Fire and Steel (Mature)

Chapters

Chapter 9.5: Mates
Chapter 10: The Gathering (mature)
Chapter 20: Discovering Ponyville
Chapter 24: Dragons and Nobles
Chapter 55: Return to Castle Drakenhiem
Chapter 25: Shopping With Smolder

Chapter 9.5: Mates

Author's Note

This takes place immediately after Chapter 9.

Chapter 9.5: Mates

“Look, I like you, Ember. And I know you like me. So... Ember... will you be my mate?"

Ember didn’t answer me with words. Instead, she threw her arms around me and tackled me to the bed, pressing her lips to mine. It didn’t take me long reciprocate, my own hands on her sides.

After who knows how long, she pulled away. Biting her lip She reached down, grabbed my hand and slid it down to her rear.

We looked each other in the eyes and saw our desires reflected back at us.

I leaned back in, ducking benieth her muzzle and burrying mine into her neck.

Ember gasped, her grip on me tightening as I licked and nibbled on her throat and squeezed her ass.

I drifted down, licking and kissing every inch of her as I went.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Ember asked, her voice delightfully bashful.

Without stopping, I replied, "I want to enjoy every bit of you."

I spread her legs to get my first real look at her. Her slit was so smooth it was nearly invisible.

With slow, gentle stroke, I slid my tongue across her. Immediately, I got the reaction I expected. She gasped, throwing her head back and clawing the bed.

"Oh my gosh!" She yelped.

I licked, slurped, and sucked at her pussy, much to her growing delight. Then, I plunged in, slipping my tongue inside her.

“Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!” She tried muffling her moans with a hand.

I held her tight, wrapping my arms around her thighs as I felt her start to quiver.

Ember pressed both hands to her mouth as she shuddered and moaned. Her pussy convulsed around my tongue as she came and her thighs clenched around my head.

I continued tonguing her until hold on me loosened.

I crawled back up to hold her, asking, "I take it that was your first time getting oral?"

Ember panted a bit, trying to catch her breath. “Is that what that was? Does that mean your tongue isn’t your penis?”

I laughed at that. "What? No, my tongue isn’t my penis. Seriously, you had no idea what oral is? Do you dragons not have foreplay?"

“Hey, you’re an alien, remember?” Ember said, trying to sound upset, but failing in the aftermath of her orgasm. “And I don’t even know what foreplay is, so no, we don’t.”

I grinned. "Well, then you lucked out getting me. Foreplay is stuff you do before sex to make it more intense."

“Wait, so that was just to make the real thing better?” Ember asked. “So... is there something I can do to you like that?”

I felt my face warm with a blush. "Well... yes, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to."

Ember rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to. Now, what can I do? Do I lick you?”

"W-well, you can lick it," I said as I laid back. "Just, be careful. It’s sensitive."

Ember lowered herself between my legs where my pink shaft stood.

“It’s... different than I expected,” Ember said. “Smooth... and... pointy.”

I was just glad it didn’t have a knot. I don’t care what the furries say, getting tied together would suck.

Ember swallowed her nerves and gave me a gentle lick. My breath hitched as her long, thin tongue slid up my rod.

“That’s not so bad,” she commented. “Kinda salty, but I like it.”

She licked it again, this time swirling her tongue around as if she were licking a popsicle.

"That’s good," I said as I groaned. "That’s real good. If you want, try sucking it a little."

“Suck it?” Ember asked.

"Yeah, just put it in your mouth and move a bit. Just watch the teeth."

Ember opened her mouth and took as much of me as she could.

"Yeah, now move your head, like this," I said as I put my hands on the sides of her head and guided her.

"Just like that. Fuck."

Ember quickly got the hang of it and took over, bobbing her head, even working her tongue around it. She looked up at me as she sucked my dick and I could sense a spike of pride in her when she saw my face, no doubt I had a look of pure bliss.

"Shit, I think I’m about to cum," I warned.

She released me, a hand taking over for her mouth as she asked, " Is it weird if I want to taste it?"

