Fertile Ground: Earthmother

Fertile Ground: Earthmother

By

AJ Aficionado

A single mare walked alone along a narrow dirt road, towing a creaking, old and nearly empty wagon behind her.

Though traveling by herself, she was reminded she was not quite alone as she crossed the occasional patrol of armor-clad ponies who patrolled the edge of the woods, squads and even entire platoons of Guardspony stallions who smiled and nodded as she passed.

On either side of her were trees as far as the earthbound traveler could see, swaying hard in the gusty summer wind against a dark and starry sky. The path itself was lit by flaming torches on either side, along with the icy-blue glow of enchanted runic circles carved into the sides of stone pillars near the forest’s treeline which made their presence known as well. She felt reassured by their cool glow, their magical wards keeping the forest’s influence at bay, and by the sturdy presence of a formidable rock wall which ran along the edge of the forest road, to say nothing of the rock-hard stallions who patrolled it.

But she wasn’t here for any of them, however tempting their sleek armored forms might have been. The thought, however, brought an impatient pang to her estrus-fevered nether regions; one only long experience and the self-control that came with it allowed her to resist.

The path ended at a very sturdy wooden fence made from whole tree trunks, stripped of their bark and sharpened at their peaks, bound together with thick forest vines. A wooden gate with a small window cut into it provided the only point of entry to the other side. It was shut, an unacceptable state for the traveler, who rapped firmly on the portal to get the gatekeeper’s attention.

The tiny window opened with a creak and a pair of yellow cat-like eyes peered out at the earth mare. A thestral ‘bat pony’ stallion regarded her with kind eyes and a half-smile, his pointed fangs glinting slightly off the torches’ ambient light. “Dzień dobry, traveler! However welcome your sight may be, this is a highly restricted entrance to our enchanted lands. What business does a delicate civilian like you have in the Wielkoponiska?”

The earth mare traced a lock of her pink hair around one of her ears, delighted to see the handsome guard’s pupils dilate at her modest teasing. “I’m here on business… and potentially pleasure! I’ve come to bear a wagonload of your rarest and most precious flowers with me back to Ponyville. Florist Io is expecting me and time is of the essence.” She showed him a signed letter bearing her hoofprint.

“Io? She is one of the finest florists in the province. If she has invited you, you are certainly welcome!” The guard nodded and closed the window. Soon after the lethal spiked gate was lifted open, granting the pony entrance.

Having formally checked both her cutie mark and logged her entry onto a sheet of old-fashioned vellum, the earth mare was permitted to proceed by the guard who she realized with a gasp was wearing the hide of animals as armor!

“Enjoy your stay in Thestralslovakia, Miss Roseluck. A word of warning, though — mind that you do not stray too far off the road. For there are far wilder things in these woods than Everfree creatures!”

Roseluck felt her nethers threaten to burst into flames even as she teetered on the edge of a panic attack. “Y-yes sir! I pr-promise to be careful...” was all she could stammer.

The guard laughed, his initial chuckle turning into a deep guffaw when he got a sniff of Roseluck’s floral musk trailing behind her as she gracelessly hurried past the gatehouse into a curtain of trees and mist.

“Crimson Fortune. Come in, Crimson Fortune. Do you read me, over?”

The earth mare jerked her head up slightly as the female voice came through her earbloom; a sound only she could hear on the dark, deserted dirt road. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, casually as if to adjust the harness binding herself to her nearly empty wagon but saw only the impenetrable gloom of the sky overhead; the stars muted by a bank of fog.

Satisfied she was alone, she reached up with a hoof and pressed it against her breast activating the speaker switch concealed in her dress. “Ten-Four, Sky-Captain. I just passed the border into Thestralslovakia. I’m alone and undetected!”

“Doskonały!” The voice of Sky-Captain came back, excitedly. “Though I’m not too surprised they didn’t search you. Pony friends are always welcome here, especially such a lovely earth pony mare as yourself!”

Roseluck shrugged out of her harness and tugged at the flap of the topmost bag with her teeth. “Didn’t give me much comfort while I was talking to that guard! Celestia’s sake, he was not only wearing hides, but he was also writing on a piece of paper made of animal skin!” Her voice cracked as she spoke, the latter realization having only struck her at that moment.

Sky-Captain laughed mirthfully at the earth pony’s discomfort. “With apologies, sentries at the military crossings aren’t so concerned about your Equestrian sensibilities, Crimson Fortune. In fact, many take great delight in tweaking them. Besides, you knew what you were signing up for when you came here!”

Roseluck found what she was looking for, a flask of potion enchanted with a powerful prophylactic enchantment and chugged it down noisily in a single breath. The party mare’s libido wasn’t slowing down any time soon, she figured, so she wasn’t ready for foals of her own. The potion brought an odd coolness to her body, dropping her core body temperature back to the equine norm. “Please, don’t shame me now when you’ve been so chill with me already!”

“I’m just teasing you, Rosie Rosebutt!” The voice laughed again. “You know, I’m very impressed with you for getting your hooves on one of these crystal communicators. I didn’t think I’d be able to make out anything you were saying from such a distance. I expected you to sound like yelling from one end of a can with some string!”

Roseluck grit her teeth. “Shh! Don’t use my real name! They may be monitoring us!”

“Who, the sentries at the border you’ve infiltrated or the Equestrian Guardsponies you stole these crystals from?” the voice replied smugly.

“Gah! This is not the time for compounding my suffering, Sky-Captain!” Roseluck ripped open a much larger bag just beneath the first one and placed it inside, removing a pony-sized full-body black neoprene wetsuit before zipping herself into it — a ‘gift’ from the soldiers at the Stalliongrad Joint Special Forces Command Center she’d gotten to know quite well while visiting some far-flung family there. No time to bother fiddling with the wires on my communicator buried inside of my clothes. I'm going to be a real sight coming out of this thing still wearing my dress! “And I’ll have you know that crystal wasn’t stolen! It was a gift from the stallions of Mammatus Air Wing D at Neighvarro Air Station!” And a few of the mares too but she didn’t feel like divulging this information. “They just didn’t report it to their commanders... ”

The giggling voice fought to compose itself. “A likely story. And one you may regale me of later! But for now, you have an important mission to focus on. Behave yourself… Scarlet Misfortune!”

“Oh, ha ha…” Roseluck clipped a pair of wire-cutters, a machete, and a small digging tool to her back before withdrawing four oddly-shaped boots with a donut-shaped sole and putting them on. From one of her wetsuit’s many, many pouches she plucked out one final item of interest, a pair of goggles.

“How about while I prepare to go off into the scary murder forest, you do your bit for this evening and try to naviguess my way through this impending disaster?” She fastened them snugly around her eyes. The colors around her began to blur into dark and bright spots. She could make out animals hiding in the forest all around her as fiery blobs of red heat even through the foliage which had matched the temperature of the air around it. “You know, do your job instead of making bad jokes?”

“You are such a negative little pony!” The voice finally lost its teasing tone and became more encouraging. “In fact, I’m not worried for you at all. All these years of training have lead you to this day. Neither fangs or claws nor Ursa Major will stop you. Crimson Fortune... you will not fail.”

The earth pony appeared to take heart from her words. “Yeah… You’re right. I never have.” She spared a moment to reflect on her past conquests, encounters that time had dimmed not at all her memories of.

She could still clearly recall her first sexual experience as a young filly with an older colt, remember vividly the classmate who’d accidentally-on-purpose introduced her to anal sex to how she thoroughly enjoyed it, and even some of the many near-misses that almost resulted in grievous bodily harm at the hooves of vengeful mares who couldn’t appreciate her unique set of skills; ones that she had not hesitated to share with the lovelorn stallions they were either unable or unwilling to treat properly.

“Okay, I’m here. I’m dressed for battle and I’m ready to rut somepony’s brains out already! So how do I get to the hunting grounds?” Roseluck gave a brief description of the landmarks around her and the direction she was facing.

The voice hesitated before speaking. “This will sound crazy, but you need to go down the embankment on the right side of the road and through the trees. There isn’t a wall there because… well, it’s a riverbank and a solid wall won’t work. I assume you’ve brought something to cut through an enchanted wire fence?”

“Eeeyep”. Roseluck replied with a mouthful of wire-cutters before attaching them to one of the suit’s velcro straps. Rose would be able to grab any of the items she needed with her mouth and not have to worry about anything coming detached, being glued as they were to her body. Pushing her wagon off the roads and into a convenient copse of trees, she withdrew an enchanted camo blanket and threw it over the top, hiding it from both eyesight and all but the most determined of magical scans. No way was she leaving any of her stuff behind to be discovered.

Sky-Captain’s voice came back strong and confident. “Very good! The river will get you most of the way to the hunting camp until you get to the waterfall, and then you’ll have to hoof it the rest of the way. Very easy though for the most part, just move downstream, count paces and you’ll get there. I will warn you the bottom of the river is very sticky this time of year. If you’re not careful, it’ll suck your shoes right off!”

“Not a problem!” It was Roseluck’s turn to reply confidently while looking down at her strange rubber boots. “Not only will my boots resist mudsucking they won’t leave any obvious pony tracks.”

“Interesting… I hadn’t even considered how you might deal with that.” Sky-Captain’s voice sounded thoughtful. “I suppose that being able to fly, I hadn’t considered how to deal with something on the ground. You are really something, my Crimson friend! I will contact you later. Until then, Luna’s fortune be with you!”

“Thanks for everything, Sky-Captain. Over and out!” Double-checking her straps to make sure nothing would start falling off of her once she started her infiltration, Roseluck made her way down the steep embankment towards the sound of flowing water, slip-sliding on her rubber boots as she struggled to remain upright.

“Ugh! Note to self: Don’t put on your boots until you get to the water next time!” She grumbled under her breath when at last, about halfway down the decline, she stumbled and flew plot over teakettle the rest of the way down, landing hard on her side; her pair of wire-cutters breaking her fall as she disappeared into the treeline. “Ooh, that smarts!” Rubbing her aching flank, Roseluck got up and to her relief found she still had all her equipment. She’d fallen down the side of embankment in near pitch blackness, tumbling through tall grass and skidding through a patch of Poison Joke, but she knew her suit would protect her from its effects and everything was still strapped exactly where she’d put it.

“Of course my wire cutters had to break my fall. Ow!” Roseluck rubbed her flank and looked back up the hill to see how far she’d fallen, but all she could see was the treeline overlooking a path of smashed down grass and broken branches. At least I don’t have to worry about losing my gear anymore. So much for needing this machete, though. She looked back again and appreciated the job she’d done of mowing through the brush with her flanks. The suit took most of the abuse, but she’d definitely earned a few bruises from her ordeal.

She began snipping her way through the fence, an odd metal chain arrangement the Ponyvillian had never encountered before in her travels but, thanks to her accomplice, was forewarned she should be ready for. Though they had protective enchantments, both to alert their owner of intrusions and prevent the fence from being cut, her tool had likewise been enchanted courtesy of Equestria’s PSD, or Plainclothes Security Division, an adjunct of the Royal Guard that dealt with threats to Equestria that came from the shadows. Its magic nullified the fence’s, and she found it was able to cut through the fence with relative ease.

As she worked, she felt her body began to heat itself back up as her estrus reasserted itself, the potion’s anti-pregnancy properties disappearing. Supposing it was a by-product of the evening’s strenuous activities and, having never experienced a dud prophylactic potion after hundreds of uses, she wiped her fevered brow and kept working until she’d made a pony-sized hole to crawl through. As she passed the barrier, she had the strangest feeling of foreboding but couldn’t place what exactly it was connected to.

She shook her head at that. Now, now, Roseluck. It’s just anxiety coupled with impatience from our heat. Let’s not lose our nerve now! she ordered herself sternly, continuing her advance.

The river beckoned, warm in the late-summer heat but cooler than her estrus-afflicted body. Withdrawing a balaclava from one of her bags, she carefully worked it over her head, tucking her long, erect ears through the two gaps built into the head covering before fastening the hood. Even to somepony looking for her, the bright colors of her floral mane and coat weren’t going to be giving her away tonight.

Not until she wanted them to, anyway.

She dropped into the warm stream and felt the slimy muck shifting beneath her hooves, but it did not grab her hooves. She didn’t slip and fall either, for which she was even more grateful. Looking around, she could see the treeline fall away, replaced by the walls of the ravine she was descending into. The air was filled with strange sounds of beasts the Ponyville florist had no experience with; unfamiliar bird and other animal calls as the denizens reacted to the presence of something new and unfamiliar having entered the forest, prompting Roseluck to move ever more carefully as the hunting grounds were actively patrolled by fully-grown adult thestrals keeping watch over the area for dangerous nasties their young charges would not be able to handle by themselves.

So why am I doing this again? Roseluck asked herself, only to remember instantly why; the conversation that had sparked her interest and determination to see this through.

“It is every thestral stallion’s duty to participate in the great hunt when he comes of age, having reached sexual maturity,” Roseluck’s friend ‘Sky-Captain’ — a thestral mare who was neither a Captain nor much of a flier but a florist like Rose — had explained to her over tea during a business trip, collecting some Ponyville and even Everfree flowers to take back home with her, much as Roseluck herself had entered Thestralslovakia claiming to do.

“Thestrals sexually mature around the same time ponies do, but we don’t feel the drive to mate early on. We only really feel the need once or twice a year. I suppose when your people are locked in by forests and have been at peace for seven hundred years, there’s no urgency to start having a ton of foals.” Sky-Captain shrugged. “But who really knows? Anyway, you always know when a stallion is ready to go when he starts giving off pheromones. It’s amazing the first time you smell it. When my older brother started emitting them and I caught wind of it, I woke up out of a dead sleep with the taste of it in my throat! I actually had to leave the house that morning for awhile before…” the rest went unsaid, though her blush spoke for her.

Sky-Captain giggled politely as Roseluck’s eyeridge disappeared into her lock of red mane and mouth began to gape at the bat pony’s story. “So yes. It’s that powerful and alluring. Every year the females of the land are sent away from their homes when this happens and live cloistered with other females until the whole affair blows over or a stallion presents us with meat taken in the hunt… or we discover we prefer the company of each other more than the company of males! If the former occurs, the lady goes out every day to the hunting grounds to present herself to the hunters.

“We offer them encouragement; we watch them banter among each other and decide which one we find the most desirable. We even tease them a bit to get them motivated! There are older gentlebats there as well who chaperone the lads, keep them from getting too rowdy, and keep us separated until the lads make a successful kill…”

The wheels began to turn in Roseluck’s brain at her words. If the thestral stallions were out there killing for the chance of mating with a mare, that means the mares don’t have to do all the chasing! She realized in some glee. In fact she was the one who would be pursued… by an army of fit, healthy, lean and handsome stallions!

A shiver went through her at the thought, suddenly fantasizing endlessly about the scene her new friend described. No wonder the Creators placed a horrible murder forest between themselves and the ponies; they were keeping themselves safe from me! A half-crazed smile began to merge on the earth pony’s face.

“Well, then. It would appear that somepony is having some rather dangerous thoughts…” Sky-Captain waggled her eyebrows at the slightly deranged mare who forced herself into a neutral expression.

“Maybe... “ Roseluck batted her eyelashes. “So what happens after they kill an animal?”

“The hunter approaches the assembled females and presents the animal he has slain to the females who’ve brought him food — fruit if the female is poor and bread if she is wealthy because grain is always in short supply. It’s just not easy to grow here, especially without Earth Ponies!” Sky-Captain nodded sadly even as she happily munched on a dinner roll, seemingly savoring every crumb as well as all the butter she was smearing on it. “We wish we had access to more grain like the ponies do, but it’s so hard to move items across our borders — our entire country is set atop tree-covered hills connected by poor, meandering roads, and lacks any seaports. But to get back on topic, the lad and the lady exchange gifts and then generally mate that very night under Luna’s sky to conceive their first foal.”

Roseluck squealed with delight, clopping her hooves together with a goofy smile on her face. “Tell me more, tell me more!”

“Well, well, well! My docile pony friend does indeed have something of an interest in our ‘savage’ ways! Dare I say more than a merely intellectual interest?” Sky-Captain paused for dramatic effect as Roseluck nodded, leaning so far forward she was in danger of falling out of her chair. “The next day a wedding ceremony is held. The mother of the bride prepares a large spit cake we call the kürtőskalács and serves it to the family and guests. It’s a wheat cake topped with fruit and butter. Mangoes, of course, are preferred above all else as they don’t grow in Thestralslovakia and are quite tasty, but other fruits will do. Would you like to know how to make one?”

“I do, I do!” she answered eagerly. And thus, the pair of them prepared a cake, the subject turning itself back to Roseluck’s interest in hooking up with thestrals while it was in the oven. Not only was the Thestralslovakian surprisingly keen on hooking her up with one, but she was willing to help slip her into the hunting grounds for a chance in a lifetime to live out her fantasy!

Rose was ecstatic. “You’re so awesome for helping me do this! Thank you, thank, thank yoou!” She nuzzled the thestral gratefully as she grinned wide. “But I have to ask you, Madam Shadebloom... just why do you want to help me?”

Sky-Captain Shadebloom smiled coyly, took a large gulp of sangria and gave the earth pony a studied expression. “I suppose because I like you, Roseluck. You’re an interesting one to have around. You’re pretty, you’re insatiable, and you’re more than a little crazy — just like me! And quite frankly, I’ve got to have a front-row seat to what it is you’re plotting. I want to set you loose upon our lands to create chaos and mayhem because it’s going to be the most fun I’ve had since my first all-filly sleepover!”

Roseluck gave a hearty laugh, taking a gulp of her own of her fruity concoction. “I won’t be the first mare to serve under your command, I don’t doubt! Deal!” The pair clinked their mugs together and then threw back their drink, sealing their pact.

“If you don’t mind me asking, and since stallions aren’t really my field of study, what is it about the thestral male you find so alluring? The pointy teeth? The webbed wings? The smell?” Shade laughed at her own joke, waving her hoof in front of her nose.

Roseluck looked her bat ponyfriend wistfully. “You ever understand someone without ever meeting them?”

Shadebloom arched an eyeridge. “Can you do that? I find I don’t understand anypony until I’ve at least spoken to them.”

Roseluck shook her head. “As an individual, no. I mean… maybe this sounds silly but thestral stallions, the hunters especially… I know what they’re going through. I know what drives them to risk their own lives for the chance at affection with another pony. I know what it’s like to dedicate considerable effort and time into honing yourself, pushing boundaries further than you ever thought they could go for the chance… that one chance to fulfill their destiny, even if my ends happen to differ from theirs.

“I guess the bottom line is, that for me? The thrill is in the pursuit. The challenge of bedding an exotic pony and better yet, beating them on their own terms to do it! For me, that’s by choice, but for thestrals, that’s a way of life! Never mind your exotic bodies, that your males live and love the way I do just makes me want them all the more!”

“I see…” Shadebloom rubbed her chin. “So you are both hunters in your own sense. I’ve certainly met enough of your mares to know how aggressive they can be. Still, I’ve never met a mare quite like yourself.” Shadebloom lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Know that there are risks involved and you may be hurt for what you’re planning. The hunting grounds are off-limits to all except the hunters and their guardians. To steal a hunter’s seed before he has completed the hunt is seen as a grave insult and trespassing a criminal offense. You will be hated by the community and barred from re-entry by authorities if you’re caught in the act. We may be the junior partner in our union with Equestria under our fair Princess of the Night, but we have jurisdictional authority over any pony or creature who commits an offense in our country.”

Roseluck’s ears splayed back as she thought of swarms of pitchfork-wielding thestral citizens, eyes filled with righteous fury chasing her down the Everfree Highway out of Thestralslovakia, the gate slamming closed behind her. “I understand the risks, Shade, but this means a lot to me and I still want to try it. To pass up on the opportunity to mate with so many worthy males is a prize too great to pass up!”

“Even when there are so many worthy males in your own country?” Shadebloom shook her head slowly. “It’s a difficult concept for me to grasp.”

“There are things I can’t really explain to you because they make no sense to anypony but me.” Roseluck chugged down the last of her sangria and mopped her face with a handkerchief — Thestralslovakia was a very warm place in the summer. “All I can really say is this is what I’m about, for better or worse.” Roseluck gave the thestral a drill-ready army salute.

“You don’t keep a soldier from her duty. You don’t keep the mailmare from her appointed rounds. And you don’t ever, ever, ever keep Roseluck from rutting, no matter how risky it sounds!”

Shadebloom smiled and refilled her glass from an ice-filled pitcher of the fruity wine, before saluting her with it. “You are a truly terrifying creature and a poet to boot. But I think I know what you mean, dear Roseluck. May you find what you’re looking for in those woods, my friend.”

Roseluck’s suit bubbled as she took on water through a rip in her wetsuit, one that had formed near her rump after rocking and rolling her way down the hill. At the very least it kept her entrance cool which was strangely just as warm as it had been before entering the woods.

Twenty slow and soggy minutes later, the sounds of the local fauna began to revert to their normal rhythm and Roseluck felt safe to quicken her pace. The forest had, in effect, come to accept her presence after she’d had the distinct impression it wasn’t initially sure what to make of her. She’d had to duck underwater a few times as large red-hot thestral forms had soared overhead several times through her heat-detection goggles. Her mane dripping sweat despite the cool water running down her face, she rubbed her stinging eyes and came to a dead stop, just in time as the river dead-ended at a small waterfall overlooking a large clearing. That must be the camp! Going to have to go the rest of the way on dry land it seems. I can already feel how sore I’m going to be tomorrow morning!

With astonishing limberness for a life-long civilian and sales clerk, Roseluck leapt out of the water and rolled into a clump of tall grass, keeping low to the ground as she scanned the ground in front of her for loose twigs. Her boots had the added benefit of muffling her hooffalls, but moving through an area being patrolled by seasoned hunters left very little room for error. Sound discipline was key or at least that’s what her coltfriends in the military had told her, and they wore full packs and vastly heavier loads.

They were even kind enough to teach Roseluck a thing or two about taking point in a hostile environment, though their own training sessions tended to end with weapons of a far friendlier sort being employed in the barracks later on.

Counting paces like a point mare on the march so she’d be able to find the river later during her exfiltration, she snuck her way through a clump of berry bushes towards the light of the fire. A cacophony of strange vocalizations from an animal Rose had never encountered greeted her ears from directly ahead of her. It was as if the forest had rooms and she’d walked into another one.

I’ll never get used the way sound works in here! Roseluck listened closely, the sound growing closer and closer. It sounded like dinner conversation coming from a roomful of tiny, very squeaky creatures. She immediately thought of faeries, but...It can’t be. They don’t exist!

Curious and a bit anxious about what the sound might be, Roseluck approached a huge flowering tree where all the noise was coming from. A cranky chittering chirp and a pair of flapping wings launched itself out of the tree over Roseluck’s head and towards the camp down below. It was an impossibly huge bat the likes of which Roseluck had never seen with the face of a dog — or was it a bear? — a rusty red ruff of fur around its neck, a black coat and tan rings around its eyes like spectacles.

“Of course there would have to be monster bats living in the forests! Gaaahck!” A stream of urine aimed at her face by one of the bat’s many cheeky relatives sent Roseluck hastily retreating into the darkness. This is almost not worth it at this point! Roseluck groused silently, wiping her face down. Almost...

The sight of the fire up close was a welcome one. Roseluck stowed her thermal goggles as she’d no longer needed them, able to make out the location of the front of the camp and the river. Allowing herself a moment of pride in her paramilitary pony skills, the equine ninja circled around the camp from behind for a better look, taking care not to go upwind.

There was a voice in the camp, speaking a language Roseluck couldn’t understand and the shadowy outline of a single bat pony figure front lit by the roaring fire against the fabric of their tent. The earbloom of Roseluck’s crystal communicator chirped and a magical mare’s voice spoke the words ‘Language: Poniska’ and suddenly Roseluck could understand what he was saying perfectly. Wow… This is the coolest toy I’ve ever played with!

“Gellert, really old fellow! A pony in the forest? You must have dreamt it...” The translation came back after a brief delay. Roseluck poked her head around the tent to get an unobstructed view of the strange bat pony, his coat the dark blue hue of the pre-dawn sky and his mane and tail silvery white with streaks of red.

As the batty duo appeared otherwise distracted, Roseluck took the opportunity to slip inside the tent, secreting herself behind a crate of food with a clear view of her quarry outside.

The huge bat, Roseluck surmised was a male only because of his size, squawked irritably and began chittering, animatedly flapping his huge wings at points, perched hanging upside-down from a sapling by his huge clawed feet, ears twitching erratically all the while. Roseluck couldn’t believe her eyes but it looked as if the bat was actually carrying on a conversation. But only Fluttershy can do that! She protested despite the evidence before her.Not surprisingly, the translator was no help at all in parsing bat language.

“Yes, I see your point. I really can’t imagine you’d be making up seeing something that strange, so I’ll keep both eyes peeled.” The stallion gestured towards the tent. “But where are my manners? Seeing as I’m keeping you from eating with your family and you’ve flown all this way, would you like some grapes while you’re here?”

The bat screed in a bossy tone which required no translation.

This is it… time to make my introduction! Rose grabbed a bunch of grapes in her teeth, holding them out in front of her when the thestral walked in.

“Hey, thanks! You have impeccable timing, batty brother.” The thestral took the cluster of grapes in his teeth, turned around and walked straight out without missing a beat.

Roseluck stood dumbfounded as the young stallion walked back out to his bat and started popping grapes into its mouth. I don’t think this one’s all there. He’s still pretty handsome though… Her eyes focused on his bulging apples, imagining them aching for release. Your time will come, stranger.

Having eaten its fill, the bat pressed up and took a look around, bobbing its head left/right left/right before extending it’s impressive wings and flapping off into the night as Roseluck gawked at the animal’s strange behavior.

“That’s a pretty pet you’ve got there, stranger!” Roseluck took a step out into the firelight and pulled off her balaclava. “But not even so much as a ‘how do you do’ for a visitor?”

The thestral did a double take; a pony looked back at him on each. He switched effortlessly from Poniska to Equish. “How…? Why…? He looked up at the sky as if anticipating an attack. Curses! Just get in the tent before the creche-fathers see us!” He quickly shooed her inside.

Rose giggled and withdrew to the tent. She wasn’t laughing when the thestral threw a blanket over her head. “Hey!”

“Goddess, this is so weird! Listen, I don’t know how or why you came, but for our sake, you better act like a pile of blankets if anypony else shows up! This is a restricted area!” He gave a sigh of relief when the mystery pony emerged from the blanket with a neutral expression and nodded. A moment of silence grew between the pair of them; to her immense satisfaction, his eyes traced a path up her ears. “You are a pony from Equestria... yes?”

Roseluck cracked a knowing smile. It never fails; they all stare at my ears! “My grandmother was a burro from Neighico so my ears are quite long, but I’m mostly an earth pony.” The stallion was visibility embarrassed at having been caught looking.

Such a gentlecolt! I bet I’ll have to drag this one out of his shell though. I probably won’t be notching a new fastest speed for getting this guy in the sack. “Don’t feel too bad, amigo. I get that reaction a lot!” He seemed somewhat relieved and willing to listen so the Stallion Aficionado made her opening move. “The name’s Roseluck, co-owner of Daisy’s Fleuronic Fantasies Flower Shoppe in scenic Ponyville, Equestria. And I’m here to explore your amazing country!”

The stallion cringed slightly and lifted up the blanket covering Roseluck, revealing the source of an odd bulge. “You have a machete on your back…”

Roseluck didn’t miss a beat, puffing her lips and giving her ears a slight wiggle while subtly presenting her neck to him. “I do nothing half-baked!” His cheeks reddened. Direct hit! Roseluck could distinctly smell his stallion arousal in the enclosed space now, like a bowl of freshly sliced fruit salad, with an acrid tinge of something burnt. Sometimes all you have to do is leave things to the imagination.

“Um… yes, well… you’ll forgive me, but I am very confused, Miss Roseluck. In fact, I find that I am… at a complete loss.” The flustered thestral managed, his expression shifting on the fly as he realized he was putting her down. “But I am pleased to meet you. My name is Europa and I’m an animal talker. You probably heard me earlier speaking to Gellert. He’s a good old fellow and comes to me whenever there is trouble. He’s also a bit of a, uh… how you say... ‘drama king’ at times.”

“I could hear you two talking. Or, well, at least I could hear you talking. Your batty friend was just squeaking and flapping his wings.” For a moment, Roseluck wondered why this thestral wasn’t out hunting as his friends were probably doing. Maybe he’s just here to keep the fire going so they can find their way back? Or maybe he’s a cook or… something. “You can really talk to animals?”

Europa nodded, appearing content to put off the difficult questions. “Indeed, I can! My first time was when I was five years old. The ability to speak to animals occurs in one of every two births if both parents have the gift, so parents who have it are encouraged to have as many foals as possible. We serve a vital function in thestral society as emissaries and caretakers of Thestralslovakia’s wildlife, making possible our mutual survival. As such, we don’t do certain things like hunt, as we are too valuable to lose. And of course, the animals don’t like to talk to bat folks who are out trying to hunt them.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to talk to someone who was trying to eat me either,” Roseluck replied deadpan. Or would I? She suddenly imagined a group of hot thestral stallions tracking her through the woods and capturing her, then taking turns rutting her.; she felt her face begin to heat up as the fantasy took hold. Focus, Roseluck. Focus! “Is that why you’re not out hunting with your friends?”

“Hmm…” Europa appeared to be impressed. “You seem to know some things about thestrals. You’re not a total stranger to our ways. Would I be presumptuous if I suggested you knew why I was here in this camp, waiting for my friends to return with a kill?”

The combatants have taken the field. Looks like he’s finally aware of our contest and what’s at stake, but I must be sure he’s open. I’m going to have to poke him a bit and see what her angle is. “Your friends are here to find meat for their wives-to-be. And you… You’re a mystery I’m curious to solve, Europa.”

The smell of his arousal intensified but to his credit — and Roseluck’s heightened excitement as she realized he would indeed be a challenge — he stoically refused to break. “While animal speakers don’t hunt we are required by tradition to be present with our age-mates when they go out to hunt.” He gave Roseluck an oddly apologetic frown. “I… will be arranged to marry another speaker in another two years, thus preserving my gift for future generations.”

This stud is totally interested in me! The little pony in Roseluck’s head danced a jig with excitement. He’s trying to warn me off in case I’m looking for a long-term commitment. He’s so laudably transparent! Roseluck felt a pang of guilt at the idea that taking the handsome young thestral’s virginity might hurt him emotionally. I hate you sometimes, conscience! The colt is going to be fine. Look how we turned out!

He is of a culture that views sex and marriage as exclusive. Even if he makes peace with what he’s done his kin may not be so open to forgiveness. Roseluck’s conscience reminded her.

Then the only witnesses will be equally as guilty as him. I will have to rut them all. Every last one of them!

I have no idea why you even keep me around at this point... Roseluck’s conscience disappeared, leaving the Rose Devil in command, not for the first time.

My conscience only picks the losing battles to fight. The issue settled, Rose turned her attention back to her hunky bat-pony companion. “Two years is a long time to be lonely, isn’t it?”

To Roseluck’s dismay, he smiled and gave a small chuckle. “I wouldn’t say I’m alone! I have other stallions to be friends with and the animals to talk with me whenever they’re not around.”

That sounded almost painfully sincere. Roseluck, bluffed his response off with a smile. No, I can’t accept defeat! He wants me to commit to the offensive otherwise he’s going to keep me going in a circle until I quit. Why can’t males ever be easy? Well, if they were, the conquest wouldn’t be as fun or satisfying! Time to bluff to the extreme! “Your stallion buddies… they’re pretty good hunters I don’t doubt…” She rubbed her chin, giving her new friend an impressed look.

Europa blinked, oblivious to her point. “Well, yes. We thestrals are born hunters, really. We can see in near darkness, our flight is whisper quiet, outside of take-off and landing, and we’re pretty good archers. My friends in particular though… excellent sharpshooters! They can hit anything with a bow and arrows they can see and even some things they can’t if it makes enough racket stomping through the forest.”

“Because of how dangerous life is so close to the Everfree is, I’m certain!” YES! Roseluck could barely keep the smugness from manifesting itself on her face. This is why Lady Luck always wins. She makes her own!

“Out here near the Everfree, skills are a matter of life or death in many cases,” Europa explained, nodding his head slowly, his eyes alight with interest. “While city bats may need many weeks just to shoot a common deer, our males train to face the nastiest creatures the forest has to offer. They’d wipe the forest with the spoiled rich sons-of-merchants and bankers any day!” The thestral thumped his chest proudly.

Roseluck’s eyes went hooded. I’ve definitely found my ‘in’. “They’re probably about to haul that kill in right now. They’ll all have a blushing bride in no time!” Wait for it, Rose. Wait for it...

The smile slowly slid off Europa’s face. “Tak oczywiście. Er, yes… I believe you’re right.”

Roseluck shook her head sympathetically while the devil within her cheered. “They’ll be talking about their first time with a mare for days, you know.”

Europa snorted loudly but said nothing, Roseluck’s relief showing at the overtly equine display. “As any stallion would. And I as their friend would listen! I do not wish to sound rude, but what is your point, Miss Roseluck?”

Rose folded her forelegs and eyed the thestral evenly, a zen calm the likes of which only the Unicorn masters of the Still Way martial art could compete. “To put it simply, two years is a long time to be alone.”

Europa nickered softly, laying down in front of the covered mare. “Alas, I fear you are right.” His ears swiveled as he detected the delicate flutter of a pair of huge flapping wings near the tent. “Get down and don’t move,” he hissed suddenly, Roseluck obeying immediately. She hadn’t even ducked out of sight completely when a set of hooves touched down.

Just when I was starting to make progress in tearing him down! Roseluck fumed beneath her blanket cover. But I must be patient...

An older adult thestral stallion with fierce-looking glowing red eyes gazed into the tent, his expression curious. “Witaj, synu.”

“Oh, hej tato”.

Roseluck couldn’t see Europa, but it was obvious enough to her from his voice that he was not a skilled liar... or a politician. Her earbloom picked up the foreign language and after silently announcing the obvious fact Poniska was being used again, began translating for her again.

“Son, why are you sulking inside this tent? Luna’s sky is flawless tonight!” Dad exclaimed cheerfully.

“I was just resting my eyes, father. I have been keeping vigil for hours now and my animal friends grew weary of my trivial conversation.” Europa sounded utterly defeated.

Perhaps he was a better liar then he’d initially seemed or was still brooding over his impending romantic desert. The two options seemed equally weighed to the shrouded succubus mare lying in wait.

“Just because you’re not hunting doesn’t mean I sent you out here to do nothing, Europa,” Dad replied, disappointed. “Your comrades are counting on you to keep a secure camp and have food ready for them when they arrive. You haven’t placed dishes for them, prepared any bread or so much as laid out fruit. You haven’t even got the first aid unpacked in case one of them returns injured!”

“I’m… Dad, I’m sorry.”

“This is not the sort of example I expect from any son of mine!” Dad growled at the younger male. Giving himself a moment to compose himself he spoke again, his tone conciliatory. “Please tell me what is wrong, son. This isn’t like you at all to be so... mopey.”

So he really is depressed about this lack of female attention. The poor colt... Roseluck tried to imagine life without sex for two years and imagined going insane within a week. This mission can’t just be for me. I need to rescue this beautiful stud from a life of solitude at all costs! Roseluck’s eyes narrowed beneath the blanket. She only hoped the movement wouldn’t give away her position.

“I’ve been thinking about my upcoming marriage, Dad,” Europa replied quietly. “I don’t wish to break my treaty of peace with the critters of this land, but my burden of waiting for something to happen that I have no say in feels cruel. My gift has always brought me joy but now it feels like chains of slavery!”

Dad sighed, the sound of his hooves entered the tent. “Son, it’s not that I don’t disagree with you about our laws. I also concede that if it was me, I would feel the same way. The hunter risks his life, it’s true. But the hunter has control over his fate, or as much as one mortal can manage in an unpredictable world…” Dad cleared this throat. “But your gift is not to be taken for granted; it is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. You don’t just represent yourself but the whole of the thestral race. What is good for our race is therefore good for you.

Europa sighed, defeated.

Poor colt... Roseluck frowned.

“You aren’t yet of age for marriage. In two years you will meet the love of your life and pass on your critical abilities to the next generation.” His voice hardened at the skeptical look his son gave him. “Yes, love! Just because you’re being arranged to be married doesn’t mean she’s going to be any less special to you or you to her for that matter. I wish all our marriages were arranged and we could be rid of this pony notion of love at first sight.” Dad scoffed, turning his nose up at the idea. “But this is not about what I think. It’s about the will of the thestral people whom I represent and it is their saythat these laws are just and fair. As the son of one of this nation’s duly elected civil servants, you of all bats must understand the importance of obeying the law.”

Europa’s voice came back clear and strong. “Yes, Dad. I understand… even if I don’t like it.”

“My son… Europa.” The pair hugged each other. “It’s like I’ve told you ever since your head came up to my knees: ‘You don’t have to like it, you just have to do it’.”

He sounds like he really loves his son… even if he is a right stickler for the rules! Roseluck thought to herself as the two hugged.

“I love you, Europa.”

“I love you too, Dad.” The two nuzzled.

“Don’t forget what I’ve told you. And get this camp in order! I’ll see you in a few days once you’ve stopped smelling!” Dad chuckled. “I’m sure your sister will appreciate having the house back.”

The pair bid each other farewell and Dad flew off into the night.

Roseluck, what have you gotten yourself into, girl? She bit her lip anxiously.

“You can come out now, Miss Roseluck.”

She threw off her cover. “I’m so sorry I had to listen in on your private conversation. I should not have interfered with your family moment…”

Europa shook his head and smiled politely at the Rose mare. “It’s nothing. While me and him don’t necessarily agree on our laws, he does make a good point.”

You are not giving up, Rose! The situation hasn’t changed and you are not marrying him! There’s nothing to lose but his virginity. There is nothing to gain but his life! Buoyed by her own thoughts, Roseluck put on her most dangerous smile and gently bit her lip. “He does, but so do I.”

Europa’s gave Roseluck a blank expression. “What do you mean, Roseluck?”

“Two years of waiting… is a long time to be alone. You shouldn’t suffer if you don’t have to…” Roseluck steeled herself. “And as fate would have it, you don’t have to.”

The realization hit the thestral like a party carronade. “You… are prepo... preposis… You are saying we bang?” Europa clopped his forehooves nervously together as his face filled with boiling water. The smell of fruit cascading off his neck like the prevailing winds off of Sweet Apple Acres during cider season.

Despite his apparent receptivity, Roseluck sensed danger in his response. He’s coming in too hot! If he panics, he’s going to close me off for good… or have a heart attack by the looks of it! “Hold your horses! I’m saying you could know what it’s like to be with a mare… if you’re willing to give it a shot.” Rose bowed her ears submissively. “I could help you prepare for your big day… if you’ll let me.”

Slowly, he drew himself back from the brink of panic, Roseluck keeping her head and ears lowered until the anxious stallion ceased viewing her as an existential threat.

“But Miss Roseluck… I’m not allowed to… be with a mare until I’m married!” he finally managed, his eyes darting suspiciously into the night in case his sire suddenly come back.

“Correction: You’re not allowed to be with a thestral whom you’ll marry someday.” Roseluck corrected him with a smile. “As a pony, I’m not a prospective marriage partner for you, but I can help you right now and I think you may even enjoy it,” Roseluck stated casually as if she were offering the colt a life insurance policy.

“I’m not sure what you are proposing falls within the spirit of that particular law, Miss Roseluck!” the thestral replied in a scandalized tone.

“Hold that thought, sweetie. My suit is riding up me something fierce.” Roseluck made a face. “May I remove my gear and lay down in a more natural position?”

Shooting another nervous glance out into the night, his ears straining to pick up the telltale sounds of his fellow males returning but failing to, he nodded to Rose. “Of course. Please make yourself at home. May I get you something to eat?”

Roseluck beamed with joy. “Some fruit sounds lovely about now. Thank you, Europa.”

While he prepared some fruit on a table, chopping up a bit of watermelon, cantaloupe, and pears on a cutting board outside, Roseluck began peeling off her suit, zipper by zipper. The dress was next and with it her ability to understand the thestral languages; the crystal communicator and earbloom she stowed away inside the saddlebag attached to her wetsuit. This guy seems to know pretty good equish. I doubt I’ll be needing it anymore. I definitely don’t want to be wearing it when I get mounted! The earth pony could bear a greater burden of weight than those of her pegasi and unicorn cousins, but even earth pony resilience had its limits.

Time to tease this poor colt! “Umph!” Roseluck grunted, grinning evilly after having climbed back in halfway into the rear-part of the suit. “Europa? Could you be a prince and help me with my hind legs?”

“Hmm? Y-Yes, I’ll help…” The thestral was inside moments later with a nervous expression painted across his visage.

“If you could just… step on the fold near my back hoof. Yes, just like that…” Roseluck took a step forward, the suit’s trouser popping off her rear, revealing her powerful yet shapely hips, rump, and large teats, the latter swaying slightly from the sudden movement. She gave her pink and red-furred tail a powerful swing as she stepped free to reveal her marehood to him, teasing the unsettled stallion even more.

She smiled as she heard his ragged intake of breath and his scent got even stronger, enough to make her head swim. “Um… forgive me, but I really, really shouldn’t be seeing this, Rose!” Europa protested even as his stallionhood dropped out of his sheath; a slightly narrower and considerably longer version than the sort Roseluck was used to, capped with a more tapered head instead of the flared one the other three pony races possessed. Regardless of the differences in anatomy, within moments he was fully engorged and visibly throbbing with each beat of his racing heart.

“Because you might never love your future wife after being with me?” Roseluck shook her head slowly, her half-smile never faltering. “I’m sorry, Europa, but that’s just not true.” Roseluck shivered from the cool air blowing in against her sweaty fur, finally getting a chance to breathe after her trek through the woods. “It’s perfectly normal what you’re feeling right now, and ignoring it is only causing you to suffer.”

Despite her reassuring tone, Europa’s eyes grew ever more fearful, and he didn’t reply, merely standing rigid before her, his painfully erect stallionhood nearly scraping the ground beneath him.

I feel so bad for him! He’s hunkering down because he knows he doesn’t have any arguments. He’s turned on, and so am I, but If I press him too hard in this state, he will only see me as an adversary and my reasoning as a personal insult. I could take him now, but as things stand, that would only hurt him! I’m on the wrong track if I want to get through to him…

Her decision made, Roseluck lowered her tail and sat down on her haunches, looking pensively at the stallion.“What is it that you’re afraid of, Europa? I’d like to talk about it if you’re willing.”

He cringed and looked away, the sight of her exposed marehood and rump burned into the back of his eyelids. “You shouldn’t be here, Roseluck. I don’t want to take advantage of you like this…”

Swerve! Roseluck looked at the stallion as if he’d grown a second head, which in a sense he had between his hind legs. What manner of bat logic is this? Roseluck kicked herself mentally as she played back the events of the previous few minutes. Oh Celestia, I’m a dummy! Reverse gender roles mean that in his mind, he’s the mare and I'm the stallion! And thus, he thinks he’s hunting me here!

With that realization, Rose gave him a warm smile. “Believe me, I didn’t come all this way to be taken advantage of, my young thestral friend. I came here willingly to share a wonderful experience with you and knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I ventured out my door and through the Everfree Forest before cutting a fence and crawling my way through the woods, risking the danger of being caught or even attacked by monsters.” Hearing myself say it like that does sound pretty insane! Roseluck couldn’t help but acknowledge. “But I did it for this very moment I find myself in!”

His expression shifted at that, his resolve visibly wavering. Sensing the time was right and her words had had an effect, Roseluck stood up and closed the distance to him. He was the same height as she was at the top of his head, smaller than a typical earth stallion but powerfully built. His ears were tipped by tufts of fur. Roseluck noticed the tiny bulges on his mouth behind which his fangs were located, eager to feel them on her flesh as he rutted her senseless. He was anxious and unsure but now he wasn’t retreating from her, either physically or mentally.

His walls have been breached! He is mine for the taking! “I came here seeking sex from males who would want me and pursue me as too many pony stallions would not. I came here searching for something I couldn’t find back home. I came here seeking you, Europa, as a worthy male of a worthy race. And for it, I’m yours if you want me.” The last words were spoken in a husky whisper.

Europa’s expression morphed from scared to incredulous to guilty to impressed as she finished her improvised speech. “You were very brave to come here, Roseluck. And to do so without wings!” He took a single tentative step in her direction. “You are quite the special pony, but you must understand — my friends and I are strange right now; we’re not ourselves during mating season! And for it, I’m afraid for you, Roseluck. I don’t want to —”

Roseluck silenced him with a single kiss, licking the tip of one of his fangs and tracing her tongue along his upper lip as he stood stock still except for his violently twitching organ, completely unresisting to her advances. “You are so sexy when you try to be all protective!”

When she was done, Europa plunged his tongue deep into her muzzle by way of reply. Roseluck gave a muffled gasp as his extra long and impossibly tactile chiropteran tongue wrapped itself around her own, restraining it.

Roseluck’s lurid imagination needed no help in picturing what such a member would be capable of when put to work on her sensitive marehood. She’d already had it happen to her in an alcohol-soaked night of fruity drinks and feminine company with her fellow florist and thestral partner-in-crime. But like the events of Discord’s return, that particular encounter never happened so far as she was concerned.

She leaned into the kiss as her forelimbs began to go rubbery. Having pinned down her tongue and with still more length to spare, Europa noisily explored the inside of her muzzle more thoroughly than a unicorn dentist. Roseluck felt her nether dam begin to breach, floral scented nectar dripping freely into the floor of the tent as he continued to dominate her. Europa ran a hoof through her spiked, two-tone mane and pressed the soft pad of his hoof against the back of one of her ears.

Roseluck had a powerful flashback of Lily Valley, endowed with a stallion’s member gifted by the Lord of Chaos messaging her long, pointed ears with teeth and tongue until Rose came hard on the living room floor. Ah horseapples, here we go again!

But Europa was not Lily and not under the influence of any magic other than her own as he pulled away wetly, leaving a long trail of saliva between their muzzles; Roseluck taking a shuddering breath and breaking the fragile string. She looked into his eyes, all fear and trepidation replaced by a single savage desire to satisfy the long-denied cravings of his flesh. “So, you’ve been looking at my fangs, Rose pony. You’ve been giving me curiosity, too!”

“You’re going to be doing more than being curious, you sexy stud!” Roseluck growled back huskily. “So pleeease take me before I explode, already!”

“All in good time!” he told her, his suddenly low tone of voice turning into a near-growl, causing her to shiver. “I hear your earth pony ears are very sensitive.” He gave the tip of one of her ears a gentle pinch between his hoof pad, prompting her to squeak. “Yours being so much larger than normal, I wonder how sensitive they really are?”

Before Roseluck could respond, he licked the back of the nearest one from base to tip before wrapping his tongue once around the peak of the helix, vigorously rubbing the sensitive member as she wobbled on four unsteady limbs, all but biting her lip to keep herself from crying out. Her nethers now coated in a thin layer of petrichor-scented earth pony musk, her feminine juices dripping scrumptiously onto the floor of the tent, she stood stoically against the erotic assault as the thestral carried her slowly over the edge from ear stimulation alone. Surprised and delighted--no pony stallion had ever given her this level of foreplay!--Rose squealed into her hoof and arched her back, gushing hard against the wall of the tent, filling the air with the unique scent of her flowery essence.

Europa seemed at once to emerge from a trance as he watched the viscous marecum creep slowly down the side of the tent, dripping softly into an open crate of red grapes. He looked at Roseluck with complete astonishment.

Roseluck grinned savagely as she read the expression on his face, breathing deeply to bring herself down. “Do you always play with your food, Europa? You are clearly more the predator than you let on! I stand at your complete mercy and yet you do not fill me with your seed!” She took on a pouting expression.

Whatever respite the young thestral had enjoyed was quashed as his expression hardened once more. “But your other ear looks so lonely…” Europa greedily and wetly licked his entire muzzle; Rose staring mesmerized as it followed its languid path around his muzzle. “Surely my seed can wait!” His eyes shone indecently as he made a mock-threat display, fully extending his large, webbed wings which nearly spanned the entire tent.

This stallion’s love for my ears puts even Lily to shame! The jacklit mare could do nothing more than watch helplessly as the lust-crazed bat pony squared up for another attack; one she could no more resist than the last.

This time, he shamelessly jammed his tongue into the concha of her recently unmolested auditory apparatus, prompting a scandalized shriek from its owner who made no effort to stop it. Undeterred by the dissenting sound, he ground the tip of his tongue hard against the antihelical fold.

Roseluck’s whinny echoed off the trees, sending a colony of bats retreating into the sky, protesting loudly. “What are you doing!?” Roseluck snorted fiercely, tramping her free hoof even as she leaned into the illicit contact. “That’s not really a — Reeehhhrrr! That’s not a place ponies put their tongue! Eeehrhrhrhrhrhr!” Roseluck whimpered, eyes slammed shut against the world, face burning with indignation even as she felt her nethers begin to burn hot once more.

“Why does this feel — Eeehrhrhrhrhr!— so incredible? EeeEEEhrhrhrhrhr! You insatiable beast! EEEhrhrhrhr! Is no part of me safe from you!?” A gust of wind brought her up short, sending a chilling sting of cold to her slick, soaked nethers and sticky fur — to say nothing of her defiled ears.

“Do you really want me to stop?” Europa growled lovingly into her ear, stopping to plant kisses along its length. “Thestrals do this all the time!” He didn’t bother waiting for an answer, turning his attention to the base of the ear which he wrapped up with his tongue and began to rub.

Roseluck’s entrance winked audibly, falling to her knees. “You will continue — EEEhrhrhr! — but tell nopony how much I love this!” She continued nickering as he worked his way up from the base past the lobe and back up the helix.

Roseluck trembled as her fiery furnace, nearly fully sated by the profane pleasure he was giving her, began to build towards another eruption. This time, a sharp pinch of teeth against the soft flesh of her ear tip was the final blow. Rose laid sprawled out on the floor of the tent now, barrel heaving, her legs having given up as he attacked without remorse. Eyes watering, she wailed with delight and launched a steady stream of molten passion, her helpless spurts drumming rhythmically against the side of a crate, as wave after wave of fresh orgasms escaped like an exodus of demons fleeing perdition.

Rose opened her eyes, her vision bleary and looked up at the thestral standing over her. His stallionhood pulsed with anticipation, precum dripping lightly from the tip of his long member, eyes now bright with the confidence he had lacked before.

“The rumors of earth pony fecundity are true! You are a lovely, insatiable creature, Miss Roseluck.” He jammed his tongue roughly into her mouth, kissing her passionately until Roseluck gently but firmly pushed him away.

“We can kiss some more later! Tuck me now or so help me, Luna, I will destroy you with my bare hooves!” Europa recoiled slightly, taken aback by her expression.

“Well, I guess I’d better, as you do have a machete!” he teased, giving Roseluck a nod and gesturing for her to turn around. She complied immediately, slapping her cutie mark with a free hoof for emphasis. His resolve seemed to falter briefly again as he beheld her. “N-no pressure!” He shivered as he watched her rump give and ripple slightly on impact. “Luna, help me…” he offered up a whispered prayer.

Roseluck felt a pair of hooves against her back and bore their weight gamely. Ouch! That’s going to leave a bruise! Gonna have to teach that colt proper form or his wife is gonna kill him! He probed her experimentally and found it easy to enter her but difficult to stay inside due to the size of her entrance, designed to accommodate the flared head of pony stallions. “Keep at it, stud! No pressure!”

He nodded his acknowledgment in his anxiousness, even though he belatedly realized the mare couldn’t see him do it. He rubbed his neck against her mane, marking her with his pheromones. Rose picked up on what he was doing, turning around to nip playfully at him. He gave a startled whinny and nearly fell off her back.

After breaking the tension with a laugh, the pair nuzzled affectionately. Finding an angle where he could safely hook in after some patience from the earth pony, he gave an experimental thrust into a raging estrus-filled furnace of mareheat. He swallowed hard, catching a powerful whiff or her seasonal fertility and immediately grasped the significance of what he was about to do to her…

“Don’t hold anything back, Europa. I need you inside of me… All of you!” she whinnied desperately.

He gritted his teeth and launched himself into her, filling the air with her moans as he pierced Roseluck to her very core, nearly bottoming himself out in his eagerness with each thrust.

Outside a distant cheering could be almost heard along with the rustling of forest brush and the snapping of twigs. Lost in the moment the pair continued to rut, though Europa’s ears did swivel an ear towards his back. The pressure in his loins soon became too much to bear. He extended his wings, flapping them hard to give him a boost as he pumped himself into her, bringing the pair of them to climax. He roared as he felt himself empty his seed entirely into her, filling her birth canal as she whinnied with delight.

“We… We did it! Luna help me…” Europa withdrew himself with a light pop, a mixture of seed and nectar pouring from Roseluck’s fertile canal.

“I don’t believe it! This bat has been holding out on us!”

“The absolute mad-Vlad did it! He snuck a mare onto the hunting grounds!”

“Sharing is caring, bro!”

The two lovers looked back wide-eyed into the smug faces of three grinning young thestral males, clad in leather and dragging the carcass of a manticore behind them.