfire’s and nodded. “Starbright paid me a visit on Monday,” now she was putting it into words with her fiancé it felt better. “He...He got something from a General we both knew. One I hadn't meet in twenty something years.”

“Oh?” again, Wildfire nuzzled Airmail’s cheek. “Pretty...your tone...what's happened? Has mum done something? H-Has...has D-Dad…” she went awfully quiet, “did he hurt somepony else?”

“No...This has nothing to do with Cold Front.” Airmail said as she pulled the battered red covered journal out of her saddlebag and pressed it against Wildfire's chest. “Starbright gave me the journal of a pony I knew as FC359. Starbright never knew FC359, but General Downdraft thought he should have the journal.”

Airmail took a deep breath before she continued. She knew she had to. The cat was well and truly out of the bag now. “The name of the pony that wrote the journal was Fireflight.”

Wildfire took the journal in her hooves, feeling the beat up cover, sniffing the old paper and feeling the weight, 'getting to know’ it. She didn’t know all that much about the services, but she knew a little, from school. “Um...okay...so, what's this Flight Cadet got to do with mum?”

“Fireflight was assigned to me as my forward observer. She would spot the bugs for me, and I'd kill them. She also looked for nest site and I would go in...I would kill everything there.”

“Nests...oh!” Wildfire cast her mind back and remembered her history classes with Professor Legacy in university. “That's when the Changelings would use captured ponies and use them to incubate their eggs...I hated that lesson. I threw up when the professor got to that bit.” She hadn’t been the only one either.

“Most of what I killed in the nests were ponies.” Airmail said, though there was neither pride nor remorse in her tone. She was just stating a fact. “Forty eight all together. One of the ponies was Fireflight's best friend, Rainbow Gem. She begged to be saved and I shot her between the eyes in front of Fireflight.”

“That's brutal,” Wildfire commented, though she didn't flinch like she might have at one point, thanks in no small part to her time in the home. “But, I get begging to be saved. Once upon a time I might've asked to be saved, too.”

Airmail forged ahead, not wanting to stop now that she had started. “During the invasion, Fireflight's house was bombed, the whole Residential District was overrun. She told me she was leaving to check it out. I told her if she left her post I'd shoot her for desertion.” Airmail took a deep breath. “I would have too. I looked through my scope and I saw her home was engulfed in flames. Nopony inside would still be alive.”

Wildfire shook her head. Learning about it in history had been one thing. Hearing it like this, was something else entirely. “Damn...I read in history the bugs did that, they blitzed the Residential District in order to take the fight out of the hearts of the defenders. So...again, it sucks for this Firefight, but what's it to do with mum?”

“The reason the General had FC359's journal was that Silverbolt gave it to him.” Airmail spelled it out slowly. She wanted there to be no doubt at all in what she was about to say. “The reason Starbright got it was he was Silverbolt's friend. The reason he gave it to me is because I'm marrying Silverbolt’s daughter.”

“So...” Wildfire had a confused look on her face like she was joining the dots in her mind and coming up with a wonky picture that made no sense. “So...FC359 was Fireflight...she wrote the journal, but Silverbolt, I mean, mum, she gave it to the Captain...does that mean Fireflight and mum were friends?”

Airmail swallows, her throat was dry. No moisture would come. “N-No... Fireflight was married and she had a colt named Chill Wind. Her husband got out of the house but her colt didn't. Fireflight wrote that she wished she had left so I'd shoot her. I...I would have killed Fireflight if she had left. We were at war...but I would have.”

Wildfire nodded her head in understanding at that. “So...um, Fireflight's colt died in the invasion? Damn bugs!” she kissed Airmail’s cheek, aware that she sounded a lot like Starbright right then.

Airmail sighed in frustration. Wildfire just wasn’t getting it. She knew she’d have to try again. “Fireflight's husband's name was Cold Front. Fireflight died that day and Silverbolt rose up from the ashes…” she said, holding Wildfire tight to her with the book pressed between them.

“What...” Wildfire’s wings drooped back to her barrel, her ears lay flat against her head and her black tail dropped between her legs. “You...You're saying...I, I don't know what you're saying...what, mum had a whole other life I knew nothing about and she changed her name?” it sounded ludicrous.

“Yes, I have it in this journal.” Airmail patted the damning book with her hoof. “I...I almost killed your mother before you were ever born.”

It was still the most ludicrous thing Wildfire had ever heard. “But...But that's crazy!” she shook her head, refusing to believe it. “Mum was in the civilian corps...Starbright told us that, Silverbolt defended him and his platoon - what was left of it - at Heartbreak Ridge. But...now you're saying mum, I dunno, had a colt I never knew about, a life I never knew about?”

“Fireflight was in the Equestrian National Guard.” Airmail’s voice was full of reticence, but she carried on anyway. “I...I want to read this journal to you, but, Fireflight didn't like me. She didn't like me at all.”

“O-Okay, but why would Celestia give the medal to Silverbolt when, apparently, mum's name was Fireflight?” Wildfire sighed, try as she might, none of this made any sense. “I don't get it, any of it, why wouldn't she like you?”

The scent of chocolate coming from the stairs alerted Wildfire to Tempest’s presence. “Airy is a killer.” The violet mare said calmly and coolly. “A cold blooded killer.”

Wildfire sniffed the air and her ears flicked towards the stairs. “Yuppers, I know that, you've both been more than honest with me about that...but, well, mum was in the Guard, right?” she just wanted this to make sense.

“The medal was for Fireflight, but she told Celestia her new name instead. The Hall of Records had been destroyed, so they went with it.”

Again, Wildfire shook her head, though she noticed that Airmail didn’t question Tempest’s assertion. “But why though‽ Surely there was a record of mum as Fireflight?” she asked desperately.

“There is.” Tempest stated as she walked down the stairs into the living room. “I found the document when she changed her name. I found the document when she married Cold Front. I found the birth and death certificates of Chill wind.” She had been investigating this since Airmail had spoken to her on Monday. “But if you don't know to look, you won't find them.”

“Stormy is good at stuff like that.” Airmail admitted, because she knew she wasn’t.

Wildfire’s head looked down at the floor. Eventually, finally, Airmail’s words made their way into her head. “So it's true then. Mum was born Fireflight, she married dad, they had a colt, and while working at the Weather Factory in Canterlot she joined the National Guard. Okay, I get all that, but why bury it and not tell me?”

“That’s why I want to read you the journal.” Airmail said gently, she knew the answers would be in there. “Fireflight truly died that day. Silverbolt didn't...she couldn't live with that past, and Cold Front covered for her.” Now, Airmail faced up to an awful truth. “Wily, if...if I met your mother, she would have slammed the door in my face. I'm the reason Chill Wind died. I'm the reason she killed Fireflight. I'm the reason you never knew any of this ever happened.”

Tempest snorted, caressing a wingtip over Airmail’s cheek. “And I say Airy is full of herself!”

Wildfire, in the last few minutes, had gone really rather quiet as all this at last sunk in. “Alright. So...it was you let Shining Armour’s shield drop? You told the bugs to attack the homes? You told General Downdraft to deploy along the eastern front instead of the south?” she asked, refusing to accept it was all Airmail’s fault.

“Let's...let's read this journal.” Airmail said dismissively, “hear it from the pony's mouth, so to speak. This is what Fireflight wrote. She was hurting and there was nopony she could lash out at.” Airmail said, opening the journal at a page that particularly stuck in her mind. “That part of the Residential District wasn't in my zone of fire, but I could have easily shot a bug at that distance. But there might be friendlies beyond the bug so I stuck to my zone of responsibility.”

Airmail sighed as she turned the pages, seeing the flowing mouth-written script looking back at her. “Your mother hated everything about me. From not letting her go to shooting her friend. I...I only saw it as a job that had to be done, and Stormy is right. I'm very cold blooded when I'm doing that job.”

Just then, before anypony could say or do anything else, the front doorbell rang. Tempest got up with a sad smile. “I got it.”

After some low talking in the foyer, three ponies – a pink unicorn, a teal unicorn and Tempest - entered the living room. “I'm here for moral support, Airy,” Mapper said calmly, stroking her brown mane from her eyes, “and Serenity is here to make sure you do what's right.”

Tempest shrugged at Airmail’s questioning look. “I called them upstairs. I let them know you chose today to do this. Thought you’d need the help.”

Airmail gave a nonplussed look to each of the newcomers. “Um, thanks, I think.”

“Mum was a coward, then.” Wildfire’s voice was low. She was shaking and so was her voice. It had finally sunk in to her brain. She had soaked up everything Airmail had said and arrived at a conclusion. “She had a bad day and threw everything away because she decided she couldn't cope!” there was anger in her voice, and rightly so. After all, she had endured five years’ worth of bad days and she was still here.

“All ponies are bad ponies.” Serenity said, her melodic voice a distinct contrast to Wildfire’s as the teal unicorn walked over and nuzzled her little herd-mate’s cheek.

Mapper, true to her nature, was somewhat less subtle. “I guess your mother must have neglected you because you reminded her so much of her dead foal.”

“Wait...what?” Wildfire lifted up her head, having ignored Serenity’s nuzzle, she turned her head towards the sound of Mapper’s voice. “Mum never neglected me! She was amazing, nothing was too much trouble. Same with dad, until mum died, that is.”

“Really?” Tempest added her voice to Mapper’s. “Maybe I was sleeping in the cemetery that day, but I don't remember you calling Silverbolt a coward.”

“But...But…” Wildfire turned her head from Tempest to Mapper to Serenity and back again, she could feel herself getting more and more flustered by the moment. “S-She wasn't...at least, I don't know!” she exclaimed, throwing up her hooves, “That was before all this!” now, she didn’t know what to think.

Airmail still held Wildfire, though it was a struggle. “What changed?”

Wildfire shrugged, feeling suddenly very helpless and not liking it in the slightest. “I get she had a couple of bad days, alright? I get that it must've sucked, but why couldn't she tell me?”

Again, Serenity nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek, her soft voice like a soothing balm. “What would the knowledge gain you then that you haven't gained now?”

“Well...um...nothing, I guess…”

Mapper was, as ever, the blunt instrument to Serenity’s more delicate touch. “More to the point, what would you have lost with that knowledge if you had it growing up?” she asked, though she did of course understand Wildfire’s dilemma, she was the Mistress. She had to appear as such.

"I guess...I suppose...mum wouldn’t have been the mum I knew, would she?” Wildfire asked, more to herself than to the other four members of her mini herd. “Things…Things would've been different.”

“Life is always changing.” Serenity said, though it was Mapper’s words, given to her via the mental link they shared between them.

Tempest carefully caressed Wildfire’s cheek with her hoof. She knew they were turning the corner with Wildfire. “There is something you've gained from this, you know.”

“Gained?” Wildfire asked, her ears flicking towards the sound of Tempest’s voice, “I don't understand, Honey.”

Tempest smiled, a smile that went all the way to her voice. “Next time we visit your mum, we can visit your brother too.”

Airmail nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek now too. “I'd like that, Wily.”

“Well...” Wildfire started after a few long minutes of silence. Nopony rushed or pressured her as she wrestled with this most important of internal struggles. Eventually, she smiled. She smiled because she realised what happened wasn’t her mother’s fault, or the fault of the little colt. “I'd like that too. Did the records you looked up have a picture, is there one in here?” she asked, tapping the journal with her hoof.

Airmail shook her head sadly. “The journal has no pictures. I’m sorry.”

“The article I looked up had no pictures either,” Tempest added, “but a lot of ponies died in those few days.”

“You could check with the hospital where he was born?” Serenity suggested helpfully.

“True,” Tempest thought out loud, “I haven't dug into that yet.”

“Also, you could possibly check class yearbooks?” Mapper offered.

Wildfire nodded her head to each comment, for they were all equally valid. “I could, but...there's still something I don't quite understand…”

“He was two when he died,” Tempest interjected, unintentionally cutting across Wildfire to address the older pink unicorn’s suggestion, “so I don't think so Maps.”

“What is it, love?” Airmail asked while Mapper nodded quietly to Tempest.

“Well...we just read that journal entry, day three, right?” Wildfire asked the room as a whole, “when the shield fell and the bugs attacked the Residential District. Well...Fireflight, I mean, mum, wrote that the emergency services found Chill Wind's body in the house. How did dad get away if my brother didn't?”

Airmail was rather hoping her fiancé wouldn’t have asked that. “I don't know, as she doesn't say.”

Hearing that, Wildfire was quiet for a good few minutes before she spoke again. “Yeah, you do.” She said eventually, sighing and hanging her head as she did so. “I know how, you all know too.” In a very tiny voice, she asked rhetorically, “He left him, didn't he?”

Mapper snorted derisively, hating the very mention of the despicable stallion’s name or acknowledging that he ever existed at all. Like Airmail, she resented the fact that she hadn’t had the chance to correct his attitude. “My mother was a whore and she never left me.”

“All ponies are bad ponies,” Serenity said again, though she added, “some ponies are just evil.”

Tempest laid her forehoof supportively on Wildfire’s shoulder. “I think Wily is right,” the violet weather mare said grimly, “I know I'd rather die trying to save you all than go to your funerals.”

Anger coursed through Wildfire. Uncharacteristically, she thumped her hoof into the couch. “He ran! He saw the swarm, and he ran to save himself! He abandoned my little brother just like he abandoned me!” she yelled, her chest is heaving as she vented her angry frustration.

“Let it go.” Airmail said as gently as she could, “I have you, and you have all of us.”

Wildfire breathed through her nose, forcing herself to calm down. Deep down, she knew Airmail was right. She knew they were all right. Knowing that didn’t make it easier to stomach, though. “I'm sorry Pretty...I'm being selfish, this must be a shock to you too, right?”

“Knowing that I wanted to kill your mother before you were born?” Airmail asked sardonically, “Yeah it’s a shock.”

Smiling just a little, Wildfire nuzzled Airmail’s cheek and kissed her lips. “I'm glad you didn't do that.”

“So am I,” Mapper giggled, leaning against the couch, “Senior Pet would not be having her foal.”

Both Tempest and Airmail giggled at that, Mapper’s comment adding some much needed levity to what had been a tense situation. “Words of pink unicorn wisdom,” Tempest snickered.

Wildfire admittedly felt more than a little wretched now that her ire had expired. “I shouldn't have called mum a coward. She still earned that medal, didn't she? No matter what her name was.”

“She didn't desert her post, but...” Airmail struggled with the words she knew he had to say. They had come this far. “She would have rather had my bullet in her head than that medal on her chest.”

“Then...she was brave.” Wildfire stated confidently. “She did what had to be done at Heartbreak Ridge, even after the others ran. She fought, regardless of the choices afterwards.”

Mapper nodded and rested her hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. “All of us cope in ways only we can understand, Middle Pet.”

“Yeah.” Airmail smiled as she hugged her fiancé tight to her. “Life is what it is and you go from there.”

“Most of all,” Tempest put in, “you don't whine about it.”

Unable to help herself, Serenity giggled. “Unless you want to be naughty.”

Feeling considerably better with her herd-mates arranged around her, Wildfire smiled. “I don't have anything to whine about. I'm here, and well, I’m with all of you, with a job and soon to be a mum.” She snickered, when a deliciously sexy thought entered her head. It was almost her heat, after all. “I am dressed for being naughty, though.”

Mapper barked out a loud brash laugh, “More like Airy's fetish fulfilment, I think.”

Serenity looked Wildfire over and admired her attire, in particular the peephole bra. “It is a nice colour on your pelt, Wildfire.”

“Thank you,” Wildfire smiled, “I got it for both those reasons.”

“At least my wings are finally at my sides,” Airmail giggled, though she hoped they wouldn’t stay there for much longer.

“Yeah,” Tempest snickered, nudging Airmail in the shoulder with her hoof, “right up until she shoves her teats back in your face!”

“I could do that,” Wildfire giggled, “see how long your wings stay at your sides, Pretty!”

Serenity nuzzled Mapper’s foreleg in order to get her wife’s attention. “Mistress?”

Mapper nodded down at her wife and submissive, “Yes, Senior Pet, what is it?”

“May I please pee?” she asked in her soft melodic voice. When Mapper nodded that she could, the teal unicorn squatted like she was going to go and pee there and then on the carpet of the living room. When Serenity went so far as to lift up her tail, Mapper’s eyes went wide and she grabbed Wildfire’s copy of The Lord of the Rings from the bookshelf.

Lighting up her horn, the pink unicorn slammed the book as hard as she possibly could manage into Serenity’s ass cheeks. Having done nothing, Serenity stood back up, a huge smile plastered all over her face. “My naughty Pet needs a good rutting,” Mapper announced, nudging Tempest with the book. “Stormy,” she said as the violet mare returned it to the shelf, “you want to come home with us? You can have the back door.”

Very barely, Tempest managed to maintain control of her wings. Just. “I'd like that, Maps. Catch up with you two later!” with that, Mapper, Serenity and Tempest all left the house, Tempest dancing on her hooves all the way.

“Well,” Airmail giggled, “that certainly is one way to give us some alone time.”

“Yuppers, I guess it is,” Wildfire said, giving her lover’s cheek an affectionate nuzzle. “Pretty, I want to thank you, for telling me about this journal.”

“It...It wasn't easy,” Airmail admitted as she returned the muzzle, “would you like me to read it to you, now?”

Wildfire nodded her head and pulled Airmail into a tight loving hug. “I can appreciate how hard it was for you, Airy. I’m willing to bet you'd shut that door a while ago, now it's open again. I'm really sorry about that.” She said, kissing her lips, “I'd like to read it with you.”

“Then let’s get comfy upstairs.”

“Good idea, my love.” Wildfire slid off the couch, lingerie and all, and with a very sly smile over her face, she proceeded to lead the way from the living room, through the small hallway and up the stairs to the bedroom. Airmail, following behind her fiancé, spent more time looking at her exposed nipples than the bit of cloth under her black tail.

Wildfire swayed her hips as she walked up the stairs, instinctively she knew where Airmail’s brown eyes were focussed in on her body. “How do they look, Pretty?” she giggled, “I can feel where you’re looking.”

“Delectable.” Airmail licked her lips, wishing they were locked on her little mare’s nipples.

“Hmmm...they'll be better when they're full and milky!” Wildfire smiled as she felt for and hopped upon their bed.

“I will have to agree with you there,” Airmail giggled, “You were a beautiful sight to come home to.”

“Good!” Wildfire grinned and laid out all sexily on the bed facing the sound of her fiancé’s voice. She held her wing over her exposed nipples, hopefully teasing the older pegasus. “You're worth looking beautiful for.”

Smiling, Airmail got upon the bed and moved up next to her diminutive mare. “Shall we read first, or snuggle first?”

“Read. Then snuggles. Sexy snuggles.”

Nodding silently, Airmail set the battered, age-worn old book in front of them both and opened it to the first page, the page that had the photograph of Fireflight posing with her best friend, Rainbow Gem. “There are no pictures,” Airmail started, not wanting to look at the face of the pony she killed in a Changeling cocoon, “but your mum's mouth writing is very neat and organised.”

“Yuppers, that was my mum!” Wildfire smiled and touched the yellowing page with her hoof. “Knowing her she'd have laid it out hour by hour, too.”

“I'm so filled with anger!” Airmail started reading out what Fireflight had written. “I bought this journal to try and put that anger on paper instead of carrying it around with me. All Tartarus broke out and they activated me! Gave me a clean uniform and some gear and assigned me to this cold hearted pony whose only joy in life is killing things...” Airmail trailed off at that. “Um, that would be me, I guess.”

“Yuppers, but...mum didn't get the chance to know the other side to you like I do, did she?” Wildfire said, hopefully comfortingly, “So...not much happened until day three then, according to this? Until the shield fell. Mum wrote she had letters from dad every day until day two.”

Airmail looked over the pages, though it was unnecessary. She knew it backwards by now. “It isn't hour by hour, but it is in some chronological order.” She looked down the page that was labelled ‘Day Two’. “A lot happened. The magical shield only covered the heart of the city. We were outside the shield when the attack began.”

Wildfire snorted. “So, dad was out of contact for a few days before the attack started...then the swarm swamped the southern defence wall and they attacked the homes.”

“Where did you get that?” Airmail asked, then immediately she put it down to the history lessons the blind mare had mentioned earlier. “Anyway, to continue. The jerk will only call me by my organizational number. I tried to tell her my name but she wouldn't have any of it. I asked why and she said she wouldn't mourn me if I died. A total jerk!”

Hearing that, Wildfire leant in and nuzzled Airmail’s cheek and placed a wing over her back. “Does that make it easier, if you just use the call sign?”

Airmail sighed a very deep sigh, a thousand ghosts seemingly leaping off the pages of the journal to haunt her. “It makes them forgettable.” Reading down the page, the azure blue mare continued. “They are everywhere. I call out a location and then I see the bug's head explode in my binoculars. I was down to dry heaving when one jumped me. I watched its head explode and I'm covered with green goo. The jerk tells me to pay attention or I’m next.”

“It...It must've been so much chaos...I can't begin to imagine what it was like. Like, the worst fire I attended multiplied by a million.”

Airmail didn’t answer. She just carried on reading. “I told the jerk some bugs went into a house, but haven't come back out. She cursed. Celestia's Butthole. It was the first time I laughed in two days. She came up on my position and demanded I show her the house…” Airmail nuzzled the little yellow mare, “It is tear stained here, Wily.”

“That...that was hers, right, Pretty?” Wildfire asked nervously, “It was mum's house.”

“Hum, no, it was on the east side,” Airmail replied as she scanned the journal page for details and continued, “It was Threefold's house. I...I know the name of every pony I've ever killed. I don't know even one name of all the bugs I killed.”

Wildfire thought on that for a brief moment. “Do they even have names, the drones I mean?” she nuzzled Airmail’s cheek, “You aren't a bad pony, Pretty.”

Airmail sniffed. “I don't care if they do. I'm not going to mourn them. So, this is a bit of a hard read, but let me get to it.” The azure blue mare knew what bit was coming up.

The nest.

“We landed and there was a bug right there. The Jerk shoved her rifle in its mouth and pulled the trigger. Green goo was everywhere. Rations taste just as bad coming up as they do going down. We went inside the warehouse and there were ponies in cocoons. That is when I spotted Rainbow Gem in a cocoon. She is my…was my best friend.”

Wildfire didn’t interrupt, but she did tighten her hug. It sounded like Airmail needed it.

Airmail read on, her voice breaking just a little. “I ran up to her and she asked me for help. She was crying. I went for my knife to cut her out of the cocoon and the Jerk slapped it out of my wing. She then pushed on Gem's belly. I watched her take her own knife and poke her in the belly.” Airmail paused for a moment. She could remember with awful clarity the green goo that was all that was left of the poor unfortunate pegasus-turned-incubator’s internal organs.

“I jumped her and next thing I knew I was up against the wall. She looked at me and said, 'If I wanted to help her I'd kill her.' I tried to attack her again, and again I'm seeing stars up against the wall. She shot Gem in the head between the eyes right in front of me. I was in shock. She then went to the next pony and the Jerk asked its name before she killed them. Some bugs showed up and she killed them without her gun. It was terrifying. She killed ten ponies in that warehouse including the owner. I asked why and she cut up one. Its belly was full of green goo and small round things. She said they were eggs. That the ponies there were already dead, but they didn't know it yet.”

Wildfire shuddered. She just couldn’t help herself. “Incubators. They...the ponies, they were incubators, weren't they? In history class we were taught about the war. The ah...the Professor kinda glossed over this bit though. It...It must've been horrific.”

Airmail nodded, it certainly had been like a scene from a horror movie alright. “There was no pain for the pony being used. They breathe and the heart beats, but they have nothing left in the gut. It’s all melted. The Changelings kill the host for food when they hatch.”

“Uuurk!” Wildfire had to slap her hoof over her mouth for a very, very long moment, breathing through her nose as she did so. “I-I'm fine. I swear. You did the right thing, the only thing, Pretty. But...I can understand Fireflight being pissed with you too.”

“Yeah...” even Airmail had to take a few deep breaths. She could see Rainbow Gem’s pleading look in her mind’s eye even now, twenty nine years later. She could still smell the obscene smell when she had cut her corpse open from groin to her chest and a waterfall of green slime and half-grown eggs had poured out.

“The shield went down. There was a lot of fighting near the castle now and we've moved closer to it. The last nest was four. I'll never forget it. The Jerk isn't a machine after all. We got a four hour break. She sleeps with her eyes partly open and doesn't snore. I really wanted to shove a hoof in her face, but I got what sleep I could.”

Airmail turned the page with her hoof before continuing to read. “Cold Front hasn't checked in today. With the shield down my house is exposed. I don't know if he and Chill Wind have found shelter or not. I hope so, the bugs are upping the terror by bombing the homes. It is total panic…” Airmail held Wildfire’s trembling hoof. “There’s a lot of crying here, Wily. I think she is upset writing this in order of time. She already knew what happened.”

Wildfire knew what was coming. Didn’t make it any easier to hear. “Mum, Fireflight, wasn't stupid, was she?” she muttered as she squeezed the hoof that held hers. “She thought...oh the thoughts she must've thought...Poor little Chill Wind, I...I just hope it was quick.”

Fortified by the presence of Wildfire’s hoof and her wing over her back, Airmail continued to read on. “I can see my house, but I don't see anypony around it. Bugs are everywhere. I call them out and they die. Then, my house is in flames. I shout out 'Chill Wind' and take wing. The Jerk says if I leave she'll shoot me for desertion. I wish I could have shot her. Then she said, 'I'm looking through my scope. Nopony is alive in there. All you can do is avenge them by doing what you're doing. I hate her. I hate her with every ounce of my being. I call out the bugs and they die.”

“O-Oh Pretty...” Wildfire sniffed and nuzzled Airmail’s cheek.

“It's over. Four days of Tartarus and it's finally over. My home’s gone. The search and rescue teams found Chill Wind. They found a charred body so small. Thank the Goddesses, Cold Front was fine. I cried on his shoulder. Our colt was gone.”

“We buried Chill Wind today. The Jerk was there. As soon as the service was over I wanted to scream at her. She was gone though. If I ever find her I might just kill her. I wish she shot me that day. I wish none of this ever happened. Fireflight has to die. It is the only way I can ever live.”

“They are hoofing out medals today. Celestia herself was doing it. Every time I look at the Princess I can only think about her butthole. The Jerk wasn't there. Not that I care. They even put my new name on my medal. Silverbolt. I named myself after the nickname Starbright gave me at Heartbreak Ridge. I really want to shove that medal up her royal butthole when she gave it to me. It means nothing to me.”

“And...” Wildfire’s voice was very quiet indeed, “that's when Fireflight died, wasn’t it? When they were passing out the medals. I...I'm so proud of mum for earning it, but she hated it so much.”

“I put my medal in a box. I can’t look at it, but I can’t throw it away either. Cold Front and I are trying for another foal. It will never know my pain. I can't find anything out about The Jerk and I guess that is good. She is like that medal. Nothing I want to remember.”

“But I don't understand!” Wildfire exclaimed, “Starbright said my mum saved lives! The lives of the ponies left in his platoon when she covered them with lightning bolts. He said so the other day...she should be proud of that medal!”

Airmail sniffed, wiping her watering brown eyes with the back of her foreleg. “You'd have to ask Starbright about that. It isn't in the journal.”

“So...what do I do now?” Wildfire asked, unsure of herself, “Should I still call my filly Fireflight?”

Airmail kissed her fiancé’s cheek. “It’s a better name than FC359.”

Wildfire reached up and kissed Airmail’s lips. “I guess it is...and...I still want to wear her medal, on my dress at our wedding.”

“I'd like to think by now she has put it behind her and she would be proud to see you wear it.” Airmail managed a very tremulous little smile, “She might have even forgiven The Jerk by now.”

“Well,” Wildfire stated definitely, “As the only family member left, and of relatively sound mind I'm able to talk on her behalf. I really think she forgives you. Remember at the cemetery she told me she liked you. Mum doesn't lie.”

Right then and there, Airmail had tears in her eyes. “Y-Yo-You did, and that made me so happy. Doubly so now.”

“Our past is not today.” Wildfire quoted the title of her own poem as she nuzzled Airmail, she felt her hot wet tears on her fur and she kissed them away. “It got us here but it doesn't lead us. Right?”

Airmail sniffed in a good imitation of Wildfire. “I-I've heard that somewhere before. That did bring back some memories I had left well behind me.”

Wildfire smiled and again she kissed her lips on the bed. “I'm with you to the end. No matter what, Pretty.”

Airmail giggled at that. “Of course you are. I didn't pull the trigger that day. I'm so very glad I didn't.”

“Me too!” Wildfire laughed, “Imagine how boring your life would be if I wasn't there for you to meet at the coffee shop that Thursday.”

“Nope, I can't see it.” Airmail said with a thankful smile as her hoof wandered down to gently caress Wildfire’s wing joint. The yellow mare’s wings fluttered under the intimate contact and, taking the cue, she slid her tongue into Airmail’s mouth. The lead editor took the challenge in the tongue war and for good measure she added her rear leg between her lover’s, lightly brushing over her nipples.

“Aaaah...” Wildfire gasped in the passionate kiss, her nipples hardening immediately at the touch of Airmail’s rear leg. “Yeeees!”

“I love you, but now it’s time for me to give you some undivided attention.” Airmail said, drifting delicate little kisses down Wildfire’s neck as she headed for a loving preen with a forehoof moving down to play with her exposed breasts.

“Oh...oooh I want your attention...pleeease!” Wildfire moaned, she felt her wings spread out and her nipples were very hard indeed. While she was no Tempest, Airmail did know how to preen. She went at her fiancé’s wings with some well-placed biting and tugging in all the right places. “MMmmmMM...oooh Pretty!”

Wildfire was dripping wet, as a result of the excellent preening and her burgeoning heat. Airmail, for her part, was very much into the preen and when she finished the second wing she was heading down to spend some quality time with her nipples. As she began to suckle hard, her forehooves played between her marehood and her black tail. “Mmmmm,” Wildfire purred, “y-you really like them huh?” she cooed as Airmail sucked on her nipples, her hooves caressing her ears.

“When you're all big and milky it will be a paradise down here.” Airmail said with a voice full of lustful desire as she moved ever southward. “These split crotch panties looks quite lovely too.” She said, lapping away with a passion.

“Oooh yes...yes it will, I aaaaaah!” Wildfire moaned in sheer ecstasy as Airmail toyed with her marehood, her intention to bring her to climax quickly. Moments later, Wildfire screamed through her climax. “AAAAAAH! Aah...aaah w-wooooow!”

Airmail giggled as she lapped up the juices and cum that had squirted from her shuddering lover. “That was milky enough for me for now.”

Wildfire turned and kissed Airmail’s lips, smiling as she tasted herself upon them. “My turn, Pretty…”

Chapter 9 - Of Heat and Pancakes

Having completed a thoroughly uneventful Thursday at work, in which she spent most of her time personalising her computer and her office, Wildfire completed an equally uneventful flight home. Not that the day had been a waste, far from it. Teaching her office computer her braille instructions and installing her voice recognition software had been an adventure in itself. Still, with the absence of a fire, everything was put in place by the end of the day.

The time had just passed four thirty in the afternoon when, all happy and proud with herself at the completion of her fourth day of work, Wildfire trotted up to the back door of her town house and let herself in. “Hi Honey!” she sang out loudly, “I'm hoooome!”

From upstairs, somewhere in the vicinity of the bedroom / office, Tempest called back, “Welcome home to a clean kitchen!”

“Huh?” Wildfire questioned as she walked into the kitchen, thoroughly puzzled for a moment until she remembered the early morning. “Oh!” memories of her breakfast with Airmail, empty bowls of Oateos and mugs of coffee that she had accidentally left in the sink when she had gone to work. “Um...thank you!”

“You're welcome!” Tempest called back, switching her computer to idle for the moment.

“Yuppers, that was totally my fault!” Wildfire yelled back, shrugging off her saddle bags into their usual spot by the back door where she knew she could find them in the morning. “Pretty cooked, I should've washed. Sorry!”

As Wildfire carefully removed her flight suit and headset, an act she had become accustomed to by now, she heard Tempest trot down the stairs. “Are you now?” the violet weather pony asked with a smirk in her voice.

“Uh huh!” Wildfire nodded, hanging up her suit on a hook by the back door above her saddlebag. “I totally forgot…” she trailed off when, detecting Tempest’s scent, her black tail flagged a couple of times, reminding her that her heat was just around the corner.

Tempest walked straight over to the little blind mare and, without any preamble, kissed her lips long and hard. “You don't sound very sorry.”

“I am Stormy,” Wildfire said, returning the kiss with her tail flagging once more, “I promise!”

Tempest grinned, all Wildfire’s signs being noted. She took the yellow riding crop she held under her wing in her hoof and rubbed the end of it teasingly along Wildfire’s cheek, just under her scars. “Well,” she purred, “if you are then I'll just let this go.”

“Hmmm!” Wildfire’s wings fluttered, “w-well...I-I might need a bit of help, to see how sorry I am…”

Again, Tempest kissed her lover’s lips. It didn’t take a genius to see she was clearly in the early stages of heat, and Tempest knew just how to help her out with that. “I can help you with that, if you really want my help, Wily.”

Leaning upwards, on the tips of her hooves, Wildfire returned the kiss as her wings fluttered out further from her barrel. “Yes please, Honey!”

Tempest walked quietly around her diminutive mare, her hoof steps quietened by the carpet in the dining room. Without any warning, she used the crop. The strikes to Wildfire’s cutie marks were as swift as the breeze from the hoof that brought it. “I'll be happy too, love.”

“AAH!” Wildfire gasped with each well-placed strike and her tail hiked upwards, revealing to Tempest that she was instantly wet. “T-Thank you!”

“The correct response is, 'May I have another?’” Tempest corrected her with two more swats to each of the stylised fireball cutie marks.

“Mmmm!” Wildfire moaned, her tail stayed firmly up, she could feel traces of her arousal leaking down her inner thighs with each hit. “M-May I have another?” Oh by Luna did she want another. She needed another.

“You may.” Tempest kissed Wildfire’s ear, then, with a resounding whap, whap, whap, whap, she placed four strikes of the riding crop on each butt cheek. Teasingly, the violet pegasus stroked her wingtips up and down Wildfire’s flanks.

“MmMMmm! Aaaah! AAaaaAAAH!” she moaned lustily with each hit, she could smell the heady aroma of her arousal, she was spreading it in the air with her flagged tail. “M-May aaah I h-have an-other?” she parted her hind legs, she was leaking arousal all the way down her thighs as Tempest used her forehoof on her ass. “Oooh yeees!” her left hind hoof pawed at the floor. “M-May I have another?”

Sitting behind Wildfire now, Tempest got on her haunches so that she could use both forehooves on her yellow ass while her wing kept the crop in play. With every swing of the crop and hoof, the blind mare could tell she was doing the job, but she wasn't hitting her anywhere near what she used to get. “MMmMMM ooooh m-my yeeees...” by now, both wings were fully erect, her hind legs were apart and she was panting. “H-Honey...what's wrong, love?”

“Nothing!” Tempest beamed. She had such a smile on her face it showed in her voice. “I love the shade of red!” she laid two more hoof slaps on Wildfire’s now reddened ass, admiring her hoofiwork of criss-crossed crop strikes and welts. “Welcome to non-abusive spanking!”

Wildfire sighed happily with each spank that landed on her butt, imagining her ass was as hot and red as she felt inside. Her marehood was swollen with need, her labia was puffy and glistening wet, juices ran freely now down her thighs. Grinning at a job well done, Tempest added her muzzle to the mix, complete with her lips and tongue dancing all over Wildfire’s dripping pussy. “AAAAAH!” Wildfire screamed, “Right there!”

Tempest dropped the crop to the floor, she used both wings to rub all over Wildfire’s body, over her back, her yellow wings and her sensitive barrel. Her violet hooves rubbed her little lover’s hot ass while her tongue probed deep into her plumbing, her muzzle splitting her snatch. “Oooh…oooAAAAH H-Hooooney!” Wildfire screamed, leaking all around her nuzzle, already on her edge.

Just then, the back door by the kitchen opened, but Airmail was silent as she could hear Wildfire’s screams when she landed on the wooden decking outside. Tartarus, she could hear her when she reached the oak tree in the garden, let alone the decking. 'Now I wish I had Darkie's spell’, she thought. She saw the scene before her, she saw Tempest raise a shushing hoof to her lips. She smelled her fiancé’s arousal, thick in the air. As quietly as she could, she sneaked up and around her to add her mouth to Wildfire’s underbelly.

“GAAaaaAAAAH!” Wildfire howled when she felt the pair of lips latch onto her teats. Seconds later, with another loud howling scream, she came, all her legs going weak as she rode the high of her raging climax.

Without missing a beat, Airmail had her hooves up supportively to keep her fiancé from falling on her. She did, however, allow her front legs go as she suckled harder on her nipples. Tempest was laughing like a demented pony with her muzzle still under Wildfire’s tail. “Uuuuugh!” Wildfire grunted, her face down into the carpet, her ass up in the air, quivering hind legs apart.

“Airy, you need to come back here and see this.” Tempest said as she pulled back, Wildfire’s cum plastered and smeared all over her violet face. “She’s so embarrassed, her cheeks are blushing!”

Curiously, carefully, Airmail moved out from under her lover’s heaving body and looked at her sopping wet marehood and bright red ass. “Hmm, I wonder if they sell that colour red?” she asked with a giggle in her voice. “It looks like that physical she had has worn her out though…” a belly rumble later and she glanced at Tempest. “Did you make dinner?”

“Nope,” Tempest replied, still admiring Wildfire’s behind. She couldn’t not, really, seeing as she was slumped face first into the carpet, forelegs under her and her hind legs locked. “But, I ordered pizza for us, and it should be here at five p.m.”

Airmail watched Wildfire’s breathing, making sure she was alright. “How was your evening with Maps and Ser?” she asked curiously, eager for the horny, dirty details.

“Stellar!” Tempest cheered, even going so far as to pull a very heroic pose. Airmail had been asking all day what had gone on, and she had been purposefully stalling, knowing full well Airmail would be guessing. “It was nice to have an ass I can pound till I get tired. Mapper and I even did her in the same hole at the same time.”

Airmail shared a celebratory hoof bump with her herd-mate. “Oh,” she said as she saw Wildfire stagger at last to stand on all four legs. “It looks like Wily finally may be able to put a couple words together.”

Wildfire just whimpered into the room, all this time she had been getting hotter and hotter. The talk about Tempest and Mapper rutting Serenity to within an inch of her life not helping the conflagration that was growing between her hind legs. Very, very hot indeed, her wings were still hard and erect, and her marehood was winking she was so turned on and aroused. “Damn....that's...” she tried hard to speak coherently. “I-I want you both so bad!”

Tempest checked the clock. “We have time, Airy.”

“We do!” Wholly in agreement, Airmail ducked down between Wildfire’s open hind legs and lifted her panting lover up on her back. As the azure blue mare carried her up the stairs to the bedroom, Tempest assisted, holding Wildfire steady so she didn’t fall.

In the bedroom, Airmail turned side-on to the foot of their wide bed and rolled Wildfire off of her and onto the waiting cloud mattress. While she was doing that, Tempest rummaged around in their toy box in the closet. After a few minutes she had what she was looking for. “Mmm! MmMmm!” Wildfire whimpered when her sensitive flanks hit the bed. “Mmmm!”

“She has it bad,” Tempest commented as she shut the closet door, “really bad, and I could taste it.”

“Hmm,” Airmail thought about it, quickly hopping up behind a sprawling Wildfire on the bed. “Her heat may be a bit earlier than she planned this month.”

“Oh, yeah,” Tempest smiled, “she’s spending the weekend with Belle and Tinkerer. I guess you'll be extra frisky this weekend too.”

Airmail shot Tempest her best bedroom eyes. “Are you saying I'm not always extra frisky?”

“To quote the Wildfire,” Tempest shot back with a snicker, “You are the ‘Oldenmare’.” As Airmail raspberried her, Tempest passed her the toys she had pulled from the toy box. “I have the wings and you take care of the rear bits.”

“Deal.”

While usually Wildfire would’ve giggled at being quoted like that by Tempest, now, in the throes of her tormenting heat, she sniffed the air for any trace of her herd-mates, her wings painfully stiff and her marehood swollen with heat and need, winking away like crazy. “S-Somepony rut me, please!” she begged, wanting nothing more than the inferno in her crotch to be put out.

Nodding to Airmail, their plan agreed, Tempest went into her super sensual preen mode, starting with the primaries on Wildfire’s right wing. While she did that, Airmail liberally lubed up the butt plug with her fiancé’s pussy juices and slid it inside her welcoming asshole.

Once that was secured in place, Airmail slid the medium vibrator into Wildfire’s sopping entrance. From here, she could taste Wildfire’s heat in the air on her tongue. “N-Na-aaaaah...” Wildfire moaned as Airmail sawed the toy in and out of her snatch, her tail hiked all the way up. “Mmmmm th-that's soooo good!”

Airmail thrust the buzzing toy in and out of Wildfire’ glistening honey pot, her goal, as she added her lips to her clit was to get her to pass out. Tempest's goal, as she sucked and nibbled on her feathers, was to not pass out while preening. After twenty minutes of this, and screaming her way through three solid Equestria shattering climaxes, Wildfire did indeed pass out in a haze of post coital bliss.

After Wildfire’s third throaty scream, Airmail noticed, at last, that her lover had stopped twitching. Grinning, she checked on Tempest’s progress and saw that she was only half way through preening the second wing. Carefully, Airmail pulled the toys out and gave Wildfire’s nether lips a light kiss.

Once she had laid the used toys on the nightstand for cleaning later, she then moved to the left wing that Tempest was working on to meet up with her, as it was the only way she knew to bring Tempest back to reality. When the violet mare bumped into Airmail’s muzzle she blinked and looked around. Seeing Wildfire passed out with, she smiled a big smile. “Now I want to do a makeover like we did to Dusk back at Caffy’s.”

“We could,” Airmail agreed, nodding eagerly, “she would be pretty for tomorrow’s cloud run, after all.”

“Oh, that test,” Tempest giggled, waving a hoof in the air. “She should be able to pass it easy.” She said confidently, remembering how well Wildfire performed with her weather team on that Friday before the Open Mic night, before her wings had been healed. “Frost says she knows how to push a cloud around.”

Airmail nodded, “That was good practice for her to remember how she used to do it.” As she said that, Wildfire began to take quick shallow breathes, her ears were down, her tongue out and drooling, wings fluttering with each inhalation. She was well and truly out for the count.

“Red.” Tempest stated, looking around for their makeup kit. While not as extensive as Thespian’s (let’s face it, nopony’s makeup kit is that extensive) it would more than suffice for this makeover. “Red will really pop out against her yellow fur.” Tempest explained, answering Airmail’s questioning look and pointing to the fireball cutie mark for emphasis.

Airmail nodded her agreement to that plan. “Add light blue tips for her mane and tail, too.”

“Yes,” Tempest agreed, “That would work. I'll go get the kit from the closet, you can mop up the drool.” She slid off the bed with a giggle, and as Airmail gently wiped Wildfire’s mouth, the little blind mare was dreaming sweet dreams of taking Fireflight to school on her first day.

While their lover dreamed, Airmail and Tempest both worked quite efficiently applying the makeup, the tints and even the hoof polish. “What about the wings?” Airmail asked when they were both done.

“Leave them bare.” Tempest said as she packed the makeup supplies back in their kit. “I just did a nice preen and I don't want any potential drag when she flies.”

“Will you need the second alarm?” Airmail asked as she too stood up from the bed. When Tempest nodded, she set the alarm clock while she thought about it. After pizza, with a full belly, she might forget. “I'll take the far side snuggles later when we come up.”

At the bedroom door, Tempest smiled. “I take the near side then.” As both mares departed down the stairs towards dinner, they left Wildfire dreaming in her own little Wilyverse.

~ ~ ~

“Mum! C’mon mum it’s the first day of school!” Fireflight buzzed her little wings happily, completely unable to hide her excitement as she bounced on her parents’ wide double bed.

“Ugh...” without opening her chestnut brown eyes Wildfire blindly reached her hoof out and felt around for her alarm clock, which was a difficult task under the orbital pegasi bombardment that her filly was currently unleashing upon her and her wife, who amazingly was still asleep. Blearily she cracked open an eye. ‘It’s still dark out…that’s not good…’ finally managing to focus, the pegasus looked at the clock like it was its fault she was up. “Flight…it’s five a.m.!” She groaned.

“I know! I know!” Fireflight squealed with delight, landing a huge bounce on the concealed snoring lump next to her mum that was her momma Airmail – who was either really asleep or a really good actor – who grunted out a loud snore and rolled over. “The whole day is almost over! C’mon, it’s school, I wanna go!”

Wildfire slumped exhaustedly back in her bed. She almost envied Tempest who was out making a huge storm over southern Manehatten. Almost. “Sweetie…school doesn’t start for another four hours! Go back to bed…” ‘pleeeeease!’

“But…muuuum!” Fireflight landed on her mum’s chest and gave her a little nip on the base of her neck that she knew she liked and nuzzled her tiny dark green muzzle in deep into her yellow fur, getting her wet nose right against her skin. “I’m too excited!”

Wildfire sighed in defeat. “Alright then, I’m up little one. Have you brushed your teeth?” She asked, propping herself up on her foreleg.

“Um…no mum.”

“Alrighty…well, have you at least had a bath then?” Wildfire yawned and stretched her wings as she sat up properly in the bed.

Her excited filly didn’t answer; Fireflight’s scarlet blush told her everything she needed to know.

“Yuppers, I thought not,” she grinned, wrinkling her nose playfully. “Go and run yourself a bath you smelly filly.” Wildfire giggled as she bopped her daughter’s nose with her hoof. “You can’t start school smelling like your auntie Tempest after a day in the clouds.”

“Alrighty mummy!” Fireflight chirped as she took off like a rocket to the upstairs bathroom.

Wildfire rolled over on the bed, now fully properly awake and accepting that sleep had been robbed from her. “You…” She grinned into her wife’s exposed right ear, “Are an evil pony for not waking up with me.” She whispered, nipping the tip of her azure blue ear hard. Very hard indeed.

“Ooow! Wily!” Airmail grunted, her grey eyes still closed as she flicked her ear. “Too early. Even for me. Need sleep. Make it up to you later.”

“I’ll wear my firefighter’s uniform; you’d better make it up to me.” Wildfire kissed her cheek as she heard the bathwater running. “I’d better go before she floods us again. You just go back to sleep like you don’t have a care in Equestria.”

Chainsaw-like snores were her only reply from the pony-shaped lump that was her wife.

~ ~ ~

“Alrighty…for the ninth time of asking, are you ready?” Wildfire asked her bubbling filly who was almost trembling with excitement as the wall clock announced the time of eight twenty five.

“Yes mum I’ve got everything, let’s go, c’mon we’ll be late let’s go!” Fireflight squealed as she pushed her glasses up her muzzle.

“Flight…we have twenty five minutes to make a fifteen minute walk.” Wildfire smiled as she placed a reassuring hoof on her daughter’s shoulder, trying in vain to calm her down. “We’ll be fine, you’ll see. Now, have you got your saddlebags?”

“Yes mum it’s here look!” Fireflight turned to show off her clearly visible bags slung over her barrel.

“Textbooks?” The yellow mare asked again.

“Yes mum! I have everything; textbooks, notebooks, pencil case, spare pencil case, spare glasses, everything!” The little filly pouted indignantly up at her mother. “You’ll want me to have spares of my spares next!”

“Hey little madam, no need to be sassy.” Wildfire extended a wing over her little filly and pulled her, bags and all, into a feathery hug. “You aren’t too big for a spanking y’know.” She added with a wink as she ushered her out of their front door into the bright Monday morning sun.

“Like the ones that momma Airmail and auntie Tempest give to you?” Fireflight asked innocently as she cocked her head up at the (slightly) larger pegasus.

“Yes…” Wildfire blushed a faint red on her cheeks and smiled down at her little filly. “Though you won’t get the hoof-cuffs.”

“Aww!” The little filly stomped her hoof in adorable indignation as she walked beside her mother. “But, mum! I wanna try them they look fun!”

Wildfire paused on the path to the schoolhouse, a smile reaching her brown eyes. “They don't make them in your size, sweetie.” She laughed at the pout her little filly was making. “Grow a bit, then maybe we’ll get Santa Hooves to bring you a set for Hearths Warming, okay?”

“Okay mummy! I'll grow super fast you'll see!” Fireflight buzzed her little wings so hard and with such enthusiasm she left the cobbled path and landed perfectly upon her mother's back.

“I'm sure you will honey,” Wildfire couldn't help but laugh, not to be in any way cruel, her filly’s joy was just too infectious to not at least giggle with her. “Why I bet you’ll be the bestest growerer in Manehatten.”

Now it was Fireflight’s turn to laugh, giggling delightfully into her mother's black mane. “Mummy those aren't proper words, you made them up!”

“Of course I made them up sweetie.” Wildfire giggled to the little pony currently nestled tight to her back. “All words are made up at some point Flight, that’s how language evolves, honey.”

They walked along in silence for a good few yards, both ponies enjoying each other's company in the beautiful morning sunlight. “Mum…” Fireflight whispered, almost inaudibly into her mother's ear, “Mum I'm…I'm scared, a bit…well a lot, sort of…”

“Sweetie…you have nothing to be scared of. You have me, and momma Airmail and,” Wildfire giggled, “If anypony bullies you, just threaten to sic auntie Tempest on them.”

~ ~ ~

That Thursday night, midnight rolled around and Tempest woke up in the darkness of their bedroom. Her belly let her know she had just had a few slices of pizza for dinner. Her brain found that her empty stomach was just unacceptable. Being the mare nearest the bedroom door, she slid easily out of the bed.

Once she was out of the bed and her hooves were on the floor, the violet mare quietly cracked open the door and headed for the downstairs. Beside Wildfire on the bed, Airmail was very much sound asleep with a foreleg and a hind leg draped over her fiancé.

“W-Whu...” Wildfire, ever a light sleeper, stirred under the azure blue furry blanket as Tempest moved, her ears flicking upright at the disturbance.

As the bedroom was in darkness – Tempest didn’t dare risk the light lest she wake her herd-mate - Tempest didn't notice the ear movement from Wildfire, especially as right then, she was focused on procuring her midnight snack. Awake, Wildfire felt around the bed and she felt just one mare there. By her scent she asserted it was Airmail. “H-Honey...”

Very carefully, barely moving so as not to wake Airmail up, Wildfire disentangled herself and got out of the bed, feeling her way to the stairs. “Honey?”

In a low voice, Tempest replied, “In the kitchen, Wily.”

Like Tempest did before her, Wildfire made her way quietly down the stairs. “You alright?” she asked as she trotted through the dining room and into the kitchen.

“Making chocolate chip pancakes,” Tempest said by way of reply. “I found some chips on the table,” she giggled, “you want some?”

“Hmmm…aah!” Wildfire yawned. Even half sleepy she could smell pancake batter cooking and feel the heat from the stove. “Yuppers Honey, please.” She giggled, “did these run away from you?”

“The chocolate chips never had a chance!” Tempest snickered and, after adding more batter to her pan, asked, “did we scratch that itch of yours? I should warn Tinkerer you'll be riding him hard.”

“HmHmm!” again, Wildfire giggled. She only just now realised her heat had been abated, for now anyway. “you did, you did an awesomes job of it too. Heats always get me like that.”

Tempest laughed quietly as she cooked the pancakes. “Youth. Wasted on the young, I say.” Flipping the pancakes over, she turned to Wildfire who had seated herself at the breakfast bar. “Wily, there should be some strawberry jam in the fridge for me. Get what you like if you want something different.”

“Alrighty Honey, will do.” Slipping off the seating pad before she could get comfortable, Wildfire went to investigate the fridge. Before she opened the door she felt the dent she had left there while she had been drunk that one time. She was glad, once she opened it up, that everything in the fridge and the pantry were labelled now. Quickly she found the strawberry jam and, on the spur of the moment, a can of squirty cream. “Here you go, hun.”

“Thank you,” Tempest took the jam and the cream, smiling as she set them on the breakfast bar. “Oooh, good idea on the cream. I approve.”

“No such thing as too much cream, right?” Wildfire asked as she sat back down.

Tempest considered that for a brief moment as she finished cooking. “Not when you have wings, no. It would be hard for an earth pony to swim in, though.” With that, Tempest set a stack of pancakes onto two plates and transferred them skilfully to the breakfast bar. “I call to order the meeting of the Midnight Snackers. Wildfire, please call the role.”

“It's midnight?” that was news to Wildfire. “Huh...okies!” she heard Tempest seat herself opposite her at the bar and began. “Chief chairpony and fetcher of coffee, Tempest is present, and awesomes cutie Wily is present as well.”

“Now, on to new business.” Tempest stated very officially. “The pancakes before us must vanish!” She took up the knife and, by the sound of the knife in the jar, Wildfire guessed that Tempest was spreading jam between every pancake.

Judging by the sound of the squirty cream, Wildfire judged that Tempest was either hiding the cakes from view or squirting directly it directly into her violet muzzle. “By vanish,” Wildfire giggled, “are you hiding them under the cream mountain?”

“Only so I can sneak up on them.” Tempest asserted, “I've seen how devious those chips can be.”

“Sneaky chips indeed, Honey…” Wildfire was, at that moment, silenced when she heard Tempest who was usually a dainty eater but this time she dived in muzzle first to fill up on her pancakes. Likewise, Wildfire too went in muzzle deep in an effort to get sloppy creamy cakey kisses.

As she had the benefit of a head start, Tempest finished her stack first and sat back to watch Wildfire finish off hers. After a few moments, the little blind mare surfaced with cream smeared all over her muzzle. “Yummers!”

Tempest had to fight very hard not to giggle. Wildfire looked like she’d been on the set of a porn movie. “Oh…you have a little bit of…” she gave Wildfire a very sloppy lick, leaving behind more cream than she took, “right there. How about me? Am I good?”

“You might be, I best check,” Wildfire smiled and went in and licked Tempest’s face in kind. “I think I got it.”

“Well, you still have a bit here…” Tempest licked Wildfire’s face some more, just to make sure she was clean.

Wildfire did her very best to lick as well, until she noticed the drawn out yawn from her herd-mate. “You tired? You're up pretty late.”

Tempest giggled, yawning for a second time. “I get to sleep late. I move we move to other business. I, the fetcher of coffee, shall load the dishwasher while the mare of awesomes puts away the condiments.”

“The mare of awesomes agrees!” Wildfire smiled and, getting up, she put away the jam and cream in their respective places back in the fridge. “I heard you get up, I was worried if you were okay or not.”

“I substituted a little mare for dinner, but my tummy wasn't filled.”

“Oooh alrighty,” Wildfire giggled, realising she was that mare. “I should've known you were okay. I just felt you move and I was up.”

“And you call me 'Mother Hen',” Tempest giggled, standing up once the dishwasher was loaded. “I move our meeting of the Midnight Snackers be closed. Do I have a second?”

Wildfire patted her full belly. “Yuppers you do indeed have a second, now we're all full.”

“I move we adjourn to the bedroom for snuggles with the Pony-That-Sleeps.”

Wildfire yawned a very wide smile and nodded. “Seconded and thirded, Honey.” With that, Tempest brushed the little blind mare’s snout with a wingtip as she headed out of the kitchen through the dining room. Wildfire smiled at the touch as she got up and followed her larger herd-mate. “I love the way you walk.”

“Walking is fun,” Tempest said, pausing just before she reached the stairs, “but I'd rather be flying.”

“Hmhmm, you walk like you wanna take off at any minute.” Wildfire commented, her ears pointed directly at where Tempest was standing. “You always lead with your right forehoof and you put your weight forward.”

Now, that did impress Tempest rather a lot. “Okay, smarty feathers, which way to I lean my tail when I poop?”

Wildfire giggled, “I'm gonna say the right. That's the way you went at Caffy's that Thursday we met.”

“Nice to know I'm shacking up with an observant mare.” Tempest said with a smile and an appreciative caress of Wildfire’s cheek with her wing.

“It was necessary,” Wildfire replied. “In my cell I could tell who was coming by the hoof steps outside. Everypony's different.”

Again, Tempest caressed Wildfire with her wing. Now it made sense. “I thought you tracked us by smell alone, but I'm glad you've taken something from your past and put it to positive use in your future.”

Wildfire considered that for a moment. “Well, I do use smell too, but I use sound as well. Airy is the exact opposite of you. She leads with her right, but her weight is further back towards the heel of her hoof. Mistress is a lot like Amethyst. Strong powerful steps with the whole of the hoof hitting the ground at once.” It still unnerved her sometimes just how like Amethyst Glory Mapper was.

“And Serenity?” Tempest asked with a smile.

“Beauty is a lot like Darkie,” Wildfire answered quickly, only too happy to not be thinking about her former owner. “She leads with her left hind leg, and she walks with the toe of her hooves like she wants to rear up and dance.”

Tempest giggled, “I do think Serenity is always dancing.”

“Yuppers, just like you're always flying.” Wildfire agreed. “Everypony has their way of walking. Like Amber, she had this habit of tapping her forehooves left then right when she was stood still. She couldn't be still.”

Tempest leant in and peppered Wildfire’s muzzle with kisses. “Some ponies you no longer need to keep an ear out for. But for the one upstairs, I'd always keep an ear out for the great and sneaky paper pony.”

“Point taken, Honey. Especially when she gets her hooves muffled by a cheeky unicorn.” Wildfire giggled, “after you, sexy.”

“That was fun to watch.” Tempest commented as she led the way up the stairs, intent on getting back into bed. “You 'eep' so well, too.”

“It was fun to experience, once I came back to firm ground.”

“So that you could experience it again, I assume.”

Wildfire let out a massive yawn that almost split her head open when they reached the upstairs hallway. “Of course, my sexy mare.”

Tempest made sure her voice was low when they got back in the bedroom. “You want your spot back in the middle or would you rather sandwich Airy?”

“I think we should sandwich the Pony-That-Sleeps.”

“You have near side, I'll move around to far side.” Tempest kissed Wildfire’s lips before she got on the bed. “Sleep well. I know I will.”

“I will Honey.” Wildfire felt for the bed and hopped up. She quickly discovered that Airmail hadn't moved since she had gotten out of the bed, so she snuggled up to her fiancé’s back. Once she was nestled in all close and warm, she was asleep almost straightaway.

In the cold chill of the early morning, outside on the sidewalk, a lone unicorn observed the townhouse where Airmail, Tempest and Wildfire slept, unaware of her presence. She observed and she smiled darkly. When she smiled, she tapped her forehooves, first the left then the right, as if she was unable to be still.

She watched, and she smiled, slinking away in the darkness as she drew her plans against the blind pony.

~ ~ ~

Later in the morning, the five a.m. alarm went off, alerting Airmail to the fact that it was Friday morning and time to get up. Opening her brown eyes, she found herself rather nicely as the mare in the middle of the snuggle pile. Properly awake, she reached across Wildfire to silence the alarm lest it wake the storm that was Tempest.

Alarm quieted, she proceeded to playfully nibble Wildfire's ear. “Hmm…” Wildfire twitched and flicked her ear. “Hmmm F-Fireflight no...it's a weekend...go back to bed!” she mumbled, awoken from her dream. After a few more nibbles she moved her head and smelled Airmail close to her. “Oh...h-hey Pretty.”

“Hey love,” Airmail smiled, trying hard not to laugh at the ‘Fireflight’ comment. “I'm climbing over you to get out of bed, because it’s the safer option.”

“I-I'm up…I’m up…” Before Airmail could climb over like she had said, though that wouldn’t have been a bad thing, Wildfire yawns herself properly awake and slid out of the bed. “That was a good dream, too.”

“Odd,” Airmail grinned as she too alighted onto the carpet by the bed and stretched, several muscles and joints popping, “I don't remember a player named Fireflight on the Sharks.”

“Ha, ha.” Wildfire giggled, stretching her legs one after the other, “This was way better than any of my Sharks sexy dreams. We, I mean all of us, took Fireflight and Hope on their first day of school.”

Now, Airmail found that to be utterly adorable. “Did you cry when they closed the door?”

Wildfire nodded. “I did. I cried buckets. She took off like a rocket not looking back and I was a complete mess.”

Airmail smiled at that. “That’s one of my few happy memories of my real mom.”

“C'mon sweet flanks,” Wildfire giggled as she turned towards the bedroom door. “I'll make us morning coffee and you can tell me all about it.”

“Isn't that your bedroom call sign?” Airmail giggled, following her diminutive fiancé out of the bedroom. “It is a memory, but not one I want to talk about, my love.”

Wildfire grinned, “Yuppers, it's mine but by Luna your flanks are sweet too.” She led the way out of the bedroom and trotted downstairs to the kitchen where coffee waited.

“Does that mean the one named Honey doesn't have flanks that are sweet?” Airmail asked with a teasing smile, her eyes again glued to Wildfire’s swaying tail and the teats hidden just behind it.

“Well...but...um, she um...” on the stairs, Wildfire squealed like a little filly at the teasing smile and she grinned, realising she had been gotten again. “Yuppers, you're all sweet,” she led the way to the kitchen, her cheeks flushed as red as her cutie mark.

“A moderate save, well played.” Airmail giggled, “Now, what shall we have for breakfast? Cold cereal?”

As her blush could quite easily heat the room, Wildfire giggled. “Cereal sounds awesomes, thank you, Pretty.” Choice made, the little blind mare got started with the much needed coffee.

Airmail spent a few moments watching her fiancé work. Quiet and confident, assured of every movement, she was impressed that Wildfire could operate the coffee maker as well as she could. “We have Almond and Oats, or you can have Stormy's cereal, Super Sugar Bombs.”

“Almond and Oats please, Pretty” Wildfire made her choice as she retrieved the mugs from the cupboard.

Airmail smiled, “Good choice, Wily.” While the yellow mare busied herself with the coffee, she got the bowls and spoons, then the required cereal and milk from the fridge.

“You know I like my oats,” Wildfire giggled a little for no apparent reason as she flicked her ears and listened to Airmail walk about the kitchen. She was happy that what she’d said to Tempest earlier in the meeting of the Midnight Snackers proved to be true.

Prepping the cereal, Airmail noticed the ear flicks as that was how the mare’s herd communicated silently with each other, but, as the ear flicks Wildfire was doing were random, she chose to say nothing. “Bet you like wild oats too,” she snickered.

Wildfire smiled, “I like sowing them, or I will do, over the weekend anyway.” She said as she bought over the two coffees to the breakfast bar and sat down. “Like I said to Stormy earlier, I love how you walk.”

“Have you been staring under my tail?”

“Guilty as charged,” Wildfire tapped her ears, “As well as listening, too.”

Setting the two bowls of cereal on the bar, Airmail giggled, now she understood the reason for her lover’s flicking ears. “Your ears do move with my tail.”

Wildfire sipped her coffee and giggled. “They move when you set off with your right hoof.” She then took a much longer sip, mulling a thought over in her head to see how it sounded before giving it voice. “I've decided. I'm going to keep Fireflight's name for my filly.”

“It is a fine name,” Airmail agreed once she’d swallowed her first spoonful. “Named after a brave, if troubled, mare.”

“I agree, Pretty.” Wildfire smiled but, for a long few moments, she went quiet as she ate more of her cereal and thought. Airmail, used to eating breakfast alone and in silence, said nothing, but watched Wildfire closely as she ate. She knew the little mare liked to fill silence with noise. After a few more minutes of eating in silence and finishing half of her cereal, Wildfire spoke up. “Pretty, I’ve been thinking about Chill Wind, I'd like to find him, see if there's pictures somewhere, or where he's buried.”

Airmail gave a soft sigh, rubbing her forehead with her free hoof. “Why?”

“Because...because he's family,” Wildfire answered quickly, her hoof at her coffee. “He's my big brother, and if I can find him then he'll know he's got a sister who's thinking about him, and give him flowers, at least I can tend his grave.”

Airmail smiled at that. “Well answered, Wily. Stormy has looked up where, so we can look for him on our next visit over to Canterlot.”

“Thank you, Pretty.” Wildfire finished her cereal, beaming a wide. “I know it's silly, but I don't want him thinking he's been forgotten…” she twiddled her hooves one over the other, biting her lip when another thought crept into her head.

“You're right.” Airmail said, emptying her own bowl of cereal. “He is family and he shouldn't be forgotten.”

Still twiddling her hooves together, Wildfire spoke up again. “Pretty...do ah...you um...think my mum and my brother are well, you know, okay with each other?”

Airmail giggled, though she understood what Wildfire meant. “I think they’re okay enough that there is no reason for you to rush off and join them.”

Wildfire blushed very hard and tried to hide behind her empty coffee cup. “I don't plan on it anytime soon, Pretty.”

“That’s a good filly.” Airmail finished off her coffee and got up, depositing it in the sink. “Don't sprain a wing pushing that cloud today,” She laughed, pulling Wildfire into a tight hug. “I'm off to work now.” She gave her lover a very deep passionate kiss. “Don't wait on Stormy for breakfast, or you'll be late.”

“I won't, sexy.” Wildfire gave Airmail a weapon's grade kiss. “I'll feel you later, my love.”

As Airmail left the townhouse by the back door and took off into the morning sky, her departure was observed by an orange unicorn hidden in the bushes. A unicorn who smiled deviously and tapped her hooves one after the other, first the left, then the right.

She melted back into the bushes, further out of sight. There was no need to rush her plans. She had waited a month for this. For her revenge, she was prepared to wait.

Chapter 10 - Fire!

“Bluefeather,” Lancer called out as he looked over his manager’s shoulder, “the newbie’s here.”

Bluefeather spun on her seating pad and looked through her open office door and looked out into the hallway. She was impressed, as it was only ten minutes to nine in the morning. She liked punctuality. “Hey, Wily, I’m glad to see you made it into work.”

Wildfire smiled as she approached the grey pegasus’s office. She had intentionally flew from her townhouse to get there ten minutes early. Today was the first day that she would be working with Bluefeather following her return with Cyclone from Canterlot, and she wanted to make a good impression. “Good morning to you Ma'am,” then, she nodded to the other pony in the room, “Lance.”

“Testing day?” Bluefeather asked, happy to be back in the factory, though she wasn’t a huge fan of the mountain of paperwork that was waiting for her upon her return from the nation’s capitol. She was convinced her Cyclone had chosen the right career path.

“Yes Ma'am,” Wildfire answered quickly and smartly, standing at attention in her manager’s office, “it is.”

Bluefeather shook her head, sharing a smile with Lancer. “My factory, my rules. Downtown is a different playground. We use names here so nopony can mistake who you're talking to.” She smiled, looking around her office at the photos on the wall, and the most recent photo on her desk. Damn Cyclone was a cute mare. “You can call me Ma'am when I'm doing you at Caffy's place…”

Lancer interrupted her then, breaking out in gales of laughter. Taking the gallant way out, he decided to retreat back into his own office across the hall. It was safer there. Standing in front of her boss, Wildfire had a thoroughly intense blush as red as her cutie marks and she giggled. “Yes Ma'...I mean, Bluefeather, thank you.”

Bluefeather giggled, unable to help herself. “If you're looking for extra work, you can be the fetcher of coffee. Lance takes his black, a couple of sugars for me.”

“You got it, Bluefeather!” Wildfire smiled, coffee she could do, and she knew where the machines were in the recreation room. “Two coffees, coming right up!” she did have to have a little think though, to remember where the machine was and she trotted off with a smile.

The recreation room was unusually empty, and she quickly found the nearest machine. After a few minutes with the machine, Wildfire came trotting back to Bluefeather’s office with three mugs of coffee in a cup holder held in her mouth and she set it down on the table. “Coffee!”

Again, Bluefeather was impressed with how easily Wildfire had accomplished this little task. She knew now she could send her on errands and she’d be alright. At the call of ‘coffee’, Lancer flew through to his manager’s office. “Which is sugar free?” he asked.

Wildfire pointed to the one on the left of the holder. She had separated them on purpose. “This one is yours, Lance.”

“Thank you, Wily.” Lancer took his mug in his hoof, blowing the steam off the top.

“Yes, thank you.” Bluefeather looked up at the clock on her wall opposite her desk. “You’ve got about an hour before the test starts, just a heads up.”

Wildfire sipped her coffee. “Anytime guys, and thanks for the warning, Bluefeather.”

“No problem, Wily.” The grey mare smiled, appreciating her own hot drink as Lancer took his with him back to his own office.

Likewise, Wildfire took her coffee to her office. She found it easily, as it was one door down from Lancer’s. The little blind mare sat on the seating pad at her desk. She had everything here just as she liked it. Headset interfaces to the right, just like it was at home, coffee mug to the left and a framed photo of her mini herd to the left of that.

On the wall to the left, by the window, was the feather rack that held feathers from Airmail and Tempest. There were spaces on it for Dusk, Cyclone and Tinkerer. She sat in her office and she let out a huge squee at just being in her office. It was still new and exciting for her. “Hmmm…” she thought to herself as she sipped her coffee, wondering what she could do to fill the time. “Bluefeather did say I have an hour, hmm…” her speaking clock, set to announce the time every five minutes, confirmed this. Then, another sip of her coffee later, she had an idea and took out her phone. “I wonder if Cy's up yet?”

“Hiya Wily!” Cyclone answered her phone on the third ring. “Where you at?”

“Hey hun,” Wildfire beamed excitedly, “I'm at work! I have an office!”

Nestled away in the comfort of her playpen in Bluefeather’s living room, surrounded by her favourite plushies, Cyclone giggled. “Where is this office? The subway station?”

“No! Miss snarky feathers,” Wildfire protested with a smile, “It's at the Weather Factory for cloud delivery.”

Cyclone chuckled at that, very pleased that Wildfire was still easy to wind up. Somethings didn’t ever change. “I'm in Cloudhatten and I’m happy none of the windows look over the cloud edge.” She reached for her bottle of milk and took a long drink. “Oh, tell Bluefeather I had a talcum powder accident which was totally not accidental.”

Wildfire snickered, “You naughty little filly!” she could easily imagine that right now, her nappy wearing friend was in the middle of a powder explosion. “How's the new job going?” she asked, thinking back to the phone call she had shared with Cyclone at Caffeinated’s ranch a few days ago after Air Raid’s big race.

“Did some meet and greets,” Cyclone replied, stretching in her all over onesie. “Dad gave me a script I'm studying. Can you believe they actually have a script?” she laughed out loud at the absurdity of porn movies having a script, of all things. “I start shooting this Monday coming, should be five days start to finish.”

Wildfire couldn’t believe that, at all. “You have a script? For realsies?” she still didn’t believe it. “Don't they just tell you where to lay down and in what position?”

“That's what I thought too,” Cyclone agreed. She had thought that was all there was to her dad’s business. “Show my bits and moan at the right times. This thing has lines cheesier than Darkie’s, I swear!”

“Ooooh I need a chuckle, gimme a for instance?”

“Sir!” Cyclone out on her best voice – Bluefeather had dubbed it her ‘sex voice’, “I've never seen a rod so large. I don't know if my little cunny can take it all in!”

Wildfire burst out laughing, as much at the phoney voice as at the ridiculous lines. “Oh, oh my...”

“I said that with a totally straight face, too.” Cyclone laughed along with her friend, kicking her legs in the air like the big foal she was at heart. In the same voice, she continued, “My nipples are all chaffed, could you spread some of that stallion cream on them?”

By the time Cyclone finished that sentence, Wildfire was laughing so hard she had to clutch at her sides. “Cy, st-stop Cy please...y-y'know, I'm getting the DVD just to hear you say that, right?”

Cyclone shrugged, “That's more bits in my pouch.”

“Teehee!” Wildfire giggled, still picturing Cyclone being rutted stupid by some stunt stallion and uttering those daft lines while doing it. “Oh...” she tried hard to contain herself, then a thought occurred to her, “oh boy... hehehe...hey, what are you doing later, around lunch ish?”

“Hmmm,” Cyclone thought out loud, tapping her black chin, “I was going to practise talking with my mouth full of whipped cream, but I could do something else.”

“Why...why would you...whipped cream?” Wildfire tried to work it out, why anypony would possibly want or need to talk with their mouth full of cream. On the other end of the line, Cyclone silently counted in her head while Wildfire thought about that. The jet black pegasus had reached seven out of ten when the bit dropped and Wildfire figured it out. “Oooh...you dirty little filly!”

Just for added emphasis, because Cyclone remembered how dense Wildfire could be, she reached for the other thing in her playpen. Shaking the can of squirty cream, she sprayed it into her mouth until it was full. “My,” she slurred down the phone, “your load is the sweetest of nectars!”

Still in the early throes of her heat, Wildfire pictured Cyclone on her knees with a mouthful of stallion cream saying that and a second later her wings exploded out in a violent wingboner. “Aaah...l-lunch then? I'll call Darkie and we can have a girly catch up, y’know, stuff I've missed over the five years?”

Lunch made Cyclone interested. Gossip sealed the deal. “Do you want to do lunch in Cloudhatten or Manehatten?”

“Manehatten hun,” Wildfire answered quickly, “I was thinking we could meet up with Darkie, have a proper catch up.”

Lunch, gossip and fun with Darkstar. Cyclone was there. “Okay, what time, I'll need to get a cab.” The taxi was essential, as there was no way in the land she was going to fly down from where she was. Nope, no way at all.

“Oh,” Wildfire thought for a moment as her wings finally went back down of their own accord, “I have lunch about twelve thirty.”

“Sounds good, I can do some shopping.”

“Alrighty hun, I'll call Darkie.” Wildfire smiled, knowing full well she had her friend on the hook. “Caffeinated's coffee place okay with you?”

Cyclone snickered and again she put on her special ‘sex voice’. “I love your stipes! Could you stripe me with your spunk?”

“Cy...” Wildfire facehooved, though she did giggle, “you haven't changed a bit, have you?”

“It’s in the script!” Cyclone protested, “like my dad says, ‘Trust the script to see you through life's situations’.”

“You deserve an Oscar just for keeping a straight face.”

Cyclone giggled, “I’ll see you downtown later, Wily.” As she hung up the call, Cyclone readied the can of squirty cream at her mouth. If she was going out for lunch, she might as well get her practise in early.

Wildfire, with her wings finally under complete control, dialled Darkstar’s number. “Surely Darkie can't be as much of a tease...” she said to herself as her black tail twitched on her seating pad.

Several rings later and the dialtone switched over to Darkstar’s voicemail. “You’ve reached a star in the dark. If you’re brave enough leave a message. If you’re a star in the light. Visit!”

When the beep sounded, Wildfire left her message for her old friend. “Hey Darkie, it's Wily! I was wondering if you wanted to meet up with Cy and I for lunch at Caffeinated's shop, say twelve thirty?”

As Wildfire put her phone back in her saddlebag, her speaking clock alerted her to the fact it was nine twenty five a.m. “Huh...I have thirty five minutes before my test...okay!” an idea came to her, carried by the cold coffee in her mug. Sliding off of her seating pad, she trotted through to Bluefeather's office and she knocked her usual two knocks. “Excuse me, Ma'am...sorry, I mean, Bluefeather?”

Bluefeather looked up from her computer. Not that she was ‘working’, as such, more she was studying her Cyclone screensaver. “Yes, Wildfire, what can I do for you?”

The little blind mare entered her manager’s office with a smile all over her face. “I've just spoken to Cy. She says to tell you she's had a talcum powder accident that totally wasn't an accident at all.”

Bluefeather giggled, not looking away from her screensaver, especially as it moved onto a photo of Cyclone in her nappy bent over with a pink pacifier in her mouth and pink booties on her hooves. She stared long and hard at that picture. “She seems to think that a bit of padding will soften the blow. Silly filly. She have any other news to have you 'leak' out?”

“Only that she's getting very good at talking with her mouth full of squirty cream.”

“Ugh,” Bluefeather facehooved, “She was reading that script again. Of course, when she sprayed by nethers with whipped cream and then talked to me while munching was a...fun experience…”

At that point, Bluefeather was interrupted by Wildfire’s wings shooting out to her sides once more. Despite trying to control it, her black tail flagged as well. “Aaah, I-I bet it was!”

Bluefeather giggled, spotting the signs of heat a million miles away. She had a hunch that Wildfire and her mini herd were in for an awesome weekend. “I bet you're leaving loose feathers everywhere!”

“Go get a room!” Lancer yelled out from his office while Bluefeather broke out in gales of laughter. Still in his office, Lancer carried on, “If you keep going, you'll need a mop!” Thanks to that, Bluefeather was laughing even harder.

Wildfire, blushing a very bright red indeed, made to leave quickly, lest she make an even bigger fool of herself. “I'm ah...I think I'll just be in my office…” she trotted away, but paused at the open door. She remembered her coffee was cold. “Does um...anypony want more coffee? I'm going to the machine.”

“I do!” Lance shouted, quick as lightning, “black please!”

Bluefeather shook her head. “Nah, I'm good, thank you.”

As Wildfire left Bluefeather’s office, the destination in her mind the coffee machine in the recreation room, a young pale green pegasus mare, barely out of school, came trotting down the hallway from the planning offices. “Hi!” she greeted Wildfire exuberantly, her dark green mane bouncing over her eyes, “I'm Undercloud, and I’m the fetcher of coffee for the planning offices. I'll join you.”

“Coming up, Lance!” Wildfire smiled, making a mental note to get Lancer’s black coffee while she was there. “Hey there, I'm Wildfire.” She returned the greeting, holding her hoof out.

Immediately, Undercloud bumped Wildfire’s offered hoof. “So, you're the new kid on the cloud, huh?” she asked as she fell into step alongside Wildfire. “That’s cool, so! Do you have an in on Bluefeather's newest filly friend?” she asked eagerly, almost bouncing on her way to the recreation room.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire smiled at what she guessed was a gossip pony as she trotted on over to the coffee machine she had used before, now she knew where it was. “Cy and I go way, way back.”

Undercloud’s pale green ears shot up and her blue eyes sparkled at the sniff of gossip. “She hasn't brought her by to the office for inspection yet. Still, she is a lot happier with her around.” She prompted none too subtly.

Wildfire giggled, she knew how this little game was played. She’d been around Cyclone enough in the past. “Cy's a lot of fun, you'll like her.”

“Sure would be nice to have her drop in the office,” Undercloud grinned. She recognised the dismissive return meant to deflect the gossip hound, but luckily for her she had the perfect riposte ready. “Bluefeather hasn't even said what tribe she is from.”

“Oh,” Wildfire started as she got the coffee machine going, a mug placed in position for Lancer and herself, “she's a pegasus.”

Silently, Undercloud cheered, chalking up a mental win for her. Now she had the newbie talking, she was confident she could get her to spill even more. “Even less of an excuse, she could fly over anytime!”

“Well um...she is scared of heights.”

Undercloud blinked at the coffee machine she was stood at next to Wildfire. This was gold! “Oh, wow, that is a total bummer. Still, I hope Bluefeather brings her around sometime so we can meet up.”

At her machine, Wildfire was about to launch into a long and detailed life history of Cyclone but, as the fresh coffee poured out into the waiting mugs, she thought better of it, especially seeing as Bluefeather hadn’t told anypony yet herself. The way she saw it, it was up to her manager, not her. “Well, if you come to my office, I got a picture of her on my desk you can look at.”

“Sure thing!” Undercloud was there alright. “I just need to deliver this before the planning team riots.”

“Alrighty, I best get this to Lance too.” Wildfire smiled, getting the two mugs in the holder she had bought with her. “Feel you in a sec!” Taking up her own tray in her mouth, Undercloud giggled as they both walked out of the recreation room and went their own separate ways.

Wildfire took the turning that she knew lead to Lancer’s office and stopped there first on the way to her own. “Here you go, Lance, one black coffee!”

“Thank you Wildfire!” Lancer exclaimed dramatically, a foreleg to his head, “My life may finally find purpose!”

“Ha!” Bluefeather called out across the hall from her own office, “Not!”

“My pleasure, Lance.” Wildfire gave the stallion a polite little nod and took her coffee through to her office, where she set it down in the usual place to the left of her keyboard, where she knew where it was.

Five minutes later, according to Wildfire’s speaking clock, Undercloud announced her presence. “Knock, knock!”

Wildfire’s head snapped towards the young mare’s chirpy voice at her door. For a moment, she was reminded of Nightingale. “Hey, Undercloud, come on in.”

The young pale green mare’s voice was very low indeed as she walked up to Wildfire’s desk and stood beside her. “So,” she said, getting straight to the point at hoof, “you got a pic to show me?”

“Oh yes, hun, here it is...” Wildfire started, feeling with her hooves to the left of her computer where she knew the picture from the fun fair sat next to the one of her mini herd in its own little frame, a gift from Tempest.

Curiously, Undercloud looked at the picture that Wildfire pointed at. Straightaway, she could see her new colleague in the centre. “There's you, obviously. Which pegasus is her?”

“Cyclone is the black mare with the turquoise mane, on the far right of where I’m sat.”

Again, Undercloud looked, this time to the left, from her point of view. She saw the jet black pegasus sat next to a vaguely familiar lime green mare. “I bet she is good at hide and seek at night. Tis a cutie, and I'll suggest Bluefeather haul her over so we can gossip.”

“She's a cutie alright,” Wildfire giggled, taking a long slow drink of her coffee. “She's good at many things. I'm sure when she comes over you'll love her.”

“No doubt about that,” Undercloud agreed, taking another long hard look at the picture. She was sure she knew the lime green mare, but she didn’t know from where. “Bluefeather is rather selective and very protective.” She offered Wildfire a nuzzle, which the blind mare returned. “Thank you for letting me look.”

Wildfire’s speaking clock had just told her that it was nine fifty five a.m. A second later, a red light flashed on the wall of her office and in the hallway outside – not that Wildfire would’ve noticed, but for the klaxon that sounded as well – a moment after that, Wildfire’s cell phone rang. Over the PA system 'Two stack needed for Fire Department' was requested. “Gotta go!” Undercloud said, suddenly all business, as she left Wildfire’s office.

Very quickly, Wildfire reached into her saddlebag and she answered her phone. “Hello, Lieutenant Wildfire speaking.”

“Captain Comet.” Comet identified himself without preamble. “As soon as the factory churns out a two stack you need to get it to my location! I'm over by the Brooks Bridge.”

“I understand, Sir.” Wildfire replied as curtly and directly to her orders as they were given. “I'll have it to you as soon as I can.”

“Very good see you soon. Comet out.” Just like that, he hung up.

Lancer was at the door to Wildfire’s office as she stood up. “Knock, knock. I heard the alarm. Don't know if they showed you the easy way to the factory output port. I can take you there. If you have another beacon, may be a good place for one.”

“I have one spare, Lance.” Wildfire, now on her hooves, pulled the spare beacon from her desk drawer. “And thanks, for showing me the easy way.”

“Cool,” Lancer stood aside as Wildfire approached the door to her office and touched her wingtip to his flank. “You can walk through the maze to the factory port, but it’s a lot easier to walk out the back door and fly up there.” He grinned, even he’d gotten lost in ‘the maze’, and he could see.

Eagerly, Wildfire followed after Lancer as he led the way through the factory’s hallways to the back door. “So, I met Undercloud, she sounded nice. If a bit um…chipper.”

Lancer snickered at that. “She’s in charge of the grapevine, and monitors the water table and provides coffee to the planning offices.”

Wildfire giggled, “I guessed she was fishing for gossip on Cy.”

“Ah, Blue's new friend. I'm all for Cy as it’s making Blue happy.” Lancer chuckled. A happy Bluefeather was a happy manager. A happy manager was a happy workplace. “Turn the beacon on and let me hold it so you can follow.” He said as they made their way outside.

“Yuppers!” Quickly, as there was an emergency in progress, Wildfire turned on the beacon she carried and passed it to Lancer, who in turn took it in his hoof. “I just showed her the picture that's on my desk of my friends. I figured anything else is for Bluefeather to decide to share.”

“That won't stop Cloudy from digging,” Lancer snickered and took off, taking a wide circular route around the factory’s exterior.

“Thanks for the warning, Lance,” Wildfire giggled and took off, following behind the stallion. She guessed that the wide route was to take them far enough away from any nearby facilities so that her proximity alarm didn’t keep tripping until she neared the output portal.

At the factory’s output port, Lancer attached the blinking beacon to the wall. “As you face the wall, the opening is to your right.” Lancer said, detailing the portal for Wildfire’s benefit. “Big enough to shove out a ten stack. The factory pushers will get it outside and one will guide you to the centre for pushing. It’s up to you after that.”

“I got it Lance.” Wildfire snapped a sharp salute in the direction of Lancer’s voice. “So...I should just wait here for the two stack cloud?”

“Yes, that should only take five minutes to kick out so it won't be long.” Lancer grinned, returning the salute out of pure habit. “Good luck, Lieutenant.” He flew off, but not too far away so he could watch how she worked.

A few minutes later, a sweet older, mature sounding mare spoke up to the blind pony’s left. “Wildfire? I'm Humid, I got your cloud ready.” She brushed the yellow pegasus with her wingtip. “I'll take you to the centre. Winds are steady out of the west at five miles per hour.”

“Humid,” Wildfire stored the name and tried to remember her voice. It wasn’t a million miles away from her mum. “I’m pleased to meet you.” She moved with the newcomer to the middle of the cloud. “Thanks, for this.”

“Doing my job, now go give Comet a bath for all of us.” With that, and a laugh, Humid turned and flew back inside the weather factory.

“You got it!” Quickly, Wildfire activated her headset via the switch on the bit in her mouth. “Point Comet, Manehatten, direction and distance.” Straightaway, her flight tech calculated and relayed her request into her ear. Grinning, Wildfire set off.

Twenty minutes into the flight, she got a call from Comet over her headset. “Wildfire, distance and direction to me now.”

“Standby Sir,” the immediacy of his call leant urgency to her request. She checked with her headset. “Sir, you're one hundred and seventy degrees, thirty miles away. I'm coming in at sixty miles per hour.”

“Abandon the two stack,” Comet ordered quickly. Things had changed in Manehatten, and they’d changed Luna-damned fast. “Get back to the factory as quick as you can. They’re shoving out an eight stack. I'm moving to the Broncs and I need that cloud as fast as you can. I'm sending pushers to help you, but it will be awhile.”

“Yes Sir, right away, Sir!” Abandoning the cloud she had been pushing, Wildfire spun around and, setting her headset for the Weather Factory, she took off back the way she had come. Flying hard, she made it back a few minutes before the cloud was out, allowing her to catch a breather. She landed at the point where she collected the two stack and panted as she stretched her wings.

Wildfire shivered, she could feel the colder air as the huge cloud was pushed out to her. “Welcome back Wildfire.” Bluefeather greeted her far more seriously than she had earlier. “Something big is going down in the city. Let me get you to the centre.”

“Thank you, Bluefeather.” Wildfire allowed herself to be guided to where she needed to be. “Captain Comet said he needs this in the Broncs, and there'd be two helpers?”

Bluefeather nodded at that. “Yes, the wind’s still out of the west at five miles per hour. Okay, ponies, let’s get this mass started.” The two factory workers and Bluefeather helped Wildfire to quickly get the cloud up to twenty miles per before the workers peeled off back to the factory. “You have it now,” Bluefeather said, “I’m not sure when that help will be here, but do your best, Wildfire.”

“You got it, Bluefeather!” Wildfire gave her manager a nod and, without another word to her, she set her headset to Point Comet. Quickly, she was told the Point was at one hundred and sixty eight degrees, and forty eight miles away. Pushing as hard as she could, Wildfire accelerated the huge cloud mass from twenty to seventy miles per hour. “C'mon Wily, you can do this, girl, you got this…”

By the time Wildfire had the cloud up to seventy, her headset told her she had travelled forward ten miles. “C'mon, just like old times...” she giggled as she realised she was giving herself a pep-talk.

After another ten miles, a stallion flew in close to Wildfire and set off her proximity alarm with his presence. “Wildfire,” he announced himself with an extraordinarily deep voice, “I'm Ice Crystal.”

Similarly, a mare flew in to Wildfire’s right side. “I'm Moonburst.”

Ice Crystal, a very deep blue stallion, was impressed with how fast the little blind mare was propelling the cloud. “You really got this thing moving!”

Moonburst grinned as she dug her hooves into the cloud’s surface. “We're here to help you bring it home, Wildfire.”

“Big explosion in the Broncs,” Ice Crystal said by way of explanation as he too began pushing with his partner.

“Y-Yuppers, that's me, I’m pleased to meet you both…” Wildfire panted and, as the two helpers began to push, she found herself having to work harder to keep up. Especially when they went past seventy five miles per hour all the way to eighty. “Figured there was something big happening.”

Minutes later, Comet called Wildfire over her headset. “I want that cloud at a thousand feet and get it slowed down to stop two hundred feet in front of my position.”

“Sir, yes Sir.” Wildfire replied and she smiled to the others. “Comet wants this at a thousand feet, slowed to stop two hundred feet in front of him.”

Moonburst ran a quick check. At any other time, she would’ve enjoyed the clear blue mid-morning sky over Manehatten’s zebra district. Not today though. She could see in the distance a bright orange glow that was the fire. “We are at one thousand five hundred feet, so it must be bad to go that low.”

“How far away are we now?” Ice Crystal asked, lacking Wildfire’s precision.

A very quick check of her headset later and Wildfire had the information to hoof. “Point Comet is six thousand eight hundred feet away at the one o'clock, Ice Crystal.”

Ice Crystal nodded over at his partner. Moonburst returned the nod. “Wildfire, sink your hooves in the cloud and back pedal. Moon, get us down to altitude.”

Moonburst nodded and flew up to the top of the cloud. “On it.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire called out, digging her forehooves into the cloud and angling her yellow wings to slow herself down.

“This thing is one thousand two hundred feet thick,” Ice Crystal informed Wildfire, knowing full well she could place the cloud on a golden bit if need be. “So, we need you to be one thousand four hundred feet from the boss.”

“Passing down through one thousand two hundred feet,” Moonburst reported their current height over the Broncs.

“Got it.” Wildfire spoke to her headset. “Point Comet distance alarm, one thousand four hundred feet.”

Just then, several more pegasi showed up to lend assistance, as the huge cloud was almost in position above the fiery conflagration below them. Wildfire’s flight tech told her she was slowing down, nearing a stop at a hundred feet away from her alarm point. “Okay!” Moonburst yelled, “we're at a thousand feet elevation!”

“Just a little further forward.” Wildfire ordered, realising that the team was waiting on her to tell them when they were in the right place. “I'll get a proximity alarm at one thousand four hundred feet away from my beacon.”

As the team followed Wildfire’s instruction without question, Moonburst chanced a glance at the ground. She wished she hadn’t. It was like the lower levels of Tartarus had opened up in the Broncs. Several grain warehouses were ablaze, she could feel the heat from up here. “Looks like the whole block is on fire. Ground ponies are trying to contain it.”

The other pegasi on the team started to push lightly to get it where it was needed. A second later, Comet’s voice appeared in Wildfire’s right ear. “Start bouncing as it comes to a stop!”

Moonburst flew up to the cloud’s top. “Comet is giving he bounce signal!”

Right then, with Ice Crystal helping her to slow the cloud’s speed to a stop, Wildfire’s headset sounded her distance alarm. “That's the alarm! Let's bounce!” she shouted as loud as she could before flying up to the top. The moment she reached the crest of the cloud, she started bucking the cloud.

Seconds later, Ice Crystal and Comet were at her sides, ready to bounce with her. “Bounce this cloud dry! It’s a losing battle down there!”

As Wildfire began to buck the cloud, she could feel the warmth even this high up as the steam rose up into the cloud she was working on. “Yes Sir!” she couldn’t see the utter chaos that was the fire scene below her, but feeling the heat at a thousand feet, she could tell it was huge. She began in earnest to bounce the cloud like it beat her to the prettiest hooves in the room. “How bad?”

“Grain warehouse.” Comet replied grimly, “bomb.”

“Buck!” Wildfire swore, that knowledge making her work the cloud all the harder. “Casualties?”

“Don't Know.” Was Comet’s terse reply.

“Captain,” a hitherto unnamed mare reported in, her voice reaching Wildfire’s sharp ears. “The cloud is at six hundred feet thickness.”

Comet nodded to his colleague. “Good pace, keep it up, ponies!”

“Yes Sir!” Though she was starting to tire, Wildfire got a second wind, adrenalin surging through her system to allow her to bounce harder and faster than before.

That same mare reported again, several long minutes later. “Captain, Rung says it’s under control, but to play out the cloud.”

“Got it,” Comet affirmed with a nod, grateful that at last the inferno had been bought under control. At least now the emergency rescue services could go in and at best help survivors, at worst retrieve the bodies of the victims. “Let’s keep the pace and finish this.”

Wildfire grinned, “You got it, Sir!”

Fifteen minutes later, Moonburst flew over to hover by Comet. “Captain, the cloud is now at one hundred feet.”

Comet glanced down and found he could see the destroyed remains of the warehouses through the rapidly thinning cloud. “Stop bouncing!” he ordered. “Fire Team One, take cloud chunks below and look for hot spots. Team Two, stand down. Wildfire, good work, let's fly.”

Wildfire saluted. “I'm with you, Sir.” Spreading her yellow wings, the diminutive blind mare took off from the remnants of what once had been a mighty cloud. As her headset was still locked in on the beacon Comet carried, she flew alongside her Captain.

As he took off, Comet surveyed the devastation below, watching the Fire Team One go low to where the ground team directed them. He wore a satisfied smile on his face. “You saved us at least thirty minutes with that cloud. I'm glad Chief Rung convinced me to take up the offer of you working the Weather Factory.”

“Doing my job, Sir.” Wildfire said with a smile, though she positively glowed with the compliment, she felt like she could fly on forever and ever.

“You've done it well, well enough I'll tell Lance to mark your delivery test as a pass.” Comet snickered at the look of surprise on Wildfire’s face. “Of course, the bridge is six miles that way, but I'll let it slide this time.”

Just then, Wildfire’s headset beeped, alerting her to the fact she had a text message. Flicking the button on her bit, the message was relayed into her ear. “Call me when you can. Saw big fire in the news. Airy.”

Wildfire giggled at that. “To be honest, Sir, I forgot all about the test.” And she had, too. The emergency had been all that mattered to her, the test be damned. She was thankful though, with aching wings, that the flight back to the factory was dull, quiet and uneventful.

As soon as Wildfire walked into her office, her first thought was to get coffee. However, when she sat at her desk and took off her headset to rest it to the right of her keyboard, her hooves brushed a hot mug. The next thing she touched was a braille note. ‘Well done, enjoy the coffee, BF’. Smiling, she instead got out her phone and dialled Airmail’s number. She had a call to return.

“Wily!” Airmail answered her phone on the very first ring. “There was a huge fire! Were you part of that?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire replied, getting comfortable on her seating pad, “I helped deliver an eight stack to the scene of the blaze. It was a bomb blast in the Broncs.”

“It was?” Airmail’s voice, once panicked and urgent, was now curious. “The Fire and Police chiefs are being tight lipped about it. Caffy left in a hurry to get over there.”

Wildfire nodded and took a welcome sip of her coffee. “Yuppers Pretty. The cloud was a thousand feet above it and I could still feel the steam that high up, so it was a bit of a biggie.”

Airmail giggled. Once she was sure her fiancé was alright, she decided it was time for a tease. “You weren't supposed to tell me about the bomb, were you?”

“Um...I dunno...maybe not...” Wildfire trailed off, realising too late that she’d stuffed her hoof deep in her mouth.

“I'll pretend I didn't hear you,” Airmail promised, “but I'll not forget it. So, love, an eight stack. That is pretty big.”

Wildfire blushed so hard she swore to Luna’s sainted tail that Airmail could feel it over the phone line. “It felt big! I pushed it on my own at seventy miles per hour for ten miles, then I got help!”

Airmail smiled. She could tell by the inflection in her lover’s voice that she was blushing, then she heard the pride there too. “Way to go!” she cheered, for she was as proud of her as she was of herself. “This didn't mess up your test, did it?”

“Nopes!” Wildfire beamed, “turns out Captain Comet classed it as my test, and I passed!”

“Woot!” Airmail cheered a second time, louder than before, earning herself a puzzled look from Lavender. “We need to celebrate. Um, when are you meeting up with Belle and Tinkerer?”

Wildfire thought about that, taking another sip of her coffee. “I was thinking of going over sometime in the morning. I figured tonight was too late.”

“Okay,” Airmail smiled, a plan forming in her mind, “then we do need to go out.”

Wildfire liked the sound of that plan indeed. She approved, especially if there was beer involved. “Sounds like a plan, my love.”

“Excellent. Anything you would like for food?”

“Uuuum...” Wildfire thought seriously for a moment. Then it came to her. “Do you remember Lot-To-Canter? I fancy the fish from there, Pretty.”

“Yes, it is a very nice place.” Airmail agreed quickly, “You okay if the whole mare's herd is there?”

“Yuppers, Pretty, that's fine.”

Airmail giggled, “Good, because Mapper is tired of listening to Serenity talking about getting laid by Trumpet.”

All of a sudden, Wildfire’s excitement level skyrocketed. “I can't believe that's gonna happen soon!”

“Going to be fun around the house in a few months’ time.”

“You know it, Pretty.”

“Omega’s heading out to the Broncs.” Airmail said, changing the subject. She thought it only fair to warn her talkative fiancé. “He likes to be in the middle of events. This will keep me working a bit late so I'll be in the office till six later. Stormy is off so I'll let her do the reservations for seven tonight.”

“Alrighty Pretty, don't you work too hard, and if you do, I'll wear your favourite outfit to surprise you when you get home.”

Airmail liked the sound of that. Her wings and her crotch liked the thought of Wildfire’s teats in the peephole bra. A lot. “You could wear it to dinner tonight as I'm going straight there I think. May swing by the house on the way depending on what happens with this fire.”

“That's a deal. Sexy blue lingerie to dinner.” Wildfire blew a long kiss down the phone as Airmail hung up.

No sooner had Wildfire stretched out on her seating pad and lifted her coffee to her lips than her phone rang. At first she thought it was Airmail calling her back. The caller ID however told her different. “Oh, hey there, Darkie!”

“You left a message for me?” the pure white unicorn answered, “Things are crazy around here right now.”

“Yuppers hun,” Wildfire replied, draining what was left in her mug, “Cy and I are having dinner at Caffeinated's coffee shop, I wondered if you'd like to come with, have a proper catch up?”

Darkstar had to admit she rather liked the sound of that. “Yes, if I can get out of the neighbourhood. Subway is shut down and there are police everywhere.”

Wildfire knew why, of course. “Oooh yuppers, cos of what happened. I helped put the fire out. You okay?”

“Yeah, it was three blocks from my house.” Darkstar replied. She looked out of the window of her – Slate’s - apartment and saw more emergency services rushing past. “Glad I wasn't out shopping, my new favourite bakery went up in flames. So, you caused that deluge? Like old times, hey?”

“Teehee, you know it hun!” Wildfire smiled, pride in her voice, “So what have you been doing this week?”

“Theatre work. Rehearsals. Show opens on the first of June.”

Now Wildfire was certainly interested. “How's that going? Ready to storm Las Pegasus yet?”

Darkstar smiled wistfully. “Las Pegasus was a nice dream, but this is a better reality. I'm a background dancer, but I'm first dancer so I have to play every part when a dancer is off or sick.” After living this life for a few days, she had to admit her reality was better than her dream. “I'm so looking forward to getting Slate over to a bondage night at Caffy’s. You will invite me, won't you?”

“Oh...hmm...invite you, hmm should I?” Wildfire at once caught the eagerness in her old friend’s voice and she giggled. “Go on then, I will. Sooooo, how's it going with the hunky zebra?”

“Scary!” Darkstar exclaimed, “Cell phones were down with the fire and I didn't know where he was. He called about ten minutes ago. He was over in Brooks so he’s safe and sound. Wily, once you go stripes you'll never go back!”

“I'll take your word for that, hun. I'm super-duper glad you got yourself a nice stallion.”

Darkstar looked at the picture of Slate and herself on the wall that was below her certificate she got from the mayor. Her heart swelled with love for him. “Yeah, so am I. Raid was starting to look real good there for a moment, but it isn't the same with a toy compared to the real thing.”

“You looked at Raid?” Wildfire giggled, “You, Darkie?”

Darkstar blushed heavily at that. She chose not to mention she had once dated Cloud Blossom. "You are so getting your marefriends’ hooves muffled!”

Wildfire burst out laughing. This was like old times. This was what she missed. This was what she longed for. “Bring it on, white stuff. So, twelve thirty catch up at Caffy's shop, you in?”

“I will try.” Darkstar promised, “They need to get the subway up and running. If not I'll see about a taxi.” The white mare laughed, “Not all of us fly, you know, featherbrain. I'll try to be there. Slate can't make it so it will just be us mares, and the zebra.”

Wildfire heard the giggle in Darkstar’s voice. “You will be able to concentrate on lunch, right. Miss Hot-for-Stripes?”

Darkstar shrugged, making no promises. “Maybe…”

“You so haven't changed!” Wildfire snickered as she hung up the call. “I'm glad she's okay...I was worried about her…” she said to herself. Her speaking clock told her it was already ten minutes to twelve. If she set off now, she knew she’d make it to Caffeinated’s shop in time.

Sliding off of her seating pad, Wildfire left her office and trotted through to Bluefeather’s. “I'm going for lunch, I'll see you soon, boss.”

Bluefeather nodded, but she didn’t look up from her Cyclone screensaver. “Just keep your phone on you, Wily.”

“Always. I need this.” She patted her saddlebag and felt the phone there in its own little pocket. “I'll say hi to Cy for you, Bluefeather.”

“Okay, just as long as you leave the spanking to me.” she said, earning herself a laugh from Lancer who was secreted in his own office.

Turning away from her manager’s office, Wildfire giggled. “I get spanked. I don't do the spanking.” With that, she trotted through the hallways to the weather factory’s back door. When she was outside into the welcome heat of the noon day sun, Wildfire set her headset for Point Five, Stripe’s Cup of Java and, once she had the direction and distance, she took off.

Flying as fast as she could, Wildfire covered the forty seven miles in just twenty five minutes, thrilled when she landed on the sidewalk outside of the coffee shop with five minutes to spare for her meeting. As soon as her hooves touched down, she shook her feathers before entering the coffee shop.

“Wily!” Cyclone – wearing a plain and simple pastel pink dress that covered the nappy underneath - called out from her table that she had procured, four down from the doors on the right as she saw her old friend walk into the coffee shop, “I'm over here!”

As soon as she heard Cyclone’s voice, Wildfire’s ears flicked and swivelled in her direction. Sniffing the air deeply, she managed to get a bead on the jet black mare. “Ah,” she smiled and turned to the right, “I gotcha, Cy!”

“You come here often?” Cyclone giggled behind her hoof as she watched her friend turn to face her direction and feel her way down the table one by one, “I've seen worse moves on a slalom course!”

Wildfire stuck out her tongue and raspberried her as she walked over the black and white chequered floor, feeling her way past one bright red table after another, getting closer to the sound of Cyclone’s voice. “Oh ha, ha…”

“Black coffee and two, right?” Cyclone asked when Wildfire reached her table and sat down on the empty seating pad opposite her.

“Yuppers hun, thanks.” That would do her nicely, very nicely indeed.

When she was properly seated, Cyclone moved the still-steaming mug of black coffee that was waiting for the little blind mare so that it touched her hoof. “I got it for you about five minutes ago, so it should still be good. Did you manage to get hold of Darkie?”

Wildfire nodded, she had assumed that the white mare wasn’t there yet as she couldn’t smell her. “Yuppers,” Wildfire replied, taking a sip of her coffee, “but she said she might not make it with what's happened over in the Broncs.”

“My taxi driver said there was a big fire there.” Cyclone commented as she too took a careful drink of her coffee. Stains were Tartarus to shift from a pink dress. “So Fire Fighter Wily,” she said with a hint of a giggle in her voice, “did you put it out?”

“I did,” Wildfire beamed with pride, before Airmail’s voice sounded off a little warning in her head. “Well, I helped, but I don't think I'm supposed to talk about the details.”

Cyclone waved her hoof dismissively, “Good details will put me to sleep. And before you ask, no I didn't bring my script with me.”

Wildfire laughed at that, almost spitting her coffee over the table. “S-So...teehee...so...catch up. I wanna know how you've been since we hung out last.”

Cyclone’s face literally lit up. Her smile was tangible. “I'm so happy you stopped by in Cloudsdale that Tuesday!” she reached over the table and squeezed Wildfire’s hoof. “Coming out here and meeting up with Bluefeather has given me a whole new outlook on life. Even with my mom passing, I'm at least back with my dad, and I think I'm back in with mom's family.”

“How are you dealing with that?” Wildfire asked, her yellow ears drooping back to her head at the mention of Cyclone’s mother. She recalled the phone call at Caffeinated’s place a few days ago now when Cyclone had told them all about what had happened to Monsoon. “I'm so sorry for you, hun, really. I’m sorry we couldn’t have been at the funeral.”

Cyclone smiled a sad smile. “Well, now I finally know what happened all those years ago. I really don't remember her much, but…having the closure is nice. Thanks, but I understand everypony had something to do. I would have liked to have been at the race though.”

Now, Wildfire smiled broadly, her ears back up. “It was a good one, well you saw what happened. Of course, Raid won. But, if you don't mind, back up, what did you do after I was sent to the home?” she asked curiously, taking another drink of her coffee.

About to answer, Cyclone was very pleased when she saw a police car pull up and Darkstar got out of it. Saved by the unicorn, it seemed. “Hey, does Darkie work for the police?” she asked, successfully and skilfully changing the subject. Thankfully, Wildfire was still easily distracted.

“Um...nopes!” Wildfire replied, setting her mug back down on the table, “She's a dancer in the theatre, isn’t she?”

“I'm here!” Darkstar declared loudly, opening the door with her yellow magical aura and entering in typical low key style by executing a perfect grand jete. “Now the party can start.”

“A police car just dropped her off…” Cyclone said with a shake of her head, though the exhibitionist in her thoroughly admired the looks the white unicorn was getting as she danced her way over to their table. “And she’s danced her way in.”

Wildfire giggled, imagining the understated entrance she knew her friend liked to make. “Darkie...I know you said you wanted a taxi, but that's a bit much, don’t you think?”

“National hero, don't you know?” Darkstar smiled sweetly and serenely as she floated onto the seating pad next to Cyclone. Once she was seated, she waved a hoof at the barista, who was still staring open-mouthed at her remarkable entrance. “Caramel Macchiato please!”

“Wily,” Cyclone giggled, “Darkie likes caramel!” she giggled even louder when Darkstar raspberried her for her sass.

“At least we know she isn't a changeling!” Wildfire laughed, feeling straightaway like she had gone back in time five years as Darkstar turned her raspberry cannon on her too.

A few minutes later, and a stallion that Wildfire didn't recognise delivered Darkstar’s drink. This wasn’t entirely unexpected to the blind mare, especially as Airmail had told her that Caffeinated had left to go to the Broncs in light of the fire. “Here you go ma'am,” the earth pony smiled and left them to it.

Wildfire giggled at the raspberry she received from her friend. “So...I motion that this become the new Cafe Diem!” she said with a well-intentioned smile.

Darkstar shuddered, her white fur standing on end as she did so. She knew Wildfire didn’t mean any harm, but it still transported her all the way back to that day in Canterlot four years ago. “I-I don't think that is a good idea. I like Stripes the way it is…”

“Yeah,” Cyclone said quickly, she saw the immediate change in Darkstar, she knew what the last four years had cost her friend. “The zebra might resist a name change, Wily.”

“No um...I only meant between us,” Wildfire said, her voice faltering as she too noticed the change in Darkstar’s tone. “Um...what have I said?”

Cyclone rested her black hoof on the white unicorn’s foreleg and squeezed it gently, taking care to not hurt her many scars that she knew were just under her fur. “Darkie, you going to be okay?”

Darkstar looked down at the red table top, her yellow eyes clenched shut. “I-I don't know, Cy…”

Still squeezing her friend’s foreleg, Cyclone saw the evident confusion on Wildfire’s face. She felt a great deal of sympathy for her, she understood being out of the loop so long, she didn’t know what or what not to say. “Wily,” she said gently, “that place is a very, very bad memory.”

Darkstar opened her eyes. She was doing her very best to resist ‘Darkie’s’ voice that was surfacing in her head. She knew she had to take control of this quickly, lest she lose control again. “I-I'm going to use the bathroom.” Quickly, taking her bag with her medication in it, the white unicorn got up and fled to the nearest restroom.

“But...” Wildfire’s confusion was as great as ever, her yellow ears tracked the sound of her friend’s diminishing hooves as they moved across the tiled floor. “Cy, what did I say?”

“You'll have to forgive her,” Cyclone answered quietly, the humour gone from her voice. “That café is the place where she was attacked.”

“Oh...” Wildfire was stunned. Absolutely stunned. “I um, I had no idea, Cy, really I didn’t...that's kinda why I wanted the catch up, to see what we'd been doing...I'm sorry.”

Cyclone emptied her coffee, to buy her a little thinking time. Already a little cold, it tasted horrid but she didn’t care. “So am I. I didn't know how much of her back story you had since you were there when she was healed.”

“Well...not much, hun.” Wildfire admitted, feeling more than a little bit wretched at how badly she’d stuffed her hoof in her mouth. “Just what my dad did to her from you on the phone, and I was in a nursery talking foals with Octavia and Tempest when she was being healed.”

Cyclone took a deep breath. Steeling herself to tell this most vile of stories. “From what we can tell, her salted caramel donut was drugged. I think Cold Front or one of his cronies put it on her table and she ate it, of course she did.”

“Oh...” realising at last her massive error, Wildfire facehooved. “I'm so thick!”

Unperturbed by the interruption, Cyclone continued. “When she comes back to the table, it will be like you never said anything. Go with it. She is seeing some shrink that seems to be helping her out.”

“Yuppers, I understand, Cy. Um...” Wildfire took a long slow sip of her coffee. “Is any other topic taboo?”

Cyclone thought about that for a few moments, trying to decide what to tell her for the best. “I would avoid her time with Raid and Cold Front all together,” the jet black mare said finally, looking over to the closed bathroom door, “She may bring up Raid depending on how she feels about it.”

“O-Okay...” Wildfire sniffed, crying in her own way, “I am sorry...”

“Knowledge is power.” Cyclone said with a little smile. All the sorrys in the land wouldn’t change what happened to them all, and she wasn’t sat here to hear her friend apologise over and over again. “I just wish somepony had told me that a few years ago.”

Wildfire’s ears perked straight up at that, not in the least because she heard Darkstar’s hoof-steps coming back to their table. “Why,” she asked carefully, “what happened to you?”

Cyclone looked out of the window at the sidewalk and the shops. “The reason I moved to Cloudsdale.”

Like a floating leaf, Darkstar delicately sat her slender frame back down on her seating pad. “Now, that is a story that will educate the young.” She giggled when, reaching for her macchiato, Cyclone raspberried her.

Again, Cyclone took a deep breath. Wildfire was her friend, she deserved to know what had happened. She was just thankful that Bluefeather had helped her come to terms with everything. “I really got in to the whole adult foal scene and I was enjoying the simple life of being a foal. But, sometimes pretending just doesn't do ‘it’.” She explained, tears of regret welling in her blue eyes.

Just as Cyclone had comforted her, now it was Darkstar’s turn to reach out a hoof and squeeze her black foreleg. “We've all gone down the path of foolishness, Cy.”

If it was possible, Wildfire felt even worse than before when she heard Cyclone cry. “Oh um...look I'm sorry, I didn't want to dredge up painful memories. I ah, I just wondered what we'd all been up to, that’s all.” Wildfire realised then that both of her friends had lived through a lot in the last few years, just as she had.

Darkstar actually smiled. She knew just like Cyclone did that it wasn’t Wildfire’s intent to upset either of them. It was just that they both had pasts, now. Still, she did her best to put her friend at ease. “I've been seeing a shrink for years and I’m currently getting rutted by a hunky zebra.”

Cyclone caught Darkstar’s grin. “I wet my nappies!”

Wildfire giggled, feeling instantly better. “Well, that certainly sounds interesting.”

Darkstar nodded to her black friend. “You first, Cy.”

“Okay.” Again, for the third time, Cyclone took a deep breath. She was very, very grateful that she had Darkstar there for moral support. “So, I wanted to better experience what it was like being a foal. Went to a zebra shaman in Ponyville and I got some potions that do age regression. Raid was my foal keeper and we played well together.” Pausing, Cyclone let out a heavy sigh. “One day I really wanted to play for a long weekend and I overdosed on the potions. Yeah, I was a foal with no control. I hugged and kissed a little filly.”

It was only the presence of both Darkstar’s and Wildfire’s hooves squeezing her forelegs that she was able to carry on. “I was able to avoid prison, just, but I was banished from Canterlot. Still am, a bit. So I started over in Cloudsdale. Because of the overdose though I really do need to wear these nappies.” Cyclone smiled bitterly, the soft padding under her pink dress making a poofing sound as she moved. “I was working a dead end job in the Cloudsdale weather factory then you stop in and bang. I have a new foal keeper in Bluefeather. She had me reconnect with my dad and now I'm a porn star!”

Darkstar clapped her hooves together when Cyclone finished her story. “Whoop!” Wildfire cheered and joined in the applause. “And I'll bet you'll be awesomes at it too! I remember all the stuff we used to get up to way back when.”

“Darkie’s turn.” Was all Cyclone said to that, though she appreciated the applause.

Darkstar took several sips of her macchiato to steady herself. “My story is darker to be sure.” She started with a sigh. “It started when you disappeared. All of us knew it was Cold Front's doing!” she exclaimed, hitting the table with her hoof. “Tartarus if he didn't have an excuse every time. The line was, you were in Filly with family that you never told any of us about.”

Taking another drink, Darkstar almost faltered. Almost. Thankfully, her medication was taking effect. “Raid was a complete wreck after you vanished. I…I had to make myself look like you with my illusions just so she could get through a day. I swear she was going to do herself in again, like she almost did as a filly.”

Darkstar had to use every bit of Ruby Tuesday’s and Requiem’s advice, as well as thinking of Slate, to continue. “It was getting to be too much for her, but I failed to cut her off cold turkey. Then, Luna gave her a nightmare to end all nightmares. I did agree to be her filly friend though, just…I was only willing to go so far. Snuggling and kissing was okay, but not much more than that.”

Wildfire listened to all this with rapt, morbid attention. “Wait, you mean when she tried to cut off her wings?” she asked, looking at once shocked and stunned at what she was hearing. “I had no idea Air Raid would be like that. In the hospital, she was so cold...I um...”

“She's an idiot.” Darkstar said sharply, cutting across her blind friend. “I said that to her face a number of times. You remember the flowers I brought you? Raid was on the street with some crummy two bit flowers for you, but no guts to go in. I took them from her and she sped off. I left those in the trash at the nurse's station.”

“The daffodils you bought me.” Wildfire nodded sadly. “I remember, Darkie. I...I'm sorry, I owe you all such a huge apology.” She twiddled her forehooves together, “I um...I thought you'd all forgotten about me.”

“Sometimes I think it would have been better if we had.” Darkstar commented, somewhat coldly.

Cyclone again had her hoof on her friend’s foreleg. “Darkie…”

Darkstar simply shrugged her white shoulders. “It's just truth. Thing is, we didn't.”

“I ah,” Wildfire sniffed, “I get that, hun. I really didn't think I'd see or feel any of you, ever again.”

“Yeah, well Brightstar decided to hunt you down in Filly,” Darkstar continued, “but he found love instead. You know me and him were always good at languages. So he found himself a griffon and he's still there with her today. Working in the police department. Raid and I kept hounding Cold Front and one day he broke Raid's muzzle with a door. She started to back off after that.”

“What happened with you and Dusk?” Cyclone interrupted her friend as a thought occurred to her about their other friend. “After his visit to the hospital, he just dropped off the radar. He never left the palace walls and he completely shut the rest of us out.”

As she was cut across, Darkstar gave Cyclone a very withering little glare, but admittedly she was curious about it too. Wildfire, oblivious to the stares, turned her head towards the jet black pegasus. “I'll answer you first, Cy. Dusky came to see me on his own after he and his mom had been and left the reward cheque.”

Now, it was Wildfire’s turn to take a deep breath as she prepared to tell her friends her story. “He didn't know what to say, and he kept apologising to me. I...I yelled at him.” She smiled, picturing her friend’s reactions to that. She almost never raised her voice. “No...I really laid into him. I said some hurtful things. I blamed him for what Blitzwing did. See, he admitted he had given the scroll to Blitzwing to get a reaction. I said...I said...I wished it was him in the bed instead of me. He kept saying sorry and I got more and more wound up. I told him to get out and leave me alone.”

Darkstar sniffed. She remembered what Dusk had been like shortly afterwards when she, along with Cyclone and Air Raid, had encountered the royal stallion in Sugarcube Corner. “I'm sure he is still as clueless today, Wily.”

“Hang on,” Cyclone held up her hoof, “I didn't know about the scroll, what scroll?”

“I'm sure he is, Darkie.” Wildfire giggled, “You see, Cy, Dusky wanted a way to really get at Blitz. He got a scroll from his aunt saying she had written off his whole family. He effectively ruined them all. So, Blitz lost it and threw the first thing he got his hooves on, which just happened to be the acids.”

“Other than Luna,” Darkstar sniffed derisively, “I wouldn't give a barrel of horseapples for any of the royals.”

Cyclone nodded. “I can agree with your there, Darkie.”

Wildfire however, shook her head in disagreement. “I've got a lot of time for Octavia, and Dusky for that matter, since he freed me.”

“That is a story after mine then,” Darkstar said, eager to finish now that she had started.

Cyclone though, cut across her white friend again. “Wow, Dusk busted you out?” again, Darkstar gave her a glaring look. “Oh, yeah, after Darkie finishes, of course.”

Darkstar rolled her yellow eyes and levitated up her mug to finish off her macchiato. “Thank you so much for your permission, Cy.”

Wildfire giggled, “You may continue, horny pony.”

“Ha, ha, ha...” Darkstar set her empty mug down and cancelled her spell. “Well, as I said, Raid did back off the search for you, but I'm a stubborn idiot, as Cy will be happy to tell you.”

Cyclone snickered, “I am.”

“So,” Darkstar continued, “I was this close to tracking you down. I was positive you never left Canterlot, but...half a year later I wake up from a comma with Raid next to my hospital bed. She looked like Cerberus was using her for a chew toy.”

Darkstar was extremely grateful when she felt two different hooves squeeze hers. “An anti-graffiti patrol found me in an alley in the Warehouse District. I was supposed to be a dead example of what happens when you look for Wildfire. Raid stuck to me like glue and keep me from killing myself many times. It cost her Slingshot. He’s with Windcharger now, and doesn't connect with any of us.”

The lithe white unicorn smiled, “For a long time I was thinking of switching sides on the whole sex thing because Raid was starting to look really hot. Some doc in Ponyville tried to get my head on straight. She let me play with a knife in her office, but I couldn't touch one outside her office.”

Darkstar could sense the questions coming her way and headed them off. “I had...no, still have a bit of a split personality. Dangerous Darkie and Safety First Darkstar. It’s all still here,” she tapped her head, “But I have medication, and it helps, a lot.”

“Cy told us all about that, about you hurting yourself I mean. Darkie I'm so, so sorry that happened to you…” again, Wildfire reached over the table in search of her friend’s hoof.

“Well,” Darkstar smiled, “I'm seeing Requiem now, and she’s assured me I'm not crazy. I'm still not too sure about it, but I'm moving on. Got Slate, and some of the zebra's are still stand offish as I'm a unicorn, but the police like me enough to give me a ride here. Made some other friends and now I'm dancing like I always dreamed of doing.”

Cyclone made with a very, very exaggerated sigh. “I’m still waiting for tickets.”

Wildfire managed a little smile. “That's properly awesomes, Darkie! I'm so glad you're both where you wanna be.”

At that, both Darkstar and Cyclone shared a meaningful look. “Not where I wanna be,” Cyclone said, “but I'm making the best of what I have.”

Darkstar nodded. “What she said.”

“That’s all we can do, right?” Wildfire sighed, taking a preparatory deep breath. “My turn. It was Dusk who freed me. After two...it might be three, years, I don’t really know, I was Amethyst Glory's favourite. I earned myself some privileges. One was to see my mum on her birthday. That's when and where Dusk found me. He was visiting her too, with Vocal Chord.”

“The singer?” Cyclone asked, unaware that Dusk had still been with Vocal for that long.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded solemnly. “He was still with him then. Well...when Dusk saw me, he insisted on walking me back to the care home. I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't listen to me.”

“Did you get in trouble for it?” Darkstar asked softly.

Quietly, Wildfire nodded her head. “After Dusk left, Amethyst was angry. I knew she would be. She couldn't beat me then, but she did worse…” Wildfire shuddered, “Sh-She locked me in the box instead.”

Darkstar looked puzzled. “Box?”

“Oh wow,” Cyclone was awed, and not in a good way. She wasn’t affected by the pegasi’s racial fear of claustrophobia, but she knew plenty who were, like Wildfire and Air Raid to name a few. “That’s like taking your wings away without binding them.”

Darkstar got it. “Oh...”

Wildfire’s ears slicked all the way back. “It…It…It was two feet by three feet. Too small even for me. I'd be left in there for up to four days. I've never known terror like it. Amethyst used the box because it was the only thing she could do to me that got to me. I was proud of the beatings.”

“You did have a thing for that.” Darkstar said with a faltering smile.

“Yuppers, I know hun. Over the years it became normal.” Wildfire laughed, though there was no humour in the laugh. “I was proud, to be her favourite slave. Anyway, Dusk kept on coming to see me, and one time, the last time, he had a civic event over here in Manehatten opening a new hospital wing. While he was here he met Caffy and he was invited to the bondage night party.”

Unable to stop herself, Cyclone interrupted again. “I'm sort of looking forward to that. I want to get with a pony named Lavender. The gaming night was a blast!”

Darkstar rolled her eyes, playfully slapping Cyclone for her interruptions. “Says the nappy wearing pony. I'm still working on Slate to come to a BDSM night. I really, really want him to come.”

“You said on the phone the other day you got an isolation suit...” Wildfire couldn’t help but shudder at that. “Anyway, at the party it all came out. I asked to be Mistress Mapper's pet. There's a Mare's Room. I'd gotten to know Airmail and Tempest quite well...and I told them everything. I showed them my wings.”

“Yeah,” Cyclone shifted on her seating pad, making her nappy squeak under her dress, “I didn't know about your thing with a box when I told you that, honest.”

Darkstar however was curious again. “Show them what, about your wings?”

Wildfire shook her head. “Cy, it's cool, really. If that's your thing, you wierdo pony.” She giggled before turning back to Darkstar. “Well, my wings. They broke them. The wardens broke them, again and again. I had scars under the feathers from all the breaks. Just like they'd break my ribs and my legs. When one leg would heal, they’d break another, and so on.”

Despite saying it might have been better had they not found her, Darkstar felt her eyes watering. “Sounds like you got more breaks than me, Wily.”

“Oh,” Cyclone grinned in an effort to lighten the mood, “we’re comparing scars. I got a really bad nappy rash once!” Foregoing her usual eye roll, Darkstar facehooved instead.

Wildfire burst out laughing, “That nappy rash can be a bugger, right Cy? So...Tempest thundered up the stairs at Caffy's place and told Dusk everything I'd told them. He took off and rainboomed all the way back to Canterlot. He and Luna took care of the wardens.”

Cyclone nodded. “I saw in the papers a bit about some care home scandal with a big bank scandal uncovered and investigated the same day.”

Darkstar sniffed. “I wasn't reading papers at the time.”

“That was us, Cy.” Wildfire explained. “We found out that Dad had been getting money from Amethyst Glory and had cleared out my bank account for me.”

“So much for hitting you up for bits…” Darkstar said, making Cyclone burst out in a fit of giggles.

Wildfire giggled at that, “Well, later in the day, Luna and Dusk showed up at Caffy's. She...tested me, down in the dungeon.”

“Math exam?” Cyclone asked, sharing a hoof bump with Darkstar as they both broke out in gales of laughter.

Wildfire took a moment to raspberry Cyclone and Darkstar very long, and very loud, one after the other, which just made them laugh harder. “Ha. Ha.” She deadpanned. “As it happens I'm planning on doing an online night school to improve my math. No...they, Luna and Mapper, suspended me upside down and just left me there. To see if I'd use my safe word.”

“I'm going to guess you passed the test?” Darkstar asked.

Cyclone however was interested for a different reason. “Oooh, that sounds kinda cool.”

Wildfire simply shuddered at the memory of swinging, limbs and wings tied up and unable to move, upside down in Caffeinated’s dungeon. “It…it was terrifying. Just like being in the box. If...if I hadn't passed, Luna was going to send me to another care home in Canterlot.”

“Buck.”

Darkstar looked from Wildfire to Cyclone and back again. “What she said.”

“She had to do it.” Wildfire said in a very tiny voice. “I had no sense of self preservation. But...I passed. It was all good. The next day I went to Airmail and Tempest's house. Then, after an Open Mic night here in this coffee shop. Back at Caffeinated’s place, Luna healed my wings.”

“Yeah,” Darkstar shrugged, “when she healed my horn there are no scars. It’s as useful as a foal's horn, but hey, it’s better than that Tartarus damned inhibitor ring.”

“Think Luna would cure my nappy rash?” Cyclone asked with a twinkle in her blue eyes that made Darkstar facehoof again.

Wildfire laughed out loud at that. “You're more than strong enough to prank me, Darkie. You just need to work on it. So, there we are. You're both just about up to date. I asked Airmail to marry me last Tuesday, and tomorrow I'm gonna get pregnant!”

“Whoa…” Cyclone’s mouth hung open. She knew full well that was what Wildfire had always wanted. A foal was her heart’s desire. “You? Pregnant...”

Darkstar too was very interested. Like Cyclone, she knew Wildfire had harboured a wish for a foal for a long time. “Hospital or the old fashioned way? If you want, I can line you up a fine zebra.” The thought alone of just asking Slate and seeing his reaction made her giggle.

In a very good imitation of her friend, Cyclone performed a perfect eye roll. “Better than the stallions I work with.”

“The old fashioned way.” Wildfire smiled, “And while I appreciate the offer, Darkie, I'm spending the weekend with Belle and Tinkerer from the herd.”

“Belle is one of the theatre ponies.” Darkstar commented, “I've seen her with Recital.”

Cyclone tapped her chin with her hoof, apparently in thought. “I don't remember that one from the gaming night, then again I really wasn't paying a lot of attention.”

“She's super nice!” Wildfire exclaimed, “And everypony said what a well behaved filly you were, Cy.”

Cyclone’s mood dipped a little, though it was enough to be noticed by the other two mares at the table. “Just takes once and you realise how important your actions can be. Serenity made it a lot of fun, and the teenagers minding us really helped.”

“After that one idiot zebra called me a witch,” Darkstar snickered, thinking of the poor unfortunate Roast who ended up being ejected not only from Caffeinated’s ranch but from Manehatten itself to the Crystal Empire, “the night was straight up bliss after that.”

Wildfire giggled, she remembered that incident as well as Darkstar did. “So, Cy. When are you going back to the zebra in Ponyville and getting a cure or a counter for the potions you overdosed on?”

Cyclone swiped at the red table with her hoof. “Blue nags me enough, I don't need your nagging too, Wily.”

“Then she's a good pony.” Wildfire said as Darkstar giggled, “You should listen to her.”

Cyclone grunted in frustration, she shot Darkstar a ‘look’ that she knew was understood, she just hoped the sound of her voice carried her feelings with it. “You're paid to listen to her. She just spanks me when I don't.”

Darkstar just giggled harder and raised her hoof up to the earth pony barista standing in for Caffeinated during his absence. “Refills please, sweetie!”

Wildfire though, didn’t get the hint. “Seriously though Cy, what's stopping you from going back to her?”

Having had quite enough, and not trusting herself to not lose it and yell at her friend, Cyclone clammed up. “Unless you're taking over as 'mom' let it go, Wily.” Darkstar said on the black pegasus’s behalf.

“Fine.” Wildfire sighed, “I'll drop it. I'm for a refill. You want one Cy, my treat?” she offered in an attempt to make amends.

When Cyclone simply nodded, Darkstar realised of course that her friend couldn’t tell, so she reached over the table and patted Wildfire’s foreleg. “I ordered them, so I got them, Wily.”

“Alrighty Darkie.” Wildfire acquiesced, not wanting to argue. Instead, she thought hard to change the subject. “Hey, I heard you're marrying your zebra, Darkie.”

“Yeah, once we make it past their tribal dating rituals.” Darkstar replied with a deep sigh. “His mom and his sis both like me. I think I'm making inroads to the rest of the neighbourhood too.” Now, the pure white unicorn shrugged a little. “We...We're going to Canterlot. I've met his mum, so...”

“Oh...oh right I see…” Wildfire knew what Darkstar meant by that. She was taking Slate to Canterlot, to the asylum, to meet her mother Shining Star. “As for the rest of the Broncs, you got that award that you won, surely that must carry some stroke, right?”

“Well,” Darkstar shrugged, “there are a lot of tribes and they are a clannish lot. Some don't even get along with each other, let alone an outsider like me.”

“You'll suss it out.” Wildfire stated confidently. “I'm more interested in your stallion. What's he like, what kinky stuff have you done? That sort of thing.”

“Yes,” Cyclone grinned as the earth pony barista bought over the fresh round of drinks to their table, “we need details. Lots of details.”

Darkstar took a moment to blow the steam off of her caramel macchiato and took a sip of it. “He’s more vanilla than a shake. Still, I got him to get me a collar, and I was able to get him to spank me.” she smiled a very happy smile as she ran her hoof along the collar around her neck. “He’s a work in progress, but I do love him. Nothing really kinky about the sex, except he likes me on my back so he and look me in the eye and swap spit.”

“Plenty of time for that.” Wildfire smiled, lifting her black coffee to her lips. “Airy and Stormy had me in hoof cuffs and stuff pretty much straight away, but I asked them for that. I needed it.”

“What’s a threesome like?” Cyclone asked curiously.

“Awesomes!” Wildfire squeaked happily, “Just about the best thing ever. Best one was when Stormy sat on my face and we ate each other out while Airy joined in…” she trailed off, her yellow wings fluttering at the very hot memory.

Likewise, Cyclone's black wings trembled but she managed to maintain control. Darkstar snickered at her friends. “Before you go on, Wily, let me move a bit, I don't want either of you taking my head off with a wing.”

Wildfire giggled at her white friend, she decided to tease Cyclone a bit. “Oh, and having my hard clit sucked on while my fiancé went at me like a piston with the stallionator...hmmm!” not only did her wings flutter now but her black tail flagged upwards too.

Cyclone's wings gave up and sprang out from her sides with an audible *poomf!* at her side, Darkstar laughed and nodded at the barista. “Sir, I think a mop is going to be needed over here soon!”

“Although,” Wildfire continued, “the total best time ever was when Airy hoofed me.”

Cyclone trembled, her right hoof wandering under the hem of her pink dress to the front of her nappy. “GAaahhahhhhh!”

Darkstar giggled around the mug she held in her magical aura. “You and hooves.”

“Hooves are awesomes!” Wildfire giggled, with a trace of a blush on her cheeks and her tail still up high. Unwittingly she was giving the poor barista a clear view, not that she cared. “They fit inside just right. Twice even, when we were over in Vanhoover.”

Somewhat flustered, Cyclone was busy with her hoof rubbing her nappy like she was trying to start a fire. Or put one out. “They like you hoofing them, too?” Darkstar asked curiously.

“Well...I've hoofed Airy, there um...there was some unpleasantness at first, which I won't go into, but after that it was just great!”

While Cyclone now had her hoof actually buried down the front of her nappy, Darkstar giggled as her friend moaned and smiled. “That sounds so hot.” Even though Cyclone had never been hoofed in her life, she really wanted to be about now.

Darkstar looked under the table. “Well, Cy's seating pad is still dry, can't say the same for yours though, Wily.”

“Aaah...n-no...” Wildfire squirmed a little on her damp patch, her tail hiked up very high indeed. At least Cyclone’s nappy was working. “After Airy came, I pulled my hoof out of her and licked it clean. Slowly.”

“You and hooves.” Darkstar rolled her eyes and shook her head playfully. “Glad some things never change.”

“Nggggggggh!” letting out a long grunt, Cyclone filled the inside of her nappy with her ejaculate as she came. “I-I ne-never saw the allure of hooves, then you may not have seen the appeal of nappies.” She said with a pleasured smile on her face as she rode out her climax at the table.

Darkstar chuckled, noticing that the earth pony stallion had disappeared behind the serving counter. “A good horn job beats both.”

“Mmmm!” now it was Wildfire’s turn to whimper, her heated aroused state really quite obvious. “H-Horns are cool!”

“Oh?” Darkstar asked with a raised eyebrow, “In your mouth or in you?”

Cyclone giggled, “I say it's hard to beat the touch of feathers between your hind legs.”

“I've ah...” Wildfire’s own wings popped when she thought about her experiences. Some great, and some not so much. “I've had plenty of experience of both, with horns, I mean.”

“You have?” Cyclone asked, sipping her coffee.

“Do tell.” Darkstar smiled, “I know Tempest and Airmail are pegasi. Details, Wily.”

Wildfire blushed very hard indeed. “The best time ever was a week ago last Thursday,” the blind mare started. She decided to gloss over all the unpleasant times with unicorns in the care home at the behest of Amethyst Glory. “After we made a scene in this posh restaurant in Canterlot, we went back to Dusk's suite and we all had some sexy fun.”

“Pfft,” Cyclone made a dismissive sound, “Dusk is another pegasus.” She wanted to hear about horns.

“Did you do his mom?”

“N-No...” Wildfire shook her head at Darkstar’s question. “Mistress Mapper and Serenity were there too, you see...” that just bought up another memory of Mapper, Serenity and Luna. That just made her squirm a little harder on her already damp seating pad. “I've been part of an eight-way with Luna though, at Caffeinated’s place.”

Whatever Darkstar had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been that. Her jaw hung open in utter disbelief. Cyclone shared her expression. “Tell me Dusk was there to witness that,” the black mare breathed, wishing her wings would behave.

“He was there, in the Stallion's Club room.” Wildfire replied as she sipped her coffee. “Let me see...Airmail, Belle and Snowfall preened her wings, Requiem and I tongued her hooves, Serenity licked her marehood, Mistress sucked her horn and Tempest rutted her over and over until she screamed Octavia’s name.

Darkstar looked at Cyclone. Cyclone looked at Darkstar. Both mares shared a hoof bump. “We so have to be there for your BDSM night.”

Over in the corner of the coffee shop, unseen and unnoticed by the other patrons, an orange unicorn watched and listened. Her horn glowed, muffling her hooves as they paced on the tiled floor, left then right, left then right. She drew no attention to herself, hiding in plain sight as her green eyes never once left the little yellow mare sat at the table with the other two ponies.

Her plans were going well.

Chapter 11 - Endings & Beginnings

By the time Wildfire made it home that Friday afternoon, punctually throwing open the back door of their town house at four thirty, Tempest was already at home, relaxing in the great room when the little yellow mare entered the kitchen. The first thing she heard was the sounds of the band Tempest liked, Black Sabbath. Not Wildfire’s cup of coffee, but it was alright. Ish.

Tempest, relaxing on the couch – or ‘working’ as she called it – flicked her ears as she heard the back door open. She knew it was Wildfire purely because it was too early for Airmail. Caught halfway between a particularly impressive air drum solo, the violet weather pony turned down her music to speaking volume. “Hey Wily! Pass your test?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed, bouncing happily into the great room through the short hallway from the dining room. She was still riding a high from attending that fire out in the Broncs. “It turned into a real test!”

Of course, Tempest, being the commander of the first battalion, knew all about it already. “Some of the second battalion helped you push that to the finish line.” Somewhat reluctantly, she got off of the couched and wrapped Wildfire up in a trademark mother hen hug. “You done real good, Wily. I’m proud of you.”

“It was fun!” and it had been, too. While she was working, she hadn’t been thinking how sore her wings would be working that hard, or of any possible dangers. She had just been Wildfire, in her element, working like she always had, like she was eighteen all over again. “Those weather ponies, Ice Crystal and Moonburst, who helped me were real nice!”

Tempest however was only concerned about Wildfire. “Still, pushing an eight stack.” She knew even though she’d had help, for much of the way, she had moved it on her own. “How were your wings after?”

“Awesomes!” Wildfire, still wrapped up in Tempest’s hug, wanted to keep on bouncing she was so elated. “I needed a breather after, but I got to rest when I bounced on the cloud. It was so responsible when they deferred to me to place it just where Comet wanted it.”

Tempest beamed a wide smile. She loved how humble her lover was, but she did wish she’d take credit for it. “It was your cloud, Wily, that’s why. News is still sketchy on the fire. Rung did announce it was arson, but nothing more. Mayor is playing close to the vest.” In between bouts of being Equestria’s next greatest air drummer, she had been watching the news. There had been extensive coverage of the fire, from the devastation of the warehouses to the fire ponies that had worked to put it out. In particular one brave hardworking yellow fire pony in charge of a huge cloud.

Wildfire, completely unaware that she had been filmed on the news, blushed a furious shade of deep red. Her conversation with Airmail still in her head, when she had said more than she should have. “Captain Comet did tell me what it was.”

“Did he know or guess what it was?” Tempest asked. She already had a very good idea what had caused the fire. Gossip and rumour had spread very quickly through the weather battalions.

“He said it was a bomb.” Wildfire replied. She figured she was safe telling Tempest. Her herd-mate was a high ranking pony, and besides she knew if the weather ponies were involved in helping, then official reports would’ve trotted on down the grapevine to Tempest anyway. “You don't guess about stuffs like that, Honey. I think it was something to do with unicorns and zebras in the Broncs.”

That just confirmed what Tempest pretty much already knew from her reports. “Caffy is hounding the mayor too. It was a Grass tribe warehouse and several business along the warehouse that went up in flames. Almost everypony thinks it was several bombs or some type of incendiary devices.”

Wildfire nodded, she was immediately reminded of the fire at Trixie’s Place in Canterlot with the magical self-replicating fireworks. The report afterwards had compared them to a bomb. “Pretty said Caffy had gone to try and deal with it when she called me earlier. When I met up with Darkie and Cy for lunch, Darkie had to be driven there by police.”

“Why?” Tempest asked, wondering what Darkstar had done to earn a police escort all of a sudden.

Wildfire had what she thought was the answer to that. Going by what her friend had said about having trouble ingratiating herself to the Broncs natives, she said, “Unicorn in the Broncs after an arson attack on zebra property that big? Fear of reprisals, probably.”

“Yeah, that could be it.” Tempest agreed now that she thought about it. “I remember that crazy zebra, Roast, last gaming day.” She commented, knowing full well that a good majority of zebras at best mistrusted magic, and at worst outright hated it. If she had a horn, the Broncs would be the last place she’d want to live.

“Yuppers...” Wildfire grinned, though she didn’t really want to talk about Roast very much. She was sure that Caffeinated had given the idiot what was coming to him. “The lunch was fun though, it was nice to have a proper catch up.”

Tempest smiled at that, especially as she had pulled Wildfire into a second tight hug. The couch was comfortable, but hugs were better. “Airy did suggest you catch up with everypony. Heals oneself and kills rumours.”

“It was...different.” Wildfire’s ears slicked back to her head, and her voice dropped ever so slightly as she recalled the lunch catch up. While her friends had been, well, her friends, and they had all had a good time eventually, they weren’t the same as she remembered. “They, were different.”

“Time will do that, Wily,” Tempest said with a smile and a well-placed kiss to her little lover’s nose, “but it will also take time to reconnect. And time to adjust to the ponies as they are now and not the ponies that you remember.”

“Yuppers, I know, Honey...” Wildfire let out a deep sigh. She knew Tempest had a very good point, of course she did, and she was right too, wasn’t she? Wildfire knew that they had all done a lot of living in the five years since they had all been the tight circle of friends they used to be. “We…we'll get there, I guess.”

“Only if all of you want to.” Tempest smiled, laying another tender little kiss on Wildfire’s nose, this time following it up with a few more all over her acid scars. “On the other hoof, you will get there. After all, you are a stubborn mare.”

“I've had to be…” Wildfire started, her ears still back on her head. Suddenly she smiled, her mood flipping right around as she beamed a wide smile and stomped on her maudlin mood. “You love it too! So, are you looking forward to going out later?”

Tempest laughed. She couldn’t help it when she saw again how fast Wildfire’s mood could change. Idly she wondered what was behind that, whether that was always the case, or if it was another side effect of her trauma. “Ah, yes, some uppity restaurant here on Stallion Island. I made reservations twelve years in advance knowing this day would arrive.”

For a split second the literal pony that lived in Wildfire’s head tried to work that out, before she burst out laughing. “Foresight indeed, my big sexy weather pony.”

Tempest snickered, very pleased her little joke had been successful. “Yeah, you know? It wasn't easy either. The restaurant is only five years old and the owner was fourteen when I made the reservations.”

Wildfire, dissolving into fits of sniggering giggles, had to hold up a hoof so that she could breathe. “Oh...oh st-stop...please!”

“Airy said she would meet us there so we have a couple of hours before our reservation.” Tempest said, finally relenting.

Wildfire knew just the best way to spend those couple of hours. So, you, me, bed, sexy snuggles?”

Tempest however had a much better idea. Using her remote, she turned off the stereo. “Hmm…how about you, me, bed, but I preen and you get preened. Then we have sexy snuggles.”

“Alrighty!” There was no way in Equestria that Wildfire was going to object to a preening from Tempest.

Upstairs in their bedroom, Tempest wasted no time at all going into the Preening Zone. She did however allow Wildfire time to get on the bed. Just. The moment she started her work, Tempest’s aim was to hopefully take her lover over the edge doing so.

During the heavy preening session, Tempest was very pleased when Wildfire obliged her by climaxing twice, once for each wing. Tempest herself was lost in her own little subspace. Delivering a preening always did that to her. When she finally came down from her own orgasmic high, she judged it was snuggle time.

At six thirty in the evening, the alarm sounded, rousing both mares from their half slumbering snuggles. “Waking up in the evening is much more my thing.” Tempest grinned in Wildfire’s embrace, stretching her powerful violet wings.

Held in Tempest’s embrace, Wildfire giggled, duly stretching like a cat on the bed when she was at last released. “Oh, you night owl, you!”

“Hoot!” Tempest made a very passable impression of a breed of owl that Wildfire had never ever heard of before as she fluttered her wings and hovered her way to the closet. The moment she landed however, she spent a good long minute stretching her legs until her muscles popped. “So,” she said with a satisfied sigh, “this being a fancy Canterlot restaurant, how much should we dress up?”

“Oh,” Wildfire snickered, “we should totally dress up! To the nines!”

Already in position by the closet door, Tempest winged it open. “That means socks!” as if she needed an excuse to wear socks. Any mare knew that any occasion was a good occasion for socks.

“I was thinking we dress to the tens,” Wildfire grinned as she got off the bed, “that means socks, lingerie and a dress!”

“Lingerie?” Tempest, who had turned to investigate the untold depths of their closet, was given pause at that. She turned back to face her diminutive lover. “Lingerie, for a restaurant?”

Wildfire simply shrugged her shoulders. “Airy said she'd like it.”

“Okay,” Tempest wasn’t wholly convinced, but on the other hoof, it wasn’t exactly indecent apparel, and Wildfire did fill out the skimpy garments quite nicely. “Fair warning, if they toss you out, I get your meal.”

“Hmm,” Wildfire tapped her chin, apparently in thought, “that seems fair, my love.”

Grinning, Tempest turned back to the open closet and spent a moment looking through her outfits. She passed over the rows of tuxedos on their hangers. Tonight wasn’t a night for playing the stallion. Not yet, anyway. Eventually she settled upon a rather fetching cream coloured ensemble. “I have an outfit with a saddle I could wear. Quite sexy it is, too.”

“O-Oooh?” Wildfire’s imagination began to run away with her, just a little, and at the thought of Tempest in a sexy outfit, her wings fluttered just a bit. The details weren’t important, she concentrated on Tempest’s body encased in something sexy. That was enough.

Smirking at the effect she was having, Tempest pulled the outfit from its hanger and leant in close to Wildfire and whispered in her ear, “Should I go with or without panties?”

“HNNNG...” the picture in her head of Tempest wearing the very thin fabric over her mound was all Wildfire needed. “With!” she squeaked, her yellow wings springing out from her sides to stand very erect indeed.

“I'll take that as a yes, I think.” Tempest giggled as she delved back into her underwear drawer in the closet. “Going to be a whole lot of fun getting that corset on you.”

Wildfire tried, with no success whatever to get her wings back down where they belonged. “St-Stupid things…d-daamn wings...” only then did she notice her black tail was hiked up too.

Retrieving the clothes from the closet, Tempest laid them out on the bed and quickly she moved behind Wildfire, only to dart in with her nose directly under her tail. “Panties I think will be easy to get on,” she breathed with a giggle.

Wildfire automatically parted her hind legs and panted like the mare in heat that she was. “Y-Yuppers!”

All up her diminutive lover’s nethers, Tempest placed a series of well-aimed kisses before she stood up. She could easily have carried on, but it wasn’t the time for that. “Well, let’s get you dressed then, after I'm done though, so your wings have a chance to calm down.”

Wildfire sought out Tempest’s lips, using the scent of herself as a guide and kissed her lips gently. “Good idea, Honey.” Straining her sensitive ears, Wildfire listened to her older herd-mate put on her sexy outfit. She fancied, as she listened hard, that she could identify the corset going on, then the socks and finally the dress. As she listened, she fished for a non-sexy conversation. “How was your day?”

“Dangerous!” Wriggling her way into her cream dress, Tempest snickered as she smoothed it over her flank with her hooves. “I came so close to a work related injury!”

“Paper cut?”

“Had to reload the stapler. Twice. Dangerous stuff that.” Tempest laughed and did a twirl in front of the full length mirror that was on the inside of the closet door. She liked that she saw, a lot. Shame she couldn’t rut herself. “Give this outfit a feel, Wily.”

“Lethal weapons in the wrong hooves,” Wildfire giggled, thinking of Airmail and her paperclip launcher. Now her wings were folded back down and behaving themselves, she moved forwards towards the sound of Tempest’s voice and she felt the dress.

With her sensitive, inquisitive hooves, Wildfire felt her way along the silk dress that Tempest was so admirably wearing. She felt the high split that she was sure showed her cutie mark and she felt the decorative saddle with its stiff lacy fabric border. Moving down, she felt the socks, one after the other, and on her head there was a small pill box hat. “Ooooh…” Wildfire made many ‘oooh’s’ as she made a very thorough inspection indeed. “That is so sexy.”

“I’m afraid the panties were too hard to put on…” Tempest purred as she draped them over her nose. “An assist may be needed.”

“Gaaa...” Wildfire’s wings sprouted outwards once more, making Tempest laugh. “I can do that! Yes I can!” She announced confidently. While Tempest’s laugh became giggles, she didn’t make it too hard for her to slide the panties up her hind legs. She did appreciate it though when Wildfire used her snout in between her legs to make sure the gusset was all snug. “There. All done, Honey.”

“Thank you,” Tempest smiled, shaking her ass in Wildfire’s face, seeing as how her muzzle was still there between her thighs. “Now your turn.” She tapped her chin a couple of times, pondering what to suggest, when it came to her. “I'm going to guess that you'll wear what you wore for Airy the other evening?”

“Yuppers, Honey.” Wildfire agreed quickly. She liked it and she knew Airy liked it as well. “I was thinking that, but with a dress as well.”

“Aaaah,” Tempest smiled, seeing where Wildfire was headed with her idea. “Yes, that would work well.” She looked in the closet once more, this time at Wildfire’s section. In spite of her recent purchases from Coco’s shop, the little mare’s selection of dresses was still woefully inadequate compared to Airmail’s and her own. “The one from Canterlot? There is the one you got downtown too.”

“Umm...” Wildfire had a little think about that one. After a second however she made her choice. “The one from downtown, I think, Honey.” Purely because the dress she had bought from Coco’s shop was a darker shade of blue than her lingerie, so both would be visible.

“Yes, that would certainly complement your inner garments. I approve of this plan!” Tempest declared with a giggle as she carefully pulled Wildfire’s clothing choices from the closet and set them out on the bed.

Wildfire couldn’t help but giggle, as she followed each rustle of fabric with her sharp ears. “I should get a stamp, 100% Tempest Approved!”

“I agree,” Tempest giggled, working out the best place to put such a stamp if she had one. “It will look nice when I stamp your cutie marks with it.”

Wildfire giggled some more behind her hoof, “We so need to do that!”

“Right, well, let's see if we can get this corset on you.” Tempest said in a more serious, determined tone, picking up the light blue corset in her mouth and deciding the best way to go was the way she had dressed her little lover last time. Least it was easy, with Wildfire being so much shorter than she was.

“My wings are behaving, at least.” Wildfire offered, fluttering said wings outwards just a little as Tempest slid the corset over her barrel.

“For now.”

“Ah!” Wildfire gasped when, with a seeming passion, Tempest tightened up the corset with the strings running down her back. Thankfully she was pretty slender to start with. “For now.”

“I'm sure Airy will work on that.” Tempest grinned, knowing full well as she pulled on the panties and the peephole bra that Airmail would do just that. “Then again, she’ll be distracted by these…” the weather pony ran her violet hoof over Wildfire’s exposed nipples. “These are Airy's favourite part to play with.”

“Ooooh...hmmmm y-yes they are!” Thanks to her heat, the very slight touch of Tempest’s hoof was enough to send shockwaves all the way through Wildfire’s body, leaving her panting like she’d ran the Running of the Leaves.

Tempest giggled, mercifully she decided not to torment Wildfire any longer. Yet, anyway. “Socks next and we’ll take Airy’s with us too so she won't feel underdressed.”

“That's a good idea, Honey.” Wildfire agreed. When Tempest passed her one blue and purple sock after the other, she pulled each one up her legs. “We can't have an underdressed Airy, can we?”

“No, but I’m afraid I'll be far too busy eating, so you'll have to put her socks on for her.” Tempest snickered, safely placing the yellow and purple socks in her pouch. “Airy often gets confused as to which hoof is which.”

Wildfire giggled, “I'm sure I can manage that, Honey.”

“Very good, we can't let Airy run about with all four socks on one leg.”

“Never!” Wildfire burst out laughing, “though, it would be a little funny!”

“Bridle?” Tempest asked finally, spotting the blue bridle hanging up in the closet and deciding it would finish the diminutive mare off a treat.

Wildfire thought so too. “Hmm...yuppers, I think so, complete the look, as it were.”

Smiling to herself, thankful that Wildfire was quite literally up for anything, Tempest pulled the bridle out and, being careful to mind her acid scars that covered two thirds of her face, put the bridle on and gently buckled it in place. The last thing Tempest helped her on with was the flowing dark blue dress. “This will hide a lot of the lingerie, but not that bra.”

“Excellent!”

“Okay,” Tempest smiled as she checked the alarm clock in the bedroom for the time. “We have just over five minutes, you ready to fly, Wily?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squeaked excitedly almost before Tempest finished asking the question. Since her wings had been healed by Princess Luna, she was ready to fly almost anywhere. “I'm ready Honey, as long as I can follow your tail.”

Tempest nodded at that, realising that with the bridle in place, the flight headset wouldn’t exactly fit properly. “Will have to be my perfume though, as I don't think urine is the right scent for dinner.” With that, she reached for her favourite sandalwood perfume and sprayed it liberally around her hind quarters.

“Oh, I agree,” Wildfire sniffed the air and grinned. There was so much perfume on Tempest now that she was lit up like a Hearths Warming tree. It did make things very easy though when the violet mare trotted out of the bedroom and down the stairs. “Although, it might be the right scent for some after dinner fun later?” she asked hopefully.

“Yes it might!” Tempest agreed over her shoulder as she headed out of the back door without looking back. She knew Wildfire was following her.

As the two herd-mates took off into the darkening evening sky, their departure was observed by an orange unicorn, watching their every move from the bushes that hid her from view. ‘Just a little longer,’ she thought with a grim satisfied smile, ‘then revenge will be mine.’ She knew, with an even more sinister smile, that if Amethyst Glory were here, she would reward her for what she was going to do next.

~ ~ ~

“Welcome to Lot-to-Canter.” A chestnut brown unicorn stallion, smartly dressed in a tuxedo and bowtie, greeted Wildfire and Tempest as the two mares walked through the door of the very upmarket restaurant.

“Hello!” Tempest smiled, gifting the stallion a nod of her head. While this eatery certainly looked the part, with its white walls painted in a marble effect, gold trims and chandeliers, the violet mare was reminded that this wasn’t Canterlot. Mostly because the greeter was pleasant. “My friend here would like a braille menu, as she doesn't trust me to read the fancy food here correctly.”

The stallion gave Tempest, whose dress he approved of greatly, a confused look. “Fancy, ma’am?”

Wildfire giggled and, in her finest upper crust Canterlot accent said, “Please pardon my esteemed marefriend, she believes anything ‘Canterlot’ is fancy.”

Smirking, Tempest laid on her native Trottingham accent as thick as she could. Had she been in Canterlot that would’ve barred her from almost every restaurant in the Noble District, if not the whole Noble District itself. “Pfft! White bread is fancy!”

Beside her larger herd-mate, Wildfire had to really bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. “A menu sir, if you please.”

“Of course, ma’am.” The chestnut unicorn lit his horn, and, in a pale blue glow, levitated out a braille menu from under the podium he was stood behind. “This way, please.” He said with an easy smile. Passing Wildfire the menu, he turned to lead the two pegasi over to a vacant table.

“There will be three of us.” Tempest stated as she followed the unicorn greeter.

“Not a problem, ma’am.”

Walking along, Wildfire tried very hard to remember the place from her last visit with Airmail, but she just couldn’t. She just knew that it definitely wasn’t the Bread Bowl. She could also tell that they weren’t being led to an out-of-the-way nook where nopony else could see them, then again, were this Canterlot, she wouldn’t have been allowed through the door at all. “Thank you, sir.” She smiled as she walked with Tempest to the table.

Tempest too could tell the difference between Canterlot and Manehatten-Canterlot. None of the other diners paid them any mind, even though she was plainly here with another mare. “You take the window seat dear,” she said to Wildfire once they were at their table, “so you can watch out for Airy.”

Wildfire laughed. “Alrighty!” she slid into the vacant seating pad that Tempest had indicated, “I'll be sure to activate my sexy mare early warning system...beep!” she giggled, pointing her hoof in the direction of Tempest’s voice, “look! It's going off already!”

Chuckling, the chestnut unicorn stallion left them three menus before turning away. He liked ‘fun’ diners, and these mares promised to be that. “Your waitress will be along shortly for your drink order.”

Tempest giggled behind her hoof as they were left alone in what was quite a prominent table. It wasn’t the Princess’s Table or anything, but it was still in a good spot. “I'm sure your flank will bear up from her staring at it, Wily.” The violet pegasus glanced around, she saw the other diners; mares with stallions, mares with mares, stallions with stallions, some were threesomes, nopony paid anypony else any mind, she realised she preferred this to the real thing in Canterlot. “Any drink preference to celebrate this fine day?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire had the menu, running her hoof slowly along the bumps as she read what was on offer, presently she landed on one she’d never heard of before. “I'll have a bottle of this Pasture Prime beer, please Honey.”

“That sounds good.” Tempest vaguely remembered trying it once or twice before. She approved. “We’ll make it three Pasture Prime beers.” She made the order to a passing waitress who had stopped by their table.

Several moments later and there came a light tap of a hoof at the window behind where Wildfire was sat. She didn’t have to be a genius to know who that was. The little blind mare’s ears perked up and her head spun towards the window. “That's Airy! It’s her!”

Tempest, still looking at the drinks menu, didn’t look up. She was convinced they had made the right choice of beers. After all the Furlong Hops was just too hoppy. She giggled when she set the menu down. “Is your flank burning?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed, “That's totally it, that and I felt her eyes on my teats, too!”

Tempest waved at Airmail as the azure blue pegasus stepped inside the restaurant once she had moved aside to allow an orange unicorn mare to enter ahead of her, “I'm sure you'll feel more than that later on.”

Airmail trotted on over to their table and sat herself down next to Wildfire. She noticed the orange unicorn sat at a few tables over from them, but she soon paid her no mind at all. “Hi there sexy mares, this table open?”

“Yuppers! Only to sexy mares though, so you're in the club!”

Tempest playfully rolled her blue eyes. “Not a very exclusive club.”

“Well you're in it.” Airmail pointed out with a snicker.

“My accent is the second most sexy at this table.” Tempest said, waving her hoof dismissively in the air in a good imitation of a Canterlot noble.

Wildfire turned to the sound of Airmail’s voice and kissed her lips. “Yours is first!”

As Airmail giggled at the unexpected but not unwanted kiss, the waitress dropped off the three drinks. “Are you ready to order, ma’am?” she addressed Tempest, purely because she was closest.

“A bit more time, please.” Nodding to the weather pony, the waitress bustled off to serve somepony else.

Feeling the cold beer bottle pressed to her hoof, Wildfire lifted it up and took a little sip. Immediately her ears stood straight up. She hadn’t tried it before, but she liked the kick it had. “Wow, now that's a goodie!”

Airmail studied her bottle. She was sure she’d had this before, she just couldn’t place where. “Picture on the bottle is a really old mare in a wheat field.” She commented with a smile, still, it tasted nice.

“Thus the name, ‘Pasture Prime’,” Tempest giggled.

“Well, I do like the older mares…” Wildfire said in what she hoped was a suggestive tone.

“Stormy!” Airmail knew what Wildfire had intended, still, there was room for teasing. “Wily doesn't like me!” she wailed, even adding a pout for good measure.

Leaning over the table, Tempest patted Airmail's head with a hoof. “Give her time, she will see past your youth.”

Seeing as she had a mouthful of beer, Wildfire tried really hard not to giggle. “I love you just fine, Pretty,” she managed to say as she successfully swallowed her beer.

Tempest however continued to pat her herd-mate’s head. “See Airy, she is willing to overlook your youth.”

Wildfire blushed, “I am! I promise I am!”

“But…but…as I get younger, do you think she'll leave me?”

“I don't think so,” Tempest replied to Airmail’s not entirely rhetorical question, “maybe she will love changing nappies as much as you do.”

“Airy, I won't ever leave you, not ever.” Wildfire promised, though her sharp ears picked up the very serious undertones that hid just below the surface of her fiancé’s question. She decided she had to convince her mare. “Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service.”

If Airmail needed convincing at all, which in truth she didn’t, that would’ve done it. “Aw, Stormy! She is getting all poetic on me.”

“Hmhmm, I think you're safe then.” Tempest glanced at the waitress and saw she was serving the orange unicorn who had entered ahead of Airmail and knew she’d be back over any time soon. Picking up the menu again, she gave it a once over. “Look, they have that triple fried egg sandwich on the menu, it must really be Canterlot cooking.”

Wildfire giggled, “I told you it was!”

“What will the waitress do if I ask for brown slime?” Airmail asked, earning herself a round of sniggered giggles from Tempest as the violet pony swallowed some of her beer.

“She will think you a cultured mare who knows her sauces.” Wildfire sniffed, her nose in the air as she too took a sip from her bottle.

Airmail looked over her menu once, then she gave it a longer look. “I can't find snails anywhere on the menu.” This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as she wasn’t keen on them at all.

“Oh...oh, have they 'escar-gone'?” Wildfire asked, while not usually given to puns, she couldn’t resist an open goal like that.

“Must be gone alright.” Tempest sighed, having been beaten to the joke by literally a second. “I'm having the golden bowl with the emerald rice cakes.”

Again, Airmail pouted, this time at Tempest. “Now I'll have to have something different. Hmmm,” she scanned the menu she held for something she understood, or recognised, even. “The seitan picante sounds good, with some cashew mushroom pate.” She said, making her choice. “This stuff does sound like some dish at the castle.”

“Mmmm...” Wildfire murmured, scanning the braille menu with her hoof until she found her favourite section. “I'll go for...the mareoccan fish stew, I think.”

Tempest smirked and shared a hoof bump with Airmail. Both mares had been betting that Wildfire would go for fish. Airmail lost. “We can sample each other’s plates.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea as long as your sample isn't half of my plate.” Airmail said warningly. She had eaten with Tempest before.

Tempest put a foreleg over her forehead and gasped, “Moi?”

“Vous.”

“Wily,” Tempest giggled, hoof still in place, “I am slain. Defend me, my love!”

Wildfire giggled, “Worry not my fair Tempest, ‘The sight of lovers feedeth those in love’ so we'll all be full by night's end.”

Tempest couldn’t help but smile. She did so love to hear her herd-mate’s poetry, and it had been too long since she had. “I am reprieved and look, here is Hoofbeat, our waitress.” When the waitress paused at their table, Tempest duly placed all the orders and requested an additional beer for each of them.

When the waitress returned with the fresh drinks, Wildfire took her second beer and helped herself to a generous slurp. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”

“Airy, check to see if she has cue cards.” Tempest smiled, while she was teasing, she could’ve gladly listened to that all night long.

Putting her beer down, Wildfire held up her forelegs and even spread her wings. “Nothing up my sleeves, I promise!”

“And in your socks?” Airmail asked with a grin in her voice.

“No, I put them on,” Tempest smiled, “and speaking of socks. Here's yours. You're underdressed.”

Airmail took the yellow and purple striped socks from Tempest and gave them a puzzled look, like they were the most complicated things she had ever seen. “How do you put these on?”

“Ha. Ha. I think you need help there, Pretty, and I is happy to oblige.” As Wildfire eagerly helped Airmail into her socks, Tempest smiled to herself as her earlier plan was carried out. She especially loved how less then helpful Airmail was in letting Wildfire help her. Wildfire, for her part, was having a great deal of fun helping her fiancé into her socks, even adding a completely unnecessary nuzzle to her hooves and lower legs. “There,” she said once they were finally on, “that's better.”

Tempest clapped her sock covered hooves. “Yes, much better.” It was a well-known fact, known well to those who knew it, that socks made everything better.

Airmail glanced at her four legs and grinned, “I am feeling rather sexy now.”

“Yuppers...you feel very sexy, Pretty…” Wildfire bit her bottom lip and, with her black tail flagging, she quickly downed the rest of her second beer.

The earth pony waitress, a grin all over her aquamarine muzzle, chose that moment to interject herself at the table. “That would be my cue to interrupt and serve you your meal, ladies.” She giggled, fun diners always made the service go by that much faster. “Are you good on drinks?”

Tempest and Airmail shared a quick flick of the ears. “I think another round is in order, please.”

As the three dinner plates were placed in front of the respective mare who had ordered them, Wildfire blushed again. “More beer is always a good idea, Honey.”

No sooner had the plates hit the table than Tempest raised her violet hoof. “I want samples!”

Airmail looked curiously at what her herd-mates had ordered and was intrigued. “So do I, Stormy.”

“Alrighty!” Wildfire giggled and, as she heard Airmail and Tempest help themselves to a little of her fish stew – in turn they gave her and each other some of what they had ordered, she went a little quiet when a thought occurred to her. A thought born of her recent conversation with Emerald, Darkstar and Cyclone. “Thank you,” she said, taking to her meal with a smile. A smile that got wider when she had a bite of the samples, offering a couple of hmm's of appreciation to each.

“They did rule the warehouse fire as arson.” Airmail commented after she had eaten two mouthfuls of her meal, “Looks like it was targeted against zebras. Eight dead, including one firefighter from a wall collapse.”

“This seems too organised for the Celsestites.” Tempest offered thoughtfully.

Airmail shrugged, “I called dad, and he said there has been no word among the co-ops about complaints of zebra imports. As far as I know it was only distributed to zebras or sold locally to the backers in Manehatten.”

“Hmm...it might not have been the Celestites,” Wildfire pondered as she ate, “but it explains why Darkie was brought to Caffy's coffee shop in a police car earlier. Better safe than sorry. Do we know who the unlucky firefighter was?”

“He was with the Broncs Fire Department,” Airmail said softly, “but no names yet.”

“That dock strike that Omega was caught up in was started by ponies from Baltimare, right?” Tempest asked around shovelling in forkfuls of her dinner.

Airmail nodded, “Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I called dad about this fire.”

Wildfire rested her fork at the side of her plate. “That's a damn shame…” all she cared about was the poor firefighter and any family he or she might’ve had, especially as she had a sudden thought of Heatwave. “I really think we were lucky not to lose more, given the size of the blaze.”

Airmail squeezed Wildfire’s foreleg with her hoof. “You had a lot to do with that.”

“Yes,” Tempest agreed quickly, “your ability to get that cloud there so quickly saved a lot of lives, Wily.”

“Just doing my job, that's all,” Wildfire replied modestly. She didn’t see how she had done that much, “besides it's thanks to your training my response was that quick.”

Tempest however wasn’t about to let her be so modest, not today, anyway. “Don't sell yourself short, Wily.”

In total agreement, Airmail pressed her hoof to Wildfire's chest. “You have heart, love, and that is most of the battle.”

Wildfire smiled, “I am short, but I know what you mean, Honey.” She ate a little more of her plate, going quiet once more as she processed the many thoughts running around inside her head. Thoughts of her mother, step-mother and her friends. “Guys...” she said at last, “I've been thinking…”

Airmail sniffed the air, “Stormy, put the fire extinguisher away!”

As Tempest giggled, Wildfire snickered, “I know it's a hazard...but I really have been.” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “So um...I've been thinking, lately, about stuff…” another breath, and Airmail and Tempest both waited patiently while they ate their food for her to continue. “You see...about being Mapper's Pet, I’ve decided I don't want to be one, any more.”

Airmail flicked her ears at Tempest. “I'm okay with that.”

Tempest flicked her ears at Airmail. “Of course, Mapper is the one you need to tell. Does that mean no more Wildflower?”

Wildfire breathed a sigh of relief, releasing a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding in. “No more Wildflower. But, I think having the emergency call on my headset is a sound idea still, you never know who or what's around the corner.”

“Good,” Tempest grinned, “I'll not have to mother hen you about it, then.” Airmail giggled at that, knowing full well that her violet lover would find something else to mother hen her over. “I agree it is a good idea. So, what has you all worked up about this?”

“Just...things, this past week.” Wildfire began to explain herself. “My mum, and what happened to her, moving forward with that whole finding my family I never knew I had, stuff. Me starting work and moving forward with that. Catching up with Cy and Darkie, learning how they're moving forward...there’s kind of a theme developing, y’know?”

Wildfire sighed a deep sigh. “Wildflower and being a Pet was necessary two weeks ago, because I was in that hopeless mind set. Now I'm not. I have you, and Honey and everypony else, and I have hope to move forward too. Wildflower is back there, I'm here. Time to leave her behind.”

Lovingly, Airmail caressed Wildfire’s foreleg. “The three of us could do what Stormy and I did before, too. Helping Mapper and the BDSM sessions but not playing.” The azure blue mare said this, while Tempest was watching Wildfire closely, looking for any tells.

“I'd like that, Pretty.” Wildfire nodded as she ate a large mouthful of fish, “I mean it’s fun and all, and hoof cuffs in the bedroom are still fun, and I get like Dusky, Darkie and Bright want the collars and stuff, I just, I don't, anymore.”

“I didn't love you for the collar.”

“But socks!” Tempest cut in dramatically, “We can't just give up on socks!”

“We can't ever give up on the socks!” Wildfire giggled, “And, I know you didn’t, Pretty.”

“I'm good for some fun times in the bedroom,” Airmail said gently, “but if you want to do any fun times at Caffy's on BDSM or Gaming night, we're still all in.”

Tempest nodded. “What she said.”

“That's the difference though isn't it?” Wildfire asked, as much to herself as to her partners, “from having bondage fun in the bedroom and at Caffy's on the odd Thursdays, as opposed to being submissive all the time, that's what I mean. I'm still up for that fun times.”

Tempest laughed. “Assertive Wily is Assertive.” Airmail giggled, “Yes, I'm good with that.”

Again, Wildfire breathed out. She had to stop holding her breath. In this corset she’d faint. “That's alright then, cos I do like the way you spank me. So, we're all good then?”

“We were good before.” Tempest asserted.

“We are good now.” Airmail agreed before she and Tempest shared a look with each other. “We will be good in the future.”

“Woot!” Wildfire cheered, not too loudly though, and smiled at both of her lovers, “I want to thank you both too, for sticking it out with me. I know it's not been the easiest of journeys, you've made it easier though.”

Airmail smiled, deciding to change the subject, seeing as she was prompted to do so by Tempest’s flicking ears. “When are you going over to Belle's and Tinkerer's house?”

Wildfire thought about that for a long few moments. “I was going to go over in the morning. I wanna go now, but I figured it would be too late. Don't want to impose.”

Tempest snorted out a laugh. “You know, you could call, of course if you need some practice time, then tonight would be good.”

“That's a good idea, Honey. This um, assertive thing, still pretty new to it.” She reached into her pouch and pulled out her phone. “Do you have their number?”

Almost as one, Tempest and Airmail pulled out their phones, both with a happy giggle, as well as a few ear flicks between them. “You sure you’re ready?”

“Yuppers.” Wildfire smiled warmly, “I can't tell you how much I'm ready for this, Airy.”

Airmail snickered, she had a hunch her fiancé would misunderstand what she had said, and she was right. “Ready for the phone number, silly filly.” Tempest just performed a perfect eye roll.

“Oh...” Wildfire giggled, “I knew that.” Blushing, she swiped through her phone’s menu screens. “I’m ready.”

Smiling, Airmail gave Wildfire Tinkerer’s number. Storing the number in her phone, Wildfire dialled, making sure as always it was on speaker. After four rings, the dark green pegasus stallion answered. “'Ello, Tink here.”

“Oh hello!” Wildfire didn’t expect him to answer so quickly. Now that he had, she felt like the eighteen year old virgin asking Air Raid out on a date. “It's Wily...Wildfire...um, hello.”

“Ah, the soon to be pregnant mare.” Tinkerer snickered, “Good evening to you, Wily. Are we still on?”

“Oh yes!” Wildfire replied quickly, “I um, I wondered if it was too late to come round?”

Tinkerer checked his watch. “I'm up, for sure. Belle won't be in from the theatre till close to midnight though.”

“Thank you Tinkerer! And ah, I'm okay to spend the weekend?”

“It’s Tink,” the dark green stallion interrupted her gently, “and I'm not sure what the value of a weekend is, but I think you can at least get a cup of coffee for it. With sugar even.” Tempest and Airmail both snorted out a laugh at that. “Is it just you, or will there be chaperones?”

“Deal Tinker...Tink.” Wildfire blushed, catching herself in time, “and it's just me.”

“Okay, not that Belle would mind, she could watch two shows at once.”

“I thought you were the one that liked to watch.” Tempest interjected, unable to stop herself.

Wildfire giggled, “I was so close to saying that!”

Tinkerer laughed when he heard the exchange on the other end of the line. “You have the address so come over any time before one a.m.” the stallion snickered, “Or, sometime after nine in the morning if you can't make it tonight.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squeaked, so loudly that she drew the attention of the orange unicorn sat two tables away. “I'll be there within the hour Tink, and thank you!”

“Come Sunday, we can see who is thanking who.”

“Belle will thank the both of you!” Airmail put in, making Tempest burst out into fits of laughter.

“Alrighty Tink,” Wildfire smiled, she couldn’t help it, “I'll feel you soon.”

“The feeling is mutual. Laters!” With that, Tinkerer hung up, leaving Wildfire to let out an excited little squee of delight.

As Wildfire put her phone away in her pouch, Tempest and Wildfire both laughed together. “Dessert!” Airmail decreed imperiously, clapping her sock covered hooves together.

“Dessert!” Tempest agreed, clapping her hooves together like her herd-mate.

Wildfire had to shake her head, force herself to remain in the moment, in the restaurant. “Yup...Yuppers, dessert!”

Smiling, Tempest waved the earth pony waitress over to their table. “Flan for me please, miss Hoofbeat.”

Airmail made her choice, one of her favourite desserts, one she hadn’t indulged in for some time. “Blackberry cobbler, please.”

“Um...chocolate brownie with chocolate ice cream, please!” Wildfire placed her order and this time, after a series of quick ear flicks, Airmail and Tempest bumped hooves. This time Tempest lost the bet, that the little blind mare would order something chocolatey.

“Very good,” Hoofbeat took their orders, noting them down on her pad. “And drinks?”

Airmail set her empty bottle aside. “Irish Coffee.”

Tempest agreed. “Irish Coffee.”

Wildfire too decided that she’d had enough. “Black coffee, two sugars please, miss.”

“Okay, I'll be right back with your orders.” Hoofbeat smiled and disappeared to prepare their drinks and desserts.

Tempest flicked her ears in Airmail’s direction and giggled quietly at the reply she received. “Our lover is a sober pony, Airy.”

Airmail nodded, “Quite the serious mare, she is.”

“Well,” Wildfire shrugged, not all that sure if she was being made fun of or not. “I've already had three beers, I figured I'd play it safe, that’s all.”

Ten minutes later, the drinks and the desserts arrived on a tray balanced perfectly on Hoofbeat’s back. Once the waitress had set each down with a smile and disappeared to give the orange unicorn her bill, Airmail raised her glass of coffee in a toast. “May Wily's egg get knocked up, proper style.”

“Here, here!” Tempest snickered, raising up her glass so that it clinked against Airmail’s own.

Hearing the toast, Wildfire held up her mug of black coffee and she tried, ultimately failing, to hold in her giggles. “Thank you, Pretty, my eggs will do their best to get knocked up.”

Giggling, Airmail and Tempest both clinked their glasses against the diminutive blind pony’s mug. “I'm waiting to see the sexiness that pregnant mares exhibit.” The weather pony snickered, giving Airmail a wink.

“I bet I'll be huge and wobbly and very, very milky…”

Tempest laughed out loud, “I'm afraid that Airy has spaced out on that comment. You may need to use a napkin on her to mop up the drool.” Airmail wasted no time delivering a loud raspberry to Tempest, which just made her laugh all the more. “See! You can hear her leaking already!”

Wildfire giggled and felt around the table for her napkin. “I can just imagine the drool. I bet it was like Neighagara Falls!”

“Can't say,” Tempest shrugged and took a sip of her Irish coffee, “I haven't been there.”

Airmail very graciously allowed her fiancé to wipe her mouth with the napkin she held in her hoof. “Yeah, I’m like Neighagara Falls, but with less noise.”

“I haven't been either,” Wildfire commented as she finished wiping Airmail’s chin then gave her a kiss for good measure. “No reason why we can't go in the future though.”

“You shouldn't wait too long.” Tempest said as all three mares made a start on their respective desserts, “The Princess of Libraries might stop it for study.”

“I went to Rainbow Falls once,” Wildfire smiled as Airmail gave Tempest a roll of her eyes, “with Primary school.”

“Been there, done that.”

Tempest swallowed the spoonful of flan she had been working on and raspberried Airmail. “Another spot I have yet to visit.”

“It’s really awesomes!” Wildfire said, attacking her chocolate brownie and almost demolishing half of it in one bite. “Like waterfalls but with rainbows. You can taste them and everything, even swim in a rainbow lake! I remember Starshine loved it until Echo told her they made the yellow by getting all the weather pegasi to pee in a big pot together.”

Tempest chose that moment to choke on her coffee while Airmail laughed. “That's a state secret!” Tempest protested with a smile splitting her face, Airmail just laughed and laughed, totally believing Tempest could and would do that.

Wildfire giggled at the very happy memory. “Mr. Abacus gave me detention for a week for peeing in that pool.”

Once the desserts were eaten, and Wildfire had emptied her black coffee, the little mare decided it was time for her to get up and get going to meet Tinkerer. Airmail and Tempest both insisted on hugs and kisses before she left. “Come Monday,” Tempest said with a wry smile, “I don't want to hear that Tinkerer can walk to work.”

“Yeah,” Airmail smiled as she took her turn hugging her fiancé, “I want him to have to fly to get anywhere.”

“Oh yuppers, you know it, Pretty!” Wildfire hugged her mares one after the other. “I'm gonna ride him like he’s the main event at a rodeo!”

In the hug, Airmail whispered in Wildfire’s ear. “Have fun, do what you want to do, don't do what you don't want to do. See you when you get home.”

“Don’t worry, I got this Pretty,” Wildfire placed a tender little kiss on Airmail’s lips, “don't miss me too much.”

Airmail sighed a very dramatic sigh, but she returned the kiss all the same. “I'm sure Stormy will see me through these tough times.”

“Alrighty...” as Wildfire smoothed out her dark blue dress, none of them noticed the orange unicorn get up and walk out of the restaurant. Nopony noticed as she ducked to the side and hid down the alley beside the restaurant, where she wouldn’t be seen.

“She dressed for you,” Tempest said to Airmail as they both watched Wildfire trot on outside into the chill of the night, “but I think they will like it just as much.”

Airmail looked Tempest square in the eyes. “You will be rutting me tonight.”

Tempest nodded, willingly accepting her solemn duty. “Without a doubt.”

On the sidewalk outside the restaurant, Wildfire swapped her bridle for her flight headset, and she requested Tinkerer and Belle’s address. "I got this." She said to herself, before taking off into the dark sky towards Celestia Borough, towards her future. A future she had imagined since she was young.

Chapter 12 - Conception

“Good evening Wildfire,” Tinkerer, a dark green pegasus with a mane as yellow as Wildfire’s fur and bright blue eyes and a cutie mark of two crossed hammers, greeted his guest at his door with a huge smile on his face. “Or, is Wily okay?”

Stood at her herd-mate’s door in Manehatten’s Celestia Borough, Wildfire lifted her head up, ‘looking’ up to the sound of the stallion’s deep voice. She could practically hear the smile, which in turn made her smile. “Wily, please.” She smiled back in his direction, though if she was honest with herself, she was as nervous as a cat in the dog pound, but here she was. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to do this! But, here she was. “Wildfire is so I know I'm in trouble.”

At that, Tinkerer stepped back and out of the way so that the little yellow mare could enter his freestanding red bricked house, with its magnificent white façade and golden yellow roof. It was a typical ‘Celestia’ building, intended to be reminiscent of a Canterlot residence. In the morning, when the first light from the sun hit it, it was a splendid sight indeed. “Come on in and I'll remember that, should you get into trouble.”

Taking a very deep breath – not because she was nervous now, more that she was reading the house – Wildfire stepped forwards into the house. “Thank you, Tink.” She sniffed this way and that, and her ears were moving to begin discerning her location. She picked up the faint scents of baking bread, cooking and jasmine room fresheners. “Your place smells nice.”

Tinkerer stood by his newest herd-mate and allowed her the time to sniff and listen as she would. He understood this was important part for her. He was pleased, to a degree that his floors were a mixture of tiles, hardwood and linoleum. He knew that she could hear his hoof steps. “Let me give you the full tour, in case you should wake up for a midnight snack. We will move nothing this weekend, but I can't say that for your next visit. Belle does like to gain and lose things with the seasons.”

“Oh, oh that's okay, but thank you.” Wildfire eagerly followed when Tinkerer brushed her flank with his dark green wing and he walked ahead of her. She had to supress a giggle, for she got a sense that he was stepping a lot harder than he normally would, just to make his hooves sound louder for her to follow. It was sweet, really, but unnecessary. With a deep sniff, she could detect his scent from across the room. “You have a lavender scent, Tink.”

“I do?” he asked, a little surprised at that, for his scent wasn’t something he considered very often. “I should stop rubbing up against Lavender then.”

Wildfire laughed at that, visibly relaxing a little as she was led through the house. “Don’t, it smells nice.”

The tour underway, Tinkerer took Wildfire from room to room and he pointed out what was in each room and, moreover, he allowed the diminutive blind pony all the time she needed to feel her way around. First was the foyer with its very ordered – thanks to Belle - closet, then came the great room, the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and finally on the ground floor was a small guest bedroom.

The upstairs had the usual master bedroom with its own adjacent bathroom, their colt’s, Pathfinder's room – which they did not enter, as the young colt was asleep, another room already prepared for the next foal. Next to the large bathroom was a spare bedroom that had been turned into Belle's studio.

Last on the tour were the basement that had Tinkerer's den, affectionately known as his ‘Belle free stallion cave’, a gaming room, a workshop, bathroom, and storage room. The dark green stallion then took a moment to show his guest the attached garage that comfortable held two cars, a Fiat 500 and a Focus estate.

He was in two minds about showing her the back yard, as it was dark out, then he realised with a silent laugh and a facehoof that it was always dark for her. That in his mind, he showed off the foal’s playset, sandbox, and the back deck off of the kitchen and dining room. Wildfire, for her part, was having a great deal of fun snuffling and feeling around each room as it was introduced, taking in the tiniest little details of each except Pathfinder's, of course.

Wildfire’s favourite though, apart from the master bedroom and the foal playset outside, was the front yard that had in it several tasty flower beds designed to be nibbled on. “Wow...” she slurred thickly around a mouthful of bluebells and roses, “this house is cool. I love you have a den, that's awesomes!”

Tinkerer, concluding the tour back in the great room, was very impressed with how well Wildfire moved around his house. He had been watching the way she navigated, how she never once hit a thing, how she walked around using her wingtips to stay straight and level. “I'm glad you like the place.” He said proudly, “It is nice to have a standalone instead of a townhouse. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oooh yuppers,” it was only after eating the flowers from outside that she realised she was thirsty. “Can I get a black coffee please?”

“You can,” Tinkerer nodded, out of habit. “Though, if I remember, you take sugar?”

“Oh yuppers, the sugar!” Wildfire wanted to facehoof, how in the world could she forget sugar? Coffee without sugar was like living without breathing. That in mind though, she got another whiff of the lavender scent from the stallion in front of her and, because of her heat, her black tail flagged up high. “Two. Yes. Sugars, please.”

As he saw her tail lift up, Tinkerer sniffed the air. If the flagging tail hadn’t been an obvious sign, then the smell coming from her certainly was. “Coming right up.” He couldn’t keep the snicker from his voice. “So, is some filly eager to get things started?”

“It's ah, it's my heat.” Wildfire explained, unnecessarily, “It's not due till tomorrow, but I think Professor Twilight's spell has bought it on early. A few days early.” As she spoke, she stood with her hind legs apart and her tail up high, broadcasting her scent all around the great room.

“I don't mind at all Wily.” Tinkerer stepped forwards and he affectionately nuzzled the little mare’s cheek. “You are here for a reason, after all, but I want to make sure of a few things first. Have a seat here in the great room and I'll bring the coffee to you.”

“Thanks, Tink.” Wildfire inclined her head, almost a bow, out of habit, and she used her wingtips touching the floor to feel her way through the great room until she found a seating pad. She knew, as she walked, that her tail was still flagged, and that her herd-mate had an unfettered view of her goodies, at least until she heard him walk away to the kitchen.

Several minutes later, that felt like an eternity, Tinkerer entered the great room carrying two full steaming mugs on a silver tray held in his mouth, which he set down on the coffee table in front of Wildfire. She could smell the cream in his, but even her fabled ‘Wily Sense’ couldn’t detect the sugar. “First,” he said, taking a seat on the pad by the table, “I want to be sure you want to do this the old fashioned way.”

Wildfire sniffed the air, picking up the heavenly smell of coffee as well as the lavender, and she beamed a wide smile. “I'm sure, Tink.”

Tinkerer cautiously sipped his creamy coffee. “Okay, will you let the foal know who the sire is?”

“Of course!” Wildfire exclaimed quickly, reaching a tentative hoof out for her cup, which she found on the second try. “The filly will know all about you.”

“Okay,” he responded thoughtfully, “While I don't expect it in a non-herd setting, I do expect to be able to interact with the foal in a herd setting.”

Wildfire reached out her hoof and, once she had located the dark green stallion’s foreleg, squeezed it gently. “Tink that's totally fine. You're gonna be the dad, a real actual dad. You can interact with her anytime you like.”

“I have a colt of my own and Belle want's another, but thank you. It is good to know I can be a part of your filly's life.”

“Our filly.” Wildfire stated before taking a long sip of her black coffee. “Not just mine. Ours.”

“Ours.” Tinkerer smiled, the smile evident in his voice. “So, how do you want to do this?”

Wildfire took another long sip of her coffee. “I ah, well I thought we'd cuddle a bit, slow like, and see where it goes…” she trailed off to silence as she blushed a very, very bright red.

Tinkerer raised his wing and he slowly, gently and carefully caressed Wildfire’s burning cheek with the tip of his primary feathers. “Intimate, I rather like that idea. I was prepared to just be mechanical about it all, but a cuddle does sound a lot nicer.”

“Mmmmm n-no...I ah, I want intimate.” Wildfire murmured, the last thing in the world she wanted was mechanical. She didn’t want a donor, she wanted her filly to have a real daddy. “I want to feel you, to know you.”

The dark green stallion snickered. “I owe Belle a couple of bits, she said you would want it that way. I haven't been in the herd long, but I do know how Airy and Mapper feel about stallions and being mounted.”

Wildfire lowered her cup, her tone very sombre indeed. “I um, I won't lie, I'm a little nervous. Very. Nervous, it's ah, well it's been a while, since I was with a stallion.” Just thinking about that period of her life back at the care home under Amethyst Glory made her ears – and tail – wilt backwards. The past three weeks she had spent trying to get over that time of Tartarus.

“From what little I know, that was not a pleasant or desired time with a stallion.” Tinkerer said as kindly and gently as he could, “I'm not who you fear, but I am a stallion, Wily.”

“It wasn't.” Wildfire’s voice was almost a whisper. Had there been more background noise in the great room beyond the ticking of the clock on the wall, it wouldn’t have been heard at all. She didn’t even know she had started trembling at the memory. “They were rough, uncaring, little more than tools to punish us into behaving, into being better slaves.” With her hoof still on Tinkerer’s leg, she felt him tense up. “I know you aren't that, it's why I want it slow though, so I can know you, properly.”

That did ease the stallion’s tension somewhat. “We can start the ‘knowing each other’ part before Belle gets home.” He glanced a quick look up to the incessantly ticking clock. “Which will be in an hour from now. Don't worry about noise, as we sound proofed Path's room and have a monitor in our room so we can hear him.”

“A-Alrighty,” Wildfire smiled a relieved smile, though the nerves were still evident in her Canterlot accented voice. “That sounds like a plan.”

Finishing his creamy coffee in one extra-large gulp, Tinkerer stood up from his seating pad. His own fears and issues regarding the siring of Wildfire’s foal assuaged, at least until he could think of new ones, he was as eager to get this started as Wildfire was. “Please lead the way to the master bedroom. I'll just take in the view from behind.”

“You got it!” A second later, she too had finished her coffee and she almost sprang to her hooves as she got up. From her memory, she turned and led the way through the great room over to the stairs. She made sure to hold her flagging tail up as high as she could manage. Remembering how Serenity walked back in Rarity’s Recreations on the catwalk, she had an exaggerated sway in her hips.

“I can see what Airy sees in you.” Tinkerer grinned as he watched her, on the surface at any rate, move effortlessly towards the stairs. He admired the way she was able to do that, even factoring in using her wing tips as a guide. He doubted he could do that, and this was his house! “You are all mare and one of many talents.”

“Well thank you, kind Sir,” Wildfire hiked her tail ever higher, adding a swish of it in time with her steps. Tinkerer waited until she had started to climb the stairs then, getting in close to her, he blew a cool breath over her nethers, aiming straight for her thin panties that were stretched tantalisingly over her swollen puffy labia. “Ooooh! Ooooh! I like that!”

Tinkerer inhaled, breathing in deeply of her heated scent. “Not complaining myself.”

Each breath that hit her crotch, Wildfire’s wings fluttered of their own accord. By the time she had reached the top of the stairs, there was a very definite damp patch on gusset of her panties. “Here we are...bedroom!”

Again, the dark green stallion was impressed with her. “Very good and it isn't Path's bedroom.” He moved alongside her and caressed her flank with his wingtip. “Now we’re here, please allow me to take off your dress.”

“No...it's the master one, right?” Wildfire asked, suddenly unsure of herself, even though she had been absolutely sure of where she was. She had even counted the rooms and everything. This worried her, if her way of getting about indoors was failing her, she didn’t know what she’d do.

“Yes Wily, you have the right bedroom.” Tinkerer wanted to kick himself so hard he would’ve sent himself into orbit. He settled for facehooving at his own foolishness. “Should I cut back on teasing you?”

“No, it's fine, really,” Wildfire offered up a hopefully reassuring smile when she heard the downcast tone of his voice. Internally, she kicked herself. “I can be a little dense sometimes, that's all. And, I'd love for you to remove my dress, please.”

Once they were inside the master bedroom, hooves muffled a little by the very thick high end carpet, Tinkerer slowly removed the fine blue dress she was wearing, using his wings and hooves in equal measure to strip her of the corset as well, before he placed the garments on a hanger. “The inner wrapping hidden by the dress is quite beautiful, I think.”

Once the dress and the corset had been removed, Wildfire blushed a very deep red indeed. “Poetic, I like that.”

After he had carefully undressed her, Tinkerer made a very noisy show of climbing up on the bed, smiling as he noted Wildfire’s ears move, tracking his every move. “Join me, Wily.”

Nodding, Wildfire felt for the bed. As soon as she touched it, she was up as well. By the way she sank into it just a little, she guessed it was an enchanted cloud mattress under the sheets. “Alrighty!” She decided almost straight away, she liked this bed. It smelled of lavender and ponies.

The amount of time, slim as it was, that Wildfire took to get on the bed, Tinkerer chose to spend admiring the rest of her attire, especially the peephole bra and the panties. “By the look of this lingerie, I do believe you had Airmail in mind when you bought it. Belle doesn’t have a set like this, but I think it would look nice on her when she has a bit of a bump.”

Wildfire giggled, “You know Airy has a thing for teats, right?” she asked, the question completely rhetorical as she rolled onto her side so that she was facing the dark green stallion.

“Is there anypony in Equestria that doesn't?” Tinkerer asked, a playful snicker in his voice. “Still, Belle has a number of panties, but no one bra. Let alone a cut out one. I actually thought only milk mares had bras to protect themselves.”

“That would make sense,” Wildfire mused out loud, “though I don't recall Airy's mom wearing one and she was definitely a milk mare.”

Tinkerer leant forward and, with a great deal of affection, he nuzzled Wildfire’s right ear. “Spent the day shopping with her or...ah, farming!” he exclaimed, memories of Bluesky and her rather large, well-endowed breasts very prevalent in his mind, and in other areas. “Yes, with her in the fields?”

“Hmmm...oooh...w-we flew, with Bluesky from the train station, then she allowed me and Airy to drink from her.”

Tinkerer, who was still nuzzling Wildfire’s ear, began nibbling gently on the leading edge. Now, he truly saw what Airmail saw in her. She was completely adorable. “I was teasing again, but that is a sweet treat. I saw Blue in Filly when her daughter got an award. She was working her way through the herd so we got a taste of her milk, but she was wearing a bra as she went about town.”

Wildfire, whose senses were busy being overloaded with lavender and the pleasurable sensations from her nibbled upon ear, blushed and cooed, her yellow wings fluttering as she caressed his broad neck with her hoof. “I um...I really need to work on my tease detection skills, don't I?”

No, the stallion was absolutely convinced there was nothing she needed to change in the slightest. “From what I've heard I just need to cover my tease with oatmeal or chocolate, unless there is something else you Wily sense can detect?” he asked playfully, now moving in front of her face and licking her nose.

“Nnnnaaaah...ch-chocolate covers many sins, Tink.” Wildfire moaned, Tinkerer’s actions only serving to ignite her underlying heat, the hoof she had on his neck wandering slowly up and she started to gently feel his face.

“Wildfire, may I touch you anywhere?”

Without hesitation, the little blind mare nodded. “Anywhere.”

Tinkerer smiled warmly before summoning his resolve and leaning in just slightly. Very gently, he kissed her right eye socket, tenderly, he brushed his lips over her ugly acid scars that covered a good proportion of her face. “It is true, you do have beautiful eyes.”

Laying next to him on the bed, Wildfire felt his lips on her scar tissue and her hollow sockets, she couldn’t help but blush at the intimate contact. “Th-Thank you, Tink.” She had her hooves caressing his cheeks, taking in his features into her mind’s eye. “You're a handsome stallion, too.”

As Wildfire carefully explored Tinkerer’s face, the sensitive frogs of her hooves picking up the curve of his cheekbones, the shape of his strong jaw and the slight hollows in front of his ears, her smile widened. She liked this face. It was a kind face. “I remember,” she said softly, “after we came up from the Mare's Room that Thursday, after Tempest told Dusky and you all what had happened to me, you were one of them that preened my wings.”

Tinkerer shuddered involuntarily, he couldn’t help it. He recalled that Thursday as well as anypony in the herd. The look of sheer unadulterated outrage on Tempest’s face…well, nopony who knew wanted to be the cause of that face on Tempest, and then the fallout and disclosure of what had happened to Wildfire. It had been an extraordinary day. “I have had a little practice in that department, and with Tempest as a teacher, one doesn't mess up.”

“You really didn't...” she had her hooves around the stallion’s ears and his forehead. “That Thursday seems a lifetime away, now.”

Tinkerer moved in close and he delivered a long, deep kiss. “To a lifetime to come.”

“Mmmmm!” Wildfire’s hooves went from exploring Tinkerer’s face to wrapping tightly around the stallion’s shoulders, she pulled him willingly into a hug that she added her right wing to. She held the future father of her filly as close to her as she could. She gave a little nod of her head and her tongue was ready to play with his, both of them moaning into each other’s mouths.

Tinkerer, lost in the loving embrace, decided that much kissing and groping will be the order of events ‘till Belle got home. He was quite happy for this state of events to continue for the next forty-five minutes. The dark green stallion trailed tender flowery kisses down her cheek and all the way to her neck. Moments later, he got to her wings. Wings that he saw immediately were tight and strained. “Have you had a stressful day?”

“Hmmm...a-a bit, you aaah,” the hooves that were feeling like liquid heaven on her tired muscles, “you heard about the big Broncs fire?”

Silently, he started massaging her taut flight muscles. They really were knotted up something fierce. “I caught a bit of that on the radio. Real big fire, lots of units responded. So, Firefighter Wildfire fought the wild fire, hmm?”

“Teehee, hmmm yuppers,” Wildfire giggled, thought what she wanted to do was moan with barely contained lust as those wondrous hooves rubbed delicate little circles all over her wing joints where they met her barrel. “My name sounds ironic when you put it like that,” she purred.

“I just let words fall out my mouth and hope the come out in some decent order.”

Wildfire, her fluttering yellow wings standing at half-mast from the beautiful, marvellous attention she was receiving. “Well…oooh you're good at that...I-I'm a lot like that, Ti-Tink…”

“Common ground.” Tinkerer said as his hooves moved up the underside of the diminutive mare’s wings, massaging her secondary and primary feathers. He loved the way they shivered like they did. “Belle is rather good with words, then she does it for a living. I've been around wings pretty much all my life. Developed a knack for it.”

“I either come up with some poem or I put my hoof in it and say something silly...hmmm...hooves!” she squeaked once his hooves reached her primary feathers.

“Hey, what do you know?” Tinkerer snickered, “We both have four hooves!”

“Yu-Yuppers we do!” By now, Wildfire’s wings were fully erect, the wingboner making them stand rigid. “Hooves are just about the best thing ever. Ever had yours tongue washed?”

Tinkerer shook his head, a motion that the blind mare could feel on the pillow. “Belle told me about you and Requiem doing Princess Luna's hooves. When I finish with your wings, you can let me experience that.”

“That was just exquisite.” Almost as exquisite as the perfect wing massage she was being treated to right now on this bed. “I wasn't gonna pass up the chance to lick and kiss Luna's hooves, was I?”

“Airy has made it known to the herd what she thinks about hooves.” Tinkerer said, his hooves now gently stroking the leading edges of her stiff limbs. He just loved the way her tail was up so high it was almost touching the back of her head. “She is one fastidious mare on hoof care.”

“Yuppers, she's explained it to me ah...after I tried to hoof her.”

Tinkerer laughed out loud, the very image of what that must’ve been like burning a hole into his mind. “I'm sure that would have been interesting to hear, but none of my business.” He decided he didn’t need to hear all the details, however, he would store the image for later use. “How are your wings feeling now?”

It took some time, and a tiny amount of effort, but Wildfire flexed her wings. Wings that were feeling like she’d gone to the Pegasi Store and selected two new ones off the shelf. “Wow...they're feeling just...wow!”

“You can stop in anytime for a massage, Wily, but I'll not take preening away from Tempest.” He wanted to be quite clear on that score. It would be safer to take a fresh kill from a manticore. “So, do I need to prep anything for my hoof treatment?” he was genuinely curious on this, as Belle had never shown interest in doing that. Not that he had, either.

Wildfire snickered, “I think it's wise not to take preenings away from Honey.” There was a tiny part of her – the part that had been Amethyst Glory’s plaything for the last five years - that wanted to just take up his hooves and lick them right then and there, no questions asked, because she was a good pony.

Then, there was the other part. The part that had been living with Airmail and Tempest for almost a month. The part of her that was free. The part that was living for the future, not a prisoner of her past. That part, nudged on by a tiny little Airmail in her head, won. “Are your hooves clean?”

The moment she asked, Tinkerer looked down at his hooves. “Ah, not really.” He admitted, feeling rather like a colt coming in from playing for his tea and having his mother check them before allowing him to sit at the table. “I haven't washed them since I got home from work.” He had wiped them on the ‘welcome’ mat, but there were still remnants of dust, small cracks and general dirt in them.

“Well then,” Wildfire said, still fighting that part of her that would’ve dived in and licked them clean regardless of what was on them, “We need to get you in the bath and give them a scrub first.”

“Okay, but you'll be outside the tub?” Tinkerer asked, as Wildfire was still wearing her lingerie. “Don't want your outfit getting wet.”

“Yuppers, I'll be sat next to the tub while we make your hooves gleam and shine so bright even I’ll be able to see them!”

Tinkerer gave her a light little kiss. “Do I need to run a bath, or will the sink and towels do?” He wanted to know, as this was most definitely her territory.

Blushing like a school filly at the kiss she had just received, Wildfire somehow managed to get herself off of the bed and she swayed her way through to the master bathroom. Fortunately, in spite of her heat, she remembered where it was. “Oh, sink and towels will be fine for a light soiling. What do you do, again?”

“Construction work.” Tinkerer answered, briefly glancing at his cutie mark of two crossed hammers before looking back at his guest’s soaked crotch. “I can lift some heavy loads for working on the tall buildings.”

“Big strong stallion.” Wildfire smiled over her shoulder at the deep voice behind her. “So, sink and towels for most things, grease and oil, in the tub.” She didn’t shudder this time, nor did ‘that’ voice raise its ugly head. Yes, she had personally licked much, much worse substances and fluids from the Wardens’ hooves, but that was gone now. Never to return.

Again, Tinkerer looked at his hooves, studying them properly in the bright light of the bathroom. “Hmm, there’s sawdust in the frog, and the toes are a bit scuffed and rough.” As were the white walls, the soles and the bulbs, but he didn’t want to go into too much detail of how little he cared for them.

“Sink and towels are fine then.” Wildfire commented as she was feeling her way in more depth around the bathroom. In no time at all she had located the freestanding bath and the pedestal sink nearby it. “What hoof care products do you use?”

“Ummmm,” now, Tinkerer did feel a bit like a chastised colt. “Uh, a hoof file when I need it?” When Wildfire shot him a look that screamed ‘typical stallion’, he followed up with, “I think Belle has some products…” and it was true. There were many, many bottles, vials, lotions and potions in the bathroom, a good ninety per cent of which he had no clue as to their use.

Trying hard not to giggle, and failing, Wildfire said, “Keratex is good for repairing cracked and scuffed hooves, Tink.”

“Ummm, okay...” if he was honest, he wouldn’t know if they had that or not. He had one bottle for shampoo, one conditioner, one soap and a toothbrush. Job done. Belle however, he was sure could open a store with how many bottles of ‘things’ she owned.

Thankfully, to save him from Wildfire’s little interrogation, the front door opened, heralding the return of his wife. “Left Step can't live up to her name!” the twenty-four year old olive drab unicorn mare shouted as she kicked the door closed behind her. “Where you at love?”

“Master bathroom!”

“Cleaning hooves!” Wildfire added helpfully as she heard Tinkerer – possibly louder than was necessary – get himself into the bathtub. She chose to sit on the toilet as from there she could reach the bath and the sink. “Hi Belle!”

“Wildfire! You're here!” Belle thundered up the stairs, making sure to tromp her hooves loudly up the steps so that her guest knew where she was. As she got to the bathroom however, she stopped, caught short by the sight that greeted her. “Woah, you are dressed to impress, aren’t you?”

Wildfire gasped in the hug, at once mistaking her herd-mate for an earth pony she was hugging her so tight. “H-Hey, it's kinda for Airy but I figured you two'd like it as well.”

Eager to inspect, the young unicorn mare moved around Wildfire’s little body. She had to say she approved of her choice of clothing. A lot. “Yes, the cut-out bra is very Airy. So, Tink, why are you in the tub?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

Tinkerer bowed to his more dominant partner. “Mistress Wily commanded I be in the tub.”

Giggling, Wildfire posed a little to – hopefully - flaunt her goodies. “Tink gave me the best wing massage, so I wanted to return the favour and service his hooves. That's why he's giving them a clean before I start.”

Belle laughed a sweet little tinkling laugh, for she knew what her husband’s idea of hoof care was. She said as much too. “That would be a wipe with a towel and hoof file if needed. I do have some products, you looking for anything in particular, Wily?” she asked, well aware of the blind mare’s expertise in this field.

Wildfire was pleased that Belle was back. She doubted if Tinkerer, sweet and sexy as he was, had ever heard of what she was about to ask for. “Hydrophane hoof oil if you have it, and Keratex really is awesomes for healing minor scuffs and cracks.” she blushed bright red, “You know there's flavoured polish too?”

Belle scanned her shelves, shelves that would’ve put any beauty salon to shame, and she eventually found the items in question, along with the graduated files, applicator brushes and clothes as well. “I have the first two, but not the last. I have flavoured panties though!” she added with a giggle.

Tinkerer smiled, “I do like the strawberry ones.”

“Hydrophane is good, I guess you have to be really into hooves to have the edible polish.” She blushed again, her mind wandering from hooves to the panties that she wore, which felt quite tight and wet. “These aren't strawberry flavoured, more horny mare...”

Quickly, and without warning, Belle shoved her nose under Wildfire's tail, so hard that she pressed the wetted gusset of the panties into her marehood, much like Mapper had done to Octavia at the Open Mic night. Straightaway, with one inhalation, she detected the unmistakeable taste of mare in heat. “She's right Tink, very much horny mare flavoured.”

Tinkerer snickered, “I'll give that a tie with Strawberry.”

Once her inspection was complete, Belle lit her horn and she levitated down the hoof oil and the crack repairing keratex. She placed them so that they were touching her hooves on the sink so that she knew where they were. “Okay, here is what you need. Did the lunk feed you anything, or are you hungry?”

Wildfire, who had been poised on the closed toilet, let out a very loud and surprised meep as Belle’s nose had gone into her crotch. This of course had the effect of flagging her tail up even higher than before. Her wings also showed their approval. “Aaaah, we ah, we had coffee, I ate with Airy and Stormy, but something chocolatey would be nice…” at that, she tried to regain some lost composure as she got the hoof oil onto one of the brushes and started her work.

"Okay, I can do that, we have cake. I'll bring it up to the bedroom and wait for you two to finish in here."

As Belle took her leave of the master bathroom to get the cake which she knew was sitting in the fridge, Wildfire went to work on her husband’s hooves. It quickly became apparent to the blind pony that Tinkerer, being a pegasus, didn't have the natural earth pony magic to protect his hooves. She carefully worked the oil and the keratex into the cracks, using the brush and clothes to make sure she got it everywhere. “Hmm,” she felt his worn hooves with her own, “I can tell you work with these, Tink.”

“A lot of moving and lifting.” Tinkerer explained, trying hard to not moan as every surface of his hooves received loving attention. As a labourer that worked with his hooves they were scuffed and had minor chips along the edges. “We're a mixed tribe gang. Unicorns do the fine tune movement, but can't lift from the ground. Earth Ponies do a lot of the nuts, bolts and rivets for the final work. Us pegasi move things from A to B.”

Wildfire, who had been listening whilst busy rubbing in the hoof oil to his left forehoof now it was clean, asked, “How does that feel?”

“It feels...comfortable, and relaxing.” Tinkerer admitted and, to his very great surprise, he actually liked it, though he wouldn’t admit it to any of his work colleagues on the building site.

“Hmhmm!” Wildfire murmured proudly. “Give the oil a moment to dry,” she said as she got to work on your right hoof, getting the oil everywhere as she repeated her ministrations, though this one needed the keratex as it was slightly more chipped than the one before it. “Then I'll show you relaxing!”

Tinkerer was in heaven. “He-Here in the tub or out there with our audience?” he asked as he watched the blind mare tend to his hooves. If spa treatments were like this, he was definitely going next time, instead of refusing like he usually did when Belle wanted to go.

“Oh, definitely out there.” Wildfire raised her eyebrows for a 'wink' in Tinkerer’s direction.

“You know, this is nice, I usually don't fuss much with my hooves.” Tinkerer said, though he realised how obvious that statement was when he watched her work the repair cream into the toe of his hooves. “I normally just work out the bad nicks or chips.”

“Well,” Wildfire smiled, gently working in the oil now over the toe, white wall and the frog. “If I'm allowed in for a free wing massage as and when, you get Wily hoof love too.”

“I do believe this has all the makings of a wonderful partnership!” Tinkerer declared, just as the smell of chocolate came wafting tantalisingly through the open bathroom door from the master bedroom.

Wildfire sniffed the air reflexively. “Ah! I smell my second favourite thing! Your hooves should be dry and ready by now, Tink.”

“They are shinny.” He raised his left forehoof up and he touched the toe to his lips. “And yet they’re dry.”

“Then you're ready sweetie. Wanna follow my tail again?”

Tinkerer snickered and, when Wildfire turned around to walk out towards the scent of heaven that was the chocolate cake, he hopped out of the freestanding tub onto his new, shiny squeaky clean hooves. “I think I can manage that manoeuvre.” Over her shoulder, Wildfire blew him a kiss before turning back to face the waft of chocolate, her tail raised up very high indeed to show off her damp panties. “My hoof may be the only dry thing here.”

"For now..." Wildfire commented as she sauntered along with swaying hips, tail up wafting her scent in the dark green stallion's direction as she sniffed out the chocolate. When she got to the bedroom it didn't quite smell right. "Chocolate! But, Belle, it doesn't smell like cake."

Laid on the bed, next to her newly produced chocolate fountain, she had eschewed the cake in favour of this, Belle smiled, "It's not. I'm in awe of the Wily sense. I changed my mind and made us a chocolate fountain with lots of dipping stuffs." She then giggled, "I made popcorn too, but that is for me to snack on, during the show."

When she got into bed, Wildfire could smell the various fruits along with the chocolate. She had an idea, a rather sexy, hot idea. "I've got an idea, Tink?"

“I'm up for ideas.”

As her husband got on the bed, Belle giggled again. “I was expecting you to be a bit more 'up' by now, love.”

Tinkerer snorted, the only reason he wasn’t fully erect already, just from Wildfire’s scent alone, was through sheer force of willpower. That, and the fact that his wife didn’t like him to be erect without permission. “Waste not, want not.”

Wildfire licked her lips in anticipation of enacting the idea she had thought of. “Could you be a total sweetie and dip the toe of your hoof in the fountain, please?”

Tinkerer immediately caught onto what Wildfire had planned. Grinning, he dipped the toe of his left forehoof into the chocolate fountain, but with a swirl so that it was covered but not dripping. Thoughtfully, Belle placed a towel out which Tinkerer moved under his leg, just in case. “Done.”

“A-Alrighty…” Wildfire bit her lip and, as she sniffed, she reached out with her hooves and raised up the chocolate covered hoof to her lips. “Oooooh...” she moaned, giving the toe the same kind of tentative lick she gave the salted caramel donut. Lovingly, she dragged her tongue over the white wall, tasting the semi-sweet dark chocolate as she did so.

Tinkerer’s eyes almost crossed, it felt that good. “Mmmmmm, that is nice!”

Belle laughed, “I can see receiving, but giving? Don't know.”

Wildfire was, by now, in her own little micro-universe that consisted solely of Tinkerer’s chocolate covered hoof. “Mmmm is aaaawesomes!” she switched up to lick straight up the centre of Tinkerer's frog, she dragged her tongue between the bulbs and she ended at the sole.

As she licked and sucked, the dark green stallion’s hoof jerked a little but it didn’t leave Wildfire’s grasp. “Yeah, I can see why others like to be at this end of the tongue.” The little mare just smiled, licking back down to the bulbs she sucked on one then the other. Seeing that the show had well and truly started, Belle moved on from eating chocolate covered fruit to her popcorn, while Tinkerer was knelt there with his eyes closed and not thinking about food at all.

Watching, Belle said nothing when she saw her husband slip from his sheath. Wildfire, unaware of this development, lifted up Tinkerer’s other forehoof and, holding them both together, she licked between them, kissing the sole of each one. She loved this technique. It always got the results she wanted.

Tinkerer, who was utterly enjoying this stimulation, if his erection was anything to go by, opened his eyes and looked at Belle. His wife gave him a slight shake of her head. Smiling, he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the attention. Wildfire kept on licking his hooves until she couldn't taste the chocolate anymore. “Hmmm!” Again, her tail was well up and her wings were hard. “How'd you like that?”

“Second best foreplay ever.”

Belle rolled her eyes, popcorn held in her magic. “Nice save.”

“I'm glad you liked it.” As she said that, Tinkerer leant in and he licked at the chocolate that was around Wildfire’s lips and he followed it up with a very, very deep kiss. Wildfire, in response, wrapped her forelegs around his broad neck and returned the deep kiss with one of her own. While she kissed him, her left foreleg trailed tentatively down his body to his crotch.

Tinkerer, by now fully aroused both at his crotch and his wings, was more than happy to let Wildfire’s hoof wander wherever she liked. After a few seconds, she reached her target. The moment her hoof contacted his hard stallionhood, she pulled away with a gasp – certain memories were, after all, more pleasant than others – before she returned it, blushing. “Um...sorry...wow...” she ran her hoof slowly up and down his erect length.

“I don't know if I should be pleased for offended.” Tinkerer said kindly, as he knew full well of Wildfire’s past. He was amazed she had made it this far to be able to stroke his rod.

Belle laughed, “I've always been pleased.”

Wildfire, at her herd-mate’s cock, was still blushing very red. She knew, as she lowered her head towards it, using her hoof as a guide, that she shouldn’t be thinking of the Wardens and the Punishers. “You um, you should be pleased, Tink.”

Tinkerer’s heart was on the verge of melting, she was that adorable. “I was teasing…Mmmmm!” further comment though was lost to the ether when Wildfire, with her head down at the base of his shaft, kissed and licked her way all the way up the length of his throbbing stallionhood. “Aaaaaahhhmmmmmm!”

Belle was loving this. “She does look ready from my point of view.” She commented, watching as Wildfire opened her mouth and, with the flat head of Tinkerer’s cock in her mouth, she descended down to his medial ring with no difficulty whatsoever. All he could do was open his hind legs. “Now that I'll be happy to do. Go, Wily, go!”

Wildfire smile a little around Tinkerer's length, very proud at the praise she had received. She pulled up about a quarter of the way and then she descended back down, almost to the hilt this time. Tinkerer, being but a stallion, was of course loving this attention, who wouldn’t? But that wasn’t why she was here. “W-Wily, I...I don't think that is how you get pregnant. I've done this before.”

With yet another blush colouring her cheeks, Wildfire pulled off, leaving a trail of spit between her and Tinkerer’s shaft. “Oh, um, you're right Tink…” she felt incredibly stupid.

Belle, almost falling off the bed she was laughing so hard, didn’t help any. “Maybe she just wants to be sure you're not shooting blanks.”

“I thought, um, I dunno what I thought…” Wildfire, almost expecting Amethyst’s harsh tones or Auumn’s whip at any moment, turned around on the bed and lowered her head, lifting her ass up into the air. This much, she knew, was right.

Realising that a big shift had occurred in his guest’s mood, and not for the better, Tinkerer carefully moved alongside the little yellow mare and he kissed her as deeply as he could, to remind her where she was and who they were. The bed moved and Belle also got in position on her other side and gave her a little kiss. “Well, it does take time to recharge, and not sure if you wanted to waste a chance at getting pregnant. Now if you're in no hurry…”

Belle couldn’t help herself. “So says the stallion about to pop!”

Wildfire, with her head buried in the comforter on the bed, returned the kiss to both Tinkerer and Belle as much as she could, though when she spoke, her voice was considerably meeker than before. It was like she was a different mare. “Um, I'm not in a hurry, I mean we have the weekend, right? I um...oooh...this, it's silly...”

Tinkerer didn’t think it was silly in the slightest. He tried to gently lift her up but Wildfire wasn’t budging. Painfully, he wondered if the head down, ass up position was how she had been ‘trained’. He shoved that thought, kicking and screaming, out of his head. “I want you to be comfortable about this, Wily.”

“Yeah,” Belle agreed, “Though I'd still like a good show.”

“Hush love, don't make this any harder than it is.”

Belle, unused to the stern look she had received from her husband, nodded and magically removed the chocolate fountain from the bed. “Hushing now.”

Tinkerer gave Wildfire’s cheek a lighter little kiss. “We will do this at your pace, and how you'd like it done.”

In spite of all their assurances though, Wildfire still felt stupid. There was no reason for her to react like this, and yet she was. “Well, it's just, um…” she whimpered as she sat up, tapping her forehooves together nervously, “You see, I've never pleasured a stallion. I um, I don't know what to do.” It sounded even more dumb and lame now she said it out loud. It was true, though. All the times the Punishers had been used on her, she had been restrained and they just used her until they were finished. She had never actively pleasured them.

“My best advice is to just be you.”

Belle snorted, “Always the less than helpful one.” She then saw just how badly her herd-mate was being affected by this and the theatre pony felt a huge swell of sympathy for her. That in mind, she decided to try and help. “So, you've been pleased by a mare, what do you like in that?”

“Oh...oh!” Wildfire perked up almost immediately, her aspect changing from morose to smiling as fast as one flips a light switch. “I love being hoofed, and watersports, and I love it when Airy and Stormy mount me,” she smiled a goofy little smile. “Stormy likes the backdoor way.”

“Well, that answers if Stormy has played the stallion for you.”

Tinkerer snickered as his wife laughed. “I don't think the backdoor way will get you pregnant either, but I can do that if you like.”

“Any port in a storm, right love?” Belle asked.

“This pleasure cruise is for Wily.”

“Thank you, both of you, thank you.” Wildfire ‘looked’ at both of the voices in front of her in turn, smiling a most genuine smile at both Tinkerer and at Belle. Fluttering her wings, she raised up a few inches from the bed and slid her sopping wet panties down her hind legs. “I think I'm ready for that cruise now.”

“Traditional mounting then?” Tinkerer asked, just to be sure, as when Wildfire landed, she was already in position, with her hind legs on the floor and her upper body resting on the bed itself.

“Oh sweet Luuuuuna yes!” Wildfire screamed desperately, as Tinkerer worked his way backwards nibbling on her ear, her neck, the base of her wing, flank and finally her cutie mark. The dark green stallion reached her dripping wet marehood and Wildfire’s heat got the best of her nerves, what with the sensitivity of her flanks, and everywhere else.

“Best to be sure you're ready, I think.” Tinkerer plunged his nose in under Wildfire’s black tail and he delivered a long slow probing lick with his broad tongue. He could literally taste the poor mare’s heat as it dripped from her snatch.

“HMMMMM!” Wildfire whimpered and moaned as she spread her hind legs and moved her tail far over to the side. “I'm reeeeeady! Sweet Luna I’m ready! Pleeeease!”

Tinkerer however, resisted the urge to mount her and rut her senseless. They were herd, after all. “Belle, keep an eye on her.” When his wife nodded solemnly, he placed his forehooves on Wildfire’s back as he reared up and lined himself – still hard as an iron rod – up with her pussy. A small bump and adjustment to the left and he was in, hilting inside her tunnel in one hard thrust.

As Tinkerer entered her, Wildfire let out a very loud, very lustful whinny, all her nerves now well and truly forgotten. Snorting on her back, the dark green pegasus pushed in and he moved his forehooves to the front of her wing joints. Withdrawing just past his medial ring, he thrust back inside her and he began his in and out motion. Whinnying little louder now, Wildfire moaned, “OOooOH yeeeees!”

Being well worked up already by the diminutive yellow mare’s blowjob and her hoof worship before he started, Tinkerer was unfortunately done in about a minute of hard carnal thrusting. His last pelvic thrust was hard and firm, he pulled back on her wings as he hilted and tapped her cervix. When he tapped her, he grunted and came, splashing her tunnel and filling her ready womb with his hot seed.

“LUUUNA!” Wildfire screamed as she reached her climax with him, she couldn’t tell, but as the stallion’s seed filled her, there was a visible yellow glow emanating from her womb as Princess Twilight's spell from the Gaming Night party was sealed with the meeting of sperm and egg.

Belle, watching with her popcorn, was surprised that Wildfire climaxed with her husband. She was even more surprised at the unexpected display of magic that shone from the panting mare’s core. It was a full minute before the bright glow subsided. She guessed, correctly, that it was the Princess’s spell ensuring conception, and it had happened in front of her eyes.

“Th-That felt....really tingly…” was all Wildfire could think of to say. If she was to describe it, it was like the most powerfully intense vibrations she had ever felt, all centred inside her. She’d never, ever felt an orgasm like that in her life.

Very slowly, Tinkerer backed off of Wildfire and he pulled out of her. Unusually, there was no residue, no spillage. It was like all his sperm had been funnelled into the blind mare. Not a drop was wasted. “Sorry I was so quick.”

“N-No...” Wildfire panted, “no problem...” she slumped hard on the bed. “You wanna go again later?” she giggled, for she sounded much more like 'herself' than she had before. “Belle did want a good show.”

The olive drab mare snorted out a laugh. “Still have some popcorn to share, but I think you'll have to wait ‘till morning for another go.” Almost as an example, she munched on a hoof-full of popcorn. “By the way, if you tie him up he performs even better.” Belle loved the way her submissive stallion could only blush to that statement.

“I think I can wait,” Wildfire giggled once she had her breath back. “As I recall, we both wore some fancy ropes that Thursday.”

“I do like a pony that is bound to me.” Belle purred with a very half-lidded, smoulderingly sexy look straight to her partner. “Are you one of those early ponies, Wily?”

“I'm a light sleeper, Belle, and an awful morning pony.” She smiled, “You could tie me up too, if you'd like, that'd be fun!”

Belle burst out into peals of laughter. “If I were to tie you both up, I don't think there will be much action. You get middle of the bed. That silly stallion of mine is a morning pony too.”

“That...may be a good point,” Wildfire conceded and she had a good laugh at herself. “Alrighty, I'm in the middle!”

Belle magically flicked both of Wildfire’s ears. “If my hoof wanders in the night is very much on purpose.”

As Tinkerer snickered, Wildfire felt her way up onto the bed and over to the middle of it. Still somewhat exhausted from the combined effects of the late hour, her heat and the first class rutting, as well as the magic working inside her that had drained a fair bit of her own energy, she collapsed face first onto the pillow. “If I let it wander, then that's on purpose too.”

“I like ponies with a purpose.” Belle laid on the right side of the bed, the side nearest the foal monitor and affectionately she kissed her herd-mate’s cheek. “G'night, and the show was worth the admission.”

Tinkerer crawled up next to her left side and he kissed her cheek, neck and her ear. “We can go again in the morning, Wily. I want you to have this foal.”

Laid in the middle of the husband and wife pair, Wildfire took the time to hug and kiss them both in equal measure. “Thank you, and um, thank you for understanding and going steady with me, I do appreciate it, guys.”

Tinkerer smiled and kissed Wildfire’s nose. “We are herd.”

Belle, snuggled behind her, kissed her ears. “We are herd.”

“Yuppers we are herd, again, thank you.” Wildfire gave them both a last round of hugs and kisses, though Belle, tired from her night in the theatre and watching the rutting, was asleep in under a minute. Tinkerer laid awake a little longer, looking at Wildfire with a forehoof resting on shoulder. Wildfire smiled and whispered 'thank you' and she was soon deep within Princess Luna’s dreamscape.

Once Tinkerer was sure his herd-mate was asleep, he whispered, “You're welcome.” Not long after that, he too was soon fast asleep.

~ ~ ~

“Hmm…” Wildfire was the first to wake on Saturday morning. At first, she didn’t realise where she was. She knew she was buried muzzle deep in a pony’s chest fur, but that it wasn’t Airmail or Tempest. Then, it hit her. She was in Tinkerer and Belle’s bedroom, laid on her side between the two of them with the olive drab mare behind her.

By process of elimination, therefore, it must be the dark green stallion whose chest she was drooling into. She heard the snores from those around her, she felt the heat from the sun through the open drapes almost as hot as the heat blossoming between her hind legs. The next thing she felt was something rock hard, like a leg, that was pressed against her inner thigh where no leg should be.

“Hmm...wh-what the...” Wildfire wondered just what was going on when she shifted her foreleg down to have a hesitant feel. “Oooh!” Even though she was the only one awake, she felt herself blush when she realised she was stroking Tinkerer’s erection. It made her giggle, to think that he could be fully erect and fully asleep at the same time. ‘Huh, that's a first...’ she thought as she lifted her head up and kissed Tinkerer's broad neck adding a nibble, her hoof gently stroking his length.

Tinkerer stirred, but he didn't wake up. Wildfire slowly kissed her way up the pegasus’s neck to his ear. “Good morning,” she purred, her hot breath tickling his fur before she began licking and kissing the inner part of his right ear. All the time, she was gently moving her left forehoof up and down his hard cock.

Slowly, Tinkerer opened his blue eyes. He was not at all startled by the method in which he was awakened. He did feel Wildfire’s forehoof on his member though, and that was the thing he chose to focus on in the half-light of the morning. “A fine morning it is. Glad to see you weren't scared off, Wily.”

“By this?” Wildfire smiled in response to that, her hoof continuously sliding over his shaft, her frog feeling every vein and bump along it’s length. “Nah, I love this…” her heat loved it too.

“I'm glad,” Tinkerer snickered, “I'm rather attached to it.” At that moment though, he stopped talking as he got a strong waft of Wildfire’s heated scent. He could see it in her body, it was taking control of her second by second. It was more than a little obvious, by the way she began to kiss her way down his ear to his neck, with added sexy nibbles along the way. He could tell she needed this so badly. “You're in control, let me know if I need to move, okay?” he said, kissing top of her head.

The moment he said that, Wildfire whined and she let out a very needy, very desperate whinny. “I need you Tink...so bad...” she added hot wet kisses in between each word. “Can you ah, hmmm, get on your back, please?”

Obligingly, Tinkerer slid his two hind legs under Wildfire’s little body and he easily rolled over onto his back with her on top of him, the little mare straddling his waist. “Something like this?” he asked, making Belle snort a little with loss of contact with her warm herd-mate on the bed.

“Yu-Yuppers!” Wildfire gasped, now that she was on top, straddling him, she slid down his body just a little to position herself with the flat head of his iron-hard cock ready at her dripping wet entrance. “Just like this…” she moaned with undisguised lust as she lowered herself down, not stopping until he was all the way inside her.

“I like a filly that takes control,” Tinkerer said, resting his forehooves on the yellow mare’s red fireball cutie marks.

“MmMmmm…I gathered,” Wildfire smiled and, with her forehooves positioned at his wing joints, she began to slide her soaking wet snatch up and down his rigid length, gasping with the feel of his hard girth filling her up, every vein and bump exciting the sensitive muscular walls of her tunnel.

As she started to get into a slow and steady rhythm, Wildfire rubbed her hooves in circles all around the spot where Tinkerer’s wings joined his barrel. Lost in the throes of her heat she may be, but she wanted this to last longer than a minute. Tinkerer, underneath her, was very happy to go with the flow. He was busy thinking about work so he doesn't come so quickly.

“Hmm aaaah oooooh T-Tink…” Without realising it, Wildfire had increased the speed with which she was rutting her herd-mate. “Ooooh! Yeeeeees! Lasting longer this time huh?” she managed to ask, she hilted him inside her pussy and she rocks backwards and forwards, just loving the way she was completely filled up.

“Trying.”

Smirking, Wildfire began to ride him again, completely enjoying the sensation of being spread and filled up, stuffed to her brim, though she was going slower to savour the feeling of every inch inside her. “You're a good boy, right?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“Good...oooooh I love a well behaved stallion.” Said well behaved stallion was now working very hard to not buck her into next week with his hips while she rode him, but thoughts of work were for some reason quite hard to hold onto. “You're gonna buck me, right, good boy?” she asked as sexily as she could as she rested on top of his body.

Tinkerer looked back at the wall behind him. “I think you're far enough away to not hit your head on the wall. Please move about the stallion in any way you feel for the duration of this ride.” He leant up and kissed her. “You ready?”

Wildfire kissed him back, very hard indeed. “Buck me.” she stated as firmly as she could. “Buck me until you fill me up with your seed. Rut me ‘till I can’t walk straight.”

Moving his forehooves to her hips, Tinkerer proceeded to buck her hard. When he pulled back, his cock was just at the medial ring before he seized her and slammed her back down his shaft until his head hit her cervix. “YEEEEEEES! Sweeeeet LUUUUUNA YEEEES!” she screamed out loud as she was forced upwards and slammed down again and again.

The wild ride lasted a good fifteen minutes in this fashion, Tinkerer used alternating thrust and gravity to ride Wildfire up and down his shaft ‘till he started to snort out hot breaths. Wildfire was screaming and moaning as she felt the pressure of his forehooves increase. “Wi-Wily…AAH, I-I'm gonna blow!”

“G-Good m-me tooooo!” Wildfire screamed, not being at all quiet. “Cuuum Tink! Fill me up!” On the next upswing, Tinkerer gripped Wildfire’s ass hard, so hard he left bruises, he kept her ass plastered to his groin as, with a mighty grunt, he came. He came hard, the surging torrent of hot sperm spattering against and through her cervical wall. She was filled up so much that there was a noticeable bulge in her belly.

“Wow...oh...oh wow sweet Luna...” She gasped, Tinkerer laying panting, fully inserted inside her, she herself took a very haggard breath and slumped forwards onto his belly, keeping him inside. Belle, who had been awakened by the screaming, and the rutting, clapped her hooves in appreciation next to them on the bed.

Again, just like the night before, there came a bright magical glow from her womb area. The sure sign that the ancient, powerful magic was being activated and sealed. Belle, full of awe, watched all this happen before her. “A fine performance, you can rest next to me, Wily while lover stallion prepares us breakfast in bed.”

“O-Okay Belle…” Wildfire gasped and, with the intention of getting off of her herd-mate, she rolled over onto her side. “Wow…”

Tinkerer however, held onto her and rolled with her, happy to hold her in place and to let nature pull him out. “No rush, I have to think of my breakfast menu.”

Wildfire wasn’t about to argue. “That was amazing!”

Tinkerer snickered, though he had to shield his eyes now as the sun was rising steadily into the morning sky. “I would agree.”

Belle nodded, hugging Wildfire from behind. “As would I.”

“I didn't know,” she panted, “it could be that good, with stallions.”

Belle snickered, though it was directed at her submissive husband who was using his wing to shield his eyes from the sun rather than her. “Don't worry, I won't tell Airy.” Tinkerer snickered himself as he at last slipped out of her. Again, there was no residue. “Tink, I'm thinking oatmeal, cinnamon, and honey for breakfast. Is that agreeable, Wily? With coffee, of course.”

Still in a bit of a daze, Wildfire nodded her head. “The Wily sense approves of this thing you call oatmeal.”

“So,” Belle started as Tinkerer finally let her go and he got himself off of the bed and he trotted out of the master bedroom, his hooves muffled by the thick carpet, “You doing well so far?”

“Yuppers Belle,” Wildfire smiled, turning over to face her herd-mate. “I'll admit I was more than a little nervous last night, but you've both been super awesomes!”

The olive drab mare gave Wildfire a light little kiss. “Stress doesn't help pregnancy, so we do want to make you comfortable.” That, and as they were both the youngest members of Caffeinated’s herd, both being just twenty four, she felt a great deal of affection for the blind pegasus.

Wildfire returned the kiss without hesitation. She was pleased that, for the moment, her heat had been sated. “I know, it was just... 'performing', with a stallion, after everything that's happened...it was scary. I know Tink isn't what I fear, though.”

“I hope here you feel safe and that there is nothing to fear. I can't remove your past, but we can give you a future.”

Wildfire couldn’t help but laugh a light little laugh at that. “All the herd has done that.”

“Recital invited Tink and I to the herd.” Belle explained, referring to her blue unicorn friend, “Best thing ever for the two of us.”

“Best thing ever was Dusky bringing me with him that Thursday.” Wildfire commented, her voice wasn’t sad, as such, nor was it happy either. “A month ago, I never dreamed my life would go like it has.”

Again, Belle kissed Wildfire’s cheek. “Sometimes good things happen to good ponies.”

“Yuppers, it took me a few days living with Pretty to realise I might just be a good pony.”

Belle giggled, “To quote a certain opera singer, 'All ponies are bad ponies'.”

Wildfire joined in with the very girly giggles. “I might just know that pony.” She leant in and she gave her herd-mate a hug. “Sometimes it still bothers me, like I'll hear something or smell something that reminds me of the care home, but, at last, I think I'm getting there.”

“That is because everyday things can be used for evil.” Belle said kindly. “Sounds and smells will bring that to the front, but then you have to stop and realise where you are.”

Before Wildfire could say anything else, Tinkerer re-entered the master bedroom carrying a fully laden silver tray on his back. “Breakfast is served.” Helpfully, Belle lit her horn and she levitated up a couple of little folding tables onto the bed. That done, she lifted the bowls of oatmeal and the coffee from her husband’s tray to the waiting tables.

Just as Wildfire was about to dive into her oatmeal, there came a little knock on the bedroom door. Pathfinder, a little two year old green unicorn colt, was stood at his parent’s door. “I hungry.”

Tinkerer got off of the bed. “I have some oatmeal here for you, son.”

Pathfinder, needing no further prompting, trotted into the bedroom. “Okay daddy!”

On the bed, next to Belle, Wildfire heard Pathfinder’s little voice and she beamed a wide smile. “Aw! He sounds adorable!”

Belle tried very hard to not be a typically proud mother. She failed completely. “He is maturing nicely. Of course, his magic really hasn't come in yet. I dread when the time comes to unicorn proof the house.”

“How's it been,” Wildfire asked, “coping and adapting, with a foal and everything?” she was very curious, but also wary, about this. She was relieved, greatly, to be able to talk about it with a mother her own age. Of course, she would’ve loved to have gone to her mother, but she couldn’t. No matter how much she wanted to.

“He is two now, and he does well in day care.” Belle still had that extremely proud tone in her voice. “I took six months off after the birth. It helps a lot that Tink is good with foals, and Path really does love his sire.”

“Would you ever have not done it?”

“Oh, no,” Belle shook her head, smiling as Tinkerer helped their son get a bowl of oatmeal for him to eat. “This was planned I was at a good spot in my career that I could take time off.”

Wildfire smiled as she took a mouthful of her breakfast, mulling several things over in her head before she spoke again. “I've wanted to have a foal for as long as I can remember. The dream kept me sane I think, during the years in the care home.”

“That dream is most likely a reality now,” Belle nuzzled her herd-mate, going purely on what she had witnessed the night before and this morning, “but there’s no need for you to rush off.”

“I think you may be right,” Wildfire agreed. “Um, after both times with Tink, I felt a 'thing' here…” she pressed both of her hooves over her womb and belly. “It was like an intense…I dunno, a tingly...ness.”

Belle giggled, “Or it could be pegasus sperm has wings and tickles on the way in!”

“HAA!” Wildfire burst out laughing at that for a good few minutes, unfortunately she almost spat out a mouthful of oatmeal she had been enjoying at the time. “Teehee...oh, oh that's good...hehe...no, I ah, I wasn't going to rush anywhere.”

The olive drab mare, upset that her teasing hadn’t had the effect she wanted, pulled her best pouty lip face. “I'm serious here! Imagine unicorn sperm. All horny! Then it can't be too bad, Recital has had three foals.”

“Re-Really?” Wildfire made a valiant effort to finish the rest of her oatmeal, but she was giggling too hard. “Do pegasi sperm really have wings?” she cocked her head and she made like she was thinking about it. “Hmm, I guess that makes sense.”

From the door, Tinkerer snickered. “Once she is done pulling all four of your legs, she'll start on the wings. I should know.” As the dark green stallion came to his herd-mate’s rescue, Belle gave an offended sniff, but she had to hide her giggle behind her hoof.

“Oooh...” Wildfire coloured up in a deep red blush. “I ah, I did it again, didn’t I?”

Belle waved her worries away with a hoof in the air and a coffee flavoured kiss to her lips. “I am an actress and you're fresh to the herd and my ways.” The kiss became an affectionate, loving nuzzle. “Let me give you a proper introduction.” She turned to her little colt. “Pathfinder, this is Wildfire and she will be here through tomorrow. She is part of the herd.”

Pathfinder, when he spoke, sounded like he was a bit of a ways away – he was stood behind his father. “Hi.”

“Dad always said I was dense,” Wildfire smiled and returned the nuzzle. As she did so, she rotated her ears and reflexively she sniffed a couple of times, turning her head in Pathfinder's direction. She could tell where he was, but not how far away he was. “Oh hi Pathfinder, hoof bump?” she asked, holding hers out.

“Why eyes closed?” Pathfinder asked innocently as he looked up at Wildfire’s heavily scarred face.

The little yellow mare’s smile faltered a little but it was quickly back up in place. He was adorable, after all. “They aren't closed. I don't have any eyes. You can come and feel for yourself.”

“Ohhhhh…” Pathfinder wasn’t sure what to think about that, he did the sensible thing and he looked at his dad – who knew everything and was amazing – and when Tinkerer nodded, he bravely moved forward. “Hi.”

“She sees by touch so hold still so Wildfire can touch you.”

Pathfinder nodded at his mother’s instruction. “Okay momma.”

“Hi again!” Wildfire adjusted herself on the bed, letting out a little giggle as she held up her hooves so that she could feel the pony who was even smaller than she was. Helpfully, Pathfinder moved forwards just a smidge so that his cheek touches an outstretched hoof. “Aha, there you are, little one.” Very, very gently, not wanting to scare him off, she applied a little pressure as she felt both his cheeks and his muzzle.

“Not tickle.” Pathfinder passed his judgement on the feel of Wildfire’s hooves on his little green furred face.

“That's your mom's job.” Tinkerer put in, whereas Belle simply giggled, not denying the statement. Everypony who knew her, especially in the herd, knew she was a dom who had a fetish for tickling.

“I won't tickle, I promise.” Wildfire said, while her right hoof was under his jaw, her left went up the bridge of his tiny nose.

Tinkerer clarified, for his guest’s benefit. “He was surprised you're not tickling, Wily.”

“Oooh, I see,” she smiled, for she remembered Belle’s actions in the Dungeon of Caffeinated’s ranch that Thursday that felt a lifetime away, when the unicorn had used her magic to tickle Trails to the point of asphyxiation. As her hooves went up to his ears and playfully scratched behind them, Pathfinder didn’t flinch when she lightly bumped his little horn. When she had finished her inspection, Wildfire smiled. “Handsome little colt. You want to feel me?”

“Um...” unsure about that, because she did look a little scary, Pathfinder looked at his mom and dad and when they both nodded, he was assured. “Okay.”

“Let me lift you to the bed, Path.” She lit her horn and she used her magic to set her colt down on the comforter next to Wildfire and the folding breakfast tables.

“Wow!” Wildfire exclaimed, feeling the colt’s weight on the bed. “You're almost as big as me!” Although, if she was honest, almost everything was as big as or bigger than, her.

Pathfinder laughed at that. “Uh huh!” the little colt moved closer to her and he touched her wing with his hoof. He was fascinated by her yellow feathers. “Soft like you da.”

Belle giggled yet again. “I'm sure he will marry a pegasus just to preen.”

“And why not?” Wildfire asked, slowly she spread her wings. “Pegasus's are awesomes!” She loved the way that Pathfinder spent the next several minutes playing with the blind mare’s outstretched feathers. She adored the way he was so gentle and careful with her. She smiled at the gentle touch of his little hooves. She was sure, whoever he got with in the future, they were going to be well looked after.

“You are nice.” Pathfinder declared once he was done with exploring her wings and her fur. “What it like no eyes?”

Wildfire, ready for the question, didn’t falter this time. She did however take a moment to finish off her breakfast coffee before she answered. “Well...it's ah...sometimes it's scary, sometimes it hurts, but lots of nice ponies help me to feel my way around, Path.”

“I bump nose with eyes closed.” Pathfinder stated like it wasn’t obvious. He did let out a little giggle when Wildfire rubbed her nose to his own.

Belle, checking the clock, let out a rather large and extremely loud yawn. It had been late when the theatre actress had got in the night before, and it was early now, not much past eight in the morning. She needed her sleep for work. “I think it is a lovely day for the park while I get some more pre-performance sleep.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Wildfire, dense as she was, caught onto the non-so-subtle hint. “You wanna go to the park?”

“Yes!” Excitedly, Pathfinder bounced on the bed, so much so that he almost upset the folding tables, which Belle held stable with her magic. “Yes! Yes!”

Thoughtfully, Tinkerer took Pathfinder up in his wings and sets him to the floor before he could knock over the two tables. “I'd like that too.”

Wildfire smiled, “I bet you know where the best one is, too, right Path?”

Pathfinder shook his head. Though Wildfire of course couldn’t see that, Tinkerer put in, “I usually fly him there.”

“That's alright, Tink,” Wildfire grinned, “I feel like a good flight to stretch my wings.”

“Fly!” Now on the fluffy carpet, Pathfinder bounced, just as excitedly as he had on the bed. “Fly!”

“Oooh,” Wildfire carefully slid herself off of the bed, removing her bra as she did do. She figured that was a bit too risqué for a nice little trip to the park. Perhaps if she was going with her Mistress, maybe. “You like to fly?”

Eagerly, Pathfinder nodded his head, still bouncing as he did so. Tinkerer translated for Wildfire’s benefit. “He does. Path, you want to fly with Wildfire?”

Pathfinder bounced all the harder on the carpet. “Yes!”

Wildfire wasn’t expecting that. She was expecting a gentle flight, not to carry Tinkerer and Belle’s colt. A cello was one thing, entirely different altogether. Still, he was excited and she couldn’t let him down, could she? “A-Alrighty! I'd be happy to fly with you, Pathfinder.”

“Yeah!”

Belle said, “I'm going to lift him to your back.”

“Okay Belle,” Wildfire said, though what was running through her mind was entirely different. ‘Oooookay...okay...okay Wily you got this girl, it's cool, you've flown with foals before, you can do this...Yeah, but I could see back then...’

Her horn lit, Belle levitated Pathfinder onto Wildfire’s back. It was clear, by the way he held his forelegs in front of the leading edge of Wildfire’s wings and his hind legs were well back out of the way, that he knew how to fly. The little mare felt the colt’s weight in all the right places and smiled. “Somepony's done this before, right?”

“Fly!” Pathfinder squeaked excitedly now he was in position.

Once everything was ready, everything being Tinkerer getting Wildfire’s flight headset from her bag and giving her the address, which turned out to be Cadance Plaza, the dark green stallion led the way out of the house while Belle moved the folding breakfast tables off of the bed and, once they were on the floor, she flopped back on the bed, hastily pulling the drapes closed.

Outside in the warm sunshine, Wildfire took a moment to savour the day. “Feels like an awesomes Saturday morning, Tink.” Tinkerer, stood beside her on the back yard, nodded and murmured his agreement to that. As he asserted that it wasn’t a long way, Wildfire flicked her headset on via the bit in her mouth. “Lead the way, Tink.”

On the flight, short as it was, Pathfinder held on well and, showing his mount that he had done this before, he didn't move around as they flew along. Presently, when they were almost above their destination, Tinkerer spoke up. “Park looks pretty clear this early. I'm going to hover over the edge of the playground and it is about two feet straight down from there.”

“Alrighty Tink, I got this.” Wildfire responded, easily following his lavender scent on the way down until she had landed safely on the grass.

“Lay on your belly and he'll climb off.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire did as she was told, laying down on the short well-kept grass. No sooner was she down than Pathfinder, in a practised motion, slid backwards until he was off. With an excited squeal of ‘Play!’ he galloped over to the nearby slide.

Tinkerer, keeping an eye on his colt, laid down next to his herd-mate. “Have you thought about this part?” he asked gently, unsure if she had or not. “How to keep track when they run off to play?”

“Honestly no, I haven't.” she tapped her forehooves together nervously, the warmth of the sun on her back and the nice smell of freshly cut grass not offering much comfort to her. “That and a whole load of other things are scaring me, Tink.”

“Shouldn't scare you, but it should make you think. I have it easy,” Tinkerer explained, leaning in to nuzzle Wildfire’s cheek as she fretted on the grass. “I just watch and he will wave when he moves to a new area. I taught him that.”

“That’s a good idea.” Wildfire took the nuzzle and she giggled nervously. “I put all this thought into having a foal, I haven't thought yet as to how I'd cope once she's here.

As Tinkerer snickered, a dull orange unicorn mare wearing sunglasses and headphones sat on a nearby bench, seemingly minding her business, swivelled her ears, listening to what they were saying. “You can have her lead you around with a leash.” The dark green stallion laughed, “Seriously though, you could put a tracker on her and make sure she comes to you when she moves to a new place and takes you with her.”

Wildfire, who was oblivious to the presence of the orange unicorn, laughed along with Tinkerer at the leash comment he just made. “Okay, even I know you're teasing now.” She giggled, “Now you mention it, a tracker does seem the obvious thing.”

“You can also ask one of your mini-herd mates to help too.” Tinkerer put in, “Just be careful of Mapper. She will teach your filly how to cheat at cards.”

“What, when I'm not looking, you mean?”

“Yeah, she is like that.” Though he laughed, Tinkerer became serious for a moment. “When she starts flying though, you'll really want a tracker.”

“Oh sweet Luna, yes I will.” It was a mark of how serious she was that she said ‘yes’, not ‘yuppers’. “I've got these transponders I use with the flight headset, so a tracker won't be much different.”

“So what are you nervous about?” Tinkerer asked as he watched Pathfinder go down the slide for the fifth time.

“Messing up I guess,” Wildfire answered honestly, her hoof tracing little circles in the grass. “You're gonna tell me not to worry, I know, but I can't help it, Tink.”

“I won't tell you that, as I worry too. I just don't let worry consume me. I do what I can and teach what I can. Then fix what needs fixing afterwards.”

Wildfire nodded her head at that. “I get that. Since the care home, I've learnt to overcome most things. I know deep down I'll be okay. I know what I can and can't do, and I know to ask for help.”

“You have the greater herd to ask too. You're not alone, Wildfire.”

The diminutive blind mare sniffed with a smile on her face. “That's the biggest thing I've learnt since being free.”

On little hooves, Pathfinder galloped up to his father and Wildfire. “Swim!”

Tinkerer grinned, for he knew full well that this was going to take up their whole morning, if not the rest of the day. Pathfinder loved swimming. “There is a fountain pool just up north a little bit.”

Wildfire was the first of them to her hooves. “Then let's go swim!”

As the three of them trotted across the park, the dull orange unicorn mare observed their passing on her park bench. Her horn lit, she smiled sadistically, the glint in her eye hidden by the sunglasses she wore. Autumn Leaves tapped her hooves together, now she had her prey, it was just a matter of time before she had her revenge. She tapped her hooves on the bench.

Tracking spells really were such useful things.

Chapter 13 - Autumn Leaves

Monday morning passed by in a blur for Wildfire. The little yellow mare was still riding her high from spending the weekend at Tinkerer and Belle’s house over in Celestia Borough. Literally on cloud nine, especially as she couldn’t believe she had finally attained her life’s dream of bearing a foal, Wildfire was in a very good mood indeed.

Her good mood was only increased incrementally as Lancer and Undercloud were experiencing the dreaded ‘Monday Blues’. Thankfully, she was so buzzed that absolutely nothing was going to affect her today, Monday or not. Wildfire was her own little bundle of sunshine in an office of rainclouds at the Weather Factory.

This sunny demeanour was in full force as Wildfire left for her lunch and, when she trotted into the MiAC store to collect her order, the state of affairs showed no sign of altering any time soon. No sooner had the door closed behind her than there came a voice from the service counter to her left.

Bridle Way, a chocolate brown earth pony, affectionately known as Ball Gag to her friends and regulars, grinned when she saw just whom had walked in. She had gotten to know Wildfire quite well over the past few weeks – of course she knew Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity already. “Ah, it’s my favourite regular customer! Need any help today, or you just feeling up the merchandise?” she asked with a giggle.

As soon as she heard her voice, Wildfire’s ears flicked to the left, closely followed by her beaming smile. Idly she wondered if the reason for her good mood was obvious. “Oh hey, Ball Gag, how's it going?” she was almost bouncing as she walked over to the counter. “I'm just here to pick up an order I made last week, two sets of slave clothes and a Queen costume, please hun.”

Bridle Way rummaged, loudly, so that her favourite customer could hear her, behind her counter top. She was sure her boss had left a couple of parcels behind the workstation. “It’s Wildfire, right?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire practically squealed, she wondered if she should just hang a sign around her neck, ‘Pregnant & Happy!’ “That's me!”

Bridle Way soon found the items, along with the work chit. “Okay, says here you already paid in full. I just need a signature from you to say you received it. It is in plain brown wrapping. Do you want it gift wrapped, and would you like to touch the items?”

“Alrighty, where's the pen?” when the non-writing end of the pen was placed in her mouth, Wildfire hastily signed her name where the mare indicated. “Ooh...can I have them wrapped please? I don't want to touch, it'll be more of a surprise when I get them home to my herd.”

“Okay,” Bridle Way laughed, “so, you want blue, purple, or pink paper?” she asked, thinking of the other mares that Wildfire associated with.

Wildfire however wasn’t thinking about that. She was resisting the urge to sing from the rafters that she was pregnant. As such, she said the first colour that came into her head. “Uuum...pink, please, Ball Gag.”

“I'll keep the 'Queen's' identity a secret.” Bridle Way snickered as she loudly, far louder than was strictly necessary, wrapped the three costumes up in bright pink wrapping paper. “Can I interest you in anything else, while you’re here?”

About to shake her head, a sudden thought occurred to her. “Um...oh! I don't suppose you do braille books? If not, I'll take a couple of DVD's.”

The relief in Bridle Way’s face was almost palpable. “I thought you'd never ask! Since you come in quite often I wrote the home office and they sent me some items.” The chocolate earth pony mare was practically giddy now. “I have five books. Three are triple X rated romance novels. One is a scratch and sniff,” she giggled, “some kinky smells in that one. The last is really neat. I think Princess Cadance herself makes them. A bass relief pony sutra book. You can feel the action.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire listened, and as soon as there was a pause in Bridle Way’s spiel, she nodded. “I'll go for all five. Please. Thank you.” She was in too good a mood to worry about little things like choosing which book she wanted most, or what they cost. She knew she had enough of her reward money left on her card to treat herself a little.

Bridle Way was trying to work out how much commission she’d make from this. She settled on ‘a lot’. “Oh my! Thank you. I'll let the home office know they were well received. Please do tell me later if they are actually any good. I, ah, I only looked at the sutra book. It is really hot. Would you like the books wrapped too?”

“Aaah...n-no, thank you,” Wildfire decided against that. She had a much better idea for the books, which involved her office and her hoof later that afternoon. “I'll ah, give them a bit of a look this afternoon, to see if they're good.” She had to check them before she took them back to her herd, right? That was her excuse and she was sticking to it.

“Okay, move sideways and I'll put this lot in your saddle bags.” The chocolate brown mare beamed, “Both in one or split books and costumes?”

“If you can get them all in one bag,” Wildfire responded as she turned sideways so that her right side was nearest to the counter. She knew from experience this was the best way to go, as it had her ready and facing the door, “Then go for it.”

It only took a little gentle re-arranging for Bridle Way to make everything comfortably fit into the right side saddlebag. “Thank you for shopping MiAC, Wildfire, may Princess Cadance bless your love.”

Now that business was done, Wildfire gave her friend – she was quite comfortable calling her a friend, given how much time and how many bits she spent in the store - a typically 'restrained' Wildfire hug ™ which the earth pony was only too happy to take and return. “And may she bless you too, Ball Gag.”

When she exited the MiAC store, with its bright gaudy pink façade behind her, Wildfire decided that even though there was a perfectly good coffee shop right next door, she’d spend her lunch time at Caffeinated’s shop. There was just ‘something’ about his black coffee that was worth the short subway ride. Plus, she reflected as she set her headset to the train station, she fancied a catch up with her herd-mate over a salted caramel donut.

Alas, Wildfire’s departure from the MiAC store did not go unnoticed.

Autumn Leaves, the dull orange unicorn, was watching from the alleyway the other side of the adult store. The mare had been stalking her prey for over a week now, using her tracking spells, drawing her plans against the blind pony in the process. Now, having ascertained Wildfire’s routine, she judged it was time.

She had heard Number Thirteen, as Amethyst Glory had named it, request directions for the subway station. ‘This is perfect,’ she decided as she stepped out from her hiding place and walked several feet behind the hated figure in front of her. Amethyst Glory hadn’t just been her boss, for Autumn had loved the purple unicorn with all her heart, though that love had gone largely unreciprocated.

Autumn Leaves didn’t care about that. Not now. All she cared about was the fact, etched in stone, that Thirteen had gotten away, and its friend had slaughtered her beloved. Now, today, that wrong would be righted. Thirteen would pay, no matter the cost. As she stalked her way towards the station, Autumn Leaves’ mind went blank. She was entering ‘that’ space in her head. The space that held no mercy, no pity, no remorse for what she was about to do.

If all went according to plan, there would be two ponies entering oblivion this day, for she had no desire to see tomorrow, not without Amethyst Glory. She smiled her most sadistic smile, her magic playing with Boris, her favourite bullwhip in her saddlebag, imagining the look on her love’s face when she presented her with Thirteen to play with once more.

‘Oh, how she will reward me!’ Autumn Leaves thought, her sick and twisted mind making her giggle like a madpony as she followed her unsuspecting quarry down the escalator onto the subway platform. ‘This is almost too easy…’ Still, there was no reason why she couldn’t have a little fun. Like a cat would have fun with a mouse. With a delicate little cough, she affected an elderly voice. “Excuse me.” she said once they were off the escalator, “I'm new to the city and blind. I didn't feel any signs for the restroom. Could you help me? I don't want to piddle on the platform…”

“Oh hi!” Wildfire, completely and utterly unaware that she was stood about a foot away from the Warden that had tormented her the most – with the possible exception of Lotus Stripes – turned around to face the sound of the voice and she smiled a very wide smile. It was her pleasure to help this old pony, after all. “I kinda know how you feel, I'm still pretty new too, but follow my tail,” she said helpfully, “there are signs over on the wall at regular spaces.”

Autumn Leaves thought this was a most fun little game. She took a large fake sniff, as she did so she noted that there weren’t very many commuters down here at this time of day. She also noted that there weren’t many security ponies here on the platform itself. Perfect. “Thank you, let me know when you reach one so I can check, please.”

“Sure!” Only wanting to help, Wildfire made her way over to the wall. “So, what's your name? Where you from? How long have you been blind?” she giggled, realising that was a lot of questions. Still, she was hoping she had made a new friend, perhaps she lived in that blind retreat on Stallion Island? “Sorry, it's just so cool meeting a pony like me!”

‘Like you?’ Autumn Leaves almost dropped her little charade at that. ‘You’re nothing like me, you’re nothing but Amethyst’s property!’ She had to try very hard indeed to collect herself. “Like-Like you? Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were blind. I can get help from another pony…”

Wildfire however shook her head. “Nah it's cool, here I've found the sign. The restrooms are this way.” She pointed with her hoof in the direction that the braille sign had indicated.

Autumn Leaves made a show of rubbing her hoof against the wall. What she was really doing, however, was scanning for any security cameras. She was very pleased to see there was only two, one at each end of the platform, and not far away there were two large columns standing ten feet apart. They’d block sight lines nicely. “Oh, I didn't expect it to be that high up. You must be a Pegasus. Thank you, I-I think I can take it from here.” She snickered, wondering how far she could take this little game. “Oh, I'm Fall Foliage. I'm from Canterlot, and I've always been blind. Since you asked, I'm guessing you're new to being blinded?”

“I've been blind for five years,” Wildfire answered truthfully, seeing no reason whatsoever to not trust her. “It was an accident in science class at university when I was eighteen. It’s nice to meet you, Fall Foliage. I hope you enjoy Manehatten.” She’d made a new friend! A blind friend! Today was getting better all the time.

‘Fall Foliage’, as she had named herself, said, “It is a lot nicer than Canterlot, and a lot more friendly. I like the handicap zones in the subway cars.” As she spoke, she scanned the wall between the columns and she saw a large pink poster advertising the MiAC store. Perfect.

“I'm Wildfire. Call me Wily. And yuppers, I know what you mean. Manehatten's way nicer towards ponies like us.”

“I'd love to chat, but I really need to go.” Autumn Leaves glanced towards the public restroom. If she could get Thirteen in there, it would be Hearths Warming Eve for her. “I-I should be able to make it from here. Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure, Fall.” With that, Wildfire, happy that she could get to the restroom on her own, she turned back to face the train lines. She was happy that if she could get about, then her new friend could as well.

‘Fall Foliage’ noisily ran her hoof along the wall, tapping it to let her prey know she was still there. She did make sure it was at the right height. He didn’t want to spook her just yet. Not when she was so close to her revenge. She tried one last time to get her into the restroom. “I wish it said how far and not just direction. I'm going to pee myself.”

Wildfire however, content her friend would be fine, especially as she had been blind from birth, didn’t do any more to help. “Oh, the restrooms are never very far away, Fall. You'll get there, don’t worry.”

By the time that Autumn Leaves realised that the blind mare was not going to escort her to the restroom, several ponies, four stallions and three mares, had taken their places on the platform. She had a sense her time was running out. She went to plan B. Lighting her horn, she concentrated and she pulled apart the seam of her saddlebag. A second later, it gave out, spilling the five books and the costumes on the floor. This wasn’t just to be mean, though that was a bonus. No, she was testing the waters, seeing who would come to her aid.

“Huh? What the...” it took Wildfire all of three seconds to realise what had happened. She felt the weight drop from her right bag, she heard the books thud to the floor. “Oh c'mon!” grumbling, the diminutive yellow mare began gathering up her things, starting with the costumes and putting them in her left bag. “Stupid saddlebag!”

As she was gathering her books, Wildfire managed to pick up four with no difficulty. The fifth, however, when she tapped it with the toe of her hoof, it skitters off away from her. All the while, Autumn Leaves was watching. She noted that only one pony out of all those currently on the platform turned to look at the noise, but that none of them came to help. ‘Perfect!’ She could barely contain her glee.

“Luna damn it...” Wildfire grunted as she gathered up her things back into her one remaining saddlebag, grumbling before standing up. “Ugh...now I need to go too!” As she tried not to think about the fact that she needed to pee, she tried to pick up her last fallen book. Yet, strangely, it moved forward away from the train lines like it was coated in butter. “What the Tartarus...hey!” she couldn’t see the magical aura that moved the book away from her, leading her between the two columns.

This time, when Wildfire reached for her book, it did not move, but, as she went to pick it up, she heard a different sound. A sound that chilled her very soul. A sound she had only heard for the past month in her nightmares. She heard the sound of two hooves tapping rhythmically on the floor. As soon as she heard it, she froze, the book in her hoof. “Wh-Who's there...no, no it can't be…it can’t be, it just can’t!”

“Just me, dear.” Autumn Leaves said, still affecting her ‘Fall Foliage persona. After she giggled though, she dropped the façade. The next time she spoke, it was in her cold, heartless tone. “But I guess a disguise is wasted on you.” She stepped up to Wildfire’s front as the little mare stuffed the fallen book in her bag. “I don't know how a wretched little nopony like you did it, but I'm glad I was out that day.”

“Au-Autumn!” Wildfire squeaked, her ears slicked back to her head in fear, “N-No, no...Dusk said you were all in prison. Y-You can't be here!”

When Autumn Leaves cast her next spell, she glued Thirteen’s hooves to the floor. It was a spell she had cast many, many times in the past, on all kinds of different property when it needed punishing. Smiling sweetly, she then levitated Boris from her saddlebag and she held it under its muzzle so that it could smell the bullwhip. “Dusk?” she sneered, “That prissy prince. I knew it was bad news when he visited.”

“Autumn p-please...please d-don't hurt me!” Wildfire panicked, every single shred of her previous good mood evaporating in an instant of realised terror as she tried to move. With the magic keeping her on the ground as sure as if she were part of it, her attempts were futile. She even flapped her wings hard, but she got nothing.

“Hurt you?” Autumn Leaves asked in a faux shocked tone, “Me, sweet Autumn, who would tuck you safely in your box at night?”

The mention of the box, that three foot by two foot instrument of torture and misery, made her shake and tremble. “St-Stop it...not the box, please!” she shook her head and began breathing heavily. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening, but, it was. Autumn was here.

“But you loved the box.” Autumn Leaves said, her tone laced with sickly sweetness. She stepped so close to her quivering prey that she saw her breath move her yellow fur. She knew she could feel her breath. “I would come so hard when I heard you shouting out in ecstasy.”

Wildfire, accepting that this was not a dream and it was happening, was trembling in fear. “I-I didn't!” she squeaked, “pl-please...I'll do anything, n-not the box Autumn please, I can't, I just can't!”

Curiously, Autumn Leaves ran her hoof all along the leading edge of Thirteen’s left wing. She could see immediately that it had been repaired. No evidence of her exquisite art remained. That just wouldn’t do! “That must’ve cost a lot of bits. I see the scars are still there, but the bones are well knitted.” As she spoke, her curiosity sated, she laid Boris heavily across her small back. “You have enough bits to fix them again?”

Glued to the floor, poor Wildfire was quivering so hard, had she not been magically pinned down, she would’ve collapsed. In the back of her mind, familiar memory kicked in and she spread her wings wide like she had been taught in the care home, “A-Autumn, M-Ms Leaves, pl-please...I'll do anything...a-anything...please, not my wings, not again, please…”

Wildfire’s pleading fell on deaf, uncaring ears. “Scream for me, Thirteen. It makes me wet when you scream.”

What was before a mere memory was now a vivid flashback, she was in the home, her first day. Amethyst Glory had thrown her into cell thirteen. That number had been hers, throughout her incarceration. Now, it was like she had never left. “Yes Ms. Leaves.” The blind mare even bowed, bending her forelegs as much as she could.

“Scream!”

“AAaaaAAAAARGH!”

Holding her whip in her hooves, Autumn Leaves struggled to not moan as she felt herself get very wet indeed. If this was to be her last day, she was going to enjoy it. She pressed the whip to her prey’s lips. Oh, good! Hmm yes, very good filly. You may kiss the instrument of your instruction.” She held Boris there in place. “Nopony outside my little bubble will hear you. And with that MiAC bag sticking out of your saddlebag, everypony will know you're a kinky mare and leave us alone!”

While the dull orange unicorn giggled madly, Wildfire immediately kissed the whip. She didn’t just kiss it. She kissed it like one kisses a lover. Just like that, she was back where she belonged. “Instruct me, Ms. Leaves.” In her mind, she could smell Amethyst Glory’s office, she could feel the wood of the box, the marble on the floor. She was home.

Stood inside her sound-proofed bubble, Autumn Leaves laughed maniacally. This was so much fun! “Instruct you I will, filly. You're going to wish it was Lotus doing the instructing.” Without warning, she raised her hoof and she struck her hard, backhoofing the blind pegasus across her jaw. “Your shadows aren’t here to save you now.”

“OoooOOW!” Wildfire wailed, her head snapping to the side with the force of the blow. Had Lotus hit her, she’d have a broken jaw by now. She knew what to do, as she felt blood trickle from the side of her mouth and her cheek swell up, she said, “Th-Thank you Ms. Leaves.”

Autumn Leaves though, was not satisfied. “Not loud enough!” with that, she struck her a second time, this time backhoofing her from the other side, making the other side of her face swell as a bruise began to appear under the yellow fur.

“AaaaAAARGH!” Wildfire screamed and hung her head. “Stop...please stop...I'll be good!”

“Stop?” Autumn Leaves cast a glance about. She was safely in the blind spot from the security cameras and, as there was no noise escaping her bubble, no guards or police were bothering her. Two passers-by had stopped to watch, but they assumed it was a show. “I'm having fun. Aren't you having fun?” She picked up her whip in her hoof, foregoing her magic.

“AAAH!” Wildfire shrieked in sheer terror when she heard the crack of the bullwhip. She was so terrified, she actually wet herself, her urine spattering on the floor between her hind legs. “Yes!”

Smiling sadistically, Autumn Leaves took aim and she let fly with Boris. The whip sang through the air, leaving an angry red welt and some bleeding over Wildfire’s left cutie mark, just above the flames. “AaaAAAIIIIIE! Th-Thank you!” she smelled the blood, her blood, and she was further taken back in time, to the times when her hide would be whipped raw just for fun. “Punish me!” A perverse part of her wanted this. A dark part needed this.

“I will,” Autumn Leaves snarled, “for you ran away from your home!” she aimed her whip again, and a vicious strike from Boris laid open her other cutie mark.

“Aaaah...AAAAH I-It wasn't my fault!” Wildfire screamed, pain ripping through her body. The blind mare’s head was properly screwed up now, she was getting flashes of the care home and of Vanhoover and the spanking she had taken there. She didn’t know which way was up at this point. “A-Airy...”

As soon as she whimpered the name, Boris’s coils whipped hard across her face, opening up her cheek. “I told you, your shadow isn't here!” Autumn Leaves smirked. As those few watching were now applauding her! Idly she wondered if she could whip the scarred flesh from her face, open her empty eyes right up before she killed her.

“GAAAAH!” she screamed ever louder, though not a peep left the bubble. Shivering in panic, she shook her head, trying to clear it of its pain induced fog. “Airy!”

Without warning, the dull orange unicorn casually flicked Boris, the vicious bullwhip striking Wildfire’s body where her left wing met her barrel. “Shout her name again!” she screeched, lashing out and whipping the wing until she heard the bone snap. Celestia she adored that sound. “She might be sleeping.”

Wildfire actually howled with the pain, sounding like an animal caught in a spring loaded trap. With her wing hanging limp, her flashbacks flit from the care home to the Dungeon. She didn’t know right then where she was. “Celery! M-Mistress, Celery! H-Heeeeeelp!”

Autumn Leaves laughed cruelly. She was almost at the point of orgasm. “You always did love your celery. I wish I had some to stuff in your mouth. Maybe I’ll coat some in dog food and make you eat it while a Punisher rapes your worthless hole! Maybe I won't kill you so I can surprise you again!” Boris, held in her hoof, sang out yet again, the whip landing on target and cracking her right wing this time. “Yell for your other shadow, maybe she is awake.”

“AAAAARGH! OOOW! OOOOOOOOW!” Wildfire screamed and screamed, the flashbacks she was experiencing in her head were flitting all over the place now, from the home, to the dungeon, the home, Amethyst, Mapper, until one word entered her head at long last.

One word.

A word she had been named by one who loved her.

She knew this word. It was her word.

“Wildflower.”

“Idiot!” Autumn Leaves took Boris’s coils in her magical aura and she slapped her prey’s muzzle hard, hard enough to send blood spurting from her mouth and nose. The blow was not hard enough to break the military grade headset she wore. “That isn't her name!” She knew from her week of stalking all their names, where they worked and their routines. She knew she was safe in her window of opportunity.

What Autumn Leaves did not know was, at that very moment, was that thanks to the use of the code word, a signal was sent simultaneously to four cell phones. Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity were all alerted to the emergency call. All four were connected automatically to the open one-way call.

Her four herd-mates heard what happened next, just as the GPS tracker on their end began to beep, giving away Wildfire’s location. “AaaaAGH...W-Wildflower! H-Help...please help!” she cried the only way she could, sniffing loudly and miserably.

Autumn Leaves simply laughed, unaware that help had been mobilised, thanks to the face that anything incoming to Wildfire’s headset was muted so that only she could hear it. Smirking, she wondered if the stress of the assault had finally snapped her mind. “I have no flowers for you, bad pony.” She cracked her whip just above the base of her black tail, delighting at the fresh blood that appeared there.

Airmail was the first to respond. “Emergency!” she cried, the other three mares heard her response over the group call as she dived out of her office window. In no time, she had left the Manehatten Times building and she ignored the usual flight traffic system. “Tracking on GPS now.”

Mapper was the next to respond. “I'm downtown, at least twenty minutes out. I really should learn how to teleport.” Immediately upon getting the emergency call from her Pet and herd-mate, she had dropped what she was doing, leaving several disappointed foals and angry parents at her carnival stand.

“I'm about ten minutes out.” Serenity reported, her soft voice melodic even in the throes of the emergency. “Said bye to the director.” And she had, too. She had been in the middle of a rehearsal.

“I'm at home,” Tempest called in. “I’m on my way, about ten minutes too.”

Airmail, flying as fast as she could manage, weaving through the oncoming sky traffic with a deft skill, reported, “I'll be there in less than three.”

“Shout your other shadow's name!” Autumn Leaves demanded, waving the bloodied whip under Wildfire’s nose, smearing her own blood all over her mouth, forcing her to lick it clean.

“TEMPEST!” Wildfire screamed. She was at this moment beyond terror. As she experienced ever more lucid flashbacks, to the care home and to the present, She could see the home in her mind’s eye but she could hear Airmail in her hear. “I'm sorry!” Things, events and places, all began merging as she cried her sniffled cries. “Warden...please Warden...” she sniffed, “I'm sorry... h-help...help me!” she had the flash of a dream, real to her as the waking world. “Fireflight, come here sweetie!”

The dull orange mare surveyed her work. ‘She’s lost it,’ she thought with an uncaring, heartless smile. She herself was reminded of the times the Punishers would use its body. She had loved holding her down for that. Those times when she had masturbated along to her frightened, pained screams as she watched them rape her had been her most powerful orgams ever.

How she missed those days. The kindest thing would be to kill her now. Her prey was gone. Snapped. However, she was not kind. She cracked her whip against her exposed chest, once, twice, three times. “Who in Tartarus is Fireflight?” she demanded.

“AAAaaaaaAAAGH...m-my f-filly, Warden!” Wildfire experienced more flashbacks as the whip opened up deep bleeding wounds on her chest. “Airy! AAAAIIIIRY!”

As she flew ever closer, Airmail could hear her fiancé scream out her name. she had only ever heard Wildfire scream like that once before, when she had been suspended upside down in Caffeinated’s Dungeon during Luna’s test. She had prayed that she would never hear the like of those screams again. Each utterance of her name made her fly faster and faster. “She's underground, subway station.”

“On subway,” Mapper replied curtly, “still fifteen minutes out.”

“On subway at least five minutes.” Serenity commented, wishing her train would go faster.

“Crossing Manehatten,” Tempest reported, “I’m still three minutes away.”

Airmail made her decision. “Can't wait, going in.”

Wildfire could hear the chatter in her headset. She heard it, but she didn’t know enough to believe it. She had been fooled before. For all she knew, this was just another trick, a game at her expense, Autumn’s way to extend the torture. She didn’t care any longer. She whimpered, very pathetically, “Airy...love...please help me…”

Autumn Leaves laughed her high, cruel laugh. A laugh that came straight from Amethyst Glory herself. “Your ‘love’ can't save you now.” She flicked her whip yet again, this time it hit Wildfire’s right wing, the bone breaking with an audible snapping sound. “Nopony is coming for you, Thirteen.” She readied Boris for one for strike, this one aimed at her scarred face. “I’m going to open your face. Then, I’m going to kill you.”

Airmail, who was still airborne when she entered the platform, heard Wildfire’s pathetic whimper. It cut her deeper than hearing her fiancé scream. “AAaaaAAGH!” she heard the scream. She saw the magical bubble between the two wide columns. “BUUUUUCK! BUUCK! M-My wing!”

Autumn Leaves shuddered as she came. Her prey’s pained anguished scream sending over her edge of her orgasm. “Oh, oh I am so sorry, that was my fault. Let me give you a matching set.” As she readied her whip, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a rapidly approaching azure blue blur.

The last thing she saw was a pair of dead brown eyes.

Banking around the first column, Airmail saw her target. At fifty miles per hour, she plowed into the magical bubble, her forehooves outstretched. At fifty miles per hour she connected, in the process she actually clipped Wildfire’s head with her belly as she went straight for her target.

With a sickeningly loud crunch, Autumn Leaves had her head spun a complete three hundred and sixty degrees. Her neck broken, she was dead before she knew what had hit her. As Airmail’s hind hooves hit the wall, leaving little craters from the sheer force of the impact in their wake, the dead unicorn tottered, teetered, and fell.

There was no Applewood-style heroic monologue. This wasn’t that kind of movie.

With a dull, almost extremely mundane thud, Autumn Leaves, the last of the Wardens from Helping Hooves care home, hit the ground. Utterly and completely dead, her glassy vacant eyes staring, frozen in a look of shock and surprise.

Wildfire, realising that her hooves were suddenly unstuck from the floor, immediately made a loud yelping noise and she huddled on the floor, trembling and crying from the intense agonising pain in both of her wings. She was expecting the death blow at any second. “Warden I'm sorry!” she squeaked pathetically, “I'll be good! I promise I'll be good!”

Seconds later, as Airmail moved to wrap her quivering wreck of a fiancé in a feathery hug, there came the sound of police whistles as they and the security guards gave chase to the pegasus that jumped the turnstile. “I have you love,” Airmail whispered, ignoring the whistles and approaching galloping hooves, “I'm here.”

“No!” Wildfire screamed, suddenly she was wrestling against the hug with a vigour, smearing her blood on Airmail’s blue coat. “You're her! You're tricking me!”

Several things happened at once. A Manehatten police stallion had his weapon drawn. “Freeze!” He took in the chaos of the scene before him, looking from Autumn Leaves’ dead body, neck twisted all the way around, to Airmail and finally to the grievously wounded Wildfire.

Tempest, at that point, galloped onto the platform, very badly winded she struggled to speak. “Ca-Ca-Calm down, officer. I'm Major Tempest, First Weather Battalion, and I can help you with all that.”

On the ground, Wildfire was no longer struggling against Airmail’s hug, but she still didn’t know who was who, or what was happening, or where she was. “T-Tempest? A-Airy...that's really you?”

Tempest though, for the moment only had eyes for the police unicorn and his partner that had just turned up on the scene. “That is Airmail, lead editor of the Manehatten Times and her fiancé, Wildfire, who is badly injured. Once again, I'm Major Tempest, with the Manehatten weather service.”

The police stallions shared a look between each other. They couldn’t have had much more high profile ponies on their hooves except the mayor himself. “And that one?” the first officer pointed his weapon at Autumn Leaves.

Now, finally, Tempest also glanced down. She saw the nasty bulge in her neck, her body at an odd angle to her head and the blood that was pooling out of her mouth around her head. “Looking at her neck, I'd say that one is dead.”

The police officer turned his attention to Airmail. “She will have to come with us, ma’am.”

Knowing full well she had to act, Tempest moved next to Airmail and she carefully took hold of Wildfire’s bleeding little body. She hated having to use this authoritative voice. “Stand down, Airmail.”

As Tempest commanded her lover and herd-mate, Serenity arrived, stepping off the train that had just arrived. She immediately took in the scene and weighed up the options, which weren’t many. “I will go with Airy. Mistress should be here soon and can go with Middle Pet and Stormy.”

Airmail didn’t see the members of her herd. Or the very confused police who were now confronted with a very, very famous opera singer on the scene. She was still holding her fiancé. “No!”

“Yes,” Tempest insisted. “Mission is complete, you will go with Serenity and the police officers.”

“What...What's happening?” Wildfire questioned, fear and pain rife in her voice. Ponies she knew, or thought she knew, were all around her. Smells, sounds and sensations were overloading her senses to the point she couldn’t trust herself. “Au-Autumn...it was Autumn! She was here!” she tried to get up from the floor, but her legs wouldn’t respond. “Wh-What's happening‽”

Airmail shook her head. “I'm staying with Wily.”

“No,” Tempest stomped her hoof into the platform’s surface as Mapper arrived. “Mapper and I will stay with Wily. I would also call your lawyer, Dusk.”

Airmail still had that dead look on her face. “Stormy...”

Again, Tempest stomped her hoof. “I said, stand down!”

“Stand down, please, Ms. Airmail.” Serenity interjected, giving her recently arrived wife and Mistress a brief explanation of the events through the mental link they shared with each other.

Wildfire was in real danger of retreating back inside herself. “I ran away...she punished me for running away…” she shook her head in an attempt to clear it. “A-Airy...you came,” she smiled a shaky smile. “You saved me!” she gave up trying to stand and she slumped on the floor.

The second police pony gradually lowered his weapon once he realised there wasn’t going to be any trouble. He glanced at Autumn Leaves’ body. “This one is dead. She has a bull whip. Those are whip injuries if ever I saw them.”

The first police unicorn nodded at Wildfire. “We can sort this out at the station.”

As Airmail showed absolutely no sign of letting go of Wildfire’s injured body, Mapper decided to take action. Said action was to hoist her bodily into the air and to deliver a very stiff, very well-aimed slap straight across her herd-mate’s face. Airmail's head rocked back from the force of Mapper's hoof. “You will go with the police and I will guard Wildfire. She doesn't want to marry you in a jail cell.” In response, Airmail gave Mapper a cold dead look. The pink unicorn just laughed. “Sorry, death no longer scares me, Airy.”

“For the last time, Colonel, stand down.” Tempest ordered.

Airmail was silent for several long seconds before she broke down crying. Quick as a flash, Serenity wrapped the distraught pony up in a very tight hug. “You can always beat me up,” the teal mare offered, in all genuine seriousness. “I've often wondered how my own death would taste.”

“Airy...Airy where are you?” Wildfire blindly reached out to try and find her fiancé, missing the warmth of her body beside her. She got nothing but air. “I can hear you, where are you?”

Airmail took her lover’s hoof in her own. “I'm sorry Wily, but I have to leave you with Stormy and Mapper. Forgive me?”

Wildfire squeezed the hoof she held. “I forgive you, love.”

As a team of paramedics arrived on the subway platform, summoned by the police officers, Mapper nodded to her wife. She then caressed Wildfire’s black mane. “Good Pet.” The pink mare then cast a glance over her wounds. She admired her Pet for using her safe word. “Now, trot off with the nice officers, Airy, and we'll go with Pet to which hospital?” she asked the first paramedic, a cream earth pony.

“North Park, Ma’am.” She responded, looking over Wildfire and performing a visual assessment. Didn’t take a genius to see both wings were broken.

“That is acceptable.”

The cream coloured paramedic simply rolled her eyes as she administered an injection to the base of Wildfire’s broken wings, the sharp needle going directly into the back of her flight muscles in order to kill the pain she knew she must be experiencing. “I need to immobilise your wings.”

At the mere mention of immobilising her wings, Wildfire freaked out. She lost herself so badly that in sheer panic she urinated again on the platform. “Not the box! Please! I said I'll be good!”

As Airmail made to return to her fiancé, Tempest shook her head and she whispered in Wildfire’s ear. “I will keep you from the box. Your wings are broken, so they are going to put them in a sling so you don't break them anymore. Be brave, my Wildflower.”

Wildfire sniffed loudly. “O-Okay Mistress...I, I-I'm scared!”

Tempest lovingly kissed Wildfire’s ear. “I love you and those that love you are here. We are herd, Wily.” As Tempest worked to calm Wildfire down, the two police officers and Serenity led Airmail off of the platform and out of the subway station while the security guards kept the rubberneckers at bay.

“Being scared is okay, Middle Pet.” Mapper said in an unusually kind and gentle voice as the paramedics carefully moved Wildfire onto a stretcher. “It helps to keep us alive.”

Wildfire was still elsewhere, as far as her mind was concerned. “She tricked me...Dusk...he lied! He said they were being punished!” Moments later, once another team of paramedics had removed Autumn Leaves’ body, the stretcher team arrived to take Wildfire out of the subway station. However, as soon as she was moved, the traumatised yellow mare had another freak out. “I can't! I won't! Please...no hospital, please!”

Hospital, for her, meant Doctor Mindbender. Being sent to him was a far worse torture than anything Amethyst Glory had ever subjected her to. Inmates that he ‘treated’ didn’t come back the same. She had lost three friends to him over her five years in the care home.

Again, it fell to Tempest to try and bring her herd-mate back to the present. Loudly, though it saddened her greatly to do so, she declared. “Your wings are broken and you're bleeding. You need to get fixed and Luna is not coming for you this time!”

Wildfire shook her head. They didn’t get it. She had to make them see! “Y-You don't understand!” she sniffed, her ears slicked back in abject terror, “Mi-M-Mindbender...h-he plays with the patients!”

Though it cut her to her heart as neatly as if a dagger had been thrust in her chest, Tempest inhaled, ready to start her ‘Stormy’ tirade, when Mapper bopped her on the nose. Glaring very sharp, pointy steak knives at the unicorn, Tempest nonetheless remained silent. Satisfied, for the moment that Hurricane Tempest had been averted, Mapper turned her full ‘Mistress’ persona to Wildfire. “Pet!” It was a voice not to be denied. “Silence!”

Unfortunately, Wildfire’s mind was still a bag of cats from the whole experience. It was like she recognised Mapper’s voice but at the same time she didn’t recognise her at all. She knew she was her Mistress but that Amethyst was her owner. It was an inward struggle that righ then, she was losing, badly. “Am-Amethyst...Miss Glory...please don't hurt me! I tried to be good, I swear!”

Without warning, Mapper landed a backhoofed slap across Wildfire’s muzzle, spraying blood over one of the paramedics. “I said silence, Pet!” Said paramedic just stared as the others looked on with the stretcher. Immediately, the yellow mare quietened down, grovelling on her belly on the stretcher, breathing deep breaths with a relaxed smile on her face. “You will remain silent until I give you permission to speak!”

Mapper, once she was sure her lover, her herd-mate and her Pet was under some semblance of control, she gestured for the medics to take her. She had not wanted to strike her, but with Wildfire in the condition mentally that she was in, drastic measures were called for. Mapper knew she had to be the Mistress that Wildfire needed, as opposed to the one she was afraid of. “I will be with you. Stormy, you will fly cover.”

Tempest sighed, for she could see Wildfire of that Thursday on the stretcher, not the Wildfire of today. Still, by now, she had her violent temper back under control. Before she took off, the violet weather mare nuzzled her herd-mate’s ear and she whispered, “You are loved and Airy will love you always.”

“I am here, Pet.” As the medical ponies picked up the stretcher, Mapper flicked her brown tail over Wildfire's muzzle. “And I am watching you.”

Wildfire understood. She laid perfectly still on the stretcher, offering up no resistance whatsoever as she was carried away from the platform and the few watching ponies who had been taking Facetube videos in spite of the guard’s best efforts. ‘Ooooh...’ she thought, feeling instinctively safer now regardless of her injuries and the pain she was in. ‘I'm with my Mistress!’ that thought alone made her sigh happily and her breathing was unhurried. ‘Mistress knows best.’

Flying alongside the little party as they left the subway station, Tempest said nothing, but the look on her face literally screamed that she wasn't happy. Mapper chose to say nothing, and she didn't care one little bit how Tempest felt. Right now, her responsibility was to Wildfire. When they arrived at the waiting ambulance, Mapper declared, “I am riding in the back.”

The cream coloured earth pony mare was in no mood to argue with the dominant unicorn. “Yes ma'am.” As she opened up the back doors to admit the injured pegasus, Mapper flicked her ears. Reading the silent message, Tempest accelerated, flying on to North Park Hospital.

Wildfire, as she was placed in the back of the ambulance, knew better than to say or do anything without permission. Instead, she laid absolutely still, so still that for all purposes, she could have been a statue with her ears slicked back. Thankfully, as it turned out, it isn't a long ride to North Park Hospital.

In the ambulance, Mapper knew she had to do something, say something. Anything, lest Wildfire sink ever deeper into the mental pit she knew she was on the precipice of. “They do love you, even I love you, but you're not in the right place right now. So, I'm going to keep you where you're at right now. You may say, ‘Thank you, Mistress’.”

When Wildfire spoke, her voice made Mapper want to cry. Her voice, Canterlot accent and all, sounded very much like it had way back on that fateful Thursday when she had walked around her at Caffeinated’s ranch at the BDSM party and she had asked why this mare would interest her. “Thank you, Mistress.”

“Good Pet.” Mapper was amazed that she had been able to say that. It was taking all of her effort to not choke on her words. It didn’t do, after all, for the Mistress to cry. That would come later, when she was with Serenity and nopony else. To distract herself from her own roiling emotions, she lightly petted Wildfire’s black mane.

Not much more than twenty minutes later, especially with the blues and twos on full, the ambulance pulled in to the hospital, where Tempest was waiting, having arrived before them. Mapper disembarked first and, after waiting for the medics to take Wildfire out, they both followed their stricken herd-mate inside. Quickly, the cream earth pony paramedic spoke to a straw coloured nurse. “Broken Humerus, left and right wing. Severe lacerations to the flanks and the chest.”

The nurse, who had been expecting them, directed them to an empty room. “Room seven,” she then addressed Mapper and Tempest. “You two...”

Mapper cut across her. “Are herd and we are going in.”

Tempest nodded. “What she said.”

On the stretcher, as she was transferred to the vacant room, Wildfire smiled, very happy that just by doing as she was ordered, she was making her Mistress happy. ‘I made Mistress happy! I'm a good Pet!’ she thought careful not to speak. She did however let out a scared little whimper when the word 'room' was mentioned.

“You may give her a local anaesthetic,” Mapper said to the waiting earth pony doctor once they were in Room seven, “But you may not put her under.” She was aware of her herd-mate’s anxiety and stress, she didn’t wish to make it worse.

The doctor, a late middle aged stallion with a dark green coat and pink mane and a beard as white as the coat he wore, was confused at this. “But with these injurie...”

“She holds state secrets and may not be put under.” Mapper stated in her best ‘Mistress’ tone, the tone that would countenance no argument, “I'm here to observe. Major Tempest is here in case she does say something.” Tempest, wisely, chose not to question what Mapper had said. After the pink mare sent some ear flicks her way, she simply nodded at the doctor.

The doctor, seemingly convinced, nodded with a shrug of his shoulders. “Nurse,” he addressed the straw coloured mare, “I'm going to need lots of Lidocaine.” As the nurse obliged and filled the necessary syringes, the doctor took a moment to look over his patient. Wildfire, with her broken wings and all her wounds, was laid still on the stretcher, her whole aspect cowed and truly submissive.

“You will feel pressure on your wings.” Taking the first syringe from his nurse, the doctor first injected the little mare’s wings. “Now, your flanks.”

“Aaaaah...” Wildfire hissed in pain as the needles went in, her tail hiking upwards provocatively with each one of the several injections. “Th-thank you, Mistress.” Like a good Pet, she thanked her owner for her pain, like she had been taught.

Quietly, Mapper petted her mane, but said nothing. She didn’t trust herself to say anything. Instead, she just watched while the doctor removed the air splint that was immobilising and supporting Wildfire’s wings. “Looks like blunt force trauma,” he reported what he saw. “Clean break. Eight inch splint and collar cast, nurse.”

It didn’t take very long for the nurse to prep the items. The two worked together to fit the collar cast that went snugly around the broken wing bones but it was designed so that it had slots for the feathers so the wing didn't have to be plucked. Wildfire’s breathing intensified slightly, as her wings were manipulated into the casts. She was on the verge of panic, but thankfully her Mistress's hoof was there to comfort her.

Watching, Tempest noted that with each hiss of pain, Wildfire hiked up her tail. She performed some ear flicks and, reading them, Mapper replied with some flicks of her own. While Tempest looked grim, it took about thirty minutes to set the cast. “Okay, now for these lacerations. Hmm, number eight thread, it looks like about forty stiches for each.”

Mapper asked, “Will she have scars doctor?”

The doctor shook his head. “No, ma’am, they should heal scare free.”

“That is fine,” Mapper said as she watched him carefully clean each wound in preparation for the stitches. “Please continue, doctor.”

When Wildfire heard her Mistress give the doctor the go ahead to start stitching her up, Wildfire had been expecting the usual pain that came with it. That was how it worked. However, with the local anaesthetic, she couldn't feel anything other than a slight pulling of her skin. This just served to confuse her even more than she already was, as there was supposed to be pain. “Huh...why...why isn't it hurting? There's sup…”

With a hint of irritation on her face, Mapper pressed down on Wildfire’s muzzle with her hoof, effectively silencing the yellow mare as the doctor sewed her up. “Did I give you permission to speak?” she asked, ice in her voice.

Wildfire squeaked, “No Mistress!”

Tempest hid her tears well. “She didn't say anything of consequence.” But what she had said cut the violet weather pony to her soul.

Mapper nodded. “One can't be too careful.” She kept her hoof in place on Wildfire’s muzzle until the stitches were completed, which took another thirty minutes. Wildfire, having been admonished once already, laid silent while the medics worked. She was utterly, completely, confused. She was moving her head right to left, sniffing and listening trying to work out who was where. Once the doctor had finished, he proceeded to check her for other injuries. She let out a frightened little whimper and, as the stallion felt her body, she raised up her tail high, her ears back.

Just like she had been taught. Mapper saw this at once and she sympathetically petted her mane. “You are a good Pet.”

Wildfire nodded and, with every slow motion of Mapper’s hoof as it stroked her mane, she let out a little cooing noise. She even went so far as to nuzzle her Mistress’s hoof but she didn't speak. This was mostly due to her mental state right then. She had been granted the pain, her tail was up high, so why wasn’t the doctor raping her?

That was how it worked.

“There’s some bruising, but that takes care of the major wounds.” The doctor confirmed as he stepped away from his patient, extremely curious as to her odd behaviour. She didn’t smell like she was in heat, after all.

Tempest, impatient at being still and forcefully calm for an hour, asked, “When will you release her?”

“As long as there is no infection, morning after next.”

Wednesday morning was good enough for Tempest. “One of us will be with her at all times due to what she knows. A seating pad will be adequate. Can she please have a private room?”

At that, the doctor looked at the straw coloured nurse who quickly shook her head. “Sorry ma’am, but that won't be possible, we can put her in a room alone, but you can't tell when the other bed will be needed.”

Mapper spoke up before Tempest and her temper had a chance. “That is adequate, doctor. Thank you for your service.” The doctor and the nurse both moved Wildfire over to a vacant two pony room, where they easily transferred her to the bed and made sure she was as comfortable as she could be before taking their leave. Tempest followed, carrying her saddlebags with the MiAC purchases inside. “Where are you, Pet?” Mapper asked, her eyes narrowed.

“I...I...I'm in Doctor Mindbender's surgery, Miss Glory.” Wildfire answered, but with each spoken word, she was more and more unsure of herself. “Miss Leaves has punished me for running away...” she had her head cocked to one side in thought. “But...but it doesn't smell right...I...I don't know!”

Quickly, Mapper raised a hoof before Tempest could say anything. Even she could tell that Wildfire was as scrambled as her breakfast that morning. In lieu of speech, she did a series of ear flicks and, without argument, the violet pegasus nodded before leaving the room. “You are a naughty Pet,? Mapper asked harshly. She knew this was what her herd-mate needed, right then and there.

“Miss Leaves said I was naughty slave, Miss Glory.” Wildfire answered, “She had to punish a naughty slave.”

Mapper did her very best to keep her voice even and collected. “I once heard a pony say that all ponies are bad ponies.”

“As you say, Miss Glory.”

“You are still not worthy enough to be my slave.”

This just served to confuse the poor mentally scrambled mare even further. “But...but why? I've been good! I've done everything you ordered, Mistress!” pitifully, she shook her head. This, something about all of this, just wasn’t right! It wasn’t right but she didn’t know why it wasn’t right. “M-Mistress...what's happening?”

“Enough Pet, you may now sleep.” The dominant part of Mapper commanded her Middle Pet. However, deep inside her core, the loving, caring, sensitive pony was crying so hard she thought her soul would break under the strain. Still, she had to keep up the act, just a little longer, for her herd-mate’s well-being. “As punishment, you will have to sleep in this bed.”

“But...” Wildfire sounded so very, very scared. “Th-The smells, the sounds, it's wrong! What's happening? I...I'm scared Mistress!”

Mapper laughed, that harsh ‘Mistress’ laugh. “All part of your punishment, my naughty Pet.”

“I...yes Mistress,” Wildfire sighed, now she had it all laid out for her by her Mistress, she was at once sounding all calm and submissive again. “Thank you for my punishment, Mistress.”

“You have earned it, my Pet.” Mapper stated before taking the vacant seating pad by the bed while Wildfire, with a very serene smile on her face, laid back on the hospital bed, the sheets drawn up over her body.

Out in the hallway, where she could not be overheard by Wildfire, Tempest was busy carrying out Mapper’s instruction. Thankfully, the pony she had dialled answered on the second ring. “Yeah, it's me, Requiem…No, things are really screwed up. Wily was attacked in the subway. One of those Tartarus-forsaken ponies from the home…Yeah, they missed one.”

Tempest sighed as Requiem made the same outraged noises that she had felt like making. “Her head...she is...she is worse than she was on day one when we met her.” Tempest explained, very grateful when Requiem offered her psychiatric services. “Yeah, can you squeeze her in? I know, I know, we’re herd. We are at North Park Hospital and she really freaked about that. Maps has her in total lock down in ‘Pet mode’. Yeah, room 534 on the fifth floor. Okay, see you when you can get here.”

“Airy?” Tempest responded to what Requiem asked next. “Yeah about that. She killed the pony that did this to Wily. She’s at the police station, but she is with Serenity. Yeah, Maps is in contact with her. Yeah, I wanted to, but Maps has kept me on an even keel. Thanks, bye.”

By the time Tempest had hung up and walked back into the room, Wildfire was asleep and snoring in the bed, the poor blind mare curled up in a foetal position just like she used to adopt at the care home, though she had a happy smile on her face. Tempest caught Mapper’s eye and she flicked her ears.

“Yes,” Mapper sighed despondently as she wiped her rather wet eyes with the back of her foreleg. “Wily is sleeping and she is really screwed up in the head.”

Tempest took the second empty seating pad next to her lover and herd-mate. Her voice sounded as heavy as her soul felt. “Requiem will be by this evening after her show.”

Mapper understood the sound of her herd-mate’s voice. She felt exactly the same. “Ser says they have Airy in a holding cell while they review the security cameras. She is also giving out autographs to those who ask. So far she’s given out twenty.”

“How long will they keep her?”

Mapper ignored Tempest’s eye roll. “It has been a few years since she killed a pony, so I'd say at least overnight.” She couldn’t ignore Tempest’s deep heartfelt sigh. Wrapping her foreleg around the violet mare’s shoulder, she pulled her into a tight hug. She was so very pleased when the hug was reciprocated. Mapper was even more pleased when Tempest began crying. It meant they couldn’t tell whose sobs belonged to who.

~ ~ ~

Chapter 14 - Interventions

Airmail was fuming. Actually, fuming was an understatement. Having been processed by the Manehatten police ponies that had arrested her on the subway platform, she was stood at the pay phone in a quiet part of the station, absolutely beside herself with anger and rage.

Thankfully, as ever, Tempest’s level head was proving her salvation as, on the way in the back of the police van, she had taken Dusk Melody’s number from her phone before it had been confiscated from her. With Serenity by her side, she was debating just who to call. She wanted to call Luna, but she decided against it, as she really wanted to remain friends with the Princess after this was all put to bed.

That left her with just one option. Dusk. Her ‘lawyer’, as Tempest had cryptically called him. She didn’t want to call him, either. While she did like the young royal, right then she could’ve happily placed a bullet between his eyes with as much remorse as one flicks on a light switch.

Airmail settled for punching the wall next to the payphone so hard she cracked the wood. With a disgruntled sigh, the forty eight year old lead editor dumped several large bits into the coin slot of the payphone and dialled Dusk’s number. “He better answer.” She spat to nopony in particular, though Serenity beside her just smiled. “Last pony I want to call is Luna.”

Serenity nodded her head. She didn’t even attempt to comfort her lover and herd-mate with empty platitudes, for she knew enough to know that such a gesture would be pointless in the extreme. “I think that it is wise to leave Mistress Luna out of this.”

As the dialtone sounded in her ear, Airmail let out another sigh. “I just want to know what went wrong, okay? I thought they resolved this.”

Just when Airmail thought that nopony was answering, it had been several rings, Brush Stroke’s voice came down the phone line. His Manehatten accent as distinctive as his paintings. “Hello?” the mid blue earth pony asked, as the contact information just said ‘withheld’. This wasn’t good when he was answering his mare’s personal phone. “This is Brush Stroke, may I ask whom is calling, please?”

“Airmail,” the azure blue mare replied tersely, “I need to speak to Dusk, now.”

“Airy, good afternoon,” Brush Stroke caught the tone of Airmail’s voice and it threw him for a loop, he’d never heard her sound like that, though admittedly he hadn’t known her very long. “Dusky's taking a nap, I'll just go wake her.” His hoof-steps were loud enough, on the hardwood floor of his Ponyville cottage, to be heard on the other end of the line. “Is everything alright?”

“Oils.” Airmail started in a very harsh tone indeed – the absolute last thing she wanted to do was swap pleasantries – before Serenity placed a calming hoof on her shoulder. Getting angry and shouty on the phone would just result in her being placed back in her cell. And solve nothing. She took a very deep breath. “I've just killed a pony and I need Dusk to explain why I needed to do so.”

Brush Stroke almost dropped his mare’s phone. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t that. “Oh my stars...just a moment, Airmail, please.”

For the next few seconds, there came down the phone the unmistakeable sounds of one pony waking and jostling another who did not want to be woken up and jostled. “Huh...wha...Ivory no! Not again…hey...l-love!” Dusk’s voice was quickly silenced by her coltfriend’s.

Brush Stroke’s good humour was gone from his voice. “It's Airmail. It's bad. You need to take this call, Dusk.”

‘Dusk?’ the midnight blue pegasus was extremely confused. ‘Dusk?’ he couldn’t remember the last time Brush Stroke had called him Dusk instead of ‘Dusky’. “Uuugh...A-Airmail...” he knew instinctively that it was serious, but if he sounded like he had been up all night, it was because he had.

As Night Wing, he had paid a fatal visit on behalf of the Night Watch to Yakyakistan, to silence an uprising before it began. “Wh-What's happened?” he asked, trying and failing to rub the sleep from his pink eyes.

“Autumn Leaves.” Airmail stated without preamble. “What does that name mean to you?”

“Um...nothing, nothing at all,” Dusk shook his head and scratched his charcoal grey mane which was still tied up in its ponytail in an effort to dredge the name up from somewhere. Try as he might, he couldn’t place it or put it with a face. “Why? Should it?”

Airmail didn’t know if he was lying or not. Especially when beside her, Serenity shook her head with an apologetic look on her face. The Prince was way outside the range of the quine truth machine. “I killed her less than an hour ago. She was in the process of hurting Wildfire badly. She worked for Amethyst Glory.”

“What‽” Suddenly, with the mention of Amethyst Glory, Dusk was very, very much awake. Unbidden, the image of his first kill came swimming back across his eyes, her taunting, defiant look, the flash of his wingblade, her head leaving her shoulders, the fountain of blood shooting from her neck, the tang of copper in the air… “But...that means she was a warden at Helping Hooves! We got them all, I know we did!”

“Unicorn, mare, brown mane, and dull orange coat with a cutie mark of three brown leaves wrapped inside a dark brown circle.” Airmail described her latest kill down to the last detail, though she suspected the dark brown circle was actually a coiled whip, on reflection. “Wily knew her by the sound of voice alone.” Now, she almost lost her temper. “How. Could. You. Have. Missed. Her‽”

Dusk had a faraway stare on his face. He could see that Thursday when he closed his eyes as clearly as if he was still standing in the care home. He could still hear and smell it, too, no matter how many times he talked with his therapist about it. Ruby Tuesday tried to help, as best she could. “There were no ponies there matching that description, Airmail. Mom lined up the Wardens we found, twelve in total. I'll never, ever, ever forget it. I promise you that pony wasn't there…”

“Did you check her employment records?” Airmail asked, harshly cutting across the young Prince and interrupting him. “My mission today should have never happened and I nearly lost Wildfire because of some screw up!”

“We tore that place apart!” Dusk insisted, his hackles raising as he defended him and his mother’s actions. “We went over every piece of paper we found. There was no mention of an Autumn Leaves. Either she wasn't on the books, or...or...or she saw me visiting Wily in the home and stayed away.”

That was a possibility. One Airmail didn’t want to countenance. She wanted somepony to blame. “By Celestia's sainted snatch I'm not letting this one go. I want answers Dusk, and Wildfire deserves them. I thought it was over and told her so...” she cried, fresh hot salty tears running down her cheeks. She was amazed she still had tears left in her to cry at all. “I almost lost her today!”

Seeing as Airmail was now crying so hard she was struggling to speak in a coherent sentence, Serenity helpfully took the receiver of the payphone up in her hazel magical aura. “Hello, Prince Dusk, this is Serenity.”

“I promised her it was over...” Dusk Melody mumbled quietly before he realised it wasn’t Airmail on the line, though he could hear her sobbing nearby. “Serenity,” he’d recognise the teal unicorn’s soft melodic voice anywhere. “Hello, ah...how's Wily? Airmail said she almost lost her.”

Unlike her herd-mate, Serenity was the very epitome of calm and, well, serenity. “Miss Airmail is with me at the police station. They are deciding if charges are needed. Middle Pet has been taken to the hospital with Miss Tempest and Mistress. She...” it was only now, that she was talking about Wildfire directly, that her voice wavered and cracked. “She has lost her grasp of reality. Her injuries would have been very tasty.”

With the last sentence she spoke, Dusk fancied he could hear her drooling and, disturbingly, a longing to experience the same. “Lost her grip?” he couldn’t help but sound worried, for he recalled as clearly as everypony who had attended the BDSM night at Caffeinated’s ranch just what Wildfire had endured to be able to stay in Manehatten. “How? Serenity, what's happened to her?”

“I cannot say.” Serenity stated firmly. “I arrived after Miss Airmail and Miss Tempest. The evil pony had her neck twisted completely around. It would have been a glorious death to witness. Middle Pet was bleeding from several long gashes on her flanks and her chest, and her wings were broken. When Mistress got there, she made Miss Airmail leave and I'm keeping her safe.”

Dusk couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. His very best friend in all the world, and he had failed her. Again. Still, whether he wanted to believe it or not, it had happened. Now, he had to do…something, anything. “Oh...oh no...oh sweet mother above...I-I'll look into this, you have my word. Anything you need, I'll take care of it, I-I'll be over by tonight. I need to sort this.” He was extremely grateful he had his coltfriend and his Master’s comforting hoof on his shoulder.

Serenity, for what it worth, believed him. She didn’t need her magical talent. She knew what Wildfire meant to Dusk. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was cut as deeply by what had happened as Wildfire had been by the evil mare’s whip. “Thank you Prince Dusk. Middle Pet is at North Park Hospital, but it may not be wise to see her right away.” That advice wasn’t because she was worried what the blind mare would do, more she didn’t want Tempest to launch herself at him and share a cell with Airmail. “Oh,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “one other thing you should know about Middle Pet.”

Dusk felt like he was in some sort of twisted daydream. “North Park...I know that one...that was the one I was doing the royal duty at, the reason why I was in Manehatten in the first place, remember? When you see her, look up Eirene, the chief nurse. She cared for Wily back in Canterlot, before the care home.” It was only then that Serenity’s last caught up with his brain. “And...what? What do I need to know?”

He dreaded to hear it. He didn’t think he could take any more.

“The reason for Miss Airmail agonizing over this is because Middle Pet was impregnated at Ms. Belle’s house over the weekend.”

Forget the daydream. Dusk was in a nightmare. “Oh Tartarus! Please, Serenity, pass on my apologies.” He didn’t know what else to say. What could he say, to that? He knew he had to do something. To put it right. “I mean it, absolutely anything you need, anything with the police at all, I promise I'll deal with it, I'm on my way right now.”

Serenity believed him, knowing him well enough that she was willing to take him at his word. “Good bye Prince Dusk. I do hope you can. Miss Airmail is going back into interrogation, I must leave you now.”

“I will. Leave that to me.” He hung up the call, determined that whatever strings needed to be pulled, he would personally see to it that Airmail would walk free. Dusk Midnight Melody resolved then and there, on his bed as he was hugged by his lover, that nopony else would suffer for what Amethyst Glory had done.

“I need to go to Manehatten.” Dusk said to Brush Stroke in an unusually authoritative tone. “I may be gone a few days. Love...can you make sure Ivory Wind gets to school?”

~ ~ ~

"How long can you get off work?" Mapper - looking up from the two months old gossip magazine she was reading - asked Tempest, the two herd-mates having finally separated from their hugs an hour previously, they were sat side by side on the two seating pads, maintaining their vigil while Wildfire slept.

Tempest, who had been amusing herself by drawing moustaches on the faces of ponies in an even older issue of MyStable, shrugged her shoulders. She didn't look up, because if she did, she'd look at the hospital bed and start sobbing again. She was through with crying. "As long as needed, I have the vacation time."

"You sure?" Mapper asked, tossing aside the magazine in favour of a periodical from MiAC. This wasn't much better though as she already had most of the whips, crops, gags and floggers that they offered. Tempest nodded in response to her herd-mate's question, though she still didn't look up. Both mares had bags under their eyes from their tears. "I am my own boss," the pink mare mused, thinking of the carnival stall. "And can take more time off than you, Stormy."

"I know, but..." Tempest sighed, pausing after she had drawn her latest beard on a high society Canterlot model. "Yeah, you do have a better handle on her." She hated to admit it, but Mapper was everything Wildfire needed right now. "I just want to..." she sighed again, "I just want to beat some sense into her."

Mapper nodded her agreement at that, such was the role she had taken. A frustrated little sigh escaped her lips. This MiAC catalogue had nothing she didn't already own. She was sure she could set up her own store if she wanted. "As do I, but it is far better if I do so than you."

"Coffee?" Tempest couldn't argue that. Moreover, she didn't want to argue that.

"You know me so well." With that, Tempest nodded and she left the fifth floor hospital room on her noble quest.

"Hmmm..." as Tempest left and closed the door behind her, Wildfire murmured and tossed on the bed, the little blind mare in a half-asleep / half-awake state. Apparently, her dream was not a pleasant one. "N-No...please...please don't...NO! N-Not that...I tried! I tried...I was good!"

Mapper, alerted instantly to her herd-mate's anguished, mewling cries, was by her side, gently stroking her black mane. This however did nothing to assuage the young mare's fretting and turning. With every passing second she was getting more and more agitated in her sleep. "Please not that no! No! NO!"

That last scream did it. With a snort, she bolted upright into a sitting position, her forelegs feeling all around her at full stretch, anxiously trying to persuade and reassure herself that she wasn't locked in the box. Reflexively, Mapper placed her hoof on Wildfire's chest, firmly pressing her back to the bed. It took all the love in her heart to assume her 'Mistress voice'. "Didn't I tell you to sleep, Pet?"

Wildfire did not fight the push of the hoof upon her chest. Like a good, obedient slave, she laid back down. "F-Forgive me," she whimpered, her heart hammering very hard in her little chest.

"I will have to think about it." Mapper was eminently grateful that Wildfire could not see her face, that she couldn't see the tracks of her tears on her pink fur. All she had to do was disguise her voice, and if there was one thing she was good at, it was using her voice to get what she wanted. "Does my naughty Pet want a coffee? Maybe with two sugars?"

"Yes please, Mistress, thank you Mistress." Wildfire answered almost robotically, her tone emotionless and void of feeling. As she was talking, she was constantly feeling all around with her forelegs, all the time reassuring herself her world was larger than two foot by three foot. She panted in an effort to get her breathing under control. "I'm not in the box..."

"You are not. Do you want to be?" Mapper asked sternly just as the door opened and Tempest walked in, carrying a tray bearing three coffees in her mouth. Instantly she saw Wildfire was awake and, knowing she was about to say something, Mapper held up her free hoof for silence. She never once took her eyes off of her Pet. "Do you want to be?" she repeated her question.

"No!" Wildfire's squealed response was immediate. "Oh please, no! Mistress I'll do anything!" violently, she trembled all over. "Not that!"

Mapper wanted to be physically sick. 'How anypony can do 'this' to another and still call themselves equine?' As a dominant who truly loved her herd and her Pets, she was beyond disgusted. She was revolted that a pony could take pleasure in harming another to this degree. Just for bits. "Then..." she had to really focus on her role, now. "You will drink this coffee without spilling it." She held out her free hoof and, once Tempest had placed Wildfire's coffee in it, Mapper held it to the blind mare's hoof.

Wildfire took a long moment to steady herself before she took the black coffee and lifted it up to her lips. "Thank you, Mistress." As she held it under her nose however, something didn't add up. 'Oooh coffee!' that thought, that ever so simple thought, triggered a series of flashbacks to Caffeinated's coffee shop, to the Friendship Express, to Canterlot and, finally, to sharing coffee with Airmail and Tempest. 'Th-That's not right...'

Mapper took her mocha from Tempest with a grateful smile, joining her herd-mate in a long sip. "I think my Pet will like her coffee with two sugars."

"Yes, Mistress, thank you." Wildfire answered without thinking, though as she took a long sip of the fresh hot coffee, swilling it around her mouth before swallowing, her scattered thoughts became ever more uncertain. 'Th-This just isn't right...not right at al...wh-where am I? Who is this?'

"You didn't get this at the cafeteria." Mapper had tasted enough institution grade coffee to know the difference between the cheap and nasty vending machine rocket fuel and the hoof-ground nectar she was drinking now.

"No," Tempest smiled proudly, "It's only two blocks to the coffee shop by the MiAC store."

Of course, Mapper knew the coffee store in question. They had stopped off there after their visit to the MiAC store on that Saturday when they had all gone shopping together. "Oh, yes," the pink mare smiled, her thoughts turning to a more palatable topic. "That brings up something interesting. I took a peek in my Pet's saddle bags."

As Mapper lifted out the contents of the saddlebag that wasn't ripped, showing off the slave clothes, the adult books and the cowbell, Wildfire recited aloud from her memory one of the dark poems. "These books for example..." Mapper started, paying the dark and sad poem little mind as she hadn't heard it before. She paused however when she saw the look on Tempest's face. "Love, what's wrong?"

"That poem she said," Tempest whispered, looking like she had seen a ghost and been slapped very hard at the same time, "It was from..."

Suddenly, sternly, Mapper interrupted her herd-mate. She knew where this was going. That thrice-damned unicorn, again! Oh, how she regretted not meeting her for a 'chat'. A chat that involved dropping a mountain on her. "With Mistress Glory." Tempest's nod was all the confirmation she needed. "My Pet must learn that I am the Mistress now!"

"You...you aren't Mistress Glory," Wildfire held her half-empty coffee cup in barely stable hooves as she turned her head from one voice to another. She recognised those voices, she knew those voices. It confused her though because if she was in Doctor Mindbender's surgery, these voices couldn't be here. "Pl-Please...wh-where am I?"

For a moment, Mapper wanted nothing more than to hug the poor little pony. Thankfully, Tempest's hoof on her foreleg gave her the courage and strength to continue. "You are where I told you to be, Pet. In a bed." The pink mare blinked, totally NOT blinking away tears. "Amethyst Glory was no Mistress. I am a Mistress." She put a heavy emphasis on the word 'I'.

'Mistress M-Mapper...' the realisation slowly dawned on Wildfire. It was Mistress Mapper. That meant she was safe, right? She should be safe. 'The bed...it's a safe bed, a comfortable bed...' Certainly it was far more comfortable than anything she laid on at the home. "Wh-why...I'm, I don't know where I am..."

"You are where you need to be, my Pet." Mapper cut across her, silencing Wildfire's tremulous voice. "Drink your coffee and no more questions for now." With that, Mapper opened the pink package while Tempest, trying to shake the memories of that poem, set aside the three books in braille and ran her violet hoof over the Pony Sutra.

Wildfire contented herself with listening to the other two mares in the room, listening and sniffing all the time as she quietly drank her coffee, taking one small sip after the other. Slowly, their words began to sink in, gradually filtering through the fog in her head. 'Where I need to be?' she thought over and over, 'But...this isn't the home...but...that's Mapper, and Tempest.'

"Pet," Mapper's voice bought her out of her reflections. "You may answer this question. Why are there only two slave outfits in your package?"

Wildfire wasn't thinking of the care home when she answered. "On the way to Trottingham, Tempest said she would like Airmail and myself as slaves, to re-enact the dream she had when Mistress Luna merged our dreams."

Tempest coloured up, her violet face erupting in a bright red blush. "Yeah, I'd like that." The weather pony shuffled her hooves, suddenly unable to meet Mapper's face, for she could feel the smirk from where she was sat. Instead she asked, "Why was it wrapped in pink?"

"Because I couldn't decide whether it should be purple or blue, so I went with a neutral colour."

Tempest giggled then, completely unaware of course that Bridle Way had only offered Wildfire a choice of three colours. "Least neutral pony I know is pink." She did look up then, just in time to give her a picture perfect eye roll.

Mapper carefully selected eye roll number three, one that she knew Tempest knew well. A quick glance over at Wildfire sat in the bed gave her hope that she was at last reaching her Pet and herd-mate buried deep in the psychological mess of a pony they had been left with. "I could be the Queen and Middle and Senior Pets my slaves!" Just as Tempest was about to agree to that, the pink unicorn let out a deep troubled sigh. Serenity had just told her, via their mental link, what she feared. "They are keeping Airy over night for a psych eval."

Before she could comment, Tempest's phone rang. "Hi Requiem," try as she might, the violet pegasus could not keep the sadness from the defeated tone of her voice. "Yeah, I just guessed that. Ser let Maps know. Okay, see you when we can."

Unfortunately, the exchange had not got unnoticed.

Wildfire, setting her coffee cup down on the little table that extended over the middle of the bed, had her ears pricked up, catching every word. "Ai-A-Airy isn't coming?" She had just accepted too that she was not back in Helping Hooves care home. Now, she sounded like a scared little filly frightened to leave her mother on the first day of school.

Mapper facehooved so hard she almost gave herself a black eye. How could she have been so stupid to say that out loud? They had their private language for a reason. She didn't even shoot Tempest a look when she slapped upside her head. Quickly, she tried to cover herself. "I told Airmail she had to take care of the paperwork, because I wouldn't be bothered with it. You will stay in that bed until she comes."

Sadly, as fast as Mapper thought and spoke, and she could do both pretty fast, it wasn't fast enough. Damaged though Wildfire might be, she was by no means stupid. "Oh...but, I-I want Airy..." she let out a loud anguished sniff, her whole aspect wanting to cry, which she couldn't do.

"Do not whine at me, Pet!" Mapper cut her off, though she ground her hoof into her face. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' she cursed herself. "You may have Airy when I think you have behaved as a good Pet, and not before. Understand?"

"Yes Mistress." The damage done, Wildfire laid back down on the bed and she sniffed loudly, 'crying' into her hooves. She had to get the emotion out somehow. As she curled up, thoughts began swirling in her head like dark rain, poisoning her mind. 'Airy isn't coming...just like Raid didn't come...Autumn said my shadows wouldn't come...she was right...'

Utterly stricken, Mapper looks at Wildfire and then at Tempest. Her herd-mate just shook her head sadly and settled down on the second seating pad, the Pony Sutra forgotten on the floor. Just like Mapper, who put away the MiAC costumes, she wasn't in the mood anymore. "Sleep Pet," she commanded softly, "show me you can be a good Pet."

Wildfire, however, didn't hear. She was lost in her own little dark world of hopeless despair. 'She'll leave me, just like mom left me, like Raid left me...like Dusk left me, just like everypony leaves me...' Silently, with those insidiously poisonous thoughts running around in her head, she rolled over on her side. Five more minutes and she was snoring softly as she entered Princess Luna's Dreamscape.

Mapper whispered, wiping away the latest of many tears she had shed that day, "I thought I almost had her then, too."

Tempest snorted, not caring to whisper. "Hmph! Weeks of work undone in a few minutes!"

"It will be different." Mapper laid her wet tear-stained hoof on Tempest's foreleg. "We love her now, as she is."

Thankfully, Wildfire's tumultuous presence in the Dreamscape had not gone unnoticed. Ancient and timeless turquoise eyes saw her nightmare and Princess Luna resolved that no, this time, she would not fail her subject. This time, she was determined, it would be different. Smiling grimly, she steeled herself and lit her horn.

~ ~ ~

“Say, Tavi, what do you think about a picnic in the royal gardens?” Luna asked her wife, though it was something of a half-hearted question. Laid as she was on her huge bed in her sumptuous quarters, snuggling in close to Octavia’s warm, old – beautiful – body, she was more than happy where she was.

Octavia took a moment to lift her head up from her beloved’s midnight blue fur. Everything seemed to take her a ‘moment’, these days. The elderly mare just happened to catch a glimpse of the warm and sunny late spring afternoon through the ornately carved windows. “I say it's a beautiful day for it, Mistress.” As nice as snuggling was, it did look like a pleasant day.

Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully, as half-hearted as the offer had been, now Octavia had moved and taken with it the warmth of her body, she was up. “Do I have the staff prepare a basket, or shall we do it ourselves?”

“I'm sure they can cope,” the old grey earth pony giggled, brushing aside her now faded charcoal mane. “You remember how, yes?”

“Of course I do!” Luna beamed, instantly foal-like in her glee, “I pick up the phone and tell them to pack a basket!”

Octavia burst out laughing. Of all the things to fascinate her wife since her return from the moon thirty years ago, the advance in technology amazed her the most. Things like telephones, televisions, computers, there had been none of that. In her time, only the richest had indoor toilets, after all. “Make the call, you know they'll have the basket ready by the time we get downstairs, especially with how slow I am today.”

“True, that last orgasm you gave me took forever!” Luna giggled as her wife stuck out her tongue at her. “You old tease.” With that, she lit her horn and she levitated the phone from the bed side table. Sh did so love playing with these modern gadgets! The way the unicorns and earth ponies collaborated to create these wonders of the modern age simply staggered her. Twilight Sparkle had attempted to explain to her how they worked, but that had just given her a headache. “Picnic basket for two please.” She requested to her staff, “No, we'll pick it up. Oh, please make sure there is some rhubarb pie in it. Thank you.” Carefully, she set the phone down. “Please bring your cello, love.”

“Not my fault!” Octavia protested with very convincing faux-indignance. “You seem so distracted of late, it was a wonder you came at all.” She leant in and nuzzled the lunar alicorn’s cheek, loving the way her ethereal mane stroked her face. She had a fairly good idea just what was distracting her wife lately, especially today of all days. The clue, were it needed, was the pie. “You know I love to play for you. Might I suggest we go and keep Sky Dive company? I'm sure she'd love the picnic.”

Luna nuzzled her wife’s old cheek. “You've read my mind, and I'm sorry.” It was uncanny how the earth pony could read her like one of Twilight’s books. She’d rather be read like one of Cadance’s books. Far more fun, although Twilight had come on leaps and bounds since she had gotten with Rainbow Dash. “Anniversaries do that to me. Your love means more to me than the loves of my past.”

“It's her birthday, isn't it?” Octavia asked, gently kissing Luna’s nose before rolling off of the huge bed and walking over to her cello, resting in its case on the display stand.

“As if you didn't know. Thank you, Tavi, for putting up with me.” In a matter of seconds, the tall midnight blue mare was at her wife’s side, delivering a very deep kiss, her wing stroking her belly.

Octavia made sure to hold the kiss until she needed to breathe. “Somepony has to,” she smiled. Though she had her cello in its case in one wrinkled, arthritic hoof, in the other, she held her dark blue leash out for her Mistress.

Luna simply smiled and, although she took her Pet’s leash in her magic, she used her hooves to fasten it to Octavia's collar that was a perfect match for the colour of her coat, it even had a little silver tag engraved with her cutie mark. As if anypony didn’t already know who owned her. “Come along, my dear, we have a basket to collect.” As she had done countless times over the past twenty-nine years, Luna held her end of the leash in her turquoise magical aura.

“Yes Mistress.” Octavia chirped, as lively as ever she did before, though she was walking rather slowly, in spite of efforts to keep up with her dominant wife. She was about to curse her old hooves, when she noticed Luna was walking at her pace. Her long slender legs taking tiny steps so that nothing seemed rushed. She was grateful, for that courtesy. Nodding to each and every guard they passed, the earth pony walked with her head held high.

Including the necessary stop at the kitchens to collect the picnic basket that was ready and waiting for them, it still took them almost half an hour to navigate the palace’s corridors. Luna however, would not be hurried. She was assured by the chef that the rhubarb pie was inside the basket. As her Pet was carrying her cello, she held it in her magic as she continued the sedate pace out of a side entrance and into the royal gardens.

Shortly after arriving in the royal gardens, Princess Luna took a moment to nod politely to the groundskeeper, a truly ancient looking earth pony stallion as she led her Pet through to the very private section that was supposed to be reserved for access. With her eyes closed, she stopped and bowed to the white marble statue of a prancing pegasus. Though the gold inlay of her mane and tail had faded over a thousand years, her likeness and cheeky smile remained forever Sky Dive.

Using her magic, Luna laid out the large red and white checked blanket, as well setting the basket down, too. The last thing she did was to unclip Octavia’s leash from her collar. “Eat first, you may play later.”

Like a well-behaved sub, Octavia waited until her Mistress was seated on the blanket before she too sat down. No matter how much her hooves hurt, it wouldn’t do to sit first. “Yes Mistress,” she smiled, flexing said hooves. “You know, you only ever request rhubarb pie today.”

“It was Sky Dive’s favourite pie.” Though Luna felt sombre, her tone was light as she kissed her wife’s lips. “You are all of my life right now, but the past still haunts me. I'm at peace with my past, but you, my love, are my future.” Magically, she laid out the food that the chef had prepared for them.

Octavia giggled and she kissed Luna’s cheek. “I think, when I pass, I should like to be remembered by a coffee cake with coffee ice-cream.”

“It will have to be coffee cake then, my love.” The Princess helped herself to a paper plate full of cucumber and watercress sandwiches. “I'm unsure if I can remain faithful to having coffee ice cream but once a year.”

“I can live with that.” With a giggle, Octavia loaded her plate with daisy sandwiches and rose heads, taking a large bite out of her first sandwich.

“I have learned my lesson. I'll mourn your passing, but I will live.” As they ate their picnic, both mares shared the warm afternoon sunshine and loving nuzzles, which warmed them more than the sun ever could. “I wish to keep you with me forever, just as I keep Sky Dive. My heart will always be a home for you.” Luna finished her fourth sandwich. “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow is always in front of us!”

“Good,” Octavia kissed Luna’s lips, treating her to an intense daisy flavoured tongue battle. Which of course, the earth pony lost. “If you don't, I'll haunt you and play modern noise on my cello.” She then smiled and rubbed her belly, rubbing her old hoof over her faded fur. She knew, though it had only been a matter of a few days, there was a filly growing inside her. “I trust Midnight to keep you on your hooves.”

Luna smiled and kissed her wife’s belly. “I'm sure she will work to keep you with me a bit longer, too. It wasn't long ago that I would chastise you for your fear of growing old. Now we can enjoy that together. I will be with you always, unlike another…” with that, the Princess cast a sad, sorrowful look up at the statue.

Octavia laughed brightly, sounding like a filly a tenth of her age. “You and Mapper both helped cure me of my growing-old-itis.” She was extremely pleased that the mirror room that she had been forced to endure was now a nursery. Far better use for it. “Fearing the inevitable doesn't change the fact I have fewer days ahead than behind, I just learned to enjoy those that come.” That said, as soon as she noticed the sad look on Luna’s face, and where she was looking, she scooted a little closer and playfully, she swatted her ear. “Stop it, Lu.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Luna looked back down at Octavia. “I'll try.” As she kissed her once more, she reflected that it was one thing to be at peace with her past, but quite another to forgive herself for what she had done to her beloved Sky Dive. “Ready for desert? Chef even packed a wine for it.”

“I'm ready, Mistress.” Once she was sure Luna was in fact alright, she was ready to use the honorific. Despite her arthritic, shaking hooves, she was determined to pour out the wine. Pets served their owners, after all. She did, however, allow Luna to hold the glass steady for her. Once the wine was poured, and none spilled, she laid an old hoof on her midnight blue foreleg. “Lulu, she forgave you, in the end.”

Luna nodded, “And I forgave her, that was the easy part. Forgiving myself, on the other hoof, was a harder lesson.”

Octavia decided on a different tack as she took a large and unrefined bite out of her slice of pie. It was, after all, supposed to be a celebration, Sky Dive’s birthday, not a maudlin experience. “Tell me again how you met. I do so love hearing that story. It always makes me laugh.”

“I think you just wished I had ran you over in a hallway after what happened at the Grand Galloping Gala.” Luna laughed, she knew she liked the story as much as they loved winding Dusk up with the questionnaire story. “Well, as I recall, I was just minding my own business flying around at night looking over an empty city under my moon's glow.” The lunar alicorn could see it even now, after all this time, in her mind’s eye. “Busting clouds was an effective way to relieve stress. Imagine my surprise when a busted cloud starts yelling at me!”

“I forgave Pinkie Pie...last week, finally...” Octavia sniffed and giggled. That had been a meeting and a half. Sat in Sugarcube Corner, with Luna by her side and Rarity sat by Pinkie’s, she had at last buried the long-standing grudge she had nurtured towards the pink earth pony. It had been a freeing experience. “As I understood it, you were in a bad mood, sulking and then you were being yelled at by an angry white mare with a very yellow mane. Tell me, had anypony dared yell at you before?”

Luna rolled her turquoise eyes. “Yes, they have, when I was young and my sister and I tried to unite Equestria. A lot of ponies yelled, but we had each other. Later, ponies avoided me. I'm not sure if it was because I was associated with the night, or my sister took on more and more of those upset with what we were doing.”

Pausing to eat her pie, which was of course excellent, just as Sky Dive liked it, with extra rhubarb, she sighed. “When Sky Dive yelled at me, my first thought was to laugh at her. After all, she was a commoner, how dare she yell at me? Besides, it wasn't my fault that somepony would be out enjoying my night. That stopped me, that somepony was out, enjoying my night.”

Octavia shot her wife and Mistress a coy look. “She didn't just enjoy it. She loved it, as I recall you saying, many times.” Playfully, she kissed Luna’s nose. “I still remember how pleased you were when she said she hated the sun.” Now, she kissed her lips. “The benefits of the sensitive skin condition she had, burning so easily like that.”

Luna chuckled. Her wife was right, of course. Selfishly, at the time, perhaps, she had been pleased to hear that Sky Dive couldn’t go out in the sun. Nowadays, in these modern times, the doctors had developed drugs and treatments for such conditions, but a thousand years ago, such things were unthinkable. “She was not the only one to be burned by my sister's sun. Now ponies only yell behind my back about the life I live.”

Another thing that Luna had found changed after her return. Same sex partnerships were no longer outlawed. Indeed, same sex partners were not only accepted – except for Canterlot – they were allowed to marry! Luna had even heard tales, mostly in the news, that there were ponies who changed their gender, through surgery, and still had all legal rights and such. This completely boggled the Princess’s mind, though she suspected Cadance’s influence on these matters.

“Oh, Mistress, pish and posh!” Octavia lifted up her shaking wine glass for a toast. “I love the life you live. It gave me you, and the best years of my life.”

Luna gently tapped their glasses together. “We have given to each other.” She sipped her wine and, with her mouth full, gave Octavia a wine flavoured kiss.

Octavia enjoyed a very long, very hot kiss. A kiss that she did not want to break, but for the need to breathe. “I love more today than the first day I met you, but less than tomorrow.”

Luna giggled, “I'll be a day sexier tomorrow, so that I do understand. Pie was nice.”

“Yes, it was. We both enjoyed it.” Looking around the very well-kept royal gardens, she patted her belly once more and kissed Luna’s cheek. Of all the things she had experienced in her life, from performing at the Grand Galloping Gala to selling out Carneighgie Hall, she knew that this, right here, would be the thing she missed most when she passed on.

Lovingly, Luna rubbed the faded fur on Octavia’s belly. “Someday, a long time from now, Midnight Symphony and I will enjoy some coffee cake out here. I know you've said it in the past, but you also know I wasn't listening. Your statue will be right there.” As she pointed to an empty place to the right of Sky Dive’s marble statue, she stuck out her tongue.

“I hope you enjoy the cake with whomever your wife will be, on that day long from now, too.” She smiled and stuck her tongue out. “Now, that we have eaten this fine meal, I wish to play for my Mistress. Do you have a song you wish to hear?”

She did. One that suited her mood. “Behoven's Alegretto, Symphony number seven, if you please, my love.”

“At once, Mistress.” On the second shove of her hooves, Octavia was up from the red and white picnic blanket. In but a moment, her cherished instrument was out of its case and, standing by Sky Dive's statue, the elderly earth pony gave her audience of one the same stately bow she used to audiences of thousands, and she began to play.

As she listened to the sombre, reflective piece, Princess Luna, alicorn of the night and guardian of dreams, reflected on her life and the choices she had made. It was impossible not to, the way her wife played. Her turquoise eyes drifted over Octavia as she played. She saw what the advancing years had done to her body – in no way diminishing her physical beauty, at least not to her.

Luna was wholly at peace with her world. The beautiful music in her ear and her sister’s sun at her back, she gazed at the marble statue before her. Idly she wondered who had sculpted it, for it really was a masterpiece of craftsponyship. Had she not known better, she would have believed it was Sky Dive herself, the victim of a cockatrice. It was that lifelike. The more she looked, the more she could hear the pegasus’s laughter, hear her voice and feel the touch of her lips on hers.

Yes, Luna was happy. Truly, absolutely happy. She allowed her heart to remember the joys they had, as well as the joys she still had to this day. Octavia, standing by the statue, played her piece as well as she physically could do. She did drop a couple of notes on purpose, in an effort to get her wife’s attention, but more than a few were completely accidental, due to her arthritic hooves.

Listening, Luna heard the few notes that were out of place. She didn’t look however, but she reflected that time was mercilessly robbing her beautiful wife of her extraordinary talent. A talent she so dearly loved, but nearly as much as she loved Octavia. Still looking at Sky Dive, she imagined the statue framed by her night's stars. Playfully, she thought about making the moon a little more full, and what havoc that would cause. Luna smiled.

Six minutes into the eight and a half minute piece, Octavia noticed that her wife and Mistress still wasn’t looking at her, even though she was doing what she normally did to get her attention. In the back of her mind, she knew why. Due to her arthritis, it was no longer unusual to hear a missed note. Extremely annoyed, the old mare lifted her tail and with a smirk, she began to pee, aiming her golden yellow stream at the pedestal of the statue.

Luna, lost in her imaginary stargazing, was rudely shaken from her reverie by the sound of water spattering of something. She blinked in the late afternoon sun and looked around, at first wondering whom was spying on them. Then, with very wide eyes, she saw her Pet pissing on the base of the statue, playing on as if she was doing nothing out of the ordinary. “TAVI!” she shrieked.

Octavia had a remarkably serene look on her face, like she's doing nothing at all. “Yes, Mistress?” she stopped playing a few seconds later. ‘At last she notices me…’

“By my sister's left forehoof!” Luna exclaimed, “What in Equestria do you think you're doing?”

“Urinating, Mistress,” she replied, just as her long steaming stream finally ceased and died out, dripping onto her inner thighs.

Luna's turquoise eyes narrowed dangerously. Had almost anypony else done that, well…she didn’t know what she would do. It had taken all of Octavia’s diplomatic skills, not to mention the skill of her tongue, for her to not banish Air Raid to Mount Aris and have Novo imprison her there when the lime green mare had gotten so drunk that one time that she had made out with the statue. “You are so in trouble…”

“I understand, Mistress.” Said Octavia, the barest hint of a smile playing across her face.

“Really?” Luna tried her very best to keep the disgruntled look from her face as she lit her horn and magically gathered up all of the picnic things back into the basket from whence they came. A multitude of punishments ran through her head, from making her lick the pedestal clean to not allowing her to pee for a day or three. “Really, Tavi, why?”

Octavia shrugged innocently. “I thought all pegasi enjoyed a bit of yellow rain…” she trailed off, however, when she saw the unusually severe look on her wife’s face. “You were ignoring me, Lu!” she exclaimed, stomping her hoof into the ground and immediately she winced as the pain shot up her leg all the way to her knee. “Even when I missed the notes, your ear didn't even flick!”

Luna facehooved. “Octavia Melody.” She was sure to use her full name, though it was incredibly hard to remain angry with her wife when she saw the pain – however momentary it was – on her face from her hoof stomp. “You are never far from my thoughts. Even looking at her,” she pointed her hoof over the earth pony’s head, though her voice softened. “My thoughts were on you. Still, that is no excuse, and still, you are in trouble!”

Defensively, Octavia rubbed her belly, “I don't think Midnight is in trouble, Mistress.”

For a moment, Luna looked long and hard at her wife, who so pointedly reminded her of just how much punishment she can give. Dangerously, the Princess smiled. “Oh yes she is in ‘trouble’, as you put it. Besides, I don't think a little more nutrition will hurt her.” With that, she took up the basket and the leash in her magical aura. “Put away your cello, Pet. After all, I do remember where that funnel is kept.” She turned on her hoof, her smile turning sinister. While she wasn’t sure of much in this modern world, her wife’s hatred of electronic music was one of the things she was sure of.

Mistress Moonbeams would have fun this night.

~ ~ ~

Wildfire didn’t know where she was going, at first. It took her a moment of walking along the tree lined avenue, with the warm sun at her back before she recognised the route she was on. Sure enough, when she turned a corner, she saw her old primary school. For a moment, she was confused as to why she was back in Canterlot and here, of all places.

A split second later however and she didn’t care why she was here. As she got closer to the ornately carved gates, she saw a sight that made her want to cry with happiness. Standing in the morning sun, just like she had when she had taken her to school was her mum!

Only, Silverbolt was not stood alone. This particular morning, as parents took their foals into the school, the tall yellow pegasus mare brushed aside her flowing crimson mane and smiled down at the pale blue unicorn colt, his mane pure white. Wildfire stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her mum stood there. “M-Mum...mum‽” Disbelievingly, she buzzed her yellow wings and galloped over to her. “Mum!” With a warm smile, Silverbolt hugged her daughter while the colt just looked at them both. “Oh mum!” Wildfire hugged her so very tightly. “I'm so glad to see you!”

After a few moments, Silverbolt pulled away from the hug. “Just me?” she asked, her warm smile disappearing from her face.

The moment her mother said that, Wildfire looked down, she saw the little pale blue unicorn patiently looking up at her. Realisation dawned upon her as she knew who he must be. “Oh wow, you...you must be Chill Wind!” she knelt down, though as she was so small it wasn’t a long journey, and she ruffled his white mane.

Silverbolt let out a disappointed sigh. “That's part of the problem, Wildfire, you hardly even bother to acknowledge your brother.”

“Mum...” Wildfire stood up, puzzled as to why her mother would say that, “I didn't know about him till last week!”

“See,” Silverbolt continued, the disappointment starting to show on her face, “It’s like he isn't even here, and that's not even the worst of it.”

Wildfire was confused, now. She hated that look on her mother’s face, even more so that it was directed at her. “Mum, hey, that's not fair...y-you never spoke about him, how could I dream about him?”

Again, the older yellow mare sighed. “Yeah, a dreamer that is you. What is worse is how Cold Front has done me and Chill Wind wrong in so many ways.”

“Mum, what do you mean?” Wildfire sat on her haunches and she held her hoof out to Chill Wind, hoping that her little brother would bump it. He did not. The little colt just huddled in closer to his mother’s side, out of Wildfire’s reach, away from his big sister.

“You don't get it, do you, Wily?”

“Get what?”

Again, Silverbolt sighed, deeply, the look of disappointment turning to disgust. “When I look at Chill Wind I see myself. When I look at you, all I see is Cold Front.”

“Mum...” Wildfire looked and felt like she had been physically slapped across the face. Utterly shocked, she took a step backwards. “How can you say that? I'm nothing like dad!”

Without another word, Silverbolt crouched down low and, once Chill Wind had climbed up onto her back, she again turned that look, that revolted look, on her daughter. “It's not working Wildfire.” She said sadly, “You're better off with your father. Better off without us.”

Wildfire couldn’t believe wat she was hearing. Surely it was a mistake, a practical joke, some sort of twisted prank. She didn’t think her mother was capable of something like that. “Mum...no, please no!” she begged, “Don't leave me please!”

Silverbolt just looked at her daughter long and hard, almost looking through her. Disgust and revulsion had given way to undisguised contempt. “Have a good life with Cold Front, while we try to start over somewhere far away.” She spread her yellow wings wide, preparing to take off. “Somewhere away from you.”

“Mum, no!” desperately, Wildfire lunged forwards, trying to grab hold of her mother’s crimson tail, grabbing, clutching at any part of her mother’s body she could reach, just as dark grey class ten storm clouds began forming over the school. “I won't let you go!” she screamed, only now noticing as the black clouds blotted out the sun.

Disdainfully, Silverbolt just looked at the scrabbling pegasus and then, with a powerful thrust of her wings, she easily broke Wildfire’s hold and she shot shoots upwards into the stormy sky. Being the amazing weather pony she is, she quickly ascended into the clouds without looking back at the distraught mare she had left behind.

Seconds later, just as she entered the cloud with Chill Wind on her back, there was a blinding flash of lightning. “Muuuuuuuuum!” The white blinding flash of light grew and grew until Wildfire couldn’t see anything at all. Her vision was so overwhelmed, everything went black.

The world went dark and quiet. All she could hear was the beating of her own heart.

Then, hoof-steps echoed on a tiled floor. Hoof-steps that came closer, but she couldn’t see the pony they belonged to. She couldn’t see, but she could feel the bed she was sat in. A horribly familiar bed. Then, she realised there were bandages wrapped around her head. She recognised this place. “For the love of Celestia,” came a voice in front of her, “What happened to you?”

“R-Raid!” Wildfire frantically turned her head this way and that, though she was enveloped in pitch darkness. In the distance, she could hear the beeping of hospital monitors. The old, familiar ever-present pain in her face told her everything. “What happened? Air Raid? Where are you?”

“I have a career, I have sponsors,” Air Raid’s voice was derisive, snide and nasty. “I have an image to maintain.”

“Raid please...not again!” She couldn’t believe this was happening. She had just lost her mother and brother. Now this, again. “Stay with me!” Desperately, blindly, she held her hooves out, the bandages over her face slipping down, her ugly acid scars visible. “I need you!”

Snorting through her nose, Air Raid callously slapped away Wildfire’s grasping hooves. “You look like some demon spawned straight from Tartarus! I can't be seen with you!”

“I'm still Wildfire!” she pleaded, sniffing loudly, her ears slicked back. “I'm still your Wily!”

Air Raid turned around, her hooves clopping noisily on the tiled floor. “You were fun, that is true, but now you're nothing.”

“No! Don't leave me Raid please! You said you'd always love me!”

“Did I?” Air Raid asked as she walked away from the blind mare on the bed who was still holding out her hooves for her, in the misguided belief she would run to them. “Maybe you can find a care home, because I'm not going to be your foal sitter. It was good times, I'll try to remember those.”

“AIIIIIIR RAAAAAAID!” Wildfire screamed as her marefriend slammed the door behind her.

Again, the world shone an incredible, impossible, bright white, a bright white light that swamped everything and made it impossible to see anything at all. Suddenly, the light vanished as quickly as it had come, to be replaced yet again by pure, all-engulfing, oppressive blackness. “Wildfire...”

Wildfire snapped her head to the sound of Airmail’s voice so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “Airy...oh Airy is that really you?” she didn’t even try and hide the relief in her voice. Whatever madness was happening, she knew deep down that now it would all be alright.

“I'm sorry.”

“Sorry?” Wildfire asked, wondering why her fiancé’s voice sounded so distant and deadened. “What for?” she held her hooves out towards the sound of Airmail’s voice, all the time she was sniffing for the comforting jasmine scent.

“I'm a killer.”

“I know, you told me, Pretty it's okay.”

Airmail did not move any closer to the blind mare sat on the bed. “I'm old.”

“I know!” Wildfire exclaimed frustratedly, all she wanted was a hug. Why wouldn’t Airmail hug her? She could make it all okay if only she would wrap her up in that feathery hug of hers. “Please, Pretty, give me a hug, I need you so much!”

“I'm losing control, Wily.”

“Airy please, just hold me, please…”

“I'll kill you someday,” Airmail continued in that same cold, deadened voice, “And I don't want to kill anymore.”

Wildfire was stunned. She was still struggling to take in everything that had happened to her in the space of moments. Her brain refused to compute what was happening. The more she tried to process it all, the less her brain seemed to work. “P-Pretty...what are you saying?”

“I don't want to kill you so there is only one pony left I need to kill.”

“A-Airy no!” Wildfire felt a cold, hard metal ‘something’ placed against her muzzle. With a deep sense of dread she knew what it was. How could it be anything else? “Please, oh dear Luna no! Our wedding! Think of the wedding! Please, I love you...”

“Me.” As Airmail said that, the cold metal of the gun barrel left Wildfire’s face. “Goodbye, Wily.”

“STOP!” Princess Luna called out, her Royal Canterlot Voice ringing out in the inky blackness of the void, her voice as loud as a gunshot.

“AAAAaaAAAGH!” All Wildfire heard was the ringing, echoing gunshot. She let out the very terrified, very real and very genuine scream. She didn’t hear the alicorn’s voice at all.

“Wildfire!” Luna stepped forwards, her silver shod hooves clopping on the tiled floor of the dream hospital room. It was remarkable to her that Wildfire had managed to recreate the room almost exactly to the last degree. It was almost a carbon copy of the room she had visited five years ago. “Look at me!”

Frantically, Wildfire turned her head blindly to the sounds of Luna's loud resounding voice. “Pr-Princess?”

Slowly, with her ethereal mane and tail billowing in an invisible wind around her, Luna stepped forwards until her hoof was resting on Wildfire’s shoulder. “Open your eyes and LOOK at me!”

Suddenly, just like that, Wildfire realised she had eyes. “Princess?” Looking around, she saw she wasn’t anywhere. Where she was, if it was a place at all, was an inky black void, full of muted purple swirls of colour, interwoven with bright blues of every conceivable shade. Everywhere about her, were billions of lights, looking like a sky full of stars in the void. Most of them were bright white, while some, a small amount, were glowing red. “What's happening?”

Luna floated - there was no better way to explain the movement, for she didn’t flap her powerful wings nor did she light her horn – over to where Wildfire was hanging in the nothingness. “What do you see?”

Wildfire was looking around the ether, amazed at the bright lights all around her. One not far away turned bright red, and she saw Luna’s ear flick. “I see...I see you, Princess.”

Luna smiled, sending a tiny part of her consciousness to the newest red light. “Wildfire, you're blind, how can you possibly see me?”

“I...I um...I...I'm dreaming...I am, right?” Realisation dawned slowly upon Wildfire. “I’m dreaming?”

Now she was by Wildfire’s side, Princess Luna laid her wing over her subject’s back. Except, Wildfire wasn’t just a subject to her. She was her son’s best friend. Luna knew her, personally knew her. She owed this little pony a debt she could never, ever repay. “I'm sorry I was slow. Last time you brought Airmail into your nightmare to end it. I failed to realize you brought her into this one to continue it.”

Wildfire instinctively nestled into the alicorn’s much larger flank. “My nightmare...nightmare... ha ha...it’s Dusk's fault my nightmare's continuing.”

That cut Luna to her very heart. “Fault lies in many places, but you didn't dream of my son.”

“He lied to me!” the little pegasus flapped her wings, though it wasn’t necessary in the Dreamscape, until she was eye to eye with the lunar alicorn. “You said it was over. You said I was safe!”

Luna, to her own credit, did not flinch from the accusation. “I did, and I was wrong, but you didn't dream of me, either.”

“Give me time,” Wildfire snorted, in a tone that she never would’ve used in the waking world. “I'm sure I would've got to you.”

“No, Wildfire.” Luna said quietly, drawing upon her resolve to put right the wrongs done to this little mare. “You could have dreamed of me, Dusk, or both of us on trial…you could have charged us with high crimes, found us guilty and even had us executed. I would not have interfered in that dream.” She couldn’t believe she was opening up like she was. “Now I have interfered, you are avoiding your nightmare.”

Princess Luna lowered her voice until it was almost inaudible. “If I had given you time, you would have followed Airmail.”

Wildfire knew deep in her heart that she was right. “Princess...I'm sorry...I dreamed of my mum because I wanted her. I dreamed of the ponies I wanted to hold me and love me. Instead they all just left and abandoned me.”

“All? Did they?” Luna mused, almost to herself. “In your dream you said you never saw your brother.”

“I never knew he existed ‘till last week.”

Again, Luna draped her wing over Wildfire’s back. She wanted to call her a friend, and in a way she was, just not in the same way that Airmail and Mapper were her friends. “Did your mother stop at the school to say ‘goodbye, I'm not coming back’ before she flew into that lightning bolt?”

Wildfire shook her head, she didn’t want to be facing her demons like this, but she didn’t pull away from the embrace, either. “She said she saw my dad in me, and that she was starting a life far away from me...she hated me.”

“Silverbolt was a hero.” Luna stated definitely. “She earned that Equestria Star. Is that the Silverbolt that said she hated you? Or is it a memory of a pony you loved that died and left you living that said she hated you?”

“How should I know?” Wildfire asked, all defensive, “It was a long time ago.”

Luna chuckled. “That is easy. I could think thousands upon thousands of ponies die to get away from me, or I can be honoured to spend a very small part of my life with what may have been the majority of their life with them. It is a hard lesson, but in the end, did your mother love you, or hate you?”

Wildfire knew the answer to that. In her soul, she knew. “My mum loved me.”

“Yet she did abandon you.” Luna pressed her point. She had to make the blind mare see. She just had to. “She died. Chill Wind died. They are together and you are not with them. Such is the way of ponies. Do we scream and shout at death? For death cares not about the living.”

“Yuppers, she loved me so much she left me with dad.” Wildfire shot back, her voice just a little bitter. “She got off light.”

“Life has never been, nor will it ever be, fair.” Luna snorted, “You are among the living, still.”

Now, it was Wildfire’s turn to snort. She did, however, note that the light that had been red had just turned white. With it, there was another flick of the Princess’s ear and a new star in her ethereal mane. “In spite of the living's best efforts.”

“Really!” Luna laughed out loud, her laughter echoing somewhere in the swirling mass of colour that was the Dreamscape. “So, would you choose the path you made Airy choose?”

“Yes...no...I don't know anymore...no, no I wouldn't.”

“You have shown wisdom, for that is the cowards way out. Is Airy a coward?”

“I'm not a coward!” Anger flashed across Wildfire’s face and, as she flapped her wings again, she placed herself in front of the alicorn. It was funny, the way she stood up to her was almost comical, for she was so small in comparison to the much larger mare. “And neither is my fiancé!”

Luna nodded, hearing the truth in Wildfire’s words, didn’t back down. “Yet you allowed death for her to abandon you. Just like your mother abandoned you. Did your mother kill herself with that lightning bolt?”

“I...I don't know why, okay?” Wildfire asked, she felt a new swimmer thrown into the deep end of a pool. It was a struggle to keep her head above water. She was amazed she wasn’t drowning. “It's just...Autumn, and what she did, and what Airy did, I don't know!”

“Ponies die. Airmail will die. You will die. You could die next year crossing a street.” She rested a hoof on the smaller mare’s shoulder with a smile, for she knew that she was pregnant with her foal. “Will Fireflight think you abandoned her, or will she know you loved her for all of her life?”

“I sincerely hope for the latter, Princess.”

“That is up to you, Wildfire. Airmail could die tomorrow. Do you think she hated every moment you spent together, or loved you more than life itself for those very moments?”

“I...I know she loved me more than she loved breathing, Princess.”

“Which brings us to the middle of your nightmare.” Luna said, bringing the rather unorthodox intervention almost to a close, “You think Airmail is no better than Air Raid.”

“I...I don't know...I'm scared, okay?” Wildfire spluttered defensively, though she knew the Princess was right in what she said. “I'm having trouble knowing where I am, at the moment, if I’m honest.”

Luna nodded. Fear was an entity she knew only too well. “I understand fear. I have no words of wisdom for that. Only believe in yourself, and in those you love.” She released her hoof from the mare’s shoulder as she lit her horn. “Wake up Wildfire, those you love are worried about you, even if they don't seem to show it.”

As the light from Princess Luna’s horn grew brighter and brighter, the Princess herself faded from view, as did the Dreamscape itself. A second later and the light was all encompassing and all consuming.

“Wake up!”

Chapter 15 - Recovery: State of Mind

Tuesday morning and Requiem was at North Park Hospital bright and early. It was seven a.m. when the red and blue painted earth pony mare trotted through the main entrance. Any earlier and she would’ve beaten Celestia for raising the sun. Announcing herself in her official capacity as a psychiatrist, she got a pass up to Wildfire’s room on the fifth floor. On the way, she encountered a nurse and she liberated from her a breakfast trolley.

Smiling sweetly, she entered, pushing the trolley with Wildfire’s breakfast on it in front of her. A quick scan of the room and she saw the little blind mare asleep in the hospital bed, snoring very gently following the nightmare of the night before, though she noticed that her ears twitched at the hoof-steps. Requiem was wholly aware of the nightmare that her herd-mate had endured, thanks to a letter that had been delivered to her during the night by dragon mail, signed simply, ‘L’. “Hello Mapper,” she smiled to the only other pony in the room.

Mapper turned bleary eyes to the annoyingly sparky earth pony. She looked like she had slept on a seating pad the whole night. She felt like she had slept on a seating pad, too. “Requiem.”

Requiem, by contrast, practically skipped into the room. “Where's Stormy?”

“Coffee run.” Mapper replied, a little bit more irritably than she intended. Heaving her pink carcass from the seating pad, she stretched, cat-like, until she was rewarded with several cracking joints and popping muscles. “She is only getting for three though, sorry.”

“I'll survive.” Requiem tried, and failed, to not giggle at Mapper’s stretching. If she held that downward pony position any longer, she was tempted to pet her mane and call her a good doggy. Instead, she cast a glance over Wildfire. “Is our patient sleeping or just pretending?”

Wildfire, as it turned out, was genuinely asleep. She wasn't pretending, although the flicking of her ears would give that impression to those that didn’t know her habits. While she was asleep, thanks to the care home, she was a very light sleeper. “Huh...” she murmured, the voices in the room waking her, as did the smell of food. Carefully, she started to sit up. “M-Mistress?”

Requiem took the only other seating pad in the room, the one that Tempest had moved to beside the bed. She left the breakfast trolley inside the room. “Hello Wildfire.” She greeted her herd-mate and patient, “Do you know who I am?”

Sat up properly now, Wildfire frowned in concentration. “You sound like Requiem.”

Requiem wasn’t surprised she wasn’t trusting her straightaway, given what she had read from ‘L’s’ report and the report from Airmail and Serenity when she had spoken to them at the police station. “Thank you for remembering my voice,” she said in that same calm, familiar way she had. “Would you like to touch me for confirmation?”

Wildfire could tell, just from listening, that the voice was not far from where her right forehoof was. “Yes, please.” ‘She could be anypony!’ she thought to herself as she carefully felt for the older mare. ‘Autumn Leaves sounded different until...until she...’ as her internal monologue continued, her hooves were very shaky indeed. She was a long time feeling the offered muzzle and face, Wildfire cast her memory back to the BDSM night, remembering every last detail of Requiem’s face. ‘Hmm, there's the indent behind her left ear...’ presently, she lowered her hooves. “You feel like Requiem.”

Requiem caught the apprehensive tone, the guarded reaction. “Still not sure though.” Understandable. “I like to free fall, and Luna let me do that while Thespian, Airmail, Tempest, Sonic, Trails and you gave Dusk a makeover on the couch.”

“Okay.” That was enough to convince her. Slowly, she lowered her hooves back to the bedsheets. “I accept you're Requiem.”

“Do you trust me?” Requiem asked simply.

“I do now.” Came the equally simple reply.

Just then, the door to the hospital room opened and Tempest entered carrying three coffees on a tray on her back. “Coffee delivery,” she sounded artificially cheery, seeing as she normally wasn’t active earlier than eleven in the morning. Thankfully, for the sake of her sanity, the coffee shop a block away opened early. “Oh, hi Requiem. Sorry, I didn't get you one.”

Requiem shrugged the apology away with a shake of her head. “That’s okay, I brought Wily her breakfast. Why don't the two of you get some?” With the not-too-subtle hint hanging in the air, Tempest and Mapper shared a look between them. Both silently agreed, with a flick of their ears, that they could use something better than institution food this early in the day. Tempest had calls to make anyway, to Rung and to Emerald.

Mapper shrugged in defeat. “Well Pet, it seems the Mistress has been put in her place. We won't be gong long. Leave Pet her coffee and follow along, Stormy.”

Wildfire turns her head sharply towards the sound of Mapper’s voice, flinching a little as she did so. “Don't be long Mistress, y-you too, Honey, please?”

At the door, Mapper sighed, resisting the urge to shake Wildfire like a ragdoll. While it was sweet to be needed, she was a pony, not a crutch. “Pet, what are the two jobs that Requiem has?”

Wildfire knew that! Quickly, so as to please her Mistress, she answered, “Ms. Requiem works in the theatre,” she used the honorific, now she was sure that it actually was Requiem she was sat with. “She also is a licensed psychiatrist, Mistress.”

Mapper rolled her eyes at the very proud look she was getting from her earth pony herd-mate. “And which of those jobs would require us to leave the room?”

“The psychiatrist one, Mistress.”

“My pet is very smart.” Mapper shooed Tempest out of the room before her. “I'll bring you back a cookie for a reward.”

“Does that bother you?” Requiem asked, her ‘shrink’s hat’ firmly in place, once the door was closed, “Mapper treating you like a common house pet like that?”

“Oh no...” Wildfire hugged herself with her forelegs when she answered. She could feel the stitches in the wounds on her chest. She liked the physical reminders of what had happened in the subway. It reminded her it had really happened, and that it wasn’t a figment of her imagination. “That's my place, and Mistress and Ms. Tempest have kept me safe here.”

Requiem watched. She watched and she observed. Mentally she made notes. The act of hugging throwing up a barrier between her and her patient. One she had to get through. “May I touch you?”

The little blind mare nodded, in doing so, the bedsheets fell away from her. “Yes, Ms. Requiem, you may.”

Without another word, Requiem moved and, as she was larger than her herd-mate it was a relatively simple manoeuvre, she kissed Wildfire’s eye socket furthest from her and then the nearest one, her lips brushing against the heavy scar tissue that covered her face. “May I now ask you questions?”

“Hmm...” Wildfire purred like a little kitten with each kiss of her mutilated face, “of course, Ms. Requiem.”

“Thank you, before I do though, you need to know I've talked with the rest of your mini-herd.” Requiem explained simply and honestly, “That is why I'm here. Does it upset you that they think you need to talk to me?”

“No,” Wildfire replied after she had sipped her black coffee with three sugars that her herd-mate had pressed into contact with her hooves. The smell and taste helped to ground her in the here and now. “No, Ms. Requiem. Mistress knows what's best for me.” and, like a good Pet, she trusted her Mistress.

Of all the many things she hoped to talk about, the painted earth pony led off with one that had particularly caught her interest. “Why were you so afraid to go to the hospital, Wildfire?”

Immediately, Wildfire’s yellow ears slicked back to her head, a gesture that made Requiem almost regret asking. “Hospitals are bad, Ms. Requiem.” She answered in a very scared voice. “Warden Glory came to the one in Canterlot after...after m-my dad and R-R-Raid happened...after they left me,” she went quiet for a long time after that, sipping her coffee to gather her nerves. “Nopony liked being sent to Doctor Mindbender at the home. He,” Wildfire shivered in fear, “He liked to play with us, experiment on us. He gave us drugs that enhanced fear, or pain, or both.”

‘Bucking bastard!’ Requiem thought, her hackles up as she snarled internally. ‘I hope Luna made them all suffer!’ What she actually said though, with a professional mask of detached calm, was, “Are you at the home now?”

“I...” Wildfire slumped a little on the bed, were it not for half her cup being empty she would’ve spilled it. “I don't know. May I be honest with you, Ms. Requiem?” she asked hopefully, suddenly pleased they were alone. She didn’t want her Mistress to hear what she had to say.

Requiem smiled. “I would really like that, Wildfire.”

Wildfire drained the rest of the coffee to muster her nerve. “Mistress Mapper sounds a lot like Warden Glory. They talk the same, they walk the same...it is hard, to know which is which.” She paused before continuing, “I...I don't think I'm at the home, though. It smells wrong, it sounds wrong and it feels wrong.”

“I understand,” Requiem fought the urge to hug the poor little yellow pony until she squeaked. Now was not the time. She did, however, appreciate the fortitude it had taken for her to tell her that. “Was Warden Glory a harsh Mistress?”

Looking down, Wildfire passed the empty coffee cup back and nodded sadly. ‘Harsh’ was an extremely kind word to describe Amethyst Glory. Uncaring, ruthless, heartless, sadistic and merciless were less kind and far more accurate. “She is, I mean, was...is...yes, Ms. Requiem.”

Requiem sighed. It was painfully clear just how confused her herd-mate was. “Well, I know that Mistress Mapper is a harsh Mistress. So they are sort of the same. I think there may be one important difference though.” She wondered if Wildfire was capable of getting it on her own.

“Mistress Mapper loves me?”

‘Yes!’ Requiem wanted to do a happy four-hooved dance of celebration. ‘And the home team scores! Wohoo!’ However, calmly, she asked, “Did Warden Glory love you?”

“No, Ms. Requiem. I was...am...was...ugh!” Wildfire shook her head. It was extremely hard for her to focus on her tenses. She was having to remind herself all the time that the home was in the past, and that she wasn’t there anymore. “I was her favourite, but no, she didn't love me. I don’t think she could, love, I mean.” She added that last sentence quietly, like she was scared to speak it out loud.

“Does love matter?”

“Mistress Mapper values it, so it matters, Ms. Requiem.” Wildfire smiled, remembering something she had heard not so long ago. “Without love, there is just abuse.”

‘And the home team takes the ball and smashes the goal!’ Oh, how much the Requiem want to cheer and hug her at that moment. She didn’t, yet, anyway. “This is a hard question, so you can think about it while you eat,” as she said that, the psychiatrist pulled over the food trolley and she set up the food tray for her patient. “Wildfire, if you were given a choice, do you want to be free or safe?”

As she slowly ate her chocolate oatmeal and picked at her blackberry pancakes, Wildfire did indeed think about it. With each bite and swallow she mulled over the question. She didn’t know how long she had taken, for Requiem didn’t rush her along. ‘Free,’ she thought, ‘I get to ride whaling boats, play tag, but safe...I'm safe, my foal is safe...’ that sealed it for her. “Safe, Ms. Requiem. I’d rather be safe.”

Clearing away the breakfast tray back to the trolley, Requiem smiled and pressed the glass of fruit juice to Wildfire’s hooves. “Both are good answers. Freedom is to be independent, but safe is to be dependent. So, you know where you are now?”

“I'm in a hospital, Ms. Requiem, where I need to be.”

“Why do you need to be here?”

Wildfire took a moment to sip her juice before she answered. “Mistress Mapper says I need to be here. I was hurt on the subway platform. I wasn't safe there.”

As carefully as she could, which, thanks to her innate earth pony magic, was very carefully indeed, Requiem moved her hooves back along Wildfire’s body. She felt the stitched together wounds from the whip as well as the casts around her wings. “You were hurt,” she said thoughtfully, “but I've seen far worse. You weren't hurt that bad. Why is that?”

Wildfire snapped her head to ‘look’ where Requiem was feeling, the instant she felt her hooves touch her. “I...I...said Wildflower...Ms. Airmail...Airy, she came for me.”

Her brief inspection complete, happy that these Manehatten doctors seemed to know what they were doing, Requiem sat back down on her seating pad by the bed. “Airmail? Really? Why would Airmail do that for you?”

“She...” Wildfire paused then, frowning hard like she had just been given a hard math paper – or, indeed, any math paper – to solve. “She loves me?”

‘Mapper’s right,’ Requiem thought with a smile, ‘You are a smart Pet.’ “Oh, does she love you the same way that Mapper loves you?”

“No...no, no...it's different.”

“Do you love her?”

Wildfire nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yes, Ms. Requiem, I love her so much!”

Requiem then asked, “Do you miss her right now?”

Again, Wildfire nodded. “I'm trying not to think about her not being here.”

Requiem took a deep breath. She knew she was at the heart of the flame, as it were. This could go very well from here, or go badly. “If she loves you why isn't she here right now?”

“D-Don't...please…”

“Why isn't Airmail here?” Requiem pressed on, knowing they were almost at the turning point.

“Th-They took her...the ponies took her away!” Wildfire, having drank her juice, hugged herself and she rocked back and forth on the hospital bed. “They took her from me!”

“Why would ponies take Airmail away from you?”

“B-Because of h-her...what she did...”

‘Just a little more, we’re almost there,’ Requiem though, and pushed her herd-mate once more. Mapper called it stripping them down in order to build them stronger. She wasn’t far wrong. “For loving you?”

Wildfire shook her head, though she didn’t stop rocking on the bed. “N-Not her...she tricked me, she said her name was F-Fall...Fall Foliage! I believed her, I helped! I tried to help! Then...then it happened...and Airy saved me!”

“How?”

“She...” Wildfire took several deep breathes, very deep breathes, she didn’t know why, but she felt stronger all of a sudden. “She, Airy, she killed Autumn Leaves.”

Requiem nodded thoughtfully. Of course she knew what had happened. As she was Airmail’s sanctioned psychiatrist, she was privy to all the details. She was just pleased her newest patient had got there herself. “Does that make you sad that Airmail would kill a pony for you, Wildfire?”

“Yes, Ms. Requiem.” Wildfire replied solemnly. She had been told of her fiancé’s past, of course she had. Airmail had told her many times in no uncertain circumstances what she had done and, she had accepted it. It was, though, quite another thing entirely to have her do that for her.

Now, at last, Requiem laid a hoof over Wildfire’s foreleg. “Do you think Airmail would rather be with the ponies that took her away, or with you, here in hospital?”

“With me, Ms. Requiem.” Wildfire answered, sounding far more confident in her reply. “I'm not sad that Autumn Leaves is dead, but I'm sad Airy had to go there for me, I'm sad for what it cost her.”

Lovingly, feeling uncannily like a mother with her daughter, Requiem rubbed Wildfire’s leg. “Sadness at death reminds us we are not gods. Yet, I feel that to Airmail you are worth any cost. Do you think that?”

“I agree she feels that way, Ms. Requiem.” Wildfire smiled, she just wanted the earth pony to keep rubbing her leg. She wasn’t sure if it was the magic in her hooves, but it felt wonderful. “To me, Airy is worth any cost.”

Requiem glanced over at the door when she heard it bump just a little and she snickered, “Should I let the eavesdropping unicorn back in, along with her partner in crime?”

“Yes, Ms. Requiem.” Wildfire felt a lot better with herself now she’d had their talk.

“You've fallen down a rabbit hole, Wily.” Requiem said kindly, still stroking her herd-mate’s foreleg. “Believe in yourself, and trust those that love you as you love them, and you will find your way out of that rabbit hole.” She hugged the diminutive yellow mare as tightly as she dared, without hurting her further. “You can always ask to talk to me, and I'll make time for you. We are herd.”

“Yes...Y-Yuppers...th-thank you,” Wildfire grasped blindly at Requiem’s hoof as she released the hug, for something had occurred to her. “It's just...I'm confused, and scared, but thank you...there's um, one more thing…”

“Yes, Wildfire?”

“Before I went to Ms. Belle's...I had decided to not be Mistress Mapper's Pet anymore but now, now...I'm not so sure.”

As she was halfway to the door, Requiem returned to her seating pad, she had to think on that for a little bit. At last, she had her answer. “You tasted freedom and something very bad happened to you. You need to be safe before you can venture out into freedom again. There is safety in pet play, for there is discipline and order. You're not sure because part of you wants that safety, and part of you craves that freedom. I can't tell you how to run your life, but at this point in time, you need safety more than you need freedom.”

Wildfire nodded her head, understanding what was being said to her. “I want to be safe. I need the order, the discipline, Ms. Requiem. I'm safe, inside. Inside it's safe. Out there,” she pointed her hoof to what she hoped was the window but was actually the wall, “It's not safe out there.”

“Dear Wildfire, it is never truly ‘safe’ anywhere.” Requiem explained, a sympathetic smile on her face, “We do what we can to be safe and keep those we love safe, but freedom calls. Stormy told me you used that freedom to go shopping. Even if it isn't truly safe, do you want to go shopping again for those you love?”

All of a sudden, Wildfire wasn’t so sure about that. “Um...um...well...o-outside, you mean? Outside, alone, outside?”

“Yes, not today, and most likely not tomorrow, but yes.” Requiem said gently but firmly, “Even though something bad happened to you, how many of those that love you came to you?”

“All of them came. When I called, they all came…” Wildfire smiled, then, she turned her head to the sound of the painted pony’s voice. Something had crept into her head, something that made her worry. “Do um...do my friends know?” she asked, “Does the Chief know?”

Requiem giggled, she just couldn’t help it. Wildfire was just too adorable. “One of your lovers is Tempest. What is it you call her?”

“Honey.”

Requiem giggled some more, for she was even more adorable when she was being clueless. “Not when you are teasing her.”

“Mother Hen.”

Requiem leant in and nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “Trust that Mother Hen made sure those that needed to know where you are do. What I can't say is how much she told them. You could be a better judge of that.”

That instantly put Wildfire’s mind at ease, as much as it could be at ease, at the moment. She should’ve realised that Tempest would’ve been on the phone to everypony that needed to know. “Thank you, Ms. Requiem. It was...nice, talking with you, you've helped remind me where I am.”

“The rabbit hole is deep,” Requiem said again, “But it’s not as scary when you know it is just a rabbit hole.” That said, she got up from her seating pad and noisily, she trotted over and opened the door.

“Prognosis, Doctor?” said Mapper immediately as the door was opened. In their defence, she and Tempest had gone for breakfast, if two chocolate and haybacon muffins with maple syrup each counted as ‘breakfast’. The pink unicorn and violet pegasus were both in agreement that it did.

Requiem cast a glance back at her patient. “She needs the safety of the herd,” she giggled and winked at Mapper, “and maybe a bit of discipline. I trust your understanding of boundaries, Mapper. I also trust the other mares will aid you in that.”

Mapper, so happy that not more damage had been done to her herd-mate’s already delicate psyche, actually hugged and kissed Requiem. “Thank you. From my heart, thank you.” Then, she once more assumed the role to which she was so suited. “Pet, are you pleased with Doctor Requiem's time spent with you?”

“Yes Mistress, I'm very pleased.” Wildfire answered quickly, for she knew her Mistress liked quick responses. “I've thanked Ms. Requiem for her time.” She then tapped her hooves together. “Mistress, may your Pet please make a request?”

“In a moment.” Mapper said sharply. “Here is a cookie in lieu of payment.” Requiem laughed at the offered cookie and as she ate it, Mapper placed a second chocolate chip cookie under Wildfire’s nose and held it there until she took it in her hooves. “Your reward, Pet. You earned it for being good.”

“I brought more coffee,” Tempest spoke up, passing out the coffees to one pony after another. “This is for you, Requiem.”

Requiem blew Tempest a playful kiss and mouthed ‘Thank you’ as she, Mapper and Tempest all sipped their coffees together as one pony. Having drank a good portion of her own drink, Mapper turned her attention to her Pet on the bed. “You may now make your request, Pet.”

“Please Mistress, could you put the collar back on me?” she asked as she lifted up the cookie and nibbled on it like a hamster nibbling its food. “I need it, Mistress, please?”

Mapper rolled her eyes in such a way that it was audible. “You are a silly Pet.” She condescendingly ruffled Wildfire’s mane with her hoof. “You will always be my Middle Pet, even if we choose to not engage in pet play. Oh look!” she just happened to rummage in her saddlebag, and she just happened to pull out a certain pink collar. Almost as if it had been there all along, just for this occasion.

Tempest snorted as she sipped her delicious coffee. “What are the odds you'd have a pink collar in your saddlebag, Maps?”

“What,” Requiem asked innocently, “Is there ever a time that she doesn't have a collar in her bag?”

As Mapper took a moment to deliver a well-deserved raspberry to the both of them, Tempest and Requiem burst out laughing as a result. While her herd-mates were still laughing, the pink unicorn took the collar in her hooves and, lifting up Wildfire’s black mane, she buckled it in place above the blue and purple one she was already wearing. “I'll let Airy decide if she want's hers on top.”

“And what about me?” Tempest asked with an over exaggerated pout.

Mapper just pointed with her hoof to Wildfire’s neck. “It is blue over purple right now, so…” she finished her eloquent speech with a second loud raspberry, this one aimed solely at Tempest.

Wildfire sighed happily, as soon as the second collar had been fastened around her neck. “Thank you, Mistress, thank you!”

“Well, I have another appointment.” Requiem said as she finished her coffee and placed the empty cup on the food trolley. “As always, we are herd.” With that, she closed the door behind herself as she left the fifth floor hospital room, leaving three fifths of the mini-herd to its much-needed snuggles.

~ ~ ~

Several hours after Requiem’s timely visit, and the clock had just ticked over to three in the afternoon. Mapper, who was by this point bored, was napping on her seating pad while Tempest was busy chatting with Wildfire about her current work schedule. The violet mare knew most of what she was saying was going over Wildfire’s head, but she was listening, regardless.

Tempest was partway through an extended detailing of her schedule later that day – going into way too much detail than was strictly necessary – when the door to the hospital room opened. When the weather mare saw just whom was there on the other side, she went unexpectedly quiet mid-sentence.

Wildfire, who had been listening with rapt attention to what Tempest had been saying, after a whole morning spent teaching Tempest how to read braille, looked from Tempest to Mapper when the former went silent and the latter stood up. “And then what, Honey, after you clear the skies over Celestia this evening?” She heard Mapper standing up, she heard Tempest’s telling silence. “Honey?” she was unaware of the presence of the new arrivals.

Unaware, that is, until Airmail stepped into the room. The moment her hooves clopped on the tiled floor, Wildfire knew it was her. Amongst her herd, the blind mare knew each mare’s hoof-steps, each as unique as hoof print. “I'm sorry, Wily.” Was all the azure blue mare could say, once she had reached her fiancé’s bedside.

At the sound of her voice, Wildfire shuddered involuntarily in her bed, the nightmare of the night before still very vivid in her mind. Still, that didn’t stop her squealing like a filly. “A-Airy!”

A clopping of hooves later and Airmail moved a little closer, though she wasn’t quite touching the bed. Almost like it had its own force field preventing her from touching the side. “Will you forgive me?”

Wildfire let out a very loud sniff, a sound somewhere between a whinny and a sneeze. This close she could smell the intense jasmine scent of her beloved. She turned her head to the sound of her voice. It was as if she’d never heard the twang of her Vanhoovan / Manehatten accent before. It washed over her like a soothing balm. “You are absolutely forgiven!” she held her hooves out for a hug that she so desperately needed.

Still, Airmail did not run into Wildfire’s outstretched hooves. “But-but…I said I'd never leave you and I-I left you…”

Wildfire did not lower her forelegs. She held them out like a filly asking for ‘upsies’. “Well...y-you did, but you came back, didn’t you?”

Now, at last, thanks in no small part to Mapper seizing her in her magic and giving her a rough shove, Airmail fell into Wildfire’s outstretched forelegs and she pressed her muzzle against her neck. That bit, Mapper didn’t have to ‘assist’ her with. As the blind mare felt the moisture from her eyes, the pink mare released her magic and stepped up. “Let me fix something.” She removed the pink collar and fastened it back around her Pet’s neck, this time underneath the blue and purple one. “Stormy, I have a craving for some sweets.” She said with a nod to Airmail, “Please escort me to the coffee shop.”

Tempest, who was faster than Airmail on the uptake, nodded towards the door and the patiently waiting Serenity stood there on her own. “Sure thing Maps. This way.” Without another word, both mares left the hospital room, leaving Wildfire alone with Airmail for some much-needed alone time.

Wrapped up in Airmail’s legs, Wildfire didn’t even notice they had gone. The little blind mare was a sniffing mess as she hugged the older, larger mare as tightly as her stitches would allow. “Ai-A-Airy! Oh Airy I w-was so scared! Ev-Everything was so quick, and it was her, back again...and then...and then...there was a dream, and you left...”

Airmail, who had in the last month seen Wildfire upset, was taken aback. She’d not seen her quite this upset. Awkwardly, she didn’t really know what to say. So, she settled with, “I'm sorry.”

Wildfire, however, sobered up almost straightaway. “Don't you dare say sorry,” she said, pulling away from the hug and ‘looking’ at her fiancé. “Th-That's how the dream went…”

Knowing nothing of this dream, Airmail let out a little giggle. She could guess, by the way Wildfire was reacting, that it hadn’t been an especially pleasant dream. “Okay, um, I'm not sorry?” she tightened up her hug, holding the little mare until she gasped for breath. “I-I, um, I was so afraid I'd be too late.”

“In...In the dream, you said sorry, and that you were old, and then...then you left, for good.” She so desperately wanted to cry. Instead she sniffled until she almost couldn’t breathe. “I knew you'd come. I could hear you coming.”

Airmail chose to silence her partner with a well-aimed kiss straight to her lips that she held for a very long time. “I would promise to never leave you again, but I don't like breaking my promises. I love you, Wily, and that will always be true.”

Wildfire sniffed, but not as pronounced as before. “I know, Pretty. Were um...were you okay, where they took you?” She asked, but she didn’t ‘really’ ask. “And...I-I'm sorry you had to go there, to that place, for me.”

“I'd kick down the gates of Tartarus for you, my love.” Airmail laid a very affectionate nuzzle on her soon-to-be wife’s face, wholly ignoring the cuts and bruises on her cheeks and muzzle. “I wouldn't have gone with the police if the other three didn't put some sense in my head. I want to marry you a free pony.”

Still sniffing, though she didn’t care, Wildfire asked, “Did they charge you?” She may not know much, but she knew a bit, about how the police worked.

“Yes,” Airmail admitted, “at first to take me in, but after seeing the security film, they let me go. Called it self-defence on another pony.” The lead editor was just grateful that there had been a third security camera that Autumn Leaves hadn’t been aware of, positioned over the other side of the train lines and focused between the two large columns.

“Airy...I think...I think I'm a bad pony.”

Airmail giggled again, though this time she kissed Wildfire’s lips. “All ponies are bad ponies.”

Wildfire shook her head. She was in no mood for that, not yet, anyway. “No, but seriously, I um...I'm not sorry that Autumn Leaves is dead.” She took a breath, to steady herself as she continued. “I'm happy she's dead. I'm sorry you had to do it, but I'm glad she's gone. That makes me bad, right?”

Smiling, Airmail moved her kisses from Wildfire’s lips up her face and she lingered over each eye socket. As she had done before, she lovingly kissed the scars on her fiancé’s face. “It makes you real, Wily.” She said once she had finished kissing her face. “I've killed a lot of ponies, and some of them I killed real slow so that they would suffer. Am I a bad pony, Wily?”

“I don't think you are.” Wildfire said, feeling far more confident and self-assured of herself when she said that. “You're my Pretty, and you'll always be my Pretty.”

“And you're my love, good, bad, or a bit of both, that won't change.”

Wildfire carefully felt for and she kissed Airmail’s lips. “I'm really glad I came to Manehatten now.”

“As am I,” Airmail now let out a deep heartfelt sigh at the mention of Wildfire coming to Manehatten, because that made her think of Dusk, and the chewing out she had given him over the phone the day before. “But right now I'm very upset with the pony I should be most thankful for. The one that brought you to me.”

“Dusk?” Wildfire went extremely quiet in Airmail’s embrace. She really didn’t know what to think about her best friend at the moment. She loved him dearly, of course she did, but, in light of everything that had happened, she just didn’t know what to think. “He said...he said they had taken care of the wardens.”

Again, Airmail sighed. “I know what he said, and we know that just wasn't true. They screwed up and I'm upset about that.”

Wildfire too thought about it. She thought long and hard about what Airmail had just said. “I suppose...I suppose it comes down to whether or not he screwed up on purpose.” Having thought about it though, she shook her head. “I um...I don't think he did. Amethyst was clever. Autumn was clever.”

“I've seen many a screw up. Do you think Dusk lied to us?”

Wildfire was quiet for a few long, quiet minutes. “No.” she said definitely. “I think he got it wrong, but he didn't lie. I know my best friend, Pretty.”

Airmail really had to agree with that. “I don't think he lied either, or I would be facing Luna's punishment right now. Still, he did a piss poor investigation…” she trailed off and let out an extremely deep sigh. She had to be honest, though. “I called him and did some yelling, but that was all. Sooner or later he is going to show up.”

“I hope he does.” Wildfire commented thoughtfully, “I hope he doesn't do what he did when I yelled at him.”

A moment of thought on that and Airmail knew what her lover was referring to, specifically, to when Wildfire had screamed at Dusk in the hospital and he had retreated in on himself for the next five years. “Oh, yeah. I don't think so.” In fact, she was almost certain that the Prince would not do that this time. “I think this is going to eat at him. Just, try to be nice when he does show. Did you ever tell him about this pony?”

“No, Pretty.” Wildfire replied. “Come to think of it, I don't think Autumn Leaves was there when Dusk came to visit me at the care home. I know, before he bought me to Manehatten, he dealt solely with Amethyst.”

“I do hope the idiot wasn't too scared to interview you, but even so, there were a lot of others he could have interviewed instead.” Happy that everything would, in time, work out for the best, Airmail kissed Wildfire’s lips. “Thank you for forgiving me for leaving you there, but I'll never apologize doing something that would save you and the precious foal you carry.”

Wildfire thought on that, as she was kissed. Hearing Airmail’s voice was just as soothing as smelling her jasmine scent. “Pretty, I think Dusk was the wrong pony to investigate the care home. You saw him that day. He was angry. Angrier than I've ever seen or heard him. He's not stupid though, and he is thorough. There's only two ways that Autumn Leaves got away.”

Airmail decided right then and there that she had heard quite enough of Autumn Leaves and she didn’t want to hear about her any more than she already had. She solved this with a long hard kiss. “Enough about her. Let's not speculate and see what he has to say for himself.”

“Glmmmmmmph!” Wildfire’s dark world lit up with a shower of pleasure as she took the hard passionate kiss. Had her wings been able, and not had casts on them, they would’ve no doubt sprouted a most impressive wingboner. “I...I agree...wow...”

“When will they let you go?” Airmail asked, a bight little giggle in her voice.

“I think sometime today, later this afternoon, maybe?”

Airmail glanced at the clock and she saw it was just after half past three. Time though wasn’t a problem for her. She’d stay by her fiancé’s side as long as was necessary. “Okay, that would be nice.” She looked down at the casts on the little yellow mare’s wings. “Scoot a bit to your left.”

When Wildfire obediently scooted over, making room on the hospital bed, Airmail flapped her azure blue wings and she hovered up next to her right side. “You know,” she said as seductively as she could, “it was lonely last night. They wouldn't let Ser stay with me, even after she offered to let them interrogate her.”

“I missed you too.” Wildfire smiled, a smile that only grew wider when she felt her lover’s body heat next to her. “Mistress warned me not to whine about you. It felt odd, not sleeping with you.” And, it had, too. The last night had been the first night in a month that she hadn’t slept in the midst of a blue and purple cuddle pile.

Airmail could sympathise. While the cell she had been kept in wasn’t exactly a hole in the ground, it was by no means a comparison for her own bed. “It felt very strange not waking up next to you. It was a very, very long night.”

“Yuppers, it was. I haven't had a night that long for a while.”

Snickering, Airmail chose that moment to drape her left wing over Wildfire’s little back. “Let’s you and me do some hot sweaty snuggle bunnies then, we need to make up for lost time. Only, if you tell me if I'm hurting one of your injuries.”

“Deal, Pretty. I really, really need to be sweaty with you…” Wildfire trailed off then, as she was subjected to twenty glorious minutes of snogging and blue hooves roaming all over her body. It was as if Airmail was discovering her lover’s diminutive body again for the first time. Wildfire did, of course, give as good as she got, well, almost.

At just before four, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity let themselves into the hospital room. They were greeted to the sight of Wildfire and Airmail entwined in a very close and intimate post-coital cuddle-fest on the bed. As they were all three of them bearing scones and coffee, this did alert the blind mare to their presence. She did not, however, move from the snuggling she was doing. She sniffed the air, detecting the heavenly whiff of scones and coffee mixed with the even heavenlier scent of jasmine and sex.

Mapper simply paused at the raunchy sight that greeted her and raised an eyebrow. “I wasn't aware the doctor authorized sex.” She commented dryly.

Likewise, Airmail didn’t move, either. “Since when did I need authorization?” the bundle of blue fur replied, sounding remarkably like Airmail.

Tempest snickered and licked both mares’ ears, making them sit up, albeit reluctantly. “Nurse said she is free to go, but she has to take a wheelchair out.”

Stepping forward, with her own distinctive – according to Wildfire, almost constantly dancing – gait, Serenity spoke up. “But that can wait on the snacks that Mistress brought.”

“Mistress,” Wildfire started, though she had her ears slicked all the way back and her head bowed in deference, she was sniffing and listening, so she had a good idea who was stood where. Mapper and Tempest were both stood at the foot of her bed, Tempest to Mapper’s right, making her furthest away from the door. Serenity was stood to her Mistress’s left, and to her right. Airmail was still sat on the bed with her. “May I please have a scone?”

When Mapper nodded, Serenity asked, “Would you like blueberry, or orange cranberry?”

Given the choice, Wildfire knew what she wanted. What she really wanted was for Serenity to keep talking. Her melodic voice was like a sweet birdsong. “Orange cranberry please, Senior Pet.” She settled for the scone.

Another nod from Mapper and, with her Mistress’s permission, Serenity lit her horn. The very capable teal unicorn selected the nicest looking – as in, the biggest – of the orange cranberry scones and she levitated it in her hazel aura over to her fellow Pet. With a smile she rested it right on Wildfire’s hoof, earning herself a little swat for showing off. “Here you are, Middle Pet.”

“You think Octavia is still going to play the game?” asked Tempest curiously as she helped herself to one of the blueberry scones. She looked dead straight at Airmail and mouthed ‘I’m eating you…’ which earned her a silent raspberry for her efforts.

Mapper just shrugged, going for one of the orange cranberry scones and taking a big bite out of it. “Matters not, Stormy. Any other Pet would be junior to these two.” If she was honest, she doubted whether Octavia would still be willing to be her Junior Pet, but hey, it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

“Thank you,” Wildfire murmured, lifting up the scone to her nose, she very delicately gave it an experimental sniff and a tentative lick, just to see if it was what she asked for. She was neither happy or otherwise that it was. She was allowed her scone and that was that.

“Blueberry for me, please.” When Airmail made her choice, Serenity floated over one of the requested scones to the alpha of their mini-herd.

“I have your coffees,” Tempest said with a smile in her voice once she had eaten her scone. The past couple of days she had developed an appreciation for the coffee shop that was just a couple of blocks away. “But they were out of celery syrup, Wily. I hope that is okay?” she couldn’t resist the tease.

“That's okay,” Wildfire shuddered involuntarily, just a little, at the mere thought of celery. She absolutely detested the foul vegetable. The scone she held in her hooves though, she was giving much more attention than it rightly deserved. It didn’t escape any of the four other ponies’ attentions that she was licking and nibbling it to make it last. “I'd rather not have celery, thank you.”

Airmail giggled and, though she shot Tempest a ‘look’, to which Tempest shrugged and looked at her hooves, she licked Wildfire’s nose. “Not up for teasing quite yet, huh?” She could wholly understand it, though.

Tempest did feel a little bit bad for teasing her lover and her herd-mate. Not bad enough to apologise for it though, as it was a gentle little tease. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t treating Wildfire any differently than she had before the incident, and she certainly wasn’t one for walking on eggshells. “Your coffee is on the nightstand to your left, Wily. Here's yours, Airy.” She said, placing the black and Celestia coffees on the side of the bed.

While Airmail and Wildfire both thanked Tempest for putting their drinks so close to them, Wildfire knew from feeling around that the nightstand was just by the bed, the little blind mare again nibbled the scone. She knew she had to tell her herd what was on her mind. “Um...Airy, I've decided, after I had a chat with Ms. Requiem, I'm going to be a Pet, again.”

Airmail and Tempest both raised their eyebrows at that. For a moment, a very quick and silent ear-flick conversation passed between the four ponies as the two pegasi filled Mapper and Serenity in on what had been discussed at the Canterlot themed restaurant on Friday evening. Eventually, Airmail hugged her fiancé. “Are you bringing back Wildflower?” she asked.

Sensing the underlying tension in the room, Wildfire nodded. She knew what that nod meant, what she was giving up and what she was gaining just from that simple little gesture. “Just for a little bit, please, I um, I need her.” Already, the yellow pegasus felt that much safer. “I'd rather be safe than free, right now.”

Mapper wanted so badly to dance a happy little dance. Alas, she had an image to maintain. The pink unicorn allowed the corners of her mouth to curl up just slightly, so slightly that only Serenity recognised it for what it was. A happy cheer. “So,” she said calmly, “you will also remain my Middle Pet?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“Noted.”

Serenity, receiving a mental nudge from her wife and Mistress, stepped forward and, once again, said aloud what Mapper wanted to say but could not. “Welcome home, Wildfire.”

Wildfire smiled a very happy smile at that, the sense of warmth and well-being flowing through her now that Wildflower was back and she was back amongst the fold. “Thank you Mistress, Senior Pet. It's nice to be home.”

Mapper blinked rapidly, several times. Had she not, she would’ve cried tears of happiness. “You are on free time for me, but I'm not so sure about the other two crazy mares.”

Airmail kissed her fiancé’s cheek, as did Tempest, who came up along her other side and affectionately nuzzled her herd-mate first and sub second. “I'd like to have some fun with Wily for now.” Airmail said, getting a nod of approval from Tempest. “Finish your scone and coffee and then ring the nurse so we know what the limits are and we can take you home.”

“In other news,” Mapper announced, sounding rather like a newsreader reading out the day’s events, “I'll be able to close on the house this Friday. Have you even put yours up for sale yet?” she asked, knowing full well that her herd-mate’s had not.

“Not yet,” Tempest sighed, reminded of what she still had to do. “I'll list it once we start moving.”

As Wildfire spent the few minutes quietly eating her orange cranberry scone until it was finally gone, she listened to the conversation flowing around her. She was reminded, sat on the bed and surrounded by her second ‘family’ of sorts, that she had family elsewhere. After taking a long sip of her sugary black coffee, she decided to ask, “Um...Mistress?”

Mapper caught Airmail’s eye and she flicked her ears at her herd-mate. “Yes?” it was Airmail who responded, as per the pink unicorn’s urging.

“I'd um...I'd like to go and visit my mothers in Canterlot at the weekend, but if it's a bad time...” she trailed off, hoping that it wouldn’t be a bad time. In light of everything that had happened recently, with the reappearance of her war journal, she really needed to talk to Silverbolt and, more to the point, given what had happened to her personally, she really needed a hug from her step-mother, Emerald.

“You can always go,” Airmail reminded her gently, “Do you wish to go alone?”

Wildfire did not want to go on her own. Not at all. No way. Not now, at any rate. “Um…well, be-before Monday, I'd have gone on my own, Mistress…” Now, as it was, she didn’t even want to go out of the hospital room on her own. Indeed, the few times she had gone to the bathroom, she had to have Tempest escort her or she would’ve stayed in the bed.

As Airmail and Tempest busied themselves with nuzzling and kissing Wildfire’s face, Mapper glanced at her wife. Sadly, Serenity shook her head. “I do not have free time from the shows, Mistress. This week is play week.”

“I have loads of vacation piled up.” Tempest offered while Mapper nodded at what Serenity had said. “I can easy swing this weekend.”

Airmail was immediately relieved. “Thanks, Stormy. My work has piled up, my love. Would Stormy be okay instead of me?”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire ‘looked’ down at the bedsheets once her coffee cup was empty. “I'm sorry, I just don't feel safe out there on my own, I'm sorry…”

“Love,” Airmail smiled, her heart just melting as she took the empty cup from her. “Please don't be sorry for how you feel. Share that with us so we can be there to support you.”

Mapper, on the other hoof, was far less diplomatic. “Mopey ponies are little fun, Middle Pet.”

Tempest giggled at that. Fortunately she had drunk her own coffee so she had nothing to snort up. “Nothing a pretty maid outfit can't cheer up.”

“Or a cute slave outfit.” As soon as those words had left Mapper’s mouth, Serenity looked at her wife so hard she almost cricked her neck. “Oh!” Mapper caught the look and resisted the urge to facehoof. Silently, via their link, she explained it to her wife as she turned to Airmail. “Airy, there is a really nice book you need to feel.” The pink unicorn first showed off the queen / slave outfits. “I think the idea is for Stormy to be the queen while you two are her slaves.”

Imperiously, Tempest sat on the floor and inspected her hooves. “I like that idea.”

Mapper couldn’t resist. “Alternate is me as queen with Ser and Wily as my slaves.”

Serenity chuckled, even her laugh sounding as melodic as her voice. “I like that option, Mistress.”

Wildfire managed a weak little smile at the banter going on around her. “Both options sound equally fun, Mistress, though it was Tempest's dream that inspired the purchase.”

All four mares shared a laugh at that, however Mapper delved once more into Wildfire’s remaining saddlebag. “This though. This is the most erotic book I've ever touched.” And that was saying something, as the pink mare’s own collection of books ranging from BDSM instruction to sensual literature was quite extensive.

After Mapper had passed the Pony Sutra to Airmail, the azure blue mare opened it curiously. “Oh, wow it is embossed!” her curiosity was rewarded almost instantly by the contents of the pages. “Woah, you can feel the folds and the cocks. That’s so cool.”

Both Tempest and Serenity made sure to get a good look at the book. Both were not disappointed, in the least. “Puts a new meaning to 'touchy feely'.” Tempest snickered, passing her judgement. She looked forward to working her way through every single page with her herd-mates, though she was sure that page twenty-five was physically impossible. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try, though.

“It is a good book, isn't it Mistress?” Wildfire smiled, “I'm glad you all like the feel of it. I thought you'd all like it when I felt it in the store.”

After one more feel of the book, Airmail gave Wildfire a kiss. “Almost as pretty as you, my love.”

“She got some other braille books and Ser has told me she has already read the print versions and that I wouldn't like them.” Mapper smiled at Tempest whom she knew had been learning braille while she had been napping. Serenity giggled, for anything her Mistress didn’t like usually resulted in her getting a spanking. If she was lucky. “Then this could only be worn by one of two mares, and the one that will chose is you, Airy.” Carefully, so that it wouldn’t make any noise, Mapper hoofed over the cowbell.

“Oh...” Wildfire giggled at the clanging peal as Airmail rang the bell. “Remember I said I'd wear one for you, Mistress? Moooo!”

Serenity couldn’t resist. She sang out loud and proud, “MoooOOOoooOOOoooooOOooo!”

Airmail just raised her eyebrow at the large brass bell, a massive blush colouring her blue cheeks. “At least I'll know when it is milking time.”

“I am looking forward to milking time, Mistress.”

Tempest giggled, “You'll have to make a trip to her office every time you come to Manehatten, Wily.” While they had all been talking though, the violet weather mare had been checking her phone. “Okay, we can take the overnight express at six p.m. on Friday and be there in Canterlot by eight a.m. Saturday. Hmm, we can do the same for Sunday. It leaves at three in the afternoon on Sunday and gets back here at seven a.m. on Monday.”

“Not flying?”

Tempest looked at Mapper and rolled her eyes. “With passenger we'd only save an hour or two and I'll be too tired to do anything Saturday.”

“Okay,” secretly, Wildfire was pleased they weren’t flying. The last thing she wanted be was a burden to her herd-mate. Besides, the train sounded like a much safer option right now, and she wanted safe. “Um, I'm sorry you'll miss the open mic night just for me, Tempest.” She thought for a moment. “Should I call the nurse now?”

Tempest however laughed, “They should be sorry, I can hear you sing and do poems without the rest enjoying the show!” she just laughed all the more when Airmail raspberried her. “But, yes, please do call, Wily.”

Reaching for the phone that was at the side of the bed, Wildfire called the nurse. After a few moments, and a “Thank you,” she set the phone back down. “She says they'll be here shortly.”

Airmail was quick to pounce on that. “Good. More snuggle then.”

“More snuggles, Mistress.”

After exactly fifteen minutes of snuggles, the door opened and the doctor and nurse walked in, as it happened it was the same pair that had treated Wildfire when she had been admitted Monday afternoon. “Well,” the doctor smiled to the four ponies, three of whom were around the bed and the one that was in it with his patient. “Quite the crowd you have, Miss Wildfire. Okay, all your tests came back positive. There is a healing enchantment on the cast, so that will come off in three weeks. Then, I'm putting you on light duty for another three weeks so you can get your strength back up. After that you should be able to return to your normal work…”

He took a moment to look at the chart, while the nurse stood quietly, ready with the wheelchair. “As a firefighter,” he concluded after a few moments looking over Wildfire’s full medical records that had been supplied via dragon mail from Canterlot. “You may experience some weakness in the left wing for up to a month after that. I have a script here for some pain meds, but take only as needed, and no more than four a day. Any questions?”

Being a good patient and a better Pet, Wildfire had listened to all this quietly. Now though, with her ears well back, she asked, “So...I can't work for three weeks? Is...Is the chief gonna be okay with that? I mean, I was only there for a week, I've gone and let him down already…”

Though it was clear and obvious that Wildfire was getting herself agitated, Mapper snorted. It was Tempest though, who spoke first. “Well, somehow the chief managed for years without you. Now, he got a taste of you in that last big fire. What do you think, Airy?”

Airmail shrugged, “Well I'm not going to take the job, I like my office. So I guess he'll just have to wait for another blind pegasus to stumble into his office or three weeks. Whichever comes first.”

“I'm sorry, doctor,” Wildfire lowered her head, her ears seemingly permanently slicked all the way back to her scalp. “I guess three weeks will be fine.” Now she was able to, following the care home, she couldn’t imagine not flying for three whole weeks. On the other hoof… “I'll be healed then just before we're due to get married, Airy.”

“Good,” Tempest smiled, just as Serenity was whispering quietly to the doctor and nurse, who both nodded and took a polite step backwards. “I can do a full preen before the wedding!”

Mapper, who caught what Serenity was whispering even without the mental link she shared with her wife and Pet, laughed a little harshly. She knew she had to step on Wildfire’s mood before it got too far out of hoof. She was grateful though that Serenity was explaining it to the doctor and nurse. “Sad pony is a naughty pony in not a good way. Honesty time, Wildfire.” At least she got to do some ‘Mistressing’. “Why were you hired for this job in the first place?” As soon as she had said that, Airmail flicked her ears, but the pink mare waved her off.

“Because...” with her head still down, Wildfire thought back to her interview with Rung and the meeting with Hot Spot. “Because Rung and Hot Spot both believed I was capable of doing it, Mistress. Because I'm good at what I do, Mistress.”

Not the answer Mapper was looking for. “Rung has a squadron of pegasi that are competent, and that is the primary reason you were hired. You are competent. What is the reason he hired you, instead of a pegasus he already has?”

“He said it was so he didn't have to get a weather pegasi pulled from the weather team to deliver clouds.”

“When you are on vacation,” Mapper pressed, determined to make her herd-mate see, “That is exactly what he does. That doesn't answer the question, Pet. He could have one of his fire pegasus fill your job.”

“Then I don't know, Mistress.”

Internally, Mapper sighed loud enough to make Serenity flinch. Such a disappointed sound was not something she would ever wish to hear. Probably why it was silent. At her Mistress’s urging, the teal unicorn stepped forwards toward the bed. “If you'd open your eyes, you'd see why you were chosen.”

“I can't, Senior Pet…” instantly, Wildfire regretted snapping, but as she thought for a moment, she couldn’t see how she was supposed to open her eyes when she didn’t have any. “I'm not like the others, I can do stuff they can't, that's why he hired me.”

Mapper hadn’t realised, due to not spending quite so much time with the yellow mare as Tempest and Airmail had, quite how literal Wildfire was. That was her fault. “Closer pet. Do you really think none of the others could push a cloud?” she asked while Airmail nuzzled her fiancé’s cheek.

Wildfire didn’t get it. “Well, no, but like Tempest said, I'm a precision flier. Not every pegasus can do that, right?”

Airmail shot Mapper a dangerous look. “Mapper...”

“Not now, Airy.” Mapper again waved the look away like it was nothing more than an irritation. Again, she was thankful to her wife that the doctor and nurse were not interfering in this. “Pouty Pony needs to know this. No use hiding it from her.”

“But why now?” Airmail agreed she needed to know, she just didn’t agree with the timing.

“Because I'm a harsh Mistress, isn't that right, Wildfire?”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire nodded. She was unsure what she should say, but agreeing seemed like a good idea. “But a loving and fair one.”

Tempest caught the look being shared between Mapper and Serenity, as well as the uncertain one between doctor and nurse. She decided to have a go. “Love, you said you are different form the other pegasi on the fire team.” She started gently, “How are you different?”

When Wildfire replied, her voice was deadened. “I'm blind. I can't see, so I use the headset to get around, where I need to be.”

Mapper was very close to having had quite enough of this nonsense. She went straight for the heart of the flame, rather than dance around the subject. “You said you were hired because they can't do what you can do. The truth, Pet, is very different. Why were you hired?”

The diminutive yellow mare had her brow furrowed deep in thought. Try as she might though, she just couldn’t see what her herd-mates were trying to show her. The more she tried to think, the less clear things seemed to be. “Well...it must be then because I can do the same as them, right?”

Mapper snorted, shaking her head. “She really is blind!”

As Airmail growled – herd-mate or not, she wasn’t going to take the insult – Wildfire felt Serenity’s hoof press lightly into her chest fur. “Wildfire.” For once, there was no melody in her voice. “Can you truly do all the things the rest of the fire team pegasi can do?”

Wildfire was about to answer when she shook her head. “No, no I can't.”

“Does that make you a less valuable member of the team?”

“No, it doesn't.”

Serenity kissed Wildfire’s lips and, while Airmail hugged her as tight as she dared, the teal unicorn communicated mentally to her wife and Mistress. “Now Pet,” Mapper tried again, “Why did Rung hire you to do a job that any of his other pegasi could easily have done?”

All of a sudden, like a light going on in her head, Wildfire understood. “He hired me because I can't do what they can do.” She understood and she was okay with that. “Because, he can't spare them to do my job. Because I can do the job that needs to be done without taking one of the others from the job they need to do.”

Relieved, Mapper let out a contented sigh. Perhaps her Middle Pet was not as blind as she first assumed. “You get a cookie, after your spanking, Pet.”

“Thank you Mistress, for the cookie and the spanking.”

“Ah, Pet,” Mapper couldn’t resist a little fun now the situation had been resolved, “but which is the reward?”

“You’re okay with this, Wily?” Airmail asked, not willing to release her hug just yet.

“Yuppers,” when Wildfire responded this time, the yellow pegasus sounded a lot more like herself than she had since the doctor and nurse had entered the room. “I'm okay with it, Airy.”

That confirmation, as well as the she sounded, earned Wildfire an extremely long kiss from Airmail. Only the doctor giving a polite little cough caused her to break it. “Okay, so I'm moving.” The lead editor giggled and hopped out of the bed to the tiled floor. “And you get a free ride to the front door!”

“Must they use a wheelchair, Mistress?” Wildfire sighed, rolling her eyebrows and head in place of eyes. “My wings were broken, not my legs!”

“We must!” the nurse laughed, relieved that the little drama was at last over. “It’s the rules! Or a charter, or something like that…personally I think it is just to embarrass ponies.”

“Okies then,” Wildfire sighed a very over-dramatic sigh as she made her way from the bed to the wheelchair. She was grateful nopony tried to help her. What she couldn’t see was Airmail wanted to help, but that Mapper shook her head ‘no’. “In that case,” she grunted as she – clumsily – got sat down, “consider me embarrassed, nurse.”

Thankfully, it was a short and easy journey from Wildfire’s fifth floor room down to the main entrance. The doctor took his leave almost straight away, summoned by his pager to another patient. Serenity, at Mapper’s behest, carried hers and Wildfire’s saddlebag full of MiAC goodness while Tempest insisted on carrying her own. The only thing Wildfire was allowed to carry was a bright green sticker with ‘Perfect Patient’ written in yellow bubble writing which was stuck to her blue and purple collar.

“Want a lift,” Airmail asked once they were all stood on the sidewalk outside the North Park Hospital, in the cool breeze of the early evening, “or shall we take the subway?”

As much as she trusted both Airmail and Tempest, Wildfire really didn’t want to fly, unless it was under her own power. That, and the very solid ground was remarkably safe and reassuring under her hooves. “S-S-Subway, pl-please, Airy.” She wasn’t cold, by any means, more she was exceedingly nervous.

Lovingly, Airmail kissed Wildfire’s cheek. She was incredibly proud of her fiancé for wanting to get back on the rodeo bull after being throw off in the manner she had. “Subway it is!” Fortunately, or perhaps by design, there was a subway entrance right by the front of the hospital.

The five mares took up a familiar formation as they walked along. Airmail was on Wildfire’s left with her azure blue wing draped over Wildfire’s back. Tempest was on her right side, and both Mapper and Serenity were on point ahead of the trio. All four were alert for any and all signs of any trouble. “Thank you,” Wildfire said quietly, “I um...I'm not being scared, just because of what she did…” in spite of that though, she huddled very, very close into Airmail's feathery embrace.

“That pony will never harm anypony ever again,” Tempest stated definitively as they walked to the subway entrance, “nor will she ever escape the prison Airy put her in.”

Mapper saw where they were going and she approved. She was also pleased, for her herd-mate’s mental state if nothing else, that there didn’t seem to be many ponies out this evening. “I'm all for the subway. I doubt Stormy can carry two for long, and it would only take me a couple hundred teleports to get home.”

“I like the subway.” Serenity giggled, for her wife’s lack of skill with teleportation was well known amongst the herd. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, but that she couldn’t get more than a few feet at a time. Then again, she wasn’t much better.

Walking along, sniffing the cool Manehatten air, feeling a gentle breeze on her yellow fur, Wildfire felt distinctly braver with her four mares all arranged around her. “I like the subway too, Senior Pet.”

The subway ride, when the train finally arrived in the station, was, thankfully, uneventful. As ever, Wildfire was stood in the yellow handicapped zone. Also as ever, Airmail was stood to her left, her blue wing draped protectively over her fiancé. The other three mares were stood nearby outside the box area, if their scents and the sounds of their voices was anything to go by. Wildfire couldn’t help but smile as she leant in to Airmail’s side. “Pretty, do you know, you always stand on my left?”

Airmail thought about that for just a moment. She was about to argue the fact before she realised that Wildfire was right. Every single time they had gone out anywhere, or even when they were indoors, she was always on her left. “I do, don’t I? Or do you like to be my wingmare on my right?” she asked with a playful giggle, “You do know that if you stand on the right at the wedding you will have to be the one to defend me from being stolen away by another suitor.” She nuzzled her cheek, “Like Stormy over there.”

Tempest, who, like Mapper and Serenity, was close enough to overhear, snorted out a laugh. “I don't think I will, why, when I'll have two servants. One can do coffee and the other donuts!”

Mapper approved of that. “I like your thinking, Stormy.”

“I do, like being your wingmare, I mean.” Wildfire said as she felt the train thunder along the tracks. No matter how many times she used the train, she doubted she’d never not find it relaxing. There was the gentle sway of the carriage, the clickety-clack of the wheels…everything was just soothing. “And,” she smiled, “I can do coffee, once I'm done chasing chocolate chips around the dining table.”

Tempest had to try really very hard not to laugh. She only just succeeded. “Very sneaky those chips are,” she commented, making Airmail giggle.

Wildfire nodded. “Tricksy they is!” They were even more tricksy when you happened to be blind and you had a certain purple mare constantly moving them around the dining table. Still, that had been a very fun day, if she didn’t count the heart attack she almost had when she had been made to dust the china cabinet. “You know,” she continued after a few moment’s silence, “This reminds me of the very first subway ride I shared with you. You stood on my left then, too.”

“That was a fun trip.” Airmail snickered, for she remembered it as well as Wildfire did. “You almost sitting on that wheelchair pony, and how kind that little filly was.”

While Airmail and Wildfire spent the rest of the subway ride back reminiscing about Haymarket and Dewdrop, several ponies lined up to ask for Serenity’s autograph. The very famous opera singer and theatre performer made sure she obliged each and every one. Once the train had arrived at their destination, and they were on the platform – again in the same formation as before – Tempest, Mapper and Airmail had a silent ear-flick conversation between themselves. Presently, as they left the station altogether, Tempest spoke up. “Maps, you want some help packing for the move?”

Mapper shot a sly look at her wife who had been behaving way to well as of late. “Well, Senior Pet could use some packing…” she was cut off by the sound of Serenity doing a happy hoof dance on the tile floor. The pink mare giggled, they’d have to get round to some real packing at some point. Not tonight, though.

Tempest beamed. “Always happy to help.”

“Don't forget we need to pack too.” Airmail pointed out as they walked along the sidewalk in the cool of the evening.

“I'm sure you'll do fine while me and Wily are in Canterlot,” Tempest waggled her eyebrows suggestively and nudged Airmail’s ribs with her elbow, to which the azure blue mare replied with a well-executed raspberry.

“At least there isn't much of my stuff to pack,” Wildfire interjected. She didn’t mean what she said to be in any way derogatory, it was just a simple fact. Aside from her flight suit, her computer and tablet, her small collection of four braille books, few outfits, one CD and her poem diary, she had nothing. “Um, maybe that should help?”

Airmail couldn’t help but giggle. Her lover was adorable when she was being dense. “I don't know if you got the type of packing Stormy is going to do, love.”

“I do think I heard Senior Pet doing a happy dance.” Wildfire replied with a giggle of her own. As dense as she might be, she wasn’t quite that dense. “I'm going to guess the packing involves a stallionator and a teal mare’s tail hole?”

On the street, Airmail paused and kissed Wildfire’s lips. “You are a very smart little pony.”

“Try to avoid the ice cream place on your way home.” Tempest laughed, knowing full well there was as much chance of that as her flying to the moon, before the three mares turned and walked off towards the north of Stallion Island and to Mapper and Serenity’s house.

“I don't know if that is possible,” Airmail smiled, “what do you think, Wily?”

“I think...” Wildfire started, then, when she realised they were all alone on the street, she huddled in close to Airmail’s hug. Not that she was scared or anything, because she totally was not. It wasn’t a scared hug. Not at all. “I um, I think we should pay Miss Scoops a visit.”

“Yes,” Airmail agreed, “I think we should too, lest they think we moved.” The older blue mare kept her much smaller lover huddled close to her as she led her away down the street on the way to Scoops’ ice cream shop. On the way, which was, for the most part uneventful, Wildfire jumped a little as a stallion yelled at a mare somewhere behind the two of them.

Wildfire, who was trying to convince herself that she was not scared, at all, let out a defeated sigh. “I’m sorry.” She couldn’t keep up the pretence after she had almost wet herself like that. “I thought I was over jumping at every little thing around me…”

Airmail saw just how scared her fiancé was, and how much of a brave face she was attempting to put on. She stopped on the sidewalk and took a moment to lay an affectionate nuzzle on her cheek and neck. “We all jump at every little thing,” she said kindly, “it is how we do it that makes us different. I've grown jaded to noise. You use sound as a big part of your life. I will only be as far from you as you let me be, and as close as I can be.”

Wildfire gratefully returned the nuzzle, though she did so with another long, deep sigh. “I know, it’s like I thought I was over the whole ‘being a Pet’, thing...I um, I just think I need it a bit longer, that’s all.” She flashed Airmail her best smile in an attempt to reassure her. “So, ice cream?”

“Remember when you first wanted to be a Pet.” Airmail stated as she began once more to lead her lover along the street. “You felt more comfortable with somepony else in control. Sort of being in your comfort zone. If Stormy and I didn't object then, why would we now?” It was a rhetorical question, sure, but one that needed to be asked. “Safe, Wily. I want you to feel safe.”

From her memory of their walks together, and with her familiarity of the area, Wildfire was sure where they were and where they were going. She did so love the ice cream spot. It was perhaps her second favourite spot after the lake. “Again, I know, Pretty.” Wildfire stepped from the sidewalk to the grass, she knew they weren’t far away now. “It is just that, isn’t it? It’s the whole ‘comfort zone’ thing.” She cocked her head and sniffed, feeling the ground change under her hooves. “We aren't far away, are we?”

Airmail didn’t answer straightaway. After another ten minutes walk, she stopped. “We are here.” Surveying the menu board outside the ice cream shop, which actually looked like a giant ice cream cone, complete with vanilla and chocolate scoops topped off with two big flakes, she grinned. “Oh, look, they do have peach on the menu!”

“Oh, joy…” Wildfire deadpanned, though her remark was ruined somewhat by a loud giggle. From the smell of the place, there was indeed peach, but even better was the very strong scent of chocolate she was getting. Another plus of the evening hour was there wasn’t many ponies inside. She couldn’t hear many, at any rate. “I wasn't aware I'd been a naughty little pegasus, Mistress.”

Outside the ice cream shop, Airmail licked Wildfire’s nose. “I was thinking of getting it for myself and then kissing you repeatedly.” She playfully nudged her, just below her wing joint. “And I was teasing you, too.”

“Hmm...well, I think I could eat it that way,” Wildfire smiled, “and I know, now.”

Airmail tapped her chin with her hoof, umming and ahhing at the menu board. “I'm going to make a wild guess and say you'd like the dark chocolate, but can you guess for me?”

“You'd be guessing right.” Wildfire replied as they walked in to the almost empty ice cream shop. It was, too, but for a couple of earth pony stallions sat in a far booth who were sharing a humongous sundae with just one spoon. “I think you'd like the chocolate and coffee with fudge sprinkles, Mistress.”

Airmail giggled as they stepped up to the counter. She giggled even harder when Scoops hurriedly put down her latest raunchy book that she had been absorbed in. “You know me so well. Still, you are right, I think I have coffee every time now. But, adding chocolate is due to the influence of a certain yellow pegasus I know. You may know her too.” She grinned at the heavily blushing mare behind the counter who was desperately trying to hide her book and her flagging tail. “Hi Scoops. Chocolate and coffee sundae for me with some fudge sprinkles and hot fudge topping.”

Stood next to her, Wildfire was quiet until she got a dig in her ribs that told her to order her own. “Oh, right, um, can I have the dark chocolate ice cream, please Miss Scoops?”

“With hot fudge and fudge sprinkles too.” Airmail reminded her with a long slow lick up her yellow ear.

“Eeek!” Wildfire squeaked loudly, earning herself a laugh from both Scoops and her fiancé. “Y-Yes, with hot fudge and fudge sprinkles too, please.”

As she paid the bill, and as Scoops got to fixing the order, Airmail giggled. “Was my smart little mare a bit distracted?”

“A little…”

“Then, I need to work harder.”

Wildfire shook her head. “No, I think I need to work harder. I shouldn't let her get to me like this, should I?”

Airmail knew just who she meant by ‘her’. As far as she was concerned it was entirely understandable for her to react like she had. Especially given her past. “Oops. I’m sorry, I was trying to distract you, but I do understand. Those events still haunt you. Forgive me, Wily.” Thankfully, as Airmail placed the sundaes on a tray, Scoops knew enough not to ask what was going on. Besides, she wanted to get back to her book. “Let’s sit, eat, and have a more heart to heart talk.”

“Alrighty,” when Airmail moved, she brushed her summer green tail over Wildfire’s nose, getting the little yellow mare to follow her over to an empty table in an opposite corner to the two stallions and she sat down. “You're right.” She said solemnly, “Those events do still haunt me, Airy.”

About to dig into her ice cream, Airmail pushed her bowl to one side and reached over the table to gently hold Wildfire’s hooves. “I'm here for you Wily, The herd is here.” With a smile on her face, she scooted around the table and, now sitting next to her, she reached down and rubbed the diminutive mare’s belly. “I'm glad she is safe. I will do all I can to keep her, and her mother, safe.”

“I know Airy,” forgetting about her ice cream, Wildfire placed her yellow hoof on the blue to hold it there. “She's safe because of you, and I love you so much for it.”

Taking a spoonful of her ice cream, Airmail gave her fiancé a coffee and chocolate flavoured kiss. A very long, very passionate coffee and chocolate flavoured kiss. “Wildfire…I'm so thankful for your emergency word. I barely beat Stormy to the scene.”

Blushing rather heavily, Wildfire took the kiss and offered Airmail a chocolatey kiss of her own. “I'm glad you decided to invent it. That was a good idea you had, love.”

“It was,” Airmail agreed. While she was never one for self-aggrandisement, she had to admit that was one of her better ideas. “But, that was not how I thought you'd need it. I was thinking wing fatigue, or some punk trying to rob you with a knife.” Definitely, in all her forty-eight years, she would not have thought a nightmare from her past would try and kill her on the subway.

“Well,” Wildfire sniffed, “I suppose you weren't a million miles away with the second one.”

“She will never hurt anypony ever again. I'm just sorry you had to be the last one she hurt.”

“Thank you, Pretty.” Then, with her mouth full, Wildfire gave Airmail a very chocolatey kiss indeed. “My azure blue hero, sent by the goddesses on wings of deliverance!”

Now, it was Airmail’s turn to blush. Nopony in all her years of service had spoken of her so eloquently. “I would rather just be your wife, and mother of your foal.”

“A wife and mother still makes you a hero. At least to me.”

Again, Airmail smiled. Again, she treated her lover to an ice cream flavoured kiss. “Then, you are my hero, Wildfire.”

Chapter 16 - Recovery: Old Wounds

“Ready to head home, love?” Airmail asked once they had both finished their ice creams. Licking her lips to get the very last dregs of chocolate flavour she could, Wildfire nodded she was ready. Getting up from her seating pad, the azure blue mare continued, “I’m looking forward to the herd reunited again. Between pregnant you and Serenity, I'll be the happiest mare in the middle. Stormy and Mapper on the outside.” Giggling, Wildfire got up and, side by side, the two lovers walked out into the afternoon sunlight. “Looking forward to moving your beacon?”

Wildfire knew, as they took their time negotiating the meandering dirt path home to their red brick townhouse, that her fiancé was referring to them moving to a bigger house and their herd becoming five again. That bought up its own slew of issues. The little yellow mare had been so focussed on her mother, her brother she didn’t know she had, as well as Autumn, she hadn’t thought about moving. Now she did think about it, her ears slicked back. “Yes, and no,” she admitted softly.

“Interesting answer,” Airmail commented, paying more attention to her lover’s body language than the picturesque lake they were walking past.

“I mean, yes, because the herd is together, it’s bigger, and we'll have foals soon...” Wildfire clarified, though there was a sigh in her voice, “but no, because I'll have to learn the layout again, learn where everything is, and I guess I'll miss the current place. I like the oak tree in the yard. I like the kitchen, where we made the picnic we shared last week. I like the dining room where Honey got me dusting and she teased me with the chocolate chips. I like the bathroom where we made up after that incident we had. I like the bedroom where you mounted me and I hoofed you…”

“Well it will be new to all of us too.” Airmail countered, though the older pony could well appreciate her lover’s concerns. “I haven't even asked if there is a tree at the new place, but this island is full of trees.”

Wildfire kept her ears back and her head down. “I know, Pretty, it’s just...another new thing, y'know?” she confessed what was bothering her. Even the feel of the afternoon sun on her scarred face and the gentle breeze blowing through her straight black mane offered little comfort. “I know it’s new for us all, not just me.”

“From what Stormy told me,” Airmail offered her thought with a giggle, “you thought the ‘new thing’ of your own office was rather nice.” She giggled even harder when she saw the blush colour Wildfire’s cheeks. She knew she had improved her mood right then. The wing hug made her little mare smile all the more. “We are not changing things to mess with you, but to make all of our lives better. Once we move in and you have the layout in your head, it will be home again.”

“Again,” Wildfire smiled and leant into the hug, seeing as how her wings were in casts she couldn’t return it. She had a sneaky suspicion that Airmail had mentioned the office thing on purpose. She was okay with that. “I know, love, and my office, well, it's mine, and it's an office and it's mine! I bet mum had an office. I'm just still pretty new to this whole "having things that are mine", thing.”

Leaning into the hug she had initiated, Airmail kissed Wildfire’s cheek. She was well aware she had precious little during her time at the care home, except her poem book. “When you want to go shopping on your own, you are free to do so. But until then, one of us will be happy to go with you.” The lead editor of the Manehatten Times nudged Wildfire with her wing, “You did buy some rather racy books.”

At that, Wildfire actually giggled, at last she sounded a lot like 'her' than she had done in a few days’ time. “Think you can manage the whole Pony Sutra with me?”

“I can get some toilet paper tubes to do the pony with two horns. I'm sure we can do the pony with four wings,” Airmail snickered, thoroughly enjoying Wildfire’s blush as she approached their house and took them both to the seldom used front door. “We'll just have to feel our way through it.”

Recovering from her blush, Wildfire giggled. “That's the idea. Pretend you’re the blind mare at the orgy. You just have to feel your way through it!”

Laughing out loud, Airmail used her key card to override the house’s expensive security system – provided by Caffeinated to all the members of his herd – and she hoofed open the front door. “As long as you wash those hooves first, missy!”

“Yes, Miss Prissy Hooves.” Wildfire stepped inside her home and treated her partner to an over the top bow, for which she was booped on the nose, “I even told Tinkerer to wash his on Friday night.”

So surprised was she at that, that Airmail paused by the table in the living room and stood open mouthed. “Did-did he hoof you?” she asked, her tone incredulous. Not that she was jealous, for they were a herd, but she considered hoofing to be ‘their thing’. Something special they did.

“No,” to Airmail’s great relief, Wildfire shook her head. “Nothing like that, but as a kind of relaxing-into-things-and-breaking-the-ice thing, I did ask if he'd like them licked. So I made him clean them first.”

“Oh,” Airmail giggled, as much to keep the relief from her voice as anything else. Even with her fiancé’s excellent hearing, she guessed she had gotten away with it. Just. “Yeah, I forgot you’re a mare of many hooves. Did Belle eat popcorn while she watched? And did she do the tickle thing on you when came?”

“She didn't do the tickle thing, but she did watch.” Wildfire explained, “She lent me her hoof care stuff and I spent a good while giving him a much needed hooficure. He needed it too, bless him. His hooves were all cracked and sore. Once I'd done he was right as a nine bit note. Then I tongued his hooves.”

“I'm sure the mouth feel was a lot better than if you didn't do his hooves.” Airmail commented with a smile. She was so proud of her little pony.

“Totally. There was no way I was licking cracked hooves. I had your voice in my head all the time.” Airmail was sure when her little lover said that she was going to burst from pride alone. Thankfully she didn’t. Instead, she turned and, wafting her scent over the room, she made for the stairs. Straightaway, Wildfire noticed where the scent was leading and she quickly followed the older mare up the stairs.

“I'll take your saddlebag, and you can put your gear away,” said Airmail once they were in the master bedroom. With a sigh, mostly due to the feel of the familiar carpet beneath her hooves, she dropped her saddlebag on the bed and, with her headset off, she took it to the office to put on the right side of her computer. Once back in the bedroom, she walked over to the closet to store her flight suit.

"The Phoenix rises, beneath the ashes nestled with burning twigs, the ground begins to shake. A fiery light of new beginnings in it's wake.

And within the time spreading it's wings, sparks of fire. Bright and fiery like the Star of David in a dark blue sky, he stood out like a beacon of endless revival. He was like a fire storm of orange cascading flames. He'd watch over those left in the wake of confusion and despair.

Gold-bright dazzling like the sun. Those moments were it's finest. And within the moments of life's tarnished darkness, it finds light that shines it's brightest."

In the bedroom, listening with rapt attention to every word, Airmail smiled as her lover recited the poem. “You should be recording this.”

“I am,” stepping out of the closet, Wildfire tapped her head. “I remember every poem I create.”

“I remember...the word remember!”

Giggling like a filly, Wildfire sniffed out her azure blue lover and, after a feel with her hoof to assure herself of location, she planted a kiss on her lips. “Still sexy.”

“I'll have to remember that,” said Airmail after she had returned the kiss with one of her own. Kiss delivered, she turned and rummaged in a drawer of the far night stand. Listening intently, Wildfire was sure they had never been in that drawer before. Climbing up on the bed, she had a curious look on her face, more so when she felt Airmail’s weight on the bed beside her. “Markers!” Airmail exclaimed in reply to the unspoken question. “I want to decorate your cast.”

“Aw!” sitting on her haunches, Wildfire clapped her hooves. “That's so sweet!”

“I do draw an excellent stick pony!”

“I want a heroic looking stick pony my mum would be proud of.”

“Oh, I can do that. I have a yellow marker.” Airmail laid out her colouring pens on the bed to see what she had. If she was honest, she had zero idea why there were colouring pens in the night stand, there just was. “What colour, other than black, is my Stealth Pony's suit?”

Wildfire had to think about that. “Mr. Kuppa did say there were blue light sensors on the sides,” she offered helpfully after a moment’s thought.

“Oh yeah!” Resisting the urge to facehoof, Airmail got the yellow pen in her mouth and got busy drawing what in her opinion was a rather excellent representation of a pony. If you squinted. And stood about ten feet away. She made sure to make the marker squeak as she crafted her masterpiece. “Okay,” she announced once she had drawn Wildfire in her flight suit on the cast around her left wing, “I found a purple marker! What luck. So, what colour suit would be best for Mother Hen?”

“Hmmm I'd say green goes well with purple, Pretty.”

“Okay, and maybe some red trim?” When Wildfire nodded her agreement, she again listened to the squeak of the marker pen as it was drawn across her cast. Airmail was careful not to apply too much pressure in case she hurt her. “Now,” she said after she had finished, “this last blue pony. Used to wear nothing but camouflage.”

Wildfire giggled behind her hoof. “I bet you looked awesomes!”

“If you could see me, yes, and those that could didn't look for very long.”

Rather wisely, Wildfire chose to gloss over that while she listened to Airmail add a third pony to her left wing cast. She did have a thought though. An important thought at that. “Um, can you add my mum, next to us?”

“I was thinking of adding a couple of pointy headed ponies on your other cast, but I could put her there too.”

Now it was Wildfire’s turn to facehoof, though she resisted the urge as she was still being drawn upon. She wanted to kick herself for forgetting Mapper and Serenity, no matter how briefly. “Oh! You so need to add them as well, totally!”

“What colour suit is Silverbolt wearing?”

“Blue. My mum always liked blue.”

“I gotcha.” As it happened, Airmail was rather partial to blue herself. Which was a complete coincidence. Completely. “She needs a super power name, though,” she said once she had drawn the fourth stick pony on her lover’s cast, “And Mother Hen is taken.”

Wildfire though was ready with an answer. “Thunderbolt.”

Airmail liked the sound of that, although it did seem a teeny bit ironic, given how Silverbolt had died. Nonetheless, she scrawled Thunderbolt on the cast above the drawing of Silverbolt. “Alright, now the teal pony could Sonic? That sounds like a cool superpower.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “I think it suits her.” The diminutive blind pony listened to Airmail colour and draw on her cast as she made Serenity’s suit blood red with burgundy trim. “I think I have Mistress's name,” she said when she felt the artist next to her stop drawing.

“The pink one?” asked Airmail with a giggle, “Something other than Salmon, you mean?”

“I was thinking Sledgehammer, mostly because of what she did to those poor trees on the side of Canterlot Mountain three weeks ago.”

“That is good, as I was thinking Heavy, because how she tosses her weight around. Sledgehammer sounds better. Still going to dress her up as an emo goth, though.” Wildfire burst out laughing at that and she didn’t stop laughing until her fiancé announced that she was done. “Finished!” she declared, happy with her art. “Now these Power Ponies can protect your cast!”

“I feel protected already,” Wildfire beamed out her signature wide smile, “thanks Pretty.”

Her craft completed, Airmail took a moment to put the coloured marker pens back in the night stand drawer. “I can't wait for the others to see your cast. I want to save it when they remove it.”

“I think we should too!” Wildfire exclaimed, clapping her hooves together on the bed. “Maybe we can keep it with the feathers downstairs?”

Snickering, Airmail got back on the bed and snuggled with her little lover. “Well, not on the feather rack, but it can have a place of honour.”

“Next to mum's medal?”

“We could,” said Airmail, the blue mare considering the suggestion. “It won't worry your mum having your cast beside her?”

“No, I don't think so, Pretty.”

“Then that is where it will go.” On the bed, Airmail affectionately nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. As she did so, she carefully looked over the blind mare’s body, from the casts covering her wings to the many cuts and bruises that dotted her hindquarters. “How are your wing and flank? Need a pain pill?”

Wildfire nodded. It was curious, she hadn’t really felt the pain in her body until Airmail had mentioned the pill, as soon as she had though, she felt it. “Actually, yeah,” she grimaced as a sharp throb of pain lanced its way from her left flank all the way up to her shoulder. “It's odd. I feel it more in my flanks than in my wings.”

“You did get a lot of stiches, love.” Airmail cast a lingering, worried look over the yellow mare’s body one more time as she hovered off of the bed and landed on the carpeted floor. “Stay there, I'll be right back.”

“Thanks Pretty,” Wildfire gratefully took the offered glass of water and the pill when Airmail returned from her short trip to the bathroom. “Do um...do they look bad?” she asked after she had swallowed her medication.

Carefully, as gently as she could, Airmail parted the fur on Wildfire’s flanks and around her cutie marks. She made sure to inspect everywhere. “You’re healing well, not red. The stitches are cool. I've had enough of those over the years.” She paused once her inspection was complete and kissed each of the stylised fireballs. “I don't think you'll get any cool scares though.”

Wildfire sniffed and snorted derisively. “I'm so over scars, Airy.”

“Do mine bother you?” asked Airmail, knowing well that her body underneath her neat azure blue fur was criss-crossed with scars from her years of service in the military, just like she knew Serenity’s was, though that was more from the excesses of her needs.

“No, not like that,” Wildfire sighed, “I meant like being proud of them, like I was before. I’m over that.”

Lovingly, Airmail laid a delicate kiss on the bit of Wildfire’s right wing that was showing. “Well, your scars don't bother me because they are what brought you to today. That you no long feel they define you is even better.”

Wildfire let out a gentle coo at the touch of her older lover’s lips on her wing. Lips that were as soft as air. “Your scars, our scars, they just show that we overcome and survive and we're still here. They don't define me. My love for you, my foal and the herd. They define me now.”

“I think the dictionary defines me,” Airmail counted with a giggle.

Playfully, Wildfire nudged Airmail’s ribs with her elbow and giggled, “Yuppers, under 'sexy mare'!”

“Yes,” the older pony agreed ruefully, “You’ll find me at the back of the dictionary. You are at the front, of course, under A for awesomes.”

“Yuppers, its hard being this awesome,” Wildfire felt for her fiancé with her foreleg and pulled the compliant mare into a tight snuggly hug, “but, I think I pull it off okay.”

“Ya think? I know.” Airmail let out a sound that was partway between a whinny and a snort as she suddenly and without warning began to pepper the blind mare’s muzzle with kisses. Caught unawares, Wildfire took the kisses like they were rare treats and snuffled her way into Airmail’s neck, kiss-nibbling with her lips.

Seeing the counterattack coming, Airmail deftly replied by inspecting the inside of Wildfire’s ear with her tongue. She knew it was a sneaky move, seeing as how she knew just where to get her for maximum effect. “Naaaah...” Wildfire squeaked and flicked her ear to no avail. “Aaah ju-just there!”

Unfortunately, Airmail did not stay ‘just there’. Instead, she carefully rolled Wildfire, decorated casts and all, over onto her back with her head on the pillows and moved, in a sixty nine position, lightly over her muzzle as she nibbled the yellow chest fur. Taking in a deep breath of the jasmine scent just above her, the blind mare leant up to kiss and nibble whatever she could reach.

Continuing on her way down Wildfire’s body, Airmail kept on delivering soft little affectionate nibbles to the skin underneath the yellow fur while all the time she made sure to keep herself just in contact with her lover’s lips. “Mmm!” Wildfire made a cute little whimper at the sexy kisses and, she did the same in turn, her hind legs spread apart ready.

As soon as Airmail made it to Wildfire’s left nipple, she was immediately reminded of the differences in the sizes of her and her lover. Blushing quite hard, she lifted herself up and adjusted herself so she could place one of her breasts in Wildfire’s mouth. That done, she returned to sucking on the hardening nipple. “Mmmm!” again there was that cute whimper. Immediately she started sucking, rolling Airmail’s nipple around on her tongue as it began to harden in her mouth.

Airmail’s pleasured moan was muffled somewhat by the breast and nipple in her mouth, but it was audible in any event. After a few minutes of this, she switched up and at the same time she lifted and moved her un-sucked nipple for her to lavish her attention on. Wildfire matched the very lusty moan from her lover’s mouth and, she took the freshly offered nipple in her mouth and bit the base, flicking her tongue over it. “Oooh...mmm A-Airy...” she started to get very wet between the legs.

Underneath her, Wildfire could tell Airmail was as wet as she was just by her smell. She could also tell her older lover wasn’t moving yet to let her near her crotch. Wildfire instead used her hoof to caress and flick the vacated other nipple as she sucked hard on the one in her mouth.

Releasing the nipple she had been sucking on, Airmail lifted herself and pulled hers out of Wildfire’s mouth as she now moved a bit lower down her little body and plunged her tongue deep into her cleft before she finally lowered herself onto Wildfire’s muzzle. The effect was immediate. “HmHmmmmm!” the moment she felt the tongue enter her, she arched her back a little.

Taking Airmail’s labia in her mouth, Wildfire used her lips only, and sucked all along them. On top of her, Airmail was going at her snatch with lips, teeth and tongue like a mare possessed in an effort to get Wildfire to scream her name. Reciprocating in kind, the blind pony lapped at her fiancé’s marehood in a similar fashion for several minutes until she absolutely lost it and, with a huge squirt, screamed, “AAAAAAAAAIIIIRY!”

After that treatment, Airmail was soaked. She didn’t last more than a few seconds longer until she reached her climax and, with a scream of, “WIIIIIIIIIILLYYYYYY!” she came, delivering a big kiss to her clitoris as she did so.

Squirming and bucking her hips on the bed, Wildfire panted hard as she rode out her raging climax. Slowly though, she came down enough to be able to speak. “W-Wow...wow...Airy...wow...”

Once she had come down from her high, Airmail rolled off of Wildfire and adjusted her position so that she could –carefully - roll to her right side, but she kept her head between her rear legs. “Wow is right my awesome little pony.” Teasingly, she nuzzled and gently licked her slit, loving the little spasm she got for her trouble. “I'm comfy where I am, are you?”

“Oh...I'm very comfy!”

“Good. Welcome home, love.”

“Best. Homecoming. Ever…” Wildfire sighed, though her sigh quickly became a giggle, especially as she knew she was talking to Airmail’s marehood. “Pretty, can I ask a question?”

“Snatchurly.”

Wildfire’s giggle fit got louder at that. “You single minded mare!” she then blew on her clit she knew was in front of her. She could tease too. “Well, the thing is...after the weekend, um, do I well, look different? It's silly, I know, but I 'feel' different.”

Airmail didn’t mean to laugh. She didn’t, but she couldn’t help herself. Her lover was being so cute and adorable it was heartrending. “Wily, my love, I don't think it works that way. My mom didn't show for almost two months.”

“I told you it was silly.” Feeling very foolish indeed, Wildfire blushed hard. “I felt something, that's all, like a big tingle inside, when I was with Tinkerer when he…um, you know, inside me. It felt warm and glowy and tingly.”

Airmail could understand that. Especially when there had been magic involved like there had been in Wildfire’s case. Having never been pregnant herself, who was she to say what was normal and what was not? “You felt the happy glow of motherhood. And maybe some of the Princess of Libraries magic too.”

“Wow...” Wildfire breathed, “I kinda knew, I mean, the Princess said it was guaranteed, but then, it felt so real!”

“It is real, love. Magic of Friendship and all of that. Just to be sure I'm looking, but I may need a flash light.”

Wildfire knew her fiancé was looking alright. “I-I-I kn-know...I-I can feel your breath on me down there!”

“Wait till you feel my snoring,” Airmail snickered, “At least, as wet as you are, you won't know if I'm drooling.”

With her head between Airmail’s hind legs, Wildfire let out a huge yawn and she nestled into the blue thighs, making a pillow for herself there. “I'm looking forward to Thursday, Pretty, to the party at Caffy’s.”

Just so she could breathe easier, Airmail moved a teeny bit. “Together, love. It will be a day with a loving herd. Bet you any amount of bits you like that Tink will feel up your belly.”

“Hmhmm...I bet he will, too. Together with the herd. I like the sound of that…” again, Wildfire yawned. All of a sudden she was so tired! “Whatever I end up doing, it'll be fun, and loving.” Airmail though didn’t answer her. She was already breathing softly, sleep having claimed her.

“I love you Pretty.” Moments later, Wildfire too began to slumber then snore, Luna’s dreamscape opening up to her as she entered a safe protected night’s sleep.

~ ~ ~

Airmail was a conflicted mare when she awoke early on Wednesday morning. The forty eight year old lead editor was sat in the darkness of the master bedroom deep in thought. At a quarter past five, the alarm set for five thirty had not yet gone off and even Celestia was two hours away from raising the sun. Yet, Airmail was wide awake. Chief amongst her troubles was the knowledge that she had to go to work, and second was that Tempest was not back from Mapper’s place.

Third among her worries, though related to the first two, was the prospect of leaving Wildfire home alone. True she wasn’t a filly like those old movies, but she was still concerned. Enough that she was up before her alarm. So lost in thought was she that she didn’t realise the alarm had gone off. Cursing herself, she quickly silenced it with a hoof before studying her diminutive lover to see if it woke her.

“Uugh...stupid alarm...” Wildfire muttered, that and the fact she was flicking her ears the only sign she was awake at all.

Flicking on the bedroom light – again cursing herself for not doing that sooner, it wasn’t like the light would wake her fiancé was it? – she leant into the bundle of blankets and kissed Wildfire’s cheek. “I must be off to work. Care to join me for breakfast?”

“Uh...huh...oh, okay Pretty,” the blind mare smiled when her older lover gently wiped the drool from the sides of her mouth. As she got up, the twenty four year old pegasus reached out with her hoof, intending to be careful not to wake Tempest. When she found there was no Tempest in the bed, she suddenly remembered why, that she was over at Mapper and Serenity’s house. “Huh...I'll ah, I'll join you.”

Seeing her reach out, Airmail knew who she was feeling for. “Dare we call her?” she asked with an amused smile in her voice, “You know you and I are the only morning ponies in the mini-herd.”

“Nopes.” Wildfire shook her head vehemently. “I will happily fly into a burning building but I won’t wake Stormy in the morning. Some things are just too dangerous.”

Moments later, when the morning ablutions had been completed, with both mares having washed, cleaned and scrubbed themselves in the sink and brushed each other’s manes and fur, Airmail giggled as she headed out of the bedroom and flew down the stairs. “Can you get the coffee started, please. Waffles or pancakes?”

Behind her, opting to walk down the stairs to the dining room and through to the kitchen, Wildfire made her choice. “Aaaah...I'll be adventurous and go for waffles, please love.” In the modest sized kitchen area, the blind mare felt for the braille label on the worktop that told her where the kettle was. “Yuppers, I'll get the coffee on.”

As she busied herself mixing up the waffle batter, Airmail was again bothered by the doubts in her mind. Eventually, she couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Wily, are you okay staying here, or you want to go into work with me?”

Prepping the coffee, Wildfire froze, her hoof resting on the coffee mugs while the machine did its work. Many, many doubts ran through her head. Each one seemed greater than the last, arguing with herself why she couldn’t stay at home on her own. Eventually though, she made her mind up. “I'll ah...I'll stay here. I'm thinking I'll break out that awesomes shampoo set I bought from Cloudhatten mall and have a long bath.”

“Sounds quite decadent,” said Airmail as she cooked the waffles. “Stormy will show up in the afternoon, I'm sure. I should be home by six tonight.”

“That's fine. I'm a big pony,” she paused and laughed, seeing the funny side of that as she was well aware she was quite small compared to most adult ponies. She knew for a fact, having seen the other members of the mini-herd in the shared dream experience, that she was at least a head shorter than all the others. “I was thinking, if I need company, I'd give Raid a call.”

That little nugget did give Airmail pause for thought as she pondered who until recently she considered a rival. While that had passed, and she found her pleasant enough, she was still not completely comfortable with the lime green racer. “With her, you may get three, you know.”

“And that'd be cool, but...” Wildfire started as she waited for the coffee machine to grace them with its life giving elixir, “we haven't had a proper sit down catch up, y'know? Not since we reconnected, anyway.”

“True, then I've taken up a lot of your time.” Airmail snickered as she flipped the waffles over, “I'm such a high maintenance mare.”

“Yuppers, I'm glad you know that.” Smiling, Wildfire leant up and kissed her fiancé’s lips. “Plus I know she still beats herself up over what happened between us and I don't want her to. It’s time for her to forgive herself and move on with life.”

Not for the first time, Airmail was so impressed and proud of her little lover. She was sure, were she an Element Bearer, Forgiveness would be it. “I think your forgiving nature is starting to rub off on me,” she slid the first batch of waffles onto the two waiting plates. “You want maple syrup, or blackberry syrup on the waffles?”

“Maple syrup, please Pretty.” Wildfire replied and, once the coffee was ready, she started to very carefully pour it into the two mugs. As she did so, she flicked her ears in Airmail’s direction. “Look, Airy, I know Raid isn't exactly your favouritest pony in the world, but that was then. It happened. There’s no getting away from it. But, she isn’t that mare any more. She’s changed.”

“I'll have the blackberry, both are in the right centre of the fridge door.” Airmail sighed when she realised she had been caught red-hooved. “You’re right, Wily. She isn't my favouritest pony, that’s true. Then I may be a tiny bit jealous of the time you've had together. I'm playing catch up.”

“I'll get them!” Wildfire turned and delved into the fridge that still bore the dent she had made in the door when she had been, for want of a better term, blind drunk. She felt around the middle shelf on the inside of the door, feeling the labelled jars. “I'll be with you a lot longer than I ever was with her,” she commented as she passed her lover the jars. “I'm flattered you're jealous though, cos you're a hot pony.”

Airmail wasn’t too sure about the last bit though as she got a second batch of waffles cooking on the griddle. “Very loving of you to say so. You are the one with the flaming cutie mark though.”

Sniffing up at the scent of the waffles, Wildfire heard the second lot start to cook and she had to fight between her empty belly rumbling and drooling. “I'm a loving pony!” she smiled before carrying the coffees over to the breakfast table. “You don't need to be jealous of Raid, Airy. You're the one I'm marrying.”

“I know, I know.” Airmail shook her head in annoyance at herself more than anything else. Her lover was right, of course she was, but still… “I'm a new chapter in your book of poetry. I don't hate her, but my opinion of her was really low when she called while we were on the train to Vanhoover. I do think those zebras will do her some good though.”

Wildfire could well understand that. “I know, Pretty. So was mine. I'm glad you don't hate her though,” she said, taking her place at the breakfast table. While it had been true that she had hated Air Raid for a long time, she was over that now. “I think...I think those zebras will do for her what you and the mini herd did for me.”

“I hope so for you and that all your friends find happiness in life.” Airmail replied as she laid out the freshly cooked second batch of waffles on the plates and transferred them to the table. “I can make more if you like, but best to eat them hot.” She poured maple syrup over Wildfire’s and followed up with the blackberry syrup on hers before she sat and sipped her steaming coffee.

“Everypony deserves to be happy, Airy.” Wildfire said as she took a bite of her syrup covered waffles and giggled to herself. “I'd have called Cy and got her over, but she's busy on her DVD filming this week.”

Now, that did interest Airmail a great deal. She did like the jet black mare a lot. It helped that both Lavender and Serenity liked her as well. “Maybe she can do a demo for us all tomorrow at Caffy’s place?” she giggled as she ate her waffles, “Oh, but I think her and Lavender are going to have a suit off.”

At that, Wildfire couldn’t help but shudder. “I really can't believe she's into that…” she was still shaking when she reached for her waffles to calm herself down. The excellent taste of waffle and syrup did the trick. Each to their own, and all that. “But she is good at talking with her mouth full of cream!”

Not understanding the reference, Airmail tilted her head and asked, “Cream?”

“Oh yuppers. On the phone the other day she used squirty cream and, I quote, said ‘My, your load is the sweetest of nectars’.” She laughed while Airmail performed a picture perfect spit take with her coffee and got up to get a napkin. “And let's not forget the immortal line – ‘My nipples are chaffed, could you spread some of that stallion cream on them?’ and ‘Sir! I've never seen a rod so large. I don't know if my little cunny can take it all in!’.”

Airmail gave up and got several more napkins to wipe up the mess she had continued to make. “Seems like she has found her calling in the world of porn. Hard to believe she is a foal part of the time.”

“I know, right? I think we all played a part in starting that off, but she really seemed to like it.”

Getting some more coffee to replace that which she had spat on the breakfast table, Airmail took a sip while Wildfire ate some more of her syrup covered waffles. “Tempest knows Bluefeather better than I, but I think she can keep the fame from overwhelming Cyclone. How is your other friend doing? Darkstar?”

Wildfire froze in mid-bite, slowly swallowing what she had in her mouth as her ears slicked back. “Fine, really fine. Really, really fine!”

“That's...fine.” Airmail had not been expecting that response.

With a very deep sigh, Wildfire quietly sipped at her coffee. She knew after a response like that, her partner would be requiring an explanation. “At Caffy's shop, she said...she said sometimes she thought it would've been better if she'd forgotten about me. But...she also said she was glad she hadn't.”

Understanding, Airmail reached over the small table to rest a hoof on Wildfire’s foreleg. “She did lose a lot trying to find you, but you need to let her know how much more she has gained doing so. Slate is a good zebra, and I think she is more grounded now than in her youth.”

“I will,” Wildfire smiled at the touch of Airmail’s hoof on her foreleg. “We've all gained a lot, I think. I know I have,” she then squeezed Airmail’s hoof in turn. “So…” she sniffed, trying very hard indeed to not cry, “what newspapery stuff do you have on today?”

“Well, on the political side of things, the Mayor is supposed to talk about the issues at the docks. Remember last week, some mare I know had to do a cloud delivery?” Rather conspicuously, the azure blue pegasus did not mention the fallout for her on killing Autumn Leaves a few days ago.

Slowly, Wildfire nodded her head. “I remember the bomb and the innocents we couldn't save, and the firepony who didn't come back.” With her, it was a personal thing. She was a born firefighter. She fought the fire. Every life lost was a personal loss where the fire had won. She didn’t like it. Once she had eaten her breakfast though, she got up and went around the table to nuzzle her partner. “I want you to be okay, Airy.”

Something in Wildfire’s tone told Airmail what she was referring to, but she attempted to blow it off. “I should be. Lavender has a first aid kit for paper cuts, and I'm fully immune to zebra coffee. I will try to not eat too many pastries though.”

Wildfire though would not be so easily dismissed. “You know what I mean. I know you won't say anything about what happened in the subway, but...I. Want. You…” she kissed her fiancé as deeply and passionately as she could, “To. Be. Okay.”

“You are in my life, Wildfire. I'm better than okay. You love me and that makes me fantastic.”

“Awesomes!” satisfied that Airmail was and would be alright, she smiled and kissed her a second time. “Now, go to work like a good filly, and I'll send you a picture of me in the bath in a bit.”

“RawR!” Usually, Airmail had very good wing control. At the promise of a naughty photo though, she allowed them to shoot out from her sides and stand erect. “You know I'll show them to Omega and Lavender, right?”

“I'm counting on it. Share the wealth, I say!”

Stood up, Airmail cleaned down the cooled waffle iron before helping Wildfire remove the dishes to the sink. That done, she gave her a lingering kiss. “I will my sexy mare. You got clean up, or need a hoof?”

“I got this, Pretty. You can leave it to me.”

Airmail had no doubt in her mind she could do just that. “Okay, I took care of the waffle iron, but the rest is in the sink. Have a fun day, and no diddling with yourself till after me or stormy is there to see in pony.”

“That'd be well naughty, right?” Wildfire leant up high on the tips of her hooves and kissed her fiancé goodbye. “Have a good day and I'll send you your present soon.”

~ ~ ~

The morning passed by extremely slowly for Wildfire. She did indeed have her scented bubble bath, complete with her new and as yet unused Cloudhatten shampoo set. She did take a few naughty photos of herself and send them to Airmail at the Manehatten Times. However, one can only bathe for so long until boredom set in. After an hour she got out and dried off.

It was as she was carefully drying herself that she heard the mail. Inspecting what had been delivered, the little pegasus was overjoyed to discover it was her purchases from Rizolli’s bookstore. Wildfire danced a very happy dance indeed at the Math for Beginners and her new copy of Wuthering Heights in braille.

Getting the math book did give her an idea though. One short trip up to the office and an investigation on her computer later and she was enrolled with Manehatten University on three of their ‘open’ courses. She chose Math, Firefighting Theory and Cloud Management. She was very surprised when, an hour later, a university pony appeared at the door with the first of her papers.

Sadly though, a short time later at eleven a.m., Wildfire was bored. Sat on the couch in the living room, she set aside her math paper, took a steadying sip of her freshly made coffee and, after a moment's thought, followed through on her earlier idea and she dialled Air Raid's number.

“Air Raid's phone!” Cream answered on the third ring. “Air Raid's answering service answering!” As it happened, thanks to their success in the race a week before, as well as her association with Caffeinated, a highly respected member of the Coffee Tribe, the cream coloured zebra had been allowed to become Air Raid’s co-driver on a permanent basis.

In the background, stood beside Ratchet in Caffeinated’s large spacious garage, Air Raid made an unsuccessful attempt to get her phone. “Cream!” she yelled, held at bay by the equipment in her way.

Wildfire snickered at all the noise on the other end of the line. “Oh hey Cream, it's Wily.”

“Hello Wily!” Cream greeted the blind mare with a smile and a devious look shot to her new lover. “Raid is pretending to understand Ratchet right now. You need to talk with her?”

“Am not!” Air Raid protested, much to the amusement of Ratchet, Sparkplug and Wheeljack who were busy servicing Air Raid’s Audi. The parts to repair the damaged bodywork from the race had appeared from a dealer in the city, as well as some engine parts and new suspension units. “What does Wily want?”

“You mean she isn't understanding?” Wildfire giggled and, as she had her phone on speaker, turned the page of her math paper and ran her hoof over the braille dots on the sheet. Time to put her idea into action. “I was wondering, if you aren't too busy, Raid, if you'd like to come and keep me company for a bit at my place?”

Thankfully for Wildfire, unfortunately for Air Raid, Cream had the phone on speaker too. From her position underneath the front end of the R8, Ratchet shouted, “Yes, she would love too!”

Air Raid barely had the time to raspberry her friend when Cream asked, “You have room for two?”

Bursting out into fits of laughter at that, for she could easily imagine the answer to what she was about to ask. She asked it anyway. “Cream, is she getting in the way? And yes, there's plenty of room.”

Ratchet slid out from under the car, a few parts held in her magical aura and fresh oil stains on what had been new overalls. “They'll be right over.”

Cream also decided to take the decision out of Air Raid’s hooves. Partly because she was worried if she tried to ‘help’ any more, Ratchet would insert those parts into her person. Sideways. “We'll be right over.”

Still laughing, Wildfire asked, “What do you drink, Cream?”

“My namesake,” Cream replied quickly. She never tired of her old joke. “But, I do add coffee to it every now and again.” Even Air Raid laughed at that as she had used that joke one time too many.

Wildfire giggled. She liked the sound of Cream. “Very good, I like that. Okies, well I'll get the drinks on, you two come on over.” She was especially pleased as it got her away from her new math book. When they exchanged goodbyes, she hung up and started to get on with prepping the coffee and biscuits. You had to have biscuits! When that was done, and her medication taken, she went back with some reluctance to her braille math book.

After taking the first practise quiz in the book she got in the mail, Wildfire was very pleasantly surprised that she only missed one question. The review she took afterwards showed that she forgot to carry a number, and that she got it right on the second try. “Oh wow!” Wildfire exclaimed, the blind mare very, very surprised following this unexpected success. Nonetheless buoyed, she decided to go right onto the next one.

~ ~ ~

Ratchet was annoyed. It had been several moments since Cream had hung up the call with Wildfire and her distraction was still in the garage under her hooves and getting in her way. “Raid!” she exclaimed through grinding teeth, “You're still here!”

“Trying to get rid of me, Ratchet?” Air Raid asked with as much of her cocky bravado in her voice as she could muster. Unfortunately she injected too much and the looks she received from Ratchet and Cream told her they didn’t buy it. “Got a mare stashed away somewhere?”

“One,” Ratchet countered quickly, pointing to her younger sister who was busy with the engine block that had been removed from the car and was hanging from a portable gantry. “But we're related, don't you?” The unicorn opted not to mention Scorch, the sexy flame red dragoness with the sexy orange scales on her back. Mostly because she was a driver for another team, but also because it wasn’t anything to do with Air Raid.

“I happen to have two very sexy mares, as well you know. So, why'd you want rid of me? I'm not in the way...” Unfortunately, just as she said that, the lime green mare turned and, without thinking, knocked over a box of bolts that were resting on the bonnet of her R8. “Oops…”

Seeing the glare from Ratchet, whom the bolts had almost hit, were it not for her quick casting of many levitation spells, Cream interjected diplomatically, “Maybe so you can visit friends without grease in your mane.”

“We have to go now? Right now?” Air Raid flustered, knowing full well that Ratchet, her chief mechanic, would recognise stalling when she saw it. It didn’t help her cause any that when she was walking in agitated circles, the lime green pegasus accidentally kicked the jack that was holding up the left side front wheel. This sent the left side crashing to the floor which in turn dislodged the brake hose, spilling oil and brake fluid onto the floor.

Again, Cream had to step in because it looked like Ratchet had murder in mind at that moment. She seized her fellow submissive by the pink collar she wore and almost dragged her to one side. “Would you like me to have Amethyst meet us at Wily's place?”

“N-No...um...I'll be fine with you...” Air Raid didn’t want to make any trouble, well, more than she already had. Nor did she particularly want to meet with Wildfire very much, if she was honest. That meant having to face up to her past, where she was quite happy wallowing in her misery. Alas, the universe had other ideas, it seemed. She relented and sighed, “fine, I'll go see her. I'm obviously no use to anypony here.”

That was putting it mildly, to say the least. “I have to potty. You could help by not picking up the mess you made and talk to Sparky about vroom.” As she trotted off smartly to the toilet, she communicated via a silent look that Ratchet please not kill her, at least not yet.

Walking over to the chirpy young unicorn, Air Raid sighed deeply, that old familiar feeling of cold dread settling in her gut. “I'm sorry about the mess, Ratchet…” she trailed off to silence and lowered her tail well between her legs when she got an angry glower in response, as the mechanic now had a two hour repair job ahead of her now. “Ah, hey Sparky!”

“Hi!” Sparkplug didn’t even bother to look up from the engine she was working on.

“I won't touch anything, I swear,” Air Raid promised, the pegasus made sure to not step too close to the hanging engine. A box of bolts and a brake hose was one thing. A very heavy and extremely expensive hoof crafted engine was quite another.

Once she had stepped inside the ranch, Cream took a small diversion on her way to the bathroom to pick up her saddlebag and her phone. Inside the toilet, she called up Amethyst. While she was loathe to disturb her Mistress at work, this was an emergency. “What's up, Cream?” Amethyst answered on the first ring.

“Nothing good Amy,” Cream used her lover’s nickname, as opposed to her title of Mistress, something she did very rarely and only in times of need. “Wily invited Raid over to chat and she is a complete mess, about to piss all over her hooves.”

“We knew this would happen sooner or later,” Amethyst sighed down the phone line. “You want me to come over?”

Cream very definitely wanted her Mistress to come over. Air Raid needed her head knocking straight. “Yes, it will take you forty minutes to get there, and we'll be there in ten.”

“Closer to fifty, I have to wrap things up here.”

“Fine, I'll stall if it goes bad, and if not it will be a pleasant surprise you showed up.”

“Okay, Cream. Text me if things go really bad.”

In the garage, Ratchet thankfully had the oil and brake fluid spill under control and was therefore in a better mood as Sparkplug waved Air Raid closer. “Biggest Brother is being a meanie pants. Listen to the varoom, Raid!” she lit her horn and with a grin on her face, she played with the throttle cable.

Carefully, Air Raid stepped a little closer, her hoof steps drowned out by the guttural roar of the hanging engine. She was able to manage a thin smile. “That sounds really cool, Sparky. You clean the inlet cylinder heads?” she asked before leaning in and whispering, “Why's Jackie being mean?”

Cheerfully, Sparkplug nodded her head. She had stripped the whole entire engine down to its parts, cleaned each one until it sparkled before reassembling it. “The grey lady was nice and even gave me some candy, but the striped lady is faster. I made this varoom for you and her.” She announced proudly. When she looked at Ratchet, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “He is still worried about you and driving. He doesn't want to lose these sponsors and you can be a mom sometimes.”

“A...” stunned, Air Raid’s mouth hung open. “I am not a mom!” As she said that, she realised that maybe, just maybe, she might be a bit of a mom. “Well, not much…”

Just then, Cream returned from the ‘toilet’ with a smirk on her face. “I don't see any smoke! I'll let Amethyst know you were a good filly, Raid.”

Ratchet called from underneath the car, “I put out the fire before you got back.”

“If you say so, mom!” Sparkplug giggled like an overgrown filly.

“I am not a mom!” Air Raid stomped her hoof, “Ratchey, tell your sister I'm not a mom!”

Again, Ratchet called out from underneath the car, “Sparky, a mare her age is more a grandmother. You should know better!” The whole pit crew was laughing at her now, including Wheeljack and Hoist who had been taking a break in the pool out the back.

“I have your walker,” Cream giggled, “let’s get you out of here.”

“At least you proved Wheeljack can smile,” Air Raid huffed and fluffed her feathers defensively, wanting to leave but not wanting to go to Wildfire's either. Why didn’t these interfering ponies understand she wanted to wallow? She needed to beat herself up! She had to atone for what she did. “Alright, Cream, let's go.”

On the way to the car, the electric colt that Caffeinated had very kindly said they could use as much as they liked while they lived under his roof, Cream asked, “Mom, grandmare, what was that about, Raid?”

By this point, Air Raid was getting tired of sighing. “It's a long story. You know Darkie, right?”

“The one who had her horn repaired. She is with Slate.”

“That's her,” Air Raid agreed with a nod of her head. “After her attack, before she got her horn repaired, she lived with me in Canterlot. I...at times I felt like a mother. She was suicidal and depressed, then there's Cyclone, I played her nanna when she was a foal. It was a long five years."

“Are you unhappy you were a mother to both of them?” asked Cream curiously, “Does the pit crew know about that?”

“No, I'm not unhappy I was the 'mom', it's just...every now and then it would've been nice to have a friend to talk to, y'know?” Air Raid sighed heavily as they crossed the garage leaving the pit crew behind. “Brightstar was in Filly, Cy was in Cloudsdale and not allowed in Canterlot, I just...I felt so alone.”

Cream paused and kissed Air Raid’s lips. She could practically feel the tension that ran all through the pegasus’s body. “You are not alone now. The past brought you to me and Amethyst and let us do with you what we had to do in hiding.”

When they reached the car, Air Raid returned the kiss, though her ears were well back to her head and her tail was down. “I'm scared, Cream.”

“Of the past, present, or future?”

The first thing Air Raid did was to open the passenger door for Cream to get in first. “All three.” She admitted once she was sat in the car and the doors were closed. “I've managed to mess up just about every relationship I've ever had,” she explained, staring straight ahead. “Slingshot, Cyclone, Appleglow, I treated them all like crap until they left, and let's not forget the stellar achievement that was Wily. I was such a selfish bitch...all I cared about was my image. I'm scared I'll do the same to you and Amethyst.”

“Truth?”

“Always.”

“If you leave,” Cream started, her hoof resting on Air Raid’s hind leg, “I still have Amethyst. If you leave, Amethyst may do something about it. We are zebra and we don't put up with pony bullshit. So the only way you are leaving is most likely with me, and that would leave Amy alone at our funeral.”

“Our funeral, huh?” Air Raid smiled as she started up the uninspiring electric car. She had to admit that wasn’t her preferred course of action or outcome. “Wouldn't want that. I tried to get over Wily. Ponies keep telling me to forgive myself.”

Again, Cream placed a tender loving kiss on her fellow submissive’s lips. “I forgive you.”

“I know, it's just...it's not easy, Cream. I'm trying, I can't seem to shake it off. Darkie thinks I like punishing myself.”

“That is Amy's job.” Cream asserted with a smirk plastered all over her face. “Only bad naughty ponies punish themselves.”

As she pulled out of the garage and drove to Wildfire’s place, Air Raid managed that thin smile again. Thankfully, as it was a weekday, the notorious Manehatten traffic was light. “I wish there was a 'getting over your shit' instruction book, y’know?”

“I find if I walk forward after I poop, and don’t look back, I don't have to worry about it.”

“Hmhmm,” was all the response Air Raid gave that she had heard what Cream had said as she steered through what traffic there was. Instead of talking about what was bothering her, she used a typical Air Raid tactic of diversion. Plus what her lover had said had actually interested her. “Why in secret? You said you and Amethyst had to be all secret.”

It was obvious, even to a mare as stubbornly dense as Air Raid that Cream wasn’t answering her on purpose. The cream coloured zebra was delaying, determined to reveal the 'secret' after they park, but before the doorbell was rang. After long moments of driving in silence, the pegasus pulled up on the street outside the red bricked townhouse. “Cream? You're stalling.”

“What do you think the secret was for me and Amethyst?” asked Cream once the engine had been turned off.

“Well I admit I don't know zebras like Darkie does, so...I'm gonna guess you're from separate tribes? Like there's a rule that says you can't do the nasty with a tribe other than yours?”

Cream couldn’t help but giggle at the rather oversimplified explanation of the complex relationships between the zebra tribes. “Right in one! Most ponies think it is because we're lesbians. There is a pretty ridged caste system for zebras. The fact they let me go from my job to be with you full time is a big plus. For Amy, it will depend on if she turns a profit being your manager.”

Listening, Air Raid did actually understand, especially being born and raised in the nation’s capital city. “You know, that's not so different to Canterlot. There are royalty, major nobles, minor nobles, commoners in the city. You're expected to stay in your zone, y'know? And being gay has only just become acceptable.”

“Are you ready?” asked Cream, looking over the nondescript house before them.

“Not in the slightest.” Air Raid admitted as she opened her door then paused before getting out. “You called Amethyst 'Amy'. Let's talk about that. In very great detail!”

“Sure,” Cream snickered, not giving the troubled mare a second. “We can do that. In the car, on the front step, or have that as our conversation starter inside?”

“Fine,” Air Raid’s shoulders slumped and she at last got out of the car. She took the time to lock it up, even if she thought the likelihood of it being stolen remote. It wasn’t hers, after all. She walked up the small garden path past the well-kept flower beds like she was on the way to the gallows. “You win. I'm going in.”

“Coming!” Wildfire heard the knock at her front door and, setting her math paper down on the coffee table next to the tray of hot coffees, she got up from her seat on the couch and she trotted over to the door.

“Hello Wildfire,” Cream beamed a wide smile and the zebra moved in for a hug as soon as the front door was opened for them.

Air Raid though felt amazingly uncomfortable though as she stood there on the doorstep. She watched Cream hug her ex-marefriend and she rubbed the back of her blue mane with her foreleg. “Hey, Wily,” she spoke to the floor more than to the little mare, “You up for hugs?”

After a moment on the doorstep hugging Cream, the diminutive yellow pegasus released her vice-like hug wearing a wide grin on her face. “Always have been, always will be, Raid.” To demonstrate her openness for said hugs, she sat on her haunches and opened her forelegs.

It was when Air Raid moved in for her hug that she saw the decorated casts that covered Wildfire’s wings. “Um,” instinctively she pulled back, just out of hugging range. “Ah, Wily, what happened to your wings?”

Wildfire though would not be denied her hugs. She sniffed the all too familiar scent of grease, oil and brake fluid that was her ex’s perfume and she dragged her into what was a typically restrained Wily hug ™. “Oh that,” she said, her ears slicking back to her head. “I was attacked, on Monday.”

“Oh my!” Cream gasped, her hoof guarded at her mouth.

“By who?”

Cream shot Air Raid a look that spoke volumes. “Maybe we should move inside first, then we can talk.”

“Oh yuppers, come on in guys, your coffees are on the table.” Wildfire had her smile in place as she turned and felt her way back to her seat on the couch and to her paper, which she set aside. “Pull up a seating pad, there’s plenty. It was a warden, from the care home in Canterlot. She tracked me to Manehatten. She reminded me what her whip felt like.”

If it was possible, Air Raid felt even worse now than she did before. It was all on her, every bad thing that had happened to her ex was all on her. “Oh, I'm sorry Wily.” Was all she could think to say to that.

“It's okay hun. Airy took care of her, it.” Wildfire smiled broadly from her perch on the couch. “You still take coffee black with two sugars? I remembered!”

There was a great deal of sadness in the lime green mare’s voice as she pulled up a seating pad for Cream and herself around the coffee table. Sadness and an extraordinary amount of remorse. “Yes, please, Wily.”

“I like some coffee in my cream please!” Cream giggled, the zebra immediately impressed with how well adjusted this young pegasus was, considering everything that had happened to her. Granted, she didn’t know much, just what she had heard and had been told.

Wildfire pointed to where she thought the coffee table was – she was only off by a few inches - and the coffees on it waiting for their respective owners to claim them. Beside the black coffees were pots of sugar and a cream so they could prepare them how they liked. “Help yourselves,” she said, her ears flicking to the sound of Air Raid’s voice. “Raid, what's wrong?”

“It's all my fault, and now I've caused you to be attacked again.”

Cream was shocked by the morose tone in her fellow submissive’s voice. “What?”

As it happened, Cream wasn’t the only one shocked by the tone in Air Raid’s voice. Wildfire, who turned her head to the sound, had never heard her speak like that. Not ever. “Raid,” she started as delicately as she could, “what in the wide world of Equestria do you mean?”

Air Raid didn’t answer her, not right away, anyway. The lime green racer had dissolved into floods of tears. Emotions she had tortured herself with for five long years came to the fore. She cried. She cried hot salty tears for what she had done. All the hurt she had caused, she cried for all the pain that was on her, that Wildfire had suffered, that Darkstar had suffered. All of it was on her. Why couldn’t they see? “I-If…If…If I…If I hadn't left you that day, none of this would have happened!”

The little blind mare sighed and set aside the coffee she had picked up in her hooves. This again. It irked her that they had been over this at Caffeinated’s ranch. She had spoken with Air Raid about this, again and again and again! She shook her head and prepared to try one more time to reach the stubborn mare. “Raid, it wasn't your fault I was sold to Amethyst Glory.”

“It was!” Air Raid stomped her hoof on the living room floor, her wings fluffed in anger. Why couldn’t Wildfire, Cream, everypony for that matter see? Why did they insist on forgiving her? “If I hadn't left you, your dad wouldn't have been able to do that!”

On her seating pad, Cream patiently sipped her coffee and watched the exchange between the two ponies. “I don't think I've seen anypony so easily separated from their bits.”

Laughing out loud, Wildfire couldn’t believe how dense and stubborn Air Raid was being, even by her standards, this was a whole other level. “Raid, you're a fool. I was always going to Amethyst Glory!” she placed a heavy emphasis on the word ‘always’. “Don't you see? Dad made that choice for me.”

Calming herself, Wildfire reached for her coffee and drained the whole mug in one swallow. “If you had been there, in the hospital, five years ago, what do you think you'd have done, hmm? Amethyst Glory would've killed you in a heartbeat, ordered Lotus Stripes or Autumn Leaves to kill you, or taken you as well.”

“NO!” Air Raid screamed so loud she almost made Cream drop her coffee mug. “No way! Just, no! I would have fought for you. I-I...I should have fought for you!” Again, Air Raid’s temper left her and she broke down crying.

Wildfire let out a low growl. This was starting to get real old, real fast. “You'd have fought, yes, and you'd have lost. Miserably, in fact. You have no idea the tortures that Amethyst Glory would have subjected you to. You can't win everything, Raid.” For her, it was very simple. It happened, and that was all there was to it. Those events were in the past, where they couldn’t affect anypony in the present, or be affected.

“Cream wants cream!” the zebra exclaimed, at a loss for anything else to say or do. A distraction seemed the best option. “The frozen kind and Raid said there is a shop nearby.”

“Ooh yuppers, there is! I can show you if you'd like, Cream?” Wildfire asked while she heard the zebra pat the crying mare’s head. “I’ll just need a moment, okay?” she didn’t wait for a response to that, she got up and trotted up the stairs to the office, where her headset was waiting for her to the right of her computer.

While Wildfire had gone for the moment and left them alone, Cream leant over and kissed Air Raid’s tear stained lips. “I'll buy, seeing as how I'm rolling in winnings and I wasn't even in the car!”

“Fine,” Air Raid shrugged. She heard noise, but she wasn’t listening. “Just this once, I guess.”

Mere moments later, Wildfire reappeared in the living room with her headset in place and ready to go. She sincerely hoped that Cream had a plan for her ex-marefriend’s frame of mind. If they couldn’t get her over this, then she hated to say it, but she had no place for her in her life. “Follow me guys, you'll love the chocolate everything sundaes!”

Once they were outside the red bricked townhouse, Wildfire electing to use the seldom trodden front door path, Air Raid watched as the blind mare turned her headset on. Compass points and a map appeared on the visor screen, obviously Wildfire couldn’t see that, but she was getting directions and bearings in her ear. With the ice cream shop selected as their destination, Wildfire set off at a confident trot. “Nice day today, huh?”

“Oh, well…” Cream started, pausing when she saw Air Raid following along with her ears stuck back to her scalp and her tail well between her legs. She had to admit it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, a breeze made it not too hot, there was hardly a cloud in the bright blue sky and she could smell the sea from where they were. “It would be a nice day to drive with the top down, but Mr. Caffy's car doesn't do that.”

“It hardly does anything...” Air Raid muttered, the lime green mare scuffing her hooves along the grassy path. She wasn’t looking anywhere but down. She didn’t notice the bright blue sky, the smell of the sea or the chirp of the birds.

“I'm afraid I don't know about that, cars aren't my thing,” Wildfire giggled as she leads the way unerringly towards the ice cream store. Following along, Air Raid was impressed with how easily the little yellow pony used the kit.

Walking besides her lover, Cream was determined to make more pleasant conversation. “It would be hard to drive by braille, but I heard at the party you fly very well, Wily.”

“Yuppers, I do, Cream!” Wildfire replied happily. As she walked at her brisk pace, she had her black tail all kinds of swishy, a happy bounce in her step. One looking at the three would assume the difference between the yellow and green mares was as wide as night and day. “You know the suspension cables on the Narrow's Bridge? I flew through them!”

“How?” Air Raid asked in disbelief.

“I followed Tempest's urine scent trail. It was easy. I just did it. Like my old nurse Eirene used to say, ‘nothing to it, but to do it’.”

Cream was amazed. She had been over the Narrow’s Bridge many times. She knew there wasn’t much free space between those cables. “You weren't afraid?”

“Nopes!” Wildfire declared with justified pride. I'm done being afraid. And besides, I trusted Tempest and she trusted me. I suppose it's like you and Raid driving in the race the other day.”

That was something Cream could well understand and appreciate. Hearing that, she found she understood Wildfire a lot more. She understood why she wore the collars around her neck. Trust and love. It was the same reason she and Air Raid wore their collars. “Yes, I trust Raid completely behind the wheel. Part of being a team.”

Wildfire paused at the edge of the grassy path. Her ears turned this way and that as she got her bearings. She knew to her right was the lake, she could hear the ponies playing in the water. She had her directions in her ear, she knew where she was. “It's the same thing. I trust my tech, I trust my flying buddy.”

“I get that,” Air Raid interjected, something she wanted to know buzzing in her head, but she wanted to be delicate about it. “How do you get around as good as you do without, well, y'know, seeing where you're going?

“Because I know the area.” Wildfire replied confidently. This was the area where her Mistress Mapper had taken her and Serenity on the parade back at the BDSM party. A party that felt like a lifetime away now. “Right now we're on grass. There's a dirt path coming up. I can feel it under my hooves, I can hear the excited foals, and I follow my directions.”

When she heard that, Cream put two and two together. She had assumed the headset Wildfire wore was for safety. “Is that why you're wearing a helmet, not in case you run into something?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire smiled as she adjusted her course, “It's voice activated and I just ask it for a location, it tells me where to go. Including crossing points and other safe areas.”

Cream laughed, “Raid doesn't like the navigation system bossing her around.”

“Sounds like Raid,” behind her, she could easily hear Air Raid mutter ‘whatever…’ under her breath. Though her ears flicked back to Air Raid's direction, she chose for the moment to ignore it. Instead, she trotted along the dirt path and then the grass to the ice cream store. She could tell they were there thanks to the smell of the place. “Aaaaand, we're almost there,” she pointed her hoof dead ahead. “Ice cream store!”

Like she had been treated to a stage magic show, Cream clapped her hooves in appreciation. “Looks like a busy place.”

“It is!” Wildfire squealed joyously, “Always busy. Vanilla Sprinkles, the owner, is a sweet sounding mare.”

Cream glanced over at her lover and had to suppress a grimace at her downturned expression. “Chocolate and coffee for you, Raid?”

Air Raid’s ears were still back, seemingly welded to her scalp. “Yes please.”

As she stepped into the ice cream parlour, Wildfire heard the tone in Air Raid's voice. She was very, very close to having had quite enough, thank you very much! She managed to force the irritation from her voice though when, at the counter, she ordered a salted caramel ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and coffee for herself, Cream requested a coffee and chocolate in a cup for Air Raid and a cookie and cream shake for herself.

After Wildfire had been directed to an empty table which was at her four o’clock position by Vanilla Sprinkles, the blind mare felt her way over and sat down. Cream said nothing, but followed Wildfire to the table. Air Raid followed along, all the time expecting Wildfire to stumble but she just didn't. “I don't mean to be rude,” she asked once the ice creams had been delivered to their table, “but how do you do that?”

Wildfire cocked her head to one side, pausing an inch from her ice cream. “Do what?”

“Walk around like it's nothing.”

Now, Wildfire’s ears turned backwards. She was at once reminded of all the beatings she had endured at the hooves of Amethyst Glory or Lotus Stripes or Autumn Leaves for the slightest transgression, the slightest stumble, fall or trip. She had learned. And she had overcome. “I've had practise, Raid. Let's leave it at that, please.”

“I think she comes to this shop far too often!” Cream put in diplomatically before shooting Air Raid the kind of glare that could cut through a bank vault. “Wily could ask you how do you know to turn left on the race track?”

Her mood instantly lifted by Cream’s little joke, Wildfire giggled brightly. “And who wouldn't come here as often as they could?” she asked before turning serious once more. “Thing is, I struggled at first, of course I did. But I've had five years to get good.”

Air Raid didn’t touch her ice cream. She instead studied the table top. “I guess…”

Cream, bold as brass, took a couple of slow licks of Air Raid’s as yet untouched ice cream as she marshalled her thoughts. Something had to be done, and quickly, or she’d need to call Amethyst again. “What would be your other guess, Raid?”

The lime green mare just mumbled, “It doesn't matter…”

Finally, Wildfire had heard enough. In a very rare show of temper, the diminutive yellow pegasus reared up and slammed her hoof down on the table and, letting out a bellowed snort of frustration which startled Air Raid and a few other patrons, snapped. “Luna damnit Raid!” she yelled loudly. Had her wings not been in casts, they would have flared outwards. “I was the one that was abused, not you!” Having never experienced ‘angry Wily’ before, Air Raid looked stunned. “You messed up one time! One bucking time, Raid! Pony up, will you‽”

“But...Bu-...”

“No!” Wildfire exclaimed angrily, “This is beyond stupid, Raid! It has to stop! You need to get over it!”

“Speaking of stupid,” Cream cut in brightly, her tone perhaps a little too perky, “I have a story!”

“I'm so-...”

Still angry, Wildfire silenced the wide eyed Air Raid with a snort of breath through her nose. “You say ‘I'm sorry’ and I swear to Celestia I'm going home!” Forcing herself calm, she turned to Cream and asked, “What is it?”

“Raid asked me a question on the way to your place, and well, you know how she drives. I could barely get my seat belt on before she arrived, let alone answer a question.”

With a huge, supreme effort, Wildfire forced herself back to a calm enough state to listen and sat back down on her seating pad. “I'd like to hear it, please, Cream.” To help in her calming endeavour, she took a long sip of her coffee and swilled it around her mouth, savouring the taste.

Cream decided to start at the very beginning, for the benefit of both the other mares at the table. By now, the few other patrons in the ice cream shop had gone back to their own conversations, their own business. “Did you know that Mistress Amethyst is my Mistress and Raid's Mistress?”

Wildfire nodded her head. As it happened, she did know that. “I did, I mean, do, know. I remember her meeting you at Mr. Caffeinated's ranch last week at the gaming night party.”

“You have a Mistress, Wily?” asked Cream, again stealing from Air Raid’s ice cream, though having noted the collars worn proudly around her neck, it was obvious that she did have at least one, perhaps even three.

“Yuppers, Mistress Mapper is my Mistress, as is Airmail and Tempest, from time to time.”

Cream smiled, her initial guess confirmed about Wildfire’s situation, she took a moment to again lick Air Raid’s ice cream, though it was offered this time rather than stolen and sipped her shake to gather up her thoughts in order to forge ahead. “Do you have a pet name for Mapper? One you may use with Airmail, or Tempest, or even if you are alone with Mapper?”

Wildfire shook her head. It had never occurred to her to choose a nickname for Mapper. “No, I don't. I call her Mistress, because that sums up how I feel about her, I love her and trust her completely.”

“Ah,” Cream smiled, “that in lies my story. I called Mistress Amethyst, Amy on the drive here.”

“Oh?” Licking her ice cream, Wildfire cocked her head to one side in true ‘Wily’ style, all at once very interested in what Cream had to say.

Just like Wildfire, Air Raid was listening intently to what Cream was saying. “How long have you known Mapper?” Cream asked.

“Just over a month, though for a week and a bit of that I wasn't with her,” Wildfire answered, thinking of the period of time she spent travelling from Canterlot to Vanhoover then on to Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Trottingham, Fillydelphia and finally back home to Manehatten. That week had been so hectic her hooves had barely touched the ground the whole time.

Without realising that Wildfire couldn’t tell she was doing it, Cream nodded her head. “How long have you known Raid?”

“Um...” Wildfire really had to think about that because, in her time at the care home, she found she rather lost track of the passage of time. Sometimes it was hard to get her thoughts in order. “I'd say…um, ten years. Ish.”

“Did you have a pet name for her? Or one you used with your other friends?”

“Yuppers, I do.”

The sly smile that split Cream’s face unnerved Air Raid to no end, as she knew exactly what that name was. “Oh,” the zebra turned her smile to her lover. “Do you know what it was, Raid?”

Very slowly, Air Raid nodded of her head. “I do,” she blushed so hard that her lime green cheeks turned a bright red. Her wings fluffed up and her blue tail rose. “Her pet name for me was Dodo.”

“Sexy Dodo,” Wildfire corrected her with a giggle.

“Raid, I'll not tell this to Amy,” Cream promised as she giggled around her milkshake, the pegasus’s humiliation was beautiful to witness. “So, Wily, if Mistress Air Raid was your Mistress, but just us naughty ponies were eating ice cream, and I asked how was your Mistress doing, what name would you use for her?”

“Oh,” Wildfire continued to giggle, much to Air Raid’s annoyance, “I'd say Mistress Dodo was doing just fine, Cream!” in response, Air Raid’s wings were all ruffled up.

Giggling some more, Cream took a sip of her drink to steady herself before she spoke again. “I've known Mistress Amethyst all my life. She is one year older than me. Zebras are very tribal but the stone tribe outnumbers the coffee tribe. Amy lived across the street from me. We only have so many schools, so we went to school together up through our second year of high school. Then I went to an accounting school and she went to a Jewelsmith school.”

Pausing a moment, Cream lapped at Air Raid’s rapidly melting ice cream, though this was a tactic to gather her thoughts. And she didn’t want her semi-stolen treat melting. “I called her Amy when we first met, and later after we fell in love, we had to keep it secret because she was a different tribe. Now, I call her Amy if I'm a naughty pony, like in the car with Raid, or when I'm being very serious and we don't have time to be Mistress and pet.”

“I see. I call Airmail Pretty, Tempest Honey and Serenity Beauty. The names come to me.”

“But no name for Mapper?”

“No,” Wildfire frowned, her brow furrowed so deeply that her face looked even more scarred than usual. “I find her hard to read. The way she acts and carries herself most of the time reminds me very much of a pony I'd really like to forget.”

Cream said softly, “A pony whose name is the same as my Mistress?”

Wildfire nodded her head. “Amethyst Glory.”

“Raid,” Cream spoke now to her new lover, “did I answer your question?”

Air Raid, who had been absently licking at what was left of her ice cream, nodded her head. “Yeah, ah, yeah, you did, thanks Cream.” Taking a breath, she now addressed Wildfire. “I don’t know how you can stand to say her name, Wily, I really don’t, after the Tartarus she put you through.”

That was easy. Thanks in no small part to Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity, she knew the answer. “Because she's gone, they’re all gone, and she has no power over me anymore.”

“You said it was a name you wanted to forget. Will you ever forget that name?” Cream asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Wildfire laughed out loud, catching everypony but Cream by surprise, Air Raid included. “Of course not. But she doesn't haunt me anymore.” She paused and rubbed a hoof over her belly where she knew there was a new life growing inside her. “I have better things to focus on now.”

“Air Raid,” Cream started with a sigh, “I want you to do something that is normally very hard for you, but you've been doing it well here in the ice cream shop. I'm going to ask Wily three questions and I don't want you to say anything. Fluffy wings or flagging tail is okay.”

Intrigued, Wildfire turned her head to the sound of Cream’s voice. “Go on.”

“Wily,” Cream silently prayed to the Goddess of the Night that Air Raid would stay quiet, “will you ever forget the day Air Raid abandoned you in the hospital?”

“Never. I remember it like it was this morning.” Wildfire answered her quickly and honestly, an answer to which Air Raid had a stunned open mouthed look.

“Wily,” Cream pressed onwards in case her lover should interrupt her, “will you ever forget the day you shared with Air Raid on the cloud?”

“Of course not.” Wildfire’s honesty had Air Raid’s blue tail flagging upwards and her wings twitching set to shoot out fully erect at that.

“Wildfire, when I say, 'Air Raid', which of those memories do you think of?”

“I'll be perfectly honest,” said Wildfire after a moment’s quiet thought, for she carefully considered her answer to this. It was something that had plagued her for a long old time. Now, finally, she had an honest answer. “For a long time it was the first one. Now, it's the second. I much prefer the second, Cream.”

Having received what she knew in her heart was an honest, considered and well thought out reply, Cream placed her hoof on Air Raid’s foreleg and gave it a squeeze. “And you dare to wonder why she could forgive you. Shame, Raid, shame.”

“I...I don't know what to say…”

“Anything, Dodo, as long as it’s not ‘I'm sorry’.”

“Now hug, kiss, and Raid, you may cry a little.” The zebra mare checked Air Raid’s ice cream bowl only to be disappointed with the lack of content inside. “I'm creamed out so we can go back to Wily's place now.”

For the first time in the day since that morning, Air Raid's ears were standing up all alert as she leant over the table for a hug. Wildfire though had other ideas, the little yellow mare slopping a tonguefull of ice cream all over the older pegasus’s nose with a playful ‘Ooops!’

All giggles, Cream happily volunteered her services to clean all present noses with her tongue, just in case the other two couldn’t manage it. Once they were all outside the ice cream shop, the zebra mare nudged Wildfire’s flank. “Lead the way, Wily. I will walk with Raid and allow her to hug me with a wing. You may walk on the other side and do the same.”

“Alrighty, here we go,” activating her headset once more, Wildfire set her destination for home and she did lead the way. Somewhat happier than she had been all day and in herself for a very, very long time, Air Raid placed herself on Cream’s left side and she hugged her with her wing all the way back, her ears flicking up and down with every step she took.

When they neared the townhouse though, Air Raid and Cream saw Amethyst approaching from the direction of the subway station. “Cream,” she said when they were all in earshot, “when did you add another pony to your harem?”

Wildfire’s ears swivelled to the sound of the new voice and she offered a polite bow, as was the dominant zebra’s due. “Mistress Amethyst, good morning.”

Air Raid, lost in her thoughts, was a little slower, to greet her lover. “Mistress, I ah, I wasn't expecting to see you…”

“Somepony's buuuuusted!” Wildfire giggled playfully.

“I thought about it Mistress,” Cream ‘admitted’ with a giggle, thoroughly enjoying the look on the pink mare’s face, as well as Air Raid’s seemingly improved mood. “But, then I thought what Airmail might do if I poached Wildfire from her.”

Amethyst patted her pet’s head. “Wisdom of youth, right there.”

“Unlike our dear Raid, she isn't into stripes.” Cream sighed, lifting her hoof dramatically to her forehead. “Just feathers and horns. Right Raid?”

“Stripes are awesome, least I think so anyway.” Air Raid smiled, which, after being deep in thought all the way back from the ice cream store, was actually a genuine, if tentative, little smile.

“Raid likes anywhere where she can polish a desk, right, Dodo?” Wildfire asked and, as a response, Air Raid’s lime green wings shot out very erect.

Cream noted Amethyst’s curious look, both at Wildfire’s use of the name and at Air Raid’s response to it. “Kwamba ni Wildfire's kucheza jina si kutumia.” She said quickly, informing her Mistress that the pet name was Wildfire’s alone to use.

Amethyst nodded quietly, taking note of that. “Itakuwa kuchukua kwamba maanani,” she replied, promising to take what Cream had said into consideration.

“I think Wily loves to tease Raid. At least out here her tail won't be caught in the ceiling fan.”

Wildfire, who was giggling as hard as Air Raid was blushing, just knew from past experience that the green mare's tail was raised up high. Somethings just never changed. “Well, we should get inside though, before Raid gives a passing youngster an early education on mares.”

Amethyst snorted and waved her hoof dismissively in the air. “Pfft, this is Manehatten, all foals are properly educated in the ways that matter.”

Cream though was thoroughly enjoying the raised tail and spread wings. They were all providing her some shade from the sun. Snickering behind her hoof, Wildfire stepped up and let herself and the others into her house. She found she rather enjoyed teasing her ex. “Especially after the time when Mistress Luna spanked Octavia with the pink sock at the fountain…”

“I heard that story,” Amethyst said as she wiped her hooves on the welcome mat before stepping into the living room and taking a look around. It was a modestly appointed house. The occupants were obviously well off, but it wasn’t rubbed in the face of a visitor. She approved. “Did you witness it?”

“Yuppers, I was there, Mistress Amethyst,” Wildfire grinned as she switched off and removed her headset and set it down on the coffee table, shaking out her straight black mane. “It was an awesomes Saturday, just two days after I came to Manehatten.”

“Ms. Thespian did that to me the other day, before I met Mistress Amethyst and Cream,” Air Raid put in, much to the other three mares’ amusement.

Cream asked, “She spanked you with a sock?”

“Thespy is a rad mare,” Amethyst liked the sound of spanking her pet in public, with a sock or something harder.

In Wildfire’s living room, Air Raid nodded, her wings very hard indeed. “Yes, she spanked me while a load of ponies watched. It was amazing!”

“Noted.” Amethyst smiled a sweet little smile while Cream just giggled. The pink zebra smiled for she imagined that day when the Goddess of the Night spanked her wife at the fountain was educational for any foal on what happens when they were naughty. Nightmare Moon will spank you with a sock! Amethyst then placed a hoof on her lime green pet’s shoulder and looked her in the eye. “Where is your mind at, right now?”

Using her fabled ‘Wily sense’, which as everypony knew was quasi-magical, Wildfire just knew that Air Raid and Amethyst were having a private sort of moment and in an attempt to give them a little privacy, announced loudly, “Who wants coffee? I do!” As it happened, Cream had a very similar magical ability to sense a private moment and she rushed after Wildfire into the kitchen, leaving pegasus and zebra alone.

Smiling at her lover and her Mistress, Air Raid nuzzled at the striped foreleg that rested on her shoulder. “It's in a better place now than it was an hour ago, Pinks.”

Amethyst’s eyes went wide for the tiniest second, the merest fraction of an instant, at being called ‘Pinks’. Air Raid wasn’t the first to call her that, but she was the first she hadn’t punched. Hard. In the face. This time though, she rather liked it when it came from her pet. “There is foolish, there is brave, and then there is foolhardy.” She leant in and kissed her lips. “Welcome home.”

Feeling somewhat adventurous, Air Raid returned the kiss, with a little tongue action thrown in for good measure. “Thanks for helping guide me home,” she said once she broke away so that she could breathe. Her smile was still there, like a visible weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I feel like I can fly. I think I might need my Mistress though, just to make sure my head stays there.”

“Neither Cream, nor I have a license, but we need a car that you can fly in and maybe teach us to drive.”

“There is my R8…” Air Raid started then she changed her mind partway through that sentence having thought better of it. “Then again, I think a safer learning tool might be the colt though. I'd be honoured to teach you and Speedy, Pinks.”

Smiling that same sweet little smile, Amethyst leant forwards, moving her head past Air Raid and bit her ear rather hard. Advice. Don't wear that out lest it move from cute to bad idea, my pet.” She then licked the inside of the bitten ear.

Air Raid’s wings, that were lowered, shot out again as she sighed out a pained hiss. “Hmm…S-Sorry Mistress…”

Just when Amethyst leant forward to nibble at the presented wing in front of her, Cream came back into the living room with Wildfire, both mares carrying coffees between them. “Wily, don't look!” Cream snickered, “Mistress is giving a wing job to her pet!”

After the drinks had been set down on the coffee table, Wildfire made a show of covering her scarred face with a hoof as Air raid murmured happily and raised up her blue tail in response to the preen she was receiving from her Mistress. “I think our student has learnt from today's lesson, Cream.”

“It may take more than one lesson to truly learn, but thank you for helping her see the truth.” Cream smiled, knowing full well that Air Raid wouldn’t be able to properly hear her now that her Mistress had moved onto delivering a most sensual preening. Now the crisis with the pegasus seemed dealt with, she turned her attention to the paper on the couch. “What were you reading when we showed up, Wily?”

While Air Raid was indeed happily far away in her own little subspace, the submissive pegasus enjoying the preen she was being treated to, Wildfire had to think about Cream’s question. It had been a little while since she had thought about it. “Oh, it's a math paper. I got it from Manehatten University. They run open courses you can do at home, and you have to go in for the big exam!”

“I have my masters in math,” Cream giggled excitedly, the accountant in her getting very excited at the prospect of numbers in any way, shape or form. “And, I do love reading by the numbers. May I have a look?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire giggled at the sheer amount of excitement in the zebra’s voice as Air Raid moaned in utter bliss not too far away from her. She could understand and appreciate her feelings towards numbers, she felt the same about poems. “I'm also doing Firefighting Theory and Cloud Management courses.”

Looking at the paper, Cream discovered that she didn’t actually know braille. To her the page was just a collection of raised dots on the page. “Do a math problem for me, please?”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire felt for the paper on the couch and hopped up to sit next to Cream. She opened it to the third page which she was on and ran her hoof down to the first unanswered question.

Very good at number patterns, Cream asked, “Could you say the numbers out loud, please?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire ran her hoof over the raised dots and smiled as she read out the question. “For this one, I need to complete the number line. I've been given 5, 7, 9, __, 13, 17 __, 23. I need to fill in the blanks.”

Cream furrowed her brow. “That one is tricky.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire readily agreed with her friend’s and fellow submissive’s opinion. “I thought it was. But, at the start, there's a tutorial, and it says all about prime numbers. So, it took me two tries, but eventually I got it. The answer is 11 and 19.”

Justly impressed, Cream smiled at Wildfire’s efforts. Not knowing any better, she passed her opinion. “You must have done well at math in school, Wily.”

Even lost in her state of heavenly preening bliss, Air Raid snickered at that, and Wildfire herself burst out laughing before the pegasus could embarrass herself by saying something silly. “Oh nopes!” she declared, “I was hopelessly thick! The numbers seemed to all merge into a big mess on the page. I couldn't do it at all.”

Hearing that, Cream studied the braille dots. There was a pattern to them, and the zebra was good with patterns. “Are the dots for numbers, symbols, and letters all different?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire began to explain, pausing for a moment while Air Raid moaned and quivered, even drooling thanks to Amethyst’s preen. “Each number, letter and symbol is made up of a different combination of one to six dots. Letters and numbers can share the same combination, but there's a special dot that comes first that lets me know what follows it will be a number or symbol.”

“Like a secret code?”

Seconds later, Air Raid moaned loudly and the lime green mare came noisily and messily over the living room carpet. Smirking, Amethyst lifted her muzzle up from her lover’s quivering wings. “Pet, ask Wily where she keeps the cleaning supplies so you can clean up the mess you've made.”

“Wi-Wily...where...hmmmm!” Air Raid tried to speak, but it was strangely difficult, given her Mistress was sucking on a primary feather and she was riding out her high.

Fortunately, Wildfire took pity on her ex-marefriend and pointed her hoof to where she knew the small connecting hallway was that lead from the living room to the dining room. “In the supply closet in the hall between the living room and dining room, Raid, before you get to the kitchen. It’s on the left.”

“May I look at the book?” asked Cream while Amethyst not-so-gently nudged Air Raid in the right direction with the toe of her hoof. Looking at the front of the paper, the cream zebra guessed that it was the number of chapters which made her think it was a 1st year college level math book. “If I could write braille I could give you the math questions that Raid makes me figure out.”

Wildfire proudly showed off her math paper like it was a prized possession, because she didn't have many of those in her life, even now. Like a good pet, Air Raid staggered up to her hooves and she made her way through the living room. As she went, she wafted her scent behind her. “What math questions do you figure out, Cream?”

“For Air Raid, I do acceleration and deceleration math.”

“Oh...” Wildfire’s ears slicked back to her head, the little blind mare suddenly feeling very inadequate. “That's a bit beyond me I think…”

As Air Raid stopped at the closet in the small hall, Cream giggled and rested her hoof on Wildfire’s foreleg. “Like how fast Raid's scent is filling this room. I would need to put a question in braille for you to try. Almost all my work is just addition and subtraction.”

At that, Wildfire perked up with a wide smile. “I think in this instance, with her scent, she's faster than Dusky!” she giggled and nodded, “Your adds and minuses are done like super-duper fast though. I can’t do that.”

“Yes, I can picture numbers in my head, and I can convert numbers as needed. Like miles per hour into feet per second.”

“I've only just got used to the numbers not making a huge jumbled mess!” Wildfire laughed, “Reading braille helps with that, I’ve found.”

Now that Air Raid had the cleaning materials in her hoof, Cream giggled behind her hoof. Her fellow submissive looked a little funny carrying all the things. “Braille doesn't let you read ahead. What's this book?” she asked, pushing the braille copy of the book that she had been reading to Wildfire’s hoof.

The little blind mare felt the cover of the book that had been pressed to her and she smiled. “That's a book called Wuthering Heights. I love this book so much!”

Cream blushed heavily. “I haven't read that.”

“If you'd like to learn braille,” Wildfire offered, “you can borrow it if you like. I have The Tempest too, by Shakespony.”

“It is interesting,” Cream admitted, “and maybe I’ll take you up on that offer another time once my current life changes have settled down.”

“The Tempest was my favourite play in university. Remember the cloud, Raid?”

Air Raid looked up from her work cleaning her cum out of the carpet with the scrubbing brush with a genuine nostalgic smile on her face. She remembered that night on the cloud as well as Wildfire did. “Of course I do. Oh brave world, that has such wonders...”

Wildfire cut across her with a bright happy giggle. “I just love how she still mis-quotes it after all this time. It's cute!” she cleared her throat, “It should be, Oh brave new world, that has such ponies in it. Miranda says it to her dad, Prospero on his island when...” she paused then as she realised she was about to go into a very long rant about how much she loved The Tempest, instead she blushed and sipped her coffee.

Amethyst caught her lime green pet snickering and she silenced that with the toe of her hoof to the ribs. “Passion is a good thing to have. Are we staying for dinner?” she asked when her belly rumbled loudly.

“I'd love you to stay a little, if you have the time. You're a nice distraction from my college papers. Cloud Management is hard. I'll make something I liked from home!”

Air Raid knew just what Wildfire had in mind. A true delicacy that Zesty Gourmand herself gave three hooves in the highest quality restaurants. “Triple fried egg sandwich and chunky hayfries?”

“Yuppers!”

Though she wasn’t sure, Amethyst caught Cream’s slight nod and she changed her mind. “Alright, I'll risk it and stay.”

“Both of you like chilli and chutney?” Wildfire asked, thinking of the two other important parts of the dish.

“I like curry, so chili will be fine.” Amethyst commented, though she didn’t really know what the other thing was. She assumed it was a pony thing. Judging by Air Raid’s reaction, it was a thing she would have to get used to. “Chutney is a fruit thing, yes?”

“Yuppers, mango chutney. Cream, you want to lend a hoof?”

“Yes!”

Playfully, Amethyst swatted at Cream’s ass as she and Wildfire again made their way through to the kitchen. “Pet, you are now my taste tester.” Her submissive lover gave her a bow before leaving the living room. Wildfire led her through to the kitchen again, to start cooking the eggs, while Air Raid was cleaning diligently, determined to do a good job. Her blue tail swished as she worked.

A few minutes later, when the smell of frying eggs filled the whole of the downstairs, the front door opened and in walked Tempest, fresh from her evening and morning with Mapper and Serenity. The moment she saw Air Raid cleaning her carpet, she paused and grinned. “Another maid? I can barely afford the one I got!”

“She is in training,” Amethyst said, condescendingly patting her pet’s head, “and who better than Wily to train her?”

As she was already in that position, head down and her ass up, Air Raid offered the violet weather pony a low bow without even being ordered to. “Good afternoon, Ms. Tempest.”

“Wily?”

Pointing a hoof towards the kitchen’s general direction, Amethyst explained, “Making lunch and showing Cream some fancy cooking.”

Tempest raised an eyebrow, “Canterlot?” she asked, wondering what she was in for.

“Triple fried egg sandwiches, Ms. Tempest,” Air Raid supplied helpfully, the lime green mare being especially careful to mind her manners and be as respectful as she could be, after the ear bitten reminder she had received from her Mistress.

“Hmm, I'll get undressed and be right back down,” Tempest grinned a very toothy grin. Since she wasn't wearing anything, Air Raid looked harder and finally noticed she was still wearing the stallionator, the toy hanging down between her hind legs. While Amethyst snickered but said nothing, Air Raid paused in her cleaning and stared very long, very hard until Tempest had disappeared upstairs.

Seeing as her pet was stood motionless, staring at the stairs, the pink zebra swatted Air Raid’s steering wheel cutie mark so hard with her hoof the slap resounded around the room. “More cleaning, less staring!” she made sure she said it loud enough to ensure she was heard upstairs and in the kitchen.

“EEEP!” Air Raid let out the surprised squeak and very quickly she got back to cleaning up her mess, very aware that the others were sniggering giggles at her expense from the kitchen and her wings extended once again.

Once she had the toy removed from her waist, Tempest came back down the stairs. “Only because I know where it's been is the reason I didn't ask your maid to clean my…'equipment'.” The violet mare giggled at her own joke, a vision of Serenity’s gaping open asshole swimming across her vision as she headed for the kitchen.

Amethyst asked curiously, “Where might that be?”

Over her shoulder, Tempest replied, “A unicorn's ass.”

Fortunately, Air Raid wasn’t the only one who was staring open-mouthed. As such, she was safe from being swatted again. Busy in the kitchen, Wildfire’s ears perked up at the sound of the familiar hoof steps. With the way she walked, there was no mistaking who this was. “Honey!”

No sooner had she entered the kitchen than Tempest descended on Wildfire and engaged her in a lip lock tongue wrestle to see if she could make her forget what she was doing. Since it's been a whole few hours since she kissed Tempest’s lips, Wildfire completely abandoned the eggs as she took the kiss, her casts twitching. Thankfully, Cream was on hoof to take over the cooking.

Wildfire, her forelegs wrapped around Tempest's neck, didn’t care one jot about the eggs as she held the kiss until she needed air. Tempest though held it long past that, the violet mare continuing to kiss the face off of her little lover until Cream had finishes the eggs. At last, finally, she broke the kiss. “I'm the reason why we need a smoke detector,” Tempest said with pride.

Breathing hard, Wildfire stumbled onto her ass on the tiled floor. “Wow...I needed that!”

“Yes,” Tempest grinned, rather proud of her skills, “Wily lights my fire.”

Gently, Cream tapped the diminutive mare’s shoulder. “Masterchef, what’s next after the eggs?”

“Fire...ah, um...ah, the ah,” Wildfire babbled for a moment until she coughed, remembering that she was indeed still in her kitchen. “The chunky fries should be done about now. Then it's just building the sandwiches, three eggs on each, with chilli and chutney between the eggs. Hayfries on a plate, brown sauce on the fries.”

In the living room, Air Raid had just completed cleaning up of her mess. The carpeted floor was spotlessly clean. Inspecting her work, Amethyst was so impressed that she granted her pet a chaste kiss to the cheek. “Well done. Now, put the things away and clean your hooves. Then we can see if lunch is ready.” Glowing from the tiny kiss, Air Raid had the cleaning things away in an instant and, as fast as she could, she almost galloped up the stairs to the bathroom.

“Hey honey,” Wildfire smiled suddenly while Cream busied herself with finishing off the hayfries and loading up the plates, “you know the math paper I got? I did the practise section and guess who got them all right on just her third try?”

“Was it a pegasus?”

In true Pinkie Pie style, Wildfire bounced excitedly on her hooves. “Yuppers! It was a pegasus!”

Tempest burst out laughing at Wildfire’s antics. She was sure her lover couldn’t get any more adorable. “Then it must be...Wildfire!” Wildfire then proceeded to let out a huge squee as Tempest hugged her very tightly indeed. “Who's the smart pony?”

“Me! I is the smart pony!”

“Yeah you are, Wily,” Air Raid grinned as she at last came down the stairs to the kitchen having cleaned herself and her hooves in the bathroom. Following the recent events not only in the ice cream store but in the house as well, she was walking like a million tonnes had been removed from her shoulders.

“Greetings Mini-Herd number two. All of you are looking well. Very well.” Having met Air Raid more than once and been in her presence for a few hours at a time, Tempest could tell the difference in the way the lime green mare walked, held herself and carried herself. Something had changed within her. A good something, by the look of it.

Cream smiled as she set out the plates on the dining room table. “Somepony had an attitude adjustment!”

“Didn't even hurt…” Amethyst, though she was proud of her pet, seemed a little disappointed at that.

“Yeah,” Air Raid started with the most genuine smile she had smiled in a very long time, further evidence, if any were needed, that the monkey was at last off of her back. “It was a long time coming, I’m not gonna lie.” She then rubbed the back of her mane with a hoof, “I found my way in the end, with three helpers.”

Wildfire giggled at that. “I might have shouted, a bit.”

Giving her diminutive lover another kiss, Tempest was reminded of the one and only time she had seen and heard Wildfire shout. That time in Caffeinated’s ranch after the dungeon had been enough to leave a lasting image in the weather pony’s mind. She could appreciate then how experiencing Hurricane Wily would alter one’s attitude. “Assertive Wily is assertive. I also note you didn't break out the table cloth for this meal.”

“I remember how Raid eats. About as messy as she cooks.”

Air Raid shrugged, not willing to challenge Wildfire’s assertion. Not when it was true, at any rate. “Guilty as charged!”

“Messier than Airy?”

“It must have to do with the Air in her name, Tempest. Stuff flies everywhere!” Amethyst laughed and they all sat to eat. Air Raid, in light of her new attitude, was allowed to use the seating pad at the dining table. As they ate, the conversation was light, mostly revolving around Thursday and the upcoming BDSM party at Caffeinated’s ranch. Wildfire was pleased to learn that in addition to the herd, Air Raid would be attending with Amethyst and Cream, as would Bluefeather and Cyclone, Slate and Darkstar and Moonbeak and Brightstar would also be there.

The conversation remained light until the end of the meal, with the topics being the upcoming party or Wildfire’s recent dalliance with Tinkerer and the resulting pregnancy. Air Raid’s new mood endured throughout though and, when it was time for them to leave, her attitude was still in place.

It seemed the old wound had at last been healed.

Chapter 17 - Recovery: Heart & Soul

“You're all chipper,” Tempest said to Wildfire in her dining room after Amethyst, Cream and Air Raid had all gone back to Caffeinated’s ranch and the dishes had been washed and put away. They made an awesome team. “Was it nice to have company over?”

“Yuppers, it was.” Wildfire replied with a nod and with a thoughtful look on her face. “It was nice to at last help Raid over her issue.” And, while it had indeed been fun yelling at her ex marefriend, there was something bugging her in the back of her mind. Something Cream had bought up in the ice cream parlour.

“I take it you had a pleasant morning with your guests?” asked Tempest, before turning and placing a soft tender kiss on her little lover’s lips. “It was an excellent lunch to come home to also. I think I've had it before in some posh Canterlot restaurant here in Manehatten.”

‘A pleasant morning’ was one way of describing what had transpired between herself and Air Raid. Pleasant was maybe not the adjective she would chose to use, but it had turned out so, so she didn’t argue the point. “Yuppers, I'm glad Amethyst and Cream liked it.”

Giggling brightly, Tempest nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “Zebras live for weird foods. You've tasted what Thespian makes for Caffeinated.”

Wasn’t that the truth? She was reminded, quite forcefully, of the weird and wonderful concoctions that Darkstar would often put together while they had been at university in Canterlot as part of her zebra studies. Although, she had to admit, some of the things had been tasty. “Yuppers! Hey. Now you're here, I wanted to ask something.”

“Sure, come up to the office and we can talk. I sort of skipped work this morning, though I tend to skip work every morning.” With Wildfire following close behind her, both mares shared a laugh at Tempest’s little joke. It was well known that she didn’t operate at all before eleven in the morning. At the top of the stairs, she lightly swatted the blind mare’s nose with her tail and moved into the office.

In the office, a thought of a different nature crept into Wildfire’s head. A rather fun, sexy thought, though it wasn’t without risk. “Honey...I had an idea for some fun, if you want some sexy times?”

“Sexy times is good,” Tempest commented as she sat at her computer in the converted second bedroom and logged on, nuzzling Wildfire while the machine booted up, “What sexy times do you have in mind, Wily?”

What she had in mind was a whole load of fun, if everything went to plan, which she hoped it would. “You, me, your desk, lots of polish.”

Curiously, with gears turning in her head, Tempest looked at her desk. She could see Wildfire’s idea, and it was a sexy one, but there was a problem. “That does sound like fun, but my desk has a lot more stuff on it than yours did. Maybe we can do it on the dining room table, with table cloth?”

Wildfire had been ready for that. Here was where her plan was about to become quite radical, for her, anyway. “We-Well...ah...you see, I don't need to be ‘on’ the desk. I can be under it."

Now, that got Tempest’s attention. She looked away from her computer screen to study Wildfire’s heavily scarred face. “Wily, are you sure?”

Very hard, Wildfire nodded her head, before she could change her mind. After all, if Air Raid could get over her issues, then so could she. “Yu-Yuppers, I'm sure, Honey.”

“Well, that will be interesting. The way I sit at my desk will make access difficult,” Tempest giggled playfully, all manner of possibilities running through her mind. The violet weather mare was struggling though to see what Wildfire had in mind, beyond eating her out. “I could work standing or with my legs out on either side of you.”

“The latter might be interesting. I want to see if you can work with 'distractions'.”

At last, with an “Oh,” Tempest caught on to what Wildfire had in mind. She saw it and she liked it. “I see your game now. So, what if you don't distract me?”

“Then you're a very dedicated pony!” the little blind mare booped Tempest’s nose condescendingly with a hoof. Something she knew earned her a ‘friendly’ glare. “I'm gonna want you to cum though, because afterwards, you get to make me cum the number of times I make you, any way you like.”

Tempest was liking this game more and more. “Oh, well, that is a good challenge.” And, she was always up for a challenge.

“So, you wanna play?”

Tempest very much did want to play. There was something important she had to do though first. “Let me chase out any dust bunnies under the desk, and then yes I do want to play.” Crouching down, she cleared away any loose dust with a flap of her powerful wings and made sure the cables under the desk were not in the way. She was glad that Wildfire was so small, as there wasn't much space under the low desk she used. “All clear, Wily.”

Slowly, hesitantly, Wildfire walked forwards, towards the desk. Once there, she felt around the available space with a hoof. She was struck at just how little room there actually was under the desk. She had her head partway under, when she froze and took a step backwards. At her side, Tempest licked her lover’s ear. “Things are only fun if everypony wants to play.”

“I-I want to play…” Again, she ran her hoof tentatively around the square hole under the desk. All her old fears were coming back in force, one fear in particular. “I um, I want to, I do. It's just...no. This isn't the box. I can do this.”

Tempest could well understand Wildfire’s fear. She herself hated her wings being bound up. Not being able to spread her immensely powerful limbs sent her into a state beyond hate and rage, as Mapper had discovered that one time she had tried. “There is no door, Wily, and if you need me to move I will be happy to do so.”

Taking deep breaths, calmed in no small part by Tempest’s assurances, Wildfire said, “Can I sit under just me for a moment, get used to it?”

The weather pony thought that was a very sensible idea. “Sure, just let me get the planner started,” she tapped at her keyboard now that the program had booted up and, once that was done, she backed away. “I could get us some drinks for after. A couple of beers, perhaps?”

“Beers would be awesomes, Honey, thank you.” Wildfire said with a smile, cautiously, like one would approach a feral manticore, she took a step towards the hole, feeling all around it and sniffing inside like it would attack her at any given moment. Eventually though, she did get under the desk and she sat comfortably in the small space.

Though she didn’t linger, in case Wildfire should need to come out to breathe, Tempest was given a very good idea of the box that Wildfire had endured for days with no release at the care home. Having seen enough of that, she loudly made her way out of the office and down the stairs. For Wildfire’s benefit, she was just as loud as she returned after two minutes to give her lover time to adjust.

Not dumb, Wildfire knew what Tempest was up to, she knew why she was making so much noise. “I'm fine, honest. It's not so bad, with no door.” To demonstrate, she wafted her hoof through the open space that was in front of her. Had there been a door, she would’ve been screaming by now.

“You're not saying my big butt is like a door, are you?” Tempest smirked as she set the two light beers down on the desk with a clink of glass.

“Nopes,” Wildfire shook her head. Thanks to Tempest making a very poor stealth pony, she had a mental picture of everything going on in the office. “I didn't say anything of the sort. Stop putting words in my mouth when there are better things to put there!”

“Guess it’s time to shut you up.” Tempest giggled, settling her ass on her seating pad in what was a most unnatural position for most ponies. Somewhere in Ponyville, a mint green unicorn sneezed and almost fell off a bench she was sat on. “Moving in. you'll feel my hind legs on either side of you.”

‘Alrighty’, Wildfire thought to herself, ‘I got this. I flew through the cables. I can do this…’

Carefully, Tempest slid herself into position, effectively sealing Wildfire in place. “Operation distraction is a go!” Trying not to look down, she started looking over the plan for that night's storm front. Under the desk, the blind mare sniffed out Tempest's crotch and began to lick up her inner thighs.

Reflexively, Tempest's violet thighs squeezed together slightly and then released. A smile that Wildfire couldn’t see spread over the weather mare’s face as she checked who was off duty and the reason why. Using Tempest’s reaction and her thighs as a guide, Wildfire leant forwards, trailing slow wet kisses up her legs towards her prize.

Concentrating hard in an attempt to not moan and climax too soon, Tempest ran verification checks on the storm cloud production and testing. Wildfire though took the lack of response as a personal challenge. She snorted out through her nose and, now with her muzzle pressed against Tempest's crotch, she delivered a lick straight up her damp slit. That did it. “D-Do hmmmm, do you want to hear what I'm working on, or just my moans?”

“I'm interested!” came a muffled voice from between her hind legs as Wildfire, now with the response she wanted, went to licking and nibbling at her labia, seeing how wet she could make her older lover. She was telling the truth, she was interested. Sort of.

Strangely, the more Wildfire lapped at her marehood like a puppy lapping at a bowl of water, Tempest was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. “I have oooooh confirmaaaation that the Mayor has approved the plan. Fire aaaAAAH Deeeeepartment has been notified there will be lighting.” Damn if Wildfire’s tongue wasn’t talented! “Oh yeah. Now to see that the clooouds are moooved into place!”

“That sounds interesting,” Wildfire murmured, though she was far more interested in the cadence and frequency of her lover’s moans. Which were getting longer, louder and closer together. She found her clitoris with her tongue and blew on it before licking her button.

Sat in front of Wildfire, Tempest jerked and slid forwards, conspicuously grinding her marehood into her muzzle. “Hnnnng!” she grunted, for her tongue was working miracles. “Doing last minute line-up changes to account for sick leave!” Her prize now located, the little blind pony wrapped her lips around Tempest's hard nub and sucked hard, holding it lightly in her teeth. Enjoying the sensations, Tempest leant away from her machine, thrusting her hips forwards at the same time. “Takinnnng a break…ooooh buuuuuck!”

Snickering, and with her nose rubbing her clit, Wildfire slid her tongue deep inside Tempest sopping wet marehood, swirling it around her muscular walls. It wasn’t long after that, a few seconds at the most, that Tempest shuddered and moaned as she was taken over her edge. Riding her orgasm, she looked back at her terminal and verified all the company commanders had responded. Wildfire felt her straighten up as she sent her confirmation to the brigade. “Storm is a go!”

“Oh you went alright…” Wildfire smirked deviously as, between her quivering hind legs, she licked the cum off of her glistening slit. “Or came, whichever,” she giggled and dived back to her own work. A job she was remarkably very good at.

With a giggle in her voice, Tempest said, “If you are outside at one thirty in the morning I'll pee on you.”

“Only place I'll be at one thirty is snoring using Pretty as a pillow,” Wildfire retorted, taking a brief break from alternating sucking and licking on her clit.

“I...oh yeah...” Tempest had trouble concentrating on what she was saying as she felt waves of pleasure build up inside her once more. Sweet merciful Goddess her little herd-mate was good! She was at least on a par with Serenity, and that was high praise. “I could have them wake you with a thunder clap at one fifteen?”

“Uh huh…” Wildfire swirled her talented tongue in circles around the older pegasus’s hard throbbing clit, then she used the toe of her hoof to rub it before inserting her tongue deep into her snatch once more.

“I'llllllll have to settle for oooh…oooooh Luuuuna! For peeing on the house and hope there is a leak then!”

“There's a leak under here…”

As Wildfire licked her as hard as she could, Tempest reached her second orgasm. It was a long and violent climax that saw her grip the desk hard with her forehooves and clench her thighs tight around Wildfire’s head, trapping the mare in place as she came all over her face. “Not my fault!” she moaned when next she could speak.

“Not complaining!” Wildfire giggled, greedily lapping up Tempest’s ejaculate with relish.

“My job is done,” said Tempest, reaching down between her legs and patting Wildfire’s head gently, “but feel free to continue if you'd like to rack up another point.”

Wildfire would have happily continued for hours but, under the desk, she shifted her position a little to ease her hind legs and she inadvertently touched the close sides around her. That bought back rather abruptly where she was. She didn’t like it. She had to remind her self this was not the box. “I'd like to get out now, please Honey.”

Immediately, Tempest slid herself back, first getting her legs out of the way and then she rolled to stand up on her hooves. “That was wonderful!”

As quickly as she could, Wildfire crawled out from under the desk and shook herself off like a wet puppy drying herself. She was making sure she had at least a leg’s length of space all around her. “I did it!”

When she was sure her diminutive lover was alright and in no danger of panicking, Tempest laid a very loving kiss on her very messy muzzle. After all, she had made the mess. “Yeah, you did!”

Excited and elated in equal measure, Wildfire almost bounced from the kiss alone. “I was nervous, then I did the thing, and I wasn't nervous!”

Tempest’s heart broke for the overjoyed little pony. Not for nothing was she the mother hen of the herd, second possibly to Thespian. She was so proud of Wildfire, she didn’t have the words. “You were focused on your mission to success.”

“Yuppers!” standing on the very tips of the toes of her hooves, Wildfire kissed Tempest’s lips. “Shall we have an I-did-it beer?” All of a sudden overcome, the little mare reared up and stood on her hind hooves, throwing her forelegs in the air like she had just won the Running of the Leaves. “Wohoo!”

Grinning, caught up in Wildfire’s enthusiasm, Tempest took up one of the beers in her wing and passed it to the little mare’s hoof. “We shall! Here's yours.” Coming back down to all fours, Wildfire gratefully took her beer and Tempest picked up the second in her wing and lightly tapped the bottles together. “To trying new things.”

“And succeeding!” Wildfire giggled and, cracking open her bottle, she took a long generous sip. “That actually brings me onto another thing, Honey. Something Cream bought up earlier…”

Tempest laughed at that. “I can't begin to guess what a zebra might bring up.”

“It was in the ice cream shop, while we were getting Raid over her issues. She said she had a nickname for Amethyst, her Mistress. Then she asked me if I had one for Mis...Mi...Mapper.”

“Do you?”

Hesitantly, Wildfire shook her head. “No,” as she spoke, her ears slicked back to her head. “I have one for you, Airy, Serenity, even Dusky. They came easy, like I told Cream. It’s just, when it comes to Mapper, I don’t.”

As she had her beer held in her right wing, Tempest, ever on Wildfire’s right side, wrapped her left wing around her lover. “Why does this bother you so much?” When all she could do by way of reply was shrug, Tempest deftly changed the subject. “I'm for a nap. Those unicorns worked me hard, and I have a full night of weather duty ahead. Wanna snuggle?”

“Yuppers I wanna snuggle!” Wildfire, completely distracted from asking about Mapper and her lack of a nickname, was excited as a foal on Hearths Warming for a snuggle-fest.

When they had both drank their light beers, Tempest yawned. One, she was genuinely in need of a nap, and two, the mother hen in her didn’t want the newly pregnant mare to have another beer, even if it was light. “Lead the way, Wily.”

Wildfire, about to lead the way, let out a surprised and startled “Yeeep!” when Tempest snuffled her snout under her black tail and took a bite of it. Obediently she led the way from the office to the bedroom. She didn't need to feel the way, it was second nature to her. Every step, Tempest chewed on her tail working her way forward as they walked the short distance. “GaaaAAH Ho-Honey!” she was on the tips of her hooves and leaking by the time she reached the bed.

When Tempest followed Wildfire up onto the bed, she had her dock in her mouth. “Something smells nice!”

“EeeeEEK...” Wildfire gasped, well aware that she was leaking rather a lot by now, her aroused juices flowing straight into the violet mare's mouth. “That would be meeee!”

At last, Tempest let go of Wildfire’s dock and, after a moment’s respite, she shoved her nose directly under it and then used her own talented tongue to lick as low as it would reach to her nose. “Wily! It is you!”

In response to the stimuli at her ass end, Wildfire had her hindquarters up in the air and her head down, her tongue lolling out and panting hard. Tempest’s tongue was like electric fire dancing its way with unerring precision all over her marehood. “HMmmmMMM I lo-love your tongue!”

“I love it too,” Tempest commented, running her tongue all the way from Wildfire’s clit to her tail-hole in one motion. “It lets me scoop up choco chips from the table.” She delivered another well-placed lick along the middle of her lover’s moist slit. “Among other things.” She then ran her tongue in circles around the muscular sphincter of her anus. “Are you a clean little filly?”

Earnestly, Wildfire nodded her head, so hard she ruffled the bedsheets underneath her. “Yu-uuuppers! I had a long bath earlier, I'm clean, Honey.”

Behind her, Tempest giggled. “Not for long, Wily.” Carefully, so as not to hurt her mending wings, Tempest rolled her over onto her side so she could settle down for a really good feast. A feast she was determined to enjoy as she lavished her attention on both of Wildfire’s holes.

“MMmmmMAAAH Hooooney!” Wildfire panted as she felt Tempest’s tongue work alternating figure of eights from her asshole to her dripping wet snatch. When the violet mare caressed her teats with a hoof and pulled her tail out of the way with the other, she had her left hind leg raised up for ease of access, it quivering with pleasure as her holes were eaten out.

Working efficiently, Tempest didn’t bother to tease, rather she licked at just the right spots she knew in order to get Wildfire to a hard and rapid climax. When she ran her tongue along the roof of her vagina and rubbed her nose over her clit, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Oh!” she squealed, following up seconds later with a longer, louder scream as she squirmed and squirted, her cum drenching Tempest's face and muzzle. “Oooooh Buuuck meeee!”

Tempest, positioned at Wildfire’s rear, lapped up Wildfire’s juices. “Not now, maybe another day though.” She giggled and used her hooves to get the diminutive yellow pegasus into a better spot on the bed. She went in for round two, this time she took her time with her licks, nips, and a loving, caressing hoof.

“Mmmmm de-deeeeefinately another day...” Wildfire purred, the little mare thoroughly enjoying being brought up to a second, slower orgasm. She only slightly regretted not doing more with Tempest under the desk if she was getting treated like this. Tempest did indeed take her time, but she still didn’t tease with build up and let down. Mere moments later, Wildfire let out a cute scream as she came a second time, panting and quivering on the bed.

Now that they had both achieved two orgasms each, a very satisfied Tempest crawled her way up Wildfire’s body until she was nose to nose with her. “Such a sweet mare you are. Must be the pregnancy.”

“Hmhmm must be,” Wildfire giggled in agreement, though she wasn’t a hundred per cent ‘with it’ at that moment. Not that she was complaining. “I thought you were trying to kiss Fireflight good night, Honey.”

“Don't put it past me,” she retorted, quickly laying a tender little kiss to her lips. Very important kiss taken care of, Tempest then set her alarm for seven p.m., later that evening. “I want a sleepy snuggle, but I don’t want to miss dinner.”

Smiling on the bed, Wildfire’s smile only got wider when she felt Tempest snuggle up behind her. The little mare rather enjoyed being the little spoon. She was little, after all. She proceeded to make herself as snuggly as she possibly could until, moments later, she heard Tempest snoring gently against her.

Laying there on the bed, in what she assumed was a darkened room – she had heard Tempest draw the curtains before getting into bed – Wildfire enjoyed the snuggles. She counted out the time, stopping when she had reached what she thought was twenty minutes. As nice as the snuggles were, and as nice as it was laying with Tempest, she just wasn’t tired.

Wildfire lasted another ten minutes before she decided she was bored. Very carefully, so as not to wake up her sleeping marefriend, she disentangled herself from four violet legs. Once she was out of the bed, she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. While Tempest was entertaining Luna in the Dreamscape, she wanted coffee.

With steaming hot in hoof, well, on the coffee table, Wildfire began do her math paper again before changing her mind after she had answered the seventh question. It was starting to get hard after that, and that was no fun. Wondering what else to do, she decided to give her step-mother, Emerald, a call instead.

Over in Equestria’s capital city of Canterlot, as it was midday, the dull orange pegasus with the eponymous emerald green mane was having lunch with three other mares, a unicorn and two earth ponies, who were her house guests in her halfway house. Even though there were eight rooms, she still claimed the basement as her space. Surprised by the unexpected call, it took her several rings to scrabble for her phone. “Hello, Emerald speaking.”

“Hey momma!” Wildfire responded in typical fashion, the blind mare foregoing the use of ‘step’ in her step-mother’s title, as she had promised she would.

“W-w-w-Wily!” Hearing her step-daughter’s – daughter, she had to remind herself – voice, she began to stutter down the phone line. “Is everything ok-kay?”

“Yuppers,” As she said that, she flexed her wings in their casts and winced at the pain that shot to her wing joints, Autumn’s last reminder of what had happened. “Well, yes and no,” she corrected herself, “but mostly yes.”

Not knowing what to make of that, Emerald excused herself from the dining table and took her phone through to the living room. She didn’t want her tone to upset her guests, all of whom were recovering from their own situations. “That's good?” she asked cautiously after she had sat on her couch.

“Yeah, it's been a whirlwind few days,” Wildfire admitted as she took a slow sip of her coffee. Her ears slicked back and her tone changed ever so slightly, for she was wondering how much to tell her over the phone. “Mom, is it alright if Tempest and I come see you? I need mom time.”

“Always!” Emerald answered almost before her daughter had finished asking the question. There was always room her in her house. “I have t-two spare be-bedrooms,” she giggled, getting comfy on her couch, “Though I g-guess you only need one.”

“Yuppers, we only need one. And, thanks momma, we'll be there sometime Saturday morning.”

Were it down to Emerald, they’d be there now in her house. “I look f-forward to one of yo-your hugs, Wily.”

“I promise I won't squeeze too hard this time,” Wildfire smiled, neglecting to mention that she couldn’t squeeze too hard, lest she risk popping a stitch or hurting her wings. She ultimately decided against telling her what had happened in the subway. After all, what good would it do, other than to worry her?

“Oh!” Emerald exclaimed brightly after a moment’s pause, “I can f-fly again!”

“Really? Oh momma, that's great news!”

“And I ha-have th-three guests,” she smiled in such a way that it travelled in her voice down the phone. She couldn’t help it, she was so proud of what she had accomplished in the halfway house, with Prince Dusk and Princess Luna’s help. The oldest of her guests, a sixty year old unicorn, had escaped fifteen years of domestic abuse by killing her husband. Thankfully it had been ruled self-defence and she had escaped prison. The two earth pony mares were twin sisters, twenty eight, homeless and had been rescued from a life of drugs and prostitution. “I'll introduce th-them to you, when you g-get here.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire grinned, looking forward to feeling her mother’s success for herself. Then, she had an idea to make Emerald an even happier mare. “Oooh! Oooh! Momma, I have news for you too!”

“You're getting married?” Emerald couldn’t resist the tease, she giggled, knowing that her daughter had told her that in her last call.

“Duh...you know that already!” Wildfire giggled and, seeing as how she had been teased, she saw no reason why she shouldn’t tease in return. Fighting to control her giggles, she said, “Before I tell you though, can I ask your age, just once?”

Taken aback by the sudden question, Emerald replied, “Oh, yes, I'm thirty three. “I’ll turn thirty four on the seventeenth of September.”

As it happened, Wildfire knew that date very well. Now it was her turn to smile. “That’s something you share with mum!”

“Oh...” Emerald’s ears went straight back and her wings sagged like ton weights hanging from her body. Her sadness carried in her voice just like her happiness had done as she realised what Wildfire meant. “Oh...” was all she could think of to say.

“No!” Wildfire exclaimed quickly, though not too loudly in case she woke Tempest upstairs. The last thing she wanted was a sad momma, this was happy news! “Nonono, no sad! Momma, I need to ask you a serious question. Is thirty three too young?”

“Y-Young? Y-You-young for w-what?”

“To be a grandmare.”

Silence. Utter, complete silence greeted Wildfire’s statement. She was worried that Emerald hadn’t understood her correctly, or that the line had gone dead. Seconds, long unbearable seconds of silence passed by like an eternity. On the other end though, Emerald’s mouth was frozen in its open shocked state. Slowly, as time passed, what Wildfire had said sunk into her brain. “I'm going to be a grandmare!” she screamed so loudly that she startled her guests. “Ahem, um, when?”

“Yuppers you are!” Wildfire beamed, feeling a lot better now she knew that the phone hadn’t in fact died on her. “My filly is due in ten months, momma.”

“That is wonderful news!” Emerald gushed, the older pegasus still recovering from being told she was going to be a grandmother. The word ‘step’ didn’t even come into the equation at all. All that mattered was the grandmother bit. “Y-you little tease.”

“Guilty as charged. Sorry about that, kinda, well no, I’m not.”

Laughing now, Emerald did at least sound as happy, or happier, than when she first answered. “I know it’s too soon f-for me to feel, b-but I still w-want to touch your be-belly.”

“Of course, you must!” Wildfire sipped her cooling coffee and smiled so that her mother could hear it in her voice. “My filly needs to know her old grandmare, doesn’t she?”

“Oh hush, you, old indeed…” Emerald tried to grouse, but she was giggling too much for that to be convincing. “I'll have your r-room ready for w-when you come. D-Do you h-have something you want for dinner?”

Well now, that was a very easy one to answer. Wildfire didn’t even have to spend time thinking. “Triple fried egg sandwich with chilli and chutney, chunky fries and please, please a salted caramel donut? Pweeeeease momma?”

“I can d-do that.” There was no need for her daughter to beg all cute like that, but if Wildfire was going to be cute, there was no way in Equestria that Emerald was going to stop her. “W-We eat that about tw-twice a week. It is popular and easy to make.”

“Are you saying I'm popular and easy?”

“Y-You should ask Airmail ab-about that,” Emerald shot back with a giggling laugh.

“It was good to talk to you, momma,” Wildfire lifted the coffee mug up to her lips and felt that she had drank it all. This couldn’t be allowed to continue! She needed coffee. “We'll see you in a couple of days.”

“Okay W-Wily. I-I love you…” No matter how many times Emerald said that, it still made her blush.

“I love you momma. Fireflight loves you too.”

“Who’s Fi-Fireflight?”

Silently, Wildfire cursed herself and she had to resist the urge to facehoof on her couch. “Oh, sorry, it’s my filly's name, momma.” She didn’t feel the need to tell her then and there why she had chosen Fireflight, or the history behind the name. That was best saved for when they were together.

“Oh! That is a l-lovey name, W-Wily.”

“Thanks, momma,” Wildfire then proceeded to deliver lots of wet sloppy kisses down the phone, much to her mother’s amusement. “We all love you.”

Emerald decided that was as good a place as any to say good bye for the time being, least she start to cry like a little filly. Besides, she had three house guests in her dining room that she had to gossip with, urgently. With her phone call completed, Wildfire somewhat reluctantly went back to her math paper for the university.

She thought about calling Darkstar, Cyclone, Brightstar or Dusk, but ultimately she decided against, seeing as how she would be in their company tomorrow at the BDSM party at Caffeinated’s ranch. So, with that in mind, Wildfire got herself another coffee and prepared to immerse herself in her math work. Nothing to it, but to do it.

Hours later, at 5:30p.m., though it only felt like a few minutes, Wildfire’s cell phone rang. Quickly she reached for the coffee table and answered her call. The caller ID told her just whom was calling her. “Hey Pretty,” she said brightly, “One sexy mare speaking, how may I help you?”

On the other end of the call, Airmail giggled. “Nice to know I got the right number. Are you making dinner, or should I get something on the way?”

“Bring home something tasty.” Wildfire answered, again setting aside her math paper. She rather fancied she was done for today anyway. “I think I've done enough cooking for today.”

Airmail paused at her desk, the lead editor having just shut everything down for the day and about to leave for home. “Stormy make you cook?”

“Cream helped me cook for us all when she, Air Raid and Amethyst were here.” Wildfire corrected her fiancé, explaining what had happened during the day while she had been at work. “Honey got back in time to join us for lunch.”

“I'm sure she was smelling it from Mapper's place. You started developing cravings yet?”

“Yuppers.” She hadn’t, not really, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t tease. “I'm craving a sexy blue mare's lips on my teats. Also watermelon.”

“Check, watermelon to your teats and then suck it off.” Airmail said, bursting out into giggles when she heard a low aroused moan from the other end of the call. “Remember the fish pizza at my sis's place?”

Of course Wildfire remembered! That morning spent in Fillydelphia seemed an age ago now, even though it was just over a week past. “Yuppers, I remember, it was proper tasty!”

“I'll get one of those and an artichoke pizza. Something for everypony. See you in about forty five minutes.”

“Alrighty. I'll have a coffee ready for you love.”

A short time later, just after the clock had ticked onto ten minutes to seven in the evening, the back door opened and Airmail sauntered in like she owned the place, which she did. The azure blue lead editor for the newspaper placed the carrier bags full of pizza on the kitchen table and announced her presence. “Pizza is here!” she called out, “Where is the weather pony?”

Having decided that she would again have a go at her paper, Wildfire was seated in the dining room, just to the side of the kitchen. True to her word, there was a fresh pot of coffee made for herself, Airmail and Tempest on the table. “She's still tormenting Luna in the dreamscape I think, Pretty.”

Setting the pizza boxes on the dining room table, Airmail giggled at a joke she had just thought of regarding Tempest, Mapper and Serenity and a rather large dildo. “Maps and Ser must have really worn her out. Do you know if she set the alarm, or do you want to wake her with a tongue to the ear?”

“She said she set her alarm, but I'm not sure what time for, Pretty.” Wildfire replied, trying her best to ignore the delicious smell of the cooked pizzas as se rubbed out an answer she had just wrote down and tried again, determined to get the answer right.

Walking over, Airmail tried to focus on what Wildfire was doing. She used what little she knew of braille writing to look at the dots on the top. It took her a moment to understand what her little lover was up to. “Math...” she tried to not sound so surprised. “You’re working on math?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire beamed proudly, so happy was she with her little self. “I got the home course from Manehatten University. I can study at home and I just need to attend to do the exam. I got Firefighting theory and cloud management, too.”

Airmail got close enough to nuzzle Wildfire’s cheek and kiss her ear. “Seems I'm marrying a studious mare.”

Smiling, Wildfire returned the nuzzle and explained, “I thought it made sense, y'know? I never got formal education regarding firefighting before, and I never graduated Canterlot University, thanks to Amethyst Glory. I thought I’d do something about that.”

Airmail’s heart melted with love and pride for her diminutive lover. “Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?”

“Mmmmm...” Wildfire tapped her chin in faux thought, “You have, but not since you left for work earlier this morning, Pretty.”

“Then forgive me. You're truly awesomes!” Airmail beamed, borrowing one of her fiancé’s many patterns of speech – some she found odd, all she found cute – and she gave her a big kiss straight to her lips. A kiss she held as long as she could.

Beaming as wide as her partner, Wildfire returned the kiss as enthusiastically as it was given. “I haven't felt the first cloud management and firefighting papers yet. I decided to tackle my nemesis first.” She patted the math paper with her hoof, “Speaking of which, I have two other things to report too.”

Curiously, Airmail moved her hoof to the start of a problem on the next page of the math paper. Not to test her unduly, she wanted to see how far her lover had come, for she knew how she felt with regards to math. “Answer that one for me, please.”

Somewhat nervously, the little blind mare ran her hoof over the raised dots on the page. “Hmm…” it was a tricky one, that was for sure. She felt the question a second and third time, just to be sure. ‘(3x + 2y = 14; 3x - y = 2; x = y = ?)’ she thought long and hard before the answer came to her. “X equals two and Y equals four.”

“Woah, you is a smart mare!” Airmail was suitably impressed. Especially as this was a mare who struggled with a far easier math problem not so long ago on the flight back from Fillydelphia to Manehatten. As a reward, she treated her to a second kiss. All of a sudden, there came the sound of an alarm going off upstairs. “Keep your books on the table, Wily, just move them aside.”

“Alrighty.” Wildfire moved her things as far over to the side of the dining table as she could, so she knew where they were. “So, guess what else happened? I think Raid is finally getting her head on straight!”

Airmail cocked her head to one side, as she was wont to do. “Which means…”

Now properly awake, from upstairs, Tempest called out, “I smell pizza!”

With her ears moving, tracking the thump of the floorboards above her head that heralded Tempest’s descent down to meet them, Wildfire giggled. “It means Cream and I eventually got through to the stubborn pony. And Amethyst helped, too.”

At last, Airmail understood. The azure blue mare even made the O face to show how much she understood. “Did she forgive herself, then?”

“Who?” asked Tempest, making her entrance to the dining room and joining the conversation.

“Air Raid,” Airmail answered, both the older mares sharing a nod between themselves.

“Yuppers, I think she did.” Wildfire put in, though at that moment the hungry little pegasus was more interested in the contents of the pizza boxes than the contents of Air Raid’s head. “She certainly sounded happier when they all left here.”

“I would agree with that,” Tempest put in her two bits worth. “She was the proverbial green cream in a striped cookie!” Airmail let out a bright little giggle at that as Tempest opened the two boxes and inspected the pizzas that Airmail had bought home with her. “Can't take the ocean out of a Vanhoovan, huh?” she snickered when she saw the fish toppings. “I get four slices of the artichoke then?”

Sitting at the dining table, Airmail passed out the pizzas onto the three plates that she had set out. “Yes, and we get three each of the fish and one artichoke.”

That suited Wildfire just fine. “My Pretty knows what I likes!” Curiously, she had a sniff of the three types of fish that topped her three slices and clapped her hooves excitedly. “Oh, you want know what else? I helped Honey do her work too!”

Unfortunately for Tempest, the violet mare had just taken a rather large bite of her pizza and was now choking. Fortunately for Tempest, Airmail was on hoof to pat her back. “True,” she coughed through watering eyes, “she did increase my productivity by at least twenty percent.”

Curiosity piqued, Airmail chewed her pizza thoughtfully. “Thinking of switching over to weather, Wily?”

“Nopes, I like firefighting too much.” Wildfire tried her best to keep her voice level and measured as she spoke, but she was fighting her giggles all the way. She was only partially successful. “I was a good helper pony though. I got under her desk and ‘helped’ until she was done.”

So uncertain was she that she had heard right, Airmail had to rub out her ears with her hoof. ‘Under?’ she mouthed to Tempest, to which the violet mare nodded with a smile on her face. When she saw the nod, Airmail repeated, “Under?”

The weather pony smirked around the piece of pizza in her mouth. She rather enjoyed watching her marefriend and herd-mate connect the dots from A to B to C. “Yes, exactly what you're thinking, Airy.”

“I have a desk.”

“True that,” Tempest all but drew the older mare a Pony Sutra diagram with the salacious wink she gave her, “and yours is roomier than mine.”

“Oh...” Not normally a pony given to wingboners, Airmail’s usually obedient wings shot out either side of her, standing very erect indeed.

In response to Airmail’s unanswered question, Tempest added, before picking up a second slice, “She did well in an environment under her control. I don't think she is ready to play with Lavender yet though.”

“No,” Wildfire muttered, her excited, upbeat mood seemingly evaporating in an instant as her ears slicked back. She didn’t like the sound of the isolation suit, regardless of how well she had done under the desk. “I um...I think I'll leave that to Cy.”

Leaning in close, Airmail nuzzled her fretting mare’s cheek. “Teasing dear. Now, enjoy the pizza before it goes cold.”

“I will, Pretty. Least it's not celery!” she giggled as she ate, savouring the taste of the fish on her palette. Whether it was a throwback to her time in the care home or not, she ate slowly, getting as much of the taste as she could. “I think I made momma's day too.”

Not for the first time, Airmail and Tempest shared a look between them. “How is Emerald doing?” asked Airmail once she had polished off her second slice.

Chuckling, Tempest asked, “How loud did she squeal?”

Airmail gave her lover a curiously dense look. “Squeal?”

“Very well. She has three house guests now in her halfway house,” Wildfire paused and giggled around her pizza flavoured hoof. “I asked her how old she was. Then I asked her if thirty three was too young. She asked for what? I said to be a grandmare. I think she squealed so loud my mum heard her.”

Rolling her eyes, Airmail, who was extremely thick when she wanted to be, facehooved and Tempest clapped her hooves. She always did appreciate a well-executed prank, and that was textbook. “You told her of our visit?”

“Yuppers. She says anytime we stop by she has a room for us, so Saturday is cool.”

“Excellent.”

Wildfire turned her ears to what Tempest had just said. “I didn't tell her about my being attacked. I know she'd only worry and I don't want that.” Having said that, she ate her artichoke pizza. “Oh! She can fly again now! Her primaries must've grown back! So that's awesomes, right?”

Airmail had to agree that was ‘awesomes’. She well remembered the sorry excuse for a pegasus with her mutilated wings that had answered the door to them two weeks ago now. “That really is good news. She will see your casts though when you get there.”

“It is something easier to take care of in person than over a phone.”

Airmail had to concede that Tempest had a very good point. “That may be true, Stormy.”

“I didn't want sad worrying momma.” Wildfire explained her reasoning, though no explanation was necessary. Both Airmail and Tempest understood and agreed. “She sounded sad when she told me her birthday - it was the same as my mum's was. I cheered her up though with grandmare news. Know what else? I think she's getting over her stutter too now she's not under dad's hoof.”

“She's getting help, also right?” asked Airmail quickly, a little too quickly.

“Not every doctor is out to get you.” Tempest snorted.

Airmail’s eyes narrowed. “Stormy.”

“What?”

Hearing not just the words but the underlying sudden tension in the tones of her lovers’ voices, Wildfire’s ears swivelled from Airmail to Tempest and back again. It was so odd for her to hear those tones in the other two pegasi’s voices. “What's going on?”

“I'm just glad that Luna came through and Emerald is getting the help she needs.” Airmail swerved the question, though internally she was kicking herself over the moon.

Wildfire however would not be easily placated. “That's not what it sounded like, what's wrong, Pretty?”

Frowning, Tempest reached over the dining table that was strewn with pizza boxes and half eaten slices of food and coffee mugs and poked her pouting lover hard with the toe of her hoof. “She is unhappy with my comment. What did you think of it Wily?”

If she was honest, Wildfire didn’t know what to think of it. So, using what little she knew of Airmail’s military past and her own misadventures, she guessed. “I think Airy's had a bad experience with doctors in the past and doesn't want my mom having a similar one.”

It was a good guess. Shame it was wrong. Snorting now in annoyance, Tempest facehooved at the sheer density of the little firefighter. She opened her mouth only to have Airmail shut it with a severe glare. Saying nothing, Tempest instead performed her breathing exercises while Airmail spoke. “Wily, I've had no trouble with doctors, but a mare I love didn't want to go to a hospital. Why was that?”

“Oh...oooooh right!” All at once the bit dropped and Wildfire understood. “You mean what happened to me at the care home, with Doctor Mindbender and stuff?”

“And Stormy was trying to prove a point in a way that wasn't nice.”

Unapologetically, Tempest shrugged her shoulders. “The world isn't nice.” If there was a shining world where there was no war, no hunger and where everypony suddenly broke out into song and danced on rainbows, she had yet to find it. The world was dirty, smelly, noisy, complicated and real.

“Yuppers, it's not. Sometimes it sucks huge buckets.” As she rubbed her right hoof along her left foreleg, Wildfire could well appreciate just how not nice the world could be. She herself was a walking advertisement for just that very thing. “I get it now.”

“I hope you get it when your physical is due.”

“Stormy!”

Again, just as unapologetically as before, Tempest shrugged as she snaffled up her last slice of pizza. “I deal in reality, and that goes double for the ones I love.” She then kissed both Wildfire and Airmail, adding just enough tongue that there was no doubt what flavour her pizza had been. “Now I have a belly full of pizza, I'm off to work. I'll try not to wake anypony up when I get back.”

Of course there was no ill feelings between the three ponies. Wildfire demonstrated this by hugging Tempest until she squeaked. “Make sure you pee on lots of ponies!”

Whatever tension there was in the room was shattered when Tempest and Airmail both burst out laughing. “I will pee on this house, maybe a bit will drip on Airy when she leaves for work.”

“I'll carry an umbrella.” The azure blue mare retorted, to which Tempest just laughed all the more as she moved out of the back door and took flight. Now that they were alone with just the remnants of the meal for company, Airmail nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “You okay?”

“Yuppers, Pretty, I'm fine.” Wildfire returned the nuzzle with one of her own. “It's just been a bit of a long day that's all. Raid was stubborn, and I had to shout at her. Then the math paper was hard.” Like Tempest had done, she shrugged. “Guess I'm just a bit more oblivious than normal…”

“Is the math harder or easier now compared to when you were at Uni?” Airmail asked curiously, for she had her own theory about that.

“It's a lot easier now,” Wildfire answered quickly, running her hoof over the next problem down the page as she did so. “The numbers don't move about like they used to. I was doing prime numbers when Cream came with Raid. She said they were tricky but I think she was humouring me a bit.”

That confirmed the lead editor’s theory she had made with Tempest regarding Wildfire’s math ability. “You should let Requiem know when you next talk to her.” She gave her diminutive lover a light kiss to her nose. “Is it okay for some friends to humour you?”

Nodding her head in agreement, Wildfire drank the rest of her coffee. “Oh, Pretty, it's okay. I know she wasn’t being mean.”

Airmail really had to concur with Wildfire’s assessment. From what she knew of the two zebras, she didn’t think Cream had a mean bone in her body. “Good, I don't see Cream being mean. Amethyst might be unkind, but I don't think she would be mean either. You have more studying to do? I have an article I need to edit.”

With a hoof wafting over the raised dots on the paper, she wanted to leave it alone, but it wasn’t going to answer itself, was it? Oh well. Nothing to it but to do it. “Hmm, I suppose I should do the algebra section before bed. But it's haaaaaaard!”

Walking through the dining room, Airmail paused on her way to the stairs. “Wily, you need help up the stairs with your books?” As she needed to get the math book done first, Wildfire asked the older pegasus to take that one up for her. Fortunately, with her limited braille and because it was open, she knew which one it was. “Got it!” Giving her a kiss of thanks, Wildfire led the way up the stairs, lifting up her black tail to give her fiancé the best view she could.

Behind her diminutive lover, Airmail was only too happy to take in the heavenly view that was presented to her on the way up to the first floor. She was more than happy to let Wildfire lead the way to the office. Once they were in the office, the yellow mare still had her tail up high as she felt for her desk. ‘Carelessly’, Airmail bumped into Wildfire’s rump, sending her muzzle under her tail. “Sorry, I wasn't ready for you to stop.”

“Eeeeek!” Wildfire giggled as she reached her desk and felt for the seat. “Totally my fault, Pretty.” It was particularly funny to the little mare because she knew full well that Airmail was possessed of lightning fast reflexes. The only way she ended up under her tail was because she wanted to. Not that she was complaining.

“Yes. Your fault. Totally.” Airmail giggled, and, still snickering, she moved around the office and over to her own desk. She didn’t really want to do any more ‘work’ that evening, but it had to be done. “I shouldn't be more than an hour, ish.”

“Alrighty. I'm going to get on with this,” Wildfire half sighed, half grunted as she fired up her computer. She was careful, when placing her math book, not to disturb the collection of cables that rested to the right of the machine. “How was work?”

“Nice,” Airmail answered without looking away from her computer screen. “Lavender did the coffee run. Omega got all three reports in on time, and I took care of those at the office. The one I'm working on now is an aftermath from the explosion in the Broncs. The Chief of Police finally stated it was a terrorist attack. The Mayor followed up with all resources are looking into it. She even had a letter from Princess Celestia confirming the crown's support.”

The news didn’t lift Wildfire’s spirits regarding the massive fire she had attended. “I still feel for those we weren't able to save.” Her ears slicked back to her scalp as she manipulated her keyboard, “It's like the fire won, y'know?” it didn’t make sense, she reflected, to think of it like that, but she did. She was a firefighter. It was a battle between her and the fire, one she had to win. Tracing her hooves over her keyboard and accessing the Open University section, she frowned. “Aw, each course has twelve papers! Then the big exam...”

“Fire is fire,” Airmail said as kindly as she could. “It forgives nopony, nor does it care who is hurt or what is damaged. Evil is the same, but evil did not win that day. Besides, I know a secret.”

The ears that had been angled backwards now stood up erect and pointed at her fiancé. There was excitement in her voice. “Care to share?” she asked, scanning her hoof over her math paper and getting down to where she left off in the dining room.

“Nope!” Airmail giggled. There was no way in all the land that she was spoiling what she knew was coming the next day.

“Aw...not even if I pout and say please?”

“Nope,” Airmail shook her head defiantly and used a tone that said she wasn’t to be coerced by her fiancé’s usual tactics. “And don't even try your puppy eyes on me. Do you want me to ride into town on the subway with you tomorrow, or are you taking another sick day?”

Slowly, Wildfire took a deep breath. “I can get to work on my own, Pretty. But, I do appreciate the offer, really I do.”

Very proud of her little mare, Airmail moved over to nuzzle her cheek. “I know you can, love. I just want to be sure you're ready to face the subway on your own. Some strange pony may ask for your help.” Now, she couldn’t hide the concern in her voice, not that she was trying, “I...I guess I'm acting like Tempest, huh?”

“Somepony might, you’re right.” Wildfire agreed with her partner before returning the affectionate nuzzle and kissing Airmail’s cheek. “I don't want to rush into anything, but I don't want to live afraid either…” Hesitantly, she ran her hoof along the pink collar that sat below the other blue / violet one at her neck. “I have you all with me.”

Wildfire’s gesture meant the world to Airmail. That she still wore the two tone collar blue side up meant even more. “She is a harsh Mistress, but that is to be expected.” The azure blue pegasus ran her hoof along the blue and purple collar over the pink. “We are your lovers and you will be my wife. Still we can be the lover, friend, and the Mistress you need.”

“I know Pretty. And, I know I had the major wobble in the hospital but...I want my Pretty Mistress. I don't need her. Not like when I first met you. That was the other way around, if I'm making sense?”

Airmail was sure if she smiled any brighter then Wildfire would see it. “It is good to be wanted,” she beamed, laying a gentle kiss on her lips and sighing, “Well, back to work for both of us.”

“Yuppers,” reluctantly, as she heard Airmail walk back over to her desk, Wildfire answered a few more questions before looking up from her book. She had something on her mind that had to be released. “There is a difference though, right? I want to be your pet, and Mapper's pet, because it's fun and sexy, not because it’s a crutch just to get through the day.”

Just when Airmail was sure she couldn’t be prouder or love her partner more, Wildfire went and showed her that she could. “Yes, the difference is called independence. Desire instead of need. Either can be sexy, but needy desire is sexier than just needy.”

“Yuppers,” the little mare smiled, “I'm glad that made as much sense to you as it did to me.” Seeing as she had answered almost two thirds of her first math paper, Wildfire decided to take a little break and look on the internet at the news feed on her home page.

Over at her desk, Airmail noted that Wildfire had for the moment set aside her university work. She noted but she chose to say nothing and she went back to editing her own newspaper piece. Reading her feed, she smiled. “No way...” she scanned her hoof over the keyboard and she had an ear bud headphones in her right ear. “Pretty this is so cool!”

Nervously, afraid that the big secret had been discovered, Airmail quickly scooted back over and looked at her screen. “What?” A look though told her that she was safe.

“Look!” she pointed a hoof at the screen, which displayed the big Manehatten cinema chain, the Showcase, would be showing the new movie version of The Tempest next weekend in ten days’ time.

“This is what happens when you follow politics. I had no idea!” Airmail tried her absolute very best to keep the relief from her voice, she was partially successful. “You think Stormy knows?”

Wildfire wondered at that. “I don't know Pretty. I never knew anything about it either. This news feed thingamajig on the computer told me.” She didn’t know a computer could do that. They certainly couldn’t the last time she had used one.

“Plenty of time to plan. Can you get tickets this far in advance?”

Curiously, Wildfire ran her hoof over the keys and, after a moment, she smiled at the computer voice in her ear. “Yuppers! Because I need to reserve the sight assisted headset gizmo!”

“You see,” Airmail kissed her cheek, “those pretty eyes of yours gets you to the head of the line.”

“Eeeeeeee! D’you wanna go? We can all go!”

Teasingly, Airmail giggled and nudged Wildfire with her hoof. “So what part of 'plenty of time to plan' and 'can you get tickets' slipped past you?” When the little yellow mare had done blushing, she went ahead and bought five tickets for the movie. She made a valiant effort after that to return to her paper, but she was too excited. Presently though, Airmail finished what she was doing with a yawn. “Ugh, that took longer than I thought. I'm for a beer before bed, get you one?”

Wildfire didn’t need asking twice. Airmail had successfully twisted her hoof. “Oooooh yes please, Airy!” quickly sh set her paper aside with a groan. “I'm mathed out for today. Don't want any more, unless it's paddle plus yellow ass equals fun times!”

Full of giggles, Airmail elected to get the two beers out of the mini-fridge in the office, rather than go to the fridge in the kitchen. Opening them, she passed one to Wildfire. “Here you go. I hope I don't disappoint you, but I'm for bed after this. Maybe I’ll stretch to some snogging and snuggles between entry and sleep.”

“How can that disappoint me?” Wildfire asked with a laugh as she took the beer and sighed, all of a sudden she did feel rather tired. “If I had eyelids I think they'd be drooping by now any way.”

Once Airmail gave her lover a heavily beer flavoured kiss, she said, “Your wings sort of give that away. Besides, it is fun to try and tickle your tummy with my tongue down your throat.”

Wildfire giggled and kissed, then she giggled some more. “Honey tried to kiss Fireflight good night from the other end. You doing it from the top bit?”

~ ~ ~

At midnight, courtesy of Tempest and her weather brigade, the scheduled rain started right on time. Hours later, at two in the morning, there came a very loud peal of thunder right over the red bricked townhouse where Airmail and Wildfire were both snuggled up in bed, fast asleep. Along with the cannon blast that was the thunder, there was a very bright flash of lighting that illuminated the bedroom even through the closed drapes. Turning over in bed, Airmail mumbled, “Stupid Stormy...” with that, she went back to snoring.

By Airmail’s side, Wildfire, ever the light sleeper, was immediately awake. After a moment of panic in which she was certain the thunderclap was Lotus Stripes banging on her cell door, and after several moments of deep breathing exercises where she had to remind herself that she was free of all that, she laid back down and tried to go back to sleep.

However, thanks to the booming thunder and the sound of driving rain bouncing off of the roof, Wildfire ultimately gave up on the idea of that and, deciding what she could do, she carefully removed herself from Airmail’s legs and made her way downstairs. Her destination was coffee and her Wuthering Heights book she had left on the couch in the living room.

A further two hours later, just after four in the morning, a very damp Tempest opened the back door of her house and the weather mare let herself into the darkened kitchen. As the whole ground floor was in darkness, she assumed that her two herd-mates were upstairs in bed. That assumption was proved false when, as she was drying herself off, a familiar Canterlot accent came from the living room, along with the delicious scent of fresh coffee. “Hey Honey. There's fresh coffee in the pot for you.”

Listening hard now, Tempest giggled when she heard the turn of a page. “You didn't need to wake up to make me coffee,” she said, helping herself to a much needed mug of steaming hot zebra brand coffee. It was times like this she really loved Caffeinated. “But thank you, Wily.”

“I didn't,” Wildfire responded as she scanned her hoof down the page, the blind mare wanting to get to a point where she could stop reading and not lose her place. She was getting to a good bit with Heathcliff and Cathy. “It so happens that a thunderclap woke me up. Once I'm up, I'm up. Old habit, I'm afraid.”

Tempest knew well the source of the ‘old habit’ that Wildfire spoke of. Entering the dark living room, she snapped on the lights and decided not to push the issue as she set her mug on the coffee table and sat down next to her lover. “Glad to know my work didn't go unnoticed. Did you go outside?”

“Yuppers, I did, for a little while. It was nice to feel you work.” Wildfire smiled at the memory of standing in the driving rain. She could visualise the rain, almost recognise Tempest’s signature as it were. Marking her current page, she set her book down on the coffee table beside her drink.

Giggling, Tempest said, “With your fur colour it is hard to tell if you have a 'golden' glow from my work or not,” she leant in and kissed her lips, “It is nice to come home to coffee though.”

“With you I think I'll always have a ‘golden glow’,” Wildfire giggled, returning the kiss with one of her own. “You smelled the coffee right? That's why you came back now?” She knew she was only wanted for her awesomes ass and excellent coffee making skills.

Playfully, Tempest booped Wildfire’s nose. “We let the storm go east out over the Celestial Sea. De-briefing went very well, so I'm back a bit early. I was going to show up about the time Airy's alarm went off. Until then, I was going to chill here and listen to music but, now I can chill here with you.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, the diminutive mare happily snuggling into Tempest's side. Even though she had towelled herself off in the kitchen, she could still feel the residual moisture on her fur, she could smell chill of the night clinging to her. “By the way, I bought us tickets to the cinema in ten days’ time.”

Curiosity piqued, just as Airmail’s had been, Tempest raised an eyebrow. “I need to put that on my calendar then. Why so far in advance?”

“I learned there's the new movie version of The Tempest out,” explained Wildfire eagerly, “I had to reserve the sight impaired screen that comes with a headset gizmo that describes to me what's happening on the screen, what the characters are doing. It's a regular screen for you lot.”

Snickering, Tempest couldn’t resist a gentle tease. “Will I get royalties?” she asked with a giggle. Getting up, the older pegasus went to the bookcase in the living room and, coming back to the couch, she placed the book Wildfire had bought her next to her hoof. “You know, I've read this once since you got it for me, and I have started it a second time.”

Carefully, Tempest took Wildfire’s hoof in her own and moved it so the blind mare could feel the book’s title. Allowing her hoof to be moved, she smiled at the feel of the book. “My favourite bit is Prospero's Island.”

Tempest laughed at that, though she was mindful not to wake Airmail upstairs. “Before you got this for me, I wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about.”

“I love Miranda's quote, the "Oh brave world, that has such ponies in it..." It's pretty much my whole life this past month. The death of one way of life, the embracing of another.”

Considering that, Tempest had to agree that Wildfire had a good point. “Ariel is a real character,” she said after she had taken a long sip of her coffee. “Invisible to most, and always starting fights.”

Likewise, Wildfire drank her coffee, thankful that the zebra made go-juice had the ability to keep her fresh and awake. “Why am I not surprised you like Ariel, Honey?”

Once both mares had drank their fill, and the mugs were back on the coffee table, Tempest kissed Wildfire’s lips. “I would not wish any companion in the world but you. Miranda was rather sweet though. The mother hen in Tempest loved the way that Wildfire snuggled even deeper into her side and nuzzled her chest. She could happily endure that forever. “I still like Ariel, like when Prospero told him to be as free as the mountain wind.”

“Yuppers that was a good bit.” Wildfire smiled so wide that Tempest could feel it in her fur. “I had a moment like that when Mapper had me suspended in the dungeon.”

Again, Tempest lifted an eyebrow, though now she stroked her hoof affectionately through Wildfire’s straight black mane. “Being set free as long as you followed her every command, you mean?”

Wildfire spoke into Tempest’s chest fur, though her voice was clearly audible in the otherwise quiet living room. “That first time yes, but like I said to Airy earlier, I'm her pet, yours and Mapper's pet, now because I want to be, not because I need the direction just to get through the day.”

“I'm good with that.” With Wildfire snuggled up to her like she was, and with her stroking her mane like she was, Tempest couldn’t help but feel ‘motherly’. She was good with that, too. “As long as you stay yourself, and not pretend to be what you're not.”

“Remember the day after we met, it was a Friday? You had to order me to do every little thing just so I could get through the day.”

Of course Tempest remembered. She was hardly likely to forget that first week and those first few days in particular for as long as she lived. “It seems like yesterday and at the same time like it was years ago.”

“I know right?” Wildfire let out a long slow sigh. Tempest was a hundred per cent right. “So much has happened this past month and a bit it feels unreal, it’s like I'm living out a story somepony has written.”

Tempest stroked Wildfire’s mane slowly and affectionately. “I do hope the next one goes a bit better than this one.” She then took an interest in the novel that was on the coffee table. “What is that book you're reading? Wuthering Heights? I think that one missed my reading list too.”

“It's an awesomes book, Honey.” Wildfire picked up the book and showed it to her lover. “It's a sort of love story, kinda, between a mare called Cathy and stallion, Heathcliff.”

That didn’t enlighten Tempest much. “I'm more of a Stallionbock fan with Of Mice and Ponies, and Grapes of Wrath.”

The little mare vaguely remembered reading both of those at school. They had been required reading on Professor Quill’s course. “Ooooh they're both good. I read them at university. Mom liked 1984, though, the book where Celestia runs a dystopian Equestria with an iron hoof.”

“Airy liked that book,” giggled Tempest behind her hoof, “She said it was easier to run a paper with a smaller dictionary, and be an editor.”

Beside Tempest, snuggled into her violet fur, Wildfire snorted. “Come on, it's a bit farfetched though, isn’t it? I mean really, as if there's a super-secret torture room where the captive is forced to experience all their nightmares.”

Tempest was, for perhaps the millionth time, glad that Wildfire was blind. After the past month, she was almost one hundred per cent absolutely convinced that such a room did in fact exist. She was willing to stake her primary feathers on it. “It was written before Luna's return. I think ponies were a bit lost all that time without Luna doing dream duty.”

“I think you're right. I'm kinda glad I was born after her return.”

“I think she was around for a couple of years before Trottingham would believe she was really back.”

All of a sudden, Wildfire was curious about that. “What was it like, Honey? Before Luna came back? I imagine the land was essentially the same, but there must've been some differences. Then again, I wonder what it was like for her, in the moon?”

“That was a while ago, now.” Replied Tempest thoughtfully as she cast her mind back to when she was a younger mare. “I remember that mom would let me sleep with her when I had nightmares. I think I eventually grew out of that. It sort of blends together. Airy joined the Equestrian service before her return.”

“Being imprisoned for a thousand years though...” Wildfire shuddered, “I thought five years in the care home was bad…”

Tempest laughed as she drank her coffee, trying not to spill it down herself, “Yeah, well, I'm not going to be the one to ask how it was.”

“Wisdom of the oldenpony!” Wildfire giggled when the older mare playfully swatted her ear with her hoof that had been stroking her mane. She then nestled even further into Tempest's fluffy chest fur. “You know, you have awesome floof, Honey.”

“I'm sure there are scientific reasons for that, but I believe your word is good enough!” she smiled, draping her right wing around Wildfire’s little body, holding her close.

“Just because.” Wildfire said in a tone that said that was that and in a way that ended all argument on the matter. “Besides, Honey, I love you.”

“I love you, and Airy, and Maps, and Serenity, and the herd.” She leant in, intending to kiss Wildfire’s nose, then at the last moment she changed her mind and kissed her between her ears, right on her scars. “You are not alone, not anymore.” Just then, when Wildfire yawned a tiny yawn that she tried and failed to hide, Airmail's alarm went off upstairs. “Well, I'm for bed now that the early pegasus has awaken. What time do you need to be into work?”

“Eight.”

“Well, you can get in an hour of nap with me, or spend...”

Tempest was interrupted by a sleepy sounding Airmail upstairs in the bedroom calling out, “Wily?”

“It with the lead political editor of the Manehatten Times!” Tempest concluded with a giggle.

“Oh, hey Pretty, I’m down in the living room with an intruder!” Wildfire smiled as she suppressed another tiny little yawn, “Nah, Honey I'm fine. I'm up now so I’m up.” She did however pull herself away from Tempest’s embrace and give her a sloppy kiss. “There's your goodnight kiss!”

Wasting no time at all, Airmail flew down the stairs and hovered into the living room. One did not waste fresh coffee. “I smelled the coffee. Hey, Stormy, despite your best attempt to make it sound like I was sleeping next to artillery, my blanket wouldn't let me go.”

Nonchalantly, Tempest shrugged on the couch. “No matter! I got this one to taste the rain, so the mission was a success.” Choosing not to answer, Airmail instead raspberried her and went into the kitchen to get herself a much needed coffee.

Wildfire giggled and, when she tried to drink from her long empty mug, she grinned, “On that note, I need coffee too.”

Giving her little lover a kiss, Tempest let Wildfire go. Following her in, she too trotted through to the kitchen to claim a kiss from Airmail before she headed off to bed herself, not a word spoken between them. “A mare of few words.” The azure blue mare snickered now she had a mug of steaming coffee in front of her.

“It's the morning,” Wildfire offered by way of explanation, though none was necessary. “Stormy no do mornings!”

“Unless she is working,” countered Airmail, her rumbling belly prompting her to investigate possible breakfast options. Without thinking, her hoof rested on the box of oats. Quick and simple. “I'm for cold cereal this morning. You already eat, Wily?”

Wildfire agreed quickly, thanks to her own empty belly, that cereal would be good for her too. “You want I should get more coffee going?” At that, Airmail looked and saw that she took the last mug’s worth so she gave that job to her fiancé while she prepped the cereal. “Sleep well, sexy?”

“Yes,” Airmail responded while Wildfire got the coffee going. “I remember the storm, but not much of it.”

“Out like a light you were.” Wildfire laughed now she had the coffee machine bubbling and gurgling and doing whatever it did to produce the zebra coffee, “So I did some reading on the couch.”

Off to bed, Tempest was fast asleep as soon as the pillow knocked her out with extreme soft force trauma. Both Wildfire and Airmail had eaten their first bowl, so, still hungry, the lead editor made them both a second bowl of cold cereal. “Do I need to turn off the six thirty alarm?” she asked, seeing as how her lover was up.

“Yuppers, please Pretty. When I'm up, I'm up.” By now, Wildfire had no intentions of going back to sleep, even though she had been up since two a.m. “I have glorious caffeine and I'll have a wake up shower after I feel you off.”

“I could forget,” Airmail teased as she ate her second bowl, “It would be like Stormy's thunderbolt. Just be out of the house before it goes off.”

As funny as that would be, Wildfire shook her head. “And face the fury of the storm when I get home? I think some pranks are best left in the imagination, Pretty.”

“True, plus I may be out of spare alarm clocks,” conceded Airmail as she sipped her coffee and snarfed down her cereal.

“Are you looking forward to tonight at Caffy's?” asked Wildfire as she drank the last of her coffee. “I am, well, not 'looking', you know what I mean,” she giggled, “I'm looking forward to being with my friends again, as well as the rest of the herd. It'll be just like when we were young...er. Younger.”

At that, Airmail put on a terribly fake old mare voice taken straight from every cliché ever written about old ponies. “Yeap, the 1900's sure were sometum alright, young’un.”

Straightaway, Wildfire was laughing so hard that she ended up on her haunches on the tiled kitchen floor, her forehooves clutching at her heaving sides. “Oh stop...stop it please! It’s too funny!”

Getting well into the teasing, and having a great deal of fun with it, Airmail poked Wildfire in the ribs with a primary feather like it was a walking cane. “You youngsters don’ know how good ya got it with this e-lec-trickery and dem cum-putters!”

“Pu-Puh...pul-leeease...I'll pee!” Wildfire begged, still on her ass laughing fit to burst.

At last, giggling like an overgrown filly, Airmail relented. “You should do that to wake up Stormy.”

With her laughter dissolving into giggles, Wildfire slowly got up off the floor. “N-No...I still think I'll pass, if it’s all the same to you.” Stood on shaking hooves, she kissed Airmail's lips. “Do you want me to text you when I'm on the train and again when I get to work?”

“By all means text Mother Hen, but she won't know until sometime this afternoon. I would like to have lunch with you though,” Airmail could barely contain her wide snickering smile as she said that. That was because she knew about the surprise, and it was a goodie! “Call me when you're ready for that. I'll even let you pick the place where we eat.”

“Alrighty, I will do.” Wildfire was, somewhat predictably, thinking of Caffeinated’s coffee shop, purely because that was the first place she had been to in Manehatten, and where she had met Airmail and Tempest. “I'll pick a good spot, don't worry Pretty. I'll call you later.” And, with that, she kissed her fiancé good bye and left for work.

~ ~ ~

Comet was ready to greet Wildfire on the thirtieth floor of City Hall when the little mare arrived from the elevator. The Fire Captain was impressed she was back at work so quickly after her ordeal. “Welcome to the drudgery of working in Manehatten, Lieutenant. What extremely dull task would you like today? Inventory, barracks cleaning, or filing?”

Wildfire snickered, sharing a hoof bump with Comet before she allowed him to lead her to the Fire Offices. “Drudgery is cool with me Comet,” she replied genuinely, “I'm just happy to be here at all. I fancy barracks cleaning. Lay it on me.”

“Sandstone,” Comet grinned to a young yellow / brown pegasus who was waiting for them, “I got your partner for the day.”

“Yay!” the young pegasus clopped her hooves over the tiled floor, noisily announcing her approach. Had she not known whom the other mare was, she would’ve assumed it was a lost filly, she was that small. “Oh, hey, you're Wildfire, right?” It was a rhetorical question. Everypony in the fire department knew who Wildfire was.

“I’m done with the introductions,” Comet was already on the way to the door. “Have fun.”

“See ya Comet!” Wildfire, after bidding her colleague good bye, turned to face the excited new voice, a grin on her muzzle. She could tell she was excited by the way she was tapping her hooves on the floor. “Yuppers, that's me!” she held her hoof out for a bump.

Sandstone was only too willing to bump hooves with her new partner for the day. “There’s not a lot to do really. Sweep, mop, make sure the fridge has water in it for whoever is stuck here on the duty roster. Nice and easy today.” And that was just how the junior firefighter liked it.

With them working together, with Wildfire applying her recent training with cleaning the Stallion’s Room at Caffeinated’s ranch to good use and Sandstone being impressed with how easily she got around, the cleaning was done by eleven in the morning. “Done,” the young mare declared, “now to tell the boss and hope the rest of the day is 'keep it that way'!”

“Phew! That was fun!” Wildfire, exhausted but happy at a job well done, had a very genuine smile on her face, especially when Sandstone giggled. She rather liked this new pony, and she looked forward to working with her again in the future.

“Captain!” Sandstone greeted her commanding officer with a salute, “We’re done with that, ready for inspection.”

“Will it pass?”

Sandstone and Wildfire answered as one. “Yes sir!”

Comet took his time inspecting the barracks. It wasn’t really necessary. He could tell from a distance that all the surfaces were gleaming. “Inspection complete. Wildfire, I hope you don't have lunch plans?”

Wildfire, who had finally done standing at attention for the inspection, lowered the hoof she had been saluting with. “Oh um,” all of a sudden, she was unsure, being put on the spot like that. “Well, I was going to have lunch with Airy, she said I could pick somewhere.”

“Maybe another day, then.” Comet grinned. He knew what was happening in the building though, and he was fairly certain the little blind mare did not. He didn’t want her to miss it. “They are doing a catered luncheon downstairs and we will all be attending. At least that is the strongly worded suggestion by the Chief.”

That didn’t help! “Um...” Wildfire’s ears went right back to her head and indecision was all over her face. One on hoof, she didn’t want to upset Airy, but on the other, Chief Rung obviously expected her to attend the catered lunch downstairs. What to do‽

“Nopony wants Airmail on their bad side,” Comet said sympathetically, “Just call her and let her know the situation.”

Wildfire was on the verge of a panic attack, she was so struck by not knowing who to please the most. Everything was starting to spin in her head and she didn’t like it. “Could she join me here at the lunch downstairs?” she asked hopefully.

Comet didn’t mean to snicker, he certainly wasn’t being mean with it. He sympathised with her indecision and felt she needed a gentle nudge. “Like somepony is going to tell the lead political editor of the Manehatten Times they are not welcome in City Hall?”

Blushing as red as her cutie mark, Wildfire reached into her bag for her phone. “I get it, sorry. I'll give her a call.”

“What's up Wily?” Airmail asked as she answered her phone, “Have you picked a place for lunch?”

“Yuppers, here at City Hall, if you don't mind.” Wildfire couldn’t put her hoof on why her fiancé sounded as excited as she did. It was only lunch, after all, not at Caffeinated’s place like she thought, but still. “There's a catered lunch thingy going on here, Comet says the Chief wants us all to attend.”

“Free lunch!” Airmail squealed like a filly a quarter of her age. For a moment she was worried Wildfire knew what was going on, but for once she was thankful she was lovably dense. “I'm all in. Good to know you're such a frugal mare!”

Feeling instantly better about herself, Wildfire squealed, “Alrighty! I'll feel you soon then Pretty!” Just then, Chief Rung popped his head through the barracks door and announced it was time for them all to head downstairs to the lobby where the food awaited. Teasingly, he chose not to say why.

Following her fellow firefighters – and not the only one who didn’t know what was going on – Wildfire made her way down from the fire offices to the lobby on the ground floor to wait for her special pony. It quickly became apparent, due to the noisy chatter, that the lobby was very crowded. Wildfire could hear ponies she didn’t know or recognise directing others to the lines for the food and all were being ushered into the auditorium. After three minutes of feeling a little lost, Airmail walked in and saw her yellow mare turning her head in all directions, no doubt her ears were working overtime. “Wildfire?”

Instantly, Wildfire’s ears, extremely sharp from years of attending fancy hoity toity parties for Amethyst Glory and listening for her name called, swivelled to the welcome sound of Airmail's voice over the hubbub of lots of ponies like a life raft on the ocean. “Airy!”

While there were lots of ponies and noise in the lobby, very soon Wildfire could smell Airmail and Tempest. As she made her way over to her fiancé and herd-mate, she could hear more than a few murmurs from them. All said the same thing. “Is that Serenity? It is! It’s Serenity! Look, Serenity is here. It’s her! It’s Serenity!”

When Wildfire got close enough though, she heard another voice. A deep, rumbling, safe voice. A voice that belonged to an orange zebra stallion. “Hmph…” Caffeinated grumbled, “The city is too cheap to buy good coffee.”

“Drink the tea then,” Thespian quipped with a twinkle in her eye, “I know I will.”

“Where is Luna's shine when you need it?” Caffeinated groused, much to the amusement of Thespian and those members of the herd – namely Mapper - that were within earshot of him. He was still grumbling, though good naturedly, when Wildfire came up to them. “Oh, hi Wily!”

Mapper snickered beside Caffeinated, “Free food does tend to bring out the ponies.”

Just when Wildfire thought that was all there was, and she was about to greet Caffeinated, Thespian, Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity, she got a surprise when a very familiar stallion appeared at her left side with hooves on her flank. Tinkerer thankfully spoke up before she could panic. “Hey Wily! How's my other favourite bun oven doing?”

Rolling her eyes, Belle fetched her stallion a playful but well-aimed swipe upside his head. “Tink, let her have a chance with her marefriends. She looks to be in shock!”

In shock was an understatement along the lines of the sun is a bit warm. While Wildfire had followed her nose and her ears to find Airmail, and had been pleasantly surprised to hear there was all the others there too amidst the sea of voices and smells, Wildfire was beginning to get rather overwhelmed by it all. “He-Hello Mr. Caffy,” she bumped hooves with the zebra before turning to Mapper. “Good day, Mistress,” she then offered a bow to her and turned to the father of her foal. “Tink! He-Hey!”

Requiem sidled up with Longshore in tow and, as Wildfire was ‘looking’ at each voice in turn and processing each pony who spoke to her, distracted Belle and Tinkerer over to her. “Oh, it sounds like I can milk the city for some more money!”

Longshore snickered next to the red and blue painted earth pony. “I doubt it, love, they spent that on the lunch.”

Stepping up next, came Slate leading Darkstar along, the white unicorn wearing her zebra’s white and black stripped collar proudly around her neck. She had insisted on a leash, but he had refused that as a step too far right then. Smiling broadly, Darkstar moved in for a hug. “Hey Wily, it’s good to feel ya.”

Slate cleared his throat noisily and put into practise the dominant lessons that Caffeinated, Mapper and Serenity had taken great lengths to teach him. “Yes, let's go get our food and seats, Darkie.”

At the dominant tone in her stallion’s voice, Darkstar shuddered and she whispered, “I love it when he takes charge!” Kissing Wildfire’s cheek, she let go and walked obediently after Slate.

“Popular lunch date,” Airmail commented, glancing around at the packed out lobby.

“As long as they have coffee,” Tempest whined, “it isn't even noon yet!”

Taking a very deep breath, not unlike Tempest’s anger management breathing exercises, Wildfire processed who was there as it was all starting to get a little overwhelming for her all at once. “Blimey, is the whole herd here?” she asked with a smile and a nuzzle for her two lovers. “I’m glad you've come.”

“Should be, I said free food and here they are!” Airmail giggled as Sonic appeared with Trails in tow.

“Free food,” the earth pony stallion snickered, “yes, of course!”

“Mr Sonic!” exclaimed Wildfire, offering him a nuzzle of greeting and, in the process, being a good pony and remembering her manners.

Leaning in close, Airmail whispered, “Surprise.”

Tempest though, who was up and awake before noon was in no mood for playing. “Let’s do the meet and greet after we eat, huh?”

“Stormy is still sleep walking,” Airmail laughed, steering her two mares towards the buffet food table, “let's get her fed and seated.”

Slowly, realisation was dawning on Wildfire as she allowed Airmail to steer her through the seething throng of ponies. “Surprise...what...this is...” she blushed, “you intended to eat here all along?” she asked, giggling as not far away, Darkstar carried food over for her and Slate.

“Let’s get our food and take our seats.”

“Yes,” Tempest threw her head back like a petulant teenager, “and coffeeeeeeeee! Now!” The three mares, along with those members of the herd as well as Wildfire’s friends, all went to the buffet line for food and, in Tempest’s case in particular, coffee. After the buffet, they entered the auditorium. Some seats, like Wildfire’s, Airmail’s and Tempest’s at the front were assigned.

Airmail led the way through the ocean of seats to theirs at the front, while the herd and Darkstar, Slate, Cyclone, Bluefeather, Amethyst, Cream and Air Raid were in the public seats at the back as they weren’t family. “We have front row seats!” she beamed, “Did you pull some strings, Wily?”

Straining her ears above the low hubbub of noise, Wildfire thought she could hear some members of the herd, Caffeinated and Mapper especially, in the two rows behind her. “Oh, I guess my cleaning job in the barracks was that good then,” she giggled behind her hoof.

A voice off to the other side of Airmail reminded Wildfire of a pony she thought she knew, but she wasn’t sure. There was a stallion next to her that the little blind mare had never met. Unknown to her, there was a lot of ear flicking communication going on in the herd. Mapper and Sonic had taken up stations to ensure nopony bothered Wildfire, but they were being very quiet about it.

As there was a lot of noise, Wildfire focussed on Airmail and Tempest, who were as ever sat to her left and right respectively. Her fiancé and her herd-mate were her centre to keep from getting overwhelmed in a new and crowded place. “This is a big thing, huh, Pretty?”

“Packed house I'd say,” Airmail replied after casting a look about. “A few standing, and whoever is back stage. May be about five thousand here, maybe a bit more.”

“Oh my…” Wildfire whimpered. It had been a long while since she had been in a room anywhere near that full, and those times were at the charity balls she had been forced to attend at the behest of Amethyst Glory way back when. “Packed house indeed…”

“Oh,” Airmail rolled her eyes, “here comes the boring part.” For Wildfire’s benefit, she explained what was happening. “The Mayor is taking the stage. Omega, this is your assignment.”

Omega duly rolled his eyes and sighed, though that was undercut by his grin as he got ready to work for a living. “The Mayor?” Things were starting to add up for the notoriously dense Wildfire. The Mayor, a load of firefighters, the press, things slotted into place. Eventually. “Is this to do with the big fire, Pretty?”

“Shhhh, it is starting.” Airmail quieted her fiancé down. In the front row, not far from where she was sat, was an empty seat in honour of the firefighter that died fighting the blaze. There were also two firefighter stallions, along with Moonburst and Ice Crystal, the two ponies that had helped Wildfire push the cloud stack into location. Around Wildfire, the herd used their ear flicks to exchange bets on how long Wildfire would remain clueless.

“Hit the snooze button, Airy. The mayor is about to talk.” Tempest groaned, deeply wishing she had taken three extra coffees just for this eventuality. Airmail was just glad Omega had the coverage on this one. It meant she could enjoy it with her mare.

A hush fell over the assembled crowd of ponies, zebras, even griffons when the Mayor of Manehatten stepped up to the lone podium on the stage of the auditorium. “Greetings to all here in attendance.” She spoke softly, yet her voice reached every corner of the vast room. “It has been a trying time for the city, but the citizens of this city will not be detoured by the actions of a few. Today we recognise those that gave there all to ensure the safety of our citizens.” She then looked at the vacant chair in the front row. “On behalf of Sergeant Cinder, I would ask that Plum come up on the stage.”

Supportively, Airmail squeezed Wildfire's left hoof while on her right, Tempest rested hers on Wildfire's other foreleg. 'Oh wow!’ she thought, the bit at last having dropped and she realised that this gathering was because of the fire. A fire that had been a terrorist attack. ‘It IS for the fire!'

“Sergeant Cinder is awarded the Manehatten Medal of Valour for his actions during the Broncs fire.” The Mayor spoke again and it was deathly silent in the auditorium. “Sergeant Cinder entered the buildings to help direct ponies out to safety. Sergeant Cinder continued to do so, even after the situation around him became untenable. He continued to help others before himself. He gave his life so that one other might live. Sergeant Cinder left behind his wife Plum and his colt Flashfire and filly Sweetwater.”

An earth pony mare as purple as her name suggested stepped up to the stage, dabbing her leaking eyes with a hoofkerchief. “Plum,” the Mayor continued, “thank you for accepting this award. It is small compensation for the loss of your husband, but there are those here today that can thank you on his behalf because of his actions.” When she took the award, Wildfire heard a lot of ponies stand and clap their hooves.

Along with Tempest and Airmail, who were both stomping their hooves, Wildfire clapped and cheered as the award ceremony continued. The second name called out was Lieutenant Foam for his actions at the dock fire. His quick actions helped to contain the fire so that it didn't spread to the nearby warehouses, and Sergeant Lamppost for his actions at the Broncs fire. He had been with Cinder, but closer to the entrance helping ponies make it out safely through all the smoke.

Again, Wildfire joined in with the rest of the crowd as they clapped and stomped their hooves, so very proud was she of the recognition her fellow team mates received. She was partway through a whooping cheer when the Mayor effectively struck her dumb when she said, “Will Wildfire please come up on the stage?”

Leaning in, Tempest whispered, “Forward two paces, right twelve paces, left two paces. A police pony will escort you from there.”

Wildfire was absolutely and completely stunned. Not once did she ever imagine she of all ponies would get an award! Not when there were more deserving candidates. So quiet was she that she even heard Airmail’s eye roll. “M-M-Me?” she stuttered, walking slowly and carefully where Tempest directed her.

Once she was near enough to the stage, the police pony escorted Wildfire up the steps to stand beside the waiting Mayor. “I'll take you off stage afterwards,” he whispered before stepping back.

“For her actions during the Broncs fire,” the Mayor spoke loudly, “Wildfire is awarded the Firefighter's Cross. She moved an eight stack cloud from the weather factory without expectation of help and had the cloud moving over seventy miles per hour. Chief Rung has stated her actions shortened duration of the fire by over thirty minutes saving countless lives and property damage.” She paused and hung the shining medal around the little yellow pegasus’s neck. “Wildfire is new to our fire department and she shows that no disability should hinder anypony from doing what they can to help others.”

After Wildfire had received her hug from the Mayor, the police pony stepped back up and motioned her to walk with him off of the stage opposite from where she entered and helped her back to her seat. No sooner had she sat back down than the Mayor called Moonburst up to the stage.

On the way back to her seat, Wildfire was practically scampering on cloud nine, ten and eleven. She was walking on air, a huge grin plastered all over her face. On the stage, Moonburst and Ice Crystal also received the Firefighter's Cross for their actions during the fire. After that, twelve ponies were called up and they got the Commendation medal, two for the docks and ten for the Broncs, for their actions.

Both Airmail and Tempest rose to hug Wildfire as she returned to her seat. She hardly noticed. She allowed herself to be seated until the last commendation award was given. It wasn’t easy. In spite of her wings in casts, she was convinced she could fly. “I wish to thank all of those in our emergency services,” the Mayor summed up. “Regardless of your role, there is no contribution to small. My heart goes out to those that lost their lives in these two tragedies, and most especially to Ms. Plum. None of you are in this job for the glory, and we often find that life can be cut short in your line of work. Still, every one of you make the city proud by the work you do. Thank you all for attending.”

“And that is a wrap!” Airmail sighed with relief as the assembled crowd began to disperse.

“Congratulations, Wildfire.” Caffeinated’s smooth deep voice rumbled over the general hubbub of departing and chattering bodies. The others in the herd quickly gathered around them and each one joined in congratulating the little mare on her award.

“Eeeeee!” Squealing happily, Wildfire nuzzled and grinned at all the members of the herd that were in range, bouncing on her hooves like it was Hearths Warming morning. Darkstar dragged Cyclone and Air Raid over to offer their hugs and congratulations as well.

Baron, who had been a little late to the opening of the award ceremony, stepped forwards with Snowfall behind him. “There is a slew of reporters outside the building, but it is nice to see the Times get an exclusive inside the building,” he nodded over to where Omega had cornered the Mayor.

Along with Darkstar, Cyclone and Air Raid, Slate, Amethyst, Cream and Bluefeather were also there to get in their hugs and to wish Wildfire well. “Quite the fan club you have, Wily.” Bluefeather smiled sweetly once she had released the very tight Wily Hug ™.

Walking over, even Comet made sure to get in his hugs with his colleague. “Enjoy your time with your herd, Wily. Chief says you’re off till next week, so we’ll see you on Tuesday. I'm sure something else will need cleaning.”

Tempest could never resist a tease. This was no exception. “She is a fine maid, Comet.”

“Caffy,” Airmail said once Comet had excused himself and taken his leave, “let's move this to your place.”

Thespian didn’t give her handsome stallion the chance to answer. “He says yes.”

Caffeinated treated his wife to a very loud, very communicative eye roll. “What she said.”

Striding over, Mapper got Airmail’s attention with a few well-placed ear flicks. “You best take the pegasus exit, Airy. There will be less reporters up on the landing pad.”

On the way to the elevator though, Wildfire, Airmail and Tempest were stopped by a mare’s voice with a heavy Canterlot accent. “Wily?” Almost instantly, the weather pony and lead editor took up protective positions to Wildfire’s left and right, both taking no chances. “I can't think of another mare that looks like you.”

As she turned to face the new voice, Wildfire smiled. That voice. It was so very familiar. In an instant, she had placed that voice. It was a voice she hadn’t heard in five years. ‘No...’ she thought, ‘It can't be...’ However, it was. But, there was only one way to make sure. “Nothing to it...”

Eirene grinned a smile that matched her former patient’s own. The use of her quote all but confirmed who she was talking to. “But to do it!”

“Eirene!” Wildfire squealed and, though her former nurse had moved forwards for a long overdue hug, she launched herself into what was essentially a spear tackle. Where the senior nurse not an earth pony, she would have been knocked off her hooves.

Seeing Wildfire tackle hug the newcomer, Airmail and Tempest stood down, though Airmail was ever ready to act, should the need arise. Autumn Leaves remained a lasting lesson for her. “I see you've taken that advice to heart.” Eirene smiled warmly, her demeanour putting the blue pegasus further at ease, “Still the firefighter and no longer the whinny mare.”

“I'm blind, not disabled, that's what you taught me.” Wildfire smiled, still hugging the taller mare.

“I still had to prod you to take that first walk outside.” Eirene saw the casts that adorned the diminutive pegasus’s wings, but she chose not to question her about them at that moment. “That uniform you’re wearing is pretty with the black and blue highlights.”

Stepping back at last, Wildfire’s smile looked to be a permanent fixture. She still couldn’t believe she was stood there talking to her! Then, when she felt a wing touch both her flanks, she was reminded of her lovers’ presence. “Oh, introductions! This is Airmail and Tempest, my herd-mate and fiancé, Airmail I mean, and this is Eirene, my old nurse!”

“Yes, she is only marrying one,” Tempest smiled, sharing a hoof bump with the earth pony nurse, “I like my lackeys to stay together.”

On Wildfire’s left, Airmail rolled her eyes at Tempest’s joke. “Greetings to you, Eirene. She is an independent mare, but fell for my sexy whiles.” Try as she might, she was still trying to place the earth pony. She vaguely remembered Wildfire mentioning her over the past month, but she couldn’t remember in what context.

Looking over some of the others, Eirene saw two she recognised. Air Raid, who was trying to hide behind a powerful looking pink zebra mare and Darkstar, who was stood proudly with a zebra stallion. The pegasus she didn’t care for in the slightest. “You're part of a herd now, Wily?”

“Yuppers! It's been a long time getting here, but here I am, with a herd.”

Thespian stepped forwards, an easy smile on the blue / grey earth pony’s face. “We are heading over to my place to celebrate Wily's award. Always room for one more.”

“Oooh please say yes!” Wildfire squealed, clapping her hooves excitedly. “We so need to have a proper catch up!”

“Wily, I'm leaving with the hospital staff to celebrate for the same reason.” Eirene replied more reticently than sadly, a hint of regret in her voice. “Two others got awards besides myself. Now that I know you're here in Manehatten we can exchange phone numbers.”

“We must!” Wildfire squeaked happily, she reached into her bag, took out her phone and she gave Eirene her number. A whole raft of possibilities were running through her overwhelmed brain. Lots of things were all bubbling to the surface. “We need a lunch at Stripe’s Cup of Java as soon as! Oooh it's so good to hear you!”

Eirene beamed like a proud mother on her filly’s graduation day. “It's good to know you've not let a little disability slow you down. I'll give you a call next week, now go and enjoy your herd.”

“Yes ma'am!” Wildfire gave the senior nurse another hug before they parted company at the elevator and she went to re-join her own friends.

“She is the one that taught you braille?” asked Tempest and at last Airmail had the look of dawning recognition.

“Yuppers Honey. Eirene is one of the main reasons I survived Amethyst Glory.”

Airmail wrapped Wildfire up in such a tight protective hug that the little yellow pony winced. She had only just met the nurse, but already she liked her, a lot. “I'll have to add her to my Hearth's Warming card list.”

“I can't believe she was here!” Wildfire squealed happily in her fiancé’s loving embrace. If she was happy before, during the award ceremony, she was utterly ecstatic now.

Like Airmail, Tempest draped her wing over Wildfire’s back. “I'm here,” she grinned, “so I'd think anypony that is somepony would be here to. You're here, Wily.”

Airmail stuck her tongue out at her herd-mate. “So says the Trottingham pony.”

“I'm sure Stormy meant to say that I, Thespian, the true Manehatten pony is here, so the herd is here too.” Thespian giggled, at the same time striking a heroic pose and pressing the elevator call button.

Caffeinated stepped up as the elevator doors opened and he gave his wife a kiss. “And she meant to say Snowfall.”

“What they said.” Snowfall smiled at her daughter and son-in-law, the two ponies and zebra watching and waving as Wildfire, Airmail and Tempest stepped into the elevator car. They carried on waving until the doors closed and they were gone up to the Pegasus Landing Pad. Caffeinated just hoped that the BDSM party later at his ranch would be considerably less dramatic than the last one.

Chapter 18 - Bible Discussion Study Meeting

“You see,” Tempest said after they had taken off from the Pegasus Landing Pad of City Hall, “I didn't mother hen once today.”

As they joined the flying traffic lanes, Airmail rolled her eyes. “Not verbally, anyway.” She was just glad that Mapper’s tip off about them avoiding the reporters up at this exit proved to be correct. She cast a glance down at the main entrance and there were so many bodies outside the building she couldn’t see the doors.

“You were a very good pony, Honey. I'm proud of you!” Wildfire commented from her position on Tempest’s back. Seeing as how the violet weather mare was the stronger flyer of the two older ponies, she elected to carry the little pegasus.

While Airmail just laughed, Tempest raspberried the pair of them. Thankfully as it was still pretty much midday and a weekday at that, the traffic was at a minimum. “At least you're lighter than Airy.”

“Only because I'm smaller than her!” Wildfire snickered from her perch on Tempest’s back. She dearly missed flying herself, but her wings had to heal.

“Not as dense, you mean,” Tempest giggled, which made Airmail laugh all the harder.

Wildfire held up her hoof like she was in court. “No comment, on the grounds I'll get paddled at Caffy's!” she giggled, certain that she’d get paddled anyway. If she was a lucky little pony, that is.

Flying along through the sunny summer afternoon sky, the Celestial Sea on her left stretching out into the horizon and onto Griffonstone, Tempest made sure to keep a steady pace so that Airmail could keep up. “Should we stop at the house for anything, or go straight to Caffy's?”

“Aaaah...no, as I recall, Caffy has a well-stocked supply of all things fun at his place, Stormy."

Grinning, Airmail flew closer until she could nudge Wildfire in the ribs. “I think she was hinting that the two of us could dress the part for her majesty?” the lead editor placed a very heavy emphasis on the words ‘dress the part’ and ‘her majesty’.

“Oooooooh!” cursing herself for her denseness, Wildfire facehooved on Tempest’s back. She had completely forgotten about the kinky dress up outfits she had bought from the MiAC store the day she had been attacked. “I'm so thick!” she giggled, “Yes! Divert, squadron leader. We need to get supplies.”

Looking over her shoulder, Tempest grinned at her passenger. “Wily, never, ever change.” As they were far enough out, still in the Manehatten Traffic System, she didn’t need to make a drastic course correction. Instead, she just angled herself towards her house.

“You has my word, Honey,” Wildfire promised solemnly, “I shall remain oblivious!”

“Such a good mare you are,” Tempest snickered, “I may yet let you lick the cookie crumbs from my lips.”

On Tempest’s back, Wildfire leant forwards and kissed the back of her violet herd-mate’s head. “You have a deal.”

With Airmail by her side and taking into account her slower flying speed, the flight back to their red bricked townhouse took Tempest a full twenty minutes. Steering around the row of houses, they landed in the back yard on the grass by the old oak tree. “Well, that was a nice sprint,” Airmail panted slightly, opening the back door, “now to get ready.”

“That was the least tiring flight I've ever had!” Wildfire beamed and, getting off of Tempest’s back, she spared a moment to place a hoof against the bark of the old tree in the yard. She had grown to love that tree. It was as much a part of her home and her new life as her books.

Inside the house, it didn’t take very long at all for the three of them to get dressed. When they left the house, again via the back door, Airmail and Wildfire were dressed as old Equestrian slave mares, while Tempest looked the very image of a Saddle Arabian Queen. Just like her dream. Deciding to walk the rest of the way to Caffeinated’s ranch, Tempest mused that split crotch panties should be mandatory for all submissive mares. Walking behind Wildfire, she snuffled under her tail, pressing her nose into those split panties. “I like this outfit.” She then snuck over to snuffle under Airmail's tail, the blue mare squeaking in surprise. “And this one too!”

“Yeeeep!” Wildfire squeaked like Airmail, the little blind mare holding her black tail very high up, the transparent slave dress moving with her. “Y-Yes your majesty!”

“You shall do well, my subjects.” Tempest stated imperiously, carrying herself in the manner of the old nobles from a thousand years ago. It suited her. “Hmmm, Matron Airy and Chambermaid Wily,” she mulled that over and found she liked it. “Yes, I like that.”

Not for the first time that day, and certainly not the last, Airmail rolled her eyes. “Sounds like an age joke.”

“Tis a good joke, your majesty!” Wildfire giggled in the middle of her two lovers. She could smell their respective scents, she could feel the warm sun on her scarred face and the gentle breeze blowing her straight mane and tail. Everything was right in her world.

“I am slighted!” exclaimed Tempest dramatically, bringing her hoof to her forehead. “Matron Airy, I trust you to take charge of my harem and ensure the chambermaid performs well in the chamber!” When she giggled though, it went a long way to destroy the effect she was going for.

Airmail raised her eyebrow curiously. “Harem of two?”

Shrugging, Tempest countered with, “I will need the proper uniforms for the pointy headed ones.” Then, the Queen would have her full and proper harem of lovers, as was her due.

“I'll be a good little chambermaid, Queen Tempest, I promise!” Wildfire chirped happily, though as she was giggling so much, it was a real effort trying to stay in character.

“Subjects!” Tempest declared, stopping them a moment later when saw Vanilla Sprinkles’ ice cream shop at the far end of the lake, “I detect some sort of activity nearby. We should investigate, to ensure my populace is safe!” That, and she really wanted ice cream.

Snickering, Airmail nudged Wildfire’s ribs with her hoof. “I think the almighty 'Queen' has a sweet tooth.”

Standing still for a few seconds, Wildfire used her experience to know that they were very close to the ice cream shop, mostly thanks to the sounds of excited foals and the smell. “Sweet...oooh!” she put two and two together and smiled as her sharp senses picked up the sounds and smells of the nearby ice cream parlour. “Your chambermaid agrees, your highness.”

“It is good to have loyal subjects. Rush ahead and prepare for me a sample to test so I know that the populace is not being short changed by the vendor.”

Again, Airmail rolled her eyes, this time whispering to Wildfire, “What have you created, Wily?”

Behind her hoof, Wildfire giggled. “I was Pandora, I opened the box.” Still, prompted by Tempest’s hoof insistently tapping her ass, she duly followed her ears and her nose all the way to the ice cream shop, certain that Vanilla Sprinkles would assume she lived there now.

About to follow Wildfire, Tempest held out her hoof to stop Airmail in her tracks, both mares watching Wildfire take off to the ice cream shop without a second thought. “She was wise to entrap you in her snare.”

“She surprises me in the best of ways.” Airmail responded with a smile. “Try to keep your cool when you go with her to Canterlot this weekend, won’t you?”

“I'll try,” Tempest asserted, “but no promises. She has gotten better at standing up for herself.” Sharing a hoof bump, the two lovers then followed along, slowly, giving Wildfire time to order their desserts and Vanilla Sprinkles time to fill them. “I have arrived!” Tempest declared imperiously the second she stepped through the door. “Please, no need to grovel, continue about your business.”

The other patrons in the store, three earth ponies, two pegasi and a zebra, all long accustomed to Tempest’s – and the mare’s herd as a whole – eccentricities, they looked around and shrugged. Some smiles, one or two even bowed, the rest just ignored her. Looking over to where Wildfire was sitting proudly, Airmail said, “Your Chambermaid has your treat laid out, your majesty.”

Sat at her table, Wildfire’s ears swivelled to the sound of Tempest's and Airmail’s voices. “Majesty!” she called loudly, “I have the ice cream your personage requested.” In front of her sat three ice creams. A vanilla and strawberry one for Tempest, because she knew from experience those were the first to go from the Neopolitan ice cream at home. She had ordered a coffee and chocolate for Airmail and a chocolate and caramel for herself. She moved a hoof and casually laid a few chocolate chips out on the table. “Ooops, clumsy me!”

Approaching the table, Tempest couldn’t help but giggle. “Matron, I thought the custom was to scatter flower petals. I think my chambermaid will need corrective training.”

“I will see to it, your majesty.” Airmail grinned as both Tempest and herself sat at the table. Tempest opposite her and Airmail beside her.

Tempest did appreciate what she had been bought though. “Ah, but she did get the order right. Still, you may consider that when you administer corrective action, Matron.

“As you will, your majesty.” Airmail smiled, taking a mouthful of her coffee and chocolate treat.

“I just couldn't control the chocolate chips your majesty,” Wildfire giggled, knowing that Tempest would find it funny. “They are tricksy things, they is.”

At that, Tempest giggled in a very un-queen-like way. She had to fight to not choke on the vanilla and strawberry ice cream she had just taken a mouthful of. “Th-T-They is!” she hacked and coughed, glad that Airmail was present to slap her back.

“My corrective action won't be so tricky.” Airmail promised through a mouthful of ice cream.

In anticipation, Wildfire shifted on her seating pad. “I imagine it won't, matron Airy.”

“Do you think she has a vivid enough imagination, matron Airy?” asked Tempest, whose own imagination was running ahead of her.

Airmail didn’t know, but, as she said, “I'm eager to find out.”

A few moments later, along with Wildfire and Airmail, Tempest finished her ice cream. “Let's do that then, after the victory party, of course. All three had satisfied smiles on their faces when Airmail nudged Wildfire to get up from the table. “Lead on, chambermaid Wily, lest some pony seek to accost my most royal being.”

“Yes your majesty!” Wildfire squeaked and, as she led the way out of the store, Airmail giggled but she chose to say nothing. Outside in the now afternoon sunlight, amidst the laughing playing foals, the little blind mare realised that she didn't have her headset, she had left it at home when they all got changed. “Matron Airy, if you'd please point me in the right direction of Mr. Caffeinated's house?”

“To your left is the corner,” Airmail supplied for her, “Then cross the street and proceed until we get there.”

Tempest couldn’t help herself. She had to mother hen. “Cross the street to your right, Wily.”

Airmail’s eye roll was so loud that a stallion swimming in the lake heard it. “I'm sure she knew that.”

The mother hen in Tempest however would not be easily assuaged. “What? Just in case the ice cream was affecting her navigational system.”

“Queen Mother Hen is a helpful ruler!” Wildfire giggled brightly as she followed the instructions she was given, making sure to keep her tail up high with every step she took.

In character, Airmail laid a hoof on Tempest’s shoulder once they were beyond the families and foals playing on the grass outside the ice cream shop. “Forgive her, your majesty for using your name in public. I'll ensure she is properly chastised.” Wildfire tried to hold back a giggle, knowing she had set herself up for some fun later in the day. She failed.

Presently, after a few minutes walking, Airmail called out, “Front gate in twenty paces, Wily. Did you bring your card?”

“Yes matron, I have it here.” Wildfire delved a hoof into a cleverly hidden pocket of her slave's outfit and, once she had her key card, she felt for the gate. “I got this!”

As soon as Wildfire had the gate open, Airmail and Tempest followed their blind lover up the circular drive and the flower and herb gardens to the front door that was magically opened by Thespian like she knew they were going to be just there. She wore a wide smile on her face. “Guest of honour is here!” she exclaimed, getting in a hug, “I see you've already dressed for tonight, Wily.”

“Yuppers Ms. Thespian, it was my Queen's idea…” Wildfire just managed to respond through the crushing hug.

Looking beyond Wildfire and she saw Airmail in the same garb as her and Tempest wearing something pretty regal, something that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Saddle Arabian production she had starred in a few years ago. “Yes, good to obey such ideas,” she smiled, welcoming them inside. “Queen Tempest, just so you know, Princess Luna is in residence.”

Tempest brushed that off like it was no big news. “Never fear, fair Thespian, I can lower myself to the level of Princess.” Wildfire, having used the hoof wash bath just inside the main entrance, snorted out a laugh and then, when she realised what Thespian said, her ears went right back to her head. Behind her fiancé, Airmail prodded her rear end, wanting her to move past Thespian so they could get inside.

“Oh right, right…” Wildfire, though she stepped into the foyer, her mind was elsewhere. Thespian had said Luna was there! Princess Luna! The little mare didn’t know what to do or think about that. The last time she had spoken to the Princess had been in the Dreamscape following her attack. As she recalled, she had not acted at all nice to her then. What if Luna was pissed with her? What if she arrested her, or banished her somewhere?

“Greetings my most loyal subjects!” Tempest declared with all the imperiousness she could muster as she stepped past Wildfire and into the living room where Princess Luna was sat with a grinning Octavia beside her. “Greetings Princess Luna, I bear greetings from my fair queendom!”

“Which queendom is that?” Luna asked, a broad smile on her lips and a raised eyebrow.

“Currently, number twelve, Shady Lane.” Tempest quipped, to which the lunar alicorn tipped her head.

“I see you brought...retainers with you.” Luna nodded with an easy relaxed smile to Airmail, though the way Wildfire was standing, her head down and her ears back, didn’t sit well with her.

Tempest didn’t break her stride for one second. “Yes, matron Airy, keeper of the royal harem and general of my armies. And this is chambermaid Wily, warmer of the royal sheets, and emergency response.”

By Luna’s side, Octavia was giggling fit to burst behind an old winkled hoof as Wildfire stepped forwards, the diminutive mare approaching the sound of the Princess’s voice. Once she judged she was close enough, she bowed nervously. “H-Hey, P-Princess…”

Though she studied the little firefighter impassively, Princess Luna was, internally, trying to fathom what on earth was wrong with her. Try as she might though, she drew a blank every time. “Chambermaid Wily,” she greeted her, politely inclining her head.

“Um…” Wildfire started, though she quickly lost her voice. ‘I'm not a coward, I'm not a coward...’ she told herself over and over again. However, it was one thing to fly through a burning building, and to fly an eight stack cloud on her own. It was quite another to face up to a Princess. “May I speak with you, Princess, please?”

Playing the game, Luna looked past Wildfire to where Tempest was stood. “She may speak freely.” Tempest said with a nod of her head.

“You seem nervous, Wildfire.” Again, Luna was struggling to think why.

“And you're not even using your Royal Voice, my love.” Octavia smiled warily. Because she looked impassive, not many ponies could tell her wife was worried. She could though. She saw the tiny tic in her eye, the slight ruffle of a feather and the flick of her tail. Supportively, she rested her hoof on her wife’s foreleg.

Coughing, Wildfire cleared her throat. “I owe you an apology, Princess.”

Countless thoughts all raced through Luna’s mind at once. Threads chasing threads going back over the last month, trying to find any instance where she had been slighted by the little mare. Had it been during the shopping trip when she had spanked her wife with the sock? No. Had it been at the Open Mic night at Caffeinated’s shop? No. Had it been after, when she healed her wings? No. The only thing she could think of was the Dreamscape. “Does this have to do with your loss of temper?”

Wildfire, still in her very low bow, nodded and spoke to the floor. “The last time we spoke, I was very rude to you, Princess.”

As Airmail and Tempest shared a look with each other, Luna raised a hoof to her chest in a show of faux indignation. “Lady Octavia, have you ever heard of such a thing?” she asked in what she hoped was an exaggerated tone, one intended to disarm the situation.

“Well,” Octavia tapped her chin with a hoof, apparently deep in thought, “not counting the four nobles last night, or the two the night before, or, well, numerous other examples, no, I haven't.”

“It's not funny!” Completely forgetting herself, Wildfire stood up and stomped the carpeted floor with her hoof. “My mum didn't raise me to go off like that, especially not at royalty, after all that you've done for me. So, I'm sorry, Princess.”

Not for the first time, Princess Luna was impressed with the little mare. She was certain she had more nerve in her wingtip than the whole of the fake fawning nobles had in their whole bodies. Not many would front her out like this. “Tell me Wildfire, why were you rude?”

“Because I was angry, and scared, after what happened with Autumn,” Wildfire answered. “I was lashing out and I wanted somepony to blame.”

Luna smiled. She was certain Celestia, in her place, would be praising her for her honesty. As it was, she could forgive an intelligent pony for being rude. Especially when the pony in question had done so much for her and her family. “Since I am the top pony in this, you have at least placed your blame in the right place. At least you were blunt in your rudeness. Most others have refined the art of being rude in a way I don't simply kill them.”

Noticing the look that Airmail now wore on her face, Octavia smiled sweetly. “Accept the apology, my love, and don't scare the young mare. The other retainer is looking a bit shifty.”

“Dusky will tell you I was never subtle, Princess. Something I’m sure you remember well enough. I had something to say so I said it. I'm still sorry I got up in your face like that.”

Luna smiled broadly. “Apology accepted,” she said, as if there was ever a doubt. Like she could be angry with her. “Now, give me a hug and a kiss, and maybe later tonight I'll let you kiss my hooves.” With a happy squeal, Wildfire launched herself forwards, wrapping her legs around Luna’s body delivering a trademark hug.

“Alicorn physiology versus Wildfire hugs.” Tempest snickered to Airmail beside her, “Which is stronger?”

When even Luna gasped for breath, Wildfire eventually let go, releasing her hug with a bright red blush on her face. Gently, carefully, the Princess placed a soft kiss on her scarred face. “I brought moonshine for everypony, and lemonade for Wily and Serenity.”

“You do non-alcoholic shine!” Wildfire snorted, momentarily forgetting whom she was talking to. Then she remembered. She could almost hear Airmail wielding the paddle against her ass. “Um...I mean, thank you, Princess, for the lemonade.

“She does,” Octavia quipped, “but I call it water.”

When Luna raspberried her wife, Wildfire giggled like a filly and nuzzled Octavia’s cheek after she had found her. “You sound like pregnancy agrees with you, Princess.”

“It does, but I do like the lemonade over the water.” Octavia smiled warmly when Wildfire’s hooves gently ran over her belly.

“Fear not, my dear wife,” Luna declared heroically, “For I'll drink enough for both of us.”

Leaning in close to Wildfire, Octavia whispered not-so-quietly-so-that-everypony could hear, “With that alicorn body, that doesn't say very much.”

“No, it doesn't,” Wildfire agreed with a giggle and she stood up, though that didn’t do much for her height. “It is nice to hear you both here again. Hopefully it won't be as intense as the first time.” She then had a very, very serious look on her face. “Princess, promise me we won't end up in Las Pegasus again?”

Luna didn’t know why that was so funny. Whether it was what she said or the earnestly serious way she said it, but the alicorn started laughing hard and Octavia had to pat her on the back. Likewise, Airmail and Tempest also had to fight to not fall apart in laughter. “That was a good story!”

Wildfire blushed, “yuppers Pretty, it was fun when I was eighteen.”

Caffeinated came up from the basement, where he had been making preparations in the dungeon for the festivities later in the day, just as Thespian emerged from the informal dining room having laid out the buffet food that the catering had supplied. Jobs all done, Thespian came straight over to Wildfire like she was laser guided and felt Wildfire’s belly with her hooves. Wildfire giggled, “You wait till she can kick!”

Thespian giggled, her hooves caressing the young mare’s belly. “I want to hear what happens when she kicks Tempest out of bed before noon!” Tempest raised a hoof and raspberried, which just made Thespian laugh all the harder.

“I'm sure the world will end if that happens!” Wildfire snickered.

Belle, Tinkerer, Recital, Trumpet, Requiem, and Longshore all arrived together, the six ponies letting themselves in through the back entrance to the ranch like they owned the place. “Seabreeze and Swirl have the foals well in hoof.” Requiem called out, the red and blue painted mare answering Caffeinated’s unspoken question.

Starlight spotted Requiem and trotted over to her. “Everything on this floor is set up. We’re looking forward to watching tonight’s activities.”

“Are you going to join them?” asked Requiem.

“Selene and I are just curious, for now,” Starlight responded.

“Give them time, love,” added Longshore. “Maybe they can watch house and we can play.” He smiled as he received the appropriate eye roll from his wife.

Wildfire went and greeted the new arrivals with an excited hi and a cheery wave, and all of them moved to congratulate and hug her in turn. Hugs and nuzzles done, they departed to the kitchen to get some of Luna's moonshine. Wildfire, a happy little mare, did a happy dance before getting some lemonade for herself. Not long after that, Air Raid, Cream, Amethyst, Slate and Darkstar arrived as well. Amethyst surveyed those who were already there. “You may now begin the party!”

Giggling at the pink mare’s declaration, Darkstar made sure she got her hugs in to her old friend. “Congrats on the award, Wily. I wanted to surprise you with the prank I helped Airmail with back in Canterlot, but Slate wouldn't let me!” the white unicorn pouted playfully while Air Raid bumped hooves and nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek.

“Sneaking up on you in silence is more a gaming night prank.” Slate said quietly, tugging Darkstar’s leash and turning her head to his, where he promptly placed a kiss on her pouting lips.

“Would've been funny...”

Wildfire giggled, “You naughty unicorn, Darkie.”

“Are we the last?” Mapper asked as she led Serenity through the main door by the reins attached to the pink bridle she wore.

“Darkie's brother hasn't arrived yet.” Slate put in, taking a moment’s break from kissing his mare.

“Lavender and Topper are missing,” Airmail supplied, thoroughly enjoying the look on Mapper’s face become more and more disgruntled.

Caffeinated didn’t help matters. “The whole stallion herd isn't here yet either.”

“Well!” Mapper let out a most despondent sigh, “So much for being fashionably late.”

“And Cyclone isn't here yet either, Mistress!” Wildfire chirped happily, earning herself a withering glare from Mapper which thankfully she couldn’t see.

“Oh, she will be, don't worry!” Darkstar beamed, for she knew something that nopony else did and that made her special! “She said she was bringing a surprise with her.”

“I'll pretend to be surprised by Bluefeather.” Tempest, stood by Airmail, shared a hoof bump with her lover.

Darkstar however wasn’t talking. She had been made aware, mostly from Slate but from Bluefeather as well, that blabbing would be a very bad naughty thing to do. “I have an idea what it is, Tempest, but I'll let Cy tell you when she gets here.”

Airmail too had an idea what the surprise could be. “Most likely it’s a can of whipped cream!”

Wildfire burst out laughing, “Oh...oh I hope she isn't going to do the lines she used on the phone!”

Hearing that for the first time, many ponies gathered round and made Wildfire explain what that meant. Amethyst however pulled her pet to her and dropped her saddlebags. “Raid, put on your outfit and ensure drinks are served. Cream, you may help her dress.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Cream took up the saddlebags that held Air Raid’s clothing and hoof-cuffs, similar to what she wore at the Gaming Night party, and ushered her fellow submissive into an empty room to dress her. As she was led away, Air Raid’s wings were all a-flutter.

Darkstar kissed Slate’s lips and she saw Luna sat with Octavia. “May I mingle, Master?”

As Darkstar was given reign to go and mingle, the four stallions of the stallion’s herd, Sonic, Trails, Omega, Sunshine arrived along with Coffee Bean, who wasn't at the award ceremony. “You may freely mingle, my fine gigolos!” she declared.

Sonic smiled and gave the High Priestess a bow. “You are most kind, High Priestess.”

On the way back from getting something for her and Slate to eat and drink, the plates and glasses in her magic, Darkstar took the long way around over to Luna. “Good afternoon, Princess,” she greeted her as Wildfire, after explaining what the cream comment was about, was snuggling with Airmail and Tempest.

Princess Luna took a moment to sip her drink and then she smiled at the pure white unicorn before her. She had been determined to speak with her, and here she was. “If I may be informal, a good evening to you, Darkie.”

“Course you can, Princess,” Darkstar returned the smile before asking, “Can I be informal too?”

“Tavi, are we in court?”

Octavia made a great show of looking around her, much to the amusement of those ponies nearby. “No,” she said after a moment’s inspection, “looks like we are far from court.”

“Then, by all means, Darkie.”

“Thanks Luna,” Darkstar smiled, well aware that Slate was hovering nervously, ready to intervene if needed, though hopefully he wouldn’t be. She had Slate's food on a plate held for him in her magic, which he ate from, calming himself down. “It's nice to see you again so soon.”

Luna smiled, “I do have many reasons to come to Manehatten, and as it happens, you are on the list.” She touched her horn to Darkstar’s own. “How are you doing?”

“I'm getting there,” Darkstar answered honestly and simply, helped by her few sessions with Requiem. “I'm not there yet, but I'm making progress. I haven't used 'we' for a few days now, Luna.”

Slowly, Luna lifted her horn off of Darkstar’s and smiled. “Your knight in stripes seems ready to defend you against me.” Her smile grew ever wider now that Slate had the deer in the headlights look.

Caffeinated chuckled at that, and Coffee Bean added, “Of course, zebras don't fear you, Mungu wa Usiku.”

Seeing her lover’s hesitance, Darkstar giggled and kissed Slate's cheek. “Breathe, Master, you're safe. I don't think you'll get banished to the Crystal Empire just yet.” She giggled, “My magic's getting stronger, Luna, though I still can’t do the invisibility trick yet.”

“She just needs to graduate Magic Kindergarten, Mungu wa Usiku.” Mapper smiled sweetly as she wafted over to where Darkstar and Luna were chatting.

“Ms. Thespian,” Serenity saw Air Raid in her own slave outfit and hoof-cuffs and she wanted to play too. “May I borrow your uniform to assist Ms. Air Raid in serving?”

“Of course,” Caffeinated answered, eager to see Serenity in ‘that’ outfit. “Thespy is taking a night off.”

Darkstar snickered, “Mistress Mapper, good evening! I can levitate things and manage some simple illusions, which is more than I could do before, so I’m a happy pony.”

“Slate,” Mapper spoke to the zebra stallion, immediately getting his attention, “mnyama wako amejifunza wakati ana haki ya kuwa rasmi na wakati wa kuwa rasmi. Nawaweka kwenye ujuzi wako mafunzo.”

Coffee Bean giggled at the obvious flattery that Mapper laid on Slate. Slate though was beaming with pride to be told that his pet had learned when it was right to be informal and when to be formal. That she commended him on his training skills made him feel like he could fly.

“My Master is a thoughtful but strict trainer, Mistress Mapper.” Darkstar answered the pink unicorn with justifiable pride. “I honour him by applying his teachings and being a good pet.”

“Maybe I should send my pets to you for instruction.” Mapper thoroughly enjoyed the deer-in-the-headlights look before deciding to go and bother somepony else.

With Mapper’s departure, Darkstar turned back to the openly smirking Luna. “Ms. Requiem is pleased with my progress in our sessions together, Luna.”

“It is good to know the Crown's resources are not going to waste!”

Requiem sang from over the room where she was stood with Recital and their two partners. “Not at all my Princess sweet. I got this dress as a treat!”

Darkstar laughed, “I believe that was just a shopping trip dressed up as a 'lesson' on learning to be happy living life.”

“Later I'll dress her in an outfit that is fitting for tonight.” Slate asserted once he had summoned his nerve, to which Caffeinated and Amethyst both nodded.

Outside the ranch, two taxis pulled up in the driveway. Bluefeather stepped out of one followed by Cyclone, who was in turn followed by Moonbeak and Brightstar who got out of theirs. Stepping up to gate, Bluefeather produced her pass key as she was an old friend of Tempest’s. “Hey Bright, Moony! How's it going?” Cyclone greeted her friends with a smile, bumping hooves with them both.

Standing patiently in the late afternoon sunlight, Bluefeather pointedly nudged her marefriend’s ass. Politely requesting an introduction. When it was apparent that none was forthcoming, she tapped her ass again and coughed. Oblivious, Cyclone blinked once then twice, the nappy wearing pegasus lost. “What'd I do?”

Shaking her head with a sigh, Moonbeak stepped forward past Brightstar and Cyclone and she held out a claw out to the new pegasus. “Hello, I'm Moonbeak.”

Giggling to herself, Bluefeather bumped Moonbeak’s claw with her hoof. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Moonbeak. I'm Bluefeather.”

“Oh jeez, I’m sorry!”

Brightstar snickered at his old friend’s blunder. “Didn't think Cy?”

The jet black pegasus blushed all the way up to her ears. “No...”

Bluefeather shook her head, sharing an apologetic look with Moonbeak, the look of two maternal creatures. “She is at that challenging age. One tries to teach manners, but she suffers from short attention span. I'm sure you understand.”

Giggling, Moonbeak nodded as Bluefeather ran her pass key by the front gate and led the way to the front door. “Yes, Bluefeather, yes I do.”

“You know Cy,” Brightstar snickered as they walked side-by-side behind their respective partners, “Rutting your brains out is only an expression, right?” Cyclone, after a moment’s consideration, blew her friend a long and loud raspberry.

“My mom called,” Thespian announced in the ranch, “Baron has been delayed, but they'll be here for tonight's activities.” Just then, the blue / grey earth pony mare saw the front door open and she nodded to the new arrivals. “Looks like the last of our guests are here, Wily.”

“Thanks Ms. Thespy!” Wildfire made her way over to the door to do the greetings. She knew from those already there who it was that had entered. “Hey guys!” she took the time to hug all four, starting with Cyclone and Brightstar. Hugging Moonbeak was a new experience for her. “I’m glad you all could come tonight.”

Cyclone couldn’t resist. The words were out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying. “I'm sure I'll cum later, Wily.”

“I might even remove the nappy for that.” Bluefeather smiled, sharing a hoof bump with her new griffon friend.

Released from her Wily Hug, Moonbeak nuzzled the little pegasus’s cheek. “Congratulations on your award, Wildfire. I hope you don't mind that I hope my pony doesn't receive any similar awards.” As long as they had been together, she still dreaded getting the phone call from the police department telling her that Brightstar had been injured.

Before Wildfire could answer that though, Lavender walked up to Cyclone with Topper in tow and the tan brown earth pony mare clapped her hooves. “So, you're the new pony with the isolation suit?” she asked by way of greeting, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. “Oh, hi there Bluefeather, I'm stealing your foal for a bit. Hope that’s okay?”

Topper, the huge but gentle earth pony stallion, shook his head while Lavender just giggled like an excited filly. The look on Bluefeather’s face made her giggle all the more. “I think we need a cop in the herd so I can get you for foal napping.” She smiled as Brightstar and Moonbeak walked over to Darkstar and Slate.

“Oh hey!” Cyclone offered her hoof for a bump which Lavender returned without hesitation and she had a huge grin on her face. “The mare with the suit, that's me.” she sounded as excited as her new friend. “Equestria's new best porn star at your service.”

So fast one might assume she teleported, Belle appeared at their side, eager to join in the conversation. “Speaking of which,” the olive drab unicorn began, “Do you have your newest release?”

“Hey!” Lavender pouted playfully, “I was monopolising her first!”

Belle took a moment to raspberry Lavender while Cyclone laughed, “I do!” she then reached into her saddlebag like she has the secret access codes to the Royal Canterlot Cake Archives. “I managed, at great risk, to sneak this out before its general release.” The jet black pegasus bumped hooves with Belle. “I'm Cyclone.”

“I'm Belle, the ticklecorn.” Belle introduced herself with a smile, “and your number two fan. Number one fan is feeling up Wily's belly. Oh, he's Tinkerer.”

Cyclone cocked her head in thought, remembering the many names that Wildfire had told her about in their catch ups over the phone. It wasn’t as easy as one might think, especially as she had met and rutted a new stallion or mare every day this past week. “He's your partner and father of her foal, right? I remember Wily telling me.”

“I witnessed the whole event and can certify that is true!” Belle smiled cheerfully.

“Did you have popcorn?” asked Cyclone, “I bet she licked his hooves, amiright?”

Those members of the herd stood closest to Cyclone and Belle burst out laughing as they knew Belle well enough that she would have indeed had popcorn. “Even buttered!” the olive drab unicorn giggled gleefully, “First she gave him a hooficure, then she licked them.”

“That's Wily,” Cyclone giggled, “Think we can watch that DVD later?”

“No foals at this party, well, other than you,” Belle said with a shrug of her shoulders, “so we could watch it before or after the kinky fun.”

“After please.” Lavender requested, “I need some release when I get out of my suit.”

That sparked something in Cyclone. “Suits!” she squeaked, suddenly remembering the reason why Lavender had come over to her in the first place. She had been quite looking forward to talking isolation suits with a vastly more experienced pony. “I wanna talk suits with you hun.”

“I'll keep this safe,” Belle grinned and left with the DVD in her magic.

“So, I heard you just started this.” Lavender broached the subject as she sipped her drink. “How many times in the suit, and what’s the longest?”

“I've been in it five times, the longest was half an hour. I got a 'beginner' suit from the MiAC in Canterlot.” Cyclone was rather proud of her crimson red isolation suit. In the short time she had owned it, it had become one of her favourite possessions, besides Mr. Pointy.

Topper laughed a deep rumbling laugh. “That brings back some memories.”

For the moment, Lavender ignored her stallion and giggled at Cyclone’s comment. “You mean the one with the detachable eye and ear covers?”

“Uh huh!” Cyclone agreed quickly, “and with removable mouth piece. Bluefeather treated me to this penis gag when we got back in town off the train.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I just think she wants to shut me up.”

“Understandable,” Topper smiled, which earned him a jab in the ribs from Lavender.

“I prefer being stuffed in something other than my mouth. Drooling in the suit makes me wet.” Lavender almost purred at the thought while Topper, nursing his jabbed ribs, groaned, both at his ribs and what his wife had said. He’d heard that one many times before.

Bluefeather shot Lavender a look, which the earth pony returned in kind. “I'm happy to see you take this so seriously.”

Cyclone snickered and giggled, “Now, I do like the dildo and the plug in me when I'm suited up. It's really cool when Blue has the remotes for them. She always keeps me guessing as to what setting's next.” The jet black pegasus laid an affectionate nuzzle to her marefriend’s cheek.

“Totally!” Lavender squealed in agreement, both looked so excited for the fun that was to come that they could’ve been sisters. “Top keeps the controls too. My goal is to stay standing, and his is to get me to topple over.”

“That sounds like a fun game.” Gears turned in Cyclone’s head. Jewel encrusted gears that processed all the possible games and fun things she could play and do with the isolation suit. “Blue we should play that. What's your longest time in the suit, hun?”

“Um, well, I have been doing this a long time…” Lavender, not expecting that, suddenly felt on the spot. The last thing she wanted to do was turn it into a competition. “Um…so you should move at your own pace.”

Snorting a breath through her nose, Cyclone sighed and nuzzled the older mare’s cheek. “I'm not about to try and best you in one, I'm just curious, that’s all, Lavender.”

Laying a comforting hoof on his wife’s shoulder, Topper said, “she has tried and failed twice for twenty four hours, but her last attempt was close at twenty three hours fourteen minutes and thirty two seconds.”

Gratefully, Lavender returned the nuzzle to the young nappy clad pegasus. “I can sleep on my hooves, but my dreams can make me lose balance.”

Cyclone, for her part, was staring open mouthed. The more she tried to think about it, the more insane and appealing in equal measure it seemed. “A whole day? No way, really? Sweet Luna...sorry!” she apologised when the Princess thought she was being summoned. “But really, a day? Wow...I mean, it surprised me when I wasn't scared when I put it on at all…”

“She was nervous at first,” Topper explained, “Losing the sight was fine, it was the loss of hearing that was the biggest hurdle.”

“Yeah, I have a coded hoof beat for when I need out of suit, like, right now!” Lavender giggled, “My second safety measure is when I fall over. That’s when I'm done, but in no hurries to get out.”

Thoughtfully, Cyclone nodded as Air Raid and Serenity both hopped around the ranch’s ground floor serving drinks to those who requested them. “Blue told me to do the hoof beat thing. I wasn't prepared at first for how 'odd' it is to have no sight, hearing or taste, even.”

Lavender took a glass of moonshine from a passing Serenity and then she leant in conspiratorially, “when you get used to it and have a full suit, you can join me in the pool.”

“You can do that in water?” Cyclone asked, so startled that she almost wet her nappy, “For real?”

Topper had been waiting for that reaction. Everypony reacted like that the first time they heard about it. “With floaters around your waist and neck so you can breathe,” he explained with a gentle laugh.

“It removes the last sensation of gravity,” Lavender continued the explanation where Topper left off, “It does freak you out after a bit as you begin to hallucinate.”

“Her record in water is just over thirteen hours.”

Cyclone looked with giddy excitement from Lavender to Topper to Bluefeather, who had snagged drinks for them both from Air Raid as she hopped by, the lime green mare’s hooves bound in cuffs. “We'll have to definitely give that a crack when I progress to a more advanced suit. I'm curious though, why'd you start doing it?”

Topper burst out laughing at that, while Lavender gave him a look. “Hush you. It was a sensory deprivation study at the university. They paid in pizza…”

“I thought she was crazy.”

Again, Lavender hushed her husband with a look. “Turned out I sort of messed their results as I was loving it.”

“That's cool,” Cyclone thought about her motivations and nuzzled Bluefeather. “It's been something I've wanted to try for a while, but y'know, being a pegasus, I kinda always chickened out, the whole racial fear thing. Having Blue with me gave me the nerve to finally try it.”

Lavender beamed with pride, “I've been doing this for fun for twenty years.”

Passing by, Mapper couldn’t resist sticking in her two bits worth on her way to bothering Luna and Octavia. They’d been quiet too long and she couldn’t have that! “You have nothing in your holes when you're trying for that record, Lav.”

Lavender rolled her eyes, “You just like to watch my butt wiggle.”

“I like to watch your butt wiggle.” Topper snickered as he tried and failed to sip his drink without spilling it.

“Give it a few days and I hope all of Equestria will watch my butt wiggle!” Cyclone laughed, sharing a hoof bump and a clink of their glasses with Bluefeather. She knew her debut Playcolt DVD would be hitting the shelves in MiAC stores across the land by the coming Saturday.

“Seems to me like the two of you got the basics down,” Lavender smiled, “Slow and steady will lead to results.”

“Bonus,” Topper added, “I can watch the game without interruption when she is in the suit.”

As she had been sipping her drink, Cyclone snorted into her glass when she laughed at the huge stallion’s comment. “Do you time the suit time to coincide with a ball game, Topper?”

Topper suddenly looked like an overgrown colt caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. “Maybe...”

Lavender giggled, “It is a good reason for me to get three or four hours in my suit.” It was well known how little she cared for watching the game.

Cyclone joined Lavender in her giggles. As it turned out, she shared the older mare’s lack of interest in sports, although she could appreciate a sweaty Buckball player with the best of them. “So, you wanna do a suit-off?” she asked with an excited glint in her eye, “I got mine, you got yours, we can be like bookends!”

“Last session here I went seventy eight minutes with my colt at the controls.” Lavender grinned, more than up for playing a bookend with Cyclone.

“I do try to get her to last beyond the session but not miss much of the after party.” Topper said with a grin.

Cyclone didn’t know about that length of time. “I think I’ll aim for forty minutes and be happy with that.”

“I'll be rooting for you!” Lavender smiled, lifting up her free hoof for a bump.

“Where'd you get dressed?” asked Cyclone curiously as she returned the hoof bump. She asked because this was a completely different kind of party to the Gaming Night she had been invited to a fortnight ago. Not wanting to inadvertently go where she wasn’t allowed, she thought it best to ask.

“I usually wait till Caffy gives the ‘Kink Night starts in fifteen minutes’ warning.” Lavender explained, not seeing the question as silly in the slightest. “I dress upstairs and Top carries me to the dungeon in the basement.”

“Mind if we join you upstairs?”

“Who am I to argue having three mares in the bedroom?” asked Topper, the earth pony stallion snickering as Lavender treated her husband to her second best eye roll.

Seeing the eye roll, Cyclone giggled, “Hey Blue, Lav speaks 'eye roll' too, just like you!”

“Still in training,” Lavender retorted her giggles getting louder when Bluefeather lightly swatted Cyclone’s ear with her wing. “You should see Snowfall!”

“Or Airy,” put in Topper with a definite shudder. He knew as large as he was, Airmail could take him apart with her bare hooves should the mood take her. “When she does the ‘eye glare’ thing.”

“Oooh yeah, the eye thing.” Cyclone shuddered just like Topper did. She was immediately transported back in time the few weeks to that very first meeting with Wildfire, Tempest and Airmail back in Cloudsdale. “I was treated to that back in Cloudsdale. Damn near made me piss myself!”

Immediately, Lavender held up a hoof to silence the young mare. “I don't want to know what caused that, but you're here, which says something. I'm for some of Luna's moonshine.” She whispered to Cyclone as she stepped closer to her, “You pissed in your suit yet?”

Giggling, Cyclone whispered, “No, but I wanna. Let's go get some shine!”

As Cyclone, Bluefeather, Lavender and Topper left the informal dining room for the kitchen, Darkstar walked past them with Slate by her side. The pure white unicorn had spotted her brother standing with Moonbeak aside from the others. She couldn’t have them being quiet and un-bothered. “Mistress Moonbeak, it’s so nice to see you again!” she then nodded to Brightstar. “Brother.”

Bowing low to Slate, the two stallions shared a hoof bump of greeting. “Master Slate,” the royal blue unicorn smiled, “good evening.”

As he usually didn’t deal with non-ponies in his usual line of work, Slate was a bit nervous around the frankly imposing and intimidating griffon. “H-Hello.”

Casting a look around the living room, Moonbeak was at once struck by the explosion of colour in the ranch. She hadn’t been expecting that. “My, I didn't know zebras were so colourful, like ponies.”

“Nor I, Mistress.” Brightstar agreed with his wife. “You don't see many zebras in Canterlot and Filly.” In Fillydelphia, you were more likely to see griffons, minotaurs, yaks and even dragons than you were a zebra.

Straightaway, Darkstar picked up on her Master's nervousness. While it was true he had come a very long way in such a short amount of time – like herself, it was also true he could be cripplingly shy. “Mistress Moonbeak doesn't bite, unless my brother's been a naughty pony.”

Seeing Slate’s hesitation, Moonbeak just couldn’t resist a tease. “Oh, but I do bite. You just have to ask me sweetly to do so.”

“And if I'm not sweet?”

Moonbeak’s emerald green eyes turned very predatory indeed. “Then I claw.”

While Slate blinked, very much imitating a rabbit caught in a car’s headlights, Brightstar smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He had gone through much of this same teasing in the time he had been with Moonbeak. He loved every second. “I have the scars to prove it, Master Slate.”

“You are the sweetest…” Darkstar kissed her stallion’s cheek, “zebra,” she kissed him a second time, loving the way he blushed, “Ever!”

“Actually we are ponies, just a different tribe.” Slate said, the young stallion marshalling his thoughts and his nerve, finding that dominant spark that lived inside him. “Darkie,” he commanded, “I'd like a lunar coffee, and you should get drinks for these two also.”

“Yes Master.” Darkstar kept her voice even, but inside her heart was soaring at the commanding tone in her zebra’s voice. “What would you like, Mistress Moonbeak, brother?"

Brightstar turned to the dark grey furred griffon stood by his side. “Mistress, may I please have a whiskey?”

“I wonder if they have blood wine here?” Moonbeak asked, tapping her beak with a clawed finger. “If not then that lunar coffee sounds good.”

“I can ask for you, Mistress Moonbeak, one moment please.” Turning around, Darkstar spotted Caffeinated across the foyer chatting away with Coffee Bean, Luna and Octavia. She trotted over smartly to the little group, weaving around a hopping Serenity on the way. “Excuse me, Mr. Caffeinated?”

Caffeinated smiled, knowing whom it was that wanted his attention before he even turned around. Having had her in his house for a short time, he rather missed having her accent around the place. “Yes, Darkie?”

“Mistress Moonbeak asks if you have blood wine, please.”

As much as he wanted to help, in this case he could not. “I’m sorry, I don’t. That has a very short shelf life. I don't think I have a reasonable substitute.” That, and there was precious little call for the beverage amongst the members of his herd.

“Thank you Mr Caffeinated. I'll tell her.” Making up her mind to be very naughty indeed, Darkstar trotted straight back to where Slate was stood with Moonbeak and her brother. On the way, she walked past the kitchen where the drinks were and she sidestepped Air Raid who was carrying a tray of drinks in her mouth to Sonic and the stallions. “Mistress, I regret to say that there's no blood wine.”

Slate made an exaggerated show of looking for the drinks that he requested. Drinks his marefriend had not bought back. This was to buy himself time to formulate his response. “You've returned empty hoofed?” he said with a deep frown, “I'm most disappointed. Where is my coffee, and Moonbeak here ordered a coffee to should you not get the blood wine.”

Tutting, Moonbeak shook her head. “Forgetful, just like this one.” She grinned, tweaking Brightstar’s ear with a claw.

“I'm sorry Master,” Darkstar apologetically bowed her head, though this was so she could hide her broad smile. She loved being a naughty pony, almost as much as she loved the commanding tone he used with her. “I'll get the drinks you ordered.” While her brother sighed happily at the talon in his ear, she trotted off to get the drinks.

“I'm not sure if she does that on purpose,” Slate fretted, “How do you take control so easily, Moonbeak?”

“May I speak, Mistress?”

“Presence.” Moonbeak stood in a most powerful pose, looking more masculine than some stallions present at the ranch. “It’s all about presence. You may talk, pony.”

“My sister is definitely doing it on purpose, Master Slate. You've done a good job bringing her out of herself.”

Now they were alone in their little group, Slate leant closer. “She is rather sexy when she changes up personalities on me. Just this whole control thing is so new. I'm just a landscaper,” he said after taking a deep breath and bared his worries, “and I'm always being told what to do.”

Moonbeak laid an understanding, comforting claw on the zebra’s shoulder. She herself had experienced these worries in the past. “You don't have to do it all the time. I have let this pony take charge in the bedroom a few times.”

Brightstar smiled at that comment from his wife. He smiled at the memory of tying her to the bed and worshipping her paws until she climaxed from that alone. “Moony likes my weight on her back. We switch it up as and when we feel like it. Keeps everything natural and fun.”

Just then, Darkstar came prancing back to them with four drinks held in her glowing yellow magical aura, a happy smile on her face. When she stood by her Master, the slate grey zebra took note of what his pet had bought. There was a lunar coffee for himself and Moonbeak, a whiskey for her brother and he assumed the light moonshine was for her. He hadn’t allowed her to get one for herself. She was testing him again. “How thoughtful,” he smiled dangerously sweetly, “extra moonshine for me. Thank you. You may get yourself a water, but this is a celebration. You can have water with gas.”

“Bu-But...” Darkstar spluttered, she hadn’t been expecting Slate to react as dominant as that. Brightstar chuckled at his sister’s wide eyed expression. She had pushed and now she was getting her desserts. “Yes Master,” she bowed her head, “thank you Master.”

“That felt good, but you see, she still has a will.” Slate said to Moonbeak and Brightstar as Darkstar went to the kitchen to get the sparkling water. “Caffy said that is a good thing.” When the pure white mare returned, Slate turned to her brother. “Do you like the police work, Brightstar?”

“Yes Master Slate.” Brightstar replied, sipping his whiskey. It wasn’t Dalwhinny, but it was nice nonetheless. “Undercover work in Filly keeps me busy.”

Slate nodded to both ponies as he too took a long drink of the light moonshine that his pet had bought for herself. The look on her face was priceless. “It does give you and your sister something in common. The police.”

Darkstar contented herself with her sparkling water, heat burning at her cheeks and her marehood. Her brother stepped forwards and nuzzled her cheek. “I heard of Darkie's encounter with the gang of unicorns on the train. I'm impressed.”

“I was just doing my civic duty, like anypony would've.” Darkstar commented, though she was rightly proud of herself, and the award that the Mayor of the Broncs had personally delivered to her the morning after.

“It is a constant uphill battle,” admitted Slate with a sigh, “but she is taking the tribes head on. She has won the hearts of the stone tribe.”

“It's a battle I intend to win, with Slate by my side.” Darkstar asserted, for the moment putting aside her submissive aspect.

Brightstar though was completely proud of her. After everything she had endured and been through, she had risen magnificently. “You made a difference, sister. That's all you can do.”

As they all sipped their respective drinks, Slate snickered, “I make a difference one flower at a time.”

The royal blue unicorn chuckled. He wasn’t going to allow the zebra to downplay what he did. “Forgive me, Master Slate, but we all make a difference, doing our jobs and taking pride in doing them well.”

Slate nodded thoughtfully. What Brightstar said made a great deal of sense. Still, he saw himself as ‘just a gardener’, amazed that somepony as fantastic as Darkstar would be interested in him. “That was a nice awards ceremony. It gives me hope that saving a life is more important than what life you're saving.”

“Of course,” Brightstar agreed completely. “I've worked with ponies, minotaurs and griffons on the force. We all bleed the same, Master Slate, regardless of what we are.”

Snorting out a breath, Slate laughed. “In Filly you don't have to deal with the Celestiates.”

“This much is true,” Brightstar raised his glass in salute and downed the contents. “We have gangs instead that think they are above the law.”

“Sadly that seems to be the one thing in common with all the cities.”

Moonbeak, having drank her lunar coffee, stepped forwards and affectionately nuzzled her stallion’s cheek. “Some wear gang colours and others wear suits. Depends on the city.”

About to say something pithy regarding corruption being everywhere, Darkstar was silenced before it left her lips when Caffeinated stood on a low stool to make a toast. The orange zebra’s rumbling voice easily carried over the living room, the formal and informal dining rooms and the whole ground floor. “Raise your glasses in a toast to Wildfire! A mare dedicated to service, the herd, and to Airmail.” Immediately, along with all the other attendees, Darkstar and Brightstar raised their glasses and added their cheers to all the others.

“I think we are here to party. Take it easy on the water, pet. Don't want you to get too tipsy.” Slate said with a snicker, his confidence at a high.

“Thank you, Master.” Darkstar purred as sexily as she could manage, a sweet little smile on her lips. “But I think I can handle the water.”

Moonbeak was at once impressed and happy with how far her sister-in-law had come since they had first met. Instead of shrinking away from the slightest noise, now she had spirit! “She is full of herself.” She said appreciatively.

“Yes she is,” Brightstar smiled, “which makes a refreshing change.” Roughly – but not too roughly - Slate pulled Darkstar to him and kissed his pet passionately on the lips before she could reply. Moments later, the white unicorn broke for breath, her quip about preferring to be full of Slate having died on her lips.

Likewise, Brightstar stole a kiss from Moonbeak too, the unicorn’s tongue sliding into his Mistress’s welcoming beak. After the kiss, the griffon caressed her pony’s cheek with a clawed hand. “It seems she isn't the only one full of themselves.”

Over at the buffet table, Wildfire was helping herself to bluebell, sunflower and daisy sandwich. After chatting with Luna and Octavia for a few moments, she had learnt that Dusk and Brush Stroke would not be attending this session. Belle, who was also at the buffet table getting a slice of chocolate cake that she never meant to eat, greeted Wildfire with a friendly nuzzle.

Wildfire was pleased the olive drab mare had found her. After talking with Octavia about Dusk, and particularly about his newly adopted colt, there was a whole host of things running around in her head. Things she thought a mare her age would have an insight on. “Dusk isn't here,” she said with a sigh, “he and Brush Stroke are taking care of Ivory Wind at home. How old is yours?”

Surreptitiously, Belle levitated the piece of chocolate cake over to Serenity. She had no qualms at all in helping the older unicorn be as naughty as possible. That was all part of the fun! “Pathfinder is two,” she replied, her attention back to her little herd-mate.

“When did you start coming to these events?” asked Wildfire after she had dispatched the sandwich. Deciding she liked it, she reached for another. You only live once, after all.

“About two weeks before birth and as soon as he was weaned so we could leave him with Seabreeze.” Replied Belle, taking one of the stuffed artichoke hearts before they vanished completely.

“Oh, maybe that’s how it will be with Fireflight.” Wildfire smiled, nuzzling Belle’s cheek in thanks. Still, her worries were present in her mind and they wouldn’t go away. “Thanks for that. Luna said Dusk was having a family day with Brush Stroke and Ivory Wind at the lake by their house in Ponyville.”

Belle, having snaffled the stuffed artichoke, shamelessly stole the last one before anypony else could get it. If they wanted it, they should’ve gotten in sooner. “We still have family days. Now, as herd, we have built in sitters, too.”

Slowly, Wildfire ate her second sandwich, mulling a few things over in her head. Concentrating on Belle’s voice, she tuned out the rest of the party after the toast that Caffeinated had made. “Yuppers, I'm looking forward to those too…” As Air Raid hopped past to serve Coffee Bean and Amethyst, the blind mare had a slight frown on her face.

Walking over, summoned by his wife, Tinkerer nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “Why the glum look, Wily?”

Thoughtfully, Wildfire sipped at her lemonade before she responded. “It’s nothing…I've wanted this for so long, I never considered before how I'd be once it was here, how I'll be when she gets here,” she laid a hoof on her belly where she knew her filly was growing inside her.

Sharing a look and a silent ear-flick conversation with her husband, Belle pranced on the carpet. “Oh, I know, I know!” she even had her hoof in the air like she was calling on the teacher, though this was to attract Airmail’s attention. “Pick me!”

In spite of her glum mood, Wildfire giggled, “Alrighty Belle, I pick you.”

Affectionately, Belle nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek and the olive drab unicorn even gave her herd-mate a kiss. “You’ll be like a mother and it is like the second best thing in the world.”

Wildfire cocked her head to one side. She hadn’t been expecting Belle to say that. “The second best? What’s the first?”

Lighting her horn, Belle used her magic to drag Tinkerer in closer for a three way hug. Not that Tinkerer needed any extra encouragement in that regard. “The first best is having family to share that with.” The self-appointed ‘ticklecorn’ whispered into Wildfire’s ear.

Blushing in the embrace of her foal’s father and his partner, as well as her two herd-mates, Wildfire smiled as she hugged the other two ponies as tight as she possibly could. She felt so much better than she had a few moments ago. “Thank you, Belle, Tink, I needed that.”

“We are herd, and Airy already let me know that a drum set would be a bad idea.” Tinkerer snickered, the green pegasus breaking the tension with a laugh, he looked about to make sure they weren’t overheard. “Not because of her, but well, the ‘one that sleeps’.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire laughed, feeling the anxiety and tension leech from her as Belle erupted in a fit of giggles. “To be fair, I wouldn't want to disturb the storm either. I think I'd rather fly through a burning building than wake Tempest before noon.”

Belle gave Wildfire another comforting nuzzle. She knew well how the little blind mare felt. She had been in her position herself not all that long ago. “Pathfinder didn't come with an owner’s manual either, but you're not the first in the herd to have a foal, and one day you can give out safe advice to others.”

“You mean they don't come with instruction books?” Wildfire giggled, feeling better all the time, “I was lied to! It’s just...well,” and now, she came to the crux of the issue that was really bothering her, deep down. “You see, it’s going to seem like forever until she dreams and I can see her.”

Understanding now, Belle picked up one of Wildfire's hooves in her own and pressed it to her face in the same way that Wildfire had felt her a month ago now. “This was how you first saw us, and it will be how you first see her. And how you will see her grow.”

Nestled deep in the other two ponies’ embrace, Wildfire sniffed a lot and smiled. “I'm sorry,” she sniffed, which everypony knew was her way of crying, as much as she could cry, “this is supposed to be a party…”

“That sounds like a song cue,” said Tinkerer, gently cutting across Wildfire.

“Serenity!” Belle called out loudly, getting the teal unicorn’s attention, “Wily has the sniffles and wants to hear something from Gore!”

Taking a break from her self-appointed serving duties, Serenity reared up onto her hind hooves and began singing and dancing around the entrance foyer of Caffeinated’s ranch. As she belted out, appropriately, ‘It's my party and I’ll cry if I want to’, Wildfire laughed and joined in with the impromptu performance. Her mum liked that song, and she remembered singing it with her a long time ago. Walking over, Airmail waited until the song was over to hug her fiancé. “Why the sniffles?”

“Bun is still in the oven,” supplied Tinkerer, the pegasus swiping several daisy and buttercup sandwiches lest they to mysteriously vanish like the stuffed artichokes.

“I was being a silly pony, Pretty, that's all.”

Airmail placed several soft delicate kisses all over Wildfire’s scarred face and her muzzle. “As long as you remain my silly pony.”

“Always…” she smiled, kissing Airmail in turn. “The enormity of what’s happening just kinda crept up on me, what with Dusk staying home with Ivory and Oils. He's a mum now, y’know? A parent…”

“If Dusky can be a mum,” Airmail interrupted her softly and kindly, “then you'll be a great mum.” The azure blue mare reached for a hoof full of chocolate drops and fed them one by one into Wildfire’s mouth. “Besides, you can always fall back on Mother Hen for advice, and I've got you covered for nappies.”

“It wasn't those things I was having a wobble about,” Wildfire replied around the chocolate that seemed a never-ending supply, “But, Belle put me right.”

Before Airmail could ask what that meant, both Belle and Tinkerer flicked their ears in the language of the herd and told her exactly what had happened. Reading both of them, Airmail nodded and decided not to take it any further. “That is why we are herd.” She said after the ear flicks had stopped.

Wildfire had a big smile plastered all over her face. “That's why you're all awesomes!” The big smile continued when she lovingly nuzzled Airmail’s cheek. “Happy one month anniversary, my very pretty pony.”

“And I thought this party was for you!” Airmail, not one prone to blushing very often, blushed an intense crimson all over her cheeks. Even her ears turned a shade of red. “H-Hey, let's make it for us!”

“I think we should. Ready to party?”

Still blushing, Airmail swiped a glass from Air Raid’s tray held in her mouth as the lime green mare hopped past them and she hoofed it to her diminutive lover’s grasp. “Don't tell Stormy, but I spiked this lemonade with some fizzy water.”

Taking the glass of lemonade in her hoof, Wildfire giggled, “I won't tell a soul, I promise!” she raised the glass in a toast of her own, “Thank you for the bestest month ever, and for all the bestest months to come.”

Airmail clinked their glasses together. “I'll drink to that.”

A short time later, with the party in full swing all over the ground floor, the hall clock announced it was eight in the evening. With the chime of eight as his cue, Caffeinated once more stood atop the stool. “Your attention please!” his deep rumbling voice drew every creature’s attention to him. “The festivities will begin in one hour downstairs. I know some of you like to dress up for the event so this is your notice.”

While Bluefeather and Cyclone followed Topper and Lavender upstairs to the guest bedrooms to get dressed in their respective isolation suits, Mapper walked up to Airmail and Wildfire with Tempest in tow beside her. “You two playing or helping today?”

“Mistress,” Wildfire set aside her drink and inclined her head respectfully, “I'd very much like to play.”

Airmail draped her wing over Wildfire’s back. “I'll be playing with her.”

Mapper was delighted to hear that. There was no reason that the casts should prevent her Middle Pet from playing the game, as long as the bindings were properly applied. “Your skills with ropes improved, Airy?”

Under the scrutiny from her herd-mate, Airmail shifted on her hooves as the other members of the herd filed past them and to the stairs that led downstairs to the dungeon, Coffee Bean and Caffeinated at their head. “I can always get advice from Belle.”

Mapper nodded, eager to wrap up this little conversation as she wanted to walk down with Luna and Octavia, who were both bringing up the rear of the procession downstairs. “Stormy, it looks like you and I to get things set up. Senior Pet.”

Appearing out of the ether at her wife’s side, Serenity said, “Yes Mistress?”

“Go ahead and assist those getting ready, like Middle Pet, and I won't pretend to not notice the chocolate that you have eaten and will eat in a few minutes.”

With a wide smile on her face, Serenity performed a four-hooved happy tap dance and prance combination. “Yes Mistress!” her orders given, the teal unicorn took off downstairs as fast as was decent.

Downstairs in the dungeon, the large bare brick walled room that was one of the most important in the ranch, but for the kitchen, every creature was taking up their respective positions. Those not playing were sat on the many seating pads that formed a semi-circle around the raised stage.

On the stage, in the line of those creatures that were playing, Airmail managed to do well tying up Wildfire. Beside her, Belle was tying up Tinkerer and Serenity helped by making a minor adjustment on Wildfire’s teats, as Airmail was easily distracted.

While Amethyst was busy tying up Cream and Air Raid – again, with Serenity’s assistance, and Slate tied up Darkstar with the much needed help and direction of Caffeinated and Thespian, Requiem, who was sat by Moonbeak and Brightstar, whispered to Longshore, “What's the line on Recital making Trumpet bleed?”

Longshore glanced over to the stage where Recital was busy trussing up Trumpet next to Wildfire. “You mean making him not bleed, right?”

Requiem snorted, “I'm not betting on that, try that on the newbies.”

Stood on the stage, Brightstar didn’t mean to overhear what Requiem and Longshore were saying, he just had a finely tuned ear to the word ‘newbie’. “Pardon me, Ms. Requiem, but what was that about newbies?”

Longshore, sniggering as his wife giggled, sang out, “Buuuusted!”

“Would you believe that is a term of endearment to those experiencing Caffy's Dungeon for the first time?” Requiem asked the royal blue stallion as the dungeon doors opened and Baron and Snowfall entered, the last couple down to play that evening.

“I would indeed believe it,” Brightstar smiled while the other submissives on the stage were in various stages of being tied up by their dominant partners. “On the force in Filly I've had my share of newbies. Yelling at them is a privilege,” he chuckled, “I heard you mention something about a bet? Wily did mention you give out scores.”

Longshore laughed, “We will bet on just about everything and pretty much all the time.”

“Just some bets are a fools bet,” Requiem rolled her eyes, though her giggles belied the look she gave her stallion.

“And Caffy frowns upon fleecing the non-herd on bets.” Longshore finished the explanation.

“Well now I'm intrigued,” Brightstar was, too. “What was the bet about, if I may ask?”

“Not making a nuisance of yourself, are you, my pet?” said Moonbeak, her voice as shrill as ever as she walked up to her pony and leant forwards to nip his ear with her yellow beak until a bead of blood appeared at the tip of his ear.

Requiem’s eyes lit up like a lighthouse in a dark foggy night. Many possibilities immediately ran through the red and blue painted earth pony mare’s head. “Oooh that would be a new one!” she was almost clapping her hooves with joy. “Shore, I'll put a bit that the griffon makes this pony bleed more than Recital makes her pony bleed.”

“I can go with that,” Longshore snickered, “only you sort of tipped this pair off, love.”

Quick as a flash though, Requiem had a solution. “Don't tell Recital and I'll let Caffy know this pair goes before that pair.”

Longshore shrugged, “Works for me.”

Brightstar chuckled and sighed as Moonbeak licked his ear. “I ah...I think we need a get together with Recital and her stallion after the fun in the dungeon, Mistress.”

“Hmmm sometimes my pony shows wisdom,” Moonbeak smiled dangerously, curious to see how much a pony could make another pony bleed.

“What I was here for was to get you bet on Wily using her safe word.” Longshore said as the dungeon doors opened again, this time to admit Bluefeather, who was carrying Cyclone who was dressed in her crimson beginners isolation suit and Topper, who was carrying a suited up Lavender. Both mares looked pretty much identical in their suits, except that Cyclone’s eye patches and mouthpiece had not yet been put on.

As the two suited ponies were placed on the stage next to each other, Requiem looked over at Airmail and Wildfire. “I don't think Airy has it in her, so I'll put down for no. What's the line?”

“Even,” Longshore replied with a nod. Both ponies then looked to Moonbeak and Brightstar, both were curious to see if they were taking part in the bet.

Brightstar glanced at Moonbeak, who gave her pony a meaningful look. “Wily's a smart mare. She's filled us all in on what's happened, so, I'll go for a yes.”

Glancing on the stage, Moonbeak eyed up the little yellow mare who was stood proudly wearing her ropes beside Brightstar’s sister. “I will agree with my pony.” After all, she really didn’t know her that well to form an opinion of her own on the subject. “He knows his friend better than I. I'll say yes.”

On the stage, Darkstar saw her brother and Moonbeak chatting with Requiem and Longshore. The pure white unicorn smiled as Slate finished up applying her rope harness. “My, you know,” she smiled when Serenity suggested a tightening up here and an adjustment here, “this is just like a casting call for Tie Me Up Buckaroo!”

Several of the theatre types, including Recital on the stage, did burst out laughing at that comment. “Decided you didn't like the show you are in and tried out for that?” she asked with a smile in her voice.

“I’d get paid to be tied up,” Darkstar shrugged, “It seemed like fun!”

“Mistress,” Brightstar saw the others being tied on the stage and he nuzzled Moonbeak’s feathery cheek. “Number Ten, from the new book?” Serenity, who had all the necessary books back at home, recognised straightaway the tie that the griffon was attempting. After asking politely, the teal mare stepped in to offer her assistance.

“Ten minutes everypony...everyone…every creature!” Mapper declared loudly as she walked the line of the stage wondering what the correct noun was to use while Serenity was helping Moonbeak get her stallion properly attired in tie Number Ten, one she knew well. “Then I'm inspecting!”

“Thank you for the help, Serenity,” Moonbeak said with a smile seven minutes later when she had her pet trussed up like a holiday present. The griffon only had a faint tinge to her white feathered cheeks. “Number Ten is a little...tricky, to apply.”

Stood in front of Airmail, Wildfire was struggling to not have a wide smile, for the ropes she was wearing were just like the ones she wore last time in the dungeon. Watching in the spectator area, Octavia nuzzled Luna quietly from where they were sat with a good view of the stage. “Sitting this one out, love?” Luna nodded with a smile, this time happy to watch and be entertained.

Seeing that all the submissive partners that were playing were at last tied up, except her, Serenity started singing 'Woe is Me' by Jet Blackheart. She reared up and danced around the stage singing, “What happened to my heroes. They seemed to disappear. The idols keep on singin'. But they don't sound sincere. Oh woe is me, oh woe is me. I don't got no costume. All I got's a name. No ropes lookin' sad. But who can I blame. Oh woe is me, oh woe is me. Woe is me, woe is me. Is me me me me me!”

Eventually Mapper had endured quite enough of the Luna damned pop song and, though she was enjoying the spectacle of watching her wife and Pet dance effortlessly around the bound ponies, shouted out, “Will somepony tie her up already?”

Immediately, almost faster than one could blink, several hooves shot into the air, all volunteering to tie up the teal mare. Seeing this as an opportunity, Darkstar gave Slate a very knowing wink and a nod towards Serenity, mouthing 'go on!'

Blinking once then twice, Slate mouthed back, ‘me?’

Resisting the urge to snort an annoyed breath out through her nose, Darkstar rolled her yellow eyes and mouthed, ‘yes you. You got this, love’.

“But...”

Unfortunately, Slate said that last word out loud, drawing Serenity’s attention right to him like she was lase guided. “Thank you for volunteering!” she smiled, pointing a hoof at the stunned young zebra. Darkstar blew him an encouraging kiss just as those herd members nearest to them shoved Slate forwards. Dancing over to some ropes, Serenity said, “Just like you did Darkie.”

‘I can do this. I can do this...’ he thought to himself as he walked over, amazed at how his hooves felt like lead weights. “Yes ma'am…” picking up the first rope, he proceeded to tie Serenity in a basic diamond pattern rope harness just like he did to Darkstar, simple but well executed, not an elaborate tie, but done just right.

Watching intently, Mapper was content to wait until Slate was finished before stepping forward. She didn’t care a jot how long it took, the pink unicorn was far more concerned with the ropes being applied right and in a safe manner. “It's show time!” she declared in much the same style as a ringmaster of a circus. “Middle Pet, looking nice. Well done Airy with the casts. Has she been a bad pony?”

“She’s been hob knobbing with the upper crust of political society,” Airmail said with the straightest of straight voices, “leaving us common ponies in the dust.”

Mapper solemnly shook her head at the grave transgression. “Shameful.”

As Mapper moved on, Wildfire made a very, very big effort to keep a straight face, even putting her ears back to at least appear like she was sorry and not in fact having a great time. When she stopped in front of Serenity, she tested her Senior Pet's ropes. “Very nice. Your work Caffy?” she asked, to which the orange zebra shook his head. “Nice and tight, zebra work. Amethyst?” Like Caffeinated, Amethyst shook her head. “But then...” knowing full well it was Slate’s work, she at last turned to the young stallion. “You?” Slate though was too afraid to speak so he just nodded his head. “Must be a natural zebra ability. Have you been a good pony, my Pet?”

“No Mistress,” Serenity admitted, even bowing her head, “but the chocolate was worth it.”

Mapper imperiously surveyed her wife, “I hope so for your sake.” She then moved down the line to Darkstar who was next. She had to admit, as much as she didn’t like stallions, she was impressed with the zebra’s work. He had learnt fast. “This your work too, Master Slate?”

At last, Slate found his voice. “Serenity made sure I did it right the first time, Mistress Mapper.”

“It is too late to make her out to be a good pony,” Mapper waved her hoof dismissively in the air before turning her attention to the white unicorn. “What about you, Darkie, are you a naughty pony?”

“Yes Mistress Mapper, I've been a very naughty pony,” Darkstar admitted and, while she paused for a breath, the pink unicorn rolled her hoof, patiently awaiting the younger mare’s confession. “My Master asked me to get drinks for himself, Mistress Moonbeak and her pet. I came back empty hoofed.”

Gravely, Mapper nodded her head. This was a mare she liked. Not only did she know when to be formal and when not to be, she knew the good way to be naughty. Alas, she already had a Master. “Air cocktails, a drink no creature likes. Be sure she learns her lesson, Master Slate.” Judgement passed, she moved along the line to Moonbeak and Brightstar. “The photographer and the police officer. Seems the law is in trouble this time.” She surveyed the expertly tied tortoiseshell rope harness, recognising her wife’s guidance here and there.

“It is indeed, Mistress Mapper.” Moonbeak narrowed her emerald green eyes, giving Brightstar a very predatory look that had made lesser ponies pee themselves in the past. “Tell her, pet.”

Suppressing a smile, the royal blue stallion knew just what he would confess to. “I was a bad pony, Mistress Mapper. Eavesdropping on another's conversation.” Even though Requiem and Longshore’s conversation had been rather loud and not private in any way, he knew that wasn’t how the game was played.

“Knowledge is power,” Mapper stated and, in a very good imitation of Moonbeak, she narrowed her eyes and actually made the unicorn believe he would be food at any moment. “Did you gossip about it too?”

“Y-Yes Mistress,” Brightstar gulped nervously, so convincing was the act portrayed in front of him, he actually bought it, for a moment any way. “I'm afraid I did.”

Smirking, Mapper shared a knowing look with Moonbeak, both dominant creatures thinking as one. “Caffy frowns on killing in his house, even if you do eat the evidence.” When Mapper moved on to Snowfall and Baron, the latecomers who happened to be next in line, she caught Luna’s eye. She shared an understanding nod with her friend watching from the seating pads. “Snow still hasn't learned her lesson, Baron?”

Snowfall, the elderly earth pony as white all over as Darkstar’s coat was, looked resplendent in the expertly applied ropes she wore. Before Mapper could go on though, she spoke up. “I'm a pretty mare!”

Taken aback by the old mare’s rather unexpected outburst, Mapper was so stunned into silence that she almost broke character. Almost. Thankfully, years at the carnivals had given her a façade that wasn’t so easily broken. “Then why are you all trussed up?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Snowfall stuck out her tongue, “I like it this way.”

To hide her smile, Mapper rolled her eyes. “Such a saucy mare you have, Baron.”

Baron beamed a wide smile as he stroked his wife’s pure white mane. “That’s why I love her.”

Shaking her head, Mapper thought it best to move on, the next couple being Caffeinated and Thespian. “I trust she’s still a good mare?”

Caffeinated couldn’t hide his grin if he tried. “Of course.”

“Still going to paddle her ass?”

“Of course.”

“At least some things are consistent,” Moving on now, Mapper at last arrived at Lavender and Cyclone. She had to admit, even to her experienced eye, seeing two mares in isolation suits was a very new thing. Lavender was of course completely encapsulated in her suit, just her nostrils were visible, whereas Cyclone, in her beginner’s suit, didn’t have the eye patches or mouth piece / gag in yet. “The beginner and the veteran,” Mapper commented appreciatively, “How long?”

Topper, who had the controls to the butt plug and the vibrator buried in Lavender’s holes strapped to one foreleg and two stopwatches strapped to the other, checked one. “Thirty minutes and counting, Maps.”

“When do you seal this one up, Blue?” Mapper asked with a nod of her head to her herd-mate.

“When the show starts properly,” Bluefeather answered. Like Topper, she had the remote controls to the butt plug and vibrator that were planted inside the suit. Unlike Lavender though, she had placed egg vibrators on the joints of her marefriend’s wings. She had the controls to those, too. “Slow and steady for the long haul. This is her first public showing.”

Mapper could appreciate that. “Have you ins...” she trailed off to silence when, in response, Bluefeather flipped four switches on the control panel strapped to her foreleg.

Instantly, Cyclone bounced on her rubber clad hooves. The toys secreted about her person having an immediate effect. “AaaaaAAAAAAH!” she squeaked, jiggling about just like Lavender was beside her. Satisfied by the results of her demonstration, Bluefeather returned the toys from high down to low.

Leaning in, an impressed Mapper whispered loudly to Bluefeather, “you can always knock Lavender over.” With a giggle, she walked off to Air Raid and Cream, who were the next in line. Seeing Mapper approaching, Air Raid quickly swallowed the second-long snicker she had let out at Cyclone’s hopping.

“Ah yes,” Mapper smiled a dangerously sweet and disarming smile at the tightly bound up pegasus, “The mint filling of the zebra cookie. Do you have two bad mares, Amethyst?”

“Such is the burden I carry,” Amethyst smiled back, thoroughly enjoying this game, “but you know how the coffee tribe is, and there is this mare that is such a good driver she can get a speeding ticket in a colt.”

Instead of looking sorry, Air Raid wore a very proud look on her face. And she was proud of herself for actually accomplishing the seemingly impossible task of earning a speeding ticket in an electric car. “I did do that, Mistress Mapper.”

Hearing that, Mapper knew this was going to be a most enjoyable evening. Unrepentant pets were the most fun. “You are supposed to be in the driver seat, not pushing for speed.” The dominant pink unicorn then looked back to Amethyst. “Will you be able to handle both of these naughty mares?”

“As long as I don't get dizzy doing so,” Amethyst replied quickly.

As Mapper moved on down the rapidly dwindling line on the stage, Wildfire had listened intently to all the brief interviews as her Mistress, in her mind’s eye, went around in a big circle. The diminutive yellow pegasus couldn’t help but smile as this was all going so very different to a month ago. “Recital,” stated Mapper, stopping at the penultimate couple, “still having issues, are we?”

“Indeed,” Recital smiled, proud of the way she had tied her stallion. “I find that he just isn't enough in the bedroom. I will again try to realign his blood from one head to the other.”

“Persistence, Recital, persistence.” As Trumpet shivered, and Mapper moved on to the final couple, Octavia, watching with Luna, nestled into and used her larger lover’s side as a cushion. She did so love how Luna draped her wing around her, and she nuzzled into her side. Moving on, Mapper found that the last couple was in fact a foursome. “This is different,” she said as she approached the stallion’s herd. “What prompted you to tie Sunny and Trails nose to tail, belly to chest? Where their mouths are, they can’t service each other.”

Sonic didn’t even try to suppress the wide grin on his purple muzzle. “Nor should the naughty ponies service each other!”

“Indeed,” Omega put in, an equally wide smile plastered all over his white face, “it is only us they should service.”

Curiously, because she didn’t want to obliterate them with her lack of magical finesse, Mapper used a hoof to see between them. “Hmm, no sheath locks!” This got curioser and curioser by the moment. She wondered what the two dominant stallions had planned.

“If they cum on each other,” Omega supplied in much the same manner as a game show host about to reveal the grand prize, “we can sit back and watch the clean-up.”

“Trails’ usual kink?” asked Mapper cautiously.

“Will be shared by Sunny, I have these!” both Sonic and Omega held up a pair of nostril clamps.

Omega, like the game show host actually revealing the grand prize, pointed to his proudly erect member. “And we have these to plug the other holes!”

Standing up, Mapper thought about it for a moment. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t know what to think. The stallions were playing a dangerous game indeed. While she was capable of breath play, she avoided it where possible. Too many variables to go wrong for her liking. Still, she mused, there was enough magic power present to ensure nothing went drastically wrong. “I will leave you four to the last then,” she nodded her head, “This is a spectator sport.”

With her rounds complete, Mapper walked over and stood in the centre of the stage. “Greetings Doms!” she declared, ever the ringmaster addressing her crowd, “As you see we have some friends of the herd with us today. I feel that we should start with a few regulars and then move on to our friends.” She shot the stallions a look, “Then we can let the hard-core finish up.”

Taking that as her cue, Bluefeather leant in to Cyclone and whispered, “You ready to be sealed in, love?” When Cyclone nodded her head using the tiny amount of give in the isolation suit, Bluefeather first slid the penis gag into her lover’s mouth through the mouth hole until she secured it to the press studs around the edges. Finally, she attached the eye patches, blinding her mare as Mapper called on the first couple. She noted too that Topper had started the second stopwatch and smiled. This was going to be fun.

“Caffy,” Mapper declared, having decided that they would be first, “I think Thespy's ass is cold, could you please start us off by warming it up for us?”

“I would be happy to,” Caffeinated rumbled in that deep voice of his. The orange zebra stallion started with just his hooves while Tempest, who was on helping duty that night, delivered the leather cat-o-nine tails, a tawes, and, for good measure, a cane close to his hoof.

Mapper watched as time and again, Caffeinated’s hoof fell on Thespian’s hindquarters. Once, twice, three times, each time his hoof left a reddened imprint behind and a goofy smile on the earth pony’s face. “Judging by the smile,” Mapper commented when the zebra had reached ten, “I think you're going easy on her.”

On the stage, stood by Airmail, Wildfire listened in with a smile on her face, remembering each squeak that Thespian made like it was that first session she had attended a month ago now. Not far away from her, Darkstar bit her lip and had to squeeze her hind legs together, especially when Caffeinated moved onto the tawes next. The first whack he delivered made Thespian jump forward. “Steady or I'll chain you to the floor.” He commanded. Obediently, the old earth pony mare leant back to take the hits and stay in place.

After several strikes all over her ass, Caffeinated ran his strong hoof over her cutie marks. He could feel the heat radiating from the welts he had left there. “Getting warm, now for the flogger.” Almost instantly, her tail drooped, for she wanted to earn her punishment. “Tail!” Caffeinated ordered quickly, pleased at how fast she lifted it up again.

When Caffeinated had landed the tenth strike from the flogger, having lit up his wife’s hindquarters like a Hearths Warming tree, Thespian decided she’d had enough. “Lemons!” As soon as she used her safe word, her husband set the flogger down and Tempest swooped in and collected the instruments. With great care, the zebra lifted Thespian delicately onto his back and he moved from the stage over to where Baron and Snowfall were sat with Luna, Octavia and Coffee Bean, all five ponies clapping their hooves appreciatively.

“Yes, that is a start," Mapper, the ringmaster, smiled on the stage as they took up snuggle positions in the audience. It was hard to speak though with her lip bitten like it was. She did so like to see a pony use their safe word. “Silly ponies.”

Luna nuzzled Thespian affectionately as soon as she was deposited on the seating pad nearest to herself and Octavia. “That was a good show, Thespy. Well done.”

Looking at the blue / grey mare’s rather red rear end, Octavia smiled. “Nice warm up.”

Though her whole ass was red and sore – albeit in a very, very good way – Thespian wore the biggest smile on her face as she returned the hoof bump to the older mare. “He has been good this last month, I haven't gone a full week without a spanking.”

Like her friend, Octavia beamed a smile and whispered, “Me too. Makes me glad I'm an earth pony!”

“Blue,” Topper asked Bluefeather on the stage where he was sat with Lavender and Cyclone, both of whom seemed perfectly still ponyquins at the moment in their isolation suits, “You wanna swap controls?”

For a long few moments, Bluefeather thought about it. On the one hoof she wanted to make cure Cyclone was okay, but on the other, they were surrounded by friends here. Ultimately, she hoofed over her controller and they made the trade. “Sure, why not?” Cyclone, locked away in her suit, was getting used to the vibrations, getting nice and relaxed in the darkness. It made a nice change after being filmed all week at Playcolt.

“Belle,” Mapper said loudly, moving on, “I see you have Tinkerer tied up as nice as a Hearths Warming present. Still a good pony?”

Belle looked like she had received her Hearths Warming present early. “Oh yeah! I'll know in two weeks if Path will have a sibling!”

“Congratulations to you both.” Mapper, genuinely, inclined her head. “So, you just tie him up for us to see?”

Quickly, proudly, Belle shook her head. “This time we're going home and he won't have a cloak to hide under!” At that, Tinkerer’s smile was very wide.

Mapper was likewise impressed. “Maybe I should make sure you get home safe?” It was a sincere offer, though Belle giggled. Having recently joined the ranks of parenthood, what with Trumpet impregnating Serenity like Tinkerer had done Wildfire, the pink unicorn couldn’t help but feel protective over her friends. More so than usual.

A little way down the line of doms and subs, Brightstar, tied in the 'number 10', let out an involuntary snicker at that – he could picture Tinkerer being led home in the rope harness he wore, as Moonbeak had done something similar to him many times more than once in Fillydelphia.

“Time for a guest, I think.” Mapper stated just as Cyclone, now under Topper’s controls, let out a muffled moan of pleasure. “Maybe some more zebra action. Slate, you saw Caffy do it, now it’s your turn.”

Boldly, the young terracotta stallion stepped forwards with a nod of his head. Strangely, now he was about to perform, all his worries had evaporated like one of Darkstar’s illusions. “Tell them again why you're a naughty pony, pet.”

Facing the audience, Darkstar spoke clearly, though there was an anticipation in her voice. “I disobeyed an order from my Master, and didn't get the drinks he requested.”

“Very inconsiderate, seeing as I wasn't alone.” Slate gently caressed his fiancé’s flanks, his hoof flicking over the rope simple but effective rope harness he had tied on her lithe slender body. A body she had chosen to give him control over.

Mapper didn’t even try and hide the predatory smile she wore. “I hope you can bring some colour to those white flanks.”

“I'm sorry Master.” Darkstar purred, even going so far as to turn her ears back and bow her head. She was on a stage and she was determined to own it with the best performance of the night. “I'll do better next time.” In the audience, Luna was watching the young couple very closely. She was particularly interested in Darkstar, her recovery was almost like a personal project.

Slate knew just what he would do. He had a plan. “Tempest, kifuniko mguu Fifivu.” Immediately, Caffeinated burst out laughing along with Thespian, which he expected, having requested a fuzzy sock from Mapper’s helper. Tempest though had no clue and Mapper just rolled her eyes.

The terracotta stallion though only had eyes for his lover. He knew Darkstar could understand his request and, sure enough, when she processed ‘fuzzy sock,’ her yellow eyes went wide. He fancied her knew what was running through her head at that moment, that he was timid and wussing out on her. But, as Luna and Octavia both snickered and giggled, he knew Darkstar didn’t know he had a plan.

Further along the line, Cream looked past an oblivious Air Raid at Amethyst and the pink zebra whispered, in a somewhat annoyed tone, “Rookie…”

Fortunately, Mapper came to Tempest’s aid. “He wants a fuzzy sock, Stormy.”

“Um, okay,” Tempest didn’t even try to hide what she thought about that in the tone of her voice. She knew Slate was new to the game, but even so, a sock was pretty weak. Luna and Octavia at the fountain notwithstanding. “There’s lots of those in the costume chest, what colour do you want?”

Sure of his plan, Slate walked over to select a colour. After a lot of hushed whispers the rest of the herd was in on the joke and, as they broke out into snickering giggles, Luna whispered to Octavia, “I think he's trying to outdo us, my love.”

“She is a pretty mare, just like me,” Octavia commented to her wife, wondering if, after this session in the dungeon had concluded, she might get to taste that pretty young mare in the Mare’s Club room. On the stage, listening in, Air Raid groaned with need at the idea of the humiliation that Darkstar would soon endure.

“I’d like the white one please,” Slate said loudly, making sure he was out of Darkstar’s line of sight. Then, quietly, he whispered to Tempest, “Slip the tawes in the sock, if you please.” Now she had an idea of what he wanted to do, the violet weather mare smiled, hiding the tawes she had collected from Caffeinated inside the white sock. Taking the sock in his mouth, he walked back over to where Darkstar was waiting.

While a few of those watching noticed the sock seemed a little weighted, Darkstar, who was looking straight forwards, was completely unaware of what was about to happen. The pure white unicorn just barely resisted a snort of frustration. ‘A sock? A bucking sock?’ she thought, ‘Oh come on! This is gonna be rubbish!’

With the doctored sock held in his left hoof, Slate stood at his partner’s rear, mentally sizing up his target. “If you make a very sincere apology to my friends that were left without a drink, I may spare you punishment.”

Darkstar, looking forwards still, rolled her eyes, ‘Hmph…some punishment,’ she thought. When she spoke, she made sure her eye roll carried in her voice. “I'm sorry, Moonbeak, Brightstar, for...”

Slate didn’t allow her to complete her sentence. He took the sock in his mouth by grabbing the tawes and swung for the fences, delivering a very solid – and, he knew, completely unexpected - hit across both her ass cheeks. He then went back to his hoof. “Not sincere!” He didn’t give her time to think. The ‘sock’ went back in his mouth for a second harder hit. “Try again!”

Mapper was smiling broadly, her estimation of Slate going up several notches as Darkstar’s mouth was still forming the word 'for' when the blows struck her. “FoooOOOW!” she was utterly amazed, confused, bewildered, all at once. ‘What in the...sneaky zebra!’ she now thought as pain blossomed across her ass. “Ooow oow! Mi-Mistress Moonbeak, I'm sorry!”

Quickly, Slate delivered two more hits each off to the side, but not to Darkstar’s three black stars cutie mark. “Complete sentences, you went to university!”

“Ngggggh oooow!” Darkstar gasped, the white mare dancing a little on the tips of her hooves as her ass started to turn a dull red. The pain was exquisite, unlike anything Slate had done to her thus far. “Mi-Mistress Moonbeak, I-I'm hhhmmm I'm sorry for forgetting your drink!”

When Slate swung the sock and landed two more hits, they were closer to her cutie marks. “Do you accept her apology, Moonbeak?” he asked, on the surface at least ignoring his lover’s squeal-that-turned-into-a-scream.

Casually. Moonbeak inspected her clawed hand. “Was adequate for a pony.”

Slate then delivered one more hit, this one centred, but high on the ass, striking her anus dead on. “She wasn't the only one you wronged.”

“Gaaaaaah buuuuck!” Darkstar screamed louder now, her white ass glowing a brighter, much angrier shade of red, and her marehood was leaking profusely down her thighs. She found it was hard to concentrate on forming words through the haze of pleasure and pain in her body and mind. “Aaaah...aah...Br-Bri-Brightst-star, I'm sorry I forgot your whiskey, brother!”

Quietly, Brightstar looked at Moonbeak and smiled, though it was a look that conveyed just how impressed and proud he was of his beloved sister. After a moment, the dark grey furred griffon nodded. “Is good enough for the pony.”

Slate delivered two hits to each of Darkstar’s cutie marks, but these four were the lightest hits yet – although being from a zebra, they were still very much felt by the recipient. “Not done yet, pet.”

“Oooooow!” Darkstar danced on her hind hooves in an attempt to alleviate the pain spreading all across her ass. Her pained scream began with the first strike and lasted after the fourth was a memory. She was leaking like a tap and she was trying to think what or who she needed to apologise to next. “I'm sorry!” she wailed, tears in her eyes, “I said sorry!”

Sneakily, as he was behind her, Slate let the tawes slip out of the sock. Only Mapper and Tempest were aware of this though, and both looked on with something close to admiration as the zebra walked to the front and swung the sock at Darkstar’s nose. Letting out a surprised whimper, her yellow eyes wide - unaware that the tawes was absent – she cried out, “Theatre!”

At the last moment, Slate managed to pull the sock away before it got anywhere close to hitting her. He dropped the sock, which, now empty, made no noise on the stage. When Darkstar began to tremble and cry, he kissed her lips. “Nakubali msamaha wako.”

“I don't mean to stereotype,” Mapper shot Caffeinated a sly look then followed it up with one for Slate, “but all zebras are sneaky zebras.” Tempest flicked her ears and Serenity moved the tawes with her magic to her and she put it away in the toy box.

Lost in the world of her stimuli, Darkstar peppered Slate’s muzzle with sloppy kisses wet from her tears. “I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I love you!” words then failed her, all jumbling together as they left her mouth. After a moment she gave up trying to speak, instead just crying like a filly.

It took all Slate had to maintain the ‘Master’ image for just a little longer. “Return the sock to Tempest and then you may join me.” he stepped off the stage and sat on a vacant seating pad by Luna and Octavia’s side, close to his Priestess.

“Ye-Yes Master…” trembling all over, Darkstar took the sock in her mouth and staggered over to Tempest, not trusting her magic after what she had just endured.

“Well that was very entertaining.” Mapper stated as Darkstar, on shaking hooves, made her way to Slate’s side and she had her hoof buried between her legs, “Coffee Bean would be proud.”

“I am proud!” the ancient zebra replied.

On the stage, Mapper snickered, at last she arrived at the newcomers she was perhaps most interested in. “Now let's see how a griffon compares, shall we?”

After watching his sister stagger over to where Slate was seated, Brightstar was very ready to go, his black tail swishing up high. Eager to accept the challenge, Moonbeak flexed her clawed hand, her sharp talons right at Brightstar's ear. “And what did you do, my pony?”

Even after five years with his wife, Brightstar still gulped when those razor sharp talons were that close, especially when she had ‘that’ look in her green eyes. “I listened in on a private conversation, Mistress.”

“Let's put that ear to better use, shall we?” seizing her husband’s ear with her thumb and foretalon, she squeezed ever so slightly, making it bleed. Brightstar’s pained gasp and the bead of red suddenly had Recital's interest. “You gossiped, too, didn't you?”

“Yes Mistress!”

“At least you admit it,” Moonbeak almost purred as she casually swiped her hand across Brightstar's chest, leaving four shallow bloody trails in her wake. Again, the unicorn gasped with the shock of the pain, his shaft emerging from its sheath. As the two of them watched the show, Recital slowly stroked Trumpet’s cock. “Are you at least sorry?” Moonbeak asked, her bloodied talons caressing her pony’s cheek.

“Yes Mistress!”

“I don't believe you.” Just as easily, with almost no effort at all, the griffon slashed the other side of his chest, making that bleed as well, both sides of his chest now bearing matching bloody trails. “Try again.”

Brightstar was rock hard already. “I'm sorry Mistress!”

“Really?” Moonbeak stood in front of her beloved pony with a raised eyebrow. She was absolutely loving putting on this show. It was like being back at The Twisted Tail. “Let's see how sorry you are, pony.” Slowly, she walked down Brightstar’s side, her trailing claw leaving four shallow cuts in its wake that immediately bled. At his ass, she swiped once then twice on each cutie mark, leaving behind a bleeding chequerboard.

The scent of blood in the air, mixed with the intense pain all over his body, had Brightstar hard as iron, “Mistress I'm sorry! I’m truly sorry!”

“I believe you, pony.” Moonbeak however wasn’t done. Reaching under his hiked up tail, she gripped his heavy balls in her clawed hand and squeezed. “This is for making me ask more than once.”

To his credit, Brightstar endured this for a few moments until she squeezed just a little too hard to not be fun. “Rose!”

“Good pet,” Moonbeak smiled as she released him and walked to face her sweating bleeding stallion, more than aware of a few awed looks from the crowd. She judged it was time to really put on a proper show. “Do you want a reward, my love?” she asked, affectionately nipping his ear.

“Yes Mistress, yes please…” As she went to get the ‘reward’ from her bag, Mapper had Serenity walk over to Brightstar and use her magic to assess the amount of blood he had lost. It didn’t come as any surprise when she found he had lost half a pint.

While Moonbeak was getting herself prepared, thankfully Tempest was on hoof to assist with sliding up the stallionator and fastening the straps and buckles around her wide fat ass, Mapper moved over to Recital and Trumpet. “That was an invigorating demonstration, and now I believe they will do a real show. You want to start now, or wait till they are finished?”

“I'm putting on a show too,” Recital replied to the older unicorn, though she was very intrigued to see Moonbeak with the strap on around her waist. “So I'll wait for them if you'll do the same with us.” Mapper nodded and turned to watch the griffon go walking back to a load of whispers from the audience.

It was obvious to those watching, particularly Tempest and Mapper, that by the ease with which she walked, Moonbeak had worn this toy many times before. At her pony’s head, she made a show for the crowd of getting him to suck on it, rearing up and rutting his face. When she was satisfied, she went to his ass and lubed him up. “Ready for your reward?”

“Yes Mistress!” Oh sweet Luna was he ready! Behind him, Moonbeak smeared the lube all around his well-used tail-hole and reared up, this time behind her pony. She could tell by the looks on their faces that Sonic and Omega were both very interested, and she entered her pony with a single smooth thrust. “MMmmMMMMM thaaaaAAAANK you Mistress!”

As he watched Moonbeak bury the toy to the hilt, medial ring and all, inside the willing unicorn, Sonic said to Omega, “It’s too bad our bad ponies can't watch this show.” He was fantasising though about taking the royal blue stallion into the Stallion’s Club Room and seeing if he’d like a real cock in him.

“Yes, I feel totally not sorry for them.” Omega snickered, both dominant stallion’s making sure to sit in such a way that neither Sunshine nor Trails could see the griffon rutting Brightstar like a cheap slut. He had to admit it was a most enjoyable show. As it happened, he was wondering the same thing as Sonic, namely would Brightstar agree to join them in their club room afterwards. It wouldn’t hurt to ask.

On the stage, Moonbeak rutted her pony hard until he came, spattering the stage underneath him with a torrent of his seed. As soon as she herself had reached her orgasm, the dominant griffon ordered him to lick up his mess before they moved off the stage for much needed snuggles.

When it was their turn, Recital used a slender cane on Trumpet’s hind quarters which soon broke some of the welts it produced. After rubbing her face in the blood, she had her bleeding lover mount her. Once he came inside her, Serenity performed the same blood loss check on Trumpet that she had done with Brightstar.

“Senior Pet,” Mapper said once Serenity was done checking Trumpet over, “please clean up whatever spots the stallions left behind. Now that we have made it through the traditional blood transferal to where it belongs on a stallion…”

“Preach it, sister!” Sonic called out from where he was sat, the dominant stallion thoroughly enjoying the frustrated whimpers from Sunshine and Trails.

“We can see what the zebra sandwich has in store for us!” Mapper concluded her sentence after being interrupted. Realising it was their turn, Air Raid’s wings were straining in the rope harness that bound her in the same way that Cream was bound. When they joined them in the audience for snuggles, Brightstar gave Trumpet a hoof bump and Moonbeak and Recital shared a familiar nuzzle.

Amethyst stood proudly by her two lovers, both of whom she loved dearly. “I have two very wilful ponies here, Mistress Mapper. I think they wish to test my endurance by being naughty at the same time.” As she said that, Cream snorted and wiggled her ass. Not only did Air Raid wiggle her ass, but she lifts her tail up high, too.

“And unrepentant it seems. I envy you, Amethyst, so much discipline to mete out.” Amethyst simply nodded while Mapper said that. The zebra could practically see the unicorn lick her chops in anticipation of the fun to come. ‘They dare to think I'm not up to it…’ she thought with a snorted breath. Well, she would show them all that she was.

Wondering what was in store for her, having watched Darkstar receive her punishment and Brightstar bleed, as well as Cyclone hop in her suit and Thespian get flogged, Air Raid teasingly, along with Cream, lowered her tail. “I am sorry for speeding, Mistress.” Although she did suspect this apology may have come too late.

“I'm 'sorry' for using your nickname, Mistress.” Cream didn’t sound very sorry though.

Mapper shook her head. “Unrepentant.” Oh, how dearly did she want to be the one to swing the crop!

Amethyst though was determined to meet the challenge. “Both of you will face the audience while I get the instruments of your training.” Cream and Air Raid immediately turned to face the crowd, their backs to the toy box. Stood alongside her fellow submissive and lover, Air Raid was very much aware that there was a lot less space on the stage now that others had gone before her. There wasn’t much place to hide, and deep down she wanted to put on a good show for her new friends.

Equally determined to put on a show, Amethyst went up to Tempest and quietly she got help with what she needed. Watching, the audience covered their mouths as they whispered to each other and the pink zebra returned to stand at the back of her two naughty pets. Air Raid, seeing the reactions of those in front of her, felt her knees wobble just a teeny bit.

In her suit, when her toys were turned up high for a few moments, Cyclone let out a pleasured snort from the nostril holes and murmurs as she came, drooling around the gag in her mouth. Just as she let out a loud moan, Lavender made similar noises thanks to Bluefeather alternating the vibrator controls. She would have them high then low in an attempt to get them to vibrate together. She was going all out to get the more experienced mare to topple over, while Cyclone was teetering dangerously.

Amethyst though was about to take every creature’s mind off of the two isolation suit wearing mares. “Wiggle your ass on this!” without any further warning, she slammed the tawes down hard on Cream's stripped ass with a loud smack. Cream did indeed wiggle under the strike, though she also moaned lewdly as her Mistress put in three more solid blows.

“And for you!” as soon as Amethyst said that, Air Raid suddenly realised that her Mistress wasn't playing around. That suspicion was confirmed when she heard the very loud, very solid thwacks to Cream's ass. She turned to look at her only to see a look of happy bliss all over the cream zebra’s face. Amethyst dropped the tawes and shouted, “Eyes front!”

“Yes Mistress!” Air Raid quickly snapped her head back to the front, to be greeted by the amused looks from the crowd as Amethyst bent down to pick up her instrument of pain for the lime green mare. Air Raid was puzzled at first when she noted a lot of smirks in the audience. She felt something hit her, at least she thought something hit her. The something hit her again on the other flank, sort of dragging off of her. It was only when the something was drawn straight up the middle, did she realise it was a feather.

“Yeeeeep!” Air Raid yelped as her cheeks burned very red indeed, her wet slit moistening the feather. Amethyst knew how to humiliate and embarrass her, and she loved it! “Th-Thank you Mistress…”

Amethyst didn’t let her complete her sentence. “Silence! Take your punishment!” the pink zebra diligently delivered at least another solid twenty whaps with the feather to both of Air Raid’s ass cheeks and cutie marks. “I haven't forgotten you.” She then picked up the tawes for another four strikes to Cream’s rear end, which, by the end of it, was starting to look more and more red.

By the time Amethyst had gotten to fifteen whaps with the feather, a lot of the watching audience – Luna, Caffeinated, Thespian and Darkstar included – were pointing at her and laughing. Coffee Bean however was snuggling with the blushing Octavia. With all of them now laughing at her, the poor lime green mare was dripping arousal down the inside of her thighs, her wings straining hard against the ropes.

When Air Raid’s face was as red as Cream’s ass, Amethyst turned her attention back to her zebra sub. “I'm not done with you yet!” she proceeded to deliver one solid blow with the tawes across Air Raid’s marehood, a blow that hit both butt cheeks then she moved to tickle Cream with the feather.

“AaaAAAH!” Air Raid screamed from the sheer force of the blow she had just received, the lime green pegasus now she very much leaking, almost cumming, dancing on her hooves which only served to rub the rope between her legs. As the very ticklish Cream laughed from the ministrations of the feather, Air Raid’s hind legs buckled. “Buuuuuck!”

Amethyst though was undeterred by her pet’s reaction. “On your hooves!”

“HNNNG...aaaah…” Air Raid struggled back up to her hooves, though every movement she made rubbed the crotch rope just so, she knew she was so close. If only the rope would rub her clit. “Y-Yes M-Mistress…” no sooner was she on her hooves though, than Amethyst went after Air Raid's ear with the now wet feather.

Seeing as her ears were extremely very sensitive indeed, Air Raid endured this ‘punishment’ for a whole five seconds before she came, the earth shattering orgasm taking her back down to her knees. Amethyst though was relentless. “On your hooves! No rest till you safe word out.” Order given, she went back to tickling Cream in those ticklish spots she knew she hated being tickled, though she chose to use her safe word before she peed on the stage.

Very slowly, Air Raid forced herself back up to a barely standing position. “Mistress...” Amethyst didn’t allow her to say anything else though and she swung the tawes, which intercepted both of the pegasus’s steering wheel cutie marks, which was followed quickly by a strike to her sopping wet snatch. “Ooow! Buuuuuck! Ooow!” she danced on her hooves and the rope made her cum again, this time she collapsed in a heap. “Bronze!”

Recognising there was no getting Air Raid up on her own, Mapper was sitting with her hoof between her legs. “Zebras do put on a good show. Sonic, Omega, how are your two holding out?”

Sonic checked on Trails, his partner flicking is ears in response. “Can play this all day, Maps.”

Omega though wasn’t so sure about Sunshine. “Fine for now, but not much longer.”

Looking around herself on the stage, Mapper saw that there was just her, Serenity, Airmail and Wildfire left. Not counting the two hopping book ends that were Lavender and Cyclone. “Airy,” she grinned, “are you ready to take care of Middle Pet?”

‘Please say yes!’ Wildfire thought desperately, ‘pleeeeease!’ After hearing ALL of that which had gone before her, she was very much riled up and in need of attention from her fiancé.

“I don't know, Mapper,” Airmail supposed she should feel bad for teasing her beautiful little mare, but she just didn’t. “She has been naughty in a bad way, maybe.” Hearing that, Wildfire let out a very needy whine as Air Raid was removed from the stage by Cream and Amethyst, the three mares taking up audience places to snuggle and watch. “And then she has been naughty in a good way too.”

Too late, mostly because she heard Tempest giggle, Wildfire realised that due to her denseness that she’d been had, again, and she let out a second, embarrassed whimper. ‘Every bucking time!’

“Now to think of the best way to punish her, other than teasing. She is 'so' hard to tease…” Air Raid, tired though she was, let out a snort and shared a hoof bump with Darkstar, both knowing how ‘hard’ Wildfire was to tease', just as the little mare snorted. “Lay down on your belly!”

“Yes Mistress!” Wildfire wasted no time in laying herself down on the stage, her legs out front and back. This only increased her size by a little.

After a few ear flicks from Airmail, Tempest delivered a riding crop to the lead editor’s hoof. Airmail then laid down nose to tail next to Wildfire with her rear hoof just in front of her fiancé's muzzle. “You may not lick my hoof.”

“Aaawww…” Wildfire whined, for Airmail’s hoof was so close she could smell it, and instinctively she licked her lips. “I understand, Mistress.” Without a word, Airmail bent Wildfire’s hind leg so that her hoof was pointing up to the ceiling of the dungeon and, taking aim, she used the crop in her wing to smack the sole of the hoof.

Several gasps from the crowd – loudest among them from Wildfire’s friends - were drowned out by Wildfire's loud squeal of pain. “AAAaaOOOOW!” As pain flourished through her hoof and her leg, she was reminded of the time in the bath in Trottingham when Airmail dug the toe of her hoof into Wildfire’s sole. It was like her dream, she squirmed uselessly on the floor.

Airmail gave that hoof another four hits, each one as hard as the first, and between each hit she lightly bopped Wildfire's nose with her hoof. By the fifth hit, the diminutive yellow mare was still screaming from the fourth strike. She was absolutely dripping wet and writhing on the floor, a little addled, and panting, she touched Airmail's hoof with her tongue. “Sorry!” she squeaked, too late, “Mistress I'm sorry!”

Straightaway, Airmail felt the wet tongue touch her hoof. “Naughty, naughty pony!” she exclaimed and, moving her hoof a little away from Wildfire’s mouth, she adjusted her position and lifted up the other rear hoof. Not giving her a second, she delivered another five strikes.

When the crop hit her frog of her hoof for the fifth time, Wildfire had just finished screaming from the third impact. She was sniffing, her way of crying, there was a puddle of arousal between her hind legs but the pain was becoming a little not fun. She knew what she had to do. “Celery, Mistress.”

Immediately, Airmail dropped the crop and, as it was removed by Tempest, the azure blue mare spun around. In doing so, she got some of Wildfire’s juices on her hoof. First though, she used her wingtip to wipe away her little lover’s ‘tears’. “Look, you got my hoof all salty!” she put her hoof in front of Wildfire’s muzzle. “Clean that off now.”

As she came from the latest submissive to use their safe word, Mapper gave Airmail her very best eye roll. “Yes, nice hoof work, Airy.”

“Y-Yes Mistress...” still sniffing, and with Air Raid, Brightstar and Darkstar as well as Coffee Bean and Luna muttering appreciatively in the crowd, Wildfire extended her tongue to clean Airmail's hoof of her own juices.

“I prefer cleaning your paws, Mistress,” Brightstar said with a smile, kissing his wife’s beak as Airmail carried Wildfire from the stage to the audience area because she was certain her lover wasn’t up for walking anywhere. When she was set down on a seating pad, Darkstar was the first to offer her old friend a congratulatory nuzzle, while Brightstar and Air Raid wrapped her up in a big group hug.

“Next will be...” Mapper was interrupted by Lavender. The earth pony, thanks to Bluefeather’s efforts with the controls, had just fallen over. As soon as that happened Topper went crazy with the controller for Cyclone’s toys. A second after Lavender, the red suit fell over onto her side, its inhabitant quickly tapping her four hooves together. “Pony down,” Mapper’s tone was urgent, “We have a pony down.”

Smiling, Topper bent down and checked on his wife and, just as he was expecting, she gave him a coded hoof tap that let the gigantic earth pony know she was alright for a while longer. “She is trying a different perspective, Mapper, that’s all.”

Rather more urgently, Bluefeather checked on Cyclone to see if the black pegasus wanted out of part of or the whole of her isolation suit. On her side, Cyclone quickly tapped her hooves twice. Bluefeather smiled, she knew that meant her eyes. They had talked about safe signals and as there were two eyes, that’s what two taps meant. Understanding her young lover needed to see, Bluefeather removed the eye covers so the first thing Cyclone saw was her proud smiling face. As soon as she was calm, her panic avoided, Topper happily traded back the controls of the toys and sat by Lavender while Bluefeather hugged Cyclone tight.

While Bluefeather was helping Cyclone recover in her suit, Mapper looked over at Recital who was in the audience licking Trumpet's flank. “Recital, are you conscious enough to teleport to my place and back?”

Recital didn’t answer straight away. She was busy savouring the taste of her husband’s blood as she licked her lips clean. “Sure, I could do that.”

“In my play room is a long blue box. I need it please, and on top is a candy bar for you.” Recital, who knew well that the Princess among them would like one, looked over at Luna and back to Mapper, meaning in her expression. Defeated, Mapper sighed. “Left side, second drawer down.” Giggling, Recital kissed her hubby, and stood. Taking a step away from the assembled crowd, the unicorn teleported out of the dungeon.

As soon as Recital vanished, Serenity began quivering in anticipation, for she knew what was in that long blue box. With the smell of ozone still hanging in the air, Mapper glanced around the dungeon. Her gaze moved from Luna, Octavia and Coffee Bean to Airmail and Wildfire, to the members of the herd and then to the newcomers; Brightstar and Moonbeak, Darkstar and Slate, Air Raid, Cream and Amethyst – friends of the herd. She saw Requiem and Longshore’s foal, Starlight with his wife Selene watching as well. This was their first time attending the BDSM party. “While that is being taken care of I think we can move on to the stallions.” She said eventually.

That surprised Sonic. “I thought we'd be last?” the purple stallion objected without thinking, to which Mapper narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“Second to last is good though!” Omega put in as fast as he could, so fast that Sonic hadn’t finished his sentence first. The dominant earth pony just nodded.

Snickering, Luna leant in and whispered to her wife and to Coffee Bean who were nestled into either side of the alicorn. “Tia looks at me like that when I steal her cake,” she said softly, earning giggles from Octavia.

“Then, Mapper,” Sonic said loudly, “if you'd be so kind to levitate the two of them to the low table we happen to have ready.”

Mapper blinked once then twice. Wholly unprepared for that request. “Me?”

Omega only just managed to stop the laugh from leaving his mouth. “Yeah, you, after all you don't need to be too gentle with them.”

There were, by that time, several cuddle piles formed around the audience area, what with the couples snuggling, Cuddling and watching the remaining action eagerly. A sudden thought though did occur to Octavia. Something she remembered Luna telling her about her last visit here. “Are you going flying again, love?”

Luna smiled at her old wife. “I was going to ask Requiem, yes.”

Octavia gave a very delicate sniff. “I believe I'll stay here then.”

Concentrating hard, Mapper lit her horn and, wrapping Trails and Sunshine in her very powerful magical aura, she lifted the pair to the ceiling. She hadn’t intended to take them up that high, but that was the limit of her fine control. Still concentrating hard, she dragged them along it towards her and then dropped them, somewhat softly, to the table.

“Do you not want to fly over the Manehatten skyline?” Luna asked Octavia, a playful twinkle in her eye.

Sat just in front of Luna and Octavia, Wildfire had Airmail whisper to her what was happening. The little yellow mare giggled at the thought of Mapper levitating Sunshine and Trails because she remembered the mess her Mistress had made of those poor trees. Smiling sweetly though, Octavia shook her head. “Nononooo...if you don't mind, Lu, I'll stay here and mingle. Hooves on the ground.”

Now that their partners were on the table, Sonic and Omega positioned the pair just right so that their heads were hanging off the table. Sunshine and Trails had been tied chest to belly. Each with their head and neck placed through the other's hind legs. Each has the other's tail running under their chin. A bridle was placed on each, which was secured around the other's hind legs so that they were pressed against the other's ass. Cunningly, their tails kept them from licking anything.

As they watched, Brightstar nuzzled Moonbeak’s white furred cheek. “Having fun, love?” he asked, to which the griffon nodded quietly.

Darkstar, now almost fully recovered from the little meltdown she had experienced on the stage, was sat nuzzling Slate. “I never knew you were so good at illusions, Mr. Sneaky!” she purred in his ear while the show on the stage was prepped.

“I’ve had a very good teacher,” Slate snickered, looking very pleased with himself indeed, and he was. He knew full well the others, Amethyst and Mapper, viewed him as a green rookie. He knew now, after his scene, that the looks they gave him were complimentary ones, like he was on their level.

On the stage, Sonic and Omega untied Trails and Sunshine’s bridles respectively and removes them along with the bit in their mouths. “This is Sunny's first time playing this game!” Sonic announced loudly to the watching crowd and, when he clapped his hooves, many of the others did so too.

“So we aren't trying to outlast trails,” Omega informed those watching, tenderly caressing his lover’s mane, “but to have fun doing something together.”

Watching like the proverbial hawk, Mapper considered the risks to be minimal so she nodded her consent, just as Recital reappeared in the exact same spot she left from. The mid blue theatre pony levitated one of the super dark chocolate bars over to Luna, she sent the long blue box over by Tempest and finally she snuggled in with Trumpet so they could share the other candy bar.

Taking the chocolate bar in her own magical aura, Luna noted immediately that this was a very expensive brand that usually sold for anywhere from seventy five to a hundred bits each. She offered a grateful nod of thanks to both Recital and Mapper before settling down to snuggle with Octavia and splitting the chocolate bar with a kiss.

Sonic and Omega applied the nose clamps to their partners, closing off their airways there. That done, they then made a big display of fluffing each other up to full mast. “Oxygen is over rated!” Sonic declared and, a second later, he and Omega plunged their erect stallionhoods down their partners’ throats. Quite a few watching applauded at that, Brightstar among the loudest. Both dominant stallions kept up a steady pace as they deep throated their partner. After just over two minutes, Sunshine tapped out. Omega pulled all the way out so his lover could get a breath, then he went straight back in, only now he was thrusting with a will to cum.

Watching, Brightstar whispered in Moonbeak's ear. “I know how they feel. You do that with the stallionator…” he enjoyed the smirk she gave him in response as he started stroking her back with his hoof. Thrusting hard into Sunshine’s mouth and throat, Omega came after another minute. The cream unicorn pulled out long enough to allow his pet to breathe and swallow his load before he resealed with a deep kiss while Brightstar started massaging Moonbeak’s and Darkstar was playing hide the tongue with Slate.

Trails, a veteran player of the breath play game, lasted for five minutes twenty four seconds and, just as he was about to lose consciousness, he tapped out. Sonic pulled out and, full of concern for his lover, actually gave him a few breaths of mouth to mouth to make sure he was okay before plunging back in so he could finish. After a few hard thrusts that sent his member so deep in Trails’ throat that his balls slapped against his pet’s chin, he came hard. Savouring his climax, he pulled out and went to kissing like Omega was. “I think that is a new record,” Mapper smirked, “Almost enough to have me think fond thoughts of stallions!”

Omega and Sonic had enough presence of mind to raspberry Mapper and the pink mare just giggled. Being the naughty mare she was, Darkstar had her magic running along Slate's sheath as they kissed, while a little way behind them, Luna and Octavia both finish kissing pieces of the chocolate into each other's mouths. “I'll let the stallions hold the stage as they are a bit tied up at the moment,” Mapper said with a wide smile as the whole dungeon groaned at the poor joke.

Luna though did laugh, because the terrible joke reminded her of her sister's level of humour. The lunar alicorn was quite keen to see what her new best friend had in mind for Serenity, her other new best friend. Fortunately, it seemed Mapper wasn’t going to keep her waiting very long. “Senior Pet.” Serenity moved rapidly to stand next to her, a very big smile on her face. “You have been a very naughty pony.”

“I have!” Serenity almost squeed, the teal mare danced in place, she knew what pleasure lay in the long blue box.

Mapper, content to play the game, smiled dangerously at her wife. “For a pony that is to have no chocolate, how much did you eat?”

“I have no idea!” Serenity was beyond playing, beyond being good or naughty. She wanted what was in the box and she was determined to get it. “But I could use some more!”

Recital snickered, willing to help out a herd-mate. “I'll share.”

“Not helping.” Mapper rolled her eyes at her friend but she flicked her ears and, in the language of the herd, told her she approved. In a very, very bold moved, Serenity actually went over to Recital and helped herself to a nibble of the chocolate. Needless to say, Mapper was stunned at how much Serenity needed the blue box. “Pet!” she exclaimed, while Luna and Octavia both shared loud giggles behind their hooves.

Still chewing the chocolate, Serenity scampered back to stand next to Mapper and, as Sonic and Omega carefully moved the table – still bearing their partners – to one side, the dominant pink unicorn flicked her ears and Tempest brought over the box. At this point, every creature in the audience was watching with baited breath and not very well concealed interest, including Requiem and Longshore’s son and his wife. “I. Will. Punish. You.” As Mapper opened the box and pulled out a very dangerous looking spiked club, Serenity snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Oh my goodness!” Among the several stunned looks in the audience, Octavia was the first to find her voice. Even Luna had a look of disbelief on her face, while Moonbeak, whose griffon culture was based largely on bloodletting and the exchange of blood, was very interested indeed.

Airmail took one look at the club with all its spikes and whispered, “I'll be right back, Wily.” The azure blue mare stood up and, moving closer to Mapper, she waited until they were practically nose to nose on the stage. “What in Tartarus is this?” she demanded.

Mapper looked back, “Punishment to fit the crime.” She said unapologetically as Wildfire flicked her sharp ears towards the sound of Airmail's hooves. She wasn’t stupid, she knew something was up. Watching, Air Raid and even Amethyst had an open mouthed stare and Darkstar had stopped snogging Slate’s face off and flinched into his side, whimpering softly.

“Is this about the bet?” Airmail asked, her voice dangerously low.

Mapper shrugged, “What if it is?”

Airmail got so close her muzzle touched Mapper’s. “We just got back together and you know what it was that separated us.”

Displaying an amazing degree of mind reading ability – that and he was nudged hard by Thespian at his side - Caffeinated stood up but he didn’t move or say anything. His presence was enough. On the stage, Serenity looked upset at the thought of her pleasure being taken away from her and she started to cry. “Please, Airy, don’t take this away from me…”

Most of the herd, except for Belle and Tinkerer, who didn’t know, were looking like they were reliving a particularly unpleasant memory. It was at that point that Requiem and Longshore’s children decided to take their leave. They both made up their minds that they weren’t ready to witness this. As they both made their apologies and left, Luna stood up. “I have seen Serenity bleed, so I rule that Mapper is ineligible to win the bet. Another pony would have to bleed out to defeat Serenity.”

Friends though they were, Mapper scowled at Luna, who stared back impassively while Serenity dropped her head to the floor crying. “Airmail?” Caffeinated spoke at last, his deep rumbling voice louder than the teal unicorn’s sobs of despair. “Don't you trust your herd-mate?”

Darkstar, Air Raid and in fact all the friends of the herd of course had no idea what in Tartarus was going on, but they did have the very good sense to not say anything, especially when Airmail turned to give Caffeinated that dead eyed look of hers. The large orange zebra though was unflinching. “I trust her.”

Resigning herself to what was going to happen, Airmail closed her eyes and, with her back to Mapper, she flicked her ears. Consent given, such as it was, she then returned to Wildfire for a snuggle. Nodding, Caffeinated sat back down with Thespian, who held him tightly. “Mistress is doing something extreme with Beauty, isn't she, Airy?” Wildfire asked when she felt her fiancé sit with her.

“I understand, Airy.” Mapper let out a deep sigh. “We are herd, but I love Serenity.” In the audience, Wildfire could feel Airmail nod in response to her question. By Mapper’s side, Serenity was still kneeling, her head to the floor, ass in the air, and crying like a foal.

Focussing on her crying wife, Mapper turned to Serenity. “I love her more than I love life itself,” she announced loudly, talking to the whole dungeon. Concentrating hard, the pink mare raised the spiked club in her magic and swinging it swiftly, she struck with unerring precision, her target Serenity’s ass and cutie marks.

In its wake, the extremely sharp spikes left behind more than a dozen pinpoints of blood. Just as swiftly, it swung through the air and it struck Serenity’s other side, doing the same. As blood oozed from scores of wounds, Serenity went from a crying wreck to orgasmic bliss as she slid forward, her hind legs behind her. “For the record, Moonbeak won the bet.” She stated, returning the bloodied club to the box and nuzzling the panting Serenity.

Though she wasn't watching, Airmail certainly did hear both of the strikes and flinched each time. Especially when she smelled the scent of fresh blood in the air. When Mapper finally announced the dungeon fun was over, she softly sighed and leaned against Wildfire, pulling her in tight.

Trotting up and retrieving the box, Tempest knew that particular toy was going to need a proper clean up. As she returned with it to the toy chest, several conversations had broken out among those watching as they all stood up and separated into several little groups. It sounded deafening, hearing the hubbub now that the silence had ended. Standing too, Caffeinated began to clap hooves in appreciation and every creature else soon followed his lead. “I do hope our guests were not disappointed. Refreshments are upstairs, and in both club rooms.”

All the guests were too busy applauding, either clapping hooves and claws, or stomping their hooves on the flagstoned floor. Some even cheered and whistled their appreciation. “That was incredible!” Darkstar squealed in delight, the first to find her voice.

“You're telling me, sis.” Brightstar agreed. He couldn’t get the image of the spiked club and the damage it had done out of his head. It had caught his imagination like nothing he had ever seen. One look at Moonbeak told him she was thinking the same thing as he.

Now it was all over, Air Raid shook herself back to some form of sense. Cream did the same. They both shared a very meaningful look. “Um…Mi-Mistress…a-are we going to the club room, Mistress?” she asked, wanting to see the back of the dungeon as quickly as possible. She had seen enough blood from Darkstar to last her a lifetime.

Looking at Brightstar, Moonbeak had that dangerous glint in her green eyes. “Is that something you want, Pet?” She could tell from just the look on his face that it was.

“I ah…I wouldn’t mind giving it a try, Mistress.” It was all Brightstar could do not to cum from the fantasy alone.

Amethyst sniffed. She saw the unease in Air Raid’s – and Cream’s – expressions and she knew why. “Not as many bugs to eat down here.”

“I'm sure I can bring some snacks down, Mistress,” Cream offered, shooting glances at the dungeon door.

“That would work then.” Amethyst agreed with a nod of her head. Not too far away from her, Slate was still more than a little bit stunned by the display. Ponies chatted all around him, but he hadn’t so much as blinked in several long moments.

“Caffeinated!” Luna had managed to extricate herself from Coffee Bean and Octavia’s snuggles to move over and nuzzle the orange zebra, “Congratulation on a wonderful show.” The two friends shared a hug, “If you don't mind, I think I'll partake the refreshments upstairs.” That, and she had a mind to annoy Requiem.

Beside Slate, Darkstar waved her hoof in front of Slate’s face to see if he was still there. “I really don't think that is for me.”

Hearing that, Slate sighed with naked relief, in no way trying to hide it at all. “I’m very glad to hear it, Pet. You can feed me upstairs.”

As Darkstar bowed low to her Master, Sonic was busy carefully untying the two submissive stallions on the table. “Moony,” he called out above the noise of conversation, “Is Bright going to join us in the Stallion's Room?”

Moonbeak rolled her eyes at the doe-like, hopeful look that Brightstar gave her. It was the same kind of big eyed look that Athena and Zephyr gave her when they wanted a toy from the store. One she could never refuse. “And what of me?”

“There are feather fluffers in the other room,” Sonic replied quickly, many thoughts involving Brightstar running through his head, “and plenty of light entertainment upstairs. We won't break him. Much.”

Though she was unsure if she wanted to see a bunch of mares doing each other, because she got to see enough of that in her photography work, Moonbeak knew what she wanted to do. “I will sample what they have upstairs. Try to have fun.” She then looked to a snickering Sonic. “Break him, but try to fix him afterwards.”

Brightstar kissed Moonbeak’s yellow beak. “I love you so much!” He knew full well that she would punish him for this later. He was looking forward to that.

As she was still snuggling with Airmail, the azure blue pegasus kissed her blind lovers scars. “Let's take this to the Mare's Room.” She was shaken to the core of her being and, looking over at Mapper who was busy applying first aid to the worst of Serenity’s many puncture wounds, she knew she was too. “I'm sure that Mapper and Serenity will need some snuggles too.”

“Tavi,” Luna smiled at her wife as Wildfire agreed that Airmail had a good idea, “Are you going to join them?”

“I think I will. I'm an expert snuggle-giver.” Octavia was more inclined, now she was pregnant, to stay with her hooves on the ground.

“Then I think I'll go and bother Requiem. I feel like doing some flying. Any creature care to join me?”

Tempest perked her ears up the very instant she heard that. “I'll take you up on that, Luna. Anypony else want to come for a ride?” she asked, though there were no takers. “It will be nice to stretch my wings.” As Tinkerer passed out the winnings from the bet, Tempest was struck by a sudden need to get outside.

“After you then, Tempest.” As they were the first to leave the dungeon, after Starlight and Selene’s early departure, Luna held the door to the dungeon open for her friend. “I’m afraid I need some fresh air after that, and I need it fast.” She couldn’t help but feel like she did after a visit to Room 101 located underneath the royal palace.

“No joke,” Tempest shuddered in the hall outside the dungeon. She still had the need to get out. “I was worried we would have a repeat of the incident from a few years ago that split us up. Serenity's need to bleed and the blood Airy has watered the ground with.” The violet weather mare shook her head. “I think we will survive this.”

“I'm certain that you will,” Luna smiled and, as they walked together up the stairs, she offered Tempest a comforting reassuring nuzzle. Something though gave the alicorn pause. That something being the sounds of an excited foal and the unmistakeable sound of a DJ Moonbeams song coming upstairs. It was Dance All Night, a song she had written to annoy Celestia with. “What in Equestria is that?” she wondered out loud.

“I don't know,” Tempest was just as mystified as Luna was. Not at the song but at the sound of the foal playing. It sounded like there was a party going on upstairs. What was Requiem playing at? “Anypony underage would be at a sitters, not here.”

“That's what I thought,” Luna listened again, “That's definitely Requiem's voice I hear. Now I'm curious. Shall we investigate?” With a silent nod between them, Tempest agreed that they would. Not only did she want to know what was going on, as they crept stealthily up the stairs, she had a herd-mate to chew out.

Chapter 19 - Closure

Wildfire was in a very good mood when she and Tempest landed at Manehatten Central station that Friday morning. Her second BDSM party at Caffeinated’s ranch the night before had been excellent, far better than her first had been, though on reflection that hadn’t been hard to achieve. Since they had all their travelling things with them, they had slept over at the zebra’s place like they had before.

Airmail had been the one to wake them both for the train ride to Canterlot. As it had been really very early indeed, Celestia hadn’t raised her sun when the alarm had gone off, it was just the three of them in the kitchen. Tempest, not a morning pony, was doing a passable impression of a zombie pony on Nightmare Night. Sat at the breakfast bar, the violet weather mare’s chin had slipped from her hoof on which it rested for the third time before her forehead hit the worktop with a thud.

With breakfast made, steaming hot porridge oats with chocolate sprinkles for Wildfire and Airmail, and honey syrup drizzled over it for Tempest, Airmail ate eat with them, determined to wring out every last second she could spend with her fiancé and her marefriend before she hugged them both and had to leave for work at the newspaper.

Once Airmail had left them, Tempest and Wildfire had half an hour until they had to leave the ranch. They quickly dived into the shower to get the smell of last night off of themselves, as well as the smell of sleep and bed sweat. Shower completed, they quietly got their saddle bags together and left for the station. Since Wildfire couldn’t fly, thanks to her wings being in their casts, she elected to ride on Tempest’s back. She had left her flight suit behind but had instead chosen to wear her helmet. She had gotten used to hearing the altitude, heading and air speed as she flew.

When she got off of Tempest’s back on the platform, in spite of the very sad parting with Airmail – it had been as though they’d never see each other ever again as opposed to only spending the weekend apart - Wildfire was in a good mood. She was pregnant, Autumn was dead, her wings were healing, Airmail wasn’t in prison, and she was looking forward to seeing her stepmother Emerald again. Everything was coming up pegasus!

Stood beside her diminutive lover on the almost completely empty platform, Tempest didn’t know what mood she was in. It was too early for sane decent ponies to be awake let alone be in any kind of mood. The sun was just cresting the horizon as she wiped her wing across Wildfire's muzzle for no reason. At the touch of her marefriend’s wingtip, the yellow pony smiled, feeling like nothing could possibly go wrong on this trip. “Hey Honey,” she sniffed and angled her ears, getting just the smells and sounds of the station and hardly anypony else. “I'm so looking forward to this!”

With a heavy sigh and a long yawn, Tempest rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes. Seven in the morning was way too early. “A day away from weather is a vacation day,” she stretched and pumped her wings in an attempt to force blood around her body. “Got plenty so let's spend them with abandon!”

“I like the way you think, wingpony!” Wildfire’s smile was firmly in place as a thought occurred to her on the platform. “Hey, you know while we're in Canterlot? I should totally take you to the university. I mean, you showed me yours while we were in Trottingham.”

Tempest’s tired sleep deprived brain thought that was a great idea. “I believe there was a desk you told me about. Think it's still there?”

Wildfire giggled, “If Calculus is still there, then her desk will be too. Oh! Oooh! We can go to Café Diem too! Raid said Java still owns it.”

“Zebra coffee?” asked Tempest with a wide yawn that split her face. Java sounded like a zebra.

“Java's an earth pony,” had Wildfire possessed eyes, she would’ve rolled them. Still, it was an easy assumption to assume. Even more so when you actually met him. He was a zebra without the stripes. “But, he went to the zebralands, studied ‘coffeeness’ with the zebras. He's one of the very few selling zebra coffee in Canterlot. Well, he was. There might be more now. My info is five years old.”

“That’s good news. That place we went to last time was, well, it was…coffee, at least.” Tempest managed a giggle. As bad as it had been, it was still better than the mass produced vending machine slop that was laughably called coffee. “We can redeem the place later then.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire grinned, her previous trip to the nation’s capital still fresh in her mind despite it being over a month ago now. So much had happened in that time, it was hard for her to believe it sometimes. “I do believe that place was an emergency making-sure-Wily-who-wanted-to-get-drunk didn't get drunk place.”

A loud chugging sound heralded the arrival of the Friendship Express. “Our train is pulling into the station,” Tempest stated somewhat unnecessarily, “Should let us board in fifteen minutes,” she giggled, “If you're going to get drunk, you're going to get drunk on herd mares. And we’ll need another fridge.”

Just as Wildfire was about to fire back with a witty retort, and it would have been a brilliant and clever one, to be sure, the large television screen on the platform that had been showing a loop of tourist sites around Manehatten changed to show the news program. A tan coloured earth pony mare with a bright orange mane wearing a black fedora addressed the camera. “Good morning, Equestria. I'm Press Release, here on the scene at Canterlot Royal Hospital, where the police, following a lead from the dramatic collapse of Helping Hooves care home, have made a gruesome discovery.”

Tempest, like Wildfire, had paused at the mention of the care home. The violet pony turned to look at the screen and she was at once interested and revulsed. Whilst the news item was of the gravest nature, Press Release seemed to be practically salivating, licking her chops to tell the story. “In a secret cellar excavated under the hospital, the entrance hidden in a store closet assigned to one Lotus Stripes, officers have discovered the remains of at least ten ponies.”

Wildfire’s ears slicked all the way back to her head as she listened to the report unfold. She could tell that the few ponies that were on the platform with them had stopped to look as well. “Records taken from Helping Hooves, as well as DNA and cutie mark analysis, shows that all ten of the victims were former residents of the care home.”

Wildfire wanted to cry. Chatter around her ranged from outrage to disgust and everything in between and she just wanted to cry. She didn’t need to see to tell that the reporter was loving every second of the broadcast. Press Release forged ahead, “I've just had word that police have found the partial remains of five more buried a different location within the cellar, all bodies recovered so far show signs of prolonged torture and confinement. A nametag on one of the victims shows it was a hospital employee. The police fear all five are former employees.”

“A senior officer, Hoofbeat,” Press Release paused as the police officer’s picture flashed up on the screen, “said he had never seen anything like it in his life, while a number of junior officers have been sent home, too traumatised by the scene to continue their work.”

Nopony from the hospital has been available to comment. In shocking news, I can report that Shady Hooves care home in Canterlot is also under investigation. More as it develops…”

The news item then changed from the live report to showing a loop of Princess Luna, Prince Dusk, the wardens and the fall of Helping Hooves, though Wildfire didn’t notice. The little yellow pegasus didn’t notice anything. Every single ounce of her good humour had evaporated in a second. Her head was down, her ears were down, even her wings in their protective casts drooped.

Tempest, not the most perceptive of ponies – that skill belonged to Lavender – took note of her marefriend’s demeanour and sought to lighten her burden the only way she knew. Thanks to being with Mapper. “Seems Dusky didn't let go after that first screw up. Glad to see them getting to the bottom of it all.”

“What?” Wildfire’s head was still down, shuffling her hooves, Tempest’s words hardly even reached her. “Um...what? Oh, yeah, good news, right…”

“News.” Tempest snorted, living up to her namesake as her temper rose, thought of sleep dissipating for the moment at least. “Good would be it never happened. You shook up the establishment, Wily, and now the pain you and others suffered issuing justice.”

Wildfire sighed a very deep sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her very soul. “I don't recognise any of those names they read out in that report. Lemon Drizzle, Crescent Star, Holly, Blizzard or the rest.” The little mare looked and felt sick to her core. “They said they recovered twenty bodies from the home...”

Tempest couldn’t quite quell the bitterness in her voice, not that she tried very hard, it had to be said. “Twenty that escaped Prince Dusk's early investigation!”

“We were addressed by our cell numbers.” Wildfire sounded as hollow as she felt. “Not names. Only the wardens had names. Chattel, property, goods, we did not deserve names.” She could feel Tempest by her side, the warmth of her wing covering her back. “Maybe one of them was number Seven, or the second number Seven, or number Nine, or Ten, or Twelve?”

“What was your number?”

“I was Thirteen…”

“No!” Tempest yelled, the fur on the back of her neck standing up with her legendary temper. She was poorly equipped to deal with situations like this. She was no Requiem. Shouting and bossing her juniors on the weather team wouldn’t work here. “You're Wildfire. Not a number and none of them were numbers either!”

“They all died and I didn't,” Wildfire shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “Why did I live? What was special about me that wasn't about them? I bet Lemon Drizzle or Holly or whoever they were put up more of a fight than I did.”

Staring at Wildfire, Tempest forced herself to count backwards from ten, twice. “You lived to make Airmail happy! You lived because some stupid Prince decided you should live and took you to Manehatten. You live, because you have a train ticket and they don't let dead ponies ride in the passenger car! On the train now!”

Wildfire’s ears were still well down, stuck to her scalp as she allowed herself to be led onto the train. She offered absolutely no resistance whatsoever. “I'm nothing special.” She said softly. She had spent five years having that drilled into her head. She had never believed it more. “I wasn't even trying to escape when Dusk found me.”

“AAARRRRGGGGGGGH!” Tempest screamed, her long held temper at last boiling over like an active volcano erupting, spewing magma and rock all over the train carriage. Pushing Wildfire into the compartment she had reserved for them, Tempest ignored the startled looks from several of the other passengers. “You are the pony Airmail wants to marry and that makes you the most special pony in all of Equestria!”

Wildfire tumbled into the compartment, her mood not lifted at all. She heard Tempest slide the door closed and flick the lock down. Next, she heard the thud of saddle bags hitting the floor. “If I'm that wonderful then I should have gone for help, told somepony, done anything, but I didn't, did I? I just ran errands for Amethyst Glory and did as I was told.”

Seizing her herd-mate by the shoulders, Tempest thrust her roughly against the window of the compartment. “You going to fight back now, huh?”

“IT'S MY FAULT!” Wildfire screamed back. She knew Tempest was right in front of her face. She could tell by the hot breath on her muzzle. She sniffed as she was forced back to the window. Deep down she knew she could have saved those lives that the reporter had mentioned on the news had she not been so scared of the wardens.

“You have no idea!” Tempest almost slapped her. She would have done, years ago. Now though she just managed to keep herself together. Just. “You snivelling little pony! A lot of things are your fault, but you don't even know what they are!”

All the fight leeched out of Wildfire and she sagged against the window, sniffing all the time. If Tempest was going to hit her, she wished she’d get on with it. The sooner she felt pain the sooner she could at last start to feel good she was still alive and not dead like those names on the news. “I could have saved some of them...”

“What am I going to do with you!” Tempest screamed in the little mare’s face. “You really want what you deserve? Do you want it that bad?”

“Yes!” Wildfire screamed back almost before Tempest had finished speaking. She had been expecting a slap, or something like that. What she wasn’t expecting was for the violet weather mare to kiss her long and hard, mashing their lips together until Wildfire pushed her away. It was only when she absolutely had to breathe that the little mare did push her back. “Wh-What…what…was that?”

The kiss, long and passionate as it had been had given the tempestuous pegasus a chance to calm herself and gather her thoughts. These were primarily W.W.R.D, or what would Requiem do? “You said you had to tell somepony about it. Who did you tell?”

The little yellow pegasus was quiet for a long few moments, unless you counted her heart hammering away in her chest. “You and Airy, in Caffy's place, Honey.”

“What did they do?”

“They, I mean, you believed me, and told Dusk, and then you told me it would all be alright.”

“How many ponies did you save?”

“When Dusk came back, he said there was seventy two inmates that he and Luna removed from the care home.”

“So, it is totally your fault that those seventy two ponies were saved,” Tempest genuinely hoped that, as the train started moving, Requiem’s – and possibly Lavender’s - ears were burning, “That is a lot of blame. Know what else is your fault? Emerald is your fault.”

Wildfire sighed, the blind mare not budging from the window, mostly because the vibrations from the steam train’s movement was rather pleasant on her back, but also because Tempest kept her there. “Look, Honey, I know where you're going with this, but...that report, I’m sorry, it just got to me…”

“Good!” Tempest exclaimed, though this was a good cry out rather than a loss of temper. “It should get to you! It should let you know just how much you did to save those you could. It should get to you to know that even surviving that is a miracle!”

The violet pony though wasn’t quite finished. She had just paused for breath. Stormy was now on a roll. “But nooooo. Little Ms. Wily thinks she should have done more! Should have told somepony, other than me, who is best pony to tell. So, Ms. Wily, just who were you going to tell? That nice police pony being paid by Amethyst to keep an eye on you? That nice grocery pony you went to being paid by Amethyst to keep an eye on you? Maybe that stupid Prince you kicked out of your hospital room?”

Once Tempest started she found she couldn’t stop. She had been stewing on these thoughts every time recently that Wildfire put herself down. With nopony to stop her, the ‘storm’ at last broke. “I'm sure that Amethyst gave you an updated body count everyday so you'd know just how many ponies she had killed? Did the ones that broke your legs and wings tell you that you'll be the next pony they kill once their backlog was clear?”

“You, Little Ms. Wily, had no idea what was going on.” Finally, Tempest was running out of steam. “All you knew was pain and a three foot square box. If you had told somepony that, just how many ponies do you think you would have saved?”

“None.” Wildfire sunk down the window until she was sat on the carpeted floor of the train compartment. “I'd have been on that list of ponies they dug up, wouldn't I?”

“No, you wouldn't.” Tempest however rather thought that yes, she would have been one of the poor unfortunate torture victims found in the hospital. “I would never have known you. Airy and I would still be a herd of two because we couldn't get back with Mapper and Serenity. The world would have never known your name. Your father would still have his slave. Chill Wind's grave would remain unknown. Two colts in Canterlot would have always wondered why their Aunt never came to their birthday's anymore. You would have been forgotten even by those that kept looking for you. That, Wildfire, would have been your fate.”

Dragging herself up to her hooves, Wildfire felt for and punched Tempest’s shoulder, a wry smile on her muzzle. “You can stop now. I get it, I'm an idiot for being so mopey.”

Just like that, as fast as somepony flicking on a light switch, Tempest’s tone became cheerful and upbeat, like she had never yelled at all. “True, you don't need to be mopey to be an idiot!”

Wildfire groaned and made a show of rolling her whole head at her marefriend. “You know, it's a good thing you're a weather pony. With a bedside manner like that you'd be a lousy nurse…”

“Awwww,” Tempest giggled, putting on an exaggerated foal’s voice, “did I wain on wittle Wily's pawade?”

“Nopes, I'm not under a cloud!”

That made Tempest think about all the bright yellow clouds she had made throughout her life and her giggles became full on laughter. “That yelling has left my throat dry. I'm going to get a beer. Should I get you one too?” the fact it was still early was entirely irrelevant.

“Yuppers, yes please Honey. And I'll ease your throat when you get back.”

“Maybe,” Tempest smiled, a rather sexy idea occurring to her as she paused at the door to the compartment. “I still think you need some altitude adjustment on your attitude.” With that in mind, Tempest made sure to not only visit the club car but the kitchen as well before she returned. She had a plan, and thankfully the train staff had been quite accommodating. “Here’s your non-alcoholic beer,” she giggled once she had gotten back to their compartment, “And mine, with alcohol. Plus, I have daisy sandwiches.”

“My lady doth hath returned,” Wildfire laughed, searching her memory for a Romeo and Juliet line, but for once her vast poetry library had failed her. Instead, she took the offered beer bottle gratefully in her outstretched hoof. “Thank you for the beer, Honey.”

Settling down on the couch that took up the whole of one side of the compartment, Tempest took a big bite of her sandwich. “I do still need to do that adjustment I promised,” she purred slyly.

“Oh, I ah, I was kinda hoping you may have forgotten about that...”

“From all I know, this shouldn't affect your filly in any way, but if you say no, I won't do it. It involves this rather cold beer, you know how cold yours is, and this baster I got from the kitchen. So, I can drink my beer from the Wily tunnel of love.”

For three seconds, Wildfire thought it over and she liked where her imagination was taking her. It was something she had never done before and it sounded hot. “I agree!” she squeaked quickly, “For a moment there I thought you had the dreaded celery…”

“If I was to stuff your cunny with food, it would be cucumber.”

“Or a banana?”

“Naaaaah,” Tempest shrugged on the floor as she got herself into position, baster and beer by her side, “Bananas get too mushy, tried that on Airy once. Never again.”

Wildfire giggled at that and she arranged herself ready to receive whatever punishment Tempest saw fit to deliver. Try as she might, she couldn’t picture it. She had never ever thought about inserting a baster inside her. “I'm ready for my adjustment, Mistress.”

Gazing upon her lover’s neatly trimmed snatch, Tempest could tell she was ready. “Tell me to fetch peaches when you want to stop, okay, Wily?”

Wildfire lifted up her hind legs so that they were almost either side of her head to further expose herself and aid her dominant partner. “I understand, Mistress Honey.” No sooner had she said that than Tempest leant forward and she got to work with her tongue dancing all over the yellow mare’s pussy to make sure she was ready to receive the baster. “Oooh by Cadance I love your tongue!” Wildfire moaned, after just a few licks and sucks her slit was dripping wet and ready for more.

Once Wildfire was properly lubed up, her puffy pussy all glistening and shiny wet, Tempest filled the baster with as much cold beer as it could take, which was just half a bottle, and she quickly slid it inside her lover’s accommodating hole. She waited a split second to let the cold sensation set in and then she squeezed the bulb. “Ooh!” Wildfire squealed as the beer hit her insides, “Oooh it's coooold! It feels...odd…” she didn't know if to squirm or giggle so she did both equally.

After a very short time though, the beer filling her marehood like an enema became muscle clenchingly cold and it really made the blind mare want to pee, though she knew Tempest wouldn’t mind that in the slightest. Wildfire clenched and moaned, her whole insides cramping up. “A-aaa-Aaaah I w-wanna peeee!”

As much as she wanted to pee and release the liquid, Wildfire couldn’t. As soon as Tempest squirted it inside her, she sealed her moist entrance with her mouth and tongue. Twitching and begging, Wildfire cried for the beer to be released, but Tempest was only taking small sips of the warming beer.

Tempest, only allowing very small reductions in the beer, said nothing to her lover’s repeated pleas lest it all end up on the floor before she was ready. This was a punishment, after all. Wildfire, who was whimpering in pain from her cramps, was trying very, very hard to not pee, groaned as the clenching began to hurt more and more. “Mistress pleeeease, it hurts!”

At her sub’s crotch, Tempest decided to take pity on her and she drank the beer in one mouthful. The grateful moans of blissful relief that came from her little mare just made the beer taste all the sweeter. However, the poor mare’s relief didn’t last very long. Tempest quickly refilled the baster with cold beer and with a squeeze of the bulb filled her up once more.

This was repeated twice more, Tempest using Wildfire’s beer to fill her up. On the fourth time, Wildfire was a blubbering, whimpering mess. She tried very hard but she gave in. After the four repetitions, her cramped muscles couldn’t hold it any longer and she released her bladder, pissing noisily into Tempest’s willing mouth.

Swallowing as quickly as she could, the violet pegasus drank all that Wildfire had to offer, but even so, some of her hot yellow pee and warmed up beer escaped. “Hmmmmm, that was a very interesting flavour of beer, but now I'm in need of muzzle clean-up, pet.”

Wildfire screamed in sheer bliss as she released into Tempest’s mouth and then, when she wasn’t experiencing the cramps any more, she giggled. “Well, that was...something new,” she smiled, moving to intercept her lover's muzzle with her lips. It wasn’t hard to find, Tempest was very wet and incredibly sloppy.

“How are you doing?” Tempest asked once her muzzle had been licked clean.

“I'm okay, now.” Wildfire again found her marefriend’s lips and kissed her, this time it was all kiss, all passion and all intent. She felt like a completely different pony to the one that had gotten on the train in Manehatten. “Thanks to you.”

“If Airy taught me anything it is don't live your life with regrets, and be careful who you give a half feather to.”

“It's just...I dunno,” Wildfire scratched the back of her head with her hoof, “when the news mare said they were investigating another home...I thought, I was hoping we were the only ones. And then, I think Requiem called it survivors guilt? Something like that.”

Tempest thought that was something Requiem would say. “Your fiancé has a lot of blood on her hooves. She remembers every name, but has no regrets. When we get to Canterlot you can leave flowers for those that didn't make it out like you did, and some more for those that did make it out because of you.”

“I'm really not putting myself down, Tempest, really, I'm not but...I'm nothing special.” There was no shame or self deprication in her voice. She was just stating a fact. She wasn’t extraordinary in the slightest. “I'm not strong, or powerful, but here I am. Maybe mom was looking out for me, I dunno?”

“Is Airy stupid?”

“Of course not, nopony I know is.”

“Then it isn't about you being 'special', it is about you being you. Airy wasn't looking for a Power Pony, she was looking for a pony she could share her heart with. You may just be an ordinary pony, but to one pony, you are very special. I think you're okay too.”

Giggling, Wildfire nudged the larger mare’s shoulder. “Thanks Tempest,” she then hugged her tightly in a signature Wily hug. “You're not bad either, Wingpony.”

“I know!” Tempest joined Wildfire in her fit of giggles, “I have a little plaque on my desk. On it is written, You Done Good.”

“I have that on my desk too, but it's written in mare’s ink.”

“When things return to somewhat normal, you need to have Airy help you reapply that polish.” Tempest replied, kissing Wildfire’s lips. Then, a moment later, she let out a long, deep yawn. Being awake was finally catching up with her. “I was up way too early thanks to some crazy news pony. Wake me for lunch.”

“You take a nap, tired pony. I'll be your cushion!”

“I'm not Airy, so I don't need two little pillows, and I doubt the other cushion is kicking yet. But your ass seems nice and tender for my weary head.” Rolling Wildfire over with her hooves, Tempest kissed both cheeks first and then she laid down, fluffing it like a pillow to get comfortable. Tired as she was though, it didn't take long at all for her to drift off to a very contented sleep.

~ ~ ~

When Tempest and Wildfire disembarked the Friendship Express in Canterlot on Saturday morning, the violet pegasus was not happy. Her black mane, unruly at the best of times, looked like a lion had just had angry sex with a hedge. There were bags under her eyes the size of her saddle bags and, as she squinted up at the sky, she grumbled, “Did you know it was light out at seven in the morning? That’s a real waste of daylight.”

Beside her on the platform, Wildfire took a long, deep breath and twitched her ears in her marefriend’s direction. She picked up on the grumpiness immediately. “I did know, Honey. I can feel the sun on my face and smell the morning.” She giggled, “You doing okay there, not morning pony?”

Realising that Wildfire had her own ways to sense things, Tempest facehooved as they moved off of the platform to the street. “You win the round Wily, but I'll have my revenge.” She giggled and then shivered. Even though it was summer, it was still a little chilly first thing. “Coffee and breakfast got me started. So, Let's visit that pony I know has been waiting for you since the last visit. I bet she hasn't even moved since you left.”

“Nah...I think mom's happy where she is, all snuggly in her home.” Wildfire didn’t shiver. She was accustomed to Canterlot and seasons at five thousand feet. She took a moment to orient herself while Tempest went to buy the daffodils. When she came back, Wildfire knew exactly where she was and where the cemetery was. She had her helmet turned on, but she wasn’t following the directions. They were not necessary. “You have the daffodils, Honey?”

“Yes,” Tempest wafted them under Wildfire’s nose as they walked along the cobbled street of the capital city. She caught sight of the old style gas lights and wondered how on earth they coped here. “Six dozen. Cleared the seller out and made his day. Dozen for your mum, dozen for your brother, and four dozen for those left behind.”

The two mares were mostly silent for the walk from the train station to the cemetery. There was almost nopony about, even in the Residential District, though there were some stores owners opening up on the way. Tempest, walking on Wildfire’s right, noted that she wasn’t using her headset but still she was walking unerringly towards their destination. “Records do show that Chill Wind is in the same cemetery, so it shouldn't be too hard to walk around and find him.”

“Tempest,” Wildfire commented after a moment, “the cemetery is huge. We could walk all day and not find him…” the walk to the cemetery was not a very long one. She had made it countless times before, both when she could see and after she couldn’t. By now it was pretty much muscle memory programmed into her hooves. At the ornate wrought iron gates, she paused, ears slicked back.

Noticing her lover’s hesitation, Tempest bumped her shoulder with her own. “It's only a hectare, and I can do air recon, you know.” Although, that said, she suspected there was a deeper reason the diminutive pegasus had paused at the gates. Damn Requiem, she was getting good at this!

Like she had been frozen by a cockatrice, Wildfire didn't move. “I've never been nervous seeing my mom before, Honey.”

“Yeah,” Tempest’s natural sense of humour, enhanced by years with Mapper, took over. “I can understand. Knocked up and not even married yet.” Before Wildfire could say or do anything to stop her, she raised her voice and shouted, “It wasn't my fault!”

Wildfire burst out into fits of giggles. “Shut up silly,” she giggled brightly, her mood instantly lifted by her herd-mate’s antics. “What I mean is, I've always known what to say to her before. Now, I ah, I really don’t know where to start, Tempest.”

“Mom, remember the talk you gave me? You're right, I got pregnant.”

Shaking her head at Tempest’s attempt to be helpful, Wildfire took a step past the gates into the cemetery. After all, she wouldn’t accomplish anything stood at the gates all day. And, like Eirene used to say, nothing to it but to do it. Still, it felt better once she was treading the familiar dirt path. “Can you believe she had that talk with me when I was twelve?”

Tempest followed alongside the little blind mare, again impressed that, without any guidance or help at all, she was able to negotiate her way along the well worn dirt path through the cemetery. “I hear every parent is different. My brother got it early when he first looked at a mare in my mom's view. I told my mom I'd marry any mare I got pregnant.”

“When you wear that accessory of yours,” Wildfire replied, walking past row upon row of marble and stone grave markers, “I can easily believe you could get a mare pregnant.” Having been on the receiving end of Tempest’s strap on toy more than once, in her opinion it wasn’t much of a stretch.

Turning off the path at some predetermined point, and walking unerringly to Silverbolt’s grave, Tempest gave Wildfire a light shoulder bump. “Not when I use it in her ass,” she snarked.

Wildfire knew she was standing in the right place. She didn’t need any fancy gadgets or gizmos or anything like that. She just knew. Years of making this journey gave her the assurance to know that she was stood before her mother’s grave. She walked right up to the headstone, spluttering with laughter with every step she took until she had her hoof on the cold stone surface. “Hey mom, it’s me…” she was quiet for long minutes after that, trying to figure out what to say next. With no better option, she shrugged and said, “So...Fireflight, huh?”

Looking around them conspiratorially, as though she was afraid that the other graves were listening in and might hear a national secret, Tempest made shushing sounds. “Wily!” she hissed, “That’s her super secret Power Pony name…” As Tempest looked around though, the violet pegasus spotted the next stone over on the right of where they were stood and she facehooved with a smile. The search for Chill Wind wouldn’t take so long after all.

“I'm not mad at you, mom,” Wildfire had giggles in her voice as she imagined her mother as a Power Pony. “I just wish...I wish you'd have said something, when you were with me. I know what you did, back in Canterlot during the war. I met Captain Starbright, mom. He told me about you. About the Equestrian Star. I...” she paused and sniffed, trying not to cry, “I know what it cost you, when you were Flight Cadet 359, I know you saved lives,” she then saluted smartly and hugged the unyielding stone. “I'm so, so, so very proud of you.”

Quietly, Tempest hoofed over a dozen of the daffodils taken from one of her bags. “I didn't take a bite. Give those to your mom, Wily.”

Reverently, Wildfire placed her mother’s favourite flowers at the base of the stone. “These are for you,” she then stood straight at attention and sniffed out her ‘tears’ for a little while. She was unable to contain herself any longer and she sincerely wished she could cry properly. “Why didn't you tell me about Chill Wind, mom?” she asked when she could speak again.

“Wily,” Tempest whispered, though there was nopony else in the cemetery with them, “come and feel the next stone on the right.”

“Why?” Wildfire asked, though she duly came over to the right until she felt the marker. It was smaller than her mother’s headstone and made of marble. “I thought we were looking for...” she went silent as she felt the carved name and the dates of birth and death. Then it hit her. “Chill Wind...” she sat down hard in front of her older brother’s grave like the weight of the universe was pressing on her shoulders, holding her down. “He was here, the whole time?” she then remembered her dream and she touched the name again. “I didn't know! I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I swear!”

Without a word, Tempest hoofed over another dozen daffodils. Taking them equally quietly, Wildfire laid them down like she had done with her mother. She could tell by the overgrown grass that no mementos had been placed there for a long time. Reaching into her bag, she took out and placed a photograph of herself, Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity down with the flowers. “M-My big brother...I-I'm so sorry!”

“Sorry?” asked Tempest softly, her wing draped over her marefriend’s shoulder, “What are you sorry for, Wildfire?”

Wildfire knew exactly what she was sorry for. “I never got a chance to hug him, to prank him, or embarrass him in front of his first date. I would have been such an annoying little sister. We would have fought every day but loved each other so much…”

“The word you want is sad, Wily,” Tempest said supportively. “You are saddened. He died before you were born. Your mom never told you about him. It was during an event that changed so many lives, or ended them. I too, am sad by this, because it makes you sad, Wily.”

“I don't blame mom. I've seen things as a firefighter, Honey. Bad things. I can't imagine what she went through.” As she said that, thoughts of the massive fire at Trixie’s Place she had attended on her birthday all those years ago ran through her mind. “But, I want you to know, both of you, that I'll wear the medal you won when I get married, and I'll be so proud.”

“You both have a lot to be proud about.” Tempest said, nuzzling Wildfire’s cheek before she addressed Silverbolt’s headstone directly. “She has saved many lives, and will save many more when needed.”

“Mom knows all about that. She must, because you were looking out for me, weren't you? You and Heatwave, keeping me going during my dark times.” Wildfire was convinced that this had to be the case. There was no way she could have survived Amethyst Glory without somepony or something watching over her.

Lovingly, Tempest rubbed Wildfire's belly with her hoof. “Putting something off, are we?”

“I was getting to that!” the little blind mare exclaimed, though there wasn’t much conviction behind it. She had never felt more like a little filly in all her life. Why was she so nervous? She was a grown mare! “Mom, Chill, I'm pregnant. I'm having a foal! Isn't it awesomes?” What was she expecting, a reprimand?

“Woot! Woot!” Like an overgrown filly, Tempest began dancing. She was careful though to dance around, and not on, the two graves.

Wildfire couldn’t help but laugh. She could tell by the hoof steps around her that Tempest was dancing. Any and all tension leeched from her, though she still didn’t know why she had felt that way in the first place. “What she said. It was a member of the Herd, Tinkerer, and I'm so happy to be a mom, mom!” Then, she took a breath and steadied herself. “I'm going to name her Fireflight. Because I've been dreaming of that name for years.”

Tempest agreed, “It's a good name.”

“It's an awesomes name, Honey. The most super secretest powerfulest of names.” It was her mother’s real name. Of course it was the best.

“Silver can be her Power Pony name,” said Tempest with an affectionate smile.

Wildfire wanted nothing more than to stay there all day long, but she knew they had other places to visit. Important places. With a heavy heart, she hugged both her mother’s and her brother’s headstones. “Well, mom, Chill, it was amazing seeing you, and meeting you, but we need to lay some other flowers. Tell you what, we'll come back later with momma Emerald, okay? I know you two get along.”

Tempest placed a hoof on each stone like she was bumping hooves with an old friend. “I'll keep her from getting lost. See you later, Silver, Chill.” She turned to Wildfire and whispered in her ear, “I think that coffee on the train has worn off.”

“We can get more.” Wildfire affirmed as she kissed the marble and stone headstones reverently and hugged them both in turn. She needed the courage for what she was about to do. For where she was about to go. “Now...we have to go back there.”

It was obvious to Tempest where ‘there’ was. “You have point, Wily.”

Again, Wildfire didn't even need the map instructions from her headset. After negotiating Canterlot blind for five years, she knew exactly where she was. Still, while she could have walked, she hailed a taxi that took them through the Residential District and on to a very affluent part of Canterlot. She doubted she could have forced her hooves to make the journey otherwise. “Here we are,” she said sombrely when the taxi bought the short and quiet taxi ride to a halt. “Helping Hooves care home.”

Stepping out of the taxi, Tempest paid the fare and, with a wing draped protectively over Wildfire’s back and around her shoulders, she looked at the edifice before her. Though there was a high brick wall surrounding the former home, she could tell it was, or had been, a very grand and ornately lavish building. At least from the outside. The tales of spartan barren cells clashed with the building’s façade. “It's closed,” she said, leading the way over the road, “Follow me.”

“What's the layout, Wingpony?” asked Wildfire. Her ears swilled here and there, listening and on alert. Amethyst Glory may have been gone, but she almost expected her to pop up behind them like some pantomime villain that the audience loved to boo. As it was, she couldn’t hear anything. It seemed Canterlot was still asleep. “The news said they were excavating and stuff…”

“Must be inside then.” Tempest stated as she looked warily at all the yellow police tape that was wrapped around the gates, cordoning off the area. That wasn’t what caught her attention, though. “Here, we are one pace from the perimeter wall, and about ten paces left of the main entrance gate. Feel what is against the wall and I can tell you it all goes past the door.”

Extending her hoof cautiously, Wildfire immediately felt the first of many flowers, photo frames that she imagined held pictures of loved ones, teddy bears, and the countless other mementos that lined the wall along the sidewalk that had been left by bereaved family members and well wishers amongst the public. Wildfire felt each and every one and she started sniffing uncontrollably as the enormity of them sunk in. “Oh...ooh...sweet Luna...there's so many!”

“Yeah,” Tempest had to agree that it was a most sobering sight indeed. She couldn’t even see the wall, there were that many tributes left. Yes, she had heard Wildfire’s stories, read her poetry, but standing at the spot where it happened made it all very real. “I think the ones you saved are remembering the ones left behind.”

“Is there a picture somewhere of number Twelve?” Wildfire asked hopefully after a moment of scanning the pictures. “Something, anything? I'd love to know his name.”

Tempest looked around at the literal sea of tributes that had been left on the wall and the sidewalk in front of it. “There are lots of pictures, Wily, some with names, some without. I’m sorry, but there’s no number Twelve anywhere.”

“Whoever he was, he saved my life. More than once, when I was being starved, he passed me his food through the crack in my cell wall.”

That made Tempest more determined than ever to find him. “Tribe?”

“He said he was a unicorn.” Wildfire giggled as she recalled the stallion that had been in the cell next to hers. “We used to talk through the crack in the wall. I read him my poems and he gave me food. He said he had too much, he didn't want it to spoil.”

Again, Tempest looked around and she saw a poster with five unicorn stallion photos that were unaccounted for among the missing. “Here, Wily. One of these unicorn’s has no name and looks really old. The others are Steel Shoe, Morning Blaze,” she snickered, “Mushroom, and Ice Lace.”

“He was old. I remember that. He said he had a blue coat. He said he couldn't remember his name or where he was from.” Wildfire’s soft voice began to crack with the weight of emotion, “I knew he was lying about the food. Nopony here was given too much. We were all hungry, all the time.”

Tempest could well believe that. “The old one is dark red, but the one called Mushroom is blue, not that old though, he looks to be in his thirty's maybe. You know you could go to Dusk, he has the info, or he can get it for you.” She went and nuzzled her crying lover. “Put a dozen flowers at each end and on either side of the gate.”

“Mushroom.” Wildfire rolled it around, repeating it over and over like she was trying it on to see how it fit. She liked it. “That's a nice name.” Taking the flowers from Tempest, she laid the daffodils carefully before returning to stand at attention at the taped off gate. “I want Amethyst Glory to know we beat her. She didn't break us. We defied her and we survived!” Angrilly, she stamped her hoof hard into the sidewalk, not caring who saw or heard her. “It was me! I beat you!”

Smiling broadly, knowing full well that the slip the previous morning was now naught but a memory, she leant and affectionately nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “That you did, my love, that you did.”

With help, Wildfire rested her hoof on the blue unicorn’s photograph – obviously taken in happier times, for he was healthy looking and smiling, an agriculture award held in his hooves – and bowed her head respectfully. “Thank you, Mushroom. Thank you for giving me your food. Thank you for being my friend. I'm gonna get Dusk to find out who the unnamed stallion was. Nopony deserves to die a number.”

Wildfire stayed at the picture for a long, long time. Though Tempest was in dire need of coffee, she didn’t hurry her along. Presently, when she had made her peace with those that hadn’t made it out, Wildfire stepped away from the wall and she nuzzled Tempest’s cheek. “Come on. I’m ready to go somewhere else. Need a caffeine recharge, Wingpony?” she giggled, “there's a spot just over there.”

Tempest looked in the direction that Wildfire pointed and she saw a small café over the road in view of the care home. “I would take caffeinated mud right now.”

As she led the way over the cobbled street to the small café, Wildfire did a very good job of not laughing and she walked with a purpose. The blind mare knew exactly where she was, the café in question was one of her regular errand runs. “It's no Stripes, but it's a good place.”

“As long as it stops me from sleep walking, I don’t care.”

At that, Wildfire did laugh as she walked up to the counter, just like she had done every morning for the four years that Amethyst had believed her to be broken. “Excuse me, Mr. Grain, are you there?”

Grain, a particularly huge example of an earth pony who stood three heads taller than the yellow pegasus in front of him, greeted her with a wide easy smile. “Wildfire,” the straw coloured stallion beamed, “it has been a while. I heard about the home, so I’m guessing you're not here for the usual?”

“No sir.” She solemnly shook her head. “I won't be getting the usual ever again. May I please have a black coffee with three sugars and the strongest coffee you have for my partner?”

“Sure you can, Wildfire, on me.” Grain said softly as he began to make the drinks, “Bad news about that place. I'm glad to see you're doing well. Go sit, I’ll bring them over to you.”

Nodding, Wildfire led Tempest to an empty table where they both seated themselves, though Tempest had to support her nodding head on her hooves to keep from falling asleep. “Amethyst and Lotus got their coffee from here,” she explained, somewhat unnecessarily, “Mr. Grain always slipped me a caramel donut because he thought I looked too thin.”

Yawning, the weather mare rolled her eyes. “That is so pony. Something going on just up the street and you never notice anything,” she gratefully nuzzled Wildfire when Grain dropped off their order, complete with two complimentary donuts. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You're welcome,” Wildfire smiled and proceeded to slowly lick the caramel coating from the donut in just the way she knew that Tempest liked, like she was making out with an intimate lover, “It's not like anypony knew.”

Perked up by the caramel make out show and the smell coming from the incredibly strong coffee, Tempest gave her marefriend a light kiss. “This coffee is old enough to have known,” she took a sip that manifested itself as a loud slurp and she was sure it could have been used as ocean liner fuel. In short, it was perfect.

Not expecting that, Wildfire burst out laughing, so much so that she snorted her own coffee over a two day old newspaper that had been left on the table. The headline, which reported that the extremely wealthy husband and wife couple Jet Set and Upper Crust had been arrested over the recent care home charity scandal, had a sub heading that noble heads were rolling in the streets of Canterlot. “Don't be mean to Mr. Grain,” she chastised playfully, “He's a sweetie.”

“I'm sure he is,” Tempest commented, looking over at the mountainous earth pony working the counter. Idly she wondered if he had been one of the ones keeping tabs on Wildfire as she had run her errands for Amethyst Glory. Ultimately, she decided it didn’t matter. “I don't put sweet in my coffee…”

“It's caffeine,” Wildfire snickered as she nudged her shoulder, “Enjoy it, cos I'll take you to the university after this little stop.”

“Been to uni and that is behind me.” Tempest attempted to half drink, half eat her sludgy coffee before she dunked her donut in it. “I do have a degree in weather management.”

Wildfire, who at last had licked all the caramel from the donut, gulped it down in two bites and it didn’t touch the sides, “It'll be fuuuuuun! Besides, I want to know if that desk is still there or not.”

Fuelled with coffee strong enough to put hair on her eyes, Tempest giggled, “May need a sniff and lick, just to be sure.”

“Well, I'm not about to polish it again, that's for sure!”

“Never say never, maybe Calculus was just upset she wasn't part of the polishing?” Tempest shot back with a straight face that could’ve won her a poker tournament in Las Pegasus.

“You are terrible!” Wildfire squealed in delight before she kissed Tempest’s lips and drained the last of her own brew. “But I love you. Ready to go?”

“Just let me chew the last bit in my cup,” Tempest snarked and made loud chomping noises just to emphasise the quality of the drink she had endured. “Okay, now I’m done.”

“I swear I can't take you anywhere,” Wildfire, giggling, got up and on the way out, she made sure to give Grain one of her signature bonecrushing hugs. On the sidewalk outside the café, Tempest hailed them both a taxi. Not that she couldn’t walk there, she just wanted a snuggle. “Feeling awake yet?” the blind mare asked as she duly snuggled into Tempest’s chest on the back seat of the cab.

“Canterlot University please driver,” Tempest requested, before settling into Wildfire’s deadly snuggles. “I'll make it through this, unless your profs have the same monotone voice mine did.”

“Principal Legacy was a bit droney at times but then, he was a history teacher.” Wildfire explained as the taxi sped along the ancient streets of the capital city. “Calculus was alright when she wasn't teaching me math.”

“Well, after the classes you've been passing lately, I think you can teach Calculus a thing or two about math,” Tempest whispered, “Just make sure you give her the problem in dots.”

Wildfire mulled that over thoughtfully for a few moments and she grinned. “It would be nice to show her I wasn't just being dumb.”

Very lightly, Tempest booped Wildfire on her head with her hoof. If she thought for a second she was seriously putting herself down, the boop would’ve turned into a slap. “You're not dumb, but you did have a disability. One your current disability has cured.”

It wasn’t a very long ride from the care home to the university, especially so as the roads were more or less empty of traffic save for those going to or from work. That said though, Canterlot was starting to wake up, as evidenced by the increased numbers filling the sidewalks. Once they arrived, Tempest saw that it wasn’t that far from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Both looked like rather grand and imposing edifices, all sculptured marbles and columns with inlaid gold and the Princesses cutie marks everywhere. Getting out of the taxi, Wildfire smiled up at the building she remembered. “Very Canterlot, isn't it?”

“Yes,” Tempest agreed with a wry grin, “then that might be why they put this Uni in Canterlot.”

The older pegasus’s snark earned her a raspberry from Wildfire. “What I mean is, all the spires and the tapestries, and marble and gold...I always thought it was a bit…unnecessary,” she paused at the entrance, “You know, I remember the first and last time I was here, Honey.”

Tempest really did have to agree that the décor was a bit much, but then she was reminded where she was. All of the buildings around her were grand, luxurious and imposing, a lasting testament to architects and builders no doubt long gone. It was wealth and privilege and power as blatantly advertised as a neon sign in Manehatten. Which, she was sure, was entirely the point. “I'm sure the Headmare of the school next door had something to do with the decorations. After all, one can't detract from the castle’s image.”

Wildfire had to agree with Tempest’s assessment, because it was completely accurate. Still, she hesitated at the entrance, her hooves seemingly glued to the floor. The last time she had left that place was when she had been blinded. The violet mare gave her a none too subtle shove that sent her over the threshold. “Nothing to it, but to do it. So, which building do you want to visit first?”

“Hey, that's my line!” Wildfire exclaimed with a giggle, though she had to admit Tempest had a point. “May as well go for the main building. You'll like Professor Last Legacy. He's a great Principal, Honey.”

“Admin it is!” Tempest started to walk along the marble halls, briefly wondering if all of Equestria’s marble was in Canterlot, before she noticed Wildfire wasn’t keeping up with her. “Place is quiet on a Saturday…hey, what’s wrong, Wily?”

“Oh...nothing’s wrong, I just realised something,” her yellow cheeks coloured up in a bright red blush that even reached the tips of her ears, “I've never walked around here blind.”

“Pfft,” Tempest snorted, “Like that’s going to stop you,” she then placed a wingtip to Wildfire's side, just above her wing cast. “The sign says we need to go this way.”

“It's not going to stop me,” Wildfire replied, though her blush showed no immediate sign of dissipating. She walked along with Tempest, following her guiding wingtip. “I'll just need to use your eyes, that’s all, because I don’t think I know where I’m going otherwise.”

“Are they the prettiest eyes?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire answered quickly, her blush becoming a smile, “because they belong to an awesome mare who yells at me when I need it and hugs me for the same reason.”

Walking along the hallway, it was Tempest’s turn to blush, her violet fur bearing a definite red tinge on her cheeks, though she said nothing for a few moments, not until they had gotten where they were going. She was proud to have played her role, and she would do it again in a heartbeat if necessary. “We are now at the entrance to the admin building, and the door is open and there is a pony behind the counter.” She dropped her voice to a whisper, “Do you think she'll think I'm too old to register?”

“You can try. Mom used to say you're as old as the pony you feel,” Wildfire giggled and, with Tempest’s helping wing guiding her, the diminutive yellow pegasus walked up to the counter and announced herself with a polite cough. “Excuse me, miss? We're looking for Principal Last Legacy.”

The unicorn mare at the reception counter had to look twice because, as it was up to average chest height, she could only see Tempest and the tips of two yellow ears beside her. Leaning forwards, she saw the tiny Wildfire. She blinked once then twice and she remembered the question. “Professor Legacy? I'm very sorry, he's been retired for two years now.”

“Oh...” Wildfire’s ears went back a little. She had been looking forward to seeing her old Principal, too. “I didn't know.” She shuffled her hooves uncertainly, “Then it must be Principal Water Colour, right?”

Again, the receptionist corrected her. “Oh, no, he is still the Vice Principal.” She lowered her voice like she was sharing a closely guarded secret. “He didn't want the job. The Headmare is now Ms. Calculus.”

Tempest snorted, the weather mare almost licking her lips at the joke that was on the tip of her tongue, “Well that adds up, Wily.”

“What!?” Wildfire exclaimed, her mouth hanging open for a long while until Tempest thoughtfully reached over and closed it for her. “Ah...is ah...well um, is she available, please?”

“Who should I say is calling, please?”

“Major Tempest, with the Manehatten Weather Service,” Tempest stepped up to the counter and used her ‘official’ authoritative voice that all pegasi commanders learnt at college and then she pointed to her marefriend, “and this is Lieutenant Wildfire, with the Manehatten Fire Department.”

The unicorn receptionist reached for the phone on her desk, “One moment please, ma’am.”

Quickly, Wildfire took off her flight headset and she stored it safely away in her bag, then she whispered, “That was a very well rehearsed intro, Mother Hen.”

“That’s why I'm the Major.”

“Good morning, Headmare,” the receptionist greeted Calculus when she answered the phone in her office, “there are two ponies wishing to speak with you. Yes, both from Manehatten. Major Tempest and Lieutenant Wildfire. What? Oh, yes, the Lieutenant is blind. Okay. Yes, ma'am.” She then glanced over her desk at the two visitors, “Do you know where the Headmare's office is?”

Wildfire sighed, “When I could see I could take you there with my eyes shut.” As she snorted a breath through her nose, the irony was not lost on her. “Can you give us directions, please?”

The receptionist looked at the both of them like Wildfire had asked her to slap a Princess. Luckily Tempest helped her out. “I'll take a building map, please. Point out the room.” Leaning over the counter, the mare indicated Room 401 on the map and she hoofed it to Tempest. “Now, Ms. Wily, I want you to march to the Principal’s office, eyes closed!”

“Oh, now that brings back memories,” Wildfire muttered, though there was a snicker in her voice. “I’m sure it's this way…” she promptly marched off in completely the wrong direction until the receptionist coughed politely and she turned around. “No, it’s this way. I got this!”

Walking alongside her blind lover, Tempest was happy to let her make her own way, wrong turns and all, that is unless she went and got herself really lost. Wildfire did take a couple of wrong turns along the way but she corrected herself almost straight away. “Can you believe I used to be sent here a lot? The Principal’s office, I mean.”

“That explains why there is a track worn into the marble floor.”

“Shut up, you!” Wildfire giggled, “Everyday was a fight, either with Bliztwing or one of his dogs.”

“Well, I wonder if they have achieved half as much as you have.”

Wildfire shrugged her shoulders as she walked along, every step she took she got more and more confident in her route. It was like she had never left the university. “I have no idea. Bright said that Blitz had been released from the asylum, I couldn't tell you about Boudica or Fido. Couple more turns I think, and we're there.”

“Wait,” Tempest held out her hoof and stopped Wildfire in her tracks, just in front of the door they had come to. Sure enough, it said ‘Principal Calculus’ on the door plaque. “I think there’s a paint chip on the door right at your normal knocking height.”

Pausing at the door, Wildfire turned to give Tempest what would have been a killer deadpan look had she possessed eyes. “You know, you should quit weather work and go into comedy,” she said with a snicker, completely ignoring the fact that there was a dent at the bottom of the door that she herself had left there a long time ago.

Tempest was unabashed. “So, you going to knock and prove me wrong?”

Grumbling something under her breath, Wildfire lifted her left forehoof and she knocked on the door, her hoof lining up perfectly with the chip and the dent in the surface of the door. Practically the moment her hoof touched wood, Calculus’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Enter.”

“Oh yeah,” Wildfire was transported back in time to standing outside the math professor’s office door. “That's taking me all the way back,” she took a moment to compose herself and take several deep breaths before she hoofed open the door.

As Wildfire and Tempest walked into the office, Calculus looked up from her computer. She hid her gasp at the state of the yellow mare’s face very well, it was the first time she had seen her former student since her accident. “Welcome back, Lieutenant Wildfire. You’re a long ways from the Canterlot Cadet I used to know. Do you prefer Major over Professor, Tempest?”

“I earned both, but I like my working title, thank you.” Tempest replied with an easy nod of greeting.

“It's been a while, Professor Calculus,” Wildfire greeted her old teacher with a great deal more respect than she ever had before, and she inclined her head politely. “Thank you for seeing us on zero notice.”

Calculus waved them to sit down, and Tempest guided Wildfire to a vacant seating pad not far from where she was stood. “I've looked over the news about you Lieutenant.” The recent fire in Manehatten had made the national news, and Wildfire had been on that broadcast. “You've proved your ability. So, an 'I told you so' that math really doesn't matter.”

Taking her own seating pad, Tempest snorted, “I think not, math puts the world into order.”

“You were right, Professor, math is important, just as important as Shakespony. And it has a place.”

“Oh, that so sounds like a challenge!” Tempest crowed, only too pleased that this had come up in the way that it had. She had hoped that Wildfire would get a chance to show off her new skills. “I'm sure you’ve got a question ready for such an occasion, right, Prof?”

Calculus reeled in her chair. She had not ever, ever in the world, expected Wildfire of all ponies to admit that math was important. She had also not expected to ever have to test her, ever again. “Well, um, yes…” she stuttered, as it happened she had been grading some papers and had some stock problems up on her screen. That wasn’t what concerned her. “But, um, how...exactly…”

“She can see just fine,” Tempest waved her hoof dismissively in the air, “once it’s translated.”

“Oh come on, really, a spot quiz?” Wildfire tried to sound outraged, but her giggles belied that to a great degree. If she was honest, she had been expecting something like this, because she knew Tempest. “I suppose somethings never change. Alrighty, go for it, shoot, I’m ready.”

“Very well, then, Wildfire. A test.” The Headmare scribbled down the first math problem that was at the top of the screen on her computer and she hoofed it over to the blind mare. “Solve that for me, please.”

Tempest intercepted the paper and looked at it, 4x + 2y = 38 and 3x - y = 16, solve for x and y. She knew that would be a challenge for her lover, but she also had every confidence that she could solve it. “Wily, where is your braille labeller?”

“I have it in my bag, Honey.” Wildfire reached into her bag with a hoof and she dug around before pulling it out once she had seized it. It was at the bottom amidst more interesting ‘fun’ things she had bought with her. “Here you are.” She passed the device to her marefriend’s hoof.

Taking the labeller, Tempest performed the data entry, typing in the equation that Calculus had given her and, once it had been printed out on a ribbon of tape, she hoofed the braille tape over to Wildfire, along with the labeller. “Now, to do it.”

“Hmm,” as Calculus and Tempest watched, Wildfire ran her hoof over the raised bumps several times, taking in the equation over and over until she had it down. “Okay, now,” she could do it! She knew this! “Let me double the second line and add it to the first…” she typed away on her labeller once she had the solution. “Okay 7x = 70, so x is 7, then y is 5. Right?”

Calculus laughed, she couldn’t believe her ears. “Yes Wildfire, that is very right!”

“We think she can't jumble the numbers with her hooves like she could with her eyes,” Tempest put in, very proud of her little herd-mate.

“I've been taking classes at Manehatten Community Uni,” Wildfire explained, no small degree of pride in her voice at her accomplishments, “Because I never graduated here.”

“Well, I'm in a position to say that if you get that degree from MCU,” Calculus started, “then I will give you an honourary degree from CU. Not worth much, perhaps, but it’s something for the wall.”

Wildfire however, disagreed with that wholeheartedly. “It's worth a whole load, Professor, at least to me, thank you.” She sniffed a little at that, before she smiled a broad smile. “While I’m here, the more sensible older me would very much like to apologise for the things that the past me did.”

Calculus shared a knowing smile with Tempest, the teacher at once surprised and impressed to hear Wildfire talk like that. Clearly, she had matured with the passage of time. “I think you did enough time with Colour and Legacy to make up for that.” That said, time had matured and changed her, too. “Of course,” she couldn’t resist an impish urge though, “you and, her name slips me, the race car driver, on my desk. I left that in my old office.”

“Air Raid, Professor.” Wildfire could all but feel Tempest’s grin when her ex-teacher mentioned the desk. “She's in Manehatten too now, with Darkstar. You ah, you still have the desk?”

“Professor Fraction now heads the math department.” Calculus’s grin was only matched by Tempest’s. “He inherited the desk. I didn't feel the need to elaborate on its past.”

Wildfire had to laugh at that. The little yellow mare guffawed a proper belly laugh until she was forced to hold her sides. So hard did she laugh that she almost fell off the seating pad she was sat on. “Oh…I-I'm sorry,” she snickered when she was able to speak, “I'm sorry. Does he um, polish it, very often?”

“I cannot say,” that impish grin that wouldn’t have even crossed her face five years ago was still there, “but I doubt he uses mare polish.”

At that, Tempest lost it completely, joining Wildfire in a fresh round of laughter. “Is the desk available for viewing?” she asked once she had recovered her composure.

“Professor Fraction isn't in, but I do have the keys.” She levelled her best student scaring glare at the yellow pegasus, a glare that managed to reach her voice, “As long as there is no repeat performance, Lieutenant?”

“We won't do a repeat performance, I promise.” Tempting though it was to do just that, Wildfire didn’t fancy spending the night in a prison cell when she could be with her stepmother instead. “Um, do you mind, I'd like to feel the science labs too.”

“So, a tour is requested. Better than my endless paperwork.” Professor Calculus was only too happy to give her visitors a tour of the university. Though they only wanted to see the math room and science labs, she gave them a tour of the whole facility. As they walked around, listening to Calculus speak about the different departments, Wildfire fancied that she seemed considerably less stuffy than she remembered her, she was almost as laid back as Legacy, but not quite.

Though Wildfire was interested in seeing the old math room again, what she was really interested in was the science labs. Specifically, Laboratory Two, where she had been blinded all those years ago. Walking into the lab, she made her way unerringly to the spot where it had happened, on the floor behind the desk that she and Dusk had shared on that fateful morning.

Wildfire knelt at the spot where the acids were thrown, touching her hoof to the floor like she was mourning an old friend. All the tiles had been replaced, but she swore that she could tell the difference. “So,” Tempest said softly, like she was wary of interrupting a sombre reunion, “this is where you started you new life?”

“Yuppers. This is where it all changed. Right here. Blitzwing was stood on the other side of the desk, by the Bunsen burner. Professor Twilight had the acid there, on the table. It was all over in a heartbeat…” she took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose. If she concentrated, and cast her mind back, she could smell, hear and taste that day like it was yesterday.

Wildfire heard Dusk’s voice by her side, five years of time slipping away in an instant, she was eighteen all over again;

“No,” Dusk smiled smugly as the dark grey stallion picked up the scroll and cracked it open, “this is me changing the rules so I win. I believe that's check and mate.”

Blitzwing read the scroll through once then twice, and a third time as his eyes grew to saucers with the realisation of what he was reading. He read the signature at the bottom, and again a second time.

Princess Celestia had abandoned them. Ravenwing was a Luna matter. The realisation sunk in his family were effectively through. “Buck you!” He slammed his forelegs into Dusk, his wing reaching back to the station for something, anything to throw at the hated pegasus sprawled on the ground in front of him.

Dusk fell to the floor with a loud oomph, all four legs sprawling from under him from the impact of the incensed pegasus standing over him. “Gah!” He winced, biting his tongue as his head struck the hard floor.

“Hey!” Wildfire whipped off her goggles and roughly shoved Blitzwing aside, bending down to check on her friend. “D? Dusk…Dusk are you alright?” she asked, concern on her face.

“What's happening back there?” Twilight called over her shoulder, her attention still occupied with writing out the experiment.

Blitzwing’s right wing found and seized the beakers of acid, and, without stopping to look what he’d grasped, threw them at Dusk.

“What the...” Wildfire caught the movement of Blitzwing’s powerful wing in the corner of her eye, and in that split second turned to face the dark grey stallion as he threw the beakers, the glass beakers shattered as they impacted her face, spilling the two concentrated acids straight into her wide brown eyes.

Blitzwing didn’t waste a second. He barged Wildfire aside with a shoulder, sending her spiralling to the floor, too stunned to realise what exactly had just happened to her and launched himself on Dusk’s prone form, rearing up to slam down upon him with both his forehooves.

Wildfire laid there silently for a millisecond. A tiny fragment of time that seemed to stretch forever. The millisecond passed all at once a moment later, with an ear-splitting “AAAAGH!!!! AAaaaaAAA!!” Wildfire screamed as the concentrated acids started to burn into her eyes.

“What the...” Twilight turned to see what the all the noise was about behind her as another scream from Wildfire silenced the rest of the class.

“AAaaaaAAAAGH!!” Wildfire’s lungs burned from the screaming, she clutched her hooves to her face, unable to see as steam rose from her face, her eyes boiling away in her skull.

Blitzwing mounted Dusk’s barrel, the Prince still too stunned to react effectively. Rearing again he rained down a series of punches to Dusk’s chest and shoulder.

“ENOUGH!! Twilight overcame her moment of indecision, finally grasping the enormity of that was happening. Seizing Blitzwing in her magical field, she lifted him off of his mounted position as she quickly trotted over to the altercation.

Wildfire grovelled in pain on the floor, a sticky white mess dribbling slowly through her hooves grasping at her ruined face, “AAAAGH!! H-he-lp m-me!”

Blitzwing struggled uselessly in Twilight’s hold, trashing his limbs against the lavender bubble encasing him. “I will kill you if it is the last thing I ever do!” he screamed, pure murder in his eyes, his anger focused entirely on Dusk.

“W- Wildfire!” Twilight maneuvered herself around the workstation and froze in shocked horror at the scene that greeted her. Wildfire’s screams had dulled to a low whimper as she squirmed in a foul smelling puddle of viscous muck on the lab floor.

“It…b- bu-rns! Burns! AAIIIIEE!!” Wildfire tried to sit up but slipped in the mess at her hooves, the mess that used to be her face.

“Shh…” Twilight held her still and used her magic to wash out and cleanse the affected area of her student’s face. “Oh sweet Celestia!” The Princess swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat as she delicately cleaned out Wildfire’s face. She could clearly see empty, scarred and pitted sockets, her eyelids melting together under the effects of the acids.

Tempest’s hug dragged Wildfire from her reverie and back to the present. “Not the best way to get to today, but here you are, my beautiful pegasus, the mare with the prettiest eyes.”

“I'm here, Honey.” Wildfire hugged her lover as tightly as she could, knelt on the tiled floor of the lab. Nice as the visit was, and it had been, for the closure alone, she was ready to go somewhere else. “I think I'm ready for another coffee after that. How about you?”

“You mean to say that there is ever a non-ready for coffee time?” Tempest giggled, standing up with Wildfire by her side to address the other mare with them in the lab who, respectfully, had remained silent up to then. “Thank you, Headmare Calculus, for the tour. Some happy memories, some sad memories, but a lot of closure I think. Wily?”

“Do you take hugs, Professor?”

“I do, Lieutenant…aaaah!” the older mare squeaked out in surprise when Wildfire launched herself into one of her signature Wily Tacklehugs and squeezed her hard. For a moment, her breath was taken away. “I'm ah, I’m glad you've taken control of this life,” she said once she had been released, “Don't be a stranger.”

Wildfire giggled and said, “That was going to be my line. Seriously though, I'd love it if we stayed in touch. Plus, I have to let you know how I do at MCU, right?”

“You do, only if you want an extra diploma for your office.”

That wasn’t Wildfire’s only reason for wanting to stay in contact. “I'd like a friend too, if you want?” Years ago, she couldn’t imagine ever asking Calculus to be her friend, but now, things were different. They were different.

“I can be friendly,” Calculus said, that impish sense of humour coming to her again, “but I'm not ready to polish a desk with you just yet,” she broke off as Tempest lost it in laughter once more.

When Wildfire too had stopped laughing, she replied, “For that, you get an invite to my wedding in Manehatten in a couple of weeks’ time.” When Calculus graciously accepted the offer, Wildfire continued, “I'll email it to you in the next couple of days, I promise, Professor.”

All in all, as Wildfire and Tempest left the university, the diminutive pegasus had to agree it had been a most successful meeting. Now though, with both mares in need of coffee, she knew just where to take her herd-mate. The only coffee place in Canterlot. Café Diem!

~ ~ ~

Canterlot was well and truly awake and bustling by the time the taxi arrived outside Café Diem in the Residential District. Ponies – and even the odd hippogriff and zebra – were milling around on the streets, hurrying to or from whatever business they had. “Did you know they sell coffee and donuts here?” Tempest snickered as she got out of the cab, “It’s amazing!”

“At a café?” Wildfire replied with a deadpan expression that reached her voice, “Yuppers, what a stroke of luck...”

“It’s a lovely day,” Tempest stated after she had paid the cab’s fare. Now it was gone eleven, and the day had reached a point where a sensible pony should be awake, she was in a far better mood to enjoy the warm summer sun. “Should we go inside to keep away from your book fans, or outside, and run the risk?”

“Outside. I like the sun on my feathers,” Wildfire grinned and giggling, she took a moment to enjoy the warmth on her scarred face. “As if anypony will recognise me anyway.”

Nodding, Tempest moved past the six tables that were outside the café, only one of which was occupied, by a bat pony mare and a bald pegasus stallion who didn’t seem old enough to be bald and she stepped up to the counter with a wing out enough to touch Wildfire's side. “Should I get my usual,” she asked, “or something fru fru for the occasion?”

“The usual,” Wildfire stated confidently. “I'm getting a caramel donut and black coffee,” she smiled, listening with her keen ears for what she remembered was the owner’s voice. “I wonder if Java's serving? He's a cream coloured earth pony.”

“No sugar?” Tempest asked suspiciously, placing a hoof on Wildfire's forehead. “Are you okay?” her eyes narrowed in a scrutinising fashion, “Or are you a changeling infiltrator?”

Wildfire giggled, “I thought the three sugars were mandatory, Honey.”

“Okay,” Tempest breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief, “You had me worried there. Yes,” she said after scanning the serving cunter, “there is a cream coloured pony that looks old enough to be my father.” The violet mare stepped up and got his attention, “By your nametag I'm guessing you're Java. My friend here says we should get a ten percent discount. Isn’t that right, Wily?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, bouncing happily on her hooves. Following the closure at the cemetery, the care home and with Calculus, she was in a very good mood. “That was what always what you used to give us, Java, especially when Darkie came with us.”

Java, who hadn’t seen Wildfire in five years, rubbed his old eyes to make sure it was her. He beamed when he looked again, for there wasn’t anypony that short or that chipper in all the land. “I should have charged you a surcharge for the zebran lessons I used to give her. Now, what can I get you two fine mares?”

“Coffee straight up, and another three spoons sweet.” Tempest placed their orders, the weather mare immediately deciding that she liked this affable old stallion. Knowing what she did of Wildfire’s friends, it was easy to see why they kept coming here. “Two jelly and two caramel donuts, too, please.”

“I’ll have it right up, take a seat inside and I'll get it to you.”

“Thanks Java, we're going to take them outside,” Wildfire answered the barista, pointing with her hoof to where she thought the door was, “And it was Darkie who had the lessons, not me!”

The moment Wildfire said that, Java’s ears slicked back to his skull. He cast a furtive glance outside where the bat pony and pegasi couple were sat. “Weather has been unpredictable, high chance of storms out there. It’d be best inside.”

Now, seeing as the weather was sunny and warm with not a cloud anywhere in the blue sky, Tempest raised a sceptical eyebrow at the earth pony’s statement. “I’m Major Tempest, pleased to meet you. I'm a weather manager in Manehatten, unpredictable, you say?”

Not expecting that, Java stuttered, caught on the back hoof. “Um, ah, let me just get your drinks and donuts…” as he worked, he kept shooting nervous glances outside. He knew who that was sat outside, and he knew of the fractious history between the stallion and Wildfire.

While he was working away on their order, Tempest lowered her voice to a whisper for only Wildfire to hear. “How old is that stallion now?”

“Java?” Wildfire had her head to one side, deep in thought. Honestly, she didn’t know, but she was willing to have a red hot guess. “He's about late fifty something, I think. Why? What's up?” what concerned her though was the sudden change in the tone of his voice. “He sounds nervous.”

“Listen, I know weather, and I know that was a lot of drivel,” Tempest said quietly for Wildfire’s benefit as she took their order on a tray and walked out to the outdoor patio with a wingtip still touching the blind mare’s side.

Wildfire really had to agree with her herd-mate’s assessment. “I’m no weather mare and even I know the weather's awesomes out here!” The moment that sentence left her lips, the dark grey pegasus stallion sat with the bat pony mare’s ears flicked with recognition.

“There are plenty of tables,” Tempest announced to her companion, “I'd rather not be next to the street, too much noise.”

“Yuppers, Honey, I get you, Darkie's favourite spot used to be a table to the left of the door. Is that free?”

The stallion’s ears, already alert when he had heard the mare behind him say ‘awesomes’, now perked right up at the use of ‘yuppers’ and ‘Darkie’. There was only one mare in the whole of Equestria he knew spoke like that. A mare that he hadn’t seen in five years. He turned and breathed, “No way...it is her…”

“Yes,” Tempest confirmed, still leading the way, “that table is available, my good mare.”

“Alrighty!” Blissfully unaware of the stallion and mare watching her every move, Wildfire felt her way carefully over to the table, which happened to be just one away from her audience. Tempest did take note of the couple staring at her lover but she just chalked it up to Wildfire's disfigurement. As long as they did nothing about it, she was happy to say nothing to them.

The blue bat pony mare, whose name was Echo, looked concerned as her coltfriend stood up and took a step forward. Although he was the same age as Wildfire, he looked to be a good ten years older, bald, with deep lines on his face and a fading red beard. As Wildfire and Tempest both sat down, he said, “Wildfire?”

Straightaway, Wildfire’s ears were up and alert, her face a stunned mask when she heard that voice. Though it had been five years, there was no mistaking that voice and whom it belonged to. The voice that had taunted her for so long, the stallion who had bullied her and Dusk at university. “Blitzwing...no way!”

At the same time, Echo and Tempest both stood up, both mares alert to anything that could negatively happen in the next however many minutes. As soon as she had heard the name ‘Blitzwing’, Tempest was ready to fight, her wings flared in a threatening posture. Almost at the exact same time, Blitzwing and Wildfire exclaimed, “It is you, isn't it? It is! It’s you!”

“B-Bl-Blitzwing?” Wildfire looked, felt and sounded poleaxed. “What...What are you doing here?”

The dark grey stallion pointed a wing to the table he had shared with his marefriend. Time seemed to be slowed to an absolute crawl. “Um, coffee?” He didn’t know what else to say.

“Yuppers, the same...” Wildfire was at a loss for something else, anything else, to say. On her hooves, she was guarded in case anything might happen, but the sound of her old tormentor’s voice seemed off. He sounded different, somehow. Then again, it had been a while, for them both.

Up on her hooves, hackles up, Tempest moved forwards to put herself between Blitzwing and Wildfire, and Echo then quickly did the same with a weak smile. It should have been funny, really. The four of them looked like they had been taken straight from a Dodge Junction Old West reunion. “My, my…look at that, ponies getting coffee in a coffee shop.”

Wildfire, her ears sharp as ever, turned to face Echo’s nervous voice. It wasn’t a voice of one about to attack. “Who's your friend?”

“Echo, she's a bat pony, my marefriend and um, well, my nurse, too.”

Wildfire sat back down at her table, though she was visibly trembling, the diminutive blind mare did not retreat within herself like she had done on the Friendship Express the day before. She took a deep breath and said, “Won't you two please join us?”

“I'm sure Rainstorm and I would be happy to...” Echo started, though she eyed Tempest and her ‘ready’ stance warily, “If your friend is agreeable to that, that is.”

Cautiously, Tempest reached out with a wing and she touched Wildfire's shoulder. She had been expecting an incident like the one on the train and this time she wouldn’t have blamed her one little bit. “Wily, are you sure about this?”

After a moment's thought, Wildfire nodded her head. After all, she had confronted many demons that day already, what was one more? “I'm sure, Tempest,” she said confidently. She actually was as confident as she sounded, which surprised her a little bit. “It's okay, really.”

With a nod from Echo, Rainstorm used his wings to move the half full coffee mugs and pastries on the plates from the table they had been sat at over to Wildfire's. Now that the threat of imminent violence seemed to no longer be an issue, Echo brightened up like a new button. “I've heard about you Wildfire, and even got a copy of your book. I should have brought it to be signed.”

“You like my book?” Wildfire blushed very hard indeed, though she did nonetheless look very pleased with herself. “I mean, you've heard about me? Isn’t that nice? Um, good things, I hope?”

Once everything had been moved over, Rainstorm sat down next to Echo, the dark grey stallion immediately getting an affectionate hug and a nuzzle from his lover. “We've read it together, Wildfire.” He said once he had assured her that he was alright.

“Your poetry is very good, Wildfire,” Echo commented very genuinely as she took a welcome calming sip of her coffee. She got the book to pre-read before she allowed Rainstorm to see it, just in case it was something she wouldn't want him to read. As it happened, they both enjoyed it.

“Thank you, Echo,” Wildfire smiled, lifting her own coffee to her lips for a long draught, “May I ask, was there any in particular you liked?”

At that, Rainstorm shuffled his hooves and tried to be as small and as inconspicuous as possible. He didn’t succeed in the slightest, seeing as how he was the biggest one of them at the table. “Rainy and I both agree, that your, darker, writings were very intense.” The bat pony mare looked at Tempest, who didn’t look away, “Although the last few poems were very uplifting.”

Considering that for a moment, Wildfire had to agree. “Those poems were written from a dark time of my life. I survived Helping Hooves…” a thought managed to catch up with her though and the little yellow mare paused, looking quizzically at the other two. “I'm sorry, but who’s Rainy?”

“That would be me,” Rainstorm spoke up with a raised hoof like he was back at school, even though Wildfire couldn’t see that gesture, “My name is Rainstorm, now.”

“He is no longer associated with the family that Prince Dusk disgraced,” Echo stated firmly, the nurse laying a comforting hoof on her lover’s foreleg and squeezing it gently, letting him know she was there for him, just like she always was.

“They visited me once,” Rainstorm said softly, the stallion very glad of his partner’s hoof on his foreleg. As always it gave him the mental strength to carry on. “They made it quite clear I was no longer a Ravenwing.”

Knowing the value of family, especially having grown up with the one she had and how she had, Wildfire was saddened upon hearing that. To be disowned, she hadn’t wished that on anypony. “Oh, hey, I'm truly sorry about that, really.” Tempest, sat by Wildfire’s side, wanted to snort in derision, but she remained quite busy with her coffee and donut.

Rainstorm then looked at Echo for moral strength, strength which he received from the slender bat pony in spades. Which was good, because without her by his side, he doubted he’d have the courage to say what needed to be said. “Wildfire,” he said softly, “there's something I need to say to you.”

Wildfire blushed. It was almost like she could read his mind. Instinctively, she knew what was coming and it really wasn’t necessary. They were both changed it seemed by the passage of time. “Um...you really don't have to-”

“Oh, but he does!” Echo interrupted her, now getting Tempest’s full attention.

“For everything I did to you in university, all the bullying, and ah, for throwing the acid, I'm truly, deeply, completely sorry.”

“Rainstorm-” Wildfire had to halt herself, because she almost called him by his old name.

“Please, let me finish.” Rainstorm held up a hoof and Tempest laid hers on Wildfire’s shoulder, quieting her. He had roleplayed this apology with Echo in his many, many therapy sessions in the asylum, and now it was the real thing, he had to make it count. “I wish I had apologised to you properly when they bought me to see you in the hospital. I genuinely, sincerely wish I could reverse what happened. But, I'm sorry, Wildfire.”

“I'm having flashbacks,” Tempest stated, sipping her coffee. When Echo gave her a curious ‘what do you mean’ look, she continued, “I was quite the bully in my time. After a couple of mares took the effort to reform me, I had to do an apology tour. So, I know when it isn't faked.”

In an almost mirror of the other two, Wildfire rested her hoof on Tempest's foreleg. “Rainstorm, I want you to know, I never blamed you for what happened in the science lab that day.” It was strange, if anything. She had waited all this time for the apology, now it had happened, she realised he was as much a victim as she was.

“Blamed solely for what happened, you mean.” Tempest interjected, though there was no venom or accusation in her voice, “The acids didn't toss themselves.”

“But I...”

Wildfire interrupted the stallion. She’d had a lot of time while in the care home to think about the incident in the science lab. A lot of time to consider blame and fault and which belonged to whom. She had come to terms with it, in the end. “Dusk was as much to blame as you, more so, even. He admitted to me his part in what happened. I made my peace with him, and I can with you, too.”

“You mean…”

“Of course, I forgive you, Rainstorm.” It felt good to say it out loud. It was like shrugging off a particularly heavy coat. One she had no interest in wearing any longer.

Tempest clapped her hooves lightly, “Wily sees things a lot clearer now than she used to.”

“Besides,” Wildfire added, “I'm pony enough to admit that I wasn't completely blameless. I gave as good as I got, more than once. So, I want to apologise to you, too.”

“Well,” Rainstorm laughed, any remaining tension he felt leeching from his body like he had come away from a five hour massage, “I ah, I have to say, this isn't how I ever saw this meeting happening.” Never in his wildest dreams had he seen it going this smoothly.

“Hoof fights isn't Wily's style, nor really mine,” Tempest grinned, “but the other option isn't at all pleasant.” The other option of course being Airmail, but thankfully right now she was over a thousand miles away no doubt at work in Manehatten.

Echo furrowed her brow at what was to her at least a cryptic statement from Tempest. “You seem to joke a lot,” she said after a moment’s thought, “even about her blindness.”

Tempest shrugged, “Better to laugh than to cry.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “And I've done enough crying to last me a lifetime.”

Rainstorm looked down at his hooves, “I understand, Wildfire.” He said heavily, his ears and wings drooping ever so slightly, “I've seen the news. Helping Hooves was a bad place.”

“Pardon me,” Wildfire shot back quickly, “but it doesn't sound like where you were was a holiday camp either.” The little blind mare had never visited the asylum in Canterlot. Not even when Brightstar and Darkstar had asked her to come and meet their mother. Such a thing seemed a deponification to her, something akin to lining up and paying a gold coin to laugh at the circus freaks. Wildfire found it abhorrent that in decades past, the asylums had been open to the public for that very purpose, before a reform had outlawed such practise. As such, she didn’t know what the place was like, but she had heard the stories.

“Such a thing can't be compared,” said Echo, quickly swallowing the bite of her pastry, “Prison is of your own choosing, Enslavement is not.”

“She has you there, Wily.” Tempest conceded with a nod to the bat pony mare, “You were in a bad place.”

“Yuppers, but now I'm not. I survived and I'm looking forwards.” Wildfire sipped her coffee and smiled, very interested in hearing some properly juicy gossip now that the awkwardness of the meeting had long since passed. “Soooo, you two?”

Rainstorm smiled proudly, “We are a couple, yes.”

“One of those therapist and patient falling for each other stories,” Echo added.

“How long?”

“Three months away from our four year anniversary,” Rainstorm answered Wildfire’s question.

“To answer your other question,” Echo put in, “he was released after three years.” Quickly draining what was left in her cup, the bat pony mare lovingly nuzzled the stallion’s cheek, “He has grown a lot over that time.”

As Rainstorm affectionately nuzzled Echo and kissed her cheek, Wildfire laughed brightly, “I'll be growing a lot soon too!”

Solemnly, as seriously as she could, Tempest nodded. “A diet of dill pickle ice cream will do that to a mare.”

Wildfire giggled, “and being pregnant helps too.”

“Congratulations!” Echo beamed before her stallion could get the chance. “We only recently started talking about the idea of foals.”

“Thanks!” Wildfire drained the dregs of her coffee with a smile, “I wish you all the best of luck with it, really I do.”

Echo reached over the table and shared a hoof bump with the little blind mare. “Always taking it one day at a time.” She then nudged the pegasus hard in the ribs, so that he almost choked on his pastry. “Hey, tell them what you're doing now, Rainy.”

“MmmMMPH!?” Rainstorm choked for a moment and gasped for breath, much to the amusement of the three mares sat at the table. “O-Oh! Yes, well, now that my probation period is over and I'm out of the halfway house and living full time with Echo, I'm training to be a chef at Saffron Masala's restaurant, Spice up your Life.”

The pride on Echo’s face couldn’t have been more pronounced if she tried. “I'm a taste tester!”

Even Wildfire could see the amount of pride that Echo had in her stallion. And rightly so. Everypony deserved a second chance, and it seemed Rainstorm was grasping his with both hooves. “Oh snap, I bet that's the bestest job ever!” she then took a bite out of her donut. “How come you were in a halfway place?”

“Ah, well, you see, after I was released from the asylum, the authorities kept a tight leash on me.”

Wildfire giggled at that. “My marefriends do the same thing!”

“That’s why she has the collar,” Tempest added with a twinkle in her eye, “in case the leash needs to come out.”

Rainstorm nodded, “I did wonder what the fetching accessory was for.”

“It’s a reminder that she is loved,” Tempest added, stroking Wildfire’s straight black mane like an owner would pet a cat.

“So, the next time you're in Canterlot, you must come to Saffron's place,” Rainstorm beamed, “I've been told my spicy chilli ice cream is as inspired as my vegetable curry.”

“We definitely will, Rainstorm, and that's a promise!” Wildfire said firmly, mostly because she was sure the ice cream in particular was something Mapper and Serenity would love to try.

After a few moments, Echo noted they had finished eating and she stood up, closely followed by her stallion doing likewise. “Thank you for being so welcoming to us, Wildfire. We look forward to your visit to the restaurant.” While they shared friendly familiar nuzzles, Tempest held up her second donut in a salute but said nothing.

“Hey, wait, here's my number and email, don't be a stranger, okay?” Wildfire stopped them leaving as she wrote down her details on a scrap of paper and passed it to Echo, who let Rainstorm take it. “I have an online poem blog too, and well, I have to admit, you're kinda okay.”

Rainstorm took the piece of paper like he had been handed the crown jewels of the Crystal Empire. Reverently, he placed it safely in his bag. “Thank you, Wildfire, this means a lot to me, to us.”

“That's Wily,” the blind mare corrected him, “and thank you.”

When Rainstorm blushed, it was so intense it even showed against his dark grey fur. “Wily, then. Are hugs okay?”

“Hugs are definitely always okay!” Following the sound of his voice, Wildfire proceeded to engage him in a signature tacklehug for which she had become known.

Now, Tempest also stood, her aspect open and inviting. “You can't stop at just one, Rain.”

“No ma'am!” Rainstorm moved around the table to hug Tempest while Wildfire treated Echo to a hug that the bat pony wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Thankfully, Tempest’s hug to her was far less spine crushing. Just to make sure the hug fest was complete, Tempest hugged Wildfire and, once that was done, Rainstorm got in a last hug with Wildfire. “Thank you, again, Wily. We’ll see you soon.”

Sitting back down at the table, Tempest returned to polish off her donut and, when Rainstorm and Echo had gone, she said, “I don't think I'd have handled that as well as you did, my love.”

“Well...at first, I was scared.” Wildfire admitted, because she was sure that Tempest had noticed, “Hearing his voice almost sent me back to the science lab, but then I heard it. He sounded different. Like he'd been broken down and rebuilt. Like me. I know how that feels. I can guess what he went through. So, I gave him a chance.”

“But for Airmail and Mapper, that was the path I trotted. I'm glad I didn't have to bust any heads today.”

“Me too,” Wildfire smiled, feeling considerably better now that this particular demon had been faced down and banished. “I imagine he looked like he sounded. But, everypony deserves a second chance. What you do with that second chance is on you.”

Tempest considered that for a second. “While I do disagree, I do understand your principle, Wily.”

That was good enough for Wildfire. Lovingly, she kisses Tempest's lips and then she giggled, “I've had a very good day so far today. I think it's time to go see momma Emerald.”

Chapter 20 - Memories to the World

“It’ll be nice to see Emerald again,” Tempest said when they were in the back of the taxi on the way from Café Diem. Full of coffee and donuts, the violet mare was content indeed. “How many seconds before she puts a hoof on your belly?”

“Hmmm...” Wildfire cocked her head, apparently in thought as the taxi rattled along the cobbled streets. It wasn’t like Manehatten’s smooth roads, or possibly anywhere for that matter. Wildfire doubted that anywhere still had cobbled streets these days like Canterlot had. Like Tempest though, she was looking forward to seeing her stepmother. “I'd say thirty at the most. That is if we manage to get through the door first.”

Tempest giggled and placed her bet. “I'll say before you get through the door.”

“Then I'll stick with my thirty seconds.”

“I'm confident in that. And here we are!” Tempest snickered once the taxi came to a halt outside Emerald’s house. Whoever Luna and Dusk had gotten to do the place up had done good work on the outside. Where last time it had been faded looking and the grass overgrown and wild, now it looked clean, smart and landscaped. “You first, I don't need my belly rubbed.”

“Wuss,” Wildfire commented and, getting out of the taxi, the little yellow mare marched up to the door. She paused there for a moment though before she gave her customary two knocks with her left hoof. She knew full well that after the belly rubs there would be questions about the casts on her wings. No sooner had she knocked though than the door opened up a tiny crack.

As soon as Emerald saw whom it was at her front door, the orange pegasus threw it open all the way with a look of utter joy on her face. “Wily!” she cried happily, looking back over her shoulder into the living room, “She's here!” she didn’t give her stepdaughter a chance to get over the threshold before she pulled her into a hug and ran a forehoof over her belly. “Is she kicking yet?”

“And we have a winner!” Tempest laughed as she saw four other mares, two earth ponies – one pink and one green – a cream pegasus and a cobalt blue unicorn, gather in the hall inside. The pink earth pony had three long scars that ran the length of the right side of her face and down her neck.

Wildfire giggled like an overgrown filly as she rested her hoof on her stepmother’s orange one. “Not yet mom, she's only been there a couple of weeks.”

Emerald was unabashed, not pausing for a second. “Okay, I'll wait till you leave to check again. Come on in and meet the others. You too Tempest, no need to be shy.”

“Life is so hard, living in Wildfire's shadow.” Tempest laughed, adding a roll of her eyes that she wanted Wildfire to be able to hear.

“Oh yuppers, because a four foot tall mare casts a biiiiig shadow…” Wildfire could hear the eye roll in her herd-mate’s voice and she giggled. She did notice, and wonder, at how different her stepmother's voice sounded since the last time she had spoken to her just a few days ago on the phone. She sounded so confident and full, not stuttering once. It suited her.

As they entered the house, Emerald made the introductions to the other four mares that were currently living in the halfway house. The pink earth pony with the long scars on her face was called Wrangler. She had been there the longest of the four mares. The green earth pony and the cream pegasus were Butternut and Pistachio respectively. They had arrived on the same day and been there the least amount of time. In the middle was Whisper, the cobalt blue unicorn who was extremely shy and hardly said a word to anypony.

“Sit and chat with your daughter, Em,” Butternut said once the introductions had been completed, “I got the food covered.”

“And I have the refreshments in hoof!” Pistachio declared with a smile before she and Butternut both left the living room for the kitchen.

Whisper, who seemed to aptly live up to her name, was very shy in the extreme and hardly said a word. As Wildfire felt for the long couch she knew was in the living room, Whisper looked at Wildfire and her casts, seemingly working up the nerve to say hello. Her mouth opened and closed three times, but no sound came out.

By contrast, Wrangler was a stand-off-ish, gruff old mare. She said hello, but unlike Butternut and Pistachio, there was no hoof bumps. She did smile though, for when Emerald sat next to Wildfire, the blind mare dragged her into a very tight hug. Tempest was content to take a spot on the second couch next to the shy mare.

“Here we go!” Pistachio beamed as she placed a wide silver tray on the coffee table between the couches. “Complete with three sugars, Wildfire.” She put the coffee in front of Wildfire and then another before Tempest. “Straight. All the other coffees have cream and an ice tea for Whisper. We do have other drinks available if you like?”

Tempest however shook her head and raised her hoof. “Coffee is always welcomed, Pistachio, unless it’s decaf.” Like she had been gravely insulted, the cream pegasus tutted and shook her head.

“That's awesomes, thank you!” Wildfire, on the main couch next to Emerald, let out a delighted little squee. “I'm so coming to this café again!” Sat on the couch to the left of Emerald and Wildfire, Whisper looked like she was about to faint when Tempest sat next to her but she just kept it together. It helped Wrangler was on Tempest’s other side. On the third couch to the right, Butternut sat with Pistachio.

“How many residents have moved on from your house, Emerald?” Tempest asked after taking a long, welcome sip of her coffee.

“Oh, um four have, Tempest.” She’d had eight in total come through her doors since she had been set free from Cold Front, including the four that currently shared her home.

“Well, two were only here for a week.” Butternut put in as she too helped herself to her coffee.

Wildfire couldn’t help but smile next to her stepmother. “You sound good, mom, really good.”

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Emerald looked really sad. Her recently healed wings drooped as did her ears slick back to her head. “I-I'm trying, Wily.” She said quietly.

Pistachio leant across from her perch on the other couch and patted Emerald on the shoulder. “It wasn't your fault, Em, not at all.” Sat between Wrangler and Whisper, Tempest’s Mother Hen senses sensed something was amiss, but she worked hard to keep quiet.

Listening, Wildfire had her ears all over the place, her strongest sense as sharp as a tack. She picked up immediately on the falter in Emerald’s voice. “Is something wrong?” she asked, hoping it was nothing she had done. “Mom, I didn't mean to upset you.”

“Sometimes the pain is more than life can endure.” Every eye in the living room was all of a sudden focussed on Wrangler. If the gruff mare was bothered, she showed no sign of it. “Pistachio is right though,” she carried on in her no nonsense style, “it wasn't your fault Emerald. After all, I'm still here and that’s the path I wanted when I came.”

“Responsibility of a life is to the owner,” Tempest opined after she had considered it for a moment. It appeared that one of the mares had taken her own life. Now she understood. “Others can only help share a burden if they are willing to share it in the first place.”

Emerald shook her head, her green mane flowing over her shoulders. “I could have done more…” she didn’t get to complete her sentence as she was drowned out by a chorus of general disagreement from the other mares to her statement.

“Oh...” Realising what was being spoken about, Wildfire’s ears dipped back, but they were back up swiftly. “I get it. I understand, mom, I really do. But, like they all said, it’s not your fault.” She hugged her stepmother as tightly as she could, “You do awesomes amazing things here!”

Whisper, her voice almost non-existent, spoke up, though it was debatable whether just Tempest and Wrangler heard her. Her soft voice didn’t carry very far. “You’re right, Tempest.” As she spoke, her eyes never left Wildfire. It was as though she was scrutinising the diminutive mare. After a few moments, her eye went wide with recognition. “I know you…”

“I try, Wily,” Emerald smiled softly, very, very grateful that Wildfire was holding her at that moment.

“She does more than try,” Wrangler stated determinedly. “She kicks tail when it’s needed!” Pistachio giggled, almost snorting her coffee. It was a terrible, tragic shame what had happened to Cinnamon Surprise, but at least the overdose she had taken had been painless. Not everypony could escape their past.

“That's the mom I'm proud of!” Wildfire cheered, making four of the other mares giggle at her very heroic pose she made on the couch. Only Whisper didn’t giggle. She was still staring at the blind mare like she had seen a ghost.

Butternut spoke up next. “You have every right to be proud of her, Wildfire. We are all proud of her. So, when are you due?”

Wildfire sat back down on the couch and resumed her position at her stepmother’s side, nestled under Emerald’s wing. “In ten months’ time, ish, Butternut.”

All the mares, except Whisper, burst out into fits of giggles. “So,” Butternut laughed brightly, “I'd still feel the stallion's warmth if I touched your flank?”

“You're welcome to feel, Butternut, to make sure!” Wildfire shot back, joining in with the good natured laughter all around her. Even Whisper laughed, though her laugh was the quietest of all. Her laugh didn’t reach her eyes, and it did nothing to shake the haunted look she wore.

“Fear not, Wildfire!” Butternut declared on behalf of the assembled mares, “we will. Emerald wanted to give you a tiny bit of breathing room first, that’s all.”

“Hush you,” Emerald blushed, her orange cheeks turning a definite red. She didn’t, however, correct what Butternut had said.

“That's okay,” Wildfire sighed dramatically, even going so far as to raise her hoof to her forehead, “I resigned myself to being felt up. I believe I can take it.”

“True,” Tempest laughed, “her fiancé is always feeling her up for milk now.” Even the gruff stand-off-ish Wrangler couldn't help but laugh about that

Whisper let out an eeep, a noise that was even loud enough for the others to hear. When the sets of eyes turned her way, she blushed and tried to hide near Tempest's wing. Once she realised what she was doing, the cobalt blue unicorn blushed harder and stopped. Fortunately, Tempest unfolded her wing a bit, making it easier to hide behind. “Thank you...” she promptly hid under the violet wing.

“I understand, one can only look upon Wily's beauty for so long. I use shades!” Tempest then pulled a pair of shades from her saddle bag and Wrangler snorted a laugh through her nose.

“It's...it's not that, ma'am…” Whisper whimpered, her voice soft as ever.

Slightly confused, Tempest put the shades away. “Really, now?” she asked with a raised eyebrow at the extremely shy mare. She had known shy ponies before, but this was on a whole other level.

“I need the bathroom!” Whisper, unable to stand being in Wildfire’s presence any longer, got up, her hooves sinking a little into the thick carpet of the living room. She shot Tempest a pleading look that essentially screamed ‘come with me’.

Oblivious to Whisper’s plight, Wildfire happily sipped her coffee and she nuzzled her mother’s cheek and neck. She was soaking up Emerald’s scent and body warmth, committing as much of the meeting to memory as she could. “So...what else have you been up to, mom?”

“Good idea,” Tempest saw the look on Whisper’s face and she took the hint. “I forgot where it was. I’ll be back in a bit, Wily.” Curiously, the violet weather mare followed Whisper through the ground floor of the house to the bathroom. She of course knew full well where the bathroom was, but it was evident that something was up with the quiet unicorn and she had plainly asked for help. “Okay,” she said once the bathroom door closed, “I'm here. What’s up?”

The moment the door closed with an audible click, Whisper began dancing on her hooves in a state of nervousness so bad it looked as if she was about to have a heart attack. “I didn't know her name!” she squeaked softly, her eyes wide and watery, “I'm so sorry!”

“Who's name?” asked Tempest, an unpleasantly familiar ball forming in her gut.

“Thirteen!” Whisper fretted, keeping up her dance of anxiety, “I mean, Wildfire, I only knew her as thirteen!”

Immediately, the ball that had formed in Tempest’s gut transformed into a fire of rage that coursed through her veins and propelled her forwards. Rearing up on her hind legs, the violet pegasus got up in Whisper’s face with her forelegs either side of her head, pushing the unicorn back into the wall. “What were you in there?” she snarled, her muzzle pulled back and her teeth bared.

“Tw-Twe-Twenty five!” Whisper squawked in abject terror, her eyes wide, pupils very tiny, legs shaking so badly that she was having trouble standing up.

Slowly, warily, Tempest backed off, though not by much. “Did you know Autumn Leaves?”

Whisper nodded her head and, reaching up with a hoof, she parted the fur on her throat, revealing several rather ugly scars that ran from the top of her neck down to her chest. “She did this to me, she ruined my voice.”

Sighing deeply, Tempest backed away so that there was a clear foot of space between them. She wasn’t sure if she trusted her, but the scars were hard to argue with. “Okay, what was thirteen to you?”

“I want you to know, I had no choice...” Whisper looked down at the tiled floor like she was about to burst into tears at any second. “It was my task, in the home, to take thirteen to and from her punishments.”

Almost as if she was scared that Wildfire would overhear her, Tempest whispered very low, “The box?”

Whisper nodded, deep shame plastered all over her face. “She,” she wanted to say Amethyst Glory, but she couldn’t find the strength to utter those two words, “would unlock it, only she had the key, and I would take thir...Wildfire, back to her cell or to the doctor, whichever I was ordered.” Just talking about the box conjured up its image in Whisper’s mind. The simple three foot by three foot cube. So simple a thing, and yet it was the source of such fear and pain.

“Just so you know,” Tempest laid what she hoped was a comforting hoof on Whisper’s quivering shoulder, “Wily's fiancé tore Autumn Leave's head off, so she won't be bothering any pony again.” Yes, it was an embellishment, but it wasn’t that far from the truth.

“Good!” Whisper exclaimed vehemently, though her voice remained no louder than, well, a whisper. “I used to be a singer, in Canterlot, before I was taken. My name was Serenade. One time, to try and ease her suffering, I went to the box and sang to her. Warden Glory didn’t like that. She ordered Warden Leaves to take my voice away.”

“Fine,” Tempest stated softly after counting backwards from ten to one three times and performing her breathing exercises. “I believe you, for what it’s worth. You going to use the bathroom?”

Seeing as how she genuinely did need the toilet, Whisper nodded. Still, she wasn’t put at ease. “But...what do I do, Tempest? If she finds out, that it was me, what I did, she'll hate me!” The cobalt unicorn didn’t have to try very hard to conjure up the memories of thirteen screaming, begging her, pleading with her not to take her to the box, and then the wretch of a pony that she had to remove from the box afterwards.

Tempest used eye roll number two to very great effect. “I’m sure she will, just as much as she hated you when you sang to her. For now, she doesn't know you. She’s enjoying her time with her step-mom. Do what your conscience will stand.” She smiled warmly, “If she comes out swinging, I'm faster than her.”

Genuinely, Whisper smiled. “Thank you for the advice, Tempest, I think I'll use the bathroom now.”

Offering her a nuzzle, which the unicorn accepted, Tempest nodded and returned to the living room. Just as she entered, she saw the other's stand up. “You’re just in time!” Pistachio beamed, “Dinner’s ready.” With Emerald leading the way, the five mares filed into the dining room, where they were confronted by a fully set dining table that could seat twelve.

Wildfire, her ears alert as ever, noted they had moved from the carpeted floor to the tiles that made up the new décor of the dining room. “Honey, you okay?” she asked curiously, “You were gone a while.”

Tempest grinned, once more reminded that even though she was blind, there was very little that got past the little yellow mare. “I'm sorry, but peeing on you at your mom's place didn't seem like the best idea.” There were lots of giggles and laughs at that.

Laughing the loudest of all, Wildfire seated herself at the dining table next to her step-mother. “True, time and a place, I suppose,” she was still giggling, “mom's a good listener, by the way. While you were taking care of yourself I told her all about our day.” She had also told them all about why her wings were in casts, which had earned her a round of sympathetic hugs.

“So, Emerald,” Tempest began as she took her own seating pad, unable to resist a well meaning tease, “just how descriptive was she on eating the caramel donut?”

Wrangler snickered, “She was very descriptive. Em's only just got her wings back down.”

Once they were all seated and the food served up, courtesy of Butternut and Pistachio, the cream pegasus asked, “Where’s Whisper?”

Tempest had a very good idea where she was and what she was doing. Still, it wasn’t for her to say. “I got dibs on the bathroom being the older mare.”

Accustomed by now to Tempest’s voice and her inflections, Wildfire picked up on the fact that she had just lied, but she chose to say nothing. She figured her herd-mate had a good reason for doing so. A few moments later, Whisper returned looking all refreshed as if nothing had happened in the bathroom.

“I’m sorry I was so long,” Whisper replied. Though her voice was as soft as ever, her hooves were not. Her steps sounded clearly thanks to the floor tiles.

The second she heard the clopping of hooves, Wildfire’s sharp ears flicked straight to Whisper, her head cocked to one side. “Excuse me, Whisper?”

“Yes?”

“Could you just...walk out and in again, please?” asked Wildfire and, as she did so, Tempest just smiled and waited for what she knew was coming. Her herd-mate was a smart mare, after all. Listening attentively to the hoof steps, the cadence of the gait, Wildfire smiled broadly, her wings fluttering in her casts. Now, she was sure. “You sang to me. I remember you!”

Whisper, her eyes wide, wanted to run and hide. She made a valiant effort to, as well. Unfortunately, Tempest was faster than she was. Running interception, the violet mare caught her as she made to flee the dining room. “Who do you remember, Wily?”

Sat at the table, Wildfire could feel the other four mare’s eyes zeroing in on her. She was used to that. “I remember a mare telling me I had to be stronger than them. I remember a mare singing songs from the Phantom of the Opera to me. I remember a hoof on my shoulder and a mare saying she'd bathe me. That’s what I remember, Honey.”

By the time Wildfire had finished, Whisper was in floods of tears, crying into Tempest’s chest fur. “She didn't say twenty five, did she?” asked the violet mare softly, rather proud of how much better she was getting at this comforting stuff. She was just making sure that Whisper didn’t get away from the hug she knew was coming.

Looking in equal parts worried and confused, Emerald turned to Tempest, seeing as how Wildfire was now busy hugging Whisper as hard as she possibly could. “Um...what's going on, please Tempest?”

“Do you know where Whisper was before she came to you for healing?” Tempest began her explanation with a question of her own, though she hoped it wouldn’t take long, the dinner looked excellent and the more she looked at the steaming food, the hungrier she became.

Emerald shook her head helplessly. “All she said was a care home, and that was one of the few times that she'd say anything…”

Tempest nodded. That explained it all to her. “It was the same care home that Wily was in. Even in the darkest of clouds there can be a glimmer of light.” She didn’t know where she pulled that line from, but she was proud of it. She made a note to sell it to Requiem.

“Really?” Realisation dawned on Emerald and she suddenly knew why Wildfire and Whisper were hugging each other and crying into each other’s shoulders.

After a short few minutes, Tempest rolled her eyes and nudged both Wildfire and Whisper. She was all for tearful reunions, but she was hungry. “Girls, Butternut put a lot into this splendid meal, we should enjoy it and not let it go cold.”

“You're right, Honey,” Wildfire heard Tempest return to her seating pad and the little mare playfully nudged Whisper. “Come on, it does smell nice.” With a gentle bit of persuasion from Tempest, the two mares now sat side by side at the large table. As she ate, Wildfire said, “I always wondered what your name was. Whisper suits you.”

Whisper blushed, “Whisper isn't my given name, Wildfire.” As she began to speak, the other mares at the table listened attentively. The benefits of hardly speaking, she supposed. “My name was Serenade, back then. I suppose I was a moderately well-known singer in Canterlot.” She went on to tell them all how she fell on hard times, turned up to a recording drunk a few times, was cut from her label, and ended up on the streets. That's where Amethyst Glory found her and snatched her up.

“Is anypony else from the home?” asked Tempest as she took a rare break from the important business of eating.

Wrangler, the earth pony with the nasty looking scars, shook her head along with the others. “I'm from a marriage where the stallion I was with thought I was a punching bag. The last thing he did was leave me with these fetching scars.”

“This is a place to restart a life of living.” Emerald said with determination in her voice. Tales such as these had no place at the dinner table. And she was proper about that. “What’s next on your list of activities?” she asked, rather skilfully changing the subject.

“Well, I figured we'd crash here tonight, momma,” Wildfire replied after she had eaten some more of her dinner. “We’ll behave, sort of, in one of your rooms, and just feel what tomorrow brings.” She had in mind to visit Winter and her family now they were in Canterlot with some time to spare. Then, a thought occurred to her. A wonderful, meddling little thought. “Actually, Whisper, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Would you like to sing again?”

Whatever Whisper had been expecting, that had clearly not been it. “Well um, you see, the docs said it'd be too hard an operation...too delicate, too risky, to repair vocal chords.”

“But suppose it could be done,” Wildfire was not deterred, “would you like to be Serenade again?”

Whisper nodded, though she wasn’t really buying into it. “Of course I would, Wildfire.”

Tempest, who was not only keeping up but was several steps ahead of where she thought Wildfire was going with this, couldn’t help but grin. “I'm guessing she’s on your speed dial now?”

“Yuppers, I'll go and give Dusky a quick call!” Wildfire grinned with glee. “Mom, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make a quick call. I'll be right back!” She didn’t wait to be excused, and nopony stopped her, because dinner was almost done in any event.

In complete wonderment, Whisper watched Wildfire skip happily from the dining room. “Um...pardon me, but is she always like that?”

“I like her.” Wrangler surprised them all again, “she's like the hyper little sister I never had.”

Tempest beamed, like the overprotective Mother Hen she was. “Not always, no, but she's getting better at being like that.” Then, she giggled and shook her head when she realised whom Wildfire was going to ring. “Of course, she’ll call Dusky...that’ll work too, I suppose.”

At last, Emerald caught up with Tempest, though the other three mares looked mystified. “Were you thinking...” the orange pegasus’s eyes went wide with shock. So much so that she started stuttering again. A habit she was getting out of. “N-Not L-Lu-Lu…th-the one that came with Airmail? Oh my…”

“I was,” Tempest conceded, “but this will most likely make for a less dramatic outcome.” While Whisper looked confused, out in the living room, Wildfire had her phone out and she was calling her best friend. Tempest lightly placed a hoof on Whisper's shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about, but Wily is a fountain of hope, so, just go with it.”

“Wily,” Dusk answered his phone on the third ring, “Are you coming over to my place?”

“Um...I wasn't planning on it, but...” though she was thrown off momentarily, she thought quickly on her hooves, as it were, “hey, where are you by the way, at your new place or your old place?”

“In Ponyville, of course, where else would I be?”

“I wasn't sure if Ivory Wind was bugging his nanas or not. Anyway, I have a favour to ask you, bestest friend ever!”

Dusk Melody rolled his eyes, so that the blind mare could hear him over the phone. “Okay, I'm sure I still owe you for what has happened.” If he was honest, he was scared talking to Wildfire after she was attacked in Manehatten like she was. He had been too scared to call her and now he realised what an idiot he had been.

Wildfire, who was not thinking about Autumn, or her attack, or anything to do with Helping Hooves, giggled brightly. “You always say that, D. No matter how much I say you don't. One day I'll owe you.” Before he could interrupt her though, she continued. “Aaaaanyway. I'm at my momma Em's place. There's a mare here who was at Helping Hooves with me. She...She helped me, D, at the home. She sang to me. She helped keep me 'me'. Amethyst damaged her voice box. Any chance you could get your mom to drop by and help out?”

When Dusk laughed, it was a laugh of relief. It was just like Wildfire to not hold a grudge. In fact, he was sure she had already forgiven him days ago for his error. Forgiving himself though, that was a whole other thing. “Sure, I'll ask if she can drop by Emerald's place. Who is this pony she’s looking for?”

“She's going by Whisper right now, but she used to be called Serenade. Do you remember her? she says she was a singer a few years ago, when I was out of the loop of things.”

Alas, Serenade was more of a 'club' performer, so Dusk naturally had no idea who the unicorn was. “Serenade? Do you mean Songbird Serenade?”

This time Wildfire rolled her eyes. Or she tried to, anyway. As dense as she was, even she knew who Songbird Serenade was. She also knew she was a pegasus, and not a unicorn. “No, D, just Serenade.”

“Sorry, Wily, I don't know her. May have to see her first. What’s her cutie mark?”

“Give me a sec, I'll just go and look…” Wildfire giggled at her own sarcasm, “I'm sure it feels very distinct.”

“You know, you could ask her or ask somepony else, like Emerald?” Dusk sighed, “Never mind. The name is enough. I'll call you back when mom tells me. So, you coming over today or not?”

“Um...Yuppers, we should be able to. What time is it? It’s been a bit of a hectic day. You would not believe it!”

This time when Dusk rolled his eyes, he made sure his best friend felt every single bit of the sigh he let out. “Um, Wily? I have a colt now. I think I have a small understanding of 'hectic'. And by the way, it’s about five ish in the afternoon.”

“Eh, fair point, you win.” Wildfire knew she couldn’t beat the colt card. She accepted the fact she had been top trumped with characteristic good grace. And a raspberry. “We'll tell you all about it when we get to yours.” When Dusk hung up the call, Wildfire skipped back into the dining room looking immensely pleased with herself. “Mom, is it okay if Tempest and I go and play at Dusky's house please?”

“I'm sure she just wants to play with a pony her own age.” Tempest snarked, “Ivory that is.”

Wildfire opened her mouth ready to rebut that but she knew she really couldn't. “Busted! Oh well. We'll be back for supper though mom, and I promise we won't talk to any strange ponies while we're out.”

“Unknown strange ponies. You can talk with Wily at any time.”

Tempest’s joke was met with gales of laughter, Emerald the loudest among them. “You two go and have fun!”

Walking over, Wildfire made sure to hug her step-mother really tight and she whispered, “I think you'll get a visitor before long, mom.”

Held tight in her daughter’s crushing hug, Emerald blinked. “Um, do you know who?” Even as she asked, she had a pretty good idea just whom might be calling at her house while Wildfire was out.

“Luna,” Wildfire whispered and affectionately nuzzled the older mare’s cheek. “You'll be okay as long as you have black forest gateau or fudge cake, she won’t eat you.”

Emerald knew Wildfire was joking, but she couldn’t quite shake the deer in the headlights look. “I have that. Those. I have them…”

“Mom, just be you, and you’ll be fine.” Wildfire again nuzzled her mother. “She's just a pony.” Then, a little louder, she said, “Anyway! Time for me to ride a Storm to Ponyville. That is, if you don't mind, Honey, I quite like the Tempest Express, with first class seating.”

Rolling her eyes, Tempest fetched Wildfire a playful swipe across her snout with her violet wingtip and, with a cheery wave to Emerald, Butternut, Pistachio and Wrangler, she led the way out and crouched on the garden path. “Climb on then.”

Wildfire quickly hopped up on Tempest’s back and she held on tight. “Hi Ho Tempest, away!” Snorting through her nose, Tempest performed a rapid vertical take-off and then, when she judged she had enough height, coasted all the way down to Ponyville.

~ ~ ~

It was eight thirty in the evening when the Friendship Express got Wildfire and Tempest back to Canterlot. The two mares were deeply curious as to whether Luna had been able to heal Whisper while they had been out. Their unspoken question was answered though as, when they walked up to the house, they heard the sound of singing coming from inside.

The two herd-mates shared a victorious hoof bump outside before they knocked on the door. They hadn’t set one hoof inside before they were pulled into a tearful hug fest led by Whisper, or Serenade as she now was. The tears and the hugs and singing lasted all the way through dinner. The cobalt blue unicorn was torn between hugging, singing and eating.

It was all thoroughly adorable.

“It’s getting late,” Emerald declared once dinner had been eaten and Pistachio and Butternut had cleared away the dishes. Wrangler was content to sit next Wildfire, or as she called her, the hyper little sister she never had, “and while I'm safe in the basement, I do hope my daughter doesn't keep the rest of you up all night.”

“As long as it’s happy noises,” Wrangler smiled – something she had done rather a lot of since meeting Wildfire and Tempest – and gave the yellow pegasus a nuzzle, “I’m sure I'll survive.”

Wildfire blushed rather adorably at that. “Hey, Serenade,” she grinned, “you got my back if I get too loud, right?”

Serenade, for she was happy to be called so now she had her voice back, nodded eagerly. “I saw a play in Canterlot, and I remember the songs. Best Little Whore...”

Spluttering, Tempest interrupted Serenade with a laugh. She couldn’t help but picture Octavia in the red outfit that Thespian had lent her, complete with the split crotch panties and the little hat. “Yes, those songs are a herd favourite, right Wily?”

“Definitely!” Wildfire nodded so hard she almost hurt her neck. “I think those will more than suffice, thank you!”

There was a round of good night hugs from everypony in the house. Serenade and Wrangler took three extra hugs before Tempest and Wildfire were allowed upstairs to room three which, as it happened, was Silverbolt’s old room before the house had been renovated. “So, my little Wallflower,” Tempest purred, “what shall we do to keep the guests entertained?”

Wildfire giggled brightly, “I thought you called me Wildflower then.”

“I did, as a pet name, not naming a pet.” Tempest replied, “You call me Honey, and it just reminds me how sweet I am.”

“You are pretty sweet, my love.” Wildfire giggled, her head to one side like she did when she was thinking. “As it happens, I do have an idea what we can do.”

“Oh goodie!” Tempest hopped up onto the bed at the same time Wildfire did. She didn’t know what she had in mind, but she knew it would be fun. “I want to feel up your idea.”

“Well, it's like a meal. A sixty nine for starters. You mount me for the main course, and for dessert I worship your hoof and you put it to good use seeing if you can fit it in me!”

“Oh, wow, yeah, that all sounds good.” Tempest mulled it over and liked what she was thinking. Moreover, she liked how her lover was thinking. With just a teeny tweak, that could definitely be a fun night. “Just let me duck out to the bathroom and give my hooves a good scrub.” At the door to the en suite, she paused. “Since I'm mounting you, you could give your hooves a good scrub and put that hoof to good use.”

“Good idea Honey!” Wildfire leapt off the bed and landed on her hooves. She had bought the stallionator along with her for just such an occasion. She didn't think to use it on the train because her brain was scrambled by the news article back on Manehatten station.

“We can scrub each other's hooves to be sure it’s something you want deep inside of yourself.”

“Now that sounds like a plan!” Wildfire declared, very glad that Tempest was giving her the chance to feel the shape and size of her hoof. Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised, given her lover was such a Mother Hen. “I'll clean yours so well that Airy would be proud!”

“Okay,” Tempest rolled her eyes playfully and nudged Wildfire’s shoulder, “but do leave some hoof please after you’re done.”

Wildfire giggled as, in the bathroom adjacent to their bedroom, the blind mare got busy gently scrubbing Tempest's hoof. She was pleased to feel that her step-mother had some very good hoof care products in plentiful supply. “At least you don't need as much attention as Tinkerer did.”

That didn’t come as any great surprise to the violet weather mare. She watched curiously as Wildfire chose the large brush to start with. She did the same, though it wouldn’t have been her first choice, she acknowledged the younger mare’s expertise when it came to hooves. “The most dangerous thing my hoof comes in contact with would be my keyboard. There are very few clouds out there with sharp edges.”

Switching to a finer cloth, Wildfire laughed as she began to clean around the inner white wall and the sole of Tempest’s hoof. She had to fight her mounting excitement for, in her mind, she was imagining where that hoof would be very shortly. “So, you want to be hoofed, huh?”

“I'm both excited and scared,” Tempest admitted, she was sure her ambivalence came across in her voice. She was sure though, when it came to hooves and hoofing, Wildfire was the mare to go to. “But, well, if the old featherhead could do it, so can I.”

“I'll let you into a secret,” Wildfire smiled, feeling the cloth now being lovingly caressed firmly but gently around her own hoof, “I was scared too, the first time I was hoofed on that cloud.” She kissed the older mare’s cheek, “But I'll make it awesomes for you, Honey.”

“I, Major Tempest of the First Weather Battalion will make it Awesomer!”

Now that Tempest's hoof was clean, and she was sure it was gleaming, Wildfire couldn’t help but giggle at her herd-mate’s rather heroic declaration. The pose she pulled didn’t help either. “I'll have to get you a mug made for work. Manehatten's Best Hoofer!”

Tempest erupted in giggles, her nerves fading just a little, though they were still there, in the bottom of her gut. “I’m sure they’ll think it’s a dancing reference.”

Wildfire snickered. Knowing Comet like she did, she could believe it. “Are you ready, sexy weather mare?”

Satisfied that she had cleaned Wildfire’s hoof just as thoroughly as her own had been cleaned, Tempest led the way back to the bedroom. She was glad it wasn’t a very long journey, for her legs were starting to wobble when she reached the bed. “I’m ready to make sure you're wet enough to take a hoof, Wily.”

Like an eager little beaver, Wildfire was up on the bed and on her back with her legs apart, the diminutive mare ready and raring to go. Smirking at her eagerness, Tempest moved over her lover so that she was nose to tail above her. “Ready…” she dipped her ass to Wildfire’s snout but quickly raised it up, “Set…” she did it again, “Go!” On the word ‘go’, Tempest flopped down, and she went to town on Wildfire's nethers.

Somewhat frustrated that the first two times she didn’t get the chance to lick at her herd-mate’s crotch, when she descended the third time on ‘go’, Wildfire began lapping away enthusiastically at Tempest's crotch, her hooves keeping her ass down in case she was tempted to lift up again.

Muzzle deep in Wildfire’s wet marehood, Tempest wiggled her ass in order to get her own pussy as far down as she could. Locked together in the sixty nine position, it didn’t take either mare very long to reach their respective climax. Wildfire’s pleasured moan, though it was rather muffled by Tempest's marehood, was still noticeable, her tongue buried deep in and swirling around her muscular tunnel. The violet pony above her went from wiggling to grinding as she felt her body tense up and how moist she had become.

Likewise, Wildfire was now dripping wet herself. She wasn’t satisfied with just getting one orgasm from her lover though. The little yellow pegasus sucked hard on Tempest's engorged clitoris until she felt her tense up even more. Before she reached a second screaming orgasm though, she used her teeth on Wildfire’s nub. That was enough to send the blind pony over her own edge and, screaming out Tempest’s name, she arched her back and came a moment later. “Wow...” just about summed it up.

Once she had basked her after-glow for a couple of moments, Tempest took a bit of her weight off, giving her lover one last lick across her slit that made her squeak adorably. “I think you're wet enough now.”

“Yu-Yuppers...” Wildfire breathed like she had run a marathon, “I think so too…”

“Is it best to go one at a time?” Tempest asked, suddenly finding herself unsure as to how to proceed. She had watched Airmail do this to Wildfire, but actually being the one to do it, that was a whole new hoofball game. “Or do we do it together? The hoof thing, I mean.”

“We could do it in the sixty nine we're in, but I think it'd be more comfortable one at a time.”

“You go first then, so I'll be the expert that I am at everything I do.”

Wildfire giggled, “You modest pony.” When she felt Tempest’s weight move from above her to beside her on the bed, the yellow pony took a moment to search her bag for the lube she had bought with her. As she applied it, generously, she knew that even though there was bravado in Tempest’s voice, she was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That was why she was going first.

When she thought she had applied enough lube to her left forehoof, Wildfire squirted on some more, just for good measure. Getting into position between her older lover’s open hind legs, she carefully rubbed the toe of her hoof at the entrance to her marehood. “I think this is the closest I'll come to having a foal.” Tempest’s attempt at humour was more to calm herself than anything else. “um...speaking of which, is it safe for me to do this to you?”

Slowly, Wildfire nudged the toe of her hoof inside, feeling Tempest’s hole stretch around her. “Yuppers Honey, in a few months you could pat Fireflight on the head and tell her she's a good foal.”

Tempest breathed in and out slowly with pauses on every inhalation and she relaxed, all the time thinking 'If Airy did this, then I can do it too…' Though she snickered at what her lover had just said. “That doesn't sound safe at all. I think I’ll stay with patting your belly, so she can learn to kick.”

“That was a joke, oh modest pony,” Wildfire smiled warmly, and she slowly pushed forwards until she felt the bulbs at the back of her hoof touch Tempest’s accommodating snatch. Then, she paused at the point of full entry. “How you doing, you good?”

“I'm...yeah, I’m doing good, the thought of this being like the stallionator has vanished…” Tempest, at first, wasn’t wholly sure how she’d feel about this but, thankfully, Wildfire was taking slow and steady, making sure she was comfortable before carrying on. She appreciated that and now, watching with great interest, she was truly relaxed.

“Alrighty then,” with the go ahead given, Wildfire gently nudged her whole hoof inside, and she let it sit there for a moment. “Tell me if that changes.”

Tempest nodded her head. “I don't think I'll be able to see if it changes colours.” Wildfire just smiled and inched her hoof forwards, the foreleg going inside now as well. When she heard Tempest’s measured breathing return, she used her other hoof to rub circles around her clit. For distraction purposes. “Mmmm, yes, this must be what a donut feels like before the raspberry filling…”

Wildfire let out a snort of laughter as she slid her foreleg in deeper still. She then pulled out a little way and then she thrust gently back inside. Eyes wide, Tempest laid back, looking up at the ceiling. “Oh my, that touches all the right spots!”

“The best spot's still to come, Honey,” Wildfire assured her as she sawed her foreleg back and forth, going deeper and deeper with each thrust until she eventually, after a few minutes, she tapped her cervix.

Unprepared for that sensation, Tempest gasped, and she jumped a bit. She’d been tapped before, many times, but not by another pony’s hoof. This was something else! “That’s what lighting feels like!” Wildfire paused for a fraction of a second and then she pulled back with a smile and then she started to rut Tempest nice and firmly.

Tempest’s eyes were half lidded as she moaned in time with each deep thrust of Wildfire’s hoof. Every time she tapped and pulled out, it was followed by a lewd wet schlicking sound as her juices seeped from her tunnel. Her mouth hung open and her tongue lolled out. “You sound like you're having fun there, my love,” Wildfire grinned, all the time the right hoof was circling her clit as her left foreleg bucked her senseless.

Nodding, even though she knew Wildfire couldn’t see, Tempest clenched her abdominal muscles and she squeezed down on the blind mare’s leg as hard as she could. Now, riding along with the plunging leg, she was starting to buck with the thrusts. Wildfire just smiled and moved her hoof faster and faster so that she was tapping her with every in stroke. Tempest was grunting and drooling until she finally shouted out, “Harder, Wily! Harder!”

“Yes ma'am!” Now, sensing that Tempest was close to her climax, Wildfire really went for it, pumping her foreleg in and out like she was rutting her hard.

After just a few taps, Tempest clamped down hard and, without a thought for the other ponies in the house, screamed, “Yes! Yes...Oh Celestia yes!”

“There you go…” Wildfire purred softly, adjusting herself just slightly on the bed and lowering herself down so that she could lap at her hard throbbing clitoris.

“Gah!” Tempest screamed and quivered, her hind legs going into spasm from the riot of pleasure coursing through her body. “Aaaah…Ahhh, y-yeah, that was bucking intense!”

“A good bucking intense, I hope?” Wildfire asked, not quite managing to keep the mirth and amusement from her voice as she very slowly started to pull her foreleg out.

Tempest heard the tone of Wildfire’s voice, but she didn’t care. She had other things to worry about. “Ooooh wow, I bet you could drive the Friendship Express in there now…”

Once her foreleg was all the way out, Wildfire giggled, and she proceeded to lick her leg clean. “Do I look like the Canterlot tunnel?”

“Not yet…”

“Then neither will you, you silly mare,” Wildfire leant over Tempest’s prone body and affectionately, lovingly, she kissed her lips.

“Let me find my brain,” Tempest panted and then giggled, “I think you just pushed it out an ear…or two.” She was sure after that experience she could see sounds.

“It’ll give our listeners a chance to recover as well!”

“Do you think they do score cards like back with the herd?”

Wildfire cocked her head to one side like she did when she was thinking. “Maybe,” then, she realised she was thinking about it way too much and too hard. “Although, I think I'll be happy with whoops and cheers.”

After laying perfectly still and quiet for several long minutes, Tempest eventually said, “I think I'm recovered enough to give them a finale they’ll talk about for weeks to come.”

“Then let’s give them something to cheer about, shall we?” Wildfire asked eagerly, the little yellow pegasus rolling over onto her back. It had been at least a week since she had been hoofed and that was a week too long for her tastes.

As soon as Wildfire was in position, Tempest herself rolled over and moved down her body. Since she was so small it wasn’t a very long journey. When she was situated at Wildfire’s hind legs, the weather mare used the same lube that had been used on her. She didn’t stop applying the lube until she couldn’t see the violet colour of her fur. “If I do this even a little wrong you will stop me and tell me.”

“Of course, I will, Honey. I promise.” As soon as those words left Wildfire’s mouth, Tempest started. The older mare began like Wildfire had, pressing the toe of her hoof into her lover’s marehood. She moved with characteristic confidence and no hesitation. Happy to be on the receiving end, Wildfire smiled and relaxed herself. “That's one thing I love about you. Your confidence is very arousing, Honey.”

“You are very arousing,” Tempest corrected her, and, in one fluid motion, she slipped her hoof in all the way past the bulbs. “And you’re tight. Maybe this will help out Fireflight when she exits.” She wasn’t going as slow as Wildfire had with her, because she knew the little pegasus could take it.

“Ooooooh that feels so good Honey!” Wildfire could feel herself stretch to accommodate her lover’s questing hoof, helped along by how very wet she was. “I'm sure Flight will be grateful of the assist…”

Smirking, Tempest worked her way in past her forelock, proud of her accomplishment. “I'm always the helpful mare.”

“Buuuuck! Yuppers you are!” Wildfire screamed in pleasure and arched her back, panting like she was in heat as Tempest’s hoof entered her stretching tunnel. She felt every push and pull, the hoof entering her deeper and deeper each time. “Ha-Ha-Harder, please!”

Tempest however was slow and steady. Until she felt Wildfire’s cervical wall with her hoof. Happy she had gone as far in as she could, she pulled out and then, with the next push, she tapped it good and hard. “AAaaAAAAH right there! Buck me!” Wildfire screamed, and Tempest had a grin ear to ear plastered all over her face as she worked her hoof in and out.

With every second in stroke, she tapped Wildfire’s cervix and revelled in the mewling screams of pleasure she was getting as a result. “Hoooooney I bucking love you!” Wildfire cried, thrusting her hips upwards to meet Tempest’s hoof.

“I'm loving giving as much as receiving.”

“M-Me t-too!” Wildfire whimpered and moaned with every thrust that Tempest made. No matter how many times she experienced this, it felt like the first time every time. “I'm close! Ooooh I'm so close!”

“Not close enough,” Tempest said, the violet pony rapidly picked up speed, but she reduced the frequency of her tapping to just one in three thrusts. Happy that was driving her writhing lover crazy, she then lowered her mouth, so she could gently nibble on Wildfire's exposed, hard clit.

That did it.

“Oh buck...oh buck Honey!” Wildfire’s hind legs started quivering uncontrollably and then, going in deep, Tempest stopped thrusting and she just tapped away. “BUUuuuUUUUCK! Bucking buck buuuuuck!” she screamed and squirted like a gushing fountain all over Tempest's foreleg.

“Still the sweet mare, you are.” Tempest lapped up Wildfire’s ejaculate as her lover mumbled and rode out her climax. Tempest then very slowly withdrew her hoof, so she could lick it clean.

“Now that...was awesomes!” Wildfire gushed when she could speak in a coherent sentence.

“I will say I'm surprised just how ‘awesomes’ it was,” Tempest couldn’t resist a smirk, for she was thinking ahead. “I think this will be a lot of fun with Airy here to enjoy it too.”

Wildfire, still somewhat lost on her post-orgasmic high, giggled and sounded very silly indeed. “We could make a hoofing circle!”

“We will make it fun!” Tempest smiled and, once her leg was licked clean, moved up to get in some snuggles. “We can see what the rest thought at breakfast.”

“Our revels now are ended...” Wildfire murmured happily, and she smiled contentedly as she snuggled deep into Tempest's side. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep…”

It only took Tempest a moment or two to recognise the passages that Wildfire was quoting. The book named after herself, as she liked to think of it. “You know, I do love that book. But I think it needs a companion on the shelf. Any suggestions?”

“Yuppers. Would you consider me a changeling if I suggested an author other than Shakespony?”

Tempest giggled brightly, “I would consider you well read, maybe you could recommend a book of poetry?” As it happened, Tempest had a sneaky wonderful plan in motion, one she had managed to arrange on the quiet with a local bookstore.

“I was going to suggest Gaston Letrot's Phantom of the Opera, or perhaps Moby Dick, but I do know an awesomes poetry writer laying not far from you.”

“Oh, cool, I liked it when Serenity was in Phantom, I wasn’t here when Thespy did it.” She had liked that play, as she recalled. Shuffling in a little closer, she elected to make herself the big spoon and she kissed the back of Wildfire’s head. “If the poet's ego gets any bigger, I may have to sleep on the floor.”

“We did it in Uni once. I was going to be Christine, but I was ill that week with feather flu.”

“After breakfast we can go, I think the stores here open around eleven on Sundays.” That wasn’t a guess in the slightest, especially as Princess Twilight had confirmed with her over text message exactly when the bookstore would be open.

Unable to turn to kiss more of her herd-mate, Wildfire contented herself with kissing Tempest’s forelegs. “Sounds like a plan, Honey.” She then laid still for a moment and added, with a yawn, “Took me ages to talk to Dusk again, stealing my role like that…” It wasn’t long after that, with both mares yawning, that sleep overtook them.

Elsewhere in the house, Emerald, Butternut, Pistachio, Serenade and Wrangler all agreed that a score of fifty out of fifty was more than fair.

~ ~ ~

As Sunday’s are often wont to do, it followed Saturday. This particular Sunday morning found Wildfire wide awake in her step-mother’s house and, as usual, it found Tempest dead to the world. That was not unexpected, seeing as how it was still the morning, 9:30, according to her phone which she had left on the night stand. She knew it would be some time before her herd-mate would be able to be a functioning pony so, with some care, she disentangled herself from Tempest’s legs and got out of bed.

The carpet was thick and soft under her hooves, so much so that every step felt like a gentle embrace as she headed on downstairs. “Good morning Wildfire,” Butternut greeted her from the kitchen, “Do you want waffles or pancakes?”

“Oh hey there, Butternut, a good morning to you!” Wildfire, now at the kitchen door, could smell the freshly made coffee, which she couldn't till she was down the steps. She inhaled deeply and smiled a very giddy happy smile indeed. “Pancakes would be awesomes, thank you,” Entering the kitchen, she took another sniff, “where's the coffee at?”

Obligingly, Butternut gave Wildfire the lay of the land. “Counter left of the fridge, to your right is a counter, fridge, and coffee. Cups and mugs are in the cabinet above.”

Attentively, Wildfire listened and took it all in, acutely aware that this wasn’t ‘her’ house anymore. The décor and layout had changed, naturally. Still, she wanted to be helpful. “Do you have a drink already, Butternut?”

“I do dear, on the table, four feet in front of you just to your left,” the green earth pony mare replied with a smile as she cooked Wildfire’s pancakes. She’d already made a stack, adding a few more wouldn’t be any kind of chore. “Can't let the others have coffee without testing it first.”

As she very carefully made her way around the kitchen, Wildfire grinned. Following Butternut’s instructions, she found the coffee machine and, extremely carefully indeed, she made herself a coffee. She took her time and made sure she didn’t burn herself. “That is a very responsible attitude to have, ma'am!”

“There’s cream and sugar on the table if you need it.” Butternut called over her shoulder. She didn’t look what Wildfire was doing, she trusted her to make her own way and, if she couldn’t, to ask for help.

“Thank you!” Beaming, Wildfire sat at the table and felt out the sugar, adding three and ignoring the cream. She really appreciated the fact that the earth pony mare in the kitchen wasn’t hovering over her like she was a helpless pony. “So ah, I hope we weren't too loud last night?” she asked tentatively.

Butternut smirked as she set the freshly cooked pancakes on the table along with the stack she had already made. “It was nice. Truth be told, it has been sometime since I last heard loving love.”

Moments later, Pistachio walked in, a wide smile on her face when she saw what was for breakfast. “Good morning, Butters, ooh, pancakes! I’ll get me some of those!” First though, she went for the life giving essence of nectar that was coffee. “Get much sleep, Wildfire?”

Wildfire heard Butternut and Pistachio giggle like schoolfillies but, she did not blush, rather she was quite proud of herself. “Eventually, when I couldn't feel my hind legs anymore.”

Still giggling, Pistachio joined Wildfire at the breakfast table now that she had her coffee in hoof. “I’m not sure how that felt, but that was a sound many of us miss.”

“Good morning, Wily!” Emerald greeted her daughter seconds later when she too entered the kitchen, having come up from the basement, what was affectionately called her ‘lair’ by the other residents. As soon as she was in the kitchen, the orange pegasus went straight in for a hug. “I see you found the coffee okay. Is Tempest coming down?”

“Hey momma!” Wildfire hugged Emerald until she heard the older pegasus gasp for breath and then she let her go. “Honey will be down after eleven,” she whispered, not very quietly, “she's allergic to the mornings.”

Emerald giggled, “We’ve had a couple of those here too.”

“I'm a complete morning mare. Well, I am now, anyway.” She chose not to add ‘since my time at the care home’ to her sentence. There was no need and she didn’t want to be the one to bring the mood down. She instead took a very long drink of her coffee and sighed. Moments later, she heard a plate pushed in front of her.

“Maple syrup is to your front right, and there’s blueberry to your front le...” Butternut started and then corrected herself with an eye roll, “Well, it will be after Pistachio puts it back.”

The moment she heard the blueberry get placed back on the table, Wildfire went for her front left once Pistachio was done with it. “Yummers! I'm coming to this café again!” The only thing better than blueberry on pancakes was chocolate, but that wasn’t an option, so blueberry it was.

Emerald couldn’t help but giggle. Wildfire was such a breath of fresh air with how bubbly and sparky she was after everything she had endured. She was an inspiration to her to keep her chin up. “You're welcome any time and you know it!”

“I'll have to get up earlier then, for the fresh pancakes.” Wrangler yawned and rubbed her eyes as she entered the kitchen and, unlike the others, she went for some juice rather than coffee.

“I know, momma!” Wildfire gave her a blueberry flavoured nuzzle and beamed as she swallowed another mouthful. “These really are good, Butternut!”

“She’s head chef now.”

“I let others cook, when I'm gone,” Butternut nodded her head to Emerald’s comment about her being the head chef. She didn’t mind the designation in the slightest. She was good at it and it was her way of contributing to the house. She joined in with the group laughter and, after she had served Wrangler with her breakfast, at last joined the table herself.

Sat beside Wildfire, Emerald asked, “So, what’re your plans today, Wily?”

“I'm taking Tempest to the bookstore to expand her library, then I think we're going to see an earth pony family I saved from a fire one time.” Wildfire answered her mother, her voice thick with having to quickly gulp down her pancake to avoid talking with her mouth full.

“I have house work today,” Pistachio sighed in a most dramatic manner, “very exciting.”

“I have shopping and I'm not trading.” Butternut declared. As the appointed chef, she was totally on board with deciding what filled Emerald’s cupboards.

“I have an off day,” Wrangler said with a smile after she had made a serious dent in her maple covered pancakes, “And will be reading while listing to music.”

Wildfire giggled, this whole table reminded her very much of the times she would sit and share breakfasts at Café Diem with Air Raid, Darkstar, Brightstar, Cyclone and Dusk. They had been good times. “I find housework and shopping more exciting when Tempest teases me with a crop and errant chocolate chips.” She paused while the others laughed, Tempest having told them the story of the blind maid. “Oooh...Wrangler, what music?”

“The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,” the heavily scarred pink earth pony replied quickly, “and I'm reading Shadow Spade.”

“Octavia does do some good pieces, doesn't she?” Wildfire asked somewhat rhetorically, for everypony knew how good Luna’s wife was. Shadow Spade though, Wildfire was rather less familiar with. Velvet Quill had not allowed anything other than Equestrian Classics in his class. “I carried her cello a couple of weeks ago,” she added, not showing off, but more for something to say.

“Oh, um, well, I really don't know all the players in the Orchestra, but I have heard of Princess Octavia.” Wrangler hadn’t sounded so quietly impressed before. “You...You know her personally?”

Sympathetically, Emerald reached out and patted Wrangler’s foreleg, something that would’ve earned the earth pony’s ire normally, were she not so shocked. “She is a close friend of Prince Dusk,” Emerald explained, “but don't let her name dropping get to you.”

Wildfire blushed, she could feel her cheeks turn red. She hadn’t meant to be all name dropping like that. “Dusk was my bestest friend, and he is again, now we've reconnected. he was the one who took me from the care home to Manehatten.”

“Em has told us that story. Three times.” Butternut added the last little bit and smirked when Emerald rolled her eyes at her.

“I’m glad he did,” Pistachio put in, “especially for Em.”

Setting aside her half eaten breakfast for a moment, Wildfire found and tacklehugged her step-mother once again. She was a firm believer that you could never have too many hugs! “Me too, cos I now got an awesomes momma!”

More laughter from the group of mares met Wildfire’s comment, as well as her sudden hug. Not that she minded. She knew they were laughing with her, not at her. “I find the music makes housework go a lot easier, Pistachio smiled, and not long after that, they all wrapped up their respective breakfasts. “I have the dishes, Butternut.”

As Butternut nodded her thanks and allowed Pistachio to clear away the breakfast things, Wrangler leant in to Wildfire, whom she saw as the ‘hyper little sister she never had’ with a smile in her voice. “Do you want to join me in the living room?”

“Yuppers, I'll join you!” Wildfire agreed eagerly, oblivious, as she stood up, to the stunned looks on the other three mare’s faces. Wrangler, always stand-off-ish and gruff, had never such an offer before. After she had found and thanked Butternut for the very tasty breakfast, the diminutive pegasus walked with Wrangler to the living room. “Which couch?”

“Have you read any Shadow Spade?” Wrangler asked as she directed Wildfire to the main couch that was opposite the large fireplace, the one that had the gramophone next to it.

Butternut, who had come with them, giggled, “I think those books are as old as me.” That earned her a semi-professional eye roll from Wrangler before the pink mare started the music. All of them agreed there was a right way and a wrong way to listen to Octavia play. On a hundred year old gramophone was definitely the right way.

“Actually no, I haven't. I've read Shakespony, Poe, Dickens mostly poems and stuff like that.” Wildfire was genuinely curious, as she hopped up on the couch, to hear what her literacy professor had called ‘bit store trash’ was like.

“I can read it to you.” Wrangler pointedly ignored the look of open mouthed shock on Butternut and Emerald’s faces. Yes, she had never read aloud before and yes, she had never let anypony near her treasured books, but Wildfire was worth the exception. “This is book seven in the series and there are references to earlier books, so you should be able to follow what’s happening.”

“Go for it!” Wildfire giggled and clapped her hooves excitedly.

“Okay, well I'm in chapter four, but that shouldn't matter much.” Without further ado, Wrangler started to read as the music played in the background. After about twenty minutes, Butternut quietly got up to go and get her shopping done. Emerald was happy to remain next to her daughter and enjoy Wrangler’s reading. She was rather good and she hoped she would read to them again. It was nice seeing her open up.

After an hour, Pistachio, who was done with her thorough cleaning of not only the dishes but the whole kitchen, came out and sat with them as well on the second unoccupied couch. She resolved to not vacuum until Wrangler took a break. A hoof to the face often offended, after all.

When two hours had passed, in which Wildfire had not moved a muscle and had paid rapt attention to every word Wrangler read out, Tempest at last came down the stairs. “Cooooffeeeeeee!” she requested simply, making Pistachio, Emerald and Wrangler laugh at the violet mare’s zombie like movements.

“It needs to be made, I can do that.” Wrangler stopped Wildfire with a hoof when the blind mare was about to get up from the couch.

“And I can vacuum!” Pistachio exclaimed with glee.

“Cooooffeeeeeeee nooooow!”

In stark contrast to Tempest’s walking dead tribute act, Whisper came dancing down the stairs, singing with every step she took. “I need coffee for my soul,” she sang and danced around Tempest, the violet mare looking at the unicorn like she was from a different planet. “Only coffee makes me whole!”

“Morning afternoon ponies…” Tempest dragged her carcass to the kitchen where she grabbed the remains of the coffee before it was poured out and, adding nothing, swallowed the thick sludge.

“Good morning, Whisper,” Wildfire greeted the cobalt blue unicorn with a smile from the couch, “or are you sticking with going back to Serenade?”

The unicorn had to think about that one. “I think I'll keep Whisper if I'm to re-start my career. It has been some time so, a new name for a new voice.” She sat at the breakfast table to wait for the freshly made coffee courtesy of Wrangler.

Having drank the dregs from the coffee maker, Tempest too sat expectantly with an empty cup. “Good to have a stage name separate from your true name,” she muttered, trying to sound alive, “I have all the 'you rained on my parade' mail go to Stormy.”

Hopping off the couch, Wildfire trotted through to the kitchen and she busied herself helping Wrangler make the coffee because she knew, instinctively, that Tempest would be sat with empty cup and she giggled brightly, “Like that time we made it rain in Manehatten and we upset Brush Stroke?”

“That was a well thought out and crafty plan done weeks in advance to get Dusky hooked up.” Tempest stated with a smug smile. When the coffee in the machine was ready, Wrangler let Wildfire pour Tempest’s for her and the violet pony inhaled the magic life renewing scent. “Once I have enough coffee to make it out of the house, we need to get some coffee and donuts before the book store.” She had a sneaky plan.

“More coffee?” Wildfire asked with an eyebrow raised, gratefully thanking Wrangler who had made not just her a fresh coffee but Emerald and Pistachio as well, “You wanna put some blood in your coffee stream, Honey?”

Tempest shook her head and sipped her drink. “Nah, too sweet.”

“While we're at the store and getting you Phantom, I think I'm going to look at the Shadow Spade stuff.” Listening to Wrangler read the seventh book out loud for two hours had piqued her interest, though that may have been the way the pink earth pony had put on the character’s voices too.

“I would highly recommend that,” Wrangler started as Whisper smiled, “Either the set or start with the first, ‘The Adventures of Shadow Spade’.”

“You read it really well, Wrangler!”

“Why, thank you, my hyper little sis.”

“What time is it?” asked Tempest after she had consumed half of her coffee.

“The time is eleven thirty,” Wildfire answered her after Emerald and Wrangler both whispered in her ears. “It’s late enough you won't burst into flames if you step outside the house.”

“Maybe, we have some time to spare.” For her sneaky plan to work, they’d need to get a wriggle on. “Let’s go get some donuts, Wily, before the bookstore.” Saying their goodbyes and getting in hugs all round, Wildfire led Tempest in the direction of Café Diem. Tempest though had a different destination in mind. “Isn't that fire station you worked at near here?” she asked innocently.

“Hang on...” Wildfire stopped in her tracks and, much to the amusement of the passing ponies, she waved her hooves about like a demented windmill. Contrary to what those passers by thought, she had not gone mad, but rather she was checking off her internal map, seeing as how she knew Canterlot like she knew the herd's hooves. “Um...” she stuck out her tongue in concentration and turned on the spot some degrees and pointed ahead. “It's over there, the large four storey brick building.”

Looking the way Wildfire pointed, Tempest was impressed for, sure enough, in the middle distance was the fire station. “I'm taking you camping so I don't get lost next time.” Tempest giggled and nudged Wildfire as she headed off towards the large building. “I figured cadets worked a station close to home.”

“My magic compass only works for Canterlot, Honey,” Wildfire snickered as she walked along with her herd-mate and lover. “It took some training, but I know exactly how long it takes to get to and from anywhere to anywhere else.” Like earlier, she didn’t feel the need to mention why she was so good navigating around Canterlot. She was sure Tempest knew. “You know, I still can’t believe how well yesterday went!”

“Yesterday was a nice day,” Tempest agreed quickly. That day looked like being good too, at least judging by the glorious weather. “Last night was, dreamy. Should we get more daffodils for Sliver? She may have eaten them all last night.”

“I think we should,” Wildfire giggled, “Mom did used to get hungry at night.”

“When the day is done, we’ll get Emerald and pay her and Chill Wind a visit. I do have an ulterior motive for stopping at the firehouse though.”

If she was completely honest with herself, Wildfire wasn’t wholly surprised to hear that. Thankfully, as she led the way to the building, their short journey was uneventful. ‘It’s strange,’ she thought, ‘Nopony’s freaking out at the way I look, nopony’s screaming at me…’ then, she giggled, because that may be due to Tempest. “Are you being sneaky, Wingpony?”

Tempest shrugged, “They do have the best coffee and donuts next to the police.”

Wildfire burst out laughing as she crossed the street at the crosswalk spot and walked up to the fire station. She knew from memory the large doors where the engines came out were in front of her and to the right was the smaller door. “Here we are, Honey. Should I go buzz the door?”

When Tempest gave her an encouraging whap on her flank with a violet wing, Wildfire trotted smartly up to the side door and felt for the buzzer. It took her a few attempts, but as soon as she found it, she pressed it hard with her hoof. Almost straightaway, Inferno answered. “Hello, Canterlot Residential Fire department, can I help you?”

“Inferno!” Wildfire recognised his voice like she had never been away. “It's Wily, let me in!”

Seconds later and Inferno remotely opened the side door. Wildfire and Tempest took no more than a few steps inside the fire station before they were greeted by a deep booming voice from the top of the stairs. “Come on up, Wily!” Hot Spot called down from the staff cafeteria, “Very nice of you to visit, Mare with the Cross of Valour!”

Tempest heard the assorted snickers coming from the open cafeteria, she was sure Wildfire did too. “Your fame proceeds you,” she giggled, “Let’s go and use it to buy coffee and donuts. Wily,” she paused on the stairs when she saw the hesitation on the little mare’s face, “It’s okay to say you are part of a team, but please take the praise you're going to get with grace.”

“Alrighty Honey,” Wildfire smiled. Tempest’s calm reassuring voice beside her made her feel so much better about herself where all of a sudden, she was faltering. “I'll try, it's just that, well, genuine praise is still a new thing, y'know?”

“Love you,” Tempest gave her small lover an affectionate nuzzle and she carried on up the steps.

“I love you, Honey.”

At the top of the stairs, Tempest and Wildfire were treated to a round of traditionally poor fire house singing by the whole team, lead by Hot Spot who was conducting with his hooves. “For she's a jolly good hero, for she's a jolly good hero. Wildfire is a hero to all of us!” When they were all finished, and while the rest were applauding, Hot Spot was the first to get a hug in.

Blushing as bright red as her stylised fireball cutie mark, Wildfire hugged her old captain tightly like it was the first time she had ever done so. “I hear your singing hasn't improved, sir.”

“Why improve perfection?” the old stallion asked, a playful twinkle in his eye as the rest of the fire team erupted in some good natured laughter. He had missed his favourite rookie more than he would ever admit. Truth be told, when she resurfaced, he was hoping she would return to him but, alas, Rung had her now. “So, did you get these,” he gently touched the casts on her wings, “during your daring mission?”

Tempest sighed softly but she chose to say nothing. As it was, she needn’t have worried. “Aah, no, not as such,” Wildfire replied confidently and she laid a nuzzle on her old chief’s cheek. “A warden from the care home caught up with me. She's been dealt with though, so it’s all good now.”

“Oh my, come in, come in,” Hot Spot tried not to bluster. He had seen the news two days ago, about the care home that Wildfire had been held prisoner in, and the hospital connected to it. Still, this wasn’t the time to dwell on that. She seemed happy and well enough. “We have no cake, but we have plenty of donuts.”

“And coffee?” asked Tempest hopefully, scanning the cafeteria for signs of sweet caffeine.

“And coffee,” Hot Spot confirmed with a grin.

“Then it's a party!” Wildfire very gently kissed Hot Spot's nose, which earned her a round of ribbing and teasing from the other fire ponies in the cafeteria. While they were distracting her partner, Tempest passed Hot Spot a note. Written on the front was 'DO NOT tell Wily about this note or talk about it till we are gone'. “So, guys,” Wildfire said once the laughter had died down, oblivious to the note, “How've you all been? Inferno, you mastered the microwave yet? First Aid, saved the recipients of his cooking?”

Inferno made a very good attempt at looking offended. His snickering kind of undermined that though. “I'll have you know I'm onto the stove now!”

First Aid snuggled up to his coltfriend and gave Inferno a peck on his cheek, “Yeah, the microwave took him long enough!”

As they all laughed, Red Alert and Hot Spot passed out the donuts, not content until everypony had at least two each. “Soooo,” Wildfire started, her voice thick with a chocolate donut, “you all want the story?”

“Well, we don't want to hear the tale of First Aid getting together with Inferno, again,” Red Alert chuckled, laughing out loud when they both rolled their eyes at him.

“Those are the stories that last. For Wily, she was just trying to get out of a test.”

First Aid laughed at Tempest’s joke, “Now that I can believe!”

“Hey!” Wildfire’s grin said that she wasn’t as outraged as she was tying to make them believe. “I so want to hear that story!” Having demolished her first donut in record time, she started on her second. “So, my big adventure. I did this flying test, at the weather factory. Not sure if I passed right then or not. Then the call went up, big fire in the Broncs, and I was tasked with shoving an eight stack to the scene.”

Red Alert was suitably impressed. “That's a big stack. How many helpers?”

“I was on my own for the first bit, Red.” Wildfire replied quickly. “I had a smaller stack first and I had to abandon that, fly back to the weather factory and get the bigger one. About halfway there I got two helpers.”

Tempest clarified, using two pieces of donut and a coffee mug to demonstrate, the larger piece being the eight stack, the mug was the scene of the fire and the smaller piece the weather factory. “She had travelled thirty of the fifty miles when the other two showed, but it did make her step up her game.”

“It was so cool!” Wildfire enthused, “I had Comet in the earpiece of my helmet telling me where and when to go with the cloud!”

Tempest was quite sure she couldn’t be prouder of her little lover when she saw the admiration and respect on her former team’s faces. She sincerely wished Wildfire could see what she was seeing. “It helps that she is a precision flier.”

“Thanks to Heatwave,” Wildfire smiled and brazenly stole another donut as the general murmur of agreement went up around her. “I mean, it wasn't cool the fire happened, but stretching my wings like that, working again, pushing myself and what I could do, that was awesomes!”

“The chief said Wily cut thirty minutes off the response time.” Tempest put in, earning her marefriend another generous round of applause, “Saved lives, she did.”

“Yuppers, I did!” Wildfire squealed around the donut she was trying to eat and blushed, “I ah, I did do that.”

“Captain,” Red Alert chuckled, getting Hot Spot’s attention, “Are you sure we can't hire her back? She could teach Inferno a few things…” straightaway, Inferno treated him to a mighty raspberry for his cheek.

Hot Spot saw Tempest’s look and he shook his head, affecting a most sad and maudlin expression. “Alas, I think we've lost her, Red.”

Though Tempest was carefully monitoring Wildfire’s reaction, she was pleased to see that her worry was unnecessary. The diminutive yellow mare was in a very good upbeat mood, if a little on the blushy side. The weather mare was most relieved that she was taking it all in good spirits, along with coffee and donuts. “Hey Inferno,” she grinned, “you want to try my helmet?”

Fortunately, Red Alert’s joke about Inferno preferring First Aid's helmet died on his lips after a glare from First Aid himself. Inferno though wasn’t ready to rise to his colleagues tease. He was most curious to see how it worked. “Sure thing Wily,” when she held it out, he took it and placed it on his head, the visor covering his eyes. “How does it work?” Wildfire demonstrated to him the voice commands with a request for altitude and heading to the castle and immediately the heads up display showed it to him in glowing green as well as telling him via the earpiece. After a moment, a bewildered Inferno gave it her back. “Whoa...how do you not get overwhelmed?”

“I got skills!” Wildfire beamed proudly, passing her headset around so they could all have a go.

“Precision flier,” Tempest corrected her, though she had to agree with her in principle.

“What she said,” Wildfire giggled, taking her helmet back and placing it safely in her saddle bag. She didn’t need it for getting around Canterlot.

Tempest took note of the time while all that was going on and, while she would have dearly loved to stay and chat a little longer, there was the book store. That was a super special surprise for her herd-mate and they needed to get a move on if they were going to make it. “I’m afraid I need to continue my Wily guided tour of the capital,” she said, “Thank you for the coffee and donuts. Please bill the Manehatten Weather Factory.” Outside, once Wildfire had hugged everypony at least twice, Tempest nudged her. “That was some fine coffee, and it was good of you to leave me a donut.”

In the early afternoon sunlight, Wildfire giggled, “I didn't fancy wrestling you for the last one, Honey.”

“Shall we go straight to the book store,” Tempest asked, “or do you want another diversion?”

“Let's go straight there, Honey,” Wildfire took Tempest’s hoof in her own and she smiled, leading the way. “Another good day, I think.”

“Indeed,” Tempest agreed, though as they walked, the violet pony purposefully took a wrong turn, just to see if Wildfire’s magic compass was as good as she claimed it was.

True to form, Wildfire caught the error quickly, almost as soon as Tempest turned a street too early. “Not this way, Honey, it's this way,” she pointed with her hoof.

“I think my caffeine levels are still low,” Tempest chuckled and duly, she corrected her heading at the next corner and then she went back to correct street, but she crosses it for a one block error, again on purpose.

Confused, Wildfire paused and turned to face the older mare, whom she suspected was playing with her. “Honey, is everything alright?” she asked quite seriously, “You're all over the shop since we left the fire station.”

Realising she had been caught out in her little game, Tempest stopped and she giggled like she had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. “Maybe I’m the one who needs the leash and collar?” they both laughed at that and, after a long enough pause, she turned around and headed down the correct street.

Brightly, Wildfire giggled, “Tempest, I've been thinking. Like, properly thinking. Mostly yesterday and today, about stuff. I'm not quite sure how to put it into words though…”

“Use Equish,” Tempest snarked, “I'm terrible at Zebran.”

Wildfire just chose to roll her eyebrows at that. “Hum...well, I've been thinking, that maybe the bad things that have happened to me haven't really been 'bad' bad. Uuuugh! I mean, I know they're bad, but like, I'm appreciative of them, if that makes sense? I hope it makes sense?”

To Tempest, what Wildfire had just said made a great deal of sense. More than that, it showed her just how far the little mare had come. “Events have helped you grow and mature.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, relieved that Tempest understood what she had tried to say. “And like, I am who I am as much due to the bad as the good, and a lot of good things wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the bad!”

As she treated Wildfire to a hip bump, Tempest thought that last sentence showed a great amount of maturity. “I wouldn't have my golden shower buddy!” she giggled, smiling broadly as she could now see there were a throng of ponies lined up outside the book store.

“Damn right!” Wildfire giggled and bumped Tempest’s hips before the two mares walked up to the book store. As they got closer though, her ears flicked forwards, towards the crowd assembled ahead of them. She could hear the murmured voices of chatter. “Is there a queue?”

“It does look crowded,” Tempest agreed and, now they were at the store, she used her off wing to pull a sign from her saddle bag that read, 'Please be considerate this is to be a surprise for Wildfire'. The noise from the crowd noise did continue, but it die down to a very low murmur.

Wildfire shrugged her shoulders. “I bet there's a new Daring Do book out or something like that,” she giggled, “Never my thing…” that was more Air Raid’s territory when they had been together. However, her train of thought was somewhat derailed when she noticed that Tempest was marching past the line up to the doors. “Honey! Are you sure it's okay cutting ahead?” strangely though, nopony seemed to mind.

“That is Major Honey to you, Lieutenant, so yes it’s okay.” Tempest smirked, grateful that the crowd were at last playing along. She wanted to keep the surprise a surprise until the very last moment if she could.

Wildfire giggled, “Alrighty boss lady, let's go get you some books!” she just assumed the line was waiting to meet some famous pony, and as they weren’t here for that, that was why nopony was minding what they were doing.

“Oh, look!” Tempest squealed the very moment they were inside the store, “There’s a table full of books and somepony is waving us over. May be a hard sell though,” she giggled, waving a hoof of recognition to Princess Twilight Sparkle who was stood by the stack of books flanked by two security ponies. “They’re all hard covers.”

Wildfire groaned a groan that started at her hooves and travelled up through her body, granted it wasn’t a long journey. “Uuuuugh...Honey that was just awful!” Like a good little marefriend though, she did still laugh as they walked over. “So who's the guest author they’re all waiting for? Is it somepony we know of?”

“I think so.” Tempest found Wildfire’s obliviousness to be the most adorable thing in the world right then. She laid a wing tip to her diminutive lover’s side. “Maybe we can even get a signed copy to take home.”

“Hello Wildfire,” Twilight greeted the blind mare with an easy smile and a brief hoof bump which became a hug, “my you're a whole five minutes early. Quite the change from your University days, as I recall.”

“Professor Twilight? You're the author?” Wildfire giggled brightly, her smile never wavering and the little mare unfazed about being in the presence of a Princess. “My punctuality has improved with age, fortunately.”

Twilight Sparkle's eye twitched in that manner it did when she was confronted by something or a response that she hadn’t planned for. “What, no…why would you think that?” she then did what she usually did in such a situation, she consulted her checklist. “What did you tell her, Tempest?”

Tempest flashed the Princess a most innocent smile that fooled nopony at all. “That there was a table full of books and we might get a signed one.”

That just served to confuse the alicorn even more. She didn’t like the feeling. She liked to be in control at all times, everything regimented and accounted for. That was her way and it had served her well thus far, in spite of Luna and Rainbow’s attempts to get her to ‘lighten up’. “Don't you already have a signed one?”

Tempest shook her head. “That one’s Airmail's,” the violet weather mare explained, loving the snort of frustration she got from the young Princess.

All the while that Tempest and Twilight were talking, Wildfire’s ears were going back and forth, tracking the banter and connecting several dots in her head. “What's going on, Honey?” she asked, though she fancied she had a pretty good idea what was going on.

“See, I told you she was a smart pony, Princess.” Tempest knew her lover would figure it out eventually, still, she’d had her fun. “Wily, you need to be on the other side of the table. Oh, and check out the books stacked there.”

Princess Twilight facehooved. This was something Rainbow or Pinkie – the godmothers of pranks - would do. In spite of herself, she smiled, “You didn't tell her, did you?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Tempest grinned from ear to ear as she showed Twilight the sign that she had held up outside. She couldn’t help feeling like that coyote from those old Saturday morning cartoons.

As Tempest had suggested, Wildfire walked around the table, feeling her way, but with every step she took her smile was spreading wider and wider. Once she was seated, the blind mare felt the book that was in front of her and her grin was so wide it looked impossible. The hardback book, finished in black leather, had a gold embossed title in both print and braille.

‘Poems from Darkness to Light’ by Wildfire.

“It's...It's my book!” Wildfire scanned the front cover several times to make sure it wasn’t an illusion. It even felt like her book that her mother had given her. “They’re my poems!” She soon found that each page also had both the poem in print and under that it was repeated in braille.

“This is the second printing?” asked Tempest curiously.

Twilight nodded her head, “Yes, the first printing only had a run of one thousand across a few select libraries. This will have a run of one hundred thousand.” Demand for the book of poems really had been that high.

“Wily’s going to wear her hoof out.” Tempest snickered, and even the two mountainous security guards cracked a smile.

“I can fix that,” Twilight beamed, “and there is only one thousand books here for the signing, but some will bring in their first editions, I'm sure.”

When she heard that, Wildfire’s ears were slicked back to her scalp and, if she had eyes, Tempest was sure that they'd be wide and amazed. She could easily understand her reaction. “One...hundred...thousand?” Wildfire stammered, “Of my book? All those ponies out there...are here...to buy my book?” She suddenly didn’t know if she liked this at all. She wasn’t famous or a celebrity like Serenity or Songbird Serenade, or used to being in the spotlight, again like Serenity or Dusk or Luna, she was just Wildfire.

“For you to sign the book they buy,” Tempest corrected her gently, softly laying a reassuring wing over the trembling mare’s back, “or the one they own.”

“Or both,” put in Twilight in what she hoped was a helpful manner, “but I have a good forelock healing spell, so don’t worry!”

“Princess, um, Professor, can I please make it so any profits go to help blind charities?”

Twilight and Tempest both shared a knowing smile and a nod between themselves. “Yes, that’s how the first book went, so I'm glad to know you don't want to change it.”

Wildfire’s reaction didn’t surprise Tempest in the slightest. Her herd-mate’s selflessness was one of her more sexy qualities. Didn’t mean she couldn’t tease her about it though. “Watching her swim in bits does get old.”

Being compared to Scrooge McDuck made Wildfire burst out into fits of giggles. They did serve to banish her nerves though. Still giggling, she nudged Tempest’s flank, “I'd rather it stay as it is, so I can help as many as I can.” She then felt the book’s cover again. “This is so cool! I wish mom and Heatwave could see this!”

“It is time.” Twilight checked her watch against her meticulously planned schedule.

Tempest stepped aside to let the alicorn step up. “You first, Princess.”

“No, I, ah, I have book number one thousand in my saddle bag so I'll go last.” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t quite keep the blush from her cheeks. She had her own first edition back at her castle for reading, three copies in her library for the public and this one, this one was going in cellophane wrapper to join her pristine Daring Do collection.

Tempest took the opportunity while it presented itself. “I'm first then!”

As Tempest tapped her hoof on the book that was waiting in front of her, Wildfire could hear the book store staff open the doors to let in the waiting crowd outside. Twilight loudly welcomed them all and then there was a pen placed in her left forehoof. “Oh my gosh!” Wildfire let out a squee of delight that this was really happening and, as she signed Tempest’s book, she looked like she was on cloud nine. “I hope you enjoy it, ma'am!”

Leaning in, Tempest whispered, “I will enjoy it, with a very private reading on the train.”

Before Wildfire could respond to that, Tempest walked off, stepping aside to make room for a turquoise earth pony stallion who looked like he was still in high school. “Hi, I'm Riverside!” he placed a book in front of Wildfire with an eager thump, “My friend got your first edition and it was cool. This is even better!”

“Hey there, Riverside, I'm glad to hear you like it!” Wildfire signed her name in both print and braille, loving the excited tone in the young pony’s voice. “I hope you follow the blog too?”

“Totally!”

Several ponies later and none had quite matched the hero worship that had been Riverside. Waiting his turn, Hot Spot stepped up with a book and a smile. “Hey, Wily, a certain violet pegasus told me you'd be here,” as he set the book down in front of his best rookie, Tempest pointedly looked the other way, though they caught each other’s eye and nodded. “This one is for the fire station.”

“Captain, sir!” Wildfire didn't know which hoof to salute him with, so she used both and giggled when she almost stabbed herself in the face with her pen. “It's a pleasure, sir,” she said as, like before, she signed her name both ways.

“The pleasure is all ours, Lieutenant.” Hot Spot made sure to get in a hug and a nuzzle, before he left to make room for those behind him. The line seemed never ending.

After three earth ponies, five pegasi and an extremely giggly unicorn filly that was all braces and glasses so thick they made her eyes seem several sizes too big had come and gone, none other than Calculus set her book in front of Wildfire. “Greetings Wildfire,” she said warmly, “Seems there’s an interest in your book, and I'm one of them.”

“Professor!” Wildfire squeaked, surprised indeed to hear Calculus of all ponies stood in front of her, “um...I mean, Headmare?” she giggled as, with a flash of inspiration, she wrote out the math problem that she set for her yesterday and then she signed her name, “It's so cool you're here!”

Calculus leant in over the table and gave her ex student a nuzzle, “Thank you for sharing your poems.”

“Hello Wildfire,” Winter beamed a most motherly smile when she stepped up with her two colts and husband – make that three colts – after a trio of pegasi, two parents and very bored filly, had moved aside.

“Good to see you again, aunt Wily!” Summer grinned, sticking his tongue out at his brother that he got to say hello first.

Autumn pouted at his brother and was about to shoot back a retort but a look from Spring silenced the young earth pony. “Hi, aunt Wily.” He said in the end, opting to play it safe.

“All of us are here to get a book!” Spring stood beside his wife and placed the book in front of Wildfire with a small thud so she’d know where it was. He had chosen to carry it in order to keep any fighting between his two colts to a minimum.

“Could you make it to all of us please?” Winter asked, the earth pony mare having to really fight her mothering instincts and not wrap the tiny pegasus up in a hug.

“Ms. Winter!” Wildfire almost fell off her seating pad. “Oh my, yuppers!” Overjoyed that they had made it to the book signing, she immediately dedicated the book to them all with a little paragraph aimed at them all in turn and signed each one individually. “I hope my two favouritest nephews are being awesomes?”

Again, Summer got in first, much to the chagrin of his brother. “I'm still studying to get into University. When I do, I’m going to be a paramedic like First Aid!”

Elbowing him out of the way, a burgeoning fight that was stopped before it started by Winter and Spring separating them both, Autumn piped up, “I'm working with Hot Spot and Inferno, waiting for my chance to go to the Fire Fighter's Academy.”

“Oh wow, you guys!” Wildfire was genuinely impressed to hear that. “That's so cool! Can I get a quick hug?” Wordlessly, the two huge security guards, who had been quietly standing to either side of the table, moved aside so that both colts could come in for hugs on either side. “I've missed you two a lot!” Even though they were earth ponies, she gave them a slightly less crushing hug than she usually would before nuzzling Winter and Spring in turn.

Smiling, once it was his turn, Rainstorm stood in front of her, holding what he considered a personal treasure. “Hello Wildfire,” he set down the immaculate first edition poetry book in front of the blind mare. “I'm glad I got a chance for you to sign this.”

“Rainstorm, hi!” Wildfire recognised his voice like she had done at the café and she signed his copy of her book with one of her favourite quotes, ‘Our past is not today’, before giving it him back and bumping hooves. “We’ll see you at Saffron’s soon, I promise.”

Next, Velvet Quill, Last Legacy, and Water Colour all stepped up to Wildfire’s table, each holding a book to be signed, though Velvet’s was a first edition. “I’m first!” the literacy professor exclaimed as he put his book down in front of his ex best student ever. “I'm glad you've made good use of all that education, Wily.”

“Professor Quill!” Wildfire then let out a rather undignified and prolonged hyper fangirl squee and, beaming, she readily signed his book the ‘Bestest Teacher Ever’.

“My oh my,” Last Legacy grinned, the smile coming through in the old pony’s voice, “This is a change, me coming to your office for once!”

“I only spent half my time in your office, sir,” Wildfire retorted as she signed his book, “The other half was in the vice principal’s…but seriously, thank you, for all your advice.”

Speaking of the vice principal, Water Colour was next. “How are you doing now, Wildfire?” he asked gently as he placed his own book down to be signed. On some nights when he didn’t take his medication, he still had nightmares of the day when she had been blinded in the science lab. “I read in the paper about your actions in Manehatten. “We’re all very proud of you and the mare you’ve become.”

“So, we have a coffee dark, one three sweet, jelly donut and caramel donut, oh and a book!” Java declared, much to Tempest’s relief when he stepped up to take his turn. Of course the violet pony had contacted the café and told him to come. And he had, straightaway without question.

Tempest, who hadn’t had a caffeine injection in over an hour and a half, swooped upon the offered treats like a starving manticore would attack a wounded prey animal in the Badlands. “I’ll just get that dark coffee and jelly out of your way Wily!”

“Hey Java! You are a legend for bringing the coffee!” Like Tempest, Wildfire was ready for a coffee break. Her fetlock was ready for a break too. Thankfully, as she signed the book ‘To Java and to Cafe Diem, seize the coffee’, the Princess was on hoof to cast her healing spell.

Eventually, after another four hours and two more coffee breaks and one rather close call emergency bathroom break, Princess Twilight was the last in line. Or, rather, one of her guards was the last in the line. The young royal just took his spot when he stepped up. That would teach him for saying guarding the Crystal castle was a ‘make work’ job. “Well it’s my turn.” She already had the book out of its protective wrapper. “Book number one thousand and your one thousandth, two hundred and fourteenth signature!”

“Uuuugh…has it been that many, really?” Wildfire giggled brightly and, as the alicorn placed the book down in front of her, the diminutive yellow pegasus dedicated the book to ‘Twilight Sparkle, the bestest of Princesses for giving me my filly’, “Here you go, Professor, thank you for today and for the healing spell. I really needed that.”

For good measure, the Princess cast one last fetlock healing spell before she levitated her signed book back into the protective sleeve and then back in her saddle bag. “There’s a reception area, just over there behind you to your left if you'd like to talk to fans?”

There were rather a lot of ponies milling around in the area Twilight had indicated, no doubt they were waiting a chance to have a more intimate one on one time with Wildfire, Tempest safely assumed. “We do have about thirty minutes before we need to head back to Emerald's place,” she whispered in her lover’s ear.

“I'd like that, Professor, Honey, if there's anypony still here.” Wildfire wasn’t aware of anypony hanging around. Then again, all her attention had been focused on the never ending line of ponies.

“Looks like about forty,” Tempest supplied.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of questions,” said Twilight with a knowing smile. After all these years of royal duties, she had an idea finally how these things worked and just how Celestia dealt with them. “I can make sure you two get out on time for your next event.”

“Thank you!” When Wildfire stood up, for the first time in three hours, the muscles and joints in her legs popped like she was a one pony maraca band. Giggling, not thinking, she seized Twilight in a very tight hug indeed, before backing off with a blush. “Um, that was okay, right?” she suddenly thought of the guards.

“I’m not the Princess of Friendship for nothing,” Twilight eagerly returned the hug while Tempest just giggled.

“Alrighty, let's do this meeting!” Tempest and Twilight flanked Wildfire, gently leading her to the assembled group of waiting fans. Ass Tempest suspected, her herd-mate was very well received, with roughly a quarter of them asking about the yellow mare’s eyes and what it was like to be blind, another quarter wanting to know about living in Manehatten and the Fire Department, while the remaining half asked about her inspiration for the poems from beginning to end.

Wildfire made sure to spend time with each and every pony that spoke to her, and even one very shy colt who couldn’t do anything else but squeak and hide behind his mother’s legs. Like her own personal guard, Tempest never left her side, but Twilight allowed her face her first public engagement on her own. She was pleased to see she handled the attention rather well.

Once the meeting was all done though and the last of her fans had left, Wildfire collapsed on a nearby seating pad. “Phew...” she gasped, “I feel like if I smile and wave one more time I'll explode!” Tempest and Twilight both patted her head sympathetically.

“You did very good in there,” Tempest said, giving her lover a much needed nuzzle, “Now let’s see what Emerald has for us to snack on before we go and visit Silver and Chill.”

Chapter 21 - Riding the Storm

On the way back from the book store, Wildfire had chosen to go and visit Winter and her family, what Tempest affectionately called the ‘seasons’ family. It hadn’t been a long visit, because they were on a schedule, but Winter had insisted on providing coffee and cake all round. Now, in the cab going to Emerald’s house, both Tempest and Wildfire were very full and extremely content. “They were really taken by Mapper and Serenity's visit, weren’t they?” asked Tempest, nestled into her yellow cushion.

“Yuppers they were,” Wildfire smiled and cuddled Tempest, wrapping her foreleg around her marefriend’s shoulders and pulling her in close to her so that her snout was pressed into her fur. “I'm glad though. They deserve it, all of them.”

“Those two colts are night and day.” Tempest said with a chuckle, casting her mind back to Summer and Autumn. She wasn’t one for motherhood, but if she was, she liked to think hers would be like them. “The future fire pony is hyper, and his brother is studious. Have they always been like that?”

Wildfire had to think hard on that, as the cab rattled and bounced its way along the cobbled streets of Canterlot in the very late afternoon. “The few times I was with them, I noticed it. Autumn was the first one to come to me in the burning building. Summer took a little more convincing.”

Buried in Wildfire’s chest, Tempest giggled so hard she tickled the yellow mare too. “Hi there earth pony, just jump out this really, really high window. Everything will be just fine!”

“Something like that, yuppers!” Wildfire snickered. There had of course been more to it than that, but Tempest just about summed it up perfectly. “I asked them if they wanted to go flying with their auntie Wily, and Winter said it would be okay.” She smiled at the memory, “It's super cool that Inferno's taken Autumn under his wing at the firehouse, like Heatwave did with me. That's how I started, helping to clean the equipment.”

“Then again,” Wildfire continued, “Summer's cool too, studying to be a paramedic. First Aid said he was a natural.”

“I think Spring was okay too,” Tempest commented in between kissing and nibbling at Wildfire’s fur, “not anywhere near as bad as Mapper made out.”

Petting Tempest’s ears and mane like one would a cat, Wildfire paused to consider her reply. “Well, to be fair, I think he's under a lot of pressure though. Senior surgeon at Canterlot hospital. Bet that's not a lot of fun these days.” She didn’t imagine for a second that an already hard job was made any easier with all the police buzzing around.

“Well, we are still on schedule,” Tempest stated as she lifted her head reluctantly from Wildfire’s chest to check her watch, “I need some real food before I have to eat train food again.”

“Yuppers, me too,” Wildfire leant in and kissed Tempest’s cheek, adding in little licks and nips here and there like she was cleaning her. Not that Tempest minded in the slightest. “Mind you, I'd hate to be Air Raid's dad. You couldn't pay me enough money to be on the hospital's board of directors about now.”

Tempest laughed, part of her wishing her marefriend would kindly shut up and go back to what she was doing. Although, if she did, there was a very good chance she’d pounce on her in the back of the taxi. “I doubt the Fire Department will give you extended leave so soon, anyways.”

“Thank Cadance for small mercies!” Wildfire giggled just as the taxi arrived back at her step-mother’s house. “Are you gonna read your new Phantom of the Opera on the train back or are you gonna bury a baster in me again?” either or was okay with her.

“I think I'll read to you, but you could still earn a baster in your pretty little marehood,” she giggled. Getting out, she enjoyed a brief stretch on the sidewalk before she paid the patiently waiting cabbie and allowed Wildfire to lead the way to the door.

No sooner had Wildfire knocked twice on the front door than Emerald was right there ushering them inside with an orange wing. “Come in, come in!”

“Hey momma!” Wildfire exclaimed, seizing her step-mother in a tight hug the very second she was inside.

“Welcome back,” Emerald beamed. She hadn’t ever seen herself as a mother, not while she was with Cold Front, any way but, since she had met Wildfire, she found she was warming up to the idea. “So, tell me, how did the book signing go?”

“I thought my hoof was gonna drop off!” Wildfire groused good naturedly, though everypony in the living room could tell she didn’t mean it. “Thank Cadance that Professor Twilight knows fetlock healing spells…”

Immediately, Emerald took hold of her offered left forelock, concern all over her face. “You're okay, now?”

Wildfire pulled a very quivery lip pout, determined to milk this for all it was worth. “I think it needs kissing better…”

At first, Emerald was puzzled. Then, she caught Tempest’s and Wrangler’s faces. “Oh,” Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. “Oh!” the orange pegasus kissed her daughter’s forelock and nuzzled her. As she gently kissed her cheek, she decided it wasn’t bad at all, being a mother.

“I may have gotten a rash when I flew over a cloud and it went between my hind legs,” Tempest teased, “Although I did finish this excellent book.”

Having got what she wanted, Wildfire happily nuzzled her mother’s cheek. “That feels a lot better momma, thank you!”

“Hey Tempest,” Butternut called out from the couch in the living room that Wildfire and Wrangler had been sat on earlier, “Pistachio will kiss that rash better for you!”

As Pistachio blushed, the pegasus’s cream cheeks turning bright red, Wrangler came out from the bathroom. The moment the pink mare saw Wildfire, her scarred face lit up in a smile. “Ah, my hyper little sister has returned!”

In a clear melodious voice that reminded Wildfire a great deal of Serenity, Whisper said, “Em says you're going to visit your first mother, if you don’t mind, may I tag along?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire agreed quickly, for she saw no reason to say no. These were her step-mother’s friends, after all. “Anypony else want to come too?”

“Me!” Emerald giggled, her hoof high in the air like she was trying to get the teacher’s attention in class.

Wrangler though shook her head solemnly. “Not enough action for me, or on the other hoof, way too much action.” She wasn’t a mare for graveyards.

“Are you sure you can't take Wrangler?” Pistachio joked, “She smiles when you're around, Wily.” For her snark, the cream pegasus was treated to a lengthy raspberry that made them all laugh.

“First we have coffee,” Tempest stated firmly, “then we have adventure!”

Butternut knew in her heart that the weather mare was a pony after her own heart. “I got it, Tempest. Coffee sisters!” she declared, sharing a smile and a hoof bump with her.

The group of seven mares shared some small talk and gossip over coffee and chocolate cake. The weather, the Princesses love lives, who was Celestia’s secret lover – because everypony knew she had one, quite possibly the scullery maid – the monster attack in Ponyville eight months ago, presently, the conversation turned to Wildfire “What happened to your first mother, Wily?” asked Wrangler.

As always, the mother hen in Tempest went on alert, unsure how Wildfire would handle that question. As always, lately anyway, she needn’t have worried. “A lot happened to her, Wrangler. In many ways, she died twice.” While Wildfire sipped her coffee, Wrangler had a faraway thousand yard look but said nothing. Wildfire nestled into Emerald's side for nerve. “She fought in the Changeling War a few years before I was born. She was called Fireflight back then.”

The diminutive yellow mare took a deep breath and she continued, “After the war, she went by Silverbolt. Then, when I was twelve, at school, she was on weather duty in Canterlot and she was training a bunch of recruits when she was shocked to death by a rogue cloud.”

“The war…” Wrangler’s voice was hollow, as were her eyes. It was obvious to them all that the pink earth pony mare had seen things. Things that they didn’t want to ask about. “Now, that goes back. My parents were in it too. They both came out. Just.” What she herself had seen and done, she wasn’t ready to talk about.

“Mom was honoured for her actions at Heartbreak Ridge,” Wildfire said with justified pride. “Princess Celestia gave her a medal, the Equestrian Star. But...she couldn't stand it. She lost her best friend to the Changelings.” Tempest, having gained wisdom, said nothing about Airmail, she just gave her lover a cuddle, as did Wrangler. “We studied it in school, but I got hold of mom's diary the other week. Reading about it from her made it a lot more 'real'.”

Pistachio though was impressed to hear that Wildfire’s mother had been decorated. “Quite the revelation to find out you mother was a war hero, huh?”

Wildfire smiled, “I'll never forget when I found out, Pistachio.” She then went on to tell them all the story of her, Tempest and Airmail going around the country, from Canterlot, to Vanhoover, then on to Trottingham and meeting Starbright and getting the scrapbook that her mother had made. “That's when I got mom's medal. My dad had sold it, and the captain gave it to me.”

The other six mares all shared an uneasy look between them. It was an unspoken thing, but they all them knew to not talk about Wildfire's dad. Cold Front was a name that was not mentioned within twenty feet of Emerald’s house. “It is good to have a part of her to hold onto though,” Wildfire continued before she gave her step-mother a kiss and a nuzzle, “And I got a super pony to cuddle and call when I need help too!”

“Never underestimate a Power Pony,” Tempest snickered around her coffee.

“Nopes!” Wildfire agreed quickly, giving her own super special Power Pony a very tight hug. “So um, Butternut and Pistachio, how did you two get here, if you don’t mind me asking?” She remembered what Wrangler had said the day before about her stallion beating her and now everypony knew about Whisper.

Butternut let out a long, deep sigh. “I killed my father after he killed my husband. They said it was justified, but I needed a place to get my head straight, and don't see me leaving here anytime soon.”

“Damn, I'm sorry, Butternut,” Wildfire got up and offered her a hug, which the green earth pony accepted “You're in a good place now, I know that.”

“Not as bad for me,” Pistachio commented with a sniff. “My husband was a snake. He sold everything out from under me. Took the money and ran off. I was left on the street, when a social worker who found me suggested I come to Em's place. I hope to be moving on in the future, as soon as I’m all set.”

Wildfire and Emerald could both definitely sympathise with Pistachio’s plight. Seeing as how that same thing had happened to the both of them. “You'll all keep in touch, though, right?”

“Hard to say when I move on what I want from my past,” Pistachio replied honestly, “I love you Em, but I will have to see where I end up.”

“I wouldn't mind getting your number, Wily.” Wrangler again surprised all but the blind mare. “You're okay, for a hyper little pony.”

As Wildfire scribbled down her number and email address, just to be sure, and passed them to the scarred pink mare, Butternut giggled, “I'll be here till Em kicks me out.”

Emerald shook her head at that. “As long as you continue to make excellent coffee, that won't happen.”

“Aaaaaah, the bonding power of caffeine. It brings ponies together and raises Tempest from the dead. Is there nothing it can't do?” she giggled playfully and, in addition to her number, there was an invitation to her forthcoming wedding, which she extended to the others as well. “And besides, we're all going to Serenade's first show, aren't we?”

There was a general agreement to that, and at last, when she had consumed all her coffee, Tempest stood up, checking her watch. “Thank you for the coffee and hospitality, but it is time to go.” She hated to be the buzz kill, but they were on the clock, as it were.

“Sometimes I hate time…” Wildfire pouted adorably and gave them all hugs, especially Wrangler, who she considered to be as much a 'big sis' as the earth pony thought of her as the ‘little sis’. Goodbyes taken care of, Tempest hailed the four of them a taxi which she instructed to go to a flower shop first. In the cab, Wildfire explained for Whisper’s benefit. “We need daffodils. Lots of daffodils.”

“At least two dozen,” Tempest clarified. As it happened, there was a pop up flower seller with a mobile cart for a stall just outside the cemetery, so they bought the flowers from there, cleaning the stallion out of daffodils in the process. “Lead the way, Wily.” The violet mare said once she had the flowers safely under her wings.

Whisper was amazed. “You can do that?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire giggled. Taking a step forwards, she felt a wing to her right, that was Tempest. Always she was on her right. Then she felt another wing on her left. It felt heavy, like its owner was thinking on something. “You okay, momma?”

“I'm fine, Wily.” Emerald assured her, though she was wishing she had more time with her daughter.

Unerringly as ever, Wildfire led the way down the dirt path past the immaculately kept grass to the intersection where she turned right and on to the grave as good as any sighted pony. “And how are you doing, Whisper, you good?”

“Oh, I’m okay,” Whisper replied with a warm smile that reached her voice, “the landscaping is absolutely beautiful.”

“Yuppers, it's not bad, is it?” Wildfire smiled, for she could remember the way it looked. She wished she knew who kept the cemetery, she’d give them a big hug. There were never any weeds on the dirt path, the grass never allowed to grow too high. The gravestones were always clean, the engraving always sharp no matter how old they were. It was a wonderful place. “Momma, when we're done visiting here, can you take me flying?”

The request didn’t surprise Tempest in the slightest but, she had to check with their guest first. “Whisper, are you good to get back on your own?”

“Sure,” she answered, “That’s no problem.” She was a big pony now, after all.

“Here we are!” Wildfire declared after a few moments’ walk on the path, she stopped – to nopony’s amazement but Whisper’s – at precisely the right grave that belonged to her mother and her older brother. “Hey mom, hey Chill, I said we’d come back. We bought momma and a friend who wanted to say hi too.”

Emerald facehooved when she saw the grave next to Silverbolt’s. Wildfire had told them all about her brother last night at her place after they had come back from Ponyville. “I didn't even think to look next door when I was here last…I’m sorry.”

Looking around the cemetery, Whisper was inspired all of a sudden. “Wily, if you don’t mind, may I sing a song?”

“Don't beat yourself up momma,” Wildfire nuzzled her mother’s cheek in an effort to comfort her. “Nopony knew about Chill Wind.” She then turned to Whisper with a wide grin on her face. She had heard her sing at Emerald’s house. She loved her to sing for her now. “Of course you can! I'd love you to sing!”

As Wildfire sat in a listening pose, Whisper cleared her throat to prepare herself. “Wildfire, this is a song from Silverbolt to you.” The song that the cobalt blue unicorn sang was one of her own composition which she entitled ‘Wildflowers’. As such, Tempest had to turn around so that nopony could see her laughing.

Wildfire was clapping her hooves in utter glee by the time Whisper had finished, as were Emerald and Tempest, although the later was still laughing. When she did finish her song, the unicorn turned to face the snickering pegasus with a frown on her face. “Was something wrong, Tempest?”

Still giggling hard, Tempest turned back with tears in her eyes and a hoof holding her belly. “Oh no, nonono…I just don't think Sliver could have sung a better song for our dear little Wildflower, that’s all.”

Now, Wildfire joined in the laughter, her hoof pointing to the collar she wore at her neck. “Whisper, I should explain, Wildflower is my pet name.”

Whisper’s eyes went very wide indeed. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn't know!”

At last able to stop laughing like a foal who had been told a particularly rude joke, Tempest placed her hoof comfortingly on Whisper’s shoulder. “And you didn't need to know, which makes the song that much more precious. Honestly, it's cool, really.”

While Whisper was working on a rather intense blush, Wildfire had finished giggling. “Do you know ‘Prettiest Eyes’?” she asked, hoping that the newly healed singer did, she had a great voice that deserved to sing. “That was my mum's favourite song.”

“No,” Whisper admitted sadly, “but I promise I'll learn it for your next visit.” The club she had sang at didn’t do pop songs.

“I'd sing it for you, but I'm not that great…” Well, Wildfire giggled internally, she kind of was, but only when she was wearing a bridle, corset, stockings, panties and hoof cuffs and was being led through the carriages of a train by her fiancé and Mistress, with Tempest bringing up the rear with a crop. Then she was okay.

As it happened, Tempest’s mind had also wandered to the time on the train coming back to Canterlot from Vanhoover. That had been a good trip. “She is better than she lets on.”

“Alrighty guys, but don't shout at me if it rains!” Wildfire, having given them what she considered to be fair warning, reared up onto her hind hooves – an act that at least put her at head height with the other three ponies at the grave site – and she sang ‘Prettiest Eyes’ with gusto and enthusiasm, but little tone, while Tempest danced. When she was done, she blushed, “See, I told you I wasn't great.”

When it was clear she had finished, Tempest led the clapping and stomping of hooves which Whisper and Emerald eagerly joined in with. “Not good enough to wake the dead,” the orange pegasus grinned as she nuzzled her daughter’s glowing cheeks, “but it was good.”

“Thanks momma. You want to lay the flowers?”

“I'll lay them for Silver, you can do Chill, okay?”

“Not bad Em,” Tempest chuckled as she passed Wildfire and Emerald a bunch of daffodils each. “You should have heard the jokes Airmail and I cracked on our first visit.”

Had Wildfire possessed eyes, she would have rolled them. As it was, she settled for an exaggerated sigh which she hoped did the job just as well. “Hey Chilly,” she smiled, stepping over to her brother’s headstone and setting down the flowers, “Yeah I called you Chilly. Whatcha gonna do, gonna pull my mane and tell mom on me?” Quietly, much to the amusement of Emerald and Whisper, Tempest reached out and pulled Wildfire's mane. “Oww!” the little yellow mare jumped a clear few inches off the ground in fright, “ooh Honey, jeez!”

“Silver!” Tempest immediately grassed her marefriend up, “Wily called him Chilly! I heard it! I think I'll stick with Chill, Chill Wind.” Laying the flowers down, Emerald giggled and so did Whisper.

“That was sneaky!” Wildfire giggled when she had recovered from her little shock. “I bet you found that funny too bro, huh?” she said as she hugged Chill Wind’s stone.

Tempest laughed, proud of her little prank. “I think they both did, Wily.”

Joining in on the joke, Wildfire stomped her hoof and affected a very foalish whine. “Moooomma, tell them! The big ponies are being mean!” The three older mares then gave Wildfire a tender three-way nuzzle, though she was sure she could still feel the smile on Tempest’s face. In a flash though, Wildfire brightened up. “There, that's better!”

“Are you sure you're okay on your own, Whisper?” asked Tempest, ever the mother hen.

Whisper laughed delicately, “I see why she calls you mother hen, I'll be fine, I promise. Enjoy your flight.”

Wildfire though wasn’t convinced. “Are you absolutely sure, Whisper?”

“Yes, mother hen junior, I’m sure.” As Tempest giggled, Whisper continued, “I'm going to do a bit of shopping and then take a taxi back to the house. I’ll call to let Pistachio and Butternut know, then I’ll call Em to let her know I got back safe, okay?”

“I don’t blame you,” Tempest laughed, “It's a dead market here.” Whisper and Emerald both facehooved at Tempest’s really awful joke.

“Stiff crowd?” Wildfire added, drawing a series of groans all round. While they were still groaning, Wildfire found Whisper and gave her a last tight hug for the road. “Take care and enjoy your shopping, okay?”

“Thank you for everything you've done for me, Wily.” Whisper returned the hug as tight as she dared to not hurt the little mares casts.

“It was my sincere pleasure, Whisper. I look forward to ‘Serenade’s’ new single.”

Tempest hollered, somewhat unnecessarily loudly, “Let's mount up!”

“I bagsy momma!” Fortunately, Emerald didn’t mind being ‘bagsied’ by her daughter. She crouched down and allowed Wildfire to get on her back and the orange pegasus stretched her healed wings. She hadn’t flown properly in over a year and a half, thanks to Cold Front clipping her wings.

It was a short, uneventful flight to the train station, which Emerald was grateful for, even though as Tempest said, her flight skills were excellent. There were tearful hugs all round when it was time for them to part, especially between Wildfire and Emerald. The train was on its final whistle before Tempest had to drag Wildfire on board. As the train started to move, the violet mare made sure her herd-mate was waving in the right direction as the train left the station. “Honey, that was a great weekend,” Wildfire said eventually, when she knew the station had been left behind them.

“It was,” Tempest said warmly, pulling Wildfire away from the window and onto the couch for a much needed snuggle, because she looked like she could use one. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Even though she had been pulled into a cuddle that resulted in Tempest’s snout being buried in her chest fur in just the way she liked, Wildfire couldn’t help but look a bit saddened. Not because her lover was kissing and nibbling all across her body, but what she was leaving behind. “I'm sure time is funny. How does it drag when dull stuff happens but whizzes when you're enjoying it?”

“Never stare at a clock,” Tempest said, lifting her head up for a moment from the blind mare’s chest, “it will move backwards when you least expect it.” She placed a soft tender kiss on Wildfire’s lips, a kiss that found its way back to her chest. “Seems we had an easier time getting to our compartment than last time.”

“Pr-Probably…hmmm…mmmmm…because I'm in a better frame of mind as opposed to last time.” Wildfire moaned softly, every kiss, nibble and lick sending electricity coursing through her body that went straight to her core, “And I didn't need yelling at this time.”

“True,” Tempest purred, her kisses finding Wildfire’s collar bone in just that right place that made her hind leg twitch, “so, if I was the sub, what would you like to do?”

Thanks in no small part to what Tempest was doing to her, the question caught Wildfire a little off guard. “If you were the sub?” she had to roll the idea around in her head for a few moments. “I don't think I've been top, other than that one time on the train with Airy.” Then, it came to her in a flash of inspiration. “Well, I taught you the awesomeness of hoofing, I think I'd show you the finer points of hoof worship!”

If she was honest, Tempest was rather expecting that, given that she knew she had a massive hoof fetish. “That sounds like fun, Wily.” She placed a tiny trail of kisses down to the little yellow mare’s breasts.

“It is!” Wildfire squeaked, again thanks to what Tempest’s lips were doing. “Then again, I'm biased.”

The more Tempest thought about it, distracting Wildfire with kisses all the time, the more she really wanted to give it a go. It was at that moment, when she got up to use the washroom to get soap, a wet cloth and a dry cloth, that she was glad she had booked a stateroom. “First, before we start, I'll need to wash your hooves missy.”

“Airy has taught us both well,” Wildfire giggled playfully, before a thought occurred to her. “You know, sometimes I catch myself cleaning a hoof first before I lick it and I'm amazed how far I've come.”

Equipped with the soap, wet cloth and dry cloth, Tempest washed all four of Wildfire's hooves. She took her time, lavishing attention on each one in turn, cleaning the soles and the frogs of each. It had never struck her before how pretty the sole of a hoof was. “You have come so very far since we first met in Caffy's coffee shop. Too bad I wasn't there when Airy first met you.”

Wildfire had to really concentrate, otherwise she would be lost in the pleasures of having her hooves cleaned. It wasn’t just having somepony else do it, it was the way Tempest was doing it. The soap, the feel of the cloth, it was heaven! “I do recall Airy dragging you over and telling you I was a fun pony,” she answered after a long moment.

“Then again, Lavender had first shot too, and she also liked you.” Tempest punctuated each word with a long, loving kiss to the toe of each cleaned hoof, her tongue running along the white wall.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire sighed happily, for each time she felt Tempest’s lips on her hoof made her insides turn to mushy goo. “But you were the first to pee on me. That's special!”

The violet weather mare smirked, “I was the first to poop on you too, before I knew you weren’t ready for that,” she then took Wildfire’s left forehoof in hers and she licked the back of it, dragging her wet warm tongue between the bulbs and up the frog.

“Hmmmm ooooh th-that's very good!” Wildfire’s shoulders slumped and her body seemed to lose all its tension as Tempest continued to lick her hoof. “We ah, we need to get around to that, don't we?” she asked with a goofy happy smile, “You have a talented tongue, Honey!”

“I had a good instructor…” Tempest then suckled on her fetlock and slowly, she ran her tongue along the periople.

“Ooooh! oh yessss, I think I rather like receiving this!” Wildfire moaned in sheer bliss as Tempest worked her way back to the bulbs, her sensitive frog and then she lavished her attention on the sole. “Hmmm Honey I love your technique! It's different to mine but...damn...” the yellow mare squeezed her hind legs together because she was getting very wet indeed.

Tempest knew that where Wildfire liked to go front to back, she was doing the opposite. On purpose, as it happened. Once she was done, she moved on to the right forehoof so she could repeat the process. Wildfire had a bit of a devious little thought though and she dipped the first cleaned hoof into her marehood and rubbed her slit, getting it all wet. “Oh no, it's all dirty!” playfully she booped Tempest's nose. “I thought you'd cleaned it?”

“I must have done a terrible job of it then.” Tempest could see what Wildfire was up to, it was cute, if anything, the way she was trying to be a dominant pony. It was obvious though that she’d hardly done it before. “I'll get back to it after this hoof, Mistress.”

When she felt Tempest’s tongue slather its way all over her right forehoof, Wildfire giggled and rubbed herself harder, panting softly. Soon, the smell of her arousal filled the compartment. “I think it's getting dirtier, Honey…” Silently, Tempest finished the second forehoof and pulled the first out of Wildfire’s wet snatch so she could start it again. Straightaway, the blind mare lowered her right hoof now to her marehood but she ended up giggling. “It feels odd with my right hoof…Ahem, I mean, Pet!” she blushed, “it's getting dirty again…”

Tempest rolled her eyes. She might be terrible, but Wildfire was trying, and that was the important thing. Still, she couldn’t imagine Mapper giggling while she was doing this. She made a mental note to tell her herd-mate to give Wildfire dom lessons. Once she had again cleaned the left hoof, Tempest pulled up the right hoof to her lips. “This won't do, Honey.” Wildfire declared between halting, panting breaths, “What's between my legs keeps making my hooves dirty!”

The older pegasus had a quick retort on her lips, but she swallowed it down. The only way Wildfire would improve was by encouragement, not being told how rubbish she was. “If I ever finish these forehooves, Mistress,” she said with just a hint in her voice, “I'll be able to do the hind hooves and resolve what is between them.”

When Tempest went back to cleaning her right forehoof for the second time, Wildfire caught the barely concealed hint and allowed her to continue. Perhaps Mapper would give her lessons when they got home. “You make a good point. You may continue, Honey.”

When she was done with the forehooves, Tempest kissed her way down to Wildfire’s hind legs and got to work on her lover’s left hind hoof. She was grateful that ‘dense Wily’ had taken a vacation and she had taken her hint, otherwise they’d be here all night. She couldn’t however ignore the scent coming from between her legs, “Smells nice down here.”

“Mmmmm Sweet Cadance your tongue feels sooo nice!” Wildfire moaned lustily, aware that her inner thighs were wet though thanks to what Tempest was doing to her. Lowering her hooves, she held her head and stroked her black mane.

To get from the left hind hoof to the right hind hoof, Tempest kissed her way up Wildfire’s leg and she bravely navigated the Neighagra falls that was between her legs, giving her diminutive Mistress a probing lick up her slit and suckle on her clit to help with the wetness before moving down the other leg. “GAaaAAAH!” Wildfire jumped a teeny bit and her hind legs quivered. “There's the lightning! I must say Honey, receiving is as good as giving...”

“No complaints here,” Tempest smiled, nibbling and kissing her way down to the right hind hoof. It was, admittedly, more fun than she had thought it would be. Making her lover turn to jelly though was always fun.

"Oh nonono,” Wildfire keened, longing for nothing else other than for Tempest to carry on doing to her what she was doing, “no complaints at all, in fact I think you're earning a reward…”

When Tempest finished tongue lashing the last of Wildfire’s four hooves, she slowly kissed her way back up her hind leg until she was at her dripping wet crotch. However, she bypassed her prize for a moment and moved up to her breasts. There, she took the time to lick and suckle upon each nipple. “Airy will be a very happy mare when these fill up,” she said with a smile.

Wildfire wasn’t left with much time to process what Tempest had said though because as soon as she did, she left her stiffened nipples and went south, burying her face in her marehood. “MmmMMMMM I'm sooo gonna be her little milkmare and I'll love it too!” Wildfire cried, thrusting her hips upwards to her lover's face.

Tempest gave Wildfire a few experimental licks and kisses, but even that, in her already aroused state, was enough to make Wildfire start moaning in pleasure. The violet mare wrapped one foreleg around Wildfire’s left leg and placed her other hoof on her lover’s thigh to get better leverage.

Wildfire started to buck her hips as much as she could in an effort to make Tempest go even deeper, as if she needed the encouragement. "AAaaaAAAH!" the blind mare exclaimed as she felt Tempest’s talented tongue start to reach inside her, soon rolling her tongue around her muscular tunnel. Her back arched as she flung her head back and her mind clouded over with pleasure.

Letting go of Wildfire's clit, which she had been sucking on for a few moments, Tempest began to run her tongue along her marefriend’s tender sex. Wildfire could feel more and more heat racing through her loins, pushing her closer and closer to the edge.

Though she was giving it her all to get Wildfire off, Tempest still managed to take her time. Applying licks and nibbles to her labia and her hard nub, Tempest took it slow and carefully, using just her tongue, was able to tease the climax out of her, content to drive her crazy with little tentative licks around the outside mixed with plunging deep ones inside her snatch.

After a few large licks right against Wildfire’s centre, the little yellow pegasus finally reached her climax. Her head flung back, her back arched in pleasure and, with a squirt like a geyser, she screamed, “BUUUUUCK YESSSSS!” as blood flooded her face and she shook with the force of her orgasm.

Proud of her work, Tempest remained at Wildfire’s crotch and she drank it all down. It was the responsible thing to do, after all. She didn’t want the couch to get stained. “That was fun,” she commented, licking her lips. “I see why you like it.”

Wildfire was sure she could see stars. “I think...” she panted, “th-that was the first time mine have been treated like that…”

“Didn't you get Airy to do your hooves?” Tempest asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, um, I think you're right.” Wildfire wasn’t that sure, if she was honest. Then again, right then and there, she wasn’t sure if the sky was blue and rain was wet, so good was her climax. “I'm sorry, so much has happened I'm afraid I forgot.”

“That's okay, we don't have to tell Airy I did it better,” Tempest crawled up her marefriend’s body, closed her eyes, leaned down and kissed Wildfire deeply. Wildfire wished the kiss could go on forever, she could taste herself on Tempest's tongue as it explored her mouth. Each mare was content to just lay together and enjoy each-others’ company for a while.

“Our secret?” Wildfire smiled, “I'm ready to give you that reward I mentioned if you want it?”

“I do!” Sitting up on the couch, Tempest clapped her hooves like it was Hearths Warming morning and she had been given the best gift in the world. “I do, I do!”

“Who's an eager filly?” Wildfire, after a few moments fumbling around, finally found her saddle bag by the side of the couch and, reaching into it, eventually produced the stallionator she had bought with her but hadn’t had the chance to use yet. “I'd very much like to mount you, Honey.”

“I'd like that too,” Tempest smiled, licking her lips at the thought of Wildfire mounting her and having her weight on her back, “but not in the tail hole, if you please.”

“Not a problem Honey.” Wildfire had no problem with that whatsoever. “It's odd, I like to receive it there, but giving it just feels…iffy.”

“I don't mind giving there, but I lose myself and try to only do it to Serenity. Or when Airy’s here to stop me.” Tempest giggled, “Personally, that hole is an output devise only.”

“That's why Airy had to bite your ear that time on the train, I remember that.” It wasn’t like Wildfire was ever going to forget it. That had been one of the most intense ruttings of her life. “Gimme a hoof getting this on, then I can get on you.”

“Right away ma'am!” Tempest even saluted her, even though she knew she couldn’t see her gesture. Quickly, eagerly, she helped Wildfire step into the straps of the stallionator and, once it was in place with the little part of the toy in the blind mare’s pussy, Tempest turned and presented herself, her black tail lifted up and to the side. “Ready to receive Mistress.”

Wildfire had to fight to keep from laughing. She only just succeeded. “That just sounds odd being called that,” she didn’t object to it though, as she reached for the lube she had taken from her bag at the same time as the toy. She generously squeezed on some of the strawberry flavoured lube, because one couldn’t ever use too much, and reared up at Tempest's hind end.

Looking back over her shoulder, in order to see at the angle Wildfire had, it was Tempest’s turn to not laugh. It looked to her that the tiny mare was trying to do her belly button. Celestia, it was funny! “Um, not to say anything, but you could stand on the couch and I could back up to you?”

Wildfire frowned, “Are you saying I'm small?” her frown dissolved into a smile and then into giggles. She really couldn’t argue. She was small. “Alrighty, your way sounds good to me!”

“Judging what’s hanging between your legs, you're not small at all.” Tempest couldn’t help but stare at the phallus bouncing against Wildfire’s belly. It was a most captivating sight indeed. “Your legs may be a bit ‘under-height’ though,” she giggled and, once Wildfire was stood on the couch, she moved backwards.

“Not my fault I wasn't left in the miracle-gro long enough when I was a filly!” Wildfire pouted adorably. A moment later and she felt Tempest back up into her. Reaching forwards, her forehooves found the violet pegasus’s wing joints and she hooked on.

Tempest felt the toy prod her entrance and she let out a rather desperate moan, “Oh yes, give to me good, Mistress!” As Wildfire tried to do as she had requested, Tempest felt her hooves slip a little on her back, which caused Wildfire to slide the rest of the toy in her sopping marehood to the hilt as she got stable again. “Ahhhhh Yessss! You don't have to balance your hooves on my back. You can hook them over my wings. Mmm…that feels so good with you in me.”

Wildfire duly moved her hooves from the violet shoulders down her back to the joints of her spread out wings, holding just where they meet her body. Tempest smiled, panting with the pleasure in her core. Hilted now, Wildfire paused. She knew from experience that Tempest really liked a good hard rutting. Pulling back almost to the point of withdrawing from her completely, Wildfire thrusted back in to the hilt, her hips slapping Tempest’s ass a lot harder and more confidently than she had before.

With the force of the hard thrust, Tempest's body lowered a bit as she spreads her legs wider for balance. “Give it to me, Wily!” Spurred on by her marefriend’s encouragement, the blind mare withdrew midway and she thrusted forwards a third and fourth times, picking up her speed with each buck of her hips.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes buck me girl!” Tempest screamed, lost in heaven with each hard thrust giving her more pleasure than the last, “buck me into next week!” The rational part of her that could still think was impressed with how firm and hard she was being bucked, the sheer confidence that Wildfire was rutting her was sexy in itself. That part though was quickly being screwed out of her ear by the mare on her back.

“Want it do you?” A little switch seemed to flick in Wildfire’s head as she bucked her hips the roughest yet, getting the toy right to the hilt. She was encouraged to go harder and faster by the extremely lewd squelching noises the toy made as it plowed Tempest’s depths and the mewling moans coming from Tempest herself. Grunting loudly, she pulled back for a harder thrust which mashed herself into the older mare’s ass end.

“Yes! Yes I want it.!” Tempest begged as her eyes rolled up, “I want it bad!”

Feeling her way, Wildfire lowered herself to Tempest’s ear. “Scream then, you pretty little mare.” She growled as she ran her hooves over the leading edges of her violet wings only to roughly pull her back as she thrust forward hard.

“Oh give it to meeeeee!” Tempest screamed, pushed as she was to the very edge of her climax, then with an ear shattering “OOooHHHHHH IIIIII GAAHAHHAHHH!” She reached her climax just as the train picked up speed on the tracks.

As she gave a particularly hard thrust, Wildfire could feel the force of Tempest's orgasm under her barrel. “That's it my love, scream my name for the train to hear!” She pulled out and thrust in as hard as she could, screaming, “GODEEESES!” She held it in as deep as she could, riding her own climax as she felt Tempest under her do the same.

“I love you!” Tempest screamed as she came down from her high after a few moments of sheer bliss. “Oh, that was good, sooooo good!”

“I love you, Honey!” Wildfire squeaked, her own second climax clouding her thoughts a little as she leant forwards and she sucked on the weather mare’s largest primary feathers.

“Oh, do I get a preening bonus?” Not that Tempest was going to pass up a preening. Not ever, not while she was drawing breath, anyway.

“Yuppers. For being awesomes!” Aware she was still buried inside Tempest, Wildfire moved slowly along her lover’s feathers. Even with her impressive wingboner, the weather pony had enough control over her wings to ensure that Wildfire could reach all the feathers. The little mare took her sweet time getting all the feathers. She realigned those slightly wonky ones and used her lips to straighten up those that were crooked. Seeing as how Tempest took extremely good care of her wings, there were none that needed removal. “Done!” she exclaimed.

“Would you like a preening too?”

Wildfire clapped her hooves together, “Yes please!”

“I don't know if I can get to them with you anchored. Ready for me to move forward?” When Wildfire nodded her head, Tempest carefully moved forward and turned around. Instantly, she felt empty now that the toy had been withdrawn from her. “Oh, let me clean that off first…” while it was still attached to Wildfire though, she gave head to the stallionator ensuring that her marefriend felt the bit inside of her wiggle.

“Ooooh my goodness!” Wildfire exclaimed, getting that squiffy feeling all over again. Once Tempest was done, she helped Wildfire out of it and then nosily she cleaned the other end. “Th-That was a lot of fun!” Wildfire grinned, now sat on the floor to recover.

“It was,” Tempest said once she had finished the cleaning of the toy, “now for that preen!” in her element, Tempest was determined to take her time and get lost in the sensual aspect of the preening until the last feather was done. Each and every feather that she could reach – thanks to the casts – got attention, whether it needed it or not. Given how good Tempest was, Wildfire came a good two times during the preening. When Tempest finished, she sniffed. “I may have zoned out there, but I sense I missed something…”

“O-O-Oh,” Wildfire panted hard, “I think you missed two somethings, at least…”

Tempest giggled and hugged her lover from behind. “I should place a caution slippery floor sign by the door, just in case. Don’t want the staff slipping, do we?” she placed several long slow licks up the length of Wildfire’s ears, ending with a little nip at the tips. “I think we’ll do some clean up and we can go to the dining car. Good idea?”

“I agree, Honey. I'm getting hungry after all that exercise!”

~ ~ ~

In the dining car, Tempest and Wildfire had just enjoyed a hearty meal of onion broth served in a bread bowl along with two Stable Hopper beers for the weather pony and alcohol free versions for the firefighter. Dinner consumed, they were now sharing some light conversation over an ice cream sundae that was a big as Wildfire was. “I'm so looking forward to the wedding!” Wildfire squealed happily, spooning some chocolate and vanilla ice cream into her bowl. “I'll have these casts off, and my dress, and it's gonna be awesomes!”

“I have to agree,” Tempest said as she helped herself to some of the coffee ice cream, “and I'll be sure to say something embarrassing for the toast.”

Wildfire was counting on that. “You'd better, that's how we know you aren't a changeling!” she giggled and, after swallowing her ice cream, reached for her beer. “It's going to be a great day, I just know it. I can feel it in my feathers.”

With a mouthful of ice cream, Tempest leant over the table and nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek before sharing her ice cream by way of a deep kiss. “I love that you came along to give Airy direction.” Another mouthful of coffee ice cream found its way into Wildfire’s mouth. “I love how you have restored the mini-herd.” She paused and fed her lover again. “Now to make it work together.”

“I really haven't done anything special, I’ve just been me,” she nuzzled the older pegasus and she took her turn to feed her some of her ice cream. “But I'm special, so…yeah!” she then sat back down and took a long drink of her beer. “I honestly can’t believe how everything's changed in just a month and a bit. I've gone from existing to living, thanks to you, Airy and our herd.”

Tempest had to agree with that. As she too sipped her beer, she mulled over what Wildfire had just said. She was right. So much had changed in just a month. “Did you like it when Airy and Lav were two timing you in Caffy’s café?”

“My...that feels like a lifetime ago now!” Wildfire giggled at the memory of what she now deemed her ‘birthday’, “It was the first time anypony told me I was beautiful, since the accident, I mean.”

Leaning over the table again, this time Tempest kissed the scars that covered both of Wildfire’s empty eye sockets. “You are beautiful, and now I'm the latest to tell you.”

Wildfire smiled and blushed, and just like that, a thought struck her out of nowhere. “You know what? This is the same train I was on with Dusk, when he took me to Manehatten with him. I was so scared back then.”

“Let's finish our dessert and go back to the cabin for a snuggle.” Tempest saw the way the conversation was going and it wasn’t that she didn’t like it, rather that this wasn’t the place for it. That was a comfortable fold down bed under a warm duvet.

“I'm up for snuggles, Honey,” Wildfire stated as she finished up with her ice cream and her beer. All of a sudden, a snuggle in their compartment sounded like a very good idea. “I'm sorry if that was getting all heavy. Sometimes I can't help but reflect on stuff.”

Getting up from the table, Tempest placed a comforting wing over Wildfire’s shoulders on the way back. “It's not that it got heavy, Wily. I think we need to continue this in a more comfortable setting than the dining car.”

Smiling, Wildfire nestled deep into Tempest's side on the walk back. Unlike the other times on the train, there was no impromptu singing sessions. “To be honest, Honey, I'm getting that scared feeling again.”

Back in their cabin, Tempest settled on the now turned down bed, and the violet weather mare pulled an unresisting Wildfire in for a tight hug that saw the both of them laying side by side. “Are you getting scared like the first time you thought you were going back?”

“I was scared of that back at Caffy's that Thursday,” Wildfire explained, “It was so strange, being so far away from Amethyst, so far out of her control.”

Tempest remembered it as clearly as Wildfire did. The way she had ran up the stairs from the Mare’s Club Room to tell Caffeinated what she had learned, then the zebra had told Dusk. The look on his face as he had taken off into a Rainboom would be etched on her mind for a long time. “I worked hard to keep Airy in the dark on that. Still, Dusk did what needed to be done, even if he didn't do a good job of it.”

Wildfire though was in a mood to be more forgiving where that was concerned. “Well, it wasn't entirely his fault he missed Autumn. She was a smart pony.” She smiled, “Do you think Amethyst Glory was scared when I came out here? I like to think she was.”

“I think it’s best to think that way too.” From what little Tempest knew of Amethyst Glory, she had her own personal opinion that the mare wasn’t one to get scared very often. If she was scared, then ponies would end up disappeared. “Scared that her little empire was crumbling beneath her hooves and she couldn’t stop it.”

Wildfire nodded solemnly. “She tried to dissuade Dusk from taking me, but he just got all up in her face and put on his royal voice and was like, "She's coming, and that's that." I don’t think Amethyst liked that. Sometimes I wonder about her, Honey. What happened to make her the pony she ended up as?”

Tempest thought about that in silence. After a very long two minutes of such thought, she said finally, “I think that would be a good question to ask your wife on a quiet night in front of a fireplace.”

“I think you're right.” Wildfire snuggled deep into Tempest’s chest and she kissed her neck, “I mean, of course she got what she deserved, but I refuse to think she was born that way.”

“I don't know,” Again, Tempest considered what they were talking about. Her own questionable past drifted to the forefront of her mind. “I think I beat up my first foal in kindergarten. It was a choice I made at the time.”

“I can understand choices and consequences. Like Dad,” Wildfire chose to use Cold Front as her example. “I remember when he was nice, he was honestly the best stallion ever when I was growing up. We went to the park, he bought me my first Shakespony book. Then mom died as you know, on duty with the cloud, and that’s when he started drinking.”

“Did you ever try to hide his booze?”

“I hid it, stole it, poured it away, that's when he started to get violent. But, I chose to remember him as the stallion who bought me my first Shakespony book, the daddy who walked me home from school when I was bullied for being small, the daddy who read me The Tempest for a bedtime story and kissed me good night.”

“That’s the result I thought would happen. My parents were blind to what I was doing. My brother tried to get me turned around. Took some crazy pony shooting at me to do that. Then Airy never saw it coming with her parents. I don't know if the two of you have had that conversation?”

“We've spoken about it, Honey, how what happened to them was completely out of the blue.”

“Of course, Maps’s mom was a whore,” Tempest laughed as she laid out on the bed, thoroughly content to snuggle with her little lover. “Serenity is the only one with a ‘normal’ family, and they are really nice to meet. A lot like Caffy and Thespy, but they’re both unicorns.”

“It's amazing, isn't it?” Wildfire asked a little rhetorically as the steam train thundered on its way towards Manehatten, “One little choice and the consequences can change everything. Like, it can literally make or break your whole world.”

Tempest had to agree with what Wildfire had just said. “Yet, I chose to not be what I was. Maps chose to not be her mother. Airy chose to accept she had new parents that loved her. Choice never stops, Wily.”

“You're right, completely right.” Wildfire concurred one hundred per cent with what Tempest had just said. Thinking about it, she had examples of her own. “Like Cyclone chose not to be her mother, or Air Raid chose to finally move on, Dusk and Oils adopting Ivory, Emerald choosing to help other mares like her, it goes on and on, doesn’t it?”

“You have choices to make, so I can understand that you'd be nervous, and even a little scared.”

“Oh, I'm a lot scared,” Wildfire smiled and giggled with the admission she had just made. “I've suddenly got everything I ever wanted. I'm so very scared it's all going to be a dream, or that something will happen to take it all away.”

Smirking, Tempest nipped Wildfire’s right ear, hard enough for her to notice, but not hard enough to draw blood. “Still think you might be dreaming?”

“Eeeeeeek! Ow,” Wildfire playfully flicked her ear. “No, I’m not dreaming.” She wished she was though, because now her ear hurt. Totally worth it, though.

Rolling onto her side, Tempest faced Wildfire and very lovingly, she kissed her face right on her prettiest eyes, paying careful attention to each socket. “You are cute enough to be a dream.”

“You sweet talker…”

“Honey is my name!”

Wildfire giggled, for a moment, she was just enjoying the feel and the sound of the train rocketing along the track. “I want it to be like that old movie, you know, the one about the magic chocolate factory. When Wonka says at the end, "Do you know what happened to the colt who got everything he ever wanted? He lived happily ever after."

Tempest knew the movie that Wildfire was referring to. She had enjoyed it, but on some level it had unnerved her. “Yes, but I disagree. I'm not big on getting as I am on achieving. You have worked hard to be here today, and I know you will continue to do so.”

“Damn right I will. It'll only stay good as long as I work at it.” She was mature enough to know that nothing good came to anypony unless you worked at it.

“You do have a herd with you to keep it going,” Tempest said with an affectionate nuzzle, “and I know that your other friends will help you along too. Should you falter, I'm sure one of us will apply a stick to your ass.”

“Oh, I'm sure there'll be a long line ready with the stick.”

“Yes,” Tempest nudged her marefriend’s barrel, “I got two from the number wheel.”

Wildfire considered that as she felt the train slowly turn a corner. “Well, sometimes Wildflower needs her ass spanked, doesn’t she?”

“True, we must keep it nice and tender.” Tempest kissed all the way from Wildfire’s jaw to her ear, “Just don't be afraid to put Airy in her place when needed.”

“I won't, I promise,” Wildfire returned the nuzzle with one of her own. “So, your new book. Shall we read it?”

“We should!” Tempest exclaimed happily. With everything they had talked about and discussed, she had almost forgotten about the Phantom of the Opera she had bought from the book store earlier in the day. “Just don't expect me to do voices.”

“Deal!” Giggling, Wildfire placed a foreleg over half of her face, “Look, I'm the Phantom!”

Tempest thought that Wildfire’s impersonation was pretty much spot on. She would have to remember this for Nightmare Night. It wasn’t that far away now. “Serenity would be a far better Cristine than me,” she admitted, “but I like the part of a villain, I could be Carlotta!”

“True that, my love,” when Tempest had the book out of her bag and was back on the bed, they both got settled back next to each other under the fluffy warm duvet. As Tempest began to read, Wildfire was a very little pony indeed. Being a night pony at heart, Tempest was more than happy to press on with the whole book as long as Wildfire stayed awake.

After about two hours of reading, Wildfire began to fade. Another hour or so and they were roughly three quarters of the way through and, rather unceremoniously, the diminutive blind mare’s head slipped from the hoof it was propped up on and she snored.

Although Tempest was quite happy and willing to read on, she found herself seriously debating between reading the rest or going to sleep right then and there. Ultimately, she decided upon sleep. She knew it would be way too early when they eventually arrive in Manehatten otherwise, so she stopped reading and snuggled into the snoring mare’s chest, pulling the duvet over them both.

Chapter 22 - The Heart of the Flame

“Stormy?” Airmail’s panicked voice split asunder the silence in the town house that the azure blue mare shared with her fiancé and marefriend. Airmail was panicked because today because today was finally the day of the wedding! Many emotions were running through the lead editor’s mind, but nervous excitement and anxiety was winning. “Stormy!” she called out again, having gotten no response, she called out the loudest yet, “Tempest!”

From upstairs in the computer room, Tempest called out in frustration, “What?” the violet weather mare purposefully left the eye roll in her voice, because in the last two hours, Airmail and her fretting had gone from cute and adorable to downright annoying.

“Does the caterer have access to the hall?” Airmail shouted up the stairs, for the moment ceasing in her pacing around the living room table. That she had worn a visible track into the carpet was neither here nor there. There were a million and one things that could go wrong with the night to come, and she could see each and every one, each more devastating than the last.

A very deep and irritated sigh could be heard from upstairs, evidence that Tempest was in the midst of her breathing exercises. “Coffee Bean is there to let them in. As you know. Not much point in hiring a caterer if they can't cater. As you know.”

“Oh,” that made Airmail pause before she could continue with her pacing, “That’s okay, then…”

From her position on the couch, Wildfire set aside her braille book. Thanks to her fiancé’s fretting, she had scanned her hoof over the same line of The Tempest several times anyway. It was a good bit too, with Prospero on his island. “Pretty, if you keep worrying like that your feathers will fall out,” she fluttered her recently healed wings, got off the couch and kissed her lover’s lips. “It'll be fine.”

Wildfire’s kiss, fortunately, was pure magic. Airmail’s nerves left her like they were never there. “I'm not wearing the dress right now…” she purred into the diminutive mare’s ear so she could hear the bedroom eyes in her voice.

“I should hope not!” Wildfire giggled brightly, “You know, we have a few hours until the ceremony. Need a wing rub to chill out?”

“She needs a rutting!” Tempest yelled from the computer room, the weather pony having heard quite enough.

“Wing rub, rutting, I wasn't far off,” Wildfire snickered. Stood as close as she was to her older marefriend, she could feel Airmail’s deep intense blush that lit up her cheeks. That said, she was up for some distraction. “So, pretty mare, you wanna do it over the dining room table?”

Airmail glanced at the living room table, though she knew the dining room one was bigger and sturdier. “When do we leave?”

“Limo will be here in two hours!” Tempest yelled downstairs.

Mind made up, Airmail tugged Wildfire’s wing towards the dining room. “Table it is.”

“Alrighty. Got the stallionator?”

“You're the one doing the rutting.”

Wildfire was perfectly okay with that. As the two mares walked through the short connecting hallway that lead from the living room to the dining room, Wildfire spread her wings. “Gimme a sec, Pretty.” She kissed Airmail’s cheek and she took off, turning to the left and flying up the stairs to get the toy.

As it happened, Wildfire did not have to go all the way to the bedroom and the toy box. Tempest was waiting for the little pregnant pony at the open door to the second bedroom that they used as the computer room / office. She pressed the strap on toy into Wildfire’s hoof and whispered, “She doesn't need to walk till you get there, Wily.”

Taking the strap on in her hooves, Wildfire giggled and returned the whisper. “I got this Mother Hen, Operation Distract Airy with a Damn Good Rutting is a go!” Giving her young herd mate a wink, Tempest patted her on the back and she returned to the computer room to follow up on that day's events. With the toy firmly in place around her waist, Wildfire hovered her way back down the stairs to the dining room. “Still there, Pretty?”

Airmail was definitely still there. In the time that Wildfire had been upstairs, she had gotten into position, laying her upper body over the side of the dining table and lifting up her summer green tail in readiness for the rutting she was hoping to receive. “I'm drooling on the table in anticipation.”

Landing on her hooves, Wildfire remembered the very first time she had worn the stallionator toy way back in the bedroom – it felt like a lifetime ago to her - and she pranced around the dining room so that the twelve inch rubber dong bounced against her belly with her teats looking like a splendid set of ball. “Me too!”

“Now I'm drooling at both ends!” Airmail giggled, though it was all she could do to not burst out laughing at the sight that presented itself to her.

Following Airmail’s musky aroused scent, Wildfire got herself behind her lover. While the temptation to just mount her was strong, the blind mare resisted it. She shoved her head under the older mare’s raised tail, messily licking at her damp slit. “Have to make sure.” She was not disappointed.

“HUummmsaAAHHHH!” Whatever Airmail had been about to say, it was replaced immediately by the moan off sheer pleasure as she felt Wildfire’s very skilled tongue lap at the entrance to her hot wet hole.

“Yuppers, that's a lot of drool alright!” Wildfire, fully satisfied that Airmail was more than ready to receive what she was about to give her, reared up behind her and she rested her forehooves on Airmail's shoulders. The little mare shuffled forwards two steps and, unlike that first time, when she was hesitant and indecisive, Wildfire had the toy all the way inside her fiancé in one smooth confident thrust of her hips.

“Yeah, I have to admit Stormy can have a good ideaaaaaaahhhhhh!” Airmail’s sentence was interrupted by the veiny plastic stallionhood that spread her marehood and filled it all the way up. “Oooooooh yes!”

“She does that, Pretty.” Wildfire pulled back her hips and, in doing so, she pulled the toy out half way and she thrusted back inside to hilt, medial ring and all.

While Airmail did enjoy what her young lover was doing – and she did thoroughly love how much more confident and self assured she was with her – she needed more! “W-Wi-Wily…I’m still thinking here!” Behind her, Wildfire did not answer verbally, instead she picked up the pace of her thrusts, rutting her with a passion. “Oh yeah, 000hhhhh yeaeaeahhhaaaahaha!”

“There's my pretty mare...” Wildfire, leaning forward, moaned in sheer pleasure and nibbled and licked up along the edge of Airmail's ear as she rutted her good and hard. In response, Airmail pushed against Wildfire and flicked her ears at the bite, her moans starting to fade from hearing as her mouth was hanging wide open.

After a few hard thrusts like that, Wildfire moved up so that her hooves were able to tug on the leading edges of Airmail's wings, her thrusts tapping the panting mare's cervix. Moments later, Airmail went ridged and Wildfire felt a tell-tale wetness running down her legs that could only be her climax. “BUUuuuUUUUUCK!” the blind mare screamed and she flopped on her fiancé's back, riding out her own intense orgasm.

“I nob tink straa…” Airmail panted, the lead editor of the Manehatten Times reduced to a babbling mass of sweaty fur and feathers.

Smiling at her handiwork, Wildfire leant down and gave Airmail’s ear some tongue action. “I needed that too, my love.”

“Well, that took all of ten minutes.” Tempest said as she descended the stairs and surveyed the scene that greeted her in the dining room. The sight of Airmail splayed over the dining table – the same one she had teased Wildfire with the chocolate chips – had her very turned on indeed. “Stay in her Wily. Do you need an ass rutting?”

As Tempest made her way into the dining room, Wildfire heard the unmistakeable sound of a stallionator thumping against a mare’s belly. One did not have to be a math genius to work out what Tempest had in mind. “Ass…” Wildfire realized with the toy insider her, there wasn’t much room for another toy. “Yuppers!” Wildfire grinned, more than on board with what Tempest had planned. “I think I might be nervous too, Honey!”

“That’s why I suggested this. After all, Airy will get a double rut!” Tempest, behind Wildfire who was still up on her hind legs, took a hoof full of her favourite strawberry lube and liberally applied it to Wildfire’s tail hole. She jammed her nose under the yellow mare’s black tail and she licked deeply, her tongue lashing all over the firefighter’s dripping anal ring. “As tasty as ever.”

Wildfire couldn’t help but giggle as she smelled the scent in the air, “I'm really worrying, Honey!” she lifted up her black tail higher to present herself to her marefriend and herd mate like she had done when she had been in heat with Tinkerer. Behind her, with years of practice, Tempest slid inside Wildfire’s ass and, in doing so, pushed Wildfire ever deeper into Airmail. The violet mare then took hold of Wildfire’s hips so she could pull her part way out before she pulled herself partway out, then she slammed in again pushing Wildfire forwards again.

“AAaaaAAAHN Yeeeeeeah Honey right there!” Wildfire screamed out in utter pleasure, as did Airmail underneath her, and her juices dripped down her hind legs, the toy she was wearing pushed deeper and deeper inside Airmail again and again as she herself was rutted good and hard.

Tempest, who had practiced this very manoeuvre many times with Mapper and Serenity, demonstrated her considerable skill and, in no time at all, she had both Wildfire and Airmail moving with speed and force and in perfect synchronicity. She just had to keep her concentration so she didn’t get lost in the rutting. By stark contrast, this was Wildfire’s first time doing this particular thing, and she was loving it, judging by her screams of pleasure. Underneath Wildfire and Tempest, Airmail was leaking everywhere like she was a busted faucet and she had a very goofy grin plastered all over her face.

Snorting like a rutting stallion, Tempest was going to town to get herself off. The weather mare was holding nothing back as she plowed Wildfire into her blue herd mate. Moments later, unable to last any longer, Wildfire screamed as she came for a second and then a third time, a goofy grin to rival that of Airmail plastered all over her own scarred face.

Although Wildfire and Airmail had both climaxed multiple times, it took another several minutes before the far more jaded Tempest could get off but, when she did, she was as deep inside Wildfire as it was possible to be and Wildfire was equally deep in Airmail. “S-So…So good!” she breathed, completely out of breath.

“O…Oh brave new world...” Wildfire giggled dumbly, for her brain had joined Airmail’s on the table, having been screwed out of her ears, “That has such wonders in it...”

Spent but happy, Tempest laid across Wildfire's heaving back. “I've so been waiting to do this with you two. Have to try again when you get back.”

Wildfire though wasn’t listening. “Our revels now are ended...teehehe...w-wow...” she babbled nonsensically, drool leaking from the corner of her mouth that she hadn’t even bothered to try and wipe away.

Seeing as how she was possessed of functioning faculties, Tempest checked the wall clock for the time. “You two both get one hour of cuddle time, then it's to the shower and ready for the limo. I'll load what you need to change on site.”

“Th-Thanks Honey…”

“Couch cuddles,” Airmail murmured, “Bed is too many steps and my wings aren't working.”

“Couch cuddles it is, Pretty!” Wildfire exclaimed when Tempest pulled out of her a moment later, leaving her tail hole a gaping mess.

When Wildfire eventually pulled out of her, Airmail leaned heavily on the diminutive yellow mare, both ponies struggling to walk their way from the dining room back to the living room. Much to Tempest’s delight, it had to be said. “That is what I wanted to see!” she declared, happily clapping her hooves together.

“That was awesomes!”

Her self-appointed task accomplished, Tempest returned upstairs so she could ‘undress' herself and follow up on some super-secret wedding things where she was sure that she wouldn’t be overheard by her two – literally – shagged out herd mates couldn’t overhear her. “Not thinking right now…” Airmail slurred, her whole focus centred on walking in a straight line, “Need cuddles from the mare with the prettiest eyes.”

When they at last reached the nearest couch in the living room, Wildfire pulled the non-resistant Airmail into a tight feathery hug. “Not thinking either, cuddling, Pretty.” Soon, Airmail drifted off to sleep with not a worry in the world, leaving Wildfire nuzzling her cheek. “Yuppers, that was awesomes...” it wasn’t long before she too was asleep.

The moment the clock ticked over from fifty nine minutes to sixty, Tempest was at the side of the slumbering pegasi like a stereotypical regimental sergeant major. First, she called loudly into Airmail’s ear, “You smell like two mares in heat!” then, she moved over to Wildfire’s ear, “To the shower with you!”

Airmail didn’t move. “Five more minutes!”

Wildfire didn’t want to move. “What she said, Momma Hen…”

Fortunately, Tempest was ready and prepared for just such a reaction. She extended one of her powerful violet wings and grabbed a mug of cold water from the coffee table in front of the couch. Smiling evilly, she then poured it on both of her herd mates. “Choice two is I clean you both here.”

“Gah!” Wildfire exclaimed as the ice cold water splashed on her scarred face, “That was sneaky, Honey!” she affected a most adorable pout, “I’m sure my mom would approve.” In fact, there was no doubt in her mind that her mother would have gotten a sponge from the freezer and held it on her belly until she got up.

“At least it wasn't a yellow storm,” Airmail grumbled as Tempest snickered and she reluctantly wiped the sleep from her eyes with her wingtips.

“Yet.”

“And that's my cue to get up!” The look of intent in Tempest’s eyes told Airmail that she was absolutely serious in her threat. “We should shower together love, to save water.”

“Agreed, Pretty.” When the two mares – albeit reluctantly – got up from the couch, Wildfire followed Airmail back through the small hallway, up the stairs to the shower and, once in, she ran her hooves over her belly. “So...I'm a month and a half gone, am I showing yet?” she asked hopefully.

Airmail giggled, because her fiancé was being adorable. “Not yet,” she knew from experience that a mare like Wildfire would start showing their pregnancies at four months. “But that isn't going to stop me from rubbing your belly!”

“I can't wait to be big and round and milky.”

“Nor can I, milky that is.” Airmail reflexively licked her lips at the very thought of her young lover’s teats swelling in size and becoming full with lovely, lovely milk. “I'll love you no matter how round you get.”

“And I loves you too, soon to be Mrs Pretty.” Wildfire grinned and, when Airmail turned on the hot water, she started to clean Airmail’s chest and belly first, using the lavender scented shower things she bought from the big supermarket that one time when the nice zebra had helped her shop.

Airmail, for her part, was happy to let Wildfire do a good cleaning, with only a little interference of nibbles to her ear when she had finished a certain area. “I wish Heatwave could see me now.” Wildfire said as she cleaned, a tiny amount of sadness in her voice. “I mean, proper firefighter, part of a herd, pregnant, marrying the most awesomest mare ever…”

“He was invited, you know, in your heart.” Airmail nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek to cheer her up. There was no be no tears this night, unless they were of joy. “So he'll just have to see you out of a shower with the second most sexy mare in Equestria.”

Her mood instantly lifted, Wildfire giggled, “I know I’m being silly, Pretty.”

Airmail didn’t think her lover was being silly at all. “I think you just want a ticket wheel so they can all peep in on you.”

Wildfire joined her older lover in her giggles, “You're probably right. So, I think you're clean. Can you do me?”

“Maybe not as well as you 'did me' but I can certainly get you clean!”

“I'm marrying a filthy minded mare,” Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips as, by the smell of it, the older pegasus was using the shampoos that Wildfire had picked up from the mall in Cloudhatten when she and Tempest had spent the day together shopping, “and I like it.”

“You should have done a better job of cleaning my ears,” Airmail snickered as she duly stuck her tongue in Wildfire's ears, starting with her left then her right, “Like I am.”

“Naaaaaaaah!” Wildfire squeaked adorably and her knees buckled under the unexpected aural assault. It wasn’t an entirely sneaky move, for Airmail could do a better job of cleaning Wildfire's ass with her down on her front knees. Soon, the little yellow mare was in the desired position, with her head down and her ass up in the shower. “So...” she started softly, “you seemed all worry wart before. You doing okay now?”

With the loaded washcloth in her hooves, Airmail paused and considered her answer for a moment. “Wily, I've worried about plans going wrong my whole career. From the military to politicians.” She then leant forwards and kissed her lover under the pouring hot water. She was at once reminded of the time they had both stood out in the rain together. “But, I'll try to worry less unless the limo is late.”

“I'm worried too,” Wildfire confessed as she cheekily flicked up her tail, “Worried that D will upstage us with wearing a better dress.”

Airmail laughed, “I've authorized Mapper to punt into orbit anypony that tries to upstage us.”

“Alas poor Dusk. We knew her well.” Wildfire giggled under the shower water. It was so nice, feeling herself being washed by her very sexy fiancé. She could force herself to enjoy such loving treatment. “But seriously, I'm not worried. Nervous, but not worried. It's like attending a fire. We've practised, rehearsed, now we just gotta do it.”

“How does your saying go,” Airmail playfully tapped her chin, “Nothing to it but to do it.”

“That's what Eirene used to say,” Wildfire agreed, her wings fluffing nervously in the shower, “I'm getting that same adrenalin buzz as when I attended Trixie's Place, or when I pushed that eight stack a few weeks back.”

Airmail placed a wet hoof on Wildfire’s lowered shoulder, “Don't let me go cold. I want your energy, and not slip into my mission mode, emotionless.”

“I won't, sexy.” When she was cleaned, Wildfire stood, turned and kissed and cuddled Airmail in the tub. “How about you have some of my mission mode instead, I've got energy for us both.”

“I know love, still that is my biggest worry for the day.” Airmail returned the kiss with one of her own, both mares locking lips for a good few minutes. “But you will be with me, and I'm not alone on some operation. This is a mission of love.” She giggled when she realised how clichéd that sounded. “I'm sure Princess Cady would say that if she was here.”

“I'm sure she would, and it's a pure and noble mission. Now, are we ready?” Wildfire asked when Airmail shut off the water from the showerhead. “I have a feeling Honey will be chasing us before much longer.”

Airmail didn’t doubt that assertion was a hundred per cent accurate, knowing Tempest as she did. “Flip on the dryer and well give each other a rub down. They are doing our manes there at the Hall, so we don't have to worry other than getting any knots out.”

“Alrighty!” Fluttering her wet wings, Wildfire got out of the bathtub and, once she had found the dryer on the wall, she turned it on. “Can you believe this crazy journey?”

In the path of the wall mounted dryer, Airmail spread her wings wide, allowing the warm air to dry her feathers, before lowering her head to dry her summer green mane and she giggled, “It was a bright and sunny day outside the coffee shop,” she said with a smile, before turning her back to the dryer and holding her wings open once more, drying the top side.

“I swear,” Wildfire said as she lifted up her black tail so the dryer could get everywhere. This was her favourite part of the dryer, feeling the pleasant warm air blow over her hind leg and marehood. It always made her giggle like a naughty dirty filly, “If I wrote it out, nopony would believe it.”

“Serenity would, she loves stories like that. Brush time!”

“Brush time!” Wildfire agreed, reaching out with her wing and flipping off the dryer, “Then I'll have to write it, for Beauty. I've said it before, but I'm really glad Luna got Vocal the singing gig and Dusk bought me here with him.”

Using the flat of the hairbrush she had taken from the rack, Airmail lightly bopped Wildfire's nose with her chosen weapon. “No more talk of that being an accident.”

“Oh no, Pretty.” Wildfire shook her head. She was way past the point where she considered her being in Manehatten an accident. She saw, especially after the recent events with Autumn Leaves in the subway and then talking with her step-mother Emerald in Canterlot, that there were no accidents. Opportunity maybe, but no accident or mere chance. “No Pretty, it wasn't an accident. I understand now that it was a nettle.” She kissed her lover as her fur and mane were brushed out, “Life gave me a nettle, it was up to me to grasp it.”

Airmail smiled warmly as she carefully and lovingly brushed Wildfire’s straight black mane. “Your grabbing of that nettle was the brightest moment of my life.”

“Mine too!” Wildfire agreed readily, “That Thursday morning in Caffy's coffee shop changed my life.”

“I'm just glad Lavender was already married.”

Wildfire joined Airmail in her little fit of giggles and she clapped her hooves like she had just been given a season ticket to watch the Manehatten rugby team. “I can't believe we're gonna be married soon!”

“Limo!” Tempest hollered up from the living room, for the gleaming white stretch limousine had just pulled up on the sidewalk outside their town house. “Five minutes, ponies!”

“Very soon, my love.” Airmail smiled, tuning her attention back to Wildfire.

All of a sudden, Wildfire was incredibly nervous. She hadn’t been at all worried all day, but right then, at that moment, she felt like she was in freefall down the side of Canterlot mountain and there was no Mapper there to blast away the trees she was about to fly into. Thankfully, Tempest had shown her how to do the breathing exercises the violet mare used to control her temper. “A-Alrighty, let's do this…”

When they got back downstairs in the living room, Tempest was ready and waiting. “The limo is here, I've already loaded it. We can leave early if you're ready.”

“Oh we're ready!” Wildfire exclaimed as she danced excitedly on her four hooves. Now she was imagining all the things that could go wrong. “Did you remember my mum's medal?”

“It’s safe with your dress in the limo,” Tempest stated with an eye roll that purposefully came through in her voice, “Airy light.”

Wildfire detected the tone of Tempest’s voice and she fluffed her wings defensively. “Just making sure, Momma Hen,” she knew her mother would never ever let her rest if she wasn’t wearing her medal for the wedding.

Tempest, seeing the nervous state that Wildfire was getting herself into, just couldn’t resist a tease. “Well, I may have switched your toothbrushes. You'll just have to deal with it.” She judged the double raspberry she received from both Wildfire and Airmail very worth it. She opened the front door and gestured out the door with a wing. “Limo is parked in front and there’s water for you both.”

“Nothing to it…” Wildfire took Airmail’s wing and she walked out with her as always on her left side, ‘But to do it.’ As she finished the quote in her head, the driver, a tan coloured earth pony stallion in a very sharp suit, opened the door in the back. Tempest took her position sitting up front with the stallion. There was, as Tempest had said, cold water waiting for them in the back. “I ah, I could use a water, Pretty.” Wildfire sat and fidgeted her hooves and fluttered her wings.

“I think both of us could use some water.” Airmail though checked the liquor cabinet in the back of the limo and she sighed when she found that it was locked. “I think Stormy also thinks all we need is water right now.” Realising it was probably for the best, Airmail hoofed one of the chilled bottles of water to Wildfire and she took one for herself.

Gratefully, Wildfire took the water and helped herself to a sip. “I think she may be right. Pretty...everything's gonna be ok, I know it will.” Having said that though, she wasn’t sure whom she was trying to convince, her or Airmail.

“Trust me that I too think it will go okay. This is our day, and our friends will be there to see us through it.”

“I just wish we could get on with it, y'know? As soon as it starts I know I won't feel nervous or squiffy or like I could fly to Canterlot and back.”

“Relax and enjoy the scenery,” Airmail said softly, though she knew where Wildfire was coming from. She understood from her time in the military. “We planned for an hour and a half with traffic.”

“I'll be fine once it starts,” Wildfire asserted, though her voice cracked a tiny amount, “It's this bit before I don't like.”

“Look at me.” Airmail set down her water and, as the limo drove its way along the streets, she took Wildfire’s face in her hooves, holding her steady. “Now see me in that dress.” She placed their foreheads together, “You can feel the feathers. It's just us now Wily, you and me, we are to be one.”

“Mmm, I can see it, with all the feathers and the flowing gown…” In her mind’s eye, Wildfire could see the dress that her fiancé would soon be wearing. She could see the feathers that she, Tempest, Airmail and even Luna had donated to the dress.

“Soon you'll feel it too.” Airmail moved her head away, but she kept hold of Wildfire’s cheeks. “I'm already excited by your touch.”

Gently, Wildfire took her lover’s hoof in her own. “I love your touch, and I love you, Pretty.”

With a giggle, Airmail kissed Wildfire’s hoof. “I washed this myself.”

“Yuppers you did!” Wildfire affectionately kissed Airmail’s washed hoof, laying delicate little kisses all along the toe, “I will never ever get tired of your beautiful hooves, Pretty.”

“That's good,” Airmail caressed Wildfire’s mane with her free hoof, “I'll always have a hoof care expert at my beck and call, won’t I?” Wildfire just murmured ‘hmhmm’ in response as she kissed Airmail’s hoof, this time her tongue slipped along the whitewall and the sole. Airmail was happy to let her keep it up, seeing as how worshipping her hoof was visibly calming the blind mare down.

~ ~ ~

Ninety minutes later, the long white limousine pulled up outside the Zebra Hall in the heart of the Broncs. Tempest got out and she opened the back door to reveal two zebra mares already waiting for them. “Airy, this is Horizon, of the Grass tribe.” Tempest indicated the turquoise mare who was bedecked in so many golden rings she shone in the dark without the need of the street lights, “She will escort you to your dressing room. Wily,” Tempest giggled playfully, “This mare is Wildflower of the Grass tribe. She will escort you to your dressing room.” Tempest clapped her hooves, “Move it, mares, we have a wedding to attend!”

Wildfire burst out into a fit of giggles at the name of the attendant that had been selected for her to get her ready. “There's no way in Equestria that's a coincidence!”

Tempest though, maintained her straight faced innocent look, giving nothing away even though she had been banged to rights immediately by her younger herd mate. Wildflower, a grass green zebra, was also as impassive as a brick wall. “This way please, honoured guest.”

Horizon snickered, “What she said.” She then turned to Airmail with a nod of her head, “I'm Horizon, and my job is to not let you escape.”

“Alrighty Ms. Wildflower,” when she said that name, Wildfire had another little giggle as she followed the zebra inside the large Hall. She couldn’t resist, it was just too funny. “I'm in your hooves.”

“Yes,” Wildflower glanced over her shoulder and was pleased to see the little blind mare easily following her tail and her scent like she could see. “Tempest told me the story, and yes she picked me to escort you. It is a cute story.”

“Yuppers it is!” Wildfire chuckled. Inside the Hall, her hooves echoed slightly off the oak wood parquet flooring. Scents of peony and blush suede and pear and freesia assailed her nostrils from the many incense burners that lined the walls in between the tribal masks that represented the major zebra tribes. “I didn't think it was a coincidence.”

Wildflower took Wildfire through the entrance foyer, parted company with Horizon and Airmail, and lead the small pegasus to a place where she could look into the decorated Hall proper. “This is where your ceremony will be held.”

“Oh wowsers!” Wildfire exclaimed, the blind pegasus was turning her head, moving it left and right to get as much input as possible in the new environment she found herself in. “I've never been in a zebra Hall before. What's it look like?”

Wildflower glanced at Wildfire and the zebra mare felt like kicking herself. Of course she couldn’t see the Hall, she was blind! “It is a large eight sided octagon shaped room, and it can sit up to five thousand. The walls are clad in wood imported from the homeland. Masks representing the tribes adorn the walls. There are a pair of carved wooden columns that denote the altar. We have curtained off a part of the room to make it look smaller, so it can seat three hundred. We do that for functions. This is the door you will enter from. I understand that Prince Dusk will escort you from your dressing room.”

“Yuppers, he will, Ms. Wildflower.” Wildfire nodded, her yellow wings fluttering in her state of nervous anticipation. “Thanks, by the way, for getting me dressed.”

“I have delayed long enough,” Wildflower knew that by now, everything should be in place so she could do her part. “Your dress should be in the room now. Please follow me.”

“Alrighty, you're the boss!” Wildfire easily followed the sound of Wildflowers' hooves as they clopped on the lacquered parquet flooring. “So you're part of the Grass Tribe?” she only asked because she hadn’t come across any of those while she had been on the east coast.

“Yes,” Wildflower nodded with justified pride in her voice, for the Grass Tribe was the most powerful and influential of the tribes back in Zebrifica. “There are not that many of my tribe here in Equestria. Most of us do administrative work or help Coffee Bean in the Hall.”

“I've mostly encountered the Coffee Tribe since I've been in Manehatten, Ms. Wildflower,” Wildfire commented, wanting to not sound completely ignorant. Although, her knowledge of zebras was limited to Caffeinated, Cream, Amethyst and Slate. She made a mental note to pick Darkstar’s brain on the subject when she had the chance.

Wildflower looked out into the decorated Hall and she giggled, “They are a minority also in Equestria, but they are a very wealthy tribe and Caffeinated has the ear of many to include my tribe. All of us serve our Queen and she defers to their majesties, Luna and Celestia.”

“I see, and I know Luna's a big deal with the zebras,” Wildfire replied and, although she was interested in what the zebra was saying, she was mostly chattering away her nervous energy.

The grass green zebra nodded reverently, “Mungu wa Usiku will always be a 'big deal' for us, but we see the reality on the wall. Some may and they do differ in this opinion, but the Queen no longer wishes to see Princess Celestia's head on a pike.”

Wildfire had a little giggle fit at that. “Oh, I’m sorry if I oversimplified that. I didn’t mean to. I heard Mr Caffeinated say something like that to Luna at his ranch.”

“Tempest told me that you have a close relationship with the Goddess of the Night, and I know she will be in attendance to your wedding. You bring great honour to this Hall, Wildfire.”

“Through Prince Dusk,” Wildfire wanted to clarify that point, though it wasn’t a very big one. It wasn’t like she had Luna on speed dial or anything, not like Airmail or Tempest or Caffienated did. “We were at school together in Canterlot.” She smiled warmly, “The Goddess is pretty cool. As for the honour, it's my pleasure. Airy chose the Hall straightaway to get married in.”

“I’m afraid that Tempest didn't give me much of a briefing on Airmail,” Wildflower mused as much to herself as to Wildfire stood beside her. “Focused and unstoppable is what she said. Then that is for Horizon to deal with.” Once the tour, such as it was, was over – a necessary diversion to let the porters get the luggage from the limousine to the dressing room – the zebra opened a nearby door. “This is your dressing room and,” she bowed respectfully to the pony and the other zebra who were already there and waiting for them, “Greetings to you, Prince Dusk. Here Alfalfa will do your mane first. Then I will assist you in dressing.”

Dusk Melody, who had been chatting pleasantly with the mane stylist, turned his attention to his best friend as she entered the dressing room with Wildflower. Politely he inclined his head to Wildflower first. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Wily, nervous?”

“What, me, nervous? Nah...” Wildfire rubbed her right foreleg with her left, scrunched up her scarred face and she made a very equine sound that was somewhere between a snort and a whinny. “I'm not nervous...”

“Uh huh.” Dusk did not sound convinced, nor did Alfalfa or Wildflower, not that they would ever voice it, of course.

“Indeed not, Prince Dusk.” Wildflower asserted as she gave Wildfire a reassuring nuzzle, “She is ripe with anticipation, is all.”

“That's what it is,” Dusk giggled, the effeminate stallion decided to not press the issue, “Please pardon me.”

Wildfire smiled, buoyed by the support she received. “You tell him, Wildflower.”

Wildflower sniffed and affected a most superior tone, one that suited her quite well. “I'm most happy to inform the Prince of how things are, such as that is a lovely dress you are wearing, your Highness.” She then leant into Wildfire and whispered loudly into her ear so that everyone in the room could hear, “The young Prince has seen fit to not upstage you this day. As a courtesy, you should spare his life.”

“He hasn't?”

“I haven't. I'm wearing a nice understated white number, have a feel, Wily.” What he was wearing, was a simple but elegant pale turquoise dress, with white filigree swirls woven into it. Created for him by Rarity in Ponyville, it was inspired by an animated movie that his adopted colt Ivory Wind enjoyed, where the Princess in it could freeze things and make living snowponies.

Wildfire’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the dress with her hoof. Though it might look simple upon first glance, she knew from the feel of it alone the dress was an exquisite work of art. “Hmmm...I think you're right Wildflower,” she said eventually after she had felt enough, “Very well, by your counsel, I shall spare him being punted into orbit.”

Dusk merely chuckled and nuzzled his best friend’s cheek, “You're most kind, Wily.”

As Alfalfa made a start on styling her usually straight black mane, Wildfire giggled, happy to be releasing at least some of the nervous tension that had built in her small body. “I could get used to having my mane done like this!” While it wasn’t her usual style by any means, it was still feeling really nice.

“You're only getting married once, Wily.” Dusk pointed out. Alfalfa had already styled his mane before Wildfire had been shown into the dressing room into a rather fetching braid.

“Too right I am!”

“She is part of a herd,” Alfalfa stated the blatantly obvious, the stylist not looking up from her work, “So one shouldn't be to predicting the future.”

“Hey, when are you getting hitched, D?” Wildfire asked cheekily, pleased that she could literally feel her best friend’s blush.

“In good time, Wily, that's when,” Dusk answered quickly, the midnight blue stallion skilfully, or so he thought, dodging the question even though he was blushing so hard it showed through his fur.

~ ~ ~

An hour later, and Wildflower, along with Alfalfa, was performing the last minute checks of Wildfire's wedding dress and her mane and tail respectively. She looked resplendent in a green three tiered dress that flowed from her back over her hind quarters. Three black stars lined each side, representing Heatwave, her mother, and Chill Wind. On her left ear she wore the first feather that Airmail had given her attached to a red heart shaped earring. In pride of place, fixed to a pale blue choker, was her mother’s Equestrian Star medal. When she was happy that her subject was finally ready, Wildflower stepped back. “Prince Dusk, please take your station. Lady Wildfire, it is show time.”

Wildfire though wasn’t sure she wanted it to be show time. She shuffled nervously, her black horseshoes clopping on the parquet flooring. Every sound was like a canon blast to her, easily as loud as her thundering heartbeat. “I got this, I got this, I got this...” she repeated softly not quite under her breath.

Thankfully, Dusk was right by her side, ready to rest a supporting hoof on Wildfire's shoulder. “Nothing to it, but to do it, Wily.” Moments later, the door to the dressing room opened and, on the other side, the music began. As Dusk Melody took Wildfire’s wing in his and walked his best friend down the aisle, Octavia joined the piano with her cello, her gift to Wildfire and Airmail.

“Oh my,” Dusk whispered into Wildfire’s ear as they passed row after row of assembled guests. He made sure to nod to each as they went by. Hot Spot and the Canterlot First Fire Team, Professor Calculus, Emerald, Java, as well as Airmail’s family all the way from Vanhoover and Baltimare. Of course, their friends were there as well. “The whole gang’s here, even Slingshot’s here with a stallion and some mare. My mum and mom are here too. I bet mom wants Coffee Bean’s place. All the herd is here, and so is the firehouse crew. Even some profs from Uni. Nice turn out Wily.”

“Slingshot made it? That’s awesomes!” Wildfire smiled a wide, genuine smile. Somehow, the idea that Air Raid had reached out and patched things up with her old partner lifted and reassured the nervous pegasus. Knowing that not only were all the old crowd there to witness her wedding, but that Hot Spot was there too, banished all her nerves like the Fire of Friendship holding back the wendigos of legend. “The important ponies are here, and that's all I care about, D.”

“I'm glad somepony besides me is here too.” Dusk giggled as they reached the end of the aisle where the raised platform and the altar awaited. “Okay, up two steps and you'll be in your spot. Turn to face the audience.”

“My...never been more nervous in all my life, D!” As she stepped up the two steps, Wildfire reached to her mother’s medal with her free wingtip and gave the star a rub. She knew, in that simple gesture, that Heatwave and her mother were with her just as surely as the audience were. “I’m glad they're with me too.”

Just then, the music changed. The piano ceased and Octavia played the wedding march solo on her cello. “Almost there, Wily.” Dusk said softly into her ear.

“I got my vows. I got this. Tell me when you see her, describe her to me, D.”

“There she is…” Dusk Melody breathed, his breath taken from him by the majestic spectacle that walked down the aisle accompanied by her father towards them. Truly, Airmail was a pure vision. “The long cream dress is stunning with all those different coloured feathers. She wears the same earrings as you and your feather adorns her right ear and…did you know she had an Equestrian Star? Looks just like your mother’s.”

That was news to Wildfire. “I did not know that. Although I'm not surprised.” Wildfire couldn’t help but smile a wide Pinkie Pie style smile as she pictured what Airmail looked like in her head. In her head, was a pure vision worthy of a Princess. “Best feather I ever donated.”

“As soon as she steps up,” Dusk whispered, “I'll step away. When she touches you, turn around to face Coffee Bean.”

“Alrighty D.” It was all Wildfire could do to not do a four hooved happy dance right then and there in the middle of the zebra Hall. “I can't believe everypony's here!”

“It's just the two of you and Coffee Bean now,” Dusk smiled and, as Airmail ascended the two steps, her right wingtip brushed Wildfire’s flank and she took her proper and rightful place, as ever, on Wildfire’s left side. With the touch of that wing, that primary feather, Wildfire’s impossibly wide smile got ever wider and they both turned to face Coffee Bean.

“Greetings all and welcome to the Hall as we do more this night than celebrate the full moon.” The High Priestess stood magnificent in her ceremonial robes and golden rings. Though she was ancient in her years, her voice was strong and as powerful as her eternal spirit and it reached every side of the octagonal room. “For this night we join these to mares in matrimony. The Goddess of the Night bears witness to these events.” She then turned to the two mares stood before her, to the blind mare first. “Wildfire you stand before us to pledge yourself to Airmail. State for us your pledge.”

Standing at the altar, Wildfire realised the fulfilment of all her hopes and dreams was at hoof. This was what she had dreamed about since she had been a filly, one of the hopes that had kept her alive for the past five years. Noisily, she cleared her throat. “It's nothing fancy, it's just a promise.” A promise she had written in her head a long time ago.

“I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.

I promise to respect you as your own pony,
and to realize that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.

I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength, and imagination to our relationship.

I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost
fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.

I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship
alive and exciting.

I promise to love you in good times and bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.”

All through the declaration, Coffee Bean stood impassive. When Wildfire was finished, the ancient High Priestess turned to the other pony stood before her at the altar. “Airmail, you have heard the pledge?”

“I have.” It was a simple sentence, insignificant in the grand scheme of things, just two words, but to say them, it took all Airmail had not to allow her tears of joy to overwhelm her. In all her years with Tempest, and with Mapper and Serenity, she had never dared dream that somepony would pledge themselves to her like Wildfire had just done.

“Airmail,” Coffee Bean started, shaking the azure blue mare from her introspective reverie, “You stand before us to pledge yourself to Wildfire. State for us your pledge.”

Like Wildfire, Airmail had her vows planned. She’d had them in her head ever since the diminutive yellow mare had asked her to marry her when they had been on their way to Trottingham almost a month before. As she prepared to give her pledge, Airmail reflected on just how far her lover had come from the first time she had met her, how much she had changed from the frightened, scared slave to the strong, confident mare she was today. She pledged her life to that mare.

“I swear my life to your service.
I will be your shield and sword in times of trouble.
I will be your comfort in the darkness.

I swear to be one with you.
In thought and in deed.
I will lay my heart open before you.

I swear I will share my days with you.
I will be your rock when you grieve.
I will be companion when you rejoice.

I swear I shall always love you.
I will love you when we share our bed.
I will love you when we voice our disagreements.

I swear that I will stand with you.
I will stand against the herd if we must.
I will celebrate us being one with the herd while we breathe.

Upon my life this I swear.
You will be first in my life.
And even death will not separate my love for you.”

As she heard her fiancé give her pledge, her most solemn vow, it was all Wildfire could do to not make a very happy four hooved dance right then and there. Thankfully, Coffee Bean was on hoof to let her make a complete fool of herself. “Wildfire,” she intoned, drawing all eyes to her, “You have heard the pledge?”

“Yuppers ma'am, I've heard it.”

“Dusk,” Coffee Bean addressed the young Prince, who had one last sacred duty to perform, “Please present the wing band to Wildfire.” As they had rehearsed countless times over the past couple of weeks, Dusk reverently placed the wing band in Wildfire’s hoof just as Airmail extended her left wing. With the band in her hoof, Wildfire placed it over the bone of Airmail’s wing down near the barrel.

“Grain,” Coffee Bean now addressed the earth pony stallion who had walked Airmail down the aisle, “Please present the wing band to Airmail.”

Grain, Airmail’s father, recognised his big moment was at last at hoof. The proud Vanhoovan farmer stepped forward and presented the wing band that had been his wife's mother's set aside for his daughter,, a smile wide enough to rival Wildfire's plastered all over his muzzle. Taking the band from her father, Airmail secured it around the yellow mare’s left wing.

“They have shared their commitment in word, and now with the exchanging of these tokens.” Coffee Bean announced, her old voice again filling the eight sided room with ease. “May the Goddess of the Night bless this union till the last star drops from the sky. Kiss to seal this union.”

“I've been waiting for this moment, Wily,” Airmail, wasting no further time, wrapped a foreleg around Wildfire's neck, bringing her into a tight embrace as she tilted her head to one side, kissing her brand new wife full on the lips. Wildfire returned the gesture, placing her own leg on Airmail, running it through her mane as she ran her tongue across Airmail’s lips, asking permission to enter. The newspony granted it, parting her lips for the firefighter’s tongue as she ran her own over and around it, eliciting a few pleasurable moans from her. A second or two later, and Airmail thrust forward with her tongue into Wildfire's mouth, running it around the inside before briefly wrestling the smaller mare’s tongue into submission. Finally the need to breathe forced them to break the kiss, their lips coming apart with a wet smacking noise.

All of Wildfire’s thoughts left her head and they were completely elsewhere as she took the awesomazing kiss, a kiss so fantastic that her wings reacted in a rather predictable fashion, shooting out from her sides and standing fully erect. Of course, along with the applause and the cheers from the assembled audience, there now came just as many cat calls for the picture perfect wing boner. Wildfire though did not care one bit. She just took her new wife in her forehooves and really went all out for the kiss, tongue and all.

“No need to wait on these two,” Coffee Bean announced loudly to the applauding crowd. The kiss was still going on even after the guests had stopped stomping and clapping their hooves and it showed no sign of ending any time soon. “The reception is through the doors on your right.”

At last, as the guests were taking their leave and filing into the reception room, Wildfire let go of Airmail so that they could both take some much needed breaths. She heard the sound of hooves, but for now she paid them no mind. “We did it! Pretty, we did it!”

“We did,” Airmail beamed down at the smaller mare, “So…do we go to the reception, or do we sneak out of town?”

“The hotel in Horseshoe Bay is booked until the ship leaves tomorrow afternoon…” Wildfire giggled playfully, though she didn’t entertain for a moment the idea that they would really skip out on the afterparty. “I suppose we could be naughty and sneak out.”

“Coin flip to see who faces Thespy's wrath when we get back.”

“I'm still here, you know.” Tempest announced in her best ‘cold water on the bonfire’ Mother Hen tone of voice.

“I call heads!”

“Oh no!” Airmail exclaimed in such an overdramatic manner that assured her and anypony listening that she’d never ever be an actor, “Somepony took my coins!”

Tempest’s maternal frown never budged for an instant. “I'll spend it all in one spot too. Now, both of you to the reception detention!”

“Now you sound like Professor Calculus!” Wildfire giggled like a filly and, taking her wife’s wing in hers, she walked with Airmail on her left and Tempest on her right, as was the right and proper way of things into the reception. She extended her wing over Tempest’s barrel, holding both of her special mares close.

“You both did good,” Tempest said as she nuzzled Wildfire and then Airmail over the short Wildfire’s head. “Your father is a snuggly one Airy.”

“As if you didn't know that already,” Airmail snickered, “Dusk looked nice in his dress. Nothing to flashy.”

“That's why I spared his life this time, like Wildflower suggested.”

~ ~ ~

Walking into the reception area from the main meeting part of the Hall was like walking into a roaring Buckball stadium straight from a Celestia chapel. The sheer amount of noise hit Wildfire as though it was a physical force. “Wily! Airy!” Thespian was laying in wait to ambush the lucky couple with hugs and kisses the very moment they walked in. “It was a beautiful wedding. Let's eat so I can have an excuse to get some cake.”

“It was properly awesomes!” Wildfire engaged Thespian in a bone crushing hug that had become her trademark. “I'm glad you enjoyed it!” When she was released from the hug, Thespian excused herself and, along with Tempest, went to get some cake before it was too late.

“Hello Wildfire, Airmail.” Princess Twilight Sparkle, who had been invited by Luna to the wedding, walked up to greet the happy newlyweds with Calculus by her side. In truth, she would have been eager to attend in any event, if only to follow up on the spells she had cast on Wildfire and Serenity six weeks ago. And she was happy of any excuse to get away from her Princess duties, if only for a short time. “Beautiful wedding.”

“Yes,” Calculus beamed – actually beamed – something she had never, ever done to Wildfire while she had been a student at the university in Canterlot. “I will have to give you a passing mark for it.”

“Thank you, Professor Twilight!” Wildfire giggled at her old math teacher’s joke for, while the thought of sharing a joke with the older mare would have been ridiculous in the extreme a few years ago, since their meeting and reconciliation, they had become firm friends. They had spoken at least twice weekly over the phone, and Wildfire, at Calculus’s urging, had been emailing her the test results from her math course in Manehatten. All of which were passes. “At least I can say that I finally got a pass from you, Professor Calculus.”

“Other than a hall pass?” Airmail nudged Wildfire in the ribs as she winked at the unicorn and giggled brightly.

Calculus was quick with a wink of her own, “Those were hard to come by.”

Princess Twilight, a regretfully busy mare even when she was away from Ponyville, got to the point of what she wanted to speak to Wildfire about, other than offering her congratulations, of course. “Would you mind if I cast a quick examination spell on you, Wildfire? I’d like to see if the spell I cast cancelled after you got pregnant.”

Wildfire laughed at Calculus, “I sure did get a ton of those from you, Professor,” every time she was sent to the Principal’s office for fighting with Blitzwing, which admittedly was every other day. Then, she turned to the sound of Twilight's voice. “Of course you may, Professor.”

While the rest of the assembled guests helped themselves to the buffet, or chatted amongst themselves in their own little groups, Twilight lit her horn and cast her spell. After a moment, her examination was complete and the light from her horn extinguished itself. “Okay, it is still in effect.” She was making a whole list of notes in her head that would need to be transcribed later, “If you want to have a colt it will need to be cancelled.”

“I'm sure the filly you'll have will be beautiful,” Calculus offered generously.

“Thank you!” She treated the unicorn to one of her trademark hugs, again something she would never have done at the university. Wildfire then gave voice to a worry that had been plaguing her since she had gotten pregnant. “I um...I don't know if that spell can tell you how my filly's doing, can it?” She had been fretting daily, was she eating right, sleeping right, exercising right or even working right? Belle and Requiem had both assured her that sneezing too hard wouldn’t harm her foal.

“She’s developing along nicely,” Twilight confirmed, happy to see the relief wash visibly over Wildfire’s face. “Who is your maternity doctor?”

“That would be Doctor Dilate, Professor.”

“Excellent!” Twilight clapped her hooves together and another item was added to her mental to do list. “I'll drop him some of my research notes, so your file will be complete!”

“So...just to be sure, Fireflight is growing alright?” Wildfire blushed as she asked, because for the last month and a half she had been bending the ear of not only Requiem and Belle, but Thespian, Recital and any other mare in the herd who had foals. “I’m sorry to ask, I just want to be sure, y'know, 'cos she's my first foal.”

Twilight blinked at the question, “Let me do a different scan. The first was just to check on the spell matrix.”

Still smiling broadly, Calculus leant in towards Airmail. “She’s getting in the zone, so I'll say my good-byes now. I wish the both of you the best.” After a quick hug from both Airmail and Wildfire, the unicorn turned and trotted off to the bar. There was a bottle of gin that had her name on it and she wanted to make its acquaintance.

“Alrighty, thanks for coming, Professor!” Wildfire waved to the Calculus, “I'll be sure to email you the results of my next unit exam like last time!”

Calculus waved and called back, “A number of subjects revolve around math!”

Airmail laughed, “I bet she’s always waiting to say that.”

As Calculus reached the bar and stood with a few of the herd, Wildfire held Airmail’s hoof and Princess Twilight cast her second spell. Focussed on Wildfire’s womb, the alicorn’s eyes went wide with surprise just a few moments later. “Everything is fine...” Just to be sure, she cast the spell again and she got the same result. “Y-Yes, fine…”

Wildfire’s sharp ears detected the hesitation in Twilight’s voice. It set off her finely tuned ‘something’s up’ detector commonly known as Wily Sense. “What is it? Professor, what’s wrong?”

Airmail, like Wildfire, wasn’t buying it for a second. She could see by the alicorn’s body language she had detected something unexpected in her scan. On instinct, she stepped closer to her wife. “I've heard evasion most of my career, some good, some bad, and you're really bad at it, Princess.”

“Well, um, your foals are fine, really developing well. Is Fireflight what you'll name the first one born?”

“Foals?” Wildfire’s sharp ears swivelled to face Twilight, the little yellow mare now fully alert, as was Airmail beside her. “As in, plural, more than one?”

Again, Twilight blinked, wondering if she hadn’t been completely clear. “Well, yes, but the more technical term is twins as you have two. I'm sure both heartbeats will be detected on your next exam.”

Beside her, Airmail went a rather pale shade of blue she hadn’t gone in a very long time. “I uh…I-I…w-what…I...have...two?” Wildfire stuttered, sitting down heavily on the floor. Somewhat taken aback by the unexpected news, her brain tried to process what she had heard but it wasn’t cooperating. “Two...I-I'm having two!”

“Yes!” Twilight exclaimed happily, “Congratulations!” she then saw the wary look that Airmail was shooting her and she held up her hooves defensively, “The filly only spell on her had nothing to do with it! It was pure random chance.”

“Hum, oh, not that,” Airmail fluffed her wings dismissively, “Just Stormy will have twice as many to spoil now.”

“Oh my gosh...” As the news began to sink in, Wildfire finally gave in and did the very happy four hooved dance that had been threatening to happen all day long. “This is awesomes!” She squeeing like an overgrown filly, Wildfire hugged both Twilight and Airmail until both mares struggled for breath.

“Greetings Princess,” Caffeinated’s deep voice rescued Twilight from the death hug that Wildfire had on her as he and Thespian returned to the newlyweds after bashing the buffet for a few moments. “It seems Wily is a bit energetic, as usual.”

“Post wedding pre honeymoon jitters.” Thespian explained, mostly from experience. Twilight took the opportunity to extricate herself from the bone crushing death hug and, with an apologetic bow, departed as fast as manners would allow to the buffet.

“Caffy, Thespy...” Wildfire was too excited to notice the Princess’s absence, “I've just been told I'm having two fillies!”

Hearing that, Thespian looked the yellow pegasus over with a rather critical eye. She noted the rather obvious thing, that Wildfire was not the largest of mares. In fact, she was little more than a very large filly. “Well then, more the reason to eat right and follow your doctor's orders.”

Caffeinated snickered and dispensed his worldly advice, “We wanted the second after the first was out of diapers. Try to prevent yourself from being out of diapers.”

Thespian nodded at her husband’s sage words. “That was bad.”

“That's good advice, I'll be sure to keep that in mind,” Wildfire grinned before gripping first Caffienated and then Thespian in one of her tight hugs. “This is...wow! I mean...wow!” that was as much as her excited brain could process at that moment. Fortunately she dredged up a coherent sentence. “Did you enjoy the ceremony?”

“It was wonderful, Wily,” Caffeinated replied, “You couldn't have picked a better location.”

Thespian couldn’t resist a tease. “Well,” she snickered loudly so that the nearby crowd could hear what she said, “Other than the moon!”

From the crowd, somewhat predictably, Luna briefly interrupted the chat she had been enjoying with Requiem and called out, “I heard that, Thespy!”

Thespian almost fell over from laughing so hard, but thankfully Caffeinated was on hoof to keep his laughing wife upright. “It does help when the mare at the alter is really, really cute.”

Likewise, Wildfire laughed, joining in on the joke. “It does, and I was so nervous! Seriously, flying a cloud to a fire was nothing compared to standing and saying my vows!”

“Enjoy your honeymoon. I need to get Thespy some cake.” Caffeinated shook his head and, with Thespian still laughing and Luna cat calling her, the two trotted off to the buffet and then the bar.

When they were left alone for a moment, Wildfire again sunk to the floor. It was a good thing the flooring was spotlessly clean otherwise her dress would have been dirtied up. “Two...Airy, can you believe it?” she hugged and kissed her wife hard, “I’m having two foals! Twins Airy!”

Seeing that Wildfire and Airmail were alone, Emerald took her chance. Walking with Hot Spot, she came over and booped Wildfire’s nose with her hoof. “How is my d-daughter tonight?”

Hot Spot, who had accompanied Emerald as chaperone on her trip from Canterlot to Manehatten, stepped up and nuzzled his favourite rookie’s cheek. “If you ever want to ditch this town, Wily, I still have a spot for you.”

“Momma!” After nuzzling Hot Spot’s cheek, Wildfire hugged her step-mother tightly as she always did. “I'm so glad you could make it!” she turned to Hot Spot and giggled, “Sir, I don't think Rung would let me get very far.”

Hot Spot snickered, “I do have seniority.”

Emerald gushed, “Everypony signed off on my trip, and Mr. Spot rode with me on the train to help make sure I didn't panic.” She nuzzled Hot Spot and then, delicately, she placed a soft tender kiss on the old stallion’s cheek. In truth, the firefighter had been doing far more over the past few weeks than helping her to not panic.

“Sir,” Wildfire started, oblivious to the kiss her old Captain and step-mother had just shared, “I want to thank you for making sure my mum got here safely, that was super kind of you,” she placed her own, much more friendly kiss, on the stallion’s cheek. “Momma, I do have some news for you.”

“Oh?” Emerald glanced at Hot Spot and the stallion moved protectively closer to his mare, “Good I hope.”

“You're gonna be a double granny!”

Blinking once then twice, Emerald looked at Airmail, and then she blinked a third time. “Are you p—pr-pregnant too?”

“Nope,” Airmail shook her head. While she had, naturally, noticed the interaction between Emerald and Hot Spot, the azure blue mare decided not to say anything about it. She surmised, correctly, that it was a fledgling relationship and that it wasn’t her business to break it before they did. “It’s too much work for me, so I'm letting her carry both.”

Emerald looked between Airmail and Wildfire twice before she settled back on her step-daughter. “Tw-Twins?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squeed in sheer delight as she hugged her step-mother, “Professor Twilight just told me the news!”

Immediately, Emerald started to dance with Wildfire in a wide circle, “That is the best news!”

“I know!” Wildfire squealed as she danced, “This is the best day ever!”

Hot Spot looked affectionately at his dancing marefriend and her daughter. It warmed his old heart to see her so abandonly happy. He had seen her happy in the short time they had been dating, sure, but this was a different class of happiness, one he hoped very much to see in her again. “I would say congratulations are in order for more than one thing on this occasion.”

Airmail shot the stallion a conspiratorial ‘your secret is safe with me’ wink and said, with a smile, “I can only claim credit for one thing.”

"Sir,” Wildfire beamed when she and her mother had stopped dancing and were both breathless, “Thank you for coming. I ah, I know Heatwave would've loved it, and I'm glad you're here.” She then shared a knowing nuzzle with her old captain, knowing as they both did that Heatwave would have been exceptionally proud.

“I lo-love you d-daughter,” Emerald gave Wildfire a last nuzzle to the smaller pegasus just as her belly rumbled loudly. “Be sure to stop in when they are born.”

“Take care of yourself Wily,” Hot Spot smiled, “Ms. Airmail, do try to not let her fly into burning buildings.”

“I will momma, and I love you too!” she gave Emerald and Hot Spot a last kiss and a hug before she allowed him to lead her step-mother away to the buffet table.

Just then, before Wildfire and Airmail could get to the table that was still groaning with food, Brush Stroke helped his father, Starbright over to where the newlyweds were standing, in his wheelchair. “I don't need no help, colt.” The army veteran groused, though it was clear that his state of health had gotten worse since Wildfire had seen him last, given he was no longer walking himself in the chair, he had to be pushed by his son.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Brush Stroke stood behind his father and rolled his eyes in a manner that just screamed that the two had played this particular tune many times before, “I was just making sure Wily didn't sneak off. Now, I'm going to make sure Dusky isn't eating too much cake. Back in a bit.”

“Youth is wasted on the young,” the irascible old stallion barked out a laugh at his own joke, “Wildfire, Major.”

“Colonel,” Airmail corrected him, at once recognising the stallion’s traditional method of verifying whether or not he was with a changeling imposter or the real pony.

Snapping a salute to the Colonel now he was satisfied it was really her, Starbright snickered, “I guess it really is you, Airmail.”

“Captain Starbright!” Wildfire moved her forehoof up in a very good military salute, “It's awesomes you're here!”

Starbright nodded approvingly of the young yellow pony. Now he knew her, he could see Silverbolt…no, Fireflight, he mentally corrected himself, in her more and more. “That salute and medal you’re wearing do your mother proud.” He nodded to Airmail’s chest, “I see you're not the only one with a medal.”

“I have four suns for this one,” Airmail replied as she too snapped off a salute to the old pony, “But I didn't want to upstage my wife.”

Wildfire lowered her hoof and with it she touched the bright blood red Equestrian Star that adorned the blue choker she wore with pride around her neck. “I want to thank you again, Captain, for giving me this. It was like mum was here with us.”

“As long as we remember they are always with us, right Colonel?”

Airmail nodded in agreement, “For better or worse.”

“Can't forget the bad memories lest we repeat them,” Starbright agreed with the azure blue pegasus, “I'm glad I brought peace for you, Wildfire. Fireflight will always be close to my heart.” Had it not been for Wildfire’s mother, he and what was left of his medical unit would have died at Heartbreak Ridge during the Changeling Invasion.

“Another thing,” Wildfire blushed with happiness, “I haven't had the chance to thank you for returning my mother's journal. That was really cool of you.”

“Made my life uncertain,” Airmail admitted with a rather heavy heart, though it was considerably lighter as of late. “Finding out that the Flight Cadet was Wily's mum was... eye opening, to say the least.”

“Even for me, and that's an achievement!” Wildfire giggled, “But it also told me about Chill Wind, a big brother I never knew I had.”

“Did it help you find him?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied softly, “He's...he's with mum.”

Starbright gave both mares a rather harsh, critical glare. “I hope neither of you are in any hurry to join them.”

“I'd rather help keep the daises fresh,” Airmail stated, though she knew what the old stallion had meant.

“Me too,” Wildfire grinned. She had way too much to live for now to even consider doing anything like that. “Still he's family, and now he can be remembered, thanks to you. Captain, may I hug you?”

Starbright beamed, pleased that for once here was a pony who was not treating him like he was falling apart. Of course he was falling apart, but that was neither here nor there. “You don't see my husband around, do you? He can be the jealous type.”

Airmail made a show of glancing left then right, “Area is clear, sir.”

“Then let's get Operation Hug underway.”

“Yay!” Wildfire squealed happily and she delivered her trademark Wily hug to the old veteran stallion. “Thank you, sir, for everything!”

The diminutive yellow mare’s hug hurt. It hurt Starbright all the way to the core of his wasting old body, but he gave no outward sin of it except a silent, pained wince on his face that Airmail caught and gently pulled her wife back. “You're welcome Wildfire,” Starbright kept his voice even, showing no sign at all of the great pain he was in, “It helps to close another chapter in my life.”

“Wily, please sir. And I hope you have a lot more chapters in your life.”

To disguise an even bigger wince, the ill stallion laughed, “My grandfoal chapter has just begun.”

“Good!” Wildfire sneaked in another hug to Starbright, though this one was not quite so bone crushing as the first, “Oh, and watch Dusky doesn't get too much cake. Between us, when he starts he really starts.”

“That's Brush's job,” Starbright chuckled, “Between us, I don't know if he wants his intended's flank to look like his mom or his aunt!” the old stallion burst out laughing and then, thanks to his illness, the laugh dissolved into a severe coughing fits, thankfully Airmail was on hoof to supply much needed pats on the back.

Wildfire’s giggles quickly stopped and she became concerned. “Hey, Captain, you okay?”

“Time is like a sniper,” Starbright muttered, cursing himself for letting his illness show. “I just need to keep my head down.”

“You do that sir,” Wildfire was genuinely concerned, “I’ll need more hugs when we get back from the honeymoon.”

“Well, youngster, you need to stop in Trottingham then,” Starbright coughed, “I don't travel for hugs.” While he was distracted with Wildfire, Airmail gave a high sign to Brush Stroke, letting the artist know that his dad needed help.

Straightaway, Brush Stroke left the conversation he had been having with Luna, Octavia, Dusk and Dandelion and he came trotting over, cake held ready in his hoof as a cover story. “Dad, I have cake!”

“Oh, and what kind is it?”

“Carrot, of course.” Brush Stroke rolled his eyes again, producing the slice of Thespian-made carrot cake on the plate as evidence.

Just as Brush Stroke was wheeling away his father, Starbright turned back to Wildfire and Airmail. “Live, love and have fun doing it.”

“Yes sir!” Wildfire offered him one last salute and, when he was gone, she turned to Airmail, “I'm glad he came over, Pretty.”

“I'm glad too, but I hope nothing like that book drops on me again.”

“I know it was a toughie, babes, and while I share your sentiment, I'm glad he bought it to us.”

Airmail nodded thoughtfully. While the appearance of Flight Cadet 359’s journal had been a disturbing revelation, there had been at least one good thing, among a few good things, to come from the book. “It did bring us Chill Wind. Now, you need to think up a name for the second filly.”

“Well...” Wildfire shuffled her hooves together as she thought. No matter how hard she thought though, she kept coming back to the same answer. “Airy, I kinda like Chill Wind, if it's not too weird or creepy?”

“Works for a filly,” Airmail giggled, “Creepy is when she’s old enough to go see her uncle and seeing her name on a marker.”

Wildfire shrugged her shoulders. “That's for future her to worry about,” she giggled and affectionately she nuzzled her new wife’s cheek. “I've had a great day today you know.”

Airmail chuckled and kissed Wildfire’s ear, for over her shoulder she saw Amethyst, Cream and Air Raid walking up with Darkstar and Slate. All of them wore matching smiles and, in the case of Cream, Air Raid and Darkstar, their dom’s collars proudly around their necks, which did not look out of place with their dresses and suits. “And here comes your gang.”

“Hey Wily,” Darkstar was the first to reach her old friend and she nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek in greeting, “Bright says sorry he couldn’t stay, he had to take Moony off to develop the pics and let her do her magic to them.”

Air Raid was next in line, offering not just a nuzzle to her old ex, but an affectionate hug too. “Oh, Slingshot says hi, but they have left. His stallion, Silver Chord, wanted to dress him up in some new socks, and Windcharger wanted to watch.”

Darkstar grinned, “He even apologized to me and Raid.”

Amethyst sniffed airily and straightened the sleeve of the suit she wore – there was no way she was going to wear a dress – and said, “That will allow him to live.”

Slate, who was stood as ever by Darkstar’s side, snickered, “That actually says a lot.”

“So you made it good with Slingshot?” asked Wildfire with a grin. The names meant nothing to her. Silver Chord she assumed was his partner and the mare’s name rang a bell, but she didn’t recognise it enough to really care. “Raid I'm impressed!” she reached up and patted the lime green mare’s head. “You're like a proper adult now!”

Stood beside her Mistress, Amethyst, Cream snickered, “Could have fooled me.”

“Should've said 'almost' like a proper adult, Wily.”

“Ha, ha.” Air Raid stuck out her tongue at Darkstar’s cheek, “Very funny.”

Affectionately, Slate kissed his submissive partner and flicked her opposite ear with his hoof. “Darkie may start doing stand-up comedy to go with her dancing.”

Flicking her ear in response to the reprimand she had received from her dominant stallion, Darkstar kissed Slate’s lips. She did so love it when he got all commanding with her. “Only when I dance for you and Rocky, Master.”

Slate sighed softly, for he loved the way his pet purred out the last word, ‘Master’. “Too bad that 'almost' adult Raid can't watch that dance.”

When Air Raid pouted, Cream laughed at the thoroughly adorable display. Amethyst chuckled, “I can watch it for her.”

Unable to hold the pout for very long, Air Raid soon giggled, “Why do I feel like I'm being ganged up on?”

“Aww Raid,” Wildfire giggled, giving the lime green pegasus an affectionate nuzzle, “You know we all love you really.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.” Air Raid giggled, “And great wedding, by the way. I totally didn't cry during the vows.” When she said she didn’t cry, of course she meant she absolutely did cry, so much so that Cream had to offer her three tissues to dry her eyes.

Cream, as a playful reminder of the fact that she had caught Air Raid crying, nudged her barrel and teased, “I took notes.”

Amethyst decided to stand up for her beleaguered pet. “I totally didn't see her cry.” The sparkle in her eyes though said otherwise.

Slate then cleared his throat, “I did like the dynamic between your two vows.”

“Thank you, Slate,” Wildfire grinned from ear to ear, the enormity of the occasion still having not completely sunk into her. She was still riding the high of the adrenalin that pumped through her little body, “And I totally haven't had those memorised since I was a filly.”

Airmail giggled and then she admitted, “I made mine up the moment she accepted my proposal on the way to Trottingham.”

“Well, it was amazing, Airmail,” Darkstar smiled generously, “And I absolutely cried for all I was worth.” Unlike Air Raid, the pure white unicorn had no problem admitting she had shed more than a few tears.

Slate nodded with a contented smile all over his striped face, “The food was good too.”

“Yeah it was!” Air Raid agreed, casting her gaze back over to the buffet table, “I had to have three plates of those locusts to make sure they were good.” While she hadn’t thought of eating zebra food before she had gotten with Cream and Amethyst, since being with them, she had eaten more of that than pony food. And she liked it, too.

Amethyst selected her most deadly eye roll and levelled it at Air Raid. “Sharing it seems is still a weak point for my pet.”

Wildfire snickered, “You'll have to teach her, Mistress Amethyst, with a big paddle.”

Darkstar grinned and nuzzled her stallion. “Slate's good at teaching.”

“And learning, too.” Slate smiled and again he casually flicked Darkstar’s ear with his hoof, “Then again, I have a very attentive audience.”

Cream snickered, “Raid can be attentive.”

“I can, too!” Air Raid agreed readily, though it was usually when Amethyst had her restrained in her dungeon. Then, she was very attentive indeed.

“A crop is a useful teaching tool huh, Raid?” Wildfire snarked.

“We wanted to see you off,” Amethyst held up her hoof to silence Air Raid before her pet could say anything in reply to that. Besides, there was nothing to say. Everypony knew that a crop was an excellent teaching aid. “If you can,” the pink zebra smiled, “Do something I wouldn't do.”

Cream raised an eyebrow at her Mistress, “I think Slate would have to go with them to do that.”

While Air Raid and Darkstar both lost it in a gale of laughter, Wildfire managed to – just – keep her composure. “I promise we'll do our best, Amethyst.”

“Oh,” the pink zebra continued, leaning in conspiratorially to both Airmail and Wildfire, “And a word of warning. Be sure you well hide that top tier of wedding cake. I think your herd-mate, Tempest, was eyeing it.” With her task complete, Amethyst gestured to her two mares. “Come along pets, for I see that one heading to the head table.”

Slate took a moment to nuzzle the newlywed couple. “I wish you both the best of love and happiness. May you enjoy what I enjoy now.” That done, he led Darkstar back to the buffet table, where he allowed his pet to feed him from the zebra cuisine on offer.

Moments later there came the sound of metal on glass, drawing everypony’s eye to the head table. Once she was sure she had everypony's attention, Tempest ceased her pounding and she lifted up the champagne glass with a wing. “I wish to propose a toast,” the violet mare announced loudly, “To our happy couple. May their love be unending and their joy overflowing.” As one, the assembled guests all cheered and many of them raised their glasses in salute. “Now for the bad news,” Tempest continued once the toast had been drunk, “It’s time to see our loving couple off to their journey of shared bliss. Good news is the party will continue without them!”

Cheers, applause and the stomping of hooves resounded throughout the reception area at the conclusion of Tempest’s speech, none of which were louder and more enthusiastic than Wildfire herself, who joyfully stomped her hooves on the floor along with the others. Speech duty done, Tempest made her way over to Airmail and Wildfire. “The limo is out front. Time to go and catch your taxi.”

Wildfire was the first to pull Tempest into a tight crushing hug. “Have you unlocked the cabinet this time, Honey?”

“Maybe,” Tempest replied with a wink that came across in her voice as she utilised her pair of powerful wings and ushered her two herd-mates out of the door. Many guests along the way offered their good-byes and their best wishes, but Tempest wouldn’t let her charges stop to thank them or bump hooves because, if they did, they’d be there all night.

“Thanks Honey,” Wildfire beamed when they were outside on the sidewalk in the cool night air, “That was an awesomes speech!”

“Just ask Airy, I am awesomes!” Tempest replied, opening the back door of the stretched white limousine and revealing Mapper and Serenity waiting quietly for them inside.

“Yuppers you are!” Wildfire gave Tempest a nuzzle and then she got in the back. Immediately two familiar scents assailed her nostrils, fragrances of cinnamon and of apple that were as distinctive as the lavender and fuchsia behind her. Two strong perfumes when, combines with the other two, meant safety to the blind mare. “Hey Mistress, hey Beauty.”

“I always knew my pet could see more than she let on.” Mapper said by way of greeting.

“That, or you never change your cinnamon shampoo,” Serenity giggled, and Mapper waved a hoof in the air as if it was nothing.

Following Wildfire and Airmail into the back of the limousine, Tempest rapped on the dividing screen that separated the back from the front and immediately the limo drove off, heading towards the nearest sky taxi rank. “Yes,” she stated once she was seated, “the liqueur cabinet is unlocked.”

Happily seated between Airmail on her left and Tempest on her right, Wildfire giggled, “The shampoo was a bit of a giveaway, Mistress.”

Mapper got straight to what she wanted to say once the car was underway and they were all sat comfortably. “We should be moved in to the new house by the time you get back.”

“You can join me in the new playroom, Wily!” the excitement in Serenity’s voice was palpable. The teal unicorn’s eyes were alive and sparkly, fantasising about all the possibilities they could explore in the new dungeon. Airmail though shivered and Tempest frowned. Both mares remembered what had happened before, the last time they had all lived together. Serenity saw their reactions and shook her head. “It will never be like before.”

Mapper rested her hoof affectionately on Serenity’s flank. “My Senior Pet has learned restraint.”

“I'd love to join you in the playroom, Beauty!” Wildfire, oblivious to the slight tension in the back of the limo, had a smile on her face a mile wide. “I'm still your Middle Pet, Mistress.”

“Yes you are,” Mapper’s smile broadened, though there was a regretful look on her face, “Even if Octavia doesn't play anymore.”

Serenity shared Mapper’s wistful look, though she did completely understand. “Mistress Luna does dote over her now.”

While Serenity, Mapper and Wildfire talked, Tempest hoofed an envelope over the yellow mare’s back to Airmail. “All the tickets you need are in there. Gratuities are included, but feel free to add for extra good service.”

Nodding, Airmail took the envelope and placed it safely in her saddle bag in the vehicle. “You three don't mind moving without us, do you?”

Tempest shook her head, “Give us a chance to weed out some things.”

“Oooh so I'll have somewhere new to explore in two weeks when we get back?” Wildfire squealed, clapping her hooves like an excited filly. Her herd-mates had been talking about the move to a much bigger place now for a few weeks, and it was finally going ahead.

Placing a reassuring hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder, Tempest said, “We should have everything in its place, Wily.”

“Until my pets start moving things when they start nesting...” Mapper said with a roll of her eyes that had had both Airmail and Tempest falling about in giggles.

“Oh ooh about that!” Wildfire squeaked, her Mistress’s statement reminding her that she hadn't yet told Mapper, Serenity and Tempest about the second foal, “I have something to tell you all!”

“Quiet everypony.” Mapper silenced the back of the limo with a gesture of her hooves as effectively as if she had flicked a switch. “Pet may be pregnant. Do tell, pet.”

Though the rest were quiet, Wildfire burst out laughing at that, “I am! Well, Professor Twilight did a scan on me to make sure everything was alright, and, during the scan of Fireflight, she detected a second filly in here!”

Immediately, not a full second later, and Serenity clapped her hooves, as did Tempest, the violet mare clapped Wildfire on the back with her wing, this was excellent news! “Oh, the spoiling has been doubled!”

“It’s a good thing then that we are moving into a bigger place.” Mapper said with a warm smile on her face, “Well done pet.”

“Thank you Mistress!” Wildfire giggled, “I think Tink deserves some credit, I mean he was there. I’ve decided that I'm going to call her Chill Wind.”

Again Mapper waved her hoof dismissively, “But it was you that divided up the spoils.”

Tempest leant down and affectionately nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “It’s nice that you'll name her after her uncle.”

“I just thought he could get a chance at living through my filly, that’s all.”

“Three fillies in the house…” Mapper sighed in a very over-dramatic fashion and bought her forehoof up to her head, “I may need to get some extra carnival hours.”

“I have a day job!” Airmail announced brightly.

Serenity gave the azure blue mare a wink, “Good as I work nights.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Tempest laughed, “I can either deal with it, or just shut the office door.”

“It's gonna be awesomes!” Wildfire squealed in sheer delight and she clapped her delight, “I can feel it in my feathers. And no it's not the flu.”

Mapper sniffed and winked at Tempest, “My hoof isn't in your feathers.”

Tempest caught the wink from Mapper like she was a Buckball player and grinned, “That’s my thing,” she giggled before placing her hoof deep in Wildfire’s feathers.

Airmail reached down and, while Tempest was rubbing Wildfire’s feathers, she rubbed the yellow mare’s teats. “I'm waiting on the dairy to open up.”

“Hmmmm...” In heaven, Wildfire spread her wings to allow Tempest better access, and at the same time she leant back to expose her teats. She could stand to endure this kind of treatment, that was for sure. “Yuppers, Pretty's timing me to four months.”

Smiling warmly, Serenity used her magic to get drinks for everypony from the open cabinet. “The milk will flow when it does, and not before.”

Smiling so much that her face was starting to ache – not that she was going to let that stop her from smiling – Wildfire took her drink in her hoof from Serenity’s magic and still she smiled. “I can’t wait, I really can’t!”

“My toast in the Hall covered the important stuff,” Tempest said as she too took her full strength beer and lifted it up to her herd-mates, “So now I can only say, herd, family, and friends. May all find joy in your union.”

“Your speech was great, Honey!” Wildfire grinned as she sipped her non-alcoholic beer.

Airmail chuckled, “She does have a doctorate.”

“And I know multisyllabic words!” Tempest declared proudly.

Wildfire snickered cheekily, “And you know how to string them together!”

Mapper took a long sip of her beer. “She has improved at tying things up, of late.”

As the stretch limousine wound its way through Manehatten towards the sky taxi station, Wildfire settled into her seat. She allowed the chatter of the other four mares to become like cool ocean waves, washing their relaxing background noise over her. It was a safe sound, a secure sound where she felt happy, loved and wanted.

Wildfire smiled, again, because she was reminded of something her mother used to say when she had been a filly, something Silverbolt…no, Fireflight, hadn’t said to her for years. “Fly hard. Live fast. Be kind.” Her mother had called that the heart of the flame and, at last, surrounded by her herd, her lovers and her wife, with her foals, Wildfire at last understood what it meant.

She had found her heart of the flame.

Epilogue - Honeymoon

Airmail stepped into the huge stateroom on the ocean liner that Wildfire had booked for their honeymoon cruise and her mouth hung wide open in stunned amazement at the sheer opulence and luxury of it all. It was all pure white walls and golden decorations, very much in the style of Celestia. “Wily,” she breathed in awe, “You have to feel this place. It's huge!” she gazed around their stateroom and whistled in appreciation, “You didn't cut any corners on this.”

“Nopes!” beside her wife, Wildfire beamed a wide happy smile, “I went for the Celestia suite on purpose, Pretty.”

Thoughtfully, Airmail cocked her head to one side and considered that. It certainly explained the style of the décor. While she had never been in Celestia’s quarters like she had Luna’s, she supposed this stateroom was a fairly faithful representation. “You know, I kinked a wing trying to do it in that air taxi,” she snickered, thinking back to the spectacularly unsuccessful attempt at sex on the way over to Horseshoe Bay, “And not the kink I like.”

Wildfire giggled, “My poor Pretty,” she then turned to face her wife and she rubbed Airmail’s blue wings with her yellow ones. “Think we have enough room in here?”

Airmail was pretty sure they could have a decent sized Buckball tournament in this room, let alone sex. Still, one had to be sure about these things, and that meant a thorough physical experiment. “There’s only one way to find out, Wily.”

“I really want to find out!” Wildfire giggled as she lifted up on the toes of her hooves and placed a soft kiss on Airmail’s nose.

“First feel around the...” she was about to say ‘room’, but she caught herself at the last moment, “Rooms, and then you can pick a spot for our first successful attempt at post marital bliss.” Airmail walked wing in wing with Wildfire around the sitting room, and took the time to describe everything that the little mare touched, from the ornate side tables, the vases, the flowers, the paintings on the wall, the marble flooring, everything reeked of luxury.

“Oh my...this suite really is huge!” Wildfire exclaimed as she felt her way around the sitting room. The brochure had described everything when she had booked the room on her computer, but it didn’t do the stateroom a bit of justice. “I think on the four poster bed would be a good choice, Pretty.” She decided once the tour of the bedroom was completed.

“Brilliant!” Airmail smiled, looking around the room she wondered how closely the huge bedroom resembled the Princess’s own. It certainly would not look out of place in the royal palace, not from what she had seen of Dusk’s suite that one time. “I'm sure it can hold the both of us at the same time.”

Standing by the bed, Wildfire hopped up on it and bounced like it was a trampoline. She got some pretty good air on it too. “I think it can hold the herd!” she bounced around, not once touching the edges of the vast bed.

Very briefly, the thought of not jumping on the bed crossed Airmail's mind. She did not want a repair bill for breaking something that was probably more expensive than her house. Although, before long, the 'what the Tartarus' switch engaged in her head. Getting on the bed, the azure blue mare jumped and bounced beside Wildfire, glee all over her face. “With our bouncing, the herd would be on the floor.”

For a few more minutes, Wildfire enjoyed bouncing with Airmail like the two ponies were overgrown fillies before she collapsed into a fit of giggles. “That was fun!”

Airmail then collapsed softly on top of Wildfire, “It was…” she then started nibbling on the leading edge of the yellow mare’s right wing.

“Oh...ooooh...” Wildfire’s wings reacted almost instantly to that. She had never been one for wing control, and this time was no exception to the rule. Her wings stood out perfectly erect from her body, not that that slowed Airmail down. “Preeeetty!” she gasped, caressing the older mare’s wings with her hooves.

Playfully, Airmail nibbled further up her wife’s wing while her right forehoof started to play with Wildfire's teats. “I want this time to be memorable, Wily.”

“Ah! Aaaah yu-yuppers, me too Pretty!” Under Airmail’s magic touch, Wildfire’s nipples hardened on her teats, standing hard and erect like cherries on a cake. “We could make it properly memorable and use some of the toys I know Mapper sneaked into the luggage,” she suggested.

Airmail snickered. She thought Mapper was right, that Wildfire could see a lot more than she let on. Still, she had to admit the idea had its merits. “You on me or me on you? Then some toys may be for both.”

Wildfire knew exactly what she wanted. “I'd like you to top me, Pretty, tie me up, please!” she giggled, “You know I requested a four poster for a reason, right?”

Smiling, Airmail gave Wildfire a long, deep, hard passionate kiss and then she moved off the bed to investigate the trunk with bright red lips on it. The ship’s staff had bought their luggage on board and deposited it in the stateroom for them. They hadn’t had to lift a hoof, or wing. “Judging by the mark on the lid, this is the one Mapper packed.”

“Beauty did say Mapper had packed a few surprises, but she refused to say what they were,” Wildfire commented from the bed, seeing no immediate reason to get up. Airmail opened up the chest and, taking a look at the note on top of the contents, she started laughing. “What?” Wildfire sat up from her laid down position, “What is it?”

Airmail was still laughing as she explained to her wife what was in the trunk. “Everything in the chest is under a cover except for this note and a collar. The note says, ‘If my pet is the Dom, then you put on this collar, and I'll be the only one that can take it back off’.” Airmail giggled some more, “The collar is pink, by the way.”

Wildfire burst out laughing at that, because she could see Mapper doing exactly that. “Oh...oh that's good! But, if you don't mind, I'd like to wear the two tone one Pretty.”

When she removed the cover, Airmail saw straightaway there was the two tone blue and purple collar that Wildfire had purchased from the MiAC store weeks ago on her very first solo shopping adventure. “You're in luck!” she exclaimed as she wrapped the collar around her wife’s neck with the blue above the purple and buckled it in place. “Now, that is one hot fashion accessory.”

“It's my favourite accessory, I think,” she was all smiles once her collar was secure around her neck. As soon as it was on, she felt the power play between them begin. It was euphoric, addictive in its own way, to be submissive, to voluntarily give up her free will even though she was the one in control of the play.

It was a game she had come to adore playing.

Smiling broadly, Airmail returned to the chest. “I think Stormy and Ser had a hoof in packing this. First things first though,” the azure blue mare then noisily – so Wildfire could hear – removed her wedding dress and then, when she had hers off, she helped Wildfire off with her dress. “I want to wear these again on our anniversary,” she said by way of explanation, “but I don't want any feathers missing.” Airmail though chose not to remove the heart earring with the feather, but she did kiss the ear it was attached to. “That is too lovely to remove.” She then moved her head to tickle Wildfire with her earring feather.

“Hahaha!” Wildfire laughed and she duly squirmed, but she didn't put up much of a 'fight'. “Th-That tickles!”

Satisfied, Airmail went back to the chest to investigate the contents. Part of her was rather anxious, she hoped that Mapper hadn’t packed anything too extreme. This was Wildfire after all, not Serenity. As she searched though, she breathed a sigh of relief at what she saw. “I think there’s enough rope here to bind the herd!” she giggled, sorting through it all. “So, you want a complete shell? I will have to bind those titties of yours so they don't get away.”

“Go for it Pretty, aaah, I mean, Mistress,” Wildfire corrected herself with a giggle. “And you'd better bind them,” she said as she rolled onto her side and teasingly exposed her breasts to her wife, because she knew of her attraction to them, “Just in case they get away.”

“Up on your hooves then,” Airmail ordered, slipping into her dominant role as she selected a few of the ropes from the chest. While it had been an uncomfortable but tolerable role at first, now she had to admit she was more at ease with it.

“Yes Mistress!” Wildfire was immediately on her hooves on the bed. At least now she was at ‘eye level’ with her wife. With her consent given, Airmail picked up a coil of rope and rested it in her forelegs. She used her left forehoof to hold the rope loosely and pulled it through with his right which kept hold of the end. Her left hoof inspected the rope for any possible debris and judged her pulling speed to prevent any rope burn later. She watched Wildfire carefully and she could tell from her smile and breathing that she looked forward to some bondage play.

When the rope reached its end in her left hoof, Airmail placed both ends in her right. Holding the ends together, she pulled the rope back through her left hoof until it reached the centre point. The azure blue pegasus then walked over to the bed and looped the rope over Wildfire’s head so it fell just past her shoulder blades. Again, she tapped the rope on the smaller mare’s chest and Wildfire used her wings to hold it in place.

Full of excitement, for she always loved being dressed, whether it was by Mapper, Tempest or Airmail, Wildfire kept her head up and enjoyed the feeling of her lover’s skilled hooves at work while she held the rope in place. Airmail made the first pearl, a figure eight, with the rope even with the top of her chest. The rope flowed through the knot. Both strands side by side and there was no cross over in the knot with the two strands exiting the bottom.

Several more pearls followed with a practiced measured distance between each one. Still holding the rope, the dominant pegasus gently prodded Wildfire’s flank, a signal for her to turn, which she obeyed and turned to face away from her Mistress. She could feel Airmail near as she passed the rope between her legs and the rope pressed against each side of her ass. Without seeing, she knew from the times she had tied her up before that she was making the last pearl that would rest above the small of her back.

Airmail then took the ends of the rope and ran them under the loop at Wildfire’s shoulder blades. After a simple half-hitch knot with each length of rope she let the ends fall to the bed. She reached around with her foreleg and tapped Wildfire’s wings lightly. They immediately fell to her sides. Then, the pegasus inspected the two pearls from behind to see one lay above her ass crack and the other over her anus. She moved around to the front to check that the others lay over the clitoral hood, her navel, and below and above her breasts. She completed the short tour of her beloved and stood behind her once more.

Smiling at a job well done, Airmail then took up the ends of the rope to finish her tortoise shell binding. In short order, the silent dance around her was complete and all Wildfire could feel was the rope lightly touching her skin under her yellow fur as it ran down her front, under, and up her back. The submissive pegasus could then feel another knot tied at the base of each shoulder before Airmail’s hooves reached around to pass the rope ends over her breasts and between the two stands in her cleavage and then back under each breast.

This continued through the strands along her back and then between breast and navel. The ends were then threaded alongside her ass and back to the front between groin and navel. One last journey was made to her back above her butt and he pulled. Airmail continued to pull at various points driving the knots deep until they pressed into her skin. Wildfire’s breasts were forced apart by the spreading diamond between them and squeezed by the top and bottom ropes. A diamond between her breasts and navel grew forcing that pearl into her bellybutton. The diamond below that drove those knots into her ass and under the hood rubbing against her love button.

The tortoiseshell, completed by the comprehensive breast binding, made Airmail very aroused indeed. Particularly the breast binding. She rubbed her hoof over the even fuller tits. “My drool is making a wet spot on the bed, pet.” She giggled.

“I can picture it, Mistress,” Wildfire smiled, just as she could picture the ropes that so expertly bound her body, “Just wait till they're full and milky…”

“I'll try.” Airmail licked her lips, because she didn’t have to try very hard to indulge in her favourite fetish. “Now, onto your back, wings spread.”

“Alrighty,” with Airmail’s help, Wildfire got herself centred on the bed and, like she had been ordered, she stuck out her wings and her four legs towards the four corners of the bed. “Like this?”

“Yes, just like that.” The next thing that Wildfire heard was Airmail moving off the bed and then the sound of some running water. Then, the blind mare heard her wife trying to sneak back to the bed. Like a good pet, Wildfire played along with the sneaking and she turned her head the wrong way like she was 'looking' for her.

The next thing Wildfire felt was a warm washcloth that started to scrub her left rear hoof. “Eeek!” she exclaimed at the unexpected touch of the warm water on the sole of her hoof. “I love how tender you are with my hoof, Pretty.” As soon as it was clean – Wildfire assumed her hoof was clean – she felt her wife’s tongue dance over her frog. “Oooooooh yuppers I like that!” immediately she started to get very wet indeed.

Smirking, Airmail moved onto washing and worshipping first the other rear hoof and then Wildfire’s two forehooves. She slathered her tongue all over the toes, the white walls and the soles. She kissed and licked each frog and sucked on the bulbs like she was sucking on her lover’s nipples. By the time she was finished, Wildfire was a very aroused panting mess. Just how she wanted her. “You've really helped me overcome my fear, Wily. There was a time I didn't want to wash my own hooves, let alone somepony else’s.” She then moved up to plant a deep kiss on Wildfire’s lips.

“M-My pl-pleasure Pretty…” breathlessly, Wildfire returned the kiss.

“Now,” Airmail grinned as she reached into the chest for four more lengths of rope, “For safety reasons only, so I don't get kicked, I'll have to restrain these very clean hooves.”

“A wise precaution, Mistress.” Wildfire agreed with her wife and again, she felt Airmail begin with her left rear hoof and, once it was securely tied to the bedpost, she felt her work her way around until all four of her hooves were tied to their respective bedpost. Giving each rope a testing pull, she found herself fully immobile. And she was okay with that.

Wildfire was also fully exposed.

And she was more than okay with that.

“If I go too far, stop me love.” Airmail said as she lovingly caressed her wife’s cheek with her hoof. She knew her lover knew the game, she just wanted her to be absolutely sure. “You are more important than anything else to me.”

“My safe word is Peaches and I know how to use it Mistress,” Wildfire replied with confidence and, as soon as she did, Airmail ran some more rope around the phalanges of the right wing. Wildfire did not flinch, even though her wings had not been toyed with since the casts had been removed a couple of weeks ago. “That feels good, Mistress.” Wildfire reported, grateful that Airmail was taking care to not over-extend the wing. It was then tied down and Airmail moved over to the other wing to do the same. “That's good, Mistress, thank you.”

Happy that her pet was safely secured on the bed and, more importantly, that her wings were in no danger, Airmail moved off the bed and she rummaged deep in the toy chest. She made sure to purposefully make as much noise as she could amid the wood, metal and glass. ‘What in Equestria is she doing?’ Wildfire wondered to herself, for the noises offered little clues but they did serve to add to the building anticipation. Without warning, cold thick liquid was spread on both of her teats and the smell of chocolate was in the air. Airmail could no longer hold in the giggles. Wildfire sniffed and giggled, “I've been turned into a dessert!”

“Almost,” Airmail proceeded to squirt whipped cream on top of the chocolate and on Wildfire’s muzzle. “Now you’re my sexy dessert. Lap away.”

Licking her lips, Wildfire tasted the cream. “You can never have too much squirty cream,” as Wildfire spoke the sage truth, Airmail held a maraschino cherry in her teeth and lowers it down to her wife's lips. Wildfire took the cherry in her lips and in one go, she bit it in half and kissed Airmail at the same time, sharing half.

“Now, my sweet dessert, it's time to pop your cherry and see how tasty you are,” moving down Wildfire’s body, Airmail stopped at her spread open hind legs and stuffed several cherries deep into Wildfire’s pussy. Then, she followed up with her teeth and tongue and did not stop until she had popped them all. Wildfire, as soon as she felt Airmail’s snout in her marehood, arched her back and moaned, her juices mixing with the cherries.

Wildfire’s lewd moans were music to Airmail’s ear. She was content to continue the oral assault until she gave Wildfire her first orgasm of the night. Before very long, what with the way Airmail was lashing her tongue all around her moist muscular walls and her nose was rubbing over her hard exposed clitoris, Wildfire came, screaming and squirting all over Airmail's muzzle.

After she had drank down her wife’s ejaculate, Airmail moved up to tackle the chocolate and cream that coated Wildfire’s titties, while her right forehoof made a bigger mess of what was left of the cherries. “AAaaaAAAAH!” Wildfire screamed, arching her back again as she felt Airmail's skilled tongue lapping and sucking on her nipples and, at the same time, her wonderful hoof thrust inside her soaked marehood. “Mmmmm-Mistressssss!” Airmail worked hard to get a second climax from her wife and she was rewarded for her efforts. “A-Ai-Aaaaaaaairy!” Wildfire screamed and came for a second time, coating Airmail's hoof.

“Oh no,” Airmail snickered as she watched Wildfire pant heavily through her orgasm, “My hoof is so dirty now. Whatever can I do?”

Wildfire’s head was spinning from the euphoric high of the two climaxes she had just had, but even so, she knew the correct answer. “You could use me to clean it, Mistress!”

“But that hole is the one that dirtied it, my beautiful pet.”

“I could lick it clean, please, Mistress?”

Airmail just adored the hopeful eagerness that Wildfire begged with. The feeling of power over her, albeit an illusion, was quite arousing. She was beginning to see what Mapper liked about it. “That is an amazing idea, pet!” Airmail then slid her way up Wildfire's little body until her wet and dirty hoof was pressed to the yellow mare's lips. Once that was done, she moved her head to nibble on the joint between her body and her left wing. Airmail’s right rear leg ground between Wildfire's open legs.

“Oooooooh buuuuuuuck!” Wildfire moaned out in utter ecstasy and, as she slathered her tongue all over Airmail's dirty hoof, she again felt the rising crescendo of pleasure build in the core of her being. Thankfully, her Mistress was content enough with the sloppy hoof worship to not punish her for it. It was after all her distractions that were affecting her performance.

After several moments, Airmail switched forehooves so she could nibble on her pet’s right wing juncture. “GAAaaaAAAH Wooooowsers!” Wildfire squirmed uselessly in the ropes she was bound in and her snatch dripped so much it was a faucet. Airmail kept it up, happy to tease her lover up to, but not all the way to, a third climax. Once Wildfire was so very close, the azure blue mare got off the bed.

Immediately, predictably, Wildfire whined in frustration at the lack of contact, particularly when she had been so very close to cumming, a fact she vocalised, “Mi-Mistressssss!” she squirmed like a baited hook, “I was so close!”

Swiftly, after a quick visit to the toy chest, Airmail returned armed with a blue butt plug and vibrator. Smearing the plug over her soaked pussy and, when she judged it was sufficiently lubricated, she placed it in its proper hole, followed shortly afterwards by the larger vibrator in the other. She made sure that both toys were set to the low setting. “Oh, dear me! I need to check something on deck, back in a bit, pet!” she then kissed Wildfire’s lips and she left the room.

“Yo-You...whu...ebil…” Wildfire gasped when she realised that her Mistress had left the room and left her alone. She struggled a little in her bonds, which was a completely pointless gesture, as she was just as immobile now as she had been before. Unlike the first time she thought she had been left alone though, she did not panic, she moaned at the effects of the toys buzzing away inside her.

What Wildfire did not know was that Airmail was stood outside the door, with her head and ear pressed tight against the door just in case Wildfire was in any real distress. What she heard turned her on even more than she already was. Several extremely lewd “ooooohs!” and “aaaaaahs!” made their way through the door and made Airmail’s tail lift upwards.

Ten minutes later, and Airmail had to struggle to compose both her wings and her tail as she saw one of the ship’s army of stewards walking her way down the corridor. After speaking with him, Airmail had a bottle of fresh champagne on ice held under her wing. She stood outside the door, enjoying the sounds that her lover was making for a few more moments.

Seconds later and sure enough, Airmail heard the unmistakeable scream through the stateroom door that heralded Wildfire’s third orgasm of the evening and, smirking, she returned to the room. “So much for low setting.”

“I-I’m…aaaaaaAAAAH…I’m s-sorry Mistress!” Wildfire moaned, though she didn’t sound very sorry at all, far from it, in fact.

“I thought you might be thirsty,” Airmail opened the bottle with a deliberate ‘pop’ of the cork, “So I came back to my sexy pet, even though she was having a fun time without me.” Pouring out a glass of the champagne, Airmail held the glass to Wildfire’s lips so she could take a drink. The last thing she wanted her to do was dehydrate.

Wildfire, who knew what the drink was for, took a few short sips of the champagne rather than one large gulp and she sighed in relief. “Thank you, Mistress.”

Smirking, Airmail took a drink from the same glass she had allowed Wildfire to drink from. Still smirking, the azure blue mare then casually turned up the butt plug and the vibrator to their highest setting and she again held the glass for Wildfire to drink from. The blind pony’s reaction was instantaneous. “BUUUUUUUCK!” Wildfire thrust her crotch up into the air like a fish out of water, as if electricity was being passed through her body.

Airmail was thoroughly enjoying the show she was being treated to, as well as the many mewling screams that her pet was making as a fourth climax was well on its way. “Oh…oooooh Ai-Airy...Aaaaaairy!” she moaned between sips of the cool drink. Due to the near constant squirming Wildfire was doing, Airmail chose to deliver the champagne via a deep kiss. A few moments later, still locked in a tight passionate kiss, Wildfire climaxed for the fourth time.

As soon as Wildfire had stopped bucking about on the bed, Airmail turned off the toys, but she did not remove them. Instead, she left them in where they were. “How are you holding up, my love?”

Laying motionless on the bed, Wildfire panted hard from the many climaxes she had endured in the stateroom. “Th-The last one was a hard one, but I'm good, love.” She answered truthfully.

Affectionately, Airmail patted her wife’s head and then, as an idea occurred to her, the blue mare shook up what was left of the bottle and, sticking the bottle in her vagina, she let it go inside her, filling her hole with the champagne. “Now it’s my turn!” With a hoof in place over her pussy, Airmail sat down on Wildfire's face. When she removed her hoof, Wildfire moaned upwards and started to lick away with abandon.

Seated above her, Airmail could not hold in the champagne and, as Wildfire rubbed her nose left and right over Airmail’s clitoris, the yellow mare got plenty of fluids to drink. “Phhbbbbt…” Wildfire spluttered as she drank, and then she returned to eating out her wife's snatch like it was a four course meal. “Thank you Mistress!”

Wildfire’s words though were muffled deeply as Airmail leaned back, fully enjoying the tongue lashing her lover was giving her down below. She was in no rush to cum, instead of fucking her lover’s face she allowed her climax to come naturally. When she did orgasm, Wildfire drank it down like she had done with the champagne. But, she did not stop eating her out, she shoved her tongue all the way inside Airmail’s dripping tunnel.

Momentarily, Airmail lifted herself off of her wife’s muzzle and she spun around so that they were now in the classic sixty nine position. “That was a nice effort, Wily, now do try again.”

“Eeeeth Iiiiithreth…” Wildfire’s voice was muffled by the strategic placing of Airmail’s sodden crotch on her face. Though she immediately began to eat out her wife, this time she found it considerably more difficult seeing as how Airmail was working a distraction with her own mouth.

Using just her teeth, Airmail removed the blue vibrator, which meant she had to really dig it out of where it had been lodged for the past hour, which in turn meant driving Wildfire crazy underneath her. However, she left the big blue butt plug where it was. “I think we’ll need to change the sheets.”

“I-I'm sure they have plenty on the ship,” Wildfire answered quickly, managing to draw breath when her wife adjusted her seated position on top of her.

“Maybe so, but I bet you would look cute in the ship's laundry…” and, with that, Airmail dived muzzle first into Wildfire’s puffy swollen marehood like a pony possessed.

“AaaaAAAAH I'd nest in it!” Wildfire screamed upwards as she too ate out Airmail’s pussy, lashing the insides of her muscular tunnel with her tongue. Airmail had said this night would be memorable, and indeed it had been thus far. And, seconds later, it got even better when Airmail turned the butt plug back on to ‘high’ and used her hoof to wiggle it about in her asshole. “BUUuuuUUUUUCK!” Wildfire’s scream went all the way up Airmail's snatch, before her tongue followed it. At the same time, she bucked her hips upwards to meet the blue mare’s face.

Since she wanted to properly enjoy the experience, Airmail slowed down so that she could take all that Wildfire was giving her. Feeling the change in tempo, Wildfire slowed down as well but, when the plug vibrated inside her once more, she swirled her tongue all around Airmail's inner walls with a renewed vigour. Above her, Airmail clenched her pussy together and she focused on playing 'capture the tongue’.

Underneath her, Wildfire squirmed as her tongue was held in place, Wildfire licked and lapped as best she could, and moaned as her latest orgasm was achieved, spraying yet again all over Airmail's face. Above her, Airmail thought that was sooooo HOT, with a capital H, O and T and soon she followed suit relaxing her hold as she drenched the yellow mare’s scarred face. “Are…ooooh a-are you hungry yet?”

“Yu-Yup-Yuppers...getting hungry now, Pretty.”

Airmail giggled, “well, I'm not Stormy, so I'm not giving you a drink.” She crawled off of Wildfire and, after a long, very long hard moment in which she admired her lover’s prone form, she began to untie her, starting with her wings first and then her hooves. Somewhat reverently – she was sure it was Mapper’s influence – she wrapped up the rope and placed it back in the chest. “Now,” she stroked the blue and purple collar, “you're already dressed for the meal. Though, I think I need something.”

Wildfire only pouted a little and then she giggled, “Alrighty Pretty. No tasty golden drinks for me.” She then sat herself up on the bed, panting hard and shaking out her feathers to straighten up any that got put out of place during the bondage. “Oh…that was awesomes, I came so many times!”

“And now it’s time to go eat,” Airmail reached for her corset that was also helpfully packed into the chest. “You can help me into this corset, Wily.”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire got up from the bed and, once she had her hooves on the floor, she walked over to her lover and helped tie the corset up reasonably tight but not so much that Airmail might pass out. “Ooooh...” the soft moan accompanied every move she made, “I can still feel those orgasms in my fluffy bits!”

Airmail giggled, for she had watched Mapper and Serenity doing the forced orgasm play enough times to know how it left the recipient feeling. The last time, Serenity had been left a scrambled mess. “Wily? I'm putting on the yellow and purple socks now.”

“Socks are sexy!”

“No panties for me,” Airmail said, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her hoof once she had the socks on her four legs, “But guess who is going to be wearing some?”

“Would that be me, Mistress?”

“It would!” Airmail chuckled and, after delving into the chest once more, Airmail found the same green panties that she and Mapper had dressed Wildfire in all the way back on that first BDSM party at Caffeinated’s ranch, when they had taken both her and Serenity on a public walk. She thought them very fitting. “Lift your left hoof, and now the other,” she said as she slid the forest green panties up her hind legs. Straightaway, the dampness of her crotch made a patch on the gusset, and they outlined the base of the plug still in her ass. “Now that is the 'wet' look. I like it.”

Playfully, Wildfire wiggled her panty clad ass for Airmail's benefit, and she let out a moan of pleasure thanks to the plug. “I'm a sexy pet!”

Will I need a leash, or will you be a good pet?”

“I'll be good, Mistress.”

“It just so happens that some awesomes mare got us tickets to the Captain's table!” Airmail snickered, her snickers quickly turning into giggles, “I'm so excited, are you excited?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, “I'm super excited!” and she was too, as was evidenced by the happy dance she did in the stateroom. This was only her second time on a real ship and it was her honeymoon, so she wanted to really go for it, to get the whole experience.

Smiling, Airmail kissed her wife’s lips to calm her down. “Loves you, now to dinner, my beautiful and sexy pet.”

“To dinner!” Wildfire declared heroically before walking out into the corridor with Airmail leading the way. At nine hundred feet long, a hundred feet wide and with fifteen decks, Wildfire wasn’t even going to try and memorise the vast ocean liner’s complex layout. Instead she walked with a wing pressed to Airmail’s flank, like old times. “At least there's none of that pitching and up and down stuff like there was in Vanhoover,” she said gratefully.

“Well,” Airmail commented, “The sea and sky are a bit different. They can move around storm systems too. Plus, we’re in the Celestial Sea, not the North Luna Ocean. Pretty big difference.” When they arrived at the first class dining room, the azure blue mare was glad she got dressed as it seemed to her that most of the ponies in attendance were wearing at least something to dinner, if only a tie or scarf, while more than a few were in full evening dress.

“What's it look like?” Wildfire asked eagerly. She knew what the brochure had said about the ornate luxury of the grand ballroom and the dining room, but she wanted Airmail’s take on it.

“There’s wood and marble everywhere. Panelling, tables, even the carts are wood. The three huge chandeliers, I think, are crystal. Every where’s got gold inlay. It looks like Celestia’s uprooted her whole wing of the palace and put it on a ship. Looks like sixty per seating with six per table. Ahhh, there are name cards, and I see ours where the fancy dress uniform is sitting.”

“Oooooh!” Wildfire again found herself dancing excitedly on her four hooves, “It's just like that ship in that old movie! This is what I wanted!” While that was the case, she did hope the liner they were on did not meet with the same fate as the ship in the movie.

As the two mares approached the head table, the Captain of the cruise ship stood and, just as he was about to welcome his appointed guests, he slightly wrinkled his nose, but swiftly recovered. He bowed to Airmail and Wildfire, giving each mare a fake fetlock kiss. “Our newlyweds!” At least that explained the smell of sex that hung around the two like a miasma. “Welcome aboard. Mrs. Wildfire, Mrs. Airmail. I'm Captain Long Jump.” The tan coloured pegasus introduced himself, his beard as bright a red as his mane. “Please be seated. This is my first officer,” he pointed to a light blue unicorn with a yellow and pink mane, “Starshine.” The other two seats at the table were empty, but had nametags, Northern Lights and Artic Breeze, ready for their occupants to arrive. “You are the first to arrive. Would you like champagne?”

Airmail bowed readily to the Captain, as she did so she noticed, for the first time, the smell that undoubtedly came from her and her lover. Oh well. They were there now. “Thank you for the welcome. My wife isn't drinking any more alcohol today, but I would like some please. Sparkling grape for her.”

“Yuppers sir,” Wildfire said as she was helped to her seating pad, “Sparkling grape would be fine, thank you.”

“Best that way for expecting mothers,” Airmail said as the Captain turned to one of the army of stewards to put in the order. She also noticed that pony too wrinkled his nose and she had to stifle a fit of giggles. She leant in and whispered to Wildfire, “I think the others have noticed we didn't shower after our play just now.”

“Oooops!” Wildfire covered her muzzle with her hoof and she giggled, though she wasn’t that concerned. She was having too good a time to really care that much.

Moments later, and the Captain stood to welcome the other couple. “Our anniversary couple! Mr. Lights and Mrs. Breeze. Welcome,” he greeted each of them with a fake fetlock kiss for Arctic Breeze and a light hoof bump for Northern Lights. “They are celebrating their fiftieth with us today. Mrs. Airmail and Mrs. Wildfire are newlyweds.”

Airmail whispered just loud enough to be heard by the other ponies at the table, “Wily, Mr. Lights is a black unicorn stallion with pale blue mane and Mrs. Breeze is a white unicorn mare with sky blue mane.”

“Ah,” Arctic Breeze smiled sweetly at the young yellow pegasus, “So you had sight once. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Hey Mr Lights! Mrs Breeze!” Wildfire greeted both of the much older ponies with her signature hug before she sat back down next to Airmail. “Yuppers I did have sight, but I lost it when I wasn't looking.” Which was not just a pure joke, it was technically the truth. She had not been looking when the accident had happened.

Northern Lights snorted out a laugh, as did the first officer. “I know you've come to terms with it when you can joke about such things,” the old unicorn said, taking his drink from the steward who just happened to be returning with the table’s drinks order at the same time.

“Mr. Lights,” Wildfire snickered, lifting up her glass in a little salute to him, “There's no point hiding from it, it's a part of me.” She giggled, “Besides, I was rubbish at hiding when I could see.”

Northern Lights laughed, “Well, I think you're quite perceptive now. Are you by chance from Canterlot?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire answered quickly, though she couldn’t quite place Northern Lights or Arctic Breeze, as neither of them had a discernible accent or lilt and her accent compass was usually pretty reliable. “Well I am, originally. My wife is from Manehatten, where we both live now. I can't place you two though.”

“We’re from Baltimare, dear.”

Northern Lights nodded to his wife and tapped a hoof to his chin thoughtfully, “Manehatten, um, are you the Airmail with the paper?”

“Yes,” Airmail nodded, “That's my by-line in the Times.”

Arctic Breeze hoof bumped her husband, who turned to the Captain, “You didn't say anything about celebrities at the table, Captain.”

“I think fifty years is pretty celebratory,” Airmail countered, “Two more years till my parents make that grade.”

Wildfire giggled and kissed Airmail's nose. “You're famous, Pretty,” she then nodded to the two older ponies at the table, “Airy's right. Fifty years is awesomes!” With the ice well and truly broken, the conversation flowed light and lively throughout the meal that was easily as upmarket as the restaurant they had pranked in Canterlot. From the table there were no comments on how Wildfire and Airmail were dressed, although there were a few whispered comments from the nearby tables when the upper crust ponies did, quietly, take notice.

~ ~ ~

On the way back to the stateroom, following the completion of the meal, Airmail draped her wing over Wildfire’s back and pulled her young wife into a hug as they walked. “They were a really nice old couple, I do think we stirred up some more comments with our dress. I now see why Mapper never cares.”

“I know right? Actually,” Wildfire giggled softly, “I could feel a lot of eyes on us and hear the whispers on the back of my neck. It was flattering to be admired like that, all those other ponies wishing they could be like us. It was cool.”

“I’m admiring right now,” Airmail said as she opened the door and stood aside to let her wife enter ahead of her. “I fear you are going to lose your damp pantie privileges.” She had a cunning plan to round out their first day at sea, and underwear had no place in that plan.

Wildfire duly sauntered into the stateroom with a generous sway of her hips. “I think I can endure that. What about the plug, is that coming out too?”

“That can come out as well, not a problem.” With her teeth, Airmail removed the wet panties but she used her hoof to pull out the blue butt plug. She wasn’t getting her teeth in there, she wasn’t Tempest. “I don't think you want a stallionator wedgie back there,” Airmail said thoughtfully as she reached for and then helped Wildfire into the straps of the toy. “Now, for a stroll on the deck. I've been cheated in total number of orgasms today. I do love doing it under the stars.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed quickly, touching a hoof to her belly. Deep in her core she still felt squiffy from her time on the bed. It was a nice kind of squiffy though. “I'm glad you stopped when you did. Those orgasms you made me have were starting to get less amazing and more ouch.” She nuzzled her wife’s cheek. “I had fun though.”

“The fun shall continue on the deck,” Airmail said as she returned the affectionate nuzzle to the smaller mare, “But I'll let you off light. I really just want one more.”

“Well, I wouldn't say no to just one more,” Wildfire smiled and took Airmail's wing in her own. “Shall we, my love?”

“Yes, we shall.” Airmail led the way from the stateroom to the deck. She didn’t expect her lover to memorise the labyrinth that was the ocean liner’s innards. “I was told that the aft deck was okay for outdoor activities.”

“Did you say what outdoor activity we'd be doing?”

“I did, as some foals don't need that much education.”

“Alrighty then, my Pretty mare. Let's go aft, so I can get on your aft.”

“I'm your mare for the rest of eternity,” Airmail said after she had finished laughing at Wildfire’s joke.

When they got up onto the deck, Wildfire allowed her wife to lead her towards the back of the large ship. The Celestial Sea was like a millpond, not a wave to be seen under the light of the moon shining down from the heavens. If all times on the water would be like this, she supposed she would like it more. “And I'm yours, Pretty, just like I promised in the Hall.”

As they walked along the deck, Airmail cast a sideways glance at her partner. She liked what she saw. “I do like the sound that thing makes on your belly, as well as the way it looks. It’s very sexy. When they reached the very back of the ship, Airmail reared up and placed her forelegs over the railing on the port side. “Make me yours, Wildfire.”

“Yes ma'am!” Wildfire kissed Airmail's cheek and pranced around her, making sure to let the toy slap on her belly. Once she was at the back, she made sure to check with her tongue to make sure her lover was wet enough, As it happened, Airmail had been leaving a trail all the way from the stateroom. “Ooooh you're ready alright!” Wildfire declared, her muzzle soaked in an instant. Satisfied, she reared up and, once in position, she thrust forwards, inserting the toy inside Airmail’s marehood to the hilt.

Hilted now, Wildfire paused just long enough for her wife to feel the toy in her depths. Pulling back, almost withdrawing from her completely, Wildfire then thrusted back into the hilt, her hips slapping Airmail’s ass a lot harder than she had when she had rutted her before. With the force of the hard thrust, Airmail's body lowered a bit as she spreads her legs wider for balance. “Give it to me, Wily!”

Spurred on by Airmail’s encouragement, she withdrew midway and she thrusted forwards a third and fourth times, picking up her speed with buck of her hips. “Oooh…” she moaned as the shaft in her felt properly squiffy now.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes buck me girl!” Airmail screamed in heaven with each hard thrust giving her more pleasure than the last, “buck me into next week!”

“Want it bad, huh?” Wildfire asked, grunting loudly as she pulled back for a harder thrust which mashed herself into Airmail’s ass end. It was fortunate she was hooked over the safety rail.

“Yes! Yes I want it!” Airmail begged as her eyes rolled up, “I want it bad!”

Feeling her way, Wildfire lowered herself to Airmail’s ear. “Scream then, you pretty little pony, scream our love to the ocean,” she purred as she ran her hooves over the leading edges of her azure blue wings only to roughly pull her back as she thrust forward hard.

“Oh give it to meeeeee!” Airmail screamed, pushed as she was to the very edge of her climax, then with an ear shattering “OOooHHHHHH IIIIII GAAHAHHAHHH!” She reached her climax just as a flock of birds flew overhead.

As she gave a particularly hard thrust, Wildfire could feel the force of Airmail's orgasm under her barrel. “That's it Pretty, scream so that Seaquestria will know you love me,” she pulled out and thrust in as hard as she could, screaming, “GODEEESES!” She held it in as deep as she could, riding her own climax as she felt Airmail under her do the same.

“I Love You!” Airmail screamed as she came down from her high after a few moments of sheer bliss. “Oh, that was good, sooooo good!”

After she had climaxed, Wildfire slumped her slight weight down on Airmail's back, kissing and nibbling her ear. “I love you so much.”

“Stay in me,” Airmail said as she felt Wildfire behind her about to pull out, she wasn’t ready for that separation, not quite yet. She had something else to ask her wife. “I love your weight on my back. I love you, too. Watch the night with me.”

On her back, Wildfire adjusted her hips a little and she folded her forelegs over Airmail's shoulders so she could rest her head there. She loved the stars, and she had a sense of what the sky was like. “It's a pretty night, I’m sure. It's clear, there are no clouds, and all the stars are shining so brightly tonight.”

Airmail looked up and smiled, “They are beautiful, but as much as they try, they fall short of matching your beauty. The beauty of your heart had me at first glance.”

Tilting her head, Wildfire kissed Airmail's ear. “I remember. You were so taken with me the moment you saw me.”

“Sing Prettiest Eyes for me again, Wily.”

“Anything for you, my Pretty mare.” In her very best voice, the diminutive yellow mare began to sing the song her mother had taught her when she had been a little filly. A song she knew better than her own hoof, a song she intended to teach her own fillies.

“Line one is the time,
That you, you first stayed over at mine
And we drank our first bottle of wine
And we cried.

Line two we're away,
And we both, we both had nowhere to stay.
Well the bus-shelter's always OK
When you're young…”

Though Airmail had to admit she wasn’t the biggest Beautiful South fan in Equestria, she had grown to adore this song so very much. She would also admit, as would her wife she was sure, that Wildfire wasn’t the best singer ever, but that didn’t matter. What mattered to the azure blue mare was the emotion and feeling with which she sang. “I've married the mare with the prettiest eyes,” she smiled over her shoulder, “I look forward to when Fireflight and Chill Wind can dream.”

“Me too, so I can see what they look like and we can be with them together,” Wildfire grinned back, before she carried on singing, all the way to the first chorus of the song.

“Now you're older and I look at your face
Every wrinkle is so easy to place
And I only write them down just in case
That you die.

Let's take a look at these crow's feet, just look
Sitting on the prettiest eyes
Sixty 25th of Decembers
Fifty-nine 4th of Julys.

Not through the age or the failure, children
Not through the hate or despise
Take a good look at these crow's feet
Sitting on the prettiest eyes.”

Again, Airmail turned her head and lovingly she kissed Wildfire’s lips. “You can pull out now and come along side me, Wily. Thank you for putting up with me.”

Slowly, Wildfire withdrew, carefully pulling the stallionator out of her wife and, when she was back on her hooves, she made her way alongside her so that Airmail was on her left. As it should be. “I should be the one thanking you,” she said, turning her head upwards towards the stars. “Not for putting up with me though. For saving me. You saved me, Airmail, in every way a pony can be saved, you saved me.”

Airmail knew what Wildfire meant. It didn’t need saying. It was an unspoken thing, like the bond between them. “Let us both agree that we saved each other, shall we?” she smiled and again pressed their lips together. “I haven't gone cold and that is very big for me. Stormy kept me sane, but you keep me alive, Wily.”

“And I'll always be here to keep you alive, Pretty.” Wildfire returned the kiss and she settled into Airmail’s side as they rested against the safety rail, the gentle sway of the ocean liner almost hypnotic in its tranquillity. “Like mom used to say, ‘Fly hard. Live fast. Be kind’.” Wildfire fancied that, as they sailed up the east coast towards the Crystal Empire and Yakyakistan in the north, that her mother and Heatwave were among the stars, taking the journey with them.

Chapter 1 - Fire & Rain

Wednesday morning came and, with the raising up of the sun, Tempest’s whole family was up early in order to see the three mares, Tempest, Airmail and Wildfire off on the next part of their journey, which happened to be Baltimare just a little further up the east coast of Equestria.

Of all the ponies seated in the cloudominium’s kitchen, Wildfire had the biggest smile on her face. Thanks, in no small part, to Tempest making use of breakfast time to show off the scrapbook and the medal that Wildfire had received from Captain Starbright the night before. That, Wildfire had no problem with. What she was more uncomfortable with was how her violet herd-mate was talking almost non-stop about how wonderful a mare she was and how just like her mother she was. “It’s a good job I can fly,” she said after fifteen minutes of this, “in case I fall off that pedestal that Honey's put me on.”

Tempest sniffed in fake annoyance before reluctantly going back to her morning coffee. “I did test your flight skills on day one, if I remember correctly.”

“She did,” Airmail put in, affectionately nuzzling Wildfire’s left cheek, “and it was a scary sight, so it was a good thing Wily couldn't see it.”

“Was it that scary?” Wildfire asked after taking a little sip of her black coffee with two sugars. It wasn’t Caffy standard, but it was still good, especially first thing in the morning. Even a morning mare needed fuel. “I remember it was just awesome fun!” the blind mare enthused, “plus it was super easy, just follow Stormy and do as I was told.” She giggled at that. “Ponies like it when I do as I'm told.”

Tempest snickered, taking a mouthful of her scrambled eggs and trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Unlike Wildfire and Airmail, a morning mare she was not. “Yes, it was fun,” she agreed, “Scary was the second time when you were carrying Octavia's cello.”

“What?” Mist, Tempest’s mother exclaimed, almost spitting her tea over the breakfast table, “I didn't think she would even let Princess Luna carry that!”

Wildfire nodded, “Yuppers, that was kinda nervy. Not for me, for her cello, I mean.” She paused while Airmail and Tempest both laughed at that, that Wildfire would be more concerned for a cello than herself. “I mean, falling and breaking a wing was like, 'so what?' but falling and breaking that instrument?” she giggled, “I’m glad that didn't happen.”

Lightning, who had been quiet thus far, spoke up once his plate was empty of its scrambled egg load, “What is it like hanging out with the Royals, Tempest?”

Tempest rolled her blue eyes at her dad and took a long drink of her coffee before she answered, “They're just ponies with extra equipment so far, that’s all.”

“So,” Tempest’s brother, Storm, said with a smile over his own breakfast of toast and eggs, “you going to get us a private tour of Canterlot Castle, sis?”

Tempest giggled, “Maybe.”

Wildfire giggled as she reached a hoof for her preferred salted oatmeal and took a spoonful, “plenty of room there too now Dusk's moved out to live with Oils.”

Storm barked out a loud laugh, “Last place I'd want to live is Canterlot, but it sure would be nice to visit.”

Wildfire snorted derisively, “Huh, trust me Storm it’s the last place I wanted to live too.”

Airmail couldn’t help but laugh out loud, a thought coming to her, “I'm sure there’s a certain high end restaurant that would love to see you back, Wily.”

Again, Wildfire snorted, this time spluttering sugary black coffee, “Yeah right. I can’t see us getting in there again, Pretty.”

Tempest giggled like a big filly, “You'll have to buy it then, won’t you?”

“Will they accept buttons?” Wildfire giggled, wiping her muzzle clean of the spluttered coffee with her foreleg, “after that honeymoon, the money I've got left is for Fireflight when she comes.”

“Won't know ‘till you try,” Airmail shrugged, “But yeah, we have no plans to move back to Canterlot.”

Wildfire smiled though, now she was thinking of Canterlot her thoughts had slid to the cemetery and to Emerald. She had a great deal of affection for her step-mother. “It would be nice though, every so often, to visit mum and new mum.”

Airmail rested her forehoof gently on her fiancé’s own and squeezed it to let her know she shared her thoughts on that. “We will visit often, love, if only for tea with Luna. Besides, you need to read any new poems to your mom.”

“Of course I do! If I miss, she'll haunt me!”

“Can't have that now, can we?” Tempest smiled as she got up and poured herself a second coffee. While she was up, she provided re-fills for everypony else too, to make sure they were all fuelled up. “It would mess with my beauty sleep.”

Wildfire laughed, though when the steaming hot cup of black coffee was placed so that it nudged her left hoof, she blew Tempest a kiss. “Ha, as if you need it, and could be worse, dad could haunt you instead.”

Airmail growled. She tried not to but she couldn’t help herself. Part of her really missed the fact that she hadn’t had the opportunity to put Cold Front down herself. That would’ve been a kill she would’ve made sure she enjoyed. “I would welcome a chance to kick his ghostly ass…”

Wildfire grinned around her hot mug, “I bet you would, too.”

“Aah…yes, well,” Mist interjected, desiring very much to steer the conversation away from where it was going. “You'll stop to see Wind on your way back, Stormy?”

“Yes,” Tempest answered her mother quickly, also relishing the chance to alter the topic, “after we visit Raindrop.”

As much as she loved Trottingham, and as much as she loved Tempest’s family – just like she had loved meeting Airmail’s folks over in Vanhoover – Wildfire was eager to get going, if only so she could fly again. Being blind as she was, the feeling of the wind over her wings was indescribable. “Ooh! Are we flying again?”

“Yes,” Tempest pulled out her phone and checked their flight plan against time for the day. “From here we’ll fly up to Baltimare, a couple hours rest then on up to Fillydelphia and a couple more hours rest, and finally back home.”

Wildfire, very all happy all of a sudden, let out a delighted little squee, “I get to do more flying!”

Storm though, looked the little blind mare over with a critical eye as he drained the coffee from his mug. “Are you fully recovered from your injuries yet, Wildfire?”

In response, Wildfire flexed her wings out from her sides and folded them away to her barrel. While the one and a half thousand mile flight from Ponyville had taken a lot out of her, she’d had all yesterday to get over it. What still surprised her though was the utter lack of pain from the many breakages she had endured. Yes, Luna had healed her wings, but it was still something new, not being in constant agony. “Well, mostly I am Storm,” Wildfire replied, turning her scarred face to his direction, “apart from slightly weakened wing muscles. I’m getting there though. It’s endurance mostly, I kinda get tired quickly.”

Lightning smiled, leaning over the breakfast table to squeeze Wildfire’s hoof. “Then practice is the best thing and distance flights will work wonders for you.”

Wildfire was very grateful for the presence of Lightning’s hoof. “I do prefer it to wings that aren’t constantly hurting though.”

Seated either side of their little blind herd-mate, Airmail and Tempest both gave Wildfire a very, very tight feathery hug. “Thanks for the breakfast, mom,” Tempest said as she checked her bag to make sure everything was there, “now it’s time to burn those calories.”

Nestled in the middle of the hug sandwich, Wildfire smiled, “I just say that to get free hugs!”

Mist chuckled and passed the scrapbook and medal to Airmail, who made sure both were securely placed in Wildfire’s saddlebag, “It seems to work well for you.”

“Yuppers Mist, my mares are awesomes!”

Over Wildfire’s back – she was really that small - Airmail and Tempest bumped hooves. “We are so awesome!” they declared as one.

“And don't you forget it!” Wildfire giggled.

Airmail took a moment to make sure that she had everything where it should be. Last thing she wanted was to get to Baltimare and have to come back. Like last time, but that was Tempest’s fault. “Thanks for putting up with us,” the azure blue mare said to their gracious hosts, “we'll try to make the next visit longer.”

“Safe travels.” Mist said, making sure to nuzzle and hug her daughter and especially Wildfire before Lightning and Storm came around the breakfast table and they all joined in with a generous round of group hugs.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire snickered once the group hug was released, and she was able to get the headset of her flight suit on her head, “thanks for putting up with them.”

Tempest, who was nearest, rolled her eyes and swatted Wildfire’s flank with her wingtip. “Ha, ha, ha. Funny.”

Feeling her way around, Wildfire turned and kissed Tempest’s lips. “You know I love you, Honey.”

“I know, and now it’s time to fly.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied as she allowed herself to be shepherded out of the cloudominuim’s entrance hall and onto Trottingham’s Cloud District. Almost straight away she felt the warm morning sunlight hit her face and her wings. “I'm ready, Honey.” She was so ready for this, her brand new wings were twitching with anticipation.

“Well,” Airmail said once they were in the air and on their way, as always flying in the little V formation of Tempest leading, Wildfire behind her to her left and Airmail to her right, “next stop is my sister.” She came a little closer to Wildfire and caressed her yellow flank with her left wing. “You be sure to let us know if you want a rest on the way, Wily.”

“Of course I will,” Wildfire replied, “though I reckon I'll be alright.” She would, if her fiancé would keep stroking her flank like that, anyway.

Tempest, in the lead, checked her speed and did a very quick time and distance calculation in her head. “It's five hours to Baltimare if we keep this pace of sixty miles an hour, you two.”

“Okies Honey,” Wildfire, with the benefit of the computer of her headset doing just that very same calculation in her ear, nodded. She had Baltimare in her ‘sights’. “I'll do my best!”

Tempest smiled over her shoulder, making the banking turn to place them on course for a long straight line flight to their destination, “I know you will, love.”

Airmail smiled, following her herd-mate in the wide banking turn. A few hundred feet below her, the Cloud District fell away to reveal Trottingham eleven thousand feet below them. She had to admit, looking out over the city and seeing the Celestia Sea to her right, it did look very pretty. She still preferred Manehatten though. “And part of your best is knowing when to rest.” Having said that, the azure blue mare reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. “Dial four.”

Wildfire’s sharp ears twitched, “Your sis, Pretty?”

As she heard the dial tone start, Airmail nodded and ‘hmhmm’d’ in reply to her blind lover’s question. “Hi sis!” she said when her sister answered the call, “we just left Mist and Lightning's place…any day now?” she smiled, picturing her very, very pregnant sister, “so you'll be home all day?”

When she got a yes, her sister asked how long they would be. Checking her watch she saw it was six a.m., and it was a five hour flight, “If all goes well we will be there for lunch. Can we take you out? Oh, he is, sounds good. I'm sure Wily will like it as she likes fish…love you too sis, see you in a few hours!”

Putting her phone away in her saddlebag, Airmail once more brushed Wildfire’s toned young flank, “I'm guessing you'd like Neighnese food, Wily?”

Wildfire nodded, “good guess, Pretty.”

“Lancer, her husband, is bringing some takeout for her, and he’s going to bring enough for all of us.”

“Sweet!” Wildfire liked the sound of that. A lot. Almost as much as she loved the touch of her fiancé’s wingtip on her right flank. “As long as it didn't use to bark or moo when it was alive I'm there!” she giggled.

At the head of their formation, Tempest couldn’t help but snicker, “Airy, warn the neighbours to keep an eye on their cats!”

“Ha, ha, ha!” Wildfire deadpanned, though she was sure there were some Neighnese restaurants in Canterlot that did just what Tempest was suggesting, “That said, though, I don't mind eating cheeky ponies!”

For a few seconds, Airmail and Tempest both shared a look with each other before they burst out in peals of laughter. “We noticed!” they said together at the same time.

“Alas,” Wildfire had her foreleg dramatically at her forehead, “my secret cannibalism is revealed to the world!”

“Good thing you are so tasty we can eat you all at once,” Airmail said once hers and Tempest’s laughter had died down. Glancing downwards, she saw they had left Trottingham proper behind them, they were over the outskirts now, with Baltimare a smudge on the horizon in front of them.

Wildfire sniggered, her ears too perked up when her headset informed her that she was leaving Trottingham. “Aw, don’t you just say the loveliest thing? Hey, will that be your vows?”

“No,” Airmail smiled, “but it might be the pillow talk afterwards.”

“It had better be or I'll set mum on you.”

“Really,” Airmail had a very sly thought then, one she knew would get a reaction from her diminutive lover, “and what would you do if I did your mum in front of you, my love?”

“Watch!” Wildfire answered very quickly, “watch, and keep score!”

At the front of the formation, Tempest, who had been admiring the ships in the distance sailing on the Celestia Sea, giggled. “Maybe you can pick up some tips, Wily.”

Wildfire joined in with her herd-mate’s giggles, “I bet I could, Honey.”

As much as she was appreciating – and partaking in – the banter between the three of them, Airmail thought it best to give Wildfire a heads up on the family members she was going to be meeting shortly. “Raindrop lives on the ground. She married a pegasus, but their firstborn was an earth pony filly they called Seedling, next was a pegasus colt they named North Wind.”

Tempest of course knew all this. “When is she due for the third?” she asked curiously.

“She is due any day now,” Airmail replied, visions of her sister’s very pregnant body and swollen milky teats entering her mind’s eye, so much so she had trouble with flying in a straight line for a few minutes. “It would be funny if she made a full set with a unicorn foal.”

“Aw!” Wildfire squeaked, “that’s so sweet! At least they didn't give the filly up, like what happened to the colt Dusky's adopting.”

“Since her father is an earth pony,” Tempest shot into the conversation over her shoulder, “that wouldn't have gone over very well.”

“Well no,” Wildfire shuddered in mid-flight as they left Trottingham altogether, so much so she had a hard time holding her flight level, “I mean who even does that anyway?” there was a vehemence in her voice, “I know I'd like a pegasus but I wouldn't care what Fireflight was as long as she’s healthy!”

Airmail understood completely the rare anger in her young lover’s voice. “Tinkerer is from a long line of pegasi, and he caused no shortage of family problems when he married a unicorn.”

“So,” Tempest put in, hopefully helpfully, “unless you have something in your ancestry, most likely your filly will be a pegasus too.”

Again, Wildfire shuddered. “Apart from 'him', we're all pegasi as far as I know, Honey.”

“You're right though,” Tempest followed up, moving across Wildfire just enough to flick her black tail over her yellow muzzle, “I'll love the foal whatever that foal may be.”

“As we should, that's what my mum always said,” Wildfire commented before she went quiet and thought for a moment. She was searching for the way to phrase what she wanted to ask her fiancé. “Pretty, would it be cool if I wore my mum's medal at the wedding?”

Airmail smiled, she wanted to say ‘yes’ straightaway, but she wasn’t sure what the protocol was for the Equestria Star. “Let me check that there is no restrictions on wearing it. If not, then that would be a great way to honour your mother.”

“It would be like she was there, y'know?”

For the fourth time, Airmail flew over to her diminutive fiancé and caressed the tip of her left wing all along her side from her thigh to her shoulder. “As long as she lives in our hearts, she will always be with us, Wily.”

“Yuppers, she will,” Wildfire paused before breaking out into a bright little laugh. “I was just gonna say, I wish you could've known her, but I kinda feel like you did, or do, ugh…you know what I mean.”

Moving upwards now, Airmail brushed her wingtip lovingly through Wildfire’s straight black mane. “I know you, Wily, and you are what she would have hoped for.”

Wildfire blushed a very bright red, almost as red as the flames that adorned her flanks, “Um, thanks Airy, she'd have loved you all, I know she would.”

From her leading position, Tempest called over her shoulder, “Anything else either of you want for the wedding?”

“Harem of greased up mares?”

Airmail shook her head at Wildfire’s joke. Not because of what she had said, but because she had been beaten to it by literally one second. Still, it didn’t stop her swatting the blind mare’s flank, or teasing her a little, either. “Not sure if the Sharks will let you grease them up…”

Wildfire shuddered, this time it was a very pleasurable shudder indeed. A lustful moan escaped her lips at the thought of the entire Manehatten rugby team greased up and presented for her to play with and enjoy. “Hey, a mare can dream, can't she?”

“Dream all you want,” Tempest snarked, “just don't grease up the pillows.”

Wildfire giggled behind her hoof, “just like I won't leave a feather in the bath,” she giggled and had a little, more serious think – although a greased up rugby team was nothing to joke about – before she drifted across to Airmail and held her forehoof. “You got somepony to give you away, Airy?”

“I think they were hoping to sell me,” Airmail said with a giggle in her voice, thinking specifically of her brother Grain in Vanhoover. “My dad will be there to do that. Are you going to have Dusk stand for you?” she asked delicately, not wanting to upset her lover.

“Caffy is always available too,” Tempest offered helpfully.

“I was thinking about Dusky, or Caffy…”

“Our wedding,” Airmail said kindly, “your choice.”

“Dusky, definitely Dusky.” Wildfire stated. While Caffeinated would make an excellent best stallion to give her away, Wildfire knew deep down it had to be her best friend. The little blind mare hoped more than anything that the gesture would go a long way towards repairing the five year long rift between them. Although, were she honest, Dusk hoof-delivering her book back to her had done that already. “As long as she doesn't upstage me in her dress!” she added.

“I'll put a word to Oils so she doesn't do that.” Airmail rolled her brown eyes, “and what about me?”

Wildfire shrugged, “Pretty, you could wear a hessian sack and still upstage me sweetheart…” Wildfire did trail off though as she thought about it more seriously and an idea crept into her head. “If they could, something you can wear with feathers in it or on it would be cool, something I could touch, and me and Stormy could give feathers?”

“Now, that is a good idea!” Airmail was genuinely very impressed, “a tactile wedding.”

Wildfire smiled, pleased with her little self that Airmail thought she’d had a good idea. “You gave me the idea, Pretty, when you asked Dandelion for really fragrant flowers that I could smell and enjoy.”

Airmail sniffed proudly, “I are smart pony!”

“Yes, she is...” Tempest snickered, “sometimes.”

Wildfire giggled, “Pretty you is...are...a smart beautiful mare!”

Airmail casually inspected her left forehoof, “That must be why you're marrying me instead of the egghead up front there.”

“We can just be pretty together,” Wildfire said through her giggles, “we don't need no brains.”

“Yes,” Tempest’s voice managed to convey her eye roll as she adjusted her course ever so slightly, “that’s what the rest of the herd is for. Me, I'd rather have strong wings and weak minds at my beck and call any day.”

“That’s me out then,” Wildfire said, and although they were partaking in very playful banter, there was a forlorn bleakness to her tone that her two herd-mates picked up on immediately, though she of course was oblivious to the looks they shared. “Weak wings and mind I'm afraid.”

“Not so fast, my fine little mare,” Tempest chided her as the violet weather pony rolled over onto her back and effectively flew backwards. “I'm working on the wings part.” A fact that she punctuated by flicking her black tail over Wildfire’s nose one more time.

“Leaving me to work on the mind part.” Airmail playfully stuck out her tongue at her herd-mate, slightly hating the fact that Tempest could easily stay at sixty miles per hour even going backwards.

“I'm dooooooomed!” Wildfire wailed dramatically, while Airmail and Tempest laughed out loud, with her not at her, “yuppers, you two go on and laugh!” she sniggered, “actually, in all seriousness, the wings aren't feeling too bad right now.”

Tempest beamed in sheer triumph. “My plan is working out. What about yours, Airy?”

Airmail blew Tempest a long, loud raspberry. “Wily, what is one plus one?”

Wildfire held up her left and right hoof as she counted, “um...two?”

“See,” Airmail laughed, “Things are looking up for you, Wildfire!”

Wildfire let out a giggle, “Hey, thick as I am, even I knew that one. Is there anything else you think we need for the wedding?”

“Guest list beyond the herd and family.”

“Food!” Tempest declared before flipping back over onto her front and adjusting her course the few degrees that she had drifted back towards Baltimare.

“Obviously we need Coco for the dresses,” Wildfire added, giving her input, “and guest list for me I guess are my friends.”

“Yeah,” Airmail agreed, though she went on, “other than the six in your study group, I'm unsure how many other friends you have from before the care home. I mean, you'll add Hot Spot to the list, right?”

Wildfire wanted to facehoof at that. “Oh Hot Spot!” she exclaimed with a smile, “he'd love it, and Emerald. Other than Raid, Darkie, Bright, Cy and D, I guess there's Slingshot, if we can find him.”

“Emerald is family now,” Airmail clarified, “maybe one of the others kept track of Slingshot? We’ll have to ask.”

“I guess Raid might know where he is, since he was her partner…” Wildfire started, before she had a far more pertinent thought regarding the guest list for her wedding to Airmail. There was one set of earth ponies that she absolutely had to have there. “Oh, there's Winter and her family! We have to invite them too!”

“Good call,” Tempest agreed, “I forgot about them.”

Following expertly in Tempest’s wake, Wildfire nodded. “That's really all I have, except mum.”

Airmail giggled, “We are not bringing your mum to Manehatten!” the azure blue newspaper editor chuckled at her somewhat dark humour as she imagined the exhumation and the transfer of the coffin. She completely understood it wasn’t funny, but she couldn’t help but smile.

“Yuppers...” Wildfire’s tone of voice screamed loud and clear that she had misunderstood that what her fiancé had said was intended as a joke. “It'd be a hassle I guess...I just miss her y'know?” Sadness now threatened to overwhelm the young blind mare. “She should be with me properly, not by some old medal…”

“Enough of that talk, young mare!” Tempest once again spun around and flew backwards. While she understood Wildfire’s sentiment, she wasn’t about to let the Equestria Star be dismissed as ‘some old medal’. “We just said she is with us in our hearts. Airy's poor joke aside,” Tempest shot Airmail a scathing look that made her herd-mate look the other way, “that medal is a part of who she is. Don't take that away from her.”

“I’m sorry Stormy,” Wildfire lifted her head up when she felt the black tail against her nose once more. “I just miss her that’s all.”

“Hey,” Airmail, feeling a little guilty now, drifted over and again she caressed her lover’s flank, “and don't you ever stop missing her. Still, you need to take what you can, and that gift from Starbright was a wonderful gift.”

Wildfire sniffed deeply, “it was the best thing I've ever been given, Pretty.”

~ ~ ~

“There's Baltimare,” Airmail announced when the mid-eastern coastal city came into view five thousand feet underneath the three flying mares. Even from this distance, she could see the Inner Harbour where the old warships were still moored as a memorial to the last griffon war, the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse and the Mount Vernon Cultural District. She smiled, making a mental note to take Wildfire around all these places when they had more time on their hooves. Sadly today wasn’t that day. “It’s a nice place.”

“What?” Wildfire asked, even though she had the distance to her chosen target counting down in her headset, she was still caught a little by surprise. She wasn’t expecting the five hour flight to have passed by so quickly. “We're here already? No way!”

“Time flies when you're flying!” Tempest giggled, her blue eyes scanning the ground for where Airmail’s sister lived on the ground.

“Yuppers, but…but I’m not even breathing heavy!”

“Well,” Airmail giggled, “that’s because my tongue isn't between your hind legs.”

Immediately, Wildfire opened her legs in mid-air. “You wanna do something about that?”

Grinning like a mischievous filly, Airmail flew ahead just enough to allow her to run her left wingtip between Wildfire’s open hind legs. Quickly getting the idea, Tempest did the same on the other side of the blind mare, extending her right wing and running the tip between Wildfire’s legs. A second later and both of them waved the wetted primary feathers in front of Wildfire’s nose. Sniffing in front of her, the little yellow pegasus stuck out her tongue and licked their feathers. “Hmm…yummers!”

“Now, follow us down, Wily.” Airmail smiled as she started her descent down to Riverside Park with Tempest beside her.

Wildfire grinned as she too angled her wings and began her descent, her headset alerting her that they were heading to somewhere called Riverside Park, with Swann Park to the left and Tide Point at the right. “Yes ma'am!”

Moments later, both Airmail and Tempest landed outside number seventeen, a standalone detached well-to-do white bricked townhouse in the middle of Riverside Park. Close to the harbour, the smell of saltwater was rife in the air. “Raindrop lives in a really nice neighbourhood,” Airmail said with a smile. And it was, very nice, clean and well-kept. “She is a weather pony when she’s not smuggling beach balls.” She giggled, “her hubby, Lancer, is in the Equestrian Forces, and works as a recruiter downtown.”

A split second later and Wildfire landed as well, next to Airmail’s right side. “Smuggling...” her head was cocked to one side, “ooooh I get it!” she sniggered behind her hoof.

Stepping up to the blue door, Airmail rang the doorbell and a few moments later an excitable little summer green earth pony filly of five years old with a long flowing chestnut brown mane answered the door. “Auntie Airy!” she squeaked, immediately launching herself at the larger mare. “Auntie Stormy!” she hugged them both, one after the other.

“This is your newest aunt, Wildfire,” Airmail stepped aside once her niece had at last let go of her leg, “you can call her Wily.”

“Okay!” Seedling squeaked, “Auntie Wily!” again, for the third time, she launched herself in a tackle hug, this time to the yellow mare that was only a bit taller than she was.

At once, Wildfire returned the hug, “hey Seedling.”

Looking up at her new aunt, Seedling saw all the old green miscoloured acid scars that covered her face. “Where are your eyes?” she asked bluntly.

“Oh those…” Wildfire said dismissively like she was talking about something she had left behind at home, “a bully took them from me at school.”

Seedling tightened her hug on Wildfire’s chest. “Bullies are bad.”

Airmail smiled, rather very proud of the way both Wildfire and Seedling had handled that first meeting. “Where’s your brother and your mom, Seed?”

Seedling didn’t show any sign of releasing the hug she had on Wildfire anytime soon. She seemed content to squeeze her on the doorstep. “Wind is sleep'n and mom’s in the great room.”

Tempest shared a ‘look’ with Airmail. Both mares nodded. “Lead the way, Seed.” Tempest ordered playfully, tapping the filly’s shoulder to make sure she had her attention.

“Okay!” At last, reluctantly, Seedling released the tight hug she had on Wildfire and the little summer green filly almost tripped over her long mane as she entered the house with the three mares following her closely.

“She is lovely,” Wildfire whispered to Airmail who was as ever walking at the blind mare’s left. “She reminds me of the filly I spoke to on the train a few weeks ago, Dewdrop, her name was.”

Airmail smiled as she leant into Wildfire’s side and replied, “She is a good foal for a five year old. Her brother is a three year old pegasus.”

Wildfire grinned, as she walked along she could feel the carpet of the entrance hall change to hardwood flooring. She couldn’t see the pale blue painted walls, or the family pictures on them. She could smell the peppermint in the air and the smell of dough coming from the kitchen. Yes, she grinned. “You do know I want lots of those, right?”

“It must be the water,” Tempest giggled as she steered Wildfire around a couple of loose lego bricks that had been left in the hall. Last thing she wanted was for Wildfire to step on those, for it was a pain unlike any other, as she knew very well from when Serenity played foal. “Raindrop is working on her third.”

“My mom had four,” Airmail put in, also skilfully navigating the lego trap.

“Yeah,” Tempest said, “mine quit after she got it right with the third, which was me!”

“I want lots,” Wildfire giggled, unknowingly missing the dreaded lego by a few inches with her hooves, “but I'll settle for one to start with.”

“Unless you get twins,” Airmail giggled playfully.

“Or triplets,” Tempest offered the alternative, “Celestia forbid you have triplets. That would put you in the hospital for sure.”

Wildfire stopped walking. Ahead of her, Seedling had disappeared into a wide side door off of the entrance hall. Tempest and Airmail looked at each other over Wildfire’s back, wondering why she had stopped so abruptly. They soon got their answer. “I'm NOT going in hospital again.” She stated with a stamp of her hoof.

Airmail shared Tempest’s worried look. “I recommend you have one at a time, then.”

“I don't care for what,” Wildfire stated definitely, stamping her hoof one more time, “but I am NOT going to hospital again, Airy.”

“Yes, love.” Was all Airmail said, but, from her long talks with the little blind mare, she understood why. Hospital in Canterlot was the one time she had been vulnerable. Hospital after her accident had been when Dusk and Air Raid had abandoned her. Hospital had been where her dad had sold her and Amethyst had claimed her.

Wildfire was glad she didn’t have to explain. She was glad her Airmail knew and understood. “Thank you, Pretty.”

After that, Wildfire allowed herself to be steered through the side door into the great room of the detached town house. Like the hall, it was painted in pale blues, with long stretched seating pads, a stereo, widescreen TV, several bookcases full of CDs, DVDs and even books. Laid on one of these stretched pads was Raindrop, a very, very pregnant cyan pegasus with a pure white main and tail and a cutie mark of one large raindrop in front of a white cloud. Seedling ran up to her mother and tackle hugged her. “Momma, Auntie Airy is here!”

“Hello Airy,” Raindrop smiled up at her sister, older than her by eight years, “I’m glad you and Stormy could stop by.” Her green eyes then drifted to the little yellow pony standing between her sister and Tempest. “So, this is Wildfire, come over and give us a hug.”

“Yuppers, it’s me Wildfire smiled, her ears swivelling to follow the sound of Raindrop’s voice. Softer than Airmail’s, there was Vanhoovan there as well as a definite Baltimare accent. As she got closer, the scent of peppermint got noticeably stronger until she was overwhelmed by it and pulled into a vice-like hug.

After the hug was released, due to the fact that Wildfire needed to breathe, Raindrop kissed the young mare’s nose as well as her scars. “Airy says you want a foal too,” she said with a smile, referring to the texts and emails her sister had sent her since she had met Wildfire. “Put a hoof here.” taking Wildfire’s hoof, Raindrop guided it to her swollen belly and almost straightaway she could feel the foal moving.

“So badly I can't put it into words,” Wildfire answered, though at first she was quiet, just enjoying the sensation of feeling the unborn foal moving inside Raindrop’s belly. “That's the bestest thing ever!”

“It is,” Raindrop agreed, “and the foal should be here before the week is out.”

Wildfire felt like she was paralysed, she just could not move her hoof. “That…that is properly amazing…”

“You'll find out it is the best thing ever,” Raindrop smiled at her sister and shifted a little on the stretched seating pad just to move her weight about, “right Airy?”

“Yeah, I'm sure it is.”

Tempest snickered, earning herself a playful smack from her herd-mate, like Airmail she had no plans on being a mother. “I'm with Airy on that.”

Wildfire however just rested her hoof back where it belonged, she had no intentions whatever of moving. “I know it's the best thing ever Raindrop, sorry Airy, even better than getting married.”

“That's okay,” Airmail smiled, “we're still getting married anyways.”

Wildfire smiled, she couldn’t stop smiling. Her whole world was peppermint and the moving foal. “I'm glad for that, Pretty.”

Raindrop glanced up at the clock on the wall and made a quick judgement in her head. “Lancer should be home in a few minutes,” she said, thinking of the hunter gathering expedition that her husband had bravely undertaken to go get Neighnese food. “How long can you all stay?”

“We planned on at least two hours,” Airmail replied, “long enough for all your horror stories on pregnancy to be told to Wily.”

“I don't care.” Wildfire giggled, still not moving a muscle from where she was. Surely she could live her life knelt here in Baltimare, right? “Anything I go through will be worth it to hold my Fireflight in my hooves at last.”

“Oh, you have a name already.” Raindrop commented, trying as she did so not to coo under the massage that Wildfire was giving her belly, “I'm waiting to see what this one is first. We have four planed depending, though.”

Airmail smirked at her younger sister, at last taking a seating pad alongside Tempest when it was clear that her fiancé wasn’t in a hurry to move, “What if it’s a unicorn?”

“Ha, ha,” Raindrop stuck out her tongue, very tired by now of her sister’s teasing about producing one of each. “Very funny, sis.”

“I'm hoping for pegasus,” Wildfire grinned, picturing her little filly in her mind’s eye, “but I'm really not bothered as long as she's healthy.”

“And a filly, I hear.” Raindrop chuckled, “I had Seedling first and North Wind second, so I'm up for anything now.”

“It’s all part of my plan, Raindrop.” Wildfire smiled, in fact her smile felt permanent at this point, with her hoof seemingly glued to the older pregnant mare’s belly, “get free, get a life, get a job, get married, have my filly.”

Raindrop nodded at Wildfire’s five point plan. Having read all the messages she had been sent from her sister, she was well aware of the horrendous experiences that the young twenty four year old mare had lived through the past five years of her life. “It seems you have a wonderful life now, Wily.”

“Yuppers, I really do,” Wildfire sniffed, “it’s more than I could've hoped for even a month ago…”

Just as Wildfire was about to continue, she was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and the hoof-steps of a pegasus stallion entered the great room. Lancer, an aquamarine coloured pony with a bright blue mane carried the takeout bags in his mouth. Walking past his guests he set them down on a low coffee table just behind where Wildfire was knelt with his wife. “I see you all made here it safely,” he greeted them with an easy-going smile, especially when Seedling speared him with a hug. “I got the extra fish, but I didn't think you cared for fish, Airy?”

“Not a big fan,” Airmail replied, “but Wily here is.” She pointed her forehoof to her lover.

“Hey, that'd be me.” she held up her hoof like she was in class, “the fish lover.”

Lancer grinned as he managed to extricate himself from the excitable little spider monkey that was his filly. “Good to know I'm not the only one. So, you are to be my sister-in-law?” he asked rhetorically, walking over and hugging the kneeling mare.

Wildfire returned the hug, this time the peppermint was replaced with a definite hint of honeysuckle. While not her favourite scent in the world, at least it wasn’t celery. “I've...developed a taste for it, yes,” she said with a smile, not wanting to go deeper into it than that. “And yuppers, I'm your sister-in-law-to-be.”

“I've developed a taste for it too,” Lancer chuckled, “as long as I remember to brush my teeth afterwards.”

“Thank Celestia for that!” Raindrop added, rolling her eyes and making sure her husband saw the roll of her eyes.

“Well Lancer, there's worse things you can put in your mouth.” Wildfire shuddered, her mind wandering to the bowls of dog food she had been forced to eat in the care home, as well as the stallion’s bits she had been forced to swallow. It was such a vivid flashback she could taste it in her mouth and smell it. Thankfully it only lasted but a moment before she was back in the here and now. “So, you're in the army?”

“Army Air Corps actually,” Lancer said proudly, “I have twenty five years under my saddle.”

Wildfire was suitably impressed. “That's cool, where have you served?”

“All over Equestria,” Lancer replied, waving his hoof in an all-encompassing gesture which was followed by a blush when he realised of course that the yellow mare couldn’t see it. “The changeling invasion was the reason I joined up.”

“Really?” Wildfire’s ears perked right up as soon as she heard that. So much so that she for a moment forgot about the food on the table behind her. “My mum was with the Canterlot weather team. I found out yesterday that she helped the army out during the fighting.”

“I was seventeen when the invasion happened.” Lancer said, he could remember that day twenty eight years ago like it was yesterday. Indeed, sometimes he relived it like it was yesterday. “I went to the academy as soon as I could. That was a scary day.”

Wildfire giggled at that, “I wasn't born then, but I've been told it was scary. I was given some old press cuttings, would you like a look?”

“Yes I would,” Lancer nodded eagerly, and he was about to ask for them there and then, but for the dangerous look he received from his hungry pregnant wife. “But, let’s get to the food first. I got a variety of vegetable and fruit rolls and some sashimi for those that like it.” Grinning, Airmail quietly slipped her brother-in-law a note, which he read and shook his head, “I’m sorry Airy, they were out of celery rolls.”

Wildfire shuddered involuntarily, “huh, thank Luna for small mercies!”

Airmail burst out in laughter, “And that is an introduction to Wily's least favourite food.”

“It's specially grown in Tartarus,” Wildfire continued, giving accurate description to the demonically foul taste of celery. She thought she just about summed it up. “It’s flavoured with misery and despair. That's why it tastes like it does.”

Seedling giggled, though she didn’t really understand the big words, she got the gist. “I don't like peas.”

“I'm kinda with you on the peas, Seedling,” Wildfire replied with a giggle, “they run away from me when I chase them around my plate.”

“And?” Raindrop asked her little filly with a raised eyebrow.

Seedling looked down at the floor. “I eat them, momma.”

Raindrop rolled her green eyes, “I only give her one to eat.” She snickered, for it was sounding like she force-fed her filly kilos of peas for every meal.

“Good for you,” Wildfire smiled and, after a little exploratory feeling about, hugged the little filly, “I eat them too, when I finally corner them. They're like chocolate chips.”

Reaching over to help herself to a couple of vegetable spring rolls and chow mein, Tempest snorted, almost dropping her carton. Almost. “Tricky they is!”

“Very tricky, Honey,” Wildfire sniffed the air, her mouth beginning to water straightaway. “Hmm, that fish smells nice though!”

Seeing the little yellow mare about to get up, Raindrop reached out and put her hoof on her shoulder. “You can stay right where you are, Wily, while Lancer makes the deliveries.” Obediently, her husband set out before her on the coffee table some items, from left to right there was two spicy tuna rolls, an avocado roll, salmon sashimi, cucumber roll, and finally some tuna sashimi.

“Yay!” as soon as she detected the heavenly smells, Wildfire fairly bounced on the floor, earning herself a round of giggles from everypony present. “I think I'll go left to right, the avocado can kill the spicy. Thanks Lancer!”

“No problem, future sis-in-law.” He turned to his wife, “how are you doing, love?”

“Coping,” Raindrop grunted, though she had a grateful look on her face when Lancer laid out some cartons for her to eat from. “I think anything spicy will make me hurl.”

As they all began eating, Airmail and Tempest making a huge dent in their supply of avocado rolls, a young three year old pegasus colt with a coat as bright a blue as his father’s mane, walked into the great room, rubbing sleep from his eyes with his little wings. “Hungry,” he announced to the room.

Lancer greeted his colt with his natural easy-going smile, “I got some for you right here, North Wind.” He pointed to a little carton full of cucumber on the floor, and, with a rumbling belly the colt trotted over to his dad.

Wildfire, quickly swallowing her spicy tuna, turned her head towards the little newcomer, “hi North Wind!”

Seeing Wildfire seated next to his mother, and her scarred face, North Wind immediately hid behind his father. Airmail giggled at her little nephew, “there’s no need to be shy North, this is your aunt Wily.” The azure blue mare said, pausing in eating her second roll.

“Hey North,” Wildfire turned her head, trying to find him, “you wanna help me eat this tuna roll?”

Lancer grinned, recognising the time honoured method of using food to your advantage. “Your aunt Wily has something even better. She has cucumber.”

That certainly got the little colt’s attention. For another long moment he was undecided, then his belly rumbled. His mind made up, North Wind smiled. “Hungry!” Carefully though, he moved around behind everypony and eventually he came up between Wildfire and Raindrop.

Raindrop spared her colt the same look she had given her filly. “What do you say?”

Thinking, North Wind blinked a few times, looking between the cucumber roll and his mother. “Please.”

Wildfire smiled, her left forehoof moving along the row of food in front of her as she counted four across from the left and she picked up the cucumber roll for the little blue pegasus. “Here you go!”

Immediately, North Wind took it up in his little hooves, “Yummy!”

Again, Raindrop gave her colt what was known as the ‘mother’ look. “North Wind?”

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy it, North,” Wildfire said as she finished off her spicy tuna roll, a thought occurring to her while she was feeling for the avocado roll to help kill the spicy heat in her mouth. “Raindrop, you're a weather pony?”

Raindrop giggled as she ate her veggie spring roll. “Yes, when I'm not pretending to be a blimp.”

“Or being a smuggler for beach balls like Airy said,” Wildfire offered, very glad she had at last located the avocado roll, though not as grateful as her mouth was.

Raindrop stuck her tongue out at her older sister, who was doing a good impression of a hyena. “Love you too, sis.”

“I know you do.”

Wildfire wanted to giggle, but she was too busy putting out the fire in her mouth with the avocado roll. “Um…you are careful, with Nimbostratus clouds, aren't you?” she asked.

“I try to be careful all the time.”

“Wily's mom was a weather pony,” Airmail supplied helpfully when she saw Raindrop and Lancer’s confusion, “she died in the line of duty.”

“Oh, your letter didn't explain how she died.” Raindrop reached out and laid her hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. Everything was starting to make a little more sense now. “Wily, Nimbostratus?” she asked gently, her hoof not moving, “I'm guessing it was a lightning strike?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded, “my mum was setting up a class ten thunderstorm over my school when I was twelve. She didn't know the cloud was faulty, that it couldn't hold the charge that was building up and it burst.”

Raindrop sympathised greatly, as did she empathise as well. While certainly rare, such instances did indeed happen. There was no getting away from it. “We do job rotation at the Weather Factory to ensure that quality control is well up to standards. Then I'm sure a lot changed after that accident,” she said kindly.

“I'm sure it did,” Wildfire agreed as she finished off the avocado roll, “I'm just glad you're safe, well, as safe as you can be with weather. I've asked Honey to be careful too.”

Tempest quickly swallowed her chow mein she had been eating and sniffed imperiously. “I'm the queen of safety.”

Lancer chuckled at that, “I thought you were the queen of yellow rain?”

“I rule more than one realm!” Tempest countered quickly, not missing a beat.

Laughing, Lancer reached into the Neighnese takeout bag and he placed two more cucumber rolls in front of Wildfire on the coffee table. “Here are two more cucumber rolls,” he explained, “North will eat a second when he finishes the one he’s eating and there’s one for you.”

“Thanks Lancer,” Wildfire took the offered cucumber roll and she took a huge bite out of it as she thought for a moment. “It’s Wednesday, isn't it?” she giggled, “I start work in four days!”

Raindrop levelled the ‘mother’ look at Wildfire now, thankfully, as she was a mother, this look reached her voice. “Airy says you're a firefighter, Wily, that right?”

“Yuppers, Raindrop,” Wildfire stated proudly, for she was justly proud of her job. “I was a reserve back in Canterlot before my accident, now I'm with the Manehatten team.”

Raindrop giggled, “now it’s my turn to say, 'be careful'.”

Wildfire joined the older mare in her giggles. “That’s entirely different.”

“You've got fire and I've got rain,” Raindrop snickered, and there was general laughter from the others arranged around the coffee table.

Wildfire laughed, “but yes, I'll be as careful as I can, although I'm mainly on cloud delivery. I don’t think I'll be doing any of the really fun stuff anymore.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the note of resentment from her voice. While cloud delivery was an important and responsible job, she missed flying through buildings.

“Well with the Manehatten factory,” Raindrop started, “you do have a pony on your side to make sure of quality control.”

Wildfire giggled, “I know I do,” she said as she made a start on her sashimi, “I'm perfectly safe then!”

Leaning over the table, Tempest kissed Wildfire lovingly on the nose. “Nopony is perfect, but I'll rest easier knowing you'll be careful too.”

“I will,” Wildfire kissed her violet lover back, “but I doubt chief Rung's gonna let me near anything really fun.”

“You do what needs to be done.” Airmail said as she reached for another crispy spring roll. “Like you did with Winter.”

“The season?” Lancer asked.

Wildfire giggled, as it was an easy error to make. “No, she's an earth pony mother whom I pulled from a burning building in Canterlot years ago. I went back for her after I took her two colts, Summer and Autumn out first.”

Lancer grinned, imparting his well-earned wisdom. “Feather and fire never mix very well.”

Finishing his first cucumber roll, North Wind gently tapped Wildfire’s shoulder. “Please?”

Wildfire nodded, turning her head to the right, “Go for it, North.”

Leaning over to her new favourite pony, Raindrop whispered in a not-so-quiet whisper, “You have to give it to him, as he can't take from your plate, Wily.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I gotcha,” that however was easier said than done. The diminutive mare felt blindly along her diminishing row of food until she at last located the cucumber roll. Picking it up in her hooves, she passed it to her right and thankfully, North Wind took it from her. “The difference was though Lancer, I could see back then.”

Happy he had his cucumber roll, North Wind squeaked, “Thank you!”

Sat across from Wildfire, next to Airmail, Tempest shifted and suppressed a low growl. She hated Wildfire putting herself down like this. “I've seen how well you track by scent and sound,” she said, determined to not let her start wallowing. “Don't sell yourself short for a pair of eyes, Wily.”

“That's cos I'm a Power Pony.” Wildfire declared, even going so far as to make a little pose.

Seedling, already awed just by Wildfire’s presence, was even more so when the little filly heard that. Aunt Wily was cool! “I like the Power Ponies!” she squeaked energetically, almost upending her food carton when she clapped her forehooves together.

“Me too!” in a very good imitation of her new niece, Wildfire clapped her hooves together. At last she had a Power Pony pal. “Who's your favourite?”

“Fili-Second!” Seedling yelped, jumping up to her hooves and running on the spot.

“I like Zapp,” Wildfire giggled, “I have a flight suit that looks like hers.” She explained, though she wasn’t wearing it now, just the headset which was resting on the seating pad by Tempest.

“I'm partial to Zapp, too.” Raindrop interjected from her stretched seating pad. While she didn’t exactly ‘like’ the Power Ponies as such, as Seedling liked them she was very familiar with them.

Lancer chuckled, “While I like Saddle-Rager.”

Airmail, seated next to her herd-mate, gave each pony in the room an extremely non-plussed look as names and a thing she knew nothing about was discussed in front of her. She couldn’t even begin to join in this conversation so she didn’t try. “I guess I'll have to start watching the show now, right?”

Seedling, still doing her running on the spot, tore around the great room like a little green rocket. “Fili is the fastest!”

“Aw, c'mon Airy, you never watch cartoons or read comics?” Wildfire smiled as she teased her fiancé, a smile that only got bigger and wider when Airmail delivered a raspberry to her. “Fili Second is cool. My mum liked Radiance.”

Seated next to the older pegasus, Tempest burst out into giggles, giggles fuelled by the utterly lost expression plastered all over Airmail’s face. “We will have Airy well indoctrinated before the year is out, I’m sure!” her giggles only intensified when Airmail rolled her eyes at her and nudged her hard in the ribs.

“We certainly will,” Wildfire was as determined as Tempest, “then we can play that bit from issue twenty five, when the Mane-iac has Zapp all tied up...” she paused and coughed, her cheeks going very red indeed, “I mean, that'd be cool.”

Lancer and Raindrop both laughed at that, for they knew of what the diminutive yellow mare spoke. “Bondage is cannon!” Raindrop snickered, making Wildfire blush all the more.

Wildfire nodded, wishing her blush would kindly bugger off. “It so is, Raindrop.”

“Wily, please can I see that book with the invasion stuff in it now?” Lancer asked when he had finished the last of his Neighnese takeout and placed his empty cartons back in the bag that they had come from.

“Oh yuppers, of course you can, Lancer.” Finishing her own food, Wildfire wiped her hooves on a napkin and, making sure they were clean and free of grease, she reached into the saddlebag that she had borrowed from Brush Stroke the night before. “Here you go,” she said, passing the heavy book over to the sound of Lancer’s voice.

Intensely curious, both North Wind and his sister Seedling both moved around their dad so they could get a better view of the pictures as Lancer carefully opened it up. Straightaway he could tell these press clippings and personal pictures were not officially released, he knew these were incredibly rare, bias free images. “I don't think I've seen some of these in the official documents.”

“I'm not sure exactly what's in it,” Wildfire explained, “we got the book from Captain Starbright. He was a friend of my mums.”

“I don't recognise the name,” Lancer commented as he tapped his chin and looked over the old faded black and white photographs. Ponies he thought he knew adorned the pages, all the same, all in various poses, all with ‘that’ look in their eyes that said they had seen fighting. “But, it was some time ago.”

“It was a while,” Wildfire agreed, “the yellow pegasus with the cutie mark of five red lightning bolts arranged in a circle is my mum. Her picture should be there somewhere.”

“Yes, at the very front.” Lancer’s brown eyes fell on the pegasus Wildfire had mentioned almost straightaway. He could tell this particular picture had been taken before the fighting had started. The mare identified as ‘Silverbolt’ was smiling. “Looks like the book was dedicated to the Canterlot Weather Team.”

“Really?” Wildfire let out a delighted little squee, “that's why Oils' dad gave it us then. What's in it?” she asked eagerly, desperate to know anything about her mother, “I know the Captain said the Weather Team used lightning bolts to help the ground forces during the invasion.”

Airmail, like Tempest and the two foals, moved around Lancer to get a better look at the scrapbook. “We haven't had a chance to really look at it,” she explained, “We got it late last night from Starbright, a medic during the invasion. After we got up we flew straight here.”

Lancer looked quickly through the yellowed twenty nine year old pages. “It has individual photos of the weather team as well as group shots taken before, during and after the fighting. Silverbolt is the front mare, along with another called Rainbow Gem. There are some action shots of them during the fight and some photos of the ground forces being supported.”

Lancer paused for a moment as he reached the pages at the back, where he saw writings that were penned by the weather ponies themselves. “Oh, here in the back is a write up from each member of the weather team. There’s one from Silverbolt too.” Looking at the eager look on Wildfire’s face, he read it out;

“Doesn't matter the type of war,
Heartache and misery we can't ignore.
They put their lives on the line,
Blood and dirt, there is no shine.
Even if we have a reason,
You won't find the ideal season,
To leave family and foal behind,
The worst torture, they feel blind.
If you're lucky, you come back,
They give you a medal, and a plaque.
In your mind, memories are clear,
Wake up at night, with so much fear.”

Wildfire, silent until Lancer stopped reading the poem, at last found her tongue. “Oh…that sounds like they were on the frontlines, not just ‘helping out’, doesn’t it?”

“Everypony was on the frontlines that day,” Lancer said, his tone reflecting the horrors of the invasion, Raindrop immediately caressing her husband’s shoulders, for it was all she could reach.

“Not everypony,” Wildfire shook her head, “Not according to Starbright, anyway, but I'm glad my mum did her bit.”

Airmail snickered, misunderstanding what Wildfire had said. “Starbright can ask her at the wedding and she just might tell him.”

Wildfire giggled, “I meant dear old daddy, but yeah I bet he'll ask Luna.” A much brighter thought crossed her mind then, “hey lancer, wanna see mum's medal she got from Celestia?”

“Sure,” Lancer smiled, looking at two pictures of Silverbolt towards the end of the scrapbook. One was a long wide shot of the Princess awarding medals, and the other was of the pegasus in question wearing it with pride, though he fancied the smile was forced. “I'm going to guess it is the Equestria Star though.”

As Wildfire dug around in the saddlebag a little, she eventually found the small box. “Yuppers, how'd you guess?”

Lancer chuckled, “she is wearing it in the photo, here.”

Wildfire grinned through her latest blush, “I knew that!” however, she went quiet, as did everypony else, while she showed off her mother’s medal.

“True courage is acting when we are afraid, so that we can be more than we are.” Lancer said, looking at the highest civilian award for bravery that could be awarded. “As big as fighting off an invasion or as small as entering a burning building. It is a civilian medal so you should wear it proudly in honour of your mother, when the occasion is right.”

“Like her wedding?” Airmail asked, remembering their earlier conversation in flight on the way from Trottingham.

Lancer nodded immediately, he didn’t have to think. “As long as if when she’s asked, she lets anypony know it is to honour her mother.”

“Yuppers...yuppers I will,” Wildfire replied just as quickly, “I’m sorry for spacing out then, I was thinking about that mum wrote. it's just...she never spoke about it, not ever.”

Raindrop once more reached out from her stretched seating pad and she laid her forehoof comfortingly on Wildfire’s back. “From the poem she wrote, there were those she knew and loved that were lost, so I think, rather than repeat the past she let it lie buried.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “that's what I took from it too, Raindrop. I'm gonna guess it wasn't the best day ever, for all involved.”

Lancer had to agree with that. “I spent it in a shelter helping with foals that were separated from their parents.”

“You can't say that's not really important,” Wildfire said defensively on Lancer’s behalf, “I'll bet those parents were glad you were there when they were reunited with their foals.” Wildfire sighed, “according to the Captain, my dad didn't help much but I'm not surprised…”

“I don't know about that,” Lancer interrupted her, “I didn't see any of the fighting. I'd like to think those outside were making a difference though.”

Airmail was watching the conversation and she didn’t like the way it was going, especially with two foals in the room as well. She decided to do something about it. “Enough talk,” she announced loudly, “time for dessert!”

Seedling reared up onto her hind hooves and squealed, “Ice Cream!”

North Wind similarly joined his sister, though he buzzed his little wings excitedly, “Icream!”

“Yay!” Wildfire, ever the overgrown foal, clapped her forehooves as well, “icream!”

Raindrop rolled her eyes, though she had a smile on her face at the three foals sat in her great room. “There’s a choice of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or any combination.”

“Hmm…” Wildfire tapped her chin, “It’s a tough choice but I'll have to say chocolate, please.”

Airmail snickered, hoof bumping Tempest and flicking her ears to tell her violet herd-mate she had lost the silent bet, “Good thing North likes the vanilla or that would be the only thing left in the carton.”

North Wind took off and hovered a foot above the floor at the mention of his favourite flavour. “Nilla! Nilla!”

“I'll have all three, please.” Tempest requested politely.

“I'll fall on my hoof and join North in some nilla,” Airmail said, before getting up with Lancer and going with her brother-in-law to help him serve. After ten minutes or so, the two ponies soon returned with a long wide serving tray held between them holding seven dishes of ice cream.

“Hey Seedling,” Wildfire asked the little summer green filly, “who would win, Fili Second or Rainbow Dash?”

“Fili!” Seedling squeaked without a moment’s pause, “'cause she is a Power Pony. She is way faster than the Princesses!”

Raindrop was caught in mid-eye roll, though she was suddenly preoccupied with the bowl of strawberry ice cream that was presented to her. “Wily, I don't think they teach the Celestia Six in pre-school.”

Wildfire grinned, a grin that became wider when she smelled the chocolate ice cream on the coffee table in front of her. “I think Fili Second would win too. I also think they should've had comics as a lesson in my school. I'd have passed that exam no trouble!”

“See sis,” Airmail smirked as she took her bowl of vanilla, “I told you I'd marry a smart pony.”

Wildfire giggled, “but instead you got me!”

Leaning over the table, Airmail gave Wildfire a long, loving kiss, then the azure blue mare gave her fiancé a gentle thwack upside her head with her forehoof. “You're no dummy, love.”

“Maybe not,” Wildfire said, returning the kiss before getting a spoonful of her ice cream, “I was thinking I might take Dusky up on that tutoring thing he mentioned though.”

“I thought it was for you to finish Uni and get your diploma?” Tempest asked as she swallowed a mouthful of her mixed ice cream.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “that. I'm going to do that, I'll even brave math, it'll be worth it in the end.”

Airmail rolled her eyes, doing a very passable impression of her younger sister. “Didn't I say a couple weeks ago you might find math in braille easier?”

“And you did ace Airy's math question on the fly,” Tempest added with a playful giggle.

Wildfire nodded, sparing a moment to polish off her ice cream. “You did indeed Airy, and I want to try math in braille,” she laughed then when Tempest’s comment sunk in. “Honey, she asked me what one plus one was, even I know that!”

Finishing off her ice cream, Seedling placed her forehoof on her auntie Wildfire’s in sympathy. “Math is hard, auntie Wily.”

Again, Wildfire nodded, “yes Seedling, it is, I think it's very hard.”

Seedling smiled up at her new aunt, “I like to read and draw.”

“I like to read and write poems,” Wildfire turned her head and smiled down in the direction of the high pitched excited squeak, “what do you like to read?”

Without an explanation, Seedling got up and rushed out of the great room. Raindrop giggled as the sound of tiny hooves diminished on the flooring “She'll be back in a moment with one of her early reader books,” she explained to a confused looking Wildfire.

Literally seconds later, Seedling returned with a chunky yellow book held in her mouth – the sort of eye-achingly bright yellow that would glow in the dark – and, moving in next to Wildfire she set it down. “This one!” she let out an excited little squee, “The Fire Cat.”

Wildfire made a show of thinking for a moment. “I don't think I remember that one, can you read it for me?”

That was what Seedling was waiting for. “Yes!” she squeaked as she nestled into Wildfire’s flank and opened up the story book. “Pickles, that's the cat's name, Auntie Wily,” she started once she felt the older mare get comfortable, “Once upon a time, there was a yellow cat with black spots in his fur. His name was Pickles...”

Like a good aunt, Wildfire listened while Seedling read and finished the story, “In Mrs. Goodkind's home there was a pretty pad for Pickles to sit on. There were toys for him to play with.” She finished proudly, beaming like a little sun that she had read it all perfectly.

Lowering her head, Wildfire nuzzled Seedling’s cheek. It touched her in a way, for she was reminded very strongly of how her mother would sit with her when she was a filly and listen to her read. “That was properly awesomes, you read really well, Seedling.”

Seedling couldn’t look any more proud. “Thank you!”

“Why did you pick Fire Cat?” Raindrop asked curiously now she had finished her ice cream.

“Auntie Wily is a Fire Pony!” the little summer green filly said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Do you have a cat at the Fire House, Auntie Wily?”

Wildfire thought about that. Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure. She hadn’t actually been to the Fire House yet, just inside Rung’s office. “Oh, I don't know, but if there isn't one I'll tell the Chief to get one, how’s that?”

That appeased Seedling, who jumped up and punched the air with her hoof. “Yes! Will you call it Pickles?”

“I certainly will!” Wildfire couldn’t help but smile at that. “You know, you'll be reading Shakespony before long.”

Utterly lost at the mention of a name she didn’t recognise, Seedling looked at her mother with a blank expression on her face. Raindrop giggled, “Something you will enjoy when you're older, sweetie.”

“You'll love it,” Wildfire enthused, “it's better than the Power Ponies.”

“Really?” both Seedling and Tempest questioned her at exactly the same moment. So stunned was the violet weather pony repeated her question. “Really?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed, clapping her hooves together, “Shakespony's plays are like, just the best thing ever. Some are even movies, so Airy can enjoy them and not be bored.”

“Ha. Ha, ha.” Airmail rolled her eyes and got up from her seating pad, determined to make herself useful and clear away the now empty ice cream bowls.

Wildfire, oblivious to her fiancé’s sarcastic laugh, continued with her favourite subject. “There's my favourite one, and it’s even named after Tempest.”

Seedling was awed at that. That a play and a movie was named after her aunt. “OooOOooh!”

Tempest laughed out loud, more at Airmail’s response than at Wildfire’s inference that The Tempest was named after her. “Of course, Wily knows it better than me, but she did get me the book which was very sweet of her.”

Her good mood regained, Airmail bustled back into the great room from the kitchen, having deposited the dishes in the sink for her brother-in-law to wash later. “Thank you for the food and the fun sis, but we really need to move on up to Fillydelphia before getting back home.”

Raindrop nodded, she wished her older sister could have stayed longer but she understood the need to get on and get home. “Serenity said in one of her letters that you were all moving back in together.”

“That’s true,” Tempest added, “what with both Wily and Serenity planning on having a foal, it makes sense.”

Lancer’s ears perked right up at that. “There’s no more issues over Serenity's ‘excesses’, then?”

“I think Mapper has that well under control now,” Airmail stated definitely, for she was sure that was the case as she saw it. “So it’s all behind us.”

Raindrop nodded and smiled, satisfied by that. “I’ll let Caffy know if I have a good reason to skip gaming night this month.” She said, rubbing her vastly swollen belly as she felt a hard kick from her foal.

Airmail giggled when she saw the definite shape of a very tiny hoof appear on her sister’s belly. “If he doesn't understand I'm sure Thespy can pound some sense into his stripy old hide.”

Wildfire bit her lip, “um, can I get a last feel before we go?”

Raindrop patted the blind mare’s shoulder. “Of course, one for the road.” She paused and giggled, “Before you got home Lance, I thought Wily had glue on her hoof.”

“Thanks…” Wildfire ran her hooves once more over Raindrop’s pregnant belly, a very wide grin spreading over her face when almost instantly she was greeted by the foal moving. “Yuppers, I really don't think my hooves want to leave.”

“Try sleeping next to her and getting kicked out of bed.” Lancer chuckled, easily dodging a swipe that his wife aimed at him with her hind leg.

“Can't be worse than Airy's snoring,” Wildfire said as she very reluctantly tore her hoof away from Raindrop’s belly. “Alrighty, I'm done, or I'll be here forever and ever.”

Raindrop shot her husband a scathing look, though she smiled at Wildfire. “Come back and see us after the birth.”

Airmail giggled, “Like you'll be able to stop us.”

“Wily needs the foalsitting experience.”

Wildfire giggled at Tempest’s comment, “thank you, Stormy.”

Lancer laughed, “I just welcome somepony else here to change the nappies.”

“Fireflight can dirty all the nappies she likes,” Wildfire stated with an air of finality that said she wasn’t going to be argued with, “I so do not care about that.”

Raindrop gave her sister a sly look, “Mom said that with Airy in the house, she never had to change a nappy at all.”

Wildfire picked up on the teasing tone of Raindrop’s voice and decided to join in the fun. “Oh, I reckon if I let her have some of my milk I'll get a chance to change some.”

“You already know her so well!” Raindrop said with glee, while Airmail had a very serious blush spreading all over her face.

Wildfire sniggered, “Hey, I'll even go to the MiAC store near us and get a cowbell for my collar!”

Tempest let out a very violent snort of laughter which Lancer immediately pounced upon. “Seed,” he nudged his filly, “what does the cow say?”

“Moo!”

“Moo,” North Wind and Raindrop joined in as well, “moo, moo!”

Wildfire giggled, unable to help herself, “moo!”

“I love you all to death.” Airmail grumbled playfully, though her blush was still in full effect. “I mean that.” After that, there was a generous amount of hugs all round, and everypony made sure to hug everypony else at least twice over. Airmail had to bodily pull Wildfire away from Raindrop and her belly.

“Love you too, Pretty,” Wildfire made sure to hug her fiancé tightly, at least that way she wasn’t tempted to feel up Raindrop again. “Seed, you gonna look after your mum?”

Seedling veritably bounced up Wildfire’s leg, “Yes! I will do a good job, Aunt Wily.”

“Hoof bump!” Wildfire declared as she was herded out of the great room and down the entrance hall towards the front door. This was a good thing because if Airmail and Tempest hadn’t, she would’ve stayed there literally forever.

“Seed does great with North Wind and that is a real bonus,” Lancer said, praising his filly who had a very, very big smile all over her little face.

Charging up alongside her new favourite aunt, Seedling jumped up and bumped hooves with the blind pegasus. “Bye bye Auntie Wily! I'll read you another book next time you visit.”

“I can't wait, Seed.” Wildfire took a moment to hug the little filly tightly while Airmail opened the door and once again, had to forcibly remove her from the hug and the house.

“Let's fly!” Airmail called out to Tempest and Wildfire once they were all three of them standing on the street on Riverside Park, almost the exact same spot they had landed hours before. Without waiting for Wildfire, Airmail and Tempest spread their wings and took off.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire, on the ground, took a moment to set her headset’s destination to Fillydelphia before she too rose up into the midday sunshine with a grin all over her muzzle. “Finally I'm going where I was supposed to be the last five years,” she said, easily catching up with her two lovers.

Chapter 6 - Happiness, Love, and a Caramel Donut

“You have the lead to Caffy's place,” Tempest said to Wildfire as they left the Cloudhatten Mall by the same entrance / exit they entered by on its upper deck. The violet weather mare checked her watch in the late afternoon sun and saw it was fast approaching five thirty. They’d been an hour and a half in the mall. ‘Not a bad way of spending ninety minutes,’ she thought, ‘not at all.’ “I'll be watching you work that left wing, just so you know.”

“Alrighty, Stormy you got it!” Wildfire grinned, eager as she was to take flight, she used her tongue to flick on the microphone on the bit in her mouth. After this admittedly epic shopping trip, she was more than ready to show Airmail what she had bought. “Point Six, direction and distance.”

Straightaway, her headset relayed the necessary information into her ear and, turning to face the right direction, Wildfire took off into the late afternoon sky. It still felt pleasant, the warm sun was still there as it ever was, but there was a definite breeze there now as well.

Tempest took off behind Wildfire, flying along in her wake. Banking to the left, the two pegasi flew down over the edge of the sprawling cloud city. It was a concerted effort for her to look at Wildfire’s left wing as opposed to the spot underneath her black tail. “It's fifty miles down to the ground and it’s not a race, so pace yourself!”

“Yuppers, I know, Honey.” Wildfire called back over her shoulder. Seeing as it wasn’t a race, Wildfire flew along at a steady and very manageable forty five miles per hour. All the time, she was getting a soft collision warning to her rear that she knew was Tempest.

“You know what I miss, a little bit?” Tempest asked, once again playing the pack-pony as she was carrying their recent purchases in her saddlebags. Not that she minded.

“What's that, Honey?”

“You used to sing a lot more when you were in your happy place.” Tempest said. And Wildfire had. Tempest only just realised how long it had been since she had heard Wildfire sing, and how much she missed hearing it. In fact, if she thought about it, it was last Monday, on the train back from Vanhoover to Canterlot that Wildfire had sung.

“Oh...” Wildfire thought about it and she knew Tempest was right. “I guess I haven't needed it as much lately as I used to before.” She smiled though as she flew along. “You're right though.” With that, she started to half hum, half sing her favourite song, 'Prettiest Eyes'.

Behind Wildfire, Tempest accelerated just a little and flew alongside her lover. “No longer do you need to hide behind your songs, but now you can sing them freely.” With that, the violet pegasus began to sing along with the chorus, badly.

Wildfire grinned and, though she was trying so hard to not laugh, she couldn’t help it. She started singing the second verse and her giggles got the better of her as again, Tempest blustered her way through the lyrics with no thought to the tone, or tempo, or melody of any kind. With gusto, Wildfire eventually finished the song, nowhere near any kind of tune but absolutely not caring in the slightest. “I…oh, I do love that!”

“Your voice is as pretty as you and it’s nice to hear you sing.” Tempest laughed, the out of tune blast was just what she had in mind, just some silly fun between two loving mares.

Wildfire turned her head to Tempest, “I can do another if you'd like?”

“Love,” Tempest rolled her eyes and shook her head, playfully swatting at Wildfire’s flank with her wingtip, “this isn't about what I like. This about you being you.”

“Well, in that case, I won't do 'Don't Marry Her', so no worries there,” Wildfire giggled, her giggles turning to snorts of laughter when Tempest raspberried her. “Ooh I know...we used to tease Cy with this one so bad back in Uni…” with that, she began to sing ‘Blackbird on the Wire’.

Again, the two pegasi sang loudly, enthusiastically, and above all, badly. Still, Tempest listened and joined in when she could, both mares butchering the lyrics something awful. But, when they finished, they had wide smiles all over their faces. “Y-You tee hee, you ha, sounded good on that one Honey!”

Tempest, well aware of just how ‘good’ or not, in this case, she had sounded, gave a little bow in mid-air. Accuracy though wasn’t the point. Fun, was. Although, on reflection, as bad as they had sounded on purpose, they still weren’t as bad as Octavia had been when she had been forced to sing Lauper at the Open Mic night. “Why, thank you,” Tempest beamed, “I'll be in Manehatten all week.”

“Good, I might take you home, then,” Wildfire snickered as she started singing 'Good as Gold' with all her heart and soul into the performance.

“Oh sweet,” Tempest giggled, not even trying to sing along with this one. “Ah, there’s no jealous mares in your life, is there?”

“None that I know of Honey,” Wildfire replied as she finished her third song, “But there's a few crazy ass weird ones though.”

Tempest gently brushed Wildfire’s cheek tenderly with her wing tip. “Crazy I can handle, I do survive the mirror every morning.”

Wildfire sniggered, “What's impressive is the mirror survives me!”

“That's good,” Tempest laughed, not getting annoyed because she could tell her lover wasn’t putting herself down, more she was joining in the joke. “Save you from a lot of bad luck.”

“Yuppers, like I need any more of that…” Wildfire commented. After a further thirty minutes of quiet flying, in which Wildfire had to consciously flap her left wing harder than her right to stay on course, the little blind mare got a warning via her headset from her flight tech that they had just entered the Manehatten flight traffic pattern. In response, Wildfire went all quiet, concentrating wholly on the flight directions she was getting.

Likewise, Tempest had to concentrate, and she could see. It wasn’t that she had to think of her own flying, it was everypony else she had to be aware of. “Wily, I have your six!”

Thanks to her soft collision alarm, Wildfire knew that Tempest was behind her. She also kind of knew that wasn’t what Tempest meant. “Thanks, Stormy.” Thankfully, on this particular afternoon, there were no inattentive fliers in the air to mess with them. “Looks like a clear run today, Stormy!” Wildfire called back after her headset reported clear sky all the way to the coffee shop.

“Unfortunately, I can't say the same,” Tempest called back, “There’s a tail blocking my view!”

Up front, Wildfire smiled and swished her black tail up and to the side, making sure that Tempest got a clear unobstructed view. “Better?” she asked when she felt cold air blowing across her marehood.

“Oh yes, I can see much better now.”

Wildfire giggled, “good,” and when the blind mare was alerted to her chosen target getting nearer and nearer, she angled her wings and began a nice gentle gliding descent towards Caffeinated's coffee shop. Again, her tech told her that Tempest was sticking to her like flypaper. Seconds later and they both landed almost at the same time on the sidewalk outside of Stripe’s Cup of Java.

Once inside, Wildfire took a moment to orient herself in the shop. She had to really think, as it had been a few days since she had been here last. Quickly though, she had her mental image of the coffee shop in place. “Stormy,” she asked, crossing her hooves, “is the table three down on the right free?”

Tempest cast her blue eyes around the pale blue painted walls and the bright red seats, looking to where Wildfire had suggested. She had an idea just why she had chosen that table by the window when she recognised it. “It is.”

Wildfire squealed in delight. “Can we sit there? I like that table.” And with good reason, too. That had been the table she had sat at all the way back on that fateful Thursday when Dusk had bought her to Manehatten. That to her was a very special table.

“Hi Wily, Stormy,” Caffeinated’s deep rumbling voice appeared, along with its orange stripped owner, behind the counter of his shop. “What can I get you guys today?” he asked in his pleasant easy going manner.

“Hey Caffy!” Wildfire greeted the tall muscular zebra stallion in her typically restrained style, “can I get a black coffee with two sugars, please?”

Tempest placed her order, a creamy Celestia coffee, noticing as she did so that the drinks had already been prepped in his barista machine. She shook her head, putting it down to ‘zebra nonsense’. “Be right there when I get them served up, Stormy.” He smiled, giving her a nod of his head.

“Thanks Caffy!” Wildfire beamed and, turning on the spot, she walked over to the row of tables, counting her way along to the third table and sitting near the window. Just in exactly the same place she was sat at before.

Following Wildfire’s pretty black tail attached to her even prettier yellow ass encased perfectly in the very, very tight flight suit, Tempest sat opposite her in the booth. “Hey, shall we call Airy?” she asked, after checking the large wall clock she saw it was almost six p.m.

“Oooh yes!” Wildfire clapped her hooves, “Do you know, this is the best seat here?”

As it happened, Tempest did know that this was the best seat in the coffee shop and what was more, she knew why. Still, that knowledge didn’t stop her teasing her little lover. “Is that because your rump is on it?”

Caffeinated chuckled as he walked up to the table third along with a tray carrying the drinks and a treat to them from him. “Here you go, my fine mares.” he declared grandly as he set the tray down with his mouth onto the table. “I even got you some choco muffins. And thank you, Stormy,” he finished with a wink.

“Thank you Caffy!” Wildfire beamed, “no silly,” she said, turning her head back to Tempest, “this is where I was sat with Dusk that Thursday when Airy and Lavender came down!” she explained like the others didn’t already know.

“I must have missed that,” Tempest said, rolling her eyes, “and…what are you thanking me for, Caffy?”

Caffeinated had a very broad smile over his face. “Bluefeather came in here earlier and gave me the fifth degree over some black pegasus.”

Wildfire giggled, “that'll be Cy. I take it they met here after all, then?”

“They did and then they took off together.” Caffeinated replied, “No news is good news, right?”

Tempest considered that as she took a long sip of her coffee. Under the circumstances, as her mouth was full of hot liquid, she shrugged until she swallowed. “Is Airy in?” she asked after wafting her tongue with her hoof.

“Yeah, her and Lavender are still upstairs.” Caffeinated, out of habit more than anything else, turned and glanced over at the elevator, “Omega is off doing some political meeting.”

“Caffy!” Wildfire let out a squee, unable to contain her excitement any longer, “I got an office!”

“You sure it wasn't a broom closet?”

“No!” Wildfire squeaked indignantly, making herself look even cuter than usual. “It has a desk, and a couch, and a filing cabinet and a computer and a rack and everything and it's mine!”

Caffeinated laughed before leaning in and nuzzling his new herd-mate’s cheek to let her know he meant it purely in jest. “Office must be nice then. Your first?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed yet again, her mood instantly recovering along with the nuzzle, “it's my first and it's cool!”

Caffeinated smiled, feeling a very fatherly feel towards the little yellow mare. “Congratulations. At least you got some mares to watch your butt doesn't spread.”

Tempest narrowed her blue eyes at the large orange zebra, “Caffy, I'm going to tell Thespy on you…” to which Caffeinated just burst out laughing harder than ever.

“Thank you!” Wildfire grinned, reaching for her sugary black coffee with her hooves and taking a small sip, followed by another. “Stormy loved my desk. We inspected it straight away.” She grinned an even wider grin when she brought to mind the sexy fun times they had shared in her new office.

“It feels nice against the rump,” Tempest commented, looking on in glee as Wildfire almost spat her coffee. Almost.

Caffeinated didn’t need to be drawn a road map to connect the dots. He saw where Tempest was going. “I see, well, I guess you two proved it is a sturdy desk, if nothing else.”

Wildfire blushed and busied herself with wiping the coffee off of her face. “It ah…it is, very sturdy…”

Giving Caffeinated a congratulatory hoof bump at a wind up job well done, Tempest reached into her very full saddlebag and pulled out her phone. “Hi Airy!” she called out seconds later when her azure blue herd-mate answered, “I’m sitting in Caffy's shop trying to convince Wily she’s marring the wrong mare.”

“We got you coffee!” Wildfire added helpfully.

Rolling her eyes, Tempest put away her phone and instead went for her coffee. For the moment, they hadn’t touched the free muffins. “You said the magic word and she hung up on me,” the violet mare pouted playfully.

Caffeinated nodded solemnly. “One Airy special coming right up.”

Wildfire simply smiled and sat smugly on the seating pad by the window. “I know my mares.”

“Do you now?” Tempest asked with a giggle.

Just then, the elevator door opened and, even across the expanse of the coffee shop, Wildfire could detect the sounds of approaching hoof-steps and the scent of sandalwood. Wildfire sniffed the air, she put two and two together, she knew just who was coming her way. “Airy!”

“Noooo,” Airmail grinned when she reached Wildfire’s side and was immediately pulled into a bone crushing hug by her fiancé, “don't marry this one, she’s far too immature for you, and flighty too.”

“Is that why you didn't marry me?” Tempest asked with a wry smile when the hug was released and Airmail sat down next to Wildfire in the same spot as that Thursday.

“No, I'm too old for you and too grounded.” Airmail giggled and, when the large orange zebra dropped off her coffee and muffin, she gave him a nuzzle of thanks. “Thanks Caffy. So,” she said, turning back to her two mares, “what do you think of Bluefeather, Wily?”

Wildfire giggled, “I liked her, a lot. We could have a real laugh with her.”

Airmail, seated on the pad next to Wildfire, leaned in and delivered an on target lick straight up her left ear. “As long as you don't marry her, we can keep her around for comedic effect.”

“There's only one pony I want to marry, and she smells of lavender.”

“Hmmmm…” Airmail sipped her ‘Airy Special’ coffee and sighed happily, melting into Wildfire’s left side. “I so need this…” she meant the snuggle, as much as the coffee. “Wily, you looking forward to working in Cloudhatten?”

Straightaway, Wildfire bounced with excitement. “I've got an office!”

“It is a nice one too,” Tempest commented with a sly smile as she at last decided to go for one of the muffins. While they were always nice, they tasted better when they were free. “Of course, when she shows you her new desk a bit of me is already there.”

Wildfire blushed and tried to hide it behind her hoof. “We ah, we went down memory lane a little.”

Tempest snorted out a loud brash laugh, scattering muffin crumbs everywhere. “We definitely went down.”

Airmail’s brown eyes went wide as she processed that little nugget of information. Then it hit her. “Oh, from your Uni days.” She snickered, passing Tempest a napkin to clean up the crumbs. “Yes, I'll have to test drive your desk too, I think.”

Wildfire giggled, “like Calculus found out, pony polish is best polish!”

“And it should be applied with regular frequency,” Airmail stated like it was obvious and like she was talking about spraying on Pledge.

“Quiet day for you?” Tempest asked, once she had made a victim of the muffin held in her hoof.

“Yeah,” Airmail nodded in reply before sipping more of her coffee, “I got Omega covering the mayor, I’m just catching up mostly.”

Wildfire listened attentively, sipping her own black coffee. “Our day was properly awesomes!” she squee’d when she sensed a lull in Airmail and Tempest’s conversation, “we went shopping!”

“Shopping and a desk top inspection?” Airmail asked with a raised eyebrow, noting with glee the self-satisfied smirk on Tempest’s face.

“After we inspected my desk,” Wildfire smiled, “we had a nap on the couch...” her ears perked up and her wings fluttered, she was suddenly so excited. “OOOH! OOH! I have a couch! And a rack for feathers!”

Airmail smiled and shook her head, her heart melting at Wildfire’s foal-like enthusiasm. “A proper pegasus office, then.”

“And it's mine!” Wildfire beamed, so excited that she hovered a few inches off of the seating pad she was sat on. “It's actually mine! I'll need your feathers, for the wall rack.”

“Oh,” Airmail paused in her attempt to snatch a muffin. “How many do you need?”

“Just one, for the wall, and a picture for the desk.”

“Of your face,” Tempest supplied helpfully, noting with pleasure how brightly Airmail blushed and the raspberry that followed. “Not under your tail.”

“Easy enough,” Airmail swiftly recovered from her blush, “I can leave one when you show me your office.”

Wildfire, who had been about to pick up her coffee, thought better of it as she laughed out loud. “Either end suits me, I kiss them both with equal passion.”

“True,” Tempest added, “but you don't want your partner across the hall drooling all over your desk now, do you?”

“Hmm...that's true,” Wildfire thought out loud, “I don't want to distract Lance…”

Tempest saw Airmail making with a confused head tilt at the mention of a name she didn’t recognise and decided to fill her herd-mate in. “Lance is Bluefeather's Number Two at the Weather Factory.”

“Yuppers, he's alright, too!”

“Having likable ponies at work is a big plus,” Airmail said considerately as she ate her muffin, “Too bad you don't have a Caffy’s a short ways away like me.”

Wildfire snickered as she emptied her beautiful zebra-made black coffee. “I have a foul tasting vending machine. It's a poor replacement but it’s coffee and regardless of its source is a nourishment of the soul.”

Tempest made a very, very exaggerated sigh, complete with a hoof slapped to her forehead before breaking out in fits of giggles. “Of course, the coffee pot is deep in hostile enemy territory.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire laughed out loud, thinking back to earlier in the day when Tempest and herself had ‘snuck’ into the weather factory’s cafeteria in search of coffee. “And, it's a big risk to infiltrate it alone.”

“But the rewards do make it worthwhile,” Airmail thought out loud.

“That is a very good point, Pretty.” Wildfire smiled, “After all, faint heart never won fair pony.”

“You won my heart,” Airmail purred in her very, very best bedroom eyes, ignoring as she did so Tempest’s giggles and forced retching noises. Slowly, the azure blue mare stroked Wildfire’s foreleg. “And a lot more besides.”

Wildfire sniffed loudly, so moved was she by what Airmail had said. A second loud sniff, and she rubbed her nose with her hoof. “N-Now that calls for kisses!” Quickly, Airmail willingly pressed her lips to Wildfire’s, as did Tempest who leaned over the table and planted a kiss on her. “Thank you!” she beamed happily once all three had shared many kisses.

“Sweeter than wine!” Airmail declared once she had kissed her fiancé for the fourth time. “So, what did you two go shopping for? I think we all have enough socks...”

“Blasphemy!” Tempest declared way too dramatically, cutting across her azure blue herd-mate.

“Pretty!” Wildfire opened her mouth and brought her hoof up to her chest in mock shock. “You can never. Ever. Ever, have enough socks. Am I right, Honey?”

“Totally.”

“Okay,” Airmail shifted on her seating pad and stuck her tongue out at Tempest and dragged the same tongue up the inside of Wildfire’s ear. “You have a point, so, you two bought socks?”

Wildfire shivered, at once hating the fact that Airmail knew about ‘that’ bit in her ear that made her shudder and loving it as well. “Eeek…n-no…” she ruffled her feathers, “we did not!” she smiled, a faint red blush colouring her yellow cheeks, “we bought some wall things for the new house, we bought some books, because we all need books, and you'll never guess what else?”

Airmail of course had no idea, though she was intrigued by the wall things. “Um, ah, um…a disco ball?”

Wildfire giggled, unable to contain herself any longer. “I got a hooficure set!” the little blind mare bounced on her seating pad, “and shampoo! I got rose shampoo! And my own brushes!”

“Oh,” Airmail blinked, a completely blank look on her face. For the longest moment she couldn’t see what was so wondrous and amazing about a hooficure set, a shampoo set and a set of brushes.

That was until Tempest waved her hoof in front of her face to get her attention and made with a series of rapid ear flicks that told the azure blue mare everything she needed to know. Now she got it. Now she understood. “That's...oh...I’m sorry love, we should have done that when you first got here.”

Wildfire however was too excited to notice Airmail’s hesitance. She certainly didn’t notice the ear flicks between Airmail and Tempest. “I've got my own mane brush! My own brush!”

Another series of quick ear flicks and Airmail wrapped Wildfire up in a tight hug. “I'm very happy and I’m very proud of you, Wily.” She kissed her scars, “Now we can brush each other's mane at the same time.”

“Yes!” Wildfire squealed excitedly, before her mood crashed a complete one hundred and eighty degrees. “Um...I-I know it's silly, isn’t it?” she asked rhetorically, to nopony in particular, “m-me getting excited over a silly brush…”

Airmail however wasn’t having any of that. Not at all. Gently, she caressed her diminutive lover’s cheek with her hoof, “How long has it been since you had things that were yours?”

Wildfire, looking down at the table, tapped her hooves together, “In…in the home, all I had was my book.” She fished her hoof in her saddlebag and, once she touched the real leather cover of her poetry book that her mother had given to her many years ago, and she pulled it out and put it on the table between the three of them. “I was lucky, in a way. In the home. Amethyst Glory allowed me to have my book. There were ponies in there that had less than me.”

Airmail rested her hoof lovingly over Wildfire’s and squeezed it tenderly, her eyes looking at the black leather book with its gold embossed lettering. “Part of your soul is in this book. I remember when you read the poems to us.”

Wildfire smiled at Airmail’s touch. “She gave me paper,” the blind mare continued, smiling a wide smile when she felt Tempest hold her hoof as well. “When I was good. She gave me as much paper as I wanted. And a pen.”

“So,” Airmail smiled, her breath in Wildfire’s ear, “how about a new poem about your new mane brush?”

“And about the violet Mother Hen pony that helped me buy it,” Wildfire smiled and sniffed, sniffed a good many times, “As well as the azure blue lovely that'll help me use it?” she asked with a smile, beaming at the both of her mares. “It’s…it's a shame all the paper was lost though…”

“Lost, or taken away?” Airmail asked gently.

Again, Wildfire looked down at the table top. “It, the paper, was taken when Lotus Stripes took my book away from me a month before I met you…I…I was naughty. Amethyst said I hadn’t behaved properly.”

Airmail, just like Tempest who was sat opposite her at the table by the window, performed her breathing exercises at the mention of Amethyst, the home, and ‘behaving’. Again, the two older mares shared ear flicks between themselves. “Didn't Princess Twilight return your book?” Tempest asked gently.

Wildfire nodded, “Princess Twilight gave it to Dusk who returned it, but there were hundreds of loose paper pages.” She sniffed profusely when she thought about all those pages, “I wrote so much on those pages, Honey, so much.”

“You should call Dusk to see if loose paper was recovered.” Airmail said in between peppering Wildfire’s face with kisses, “It wasn't that long ago. You never know, maybe the Arch-librarian may has a stack of unclaimed paper.”

Wildfire shook her head. It was a nice idea, it was a fairy tale thought. Wildfire had learnt long ago there weren’t any fairy tales. “Amethyst burnt them. I know for a fact she did. She said she would. Besides, unless you could read it, it'd be meaningless. If you read it, they were just stories. Silly, silly stories, that’s all.”

Airmail smiled, thankful that Tempest reached over the table between them and dried her eyes for her. “I would very much like a silly bedtime story from you,” she said with a kiss to her lips.

“They were all about Fireflight,” Wildfire explained, again she sniffed, “I wrote about all our Hearths Warmings, her birthdays, how she'd grow up, taking her to school, who she'd be with...silly stuff like that.”

Airmail didn’t think they were silly at all. An ear flick conversation with Tempest revealed she didn’t think they were silly either. It was very clear to Airmail now how Wildfire had remained sane in the care home. Now it all made sense, now she understood why Amethyst Glory had been unable to break Wildfire.

It was her foal.

In the five years in the care home, Wildfire had lived a whole other life, writing about her foal like it was a journal. She had disassociated herself from the physical abuse as if that was the fantasy. All that realisation did was make Airmail love her more. “We will have to record your stories for the foals, too.” She said eventually.

“I um, I think I'd like that,” Wildfire smiled, “who knows? Maybe I’ll write new ones?”

“I don't think there is anything that could stop you from writing new ones,” Tempest said kindly, giving Wildfire’s hoof another squeeze before signalling Caffeinated for coffee refills.

“After all,” Airmail giggled, “I'm here to inspire you now.”

Wildfire sniffed a very deep sniff, “Now, wherever would I get the inspiration though to write an uplifting redemption story about a mare that walked through Tartarus only to be saved by four angels?”

Airmail stroked her chin thoughtfully. “That is a toughie, especially as only two of us have wings.”

“And who says angels need wings?” Wildfire replied quickly.

“The art gallery does!” Tempest laughed a bright laugh as the big orange zebra supplied the coffee refills and took away the empties to be washed.

Nudging the full mug to Wildfire’s hoof, Airmail nuzzled her cheek. “It will be a hard story to write, but we'll be with you all the way.”

Wildfire felt the hot mug and smiled. “I can write angels any way I like, Honey. You're all my angels.”

Airmail leant in and kissed Wildfire’s lips while Tempest added her nuzzles to the mix. “I…I gave up,” Wildfire admitted softly as she took a sip of her new coffee. “At the end, I gave up.”

“Gave up?” Airmail questioned, pausing with her mug inches from her mouth, “If you had truly given up you wouldn't be here now, Wily.”

“Yuppers, I gave up.” Wildfire insisted, sipping more of her coffee, “when they took my book away from me, I stopped hoping I'd be found.”

“Why did you go with Dusk then?” Tempest asked after she had drained half of her mug in one deep swallow.

Wildfire knew why. Deep down, she knew why. “B-Because…I wanted a couple of days where I wasn't going to get beaten, or used, or both. Amethyst didn't want me to go, but Dusk insisted.”

“You haven't told the story about the day Dusk brought you to Manehatten,” Airmail said as she kissed her way all along Wildfire’s cheek. “Maybe you could write that for me. The day a lost mare found hope and discovered love…and found herself too.”

“I'd love to Pretty.” Wildfire smiled, her mood again switching around, picking right up from where it was. “It's got a very beautiful blue pegasus in it who whisks away the lost mare with the immortal line ‘Tempest I met this mare, she's so much fun!’.”

“I hope she’s more fun that the wordsmith here.” Tempest snickered over what was left of her coffee, giggling like a filly when Airmail raspberried her over the table.

Airmail, once her raspberry was complete, playfully nipped Wildfire’s ear hard enough to be noticed. “I'd love to hear and read that story. You didn't give up Wildfire,” she explained, her voice going all serious to match her expression. “You may have lost hope, but you didn't give up and I know that for a fact.”

“It felt like giving up,” Wildfire conceded, “when I didn't have my mum to cuddle any more...it's dumb, but I used to cry for her, in the home, even though I knew she couldn’t reach me.”

Just then, Airmail poked the toe of her hoof into Wildfire’s chest with some considerable force. “Dumb. Dumb, love, is when you stop loving. You. Are. Not a dumb mare. Got it?”

“Oow!” Wildfire squeaked, “Yes, Miss Pokey!”

“That's Madam Pokey to you,” Airmail giggled, “you silly filly.”

“I'll be happy to poke you too,” Tempest interjected with a very wide grin on her face, “with something other than a hoof.”

Wildfire spluttered as she tried, with limited success, to drink the rest of her black coffee. “You promise Stormy? It has been a while since you mounted me. You might've forgotten how to do it.”

Tempest laughed at that. As if she’d ever forget how to mount a mare. “It’s been several hours to say the least.”

“Caffy!” Airmail called out when she saw the mugs were emptied for a second time, “some more choco chip muffins please and refills over here!”

“Coming right up, Airy.”

“Oooh!” Wildfire exclaimed as an idea sprung to her mind, a delicious donut shaped idea covered in caramel. Well, like Tempest had said up in Cloudhatten, she didn’t have to fear not getting another, right? Right? “Um...can I have a donut?” she hardly dared to ask, “A salted caramel one, please?”

“Can do, Wily.” Caffeinated rumbled behind his counter as he got to filling out the order.

“Stormy,” Airmail smiled, “Please take a note. Wily likes salted caramel.”

“Noted.”

Wildfire turned her head from Airmail’s position and Tempest’s, listening as her ears swivelled about. “Um, doesn't everypony? It's the best thing ever, next to chocolate.”

“Airy's sweet tooth doesn't work too well,” Tempest snickered, especially when Airmail performed a picture perfect eye roll aimed in her direction.

Wildfire swore she could hear Airmail’s eye roll. Or maybe it was the sigh that went along with it. “Good thing mine's huge then. Oh, hey Stormy, should I show her the right way to eat a salted caramel donut?”

In response to that, Tempest almost fell off her seating pad as she erupted in fits of giggles, laughing fit to burst as she waved an approving hoof. She recalled clearly, very clearly indeed just how Wildfire ate her donut. Airmail, wholly nonplussed, tilted her head at Tempest’s antics. “I'm…taking that as a yes.” she deadpanned.

Wildfire giggled, “Let’s just say, Stormy found my method most exciting earlier.”

Tempest simply nodded vigorously, managing for the moment to contain herself as Caffeinated once more bought over the requested refills, two chocolatey choco chip muffins and one sticky looking salted caramel donut. “Stormy okay?” he asked with a bemused look on his face after he set the tray down on the table. “Enjoy.”

“Oooh…” Wildfire giggled, almost not daring to believe her luck. “Two in one day!” with her hoof, she carefully nudged her caramel covered prize closer to her muzzle before giving it a long slow lick.

Wondering what Wildfire meant by that, Airmail opened her mouth to ask. Unfortunately, whatever she was going to ask got lost on the way from her brain to her mouth and she just stared open mouthed. Tempest, likewise, was watching Airmail with an amused look. Caffeinated looked up and snickered at both of the older mares. “I'll just be over there, behind the counter.”

“MMmmm...” Wildfire, fully aware that she was laying it on as thick as the salted caramel frosting that coated her donut, moaned lustily as she licked up the side of the donut, giving it the same love and attention as the first that she ate up in Cloudhatten.

Airmail’s wings found that they also liked the scene they were being treated to as well. They flared out from her sides. “You are the biggest tease…”

“Hmhmm…” Wildfire smiled internally, licking at the frosting just a little harder, imagining it was her fiancé’s crotch she was licking. Especially when she – purposefully – sensually tongued the hole. “You don't rush a caramel donut, Pretty.”

Tempest was gasping. Even though she had been treated to this amazingly sensual display before, it still got to her and her wings. Wildfire did after all have a very talented tongue. “After you lick that up, you can go take care of the puddle under Airy.”

“More than happy to clean up aisle mare!” Wildfire replied, her voice muffled by the sticky salted caramel as she made love to the donut. Groaning, Airmail gave a lusty moan as her tongue followed what Wildfire was doing. “I think aisle Airy needs a clean right now…”

“That, or a cold shower,” Tempest laughed. She noted that Airmail was so zoned out she didn’t have a retort to hoof.

“I'd rather give her a clean,” Wildfire snickered and, once she had licked all the salted caramel donut, she felt with her hoof for Airmail’s seating pad and she slipped down underneath the table, intent on licking Airmail like she had licked her donut. Long, hard and slow.

Tempest facehooved, though she wasn’t entirely surprised. “Wildfire,” she said in her best ‘motherly’ tone, “this is not the time nor is it the location, for that.”

“Oh…oh, okay…” Wildfire quickly reappeared with a bright blush all over her face. She had been so close. So very close, to Airmail’s crotch and to the puddle under her. “I’ll clean Airy up later, then.”

Smiling, Airmail gave her diminutive lover an affectionate kiss. “I'm holding you to that, Wily.”

“As long as I get the shower,” Wildfire giggled as she started to nibble on her donut.

“Do you need to go back upstairs?” Tempest asked her azure blue herd-mate.

“No,” Airmail shook her head, “Lavender has lock up.”

“So,” Tempest rolled her blue eyes, “if Wily ever finishes that donut we could go home, then?” she asked, sarcasm rife in her voice as Airmail finished off her chocolate chip muffin and nodded her head.

Wildfire sighed, her ears drooping to lie back on her head. “Honey, I have explained the proper way of eating this,” in spite of that though, the little blind mare did hurry up anyway, polishing off her donut by taking much larger bites.

As he saw that they were all finished with their muffins, donut and third round of drinks, Caffeinated came over, carrying a towel on his back to clean up the puddle that Airmail had left under her seating pad. Not that he minded in the slightest. The shop was relatively empty at this time of day, and it had been a fun show to watch. “You three mares have a fine evening,” he rumbled.

“Anypony still left at your house?” Tempest asked as she got up and hovered her way to stand beside the large zebra.

“Air Raid, Cream, and Amethyst are staying for the time being.” Caffeinated replied, thinking of the lime green racer and the two zebra mares currently at his place following the gaming night party as he whipped the towel in order to usher Airmail and Wildfire out of the way so that he could clean up after them.

“They hit it off then, Caffy?” Wildfire asked curiously as she stood up. She dearly hoped so, anyway.

Caffeinated nodded. “Looks like another fine triad in the making.”

“Aw...I...I'm happy for her,” Wildfire said after a moment’s hesitation. “I hope Raid's finally happy, too.” And she did, too. She had Airmail, it was only right and proper that Air Raid had a pony, ponies, or in this case, zebras, for herself. She was happy now, Air Raid deserved to be happy.

“I hope you're right,” Caffeinated commented as he started cleaning down the table, “she is most certainly distracted by the zebras.”

“Thanks Caffy,” Airmail leant in and nuzzled her good friend, “I’m sorry to leave a mess for you.”

“Don't worry,” Caffeinated chuckled, “I can sell sniffs on the towel.” Tempest laughed at that, while Airmail blushed. Hard.

Wildfire shot her hoof into the air like she was answering a question in school. “Ten bits first sniff!”

Still blushing, Airmail leant in and whispered. “I'll let you sniff for free…”

Caffeinated overheard that and laughed as he worked the towel, “I think Airy is worth more than ten bits, Wily.”

“Oh, certainly, yes she is,” Wildfire agreed wholeheartedly with that assertion, “but that’s all the change I’ve got left after the shopping spree earlier.” She said as she went onto the tips of her hooves and stole a quick kiss.

Airmail licked her lips. “Sweet, sweet lips,” she giggled before turning to face the door. “Let's go, we’ll catch you later Caffy!”

Once the good byes and farewells, the hugs and the nuzzles had been exchanged between the four herd-mates, Tempest led the way out of the coffee shop with Airmail alongside Wildfire, as always on the little mare’s left side. The sun was hanging very low indeed in the sky when Airmail turned to her lover on the sidewalk. “You are a tease and I love you.”

“Yuppers, I know,” Wildfire giggled, wiggling her ass playfully as she turned on her flight headset now that they were outside. She heard Tempest in front of her take off into the evening twilight and spread her wings to follow her up into the traffic pattern. “You're a wonderful, smart and sexy mare. “Airy,” she said as they all flew towards home, “thanks, for that note in the kitchen earlier.”

With Tempest still in front, Wildfire heard via her headset that Airmail had taken up her six position behind her. “It was fun, serving Stormy breakfast in bed.”

“I think leaving you something when I leave for work may become a habit.” Airmail said, calling ahead from her position behind Wildfire.

“Ooh I hope so...reading that note was like having a kiss from you.” Just then, as Wildfire finished the last word of her sentence, the proximity alarm of her flight suit went off in her ear as Airmail moved up and caressed her flank where her cutie mark was with her wingtip. “Hmmm,” Wildfire purred, “best wingtip in Equestria.”

“Thank you,” Airmail smiled as she dropped back to her previous position. As she did so, Wildfire hiked her black tail up and to one side, allowing Airmail a clear and unfettered view of her crotch and, more importantly, her breasts. Flying behind her, the smiling Airmail was soon reduced to a grinning fool.

“Enjoying the view, Pretty?”

Airmail was most certainly enjoying the view. Wildfire’s crotch and breasts were a much better view than the stars that began to paint the darkening sky around them. “No complaints here my love!” Airmail called out, and to her pleasure, Wildfire made sure to keep her tail well aside. Looking at her fiancé though, something didn’t seem right. “Are you drifting left?”

“What? Oh damn…” Wildfire checked her destination, which was their town house, and she discovered that she was indeed drifting off course slightly. “Yuppers, I am,” she quickly adjusted her course.

“Stormy?”

“I’m working it, Airy,” Tempest answered quickly, “don't get your tail in a twist.”

Wildfire felt very silly. “I was concentrating on teasing, not flying. My bad, Honey.”

“Okay,” Airmail shrugged. If Tempest said she was on it and to not worry, then that was good enough for her. “Not going to worry about it. Stormy is the flight instructor, not me.”

Wildfire’s ears slicked back to her head, her tail likewise wilting between her legs. “Amber Leaves used to love playing with my left wing. She could break it with a strike of her bull whip.”

“No excuses!” Tempest called back over her shoulder.

Again, Airmail triggered Wildfire’s proximity alarm when she accelerated and caressed her whole side with her wing from flank to her cheek. “She is gone, I promise you she can’t hurt you anymore, she’s gone and it's time to move beyond the past and into our future.”

Still, as Wildfire flew along she shuddered. Not from Airmail’s wingtip either. “No excuses.”

“Stormy is right about that,” Airmail said kindly, “but hugs are always welcome. Flip over and fold your wings.” The very second that Airmail saw Wildfire roll over onto her back, the azure blue mare surged forward and ‘docked’, wrapping her four legs around her fiancé and holding her tightly in a mid-air hug.

“I have you, my love and I'm not leaving.” Airmail held onto the hug, beating her wings hard but she was still losing altitude. Smiling, the lead editor flipped herself back over, rolling and putting Wildfire on top of her, still maintaining the hug.

“Your turn to fly, Wildfire.” Airmail purred in her lover’s ear. Immediately, the little blind mare began flapping her wings in long slow strokes, using all of her wing muscles like she had when she swam underwater. She could tell from her headset that she was maintaining her altitude as Airmail clung onto the tight hug.