"No, but if I cum now, I'll need some time to recharge."

At least, I was pretty sure. I still didn’t know everything about this body.

“Oh... Okay.” Ember sat back up, biting her lip and blushing. “So... I guess now we...”

I leaned in for a kiss, wrapping my arms around her. "Yes. We do."

I eased her down onto her back and laid on top of her.

As our hips came together and my maleness brushed her femininity, we both gasped and froze. It only lasted a moment, however, before Ember pulled me tighter against her, pressing further into the kiss.

I reached down between us, and guided my member to her opening. As I slowly slipped inside, she gripped me tighter, letting out cute little squeaks and grunts. I pushed in a couple inches before retreating back out again.

I slid back inside, burying myself a little further inside.

She was like a furnace. It was nearly uncomfortable with how hot she was, but as I thrust deeper and deeper into her I grew more accustomed to it.

Soon enough, our hips came together. I lifted up on my hands to look at her with a loving smile. "It's official. We're mates."

Ember painted as she said, "Not yet, we aren't. There's still one thing you gotta do."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Is that safe? I mean, I wouldn't mind having a child or two, but isn't it a little soon?"

Ember giggled and replied, "Yeah, several moons too soon, at least."

As realization hit me, I grinned. "In that case..."

I thrust back into her, getting a cry of pleasure. I started at a steady pace to let her get used to it. She was incredibly tight and a bit firmer than a human woman, so I didn’t want to hurt her.

"I’m not being too rough, am I?" I asked.

Ember shook her head. “No... Ah.”

Ever so slowly, I increased my pace as I started licking her neck. My hand made its way down to her tail, stroking it as she wrapped it around my waist.

"I don’t think I’m going to last much longer," I told her.

“Do it,” Ember begged. “Breed me, Luke.”

Hearing her say that broke my will and I started plowing into her. The wet sounds of our union nearly drowned out by our grunts and moans.

Ember’s cries reached a fever pitch as her muscles contracted around me, pushing me over the edge. I pressed into her one last time as I spilled my essence into her.

She squeezed me, both in her arms and her pussy, as she cried my name. I gave a few more thrusts, trying to keep it going for just a bit longer.

All too soon, our orgasms faded and we were left panting in each other’s arms.

I rolled to my side, still holding her, still inside her. We laid there until my penis slid out of her on its own.

“That...” Ember began, trying to speak. “That was... amazing.”

I planted another kiss on her neck as I replied, "You were amazing."

Ember blushed. “R-really? I’m glad to hear that. Because we’re going to be doing that again.” Ember let out a yawn. “Tomorrow. We’ll do it again tomorrow.” She nestled into me and closed her eyes. “Right now, I just want to sleep.”

"Wore you out, did i?" I followed with a yawn of my own and held her close as we drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 10: The Gathering (mature)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 20: Discovering Ponyville

Author's Note

Not much of a crossover, honestly. It'll only be two and a half chapters of mostly just some simple chatting and catching up... and a little something else :raritywink:

Chapter 20: Discovering Ponyville

Most Ponyville residents were used to the strange and bizarre. After all, not only did they live near the Everfree Forest, they were also host to a pack of randomly transforming fox things and the Cutiemark Crusaders.

Still, a pair of dragons being led through town by Spike, who many had just realized they hadn't seen in a week, and Fluttershy of all ponies was enough to stop and gawk at.

"Are ponies always so... stare-y?" Smolder asked.

Spike waved a claw, dismissively, "Nah, they just aren't used to seeing dragons, other than me. The last one that was around just smogged up the sky until Fluttershy here sent it packing."

"Wait..." Ember said, thinking. "Was this dragon a big red one, snores like a volcano erupting?"

"Um... I guess?" Fluttershy said.

Ember and Smolder burst out in laughter.

"You," Smolder tried to speak through her mirth, "You're the terrifying beast from the depths of Tartarus?"

Ember added, "The one he was locked in mortal combat with for a week straight?"

