“This here’s tainted.” Applejack fumed, sliding a bottle next to the Carousel Boutique’s cash register.
“Mmm?” Rarity asked, jotting down a brief note on her clipboard and looking up. “Oh, Applejack! What a pleasant surprise!”
“No, it ain’t.” Applejack replied flatly. “You know as well as I do that It ain’t never a good surprise when I show up.”
“I...oh, I suppose there’s no sense in denying things.” Rarity set the clipboard down on the countertop next to the register and picked up the bottle. “You’re complaining about my arrangement again, aren’t you.”
“I ain’t complainin’ about who you’re arranging what with. Look, I know you ain’t gonna stop peddlin’ your junk with your squeezings from the...Fine, Upstanding Volunteer you got with you.” Applejack shuddered. “What she wants to do is her business, and what you wanna do’s your business, even if it ain’t a good one.”
“Even if it’s one you indulge in regularly, dear?” Rarity replied with a smirk.
“I get thirsty, okay?” Applejack snapped. “It ain’t easy runnin’ a farm. It sure as hay ain’t easier than whatall you’re doing.”
“Of course, dear.” Rarity turned back to the clipboard. “Now, did you have a specific complaint, or - ”
“I already told you. It’s tainted. You’ve gone and made a batch all funny.” Applejack picked up the bottle and shoved it in front of Rarity’s face. “And now it tastes wrong.”
Rarity peered at the label, than rolled her eyes. “Dear, you are aware of what the phrase “Seasonal Blend” means, aren’t you?”
“It means that you add in an ingredient or two. Give it a little kick or somethin’.” Applejack huffed. “Not like this. It don’t even taste half as much like it used to anymore.”
“Oh? Oh, dear, I must have miscalculated the mixture. I was worried that I had gotten the proportions wrong.” Rarity shook her head. “Silly me. Thank you for pointing that out, darling, I’ll make sure to - ”
“Mixture with what, now?”
Rarity sighed. “Should I have assumed that any change to any part of your routine, possessions or lifestyle choices would be met with unnecessary belligerence, Applejack?”
“You know what? Yeah, it’s gonna be. It’s gonna be as long as you’re gonna keep doin’ weird stuff to the things I like.”
“It’s not that odd, dear. Look.” Rarity grabbed the bottle out of Applejack’s hoof and set it aside. “If I tell you how this was made, would it possibly set your mind at ease about what’s happened to your drink of choice?”
“It ain’t anythin’ as special as a ‘Drink of Choice’ to me. It’s just a drink. A drink I don’t mind havin’ every now and again.” Applejack huffed.
Silence fell.
“...Fine. If you tell me, I might leave you be about this. No promises!” Applejack lifted a hoof to shush Rarity. “But now you’ve gone and gotten me curious about how you went and tainted the whole thing, an’ I guess I ain’t gonna be satisfied one way or the other until I know.”
“Say ‘please’ first, dear.”
“What in the - Alright, fine, Please tell me how you did it.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “There, are you happy?”
“Quite.” Rarity grinned, cleared her throat and began.
***************************************************
Gilda couldn’t decide what felt more confusing at the moment: How she ended up waiting on a pony that was practically foreign to her, or griffon biology in general.
Still, it wasn’t hard to decide that few things felt more awkward than leaning idly next to Carousel Boutique’s front door, trying not to make eye contact with anypony in a cool and standoffish way, and also keeping what might have well just been a long roll of lilac cloth wrapped loosely around her body. This was the totally exotic and foreign thing to do, and griffons were probably supposed to still be kind of exotic and foreign, so she could totally get away from it, right?
Right?
Somewhere off in the distance, a clocktower bell tolled once. Without bothering to look at the boutique, Gilda knocked on the door.
“Come in, dear!” said a voice from the inside.
Gilda sighed. Did ponies have to sound so chipper all the time? Or regal? Or just, like, anything not befitting the weirdness that was about to happen? This wasn’t even normalizing things, it was like...celebrating it. Ugh.
Sliding her gaze from a nondescript building down to the ground, Gilda turned and pushed the boutique door open.
Oh god why was even the floor purple this was totally weird ponies were totally weird she should probably just leave
“Dear?”
“Ah. Uh. Right, Sorry.” Gilda looked up at...Rarity, right?...and tried not to blush. “I don’t normally, uh. Y’know. Thing.”
“Perfectly acceptable, dear. I know how this sort of thing must be a bit difficult.” Rarity adjusted her spectacles and idly smoothed out a wrinkle on her buttoned shirt. “I’ll try to keep you from feeling discomforted by this affair, okay?”
“Probably too late for that, but thanks.” Gilda blinked. “So, uh. What’s with the getup?”
“Oh, this? Just a little something i stitched together for myself.” Rarity giggled. “Ember absolutely loves it, you know, so I like to wear it every now and then just to get myself in the mood.”
“Uh, Ember?”
“My fellow businessdragon. You’ve not gotten to meet her, have you?”
“Not like meet-meet her, if that’s what you mean, no.” Gilda scratched idly at the tuft of chest floof beneath her neck. “I mean, is she here now, or…?”
“Absolutely!” Rarity beamed. “Follow me. It’ll be over by the back of the boutique. She’s such a sweetheart once you get to know her, and I’m sure the two of you will get along wonderfully.” Rarity extended her hoof.
“Uh - I’ll just follow, if that’s okay.” Gilda replied, blanching a little. “Not because of a you-thing, I promise. Just, y’know…”
“Still a little apprehensive?” Rarity tilted her head.
“Does that mean feeling weird about this?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes. Totally, uh...apprehensive. So, uh, let’s go, I guess?”
Rarity turned around, giving Gilda a full view of a short black skirt and charcoal stockings Gilda hadn’t realized the unicorn had been wearing. With a sway of her her hips, Rarity sauntered off towards the back, and Gilda followed in blind tow.
It was difficult for Gilda to drink in. The boutique was super busy on her eyes, with mannequins and dress designs and a totally florid color scheme jumping out at her all at once, to say nothing about Rarity and her odd…
Odd and rather attractive outfit, Gilda thought, a slightly uncomfortable squirming sensation settling in her stomach. She did her best to not look at Rarity as the unicorn opened a rather inconspicuous door at the back of the boutique, and the griffon kept her eyes locked on the floor ahead as she offered Rarity a half-hearted “thanks” and walked inside.
“I’ll let the two of you get acquainted with each other, shall I?” Rarity said, hoof on the doorknob. “I’ll be setting up the equipment outside. Knock if you need anything, okay?”
“Sounds good, Tee.”
Gilda’s head jerked up, only to come within inches of squishing into a face-first of cyan cleavage.
As Rarity shut the door, Gilda forced herself to look up a little further. Sitting on a chair in front of her was, unmistakably, a dragon: Scales, frills, maw, the whole nine yards. And Gilda could have sworn that the dragon’s most prominent feature was strictly a mammalian thing.
“You’re the griffon, right?” The dragon said, peering down at Gilda. “I’m-”
“Huge.” Gilda sputtered. “Holy crud, you’re massive.”
The dragon smirked, cupping one of her enormous breasts with a claw. “This? I’m pretty sure they get bigger.”
“I’m pretty sure they don’t. I-I was expecting to feel weird about this, but this is just…” Gilda trailed off, tail flicking idly.
“Just what?”
Gilda blushed. “...I’m kind of jealous.”
The dragon chuckled. “Look, kittybird, I’m pretty sure that if Rarity thinks you’re a good fit, that means you’re not gonna be small. You don’t have to take off the wraps if you don’t want to, though. I’m not gonna judge.”
“Really?”
“Really.” The dragon patted the seat of a chair next to hers. “You should probably sit down, though. Trust me, you’ll feel more nervous if you keep standing up like that.”
Mutely, Gilda nodded, before clambering up onto the chair and doing her best to not openly ogle the dragon’s mammoth knockers.
“Let’s try that again, okay? I’m Ember.” the dragon started. “And you are…?”
“Gilda.”
“Nice name.” Ember shifted in her seat, and her huge breasts jiggled. Gilda shifted her legs, the squirming sensation slowly migrating south of her stomach. “You griffons all have names that start with G, or…?”
“Yeah. It’s a thing. Dunno why, but it’s a thing.” Gilda sighed. “Dash used to ask me that question all the time.”
“Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah.”
Ember stretched and yawned. “I didn’t know you two were friends.”
“We go back a while. Not that it wasn’t an on-again, off-again thing, but. She’s cool.” Gilda’s tail flicked as she readjusted herself in her chair. Her wraps stuck to her as she shifted, and for a moment Gilda was struck by the notion that she must have looked utterly silly to Ember, much less Rarity.
“Did she tell you about this?”
“Yeah. I get a little, uh...a little antisocial about this point of the year. ‘Cause, y’know, I kind of feel like a freak about these.” Gilda gestured at her chest, blushing a bit harder. “Not that you can see them, I mean, but…”
“I absolutely know how you feel. You think Spike didn’t have to practically drag me kicking and screaming over here? But trust me, I needed it.” Ember added, cupping the undersides of her breasts and hefting them up into the air. The squirming in Gilda’s legs bloomed with a vengeance, and she gritted her beak and tried not to interrupt as Ember continued.
“You get too overstuffed with milk, and things get all kinds of unpleasant. So, of course, you’ve got to milk yourself every day, and that just gets to be a complete chore. But you’d be amazed by how much better it feels when somebody actually gets claws-on with you. Like the first time I did this with Rarity, she actually wanted to taste the batch intimately…”
Ember’s right claw slid up, pinching one of her stiff nipples and giving it a slow tug. A bead of amber liquid dribbled out of the perk and dripped onto the dragon’s lap.
“So she actually brought her head down,” Ember added with a grin, “And she started drinking-”
Gilda moaned, loudly.
Ember paused, fingers still pinching her nipple, droplet of milk trickling down her smooth thigh.
Silence.
“I, um.” Gilda stammered, face an undignified shade of carmine.
“Yes?” Ember probed, the faintest hint of a smirk on her beak.
“That.” Gilda mumbled. “I should, uh. I-I mean I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“Shh. Of course you did.” Ember’s claw slid off of her nipple and down her torso, settling gently on her lap. “Don’t be ashamed of what comes out of you. Want to talk about it?”
“I...maybe?” Gilda’s tail lashed as her claws slid over to her lap, subconsciously mimicking Ember’s pose.
“Maybe?” Ember grinned. “I didn’t know talking was something that came in ‘maybe’s. ”
“Yeah, but my feelings do.” Gilda’s gaze slid to her lap as she folded her claws. “You kind of caught me off guard.”
“By what? Being here?” Ember smirked as she cupped her enormous breasts once more. “Because of these?”
“Actually...yeah. Kind of.” Gilda sighed. “Not gonna lie, uh. Ember, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So I was thinking when I came here that...not that I wouldn’t stop feeling freakish, but that I’d sort of own it, you know? Be like, just the biggest couple of squeezers to ever walk in on a body. So I was kind of embarrassed, but kind of confidant in that embarrassment, too. Not sure if there’s a word for it, but you get what I mean.”
“I...think I do?”
“But then I’m here, and you’re here, and it’s like...Of course you’re going to be the cream of Rarity’s crop for a reason. Seriously, look at you. And don’t do the modest thing, okay? Just look. At. Yourself.” Gilda sputtered, claws splayed as she gestured at Ember’s rather immodest chest. “You’re here for a reason. You’re powerful. Unique. You’re the first, you’re built like a matriarch to beat all matriarchs and I didn’t even think I could be into girls before you-”
Quick as a snake, Ember slid out of her chair and draped herself over Gilda’s chair, staring impassively down at the Griffon. Gilda’s words died in her throat as Ember reached over...
...through the wrappings to cup her breast?
“You’re warm.” Ember said, a smile playing around her maw.
“I’m...warm.”
“It’s a nice mix. I’m more of a “chilly on the outside, hot on the inside” sort of thing. Difference between a dragon and a mammal, I guess.” Ember pulled herself an inch or two away from Gilda, lowering her lithe body down to eye level. Her claw slid upward, slowly tugging the wrappings off of Gilda’s body, and Gilda didn’t even try to resist - if anything, the subconscious squirming and readjusting of her body made things easier, and it wasn’t long at all before the griffon was completely nude, her engorged mammaries jutting freely out into the air.
“Hey, there’s a pony saying about how what really counts is on the inside, right?” Ember probed.
“I...guess?” Gilda stammered. “I-I mean, I’m not exactly an expert on this sort of-”
Ember pressed a talon to Gilda’s beak, and the Griffon fell silent.
“Thought so,” the dragon hummed. “And i guess that means we’re going to have to go a little further than skin deep, right?”
A reply died in Gilda’s throat as Ember bent lower, until she could feel the dragon’s breath warming her swollen cleavage.
Gilda’s eyes widened. “What are you…?”
“Going a little deeper,” Ember replied nonchalantly, before brushing her reptilian lips against gilda’s right perk and giving it a tug.
Gilda moaned, again, and didn’t stop as Ember drank. The dragon’s tongue worked in tandem with her maw: darting and lapping over Gilda’s nipple as Ember tugged and suckled, before sweeping over the milk dribbling steadily from the griffon’s teat. The dragon gulped over and over as she drank, throat visibly contracting and relaxing with every mouthful, and by the time Ember pulled away her movements were slower and slightly more ponderous - the motions of the satiated.
“Well, then.” Ember purred. “You certainly had a lot to give, didn’t you?”
“I-I.” Gilda huffed. She tilted her head up a little, just enough to accidentally make eye contact. She couldn’t visibly see exactly how much she was blushing, but Gilda could certainly feel her own blush, enough to be profoundly thankful that Rainbow Dash wasn’t seeing her like this.
“You know, if you’d only bothered to taste yourself, I think you’d be about ten times more confident.” A faint tinge of red bloomed on Ember’s cheeks. “I’d ask why you never bothered to taste yourself, but I was too busy being embarrassed at myself to think about it, either. Until after I met Rarity, anyway.”
“And did Rarity…?” Gilda said, flushing a little more.
“Dear, she was the first one to try. She was the first one brave enough to take a hypothesis and explore it claws-on. Or hooves-on, i suppose.” Ember amended with a chuckle. “And trying out new things is ultimately why we’re here, isn’t it?”
“I guess...I mean, that isn’t wrong.” Gilda shuddered a bit with every breath as her body tingled. The high had begun to fade, but her body wasn’t having any of that “accepting it gracefully” nonsense. She wanted more.
“So while we’re trying out new things…” Ember trailed off, fidgeting slightly, looking somewhat…
Anxious?
“I-I actually wanted to know. What...what your claw feels like.”
“Uh?” Gilda muttered. “That’s, uh...that’s kind of mundane, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t mean…” Ember gulped. “I meant down there.”
“Ah.” Gilda swallowed. “A little less mundane, then.”
“Yeah.” Ember nodded. “It’s...it’s warm, too, isn’t it?”
A little knot of courage welled up in Gilda’s midsection, just enough to let her pull out a smirk. “Warmer and softer than your claws have to be, at any rate. And pony hooves…”
“...aren’t really great for that, either.” Ember finished, teasing her talons together. “I guess it sounds kind of weird now that I’m actually saying it out loud, though. You don’t have to-”
“I don’t.” Gilda sighed in relief. “But I want to. So if you could just lift your - ”
Ember was on her in moments, one leg resting on Gilda’s chair as she leaned over the griffon once more, pussy hovering right above Gilda’s torso as her humongous breasts jiggled inches from Gilda’s beak. Wordlessly, they reached out at the same time: Ember’s muzzle pushed down toward Gilda’s mouth as Gilda tilted her head back, lifted her claw up and probed inside Ember’s sex.
The dragon slammed her mouth against Gilda’s and moaned so loudly that Gilda couldn’t tell whether or not she was deliberately muffling a scream of pleasure. But rather than resisting the kiss or accepting it passively, Gilda pushed back, tongue darting out to meet Ember’s in an aggressive tango.
The griffon wasn’t so sure about “chilly on the outside,” but Ember seemed to be hot enough on the inside. Her pussy felt like a microcosmic rainforest in monsoon season, and Gilda hadn’t even spent a minute probing her slit and toying with Ember’s pearl before her paw was soaked with Ember’s dribbly juices. Her mouth, on the other claw, felt like the warm savannah winds in the minutes before a storm: not half as juicy, but still warm and wet, and rich with…
Her breath was wheaty. A little nutty, too, with the faintest hint of something inexplicably bittersweet.
Ember moaned again, and Gilda understood.
Instead of darting, Gilda let her tongue relax as it met Ember’s tongue again, drinking in Ember’s lustful affection and what could only have been the flavor of the milk she drank mere minutes before. And Gilda realized she had nothing to worry about after all - Maybe Ember tasted better than her and would be more successful in the end, but if nothing else, Gilda was sure that she was definitely worth a drink or two.
And the relief of finding out that she was worth working with Ember and Rarity was so immense that Gilda almost lost track of what she was doing, and barely even noticed as she slipped a second digit in Ember’s snatch.
But Ember most certainly noticed.
“MMMMmmmph!” The dragon whimpered as her body shuddered. The passion of Ember’s kiss intensified from amorous to desperate, and Gilda couldn’t help but continue to drink her milk’s flavor down. Ember clearly needed this more than Gilda had ever needed anything, was clearly out of her mind from Gilda’s touch, was very clearly teetering on the brink of orgasmic oblivion, and needed - didn’t want, needed - one last push to set her over the edge.
With one last moan, Gilda stuffed her entire fist inside.
Ember tore her mouth away from Gilda’s and shrieked, body spasming as she came over and over and over again. Her pussy squeezed around Gilda’s fist before pushing against it, labor-like contractions forcing Gilda’s claws and what seemed like a torrent of dragon juice out of her. Nerves clearly going berserk, Ember stood there with her orgasmic aftermath dribbling down her legs and pooling onto the floor, conscious thought so obviously obliterated by a sexual endorphin rush that her ability to stand was a minor miracle.
Miracles, of course, don’t last forever, and eventually Ember’s body sagged. Gilda had just enough time to get herself in a more comfortable position before Ember collapsed against her, head tucked over the griffon’s shoulder, their breasts squeezing against each other in an thick brown-and-blue smush.
Moments passed; the room descended into a silence disturbed only by their breathing. Then curiosity trickled into the back of Gilda’s skull, and she gingerly lifted her juice-soaked claw up to her beak and licked.
“...Wow.” Gilda breathed.
“Mmmh?” Ember moaned.
“You taste amazing.”
“So do you, G.” Ember’s tail dragged against the floor, her delighted twitch clearly burdened by her post-orgasmic exhaustion.
“Not as good as you. Seriously.”
“Nnh. Different good.” Ember replied, nuzzling into the nape of Gilda’s neck. “That’s what matters. I don’t think Rarity wants more of the same. I know I don’t. I want…”
Ember thrummed, contentedly, lapsing into a brief silence.
“I want you, G.”
“She isn’t the only one, dear.”
Gilda’s eyes widened as she turned towards the door. There was Rarity, trying (and failing) to hide a coy smile behind her hoof.
“Rarity?” Ember mumbled as she sluggishly turned towards the door. “I...M’sorry, I didn’t...I got carried away, and…”
“Did something rather adorable.” Rarity giggled. “I had expected the two of you to hit it off, but I certainly hadn’t thought you’d get along so marvelously. Or so I assume, of course - Ember, dear? Your thoughts?”
“She’s good.” Ember blinked, speech somewhat slurred with exhaustion. “Different. Lil’ milder than mine. Good taste.”
“Hm...perhaps a supplementary, then?” Rarity replied, cocking her head to the side as she stared at Gilda and Ember’s tangled, dripping bodies. “I suppose I’ll have to start calculating proportions, then, but that’s nothing an afternoon or two of thought couldn’t properly resolve. Now, Ember, what about - ”
“An’ I like her.” Ember cut in. Though she couldn’t see the dragon’s expression, Ember could hear the warmth in her voice. “She’s...she’s really nice. Really good. I want her, Tee. Please?”
“Of course! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Ember yawned, arms sliding around the back of Gilda’s chair and pulling her into a closer hug. “Thanks, Tee.”
“My pleasure, dear. Gilda?”
“Y-yeah?” Gilda replied, trying - and failing - to sit up in a more professional manner.
“How familiar are you with contractual agreements? I can walk you through the requisite legal process, if you need a bit of assistance.”
********************************************
“So now you’ve gone an’ gotten some other poor filly wrapped up in this?” Applejack cut in.
“She volunteered, dear. I’m paying her better than the industry standard for the manufacture and distribution of this sort of thing. And she and Ember are getting along quite well. It seems like it’s a perfect arrangement for everypony.”
“Everypony except the ponies who liked the way things used to be!”
“For the love of Celestia, Applejack, would it kill you to read a bottle label for once?”
“Would it kill you to stop messin’ about with a good thing for once?”
“I’m going to take that as a no. Look, as I’ve mentioned, this is likely to be a temporary arrangement. It’s contingent on Gilda’s approval, of course, and if this variety proves popular enough then I might simply switch her over to her own line of beverages.”
“An’ what about now?”
“You’ll have to learn how to manage in the time being, I suppose.”
“How’s about I suppose with somethin’ else? ‘Cause I ain’t gonna drink any tainted dragon juice.” Applejack leaned over the counter. “You got stuff in your reserves, right? For friends, an’ all that?”
“I thought you just said you weren’t - ”
“I ain’t. But that ain’t stoppin’ me from bein’ thirsty. I got bits with me, so I can pay you up front for a bottle of that Firestarter stuff I’ve seen around town lately.”
Rarity giggled.
Applejack glared at her. “What’s so funny?”
“You, ah. You said you didn’t want to drink ‘Tainted Dragon Juice,’ yes?”
“Darn straight I did.”
“And you’re already aware of how specifically the liquids related to the reproductive process of dragons are what contains the proper flavours and alcoholic content?”
“What’re you sayin?” Applejack growled.
“What I’m saying is that Firestarter is probably closer to taint than Dragon’s Milk, darling. Only a few inches away or so.”
Applejack stared uncomprehendingly at Rarity for a second or two. Then her jaw dropped, her eyes bulged and her face fluctuated between all of the shades of orange in Equestria, from the pale orange-white of horror to the muddy orange-red of deep humiliation and disgust.
Rarity was beginning to wonder if she should send for an Ambulance to deal with a case of acute shock when Applejack’s jaw moved.
“...”
“Pardon?” Rarity replied.
“I’ve. I’ve been drinkin’ her…”
“Her coital output, dear.”
Applejack’s body trembled. “Do you have any of the normal dragon’s milk with you?”
“I believe so? Applejack, if -”
“I’ll take a dozen bottles. Right now. An’ this one, too.” Applejack said, grabbing the bottle off of the counter. “I’ll wash out my mouth later, but right now I need to wash out my brain for a bit. An’ if I hear you make any cracks about killin’ brain cells or bring up how you done made that stuff ever again, there ain’t ever gonna be a friendship lesson or harmony magic strong enough to make me forgive you.”
“My pleasure, dear.” Rarity replied with a self-satisfied smirk as she turned around and strolled nonchalantly towards the boutique’s back room.