Several ponies within earshot snickered at that. The thought of Fluttershy battling a massive fire breathing dragon was just far too ridiculous a thought.

"Oh, I am so blackmailing him when we get back" Ember said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Fluttershy didn't really like the idea, but she figured it must have been another dragon thing.

"Why don't we just get to the library," Fluttershy said, leading their guests.

Word had spread much faster than they walked, apparently, as before the library even came into view, a purple pony popped into being before them.

"Spike!" Twilight cried as she practically threw herself at him, glomping him. "I missed you, so much! How was it? Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

Spike smiled, returning the hug. "Yeah, I think I did."

I sat there, having moved outside the Daycare, thinking on what I had been told. Apparently, Leo had been having dreams about a claw, much like the one I saw, and let's just say they were a bit on the apocalyptic side.

This had me worried, to say the least. Whatever this claw was... I had to wonder.

I asked, "In the show, were there ever any creatures that could possess animals? Like a monster made of shadow?"

Leo gave me a confused look. "Not that was in the show. Why?"

"Because the monster that took Smolder's brother..." I said, considering my words carefully. "Ember used a spell to show us what actually happened. The monster opened some kind of portal to escape, which was strange because Star never mentioned that dingoneks could use magic.

"Anyway, Ember paused the scene, and I got a good look at its face. In the moment before it opened the portal, it looked like it was wearing a mask made of smoke."

"What did the mask look like? A pony?" Yomega asked.

I thought for a second. "Maybe? I thought it looked like a dragon, but I suppose it could have been a pony. It was pretty featureless. Hell, it could have been a dog."

Leo shook her head. "I don't know what else to say, other than maybe it was a changeling. Maybe what you saw was it's true form shining through because of Ember's spell?"

"Maybe," I agreed, "but then why would they take Garble? And does that mean he really is alive?"

"Hey," a voice called. "Fluttershy said Twilight wants to see your friend."

I turned around, looking for the speaker. All I saw was a squirrel.

“Hello?” I asked, broadcasting my query.

"Woah, that's freaky," the squirrel said...

The squirrel...

I leapt back, thoroughly freaked out. "Holy Monkey Jesus, that squirrel just talked!"

"We got a genius, here, don't we?" the squirrel said.

"Don't they talk in the dragon lands?" Leo asked.

"Hell no, they don't talk!" I said. "You think I would be able to eat them if they did?"

"Oh, you're from beyond pony lands?" the squirrel once again did the thing it shouldn't be able to do. "Yeah, those guys out there are dumb as bricks. I think it's something about ponies that makes us smart."

"Y-yeah... we'll go with that..." I said, still rather freaked. "Pony magic... yeah..."

I really, really hoped I didn't eat anything that could talk.

"Whatever, Twilight wants to talk to you," he said again. "Message delivered. I'm going to get me a snack."

And then he scampered off. Like a normal squirrel should.

"Were all your kills clean?" Yomega asked.

"N-no, of course not," I replied. "At first, I never made a clean kill."

"So they survived your initial attack?" He clarified. "If ponies make them smart and you never made a clean kill when you were closest to ponies but none of them spoke or begged for their life, I think it's safe to assume none of the ones you killed could speak."

That was true. In fact, having calmed down, I could sense that the animals auras were brighter here than elsewhere.

My freakout subsided and I took a deep breath.

"You okay, now?" Yomega asked. I gave a nod. "Great, now let's go see what Twilight wants. You coming, Leo? Conner'll watch the eggs. I just asked."

Leo gave him a dirty look. "Damn psychics," she mumbled, not quite quiet enough to escape my keen ears. "Sure. I'm kind of curious about what Twilight wants, anyway."

As we headed into town, I felt the need to mention something. "So, I almost let slip where we're from to Spike. Don't worry, I covered it. I told him we're from far away and were magically teleported here."

"That's... actually good," Yomega said. "It's not a lie, and it tests the waters just enough to gauge what they will do."

As we walked on, I told them about what all we did with Spike. Soon enough, we were at the library.

"This is amazing Spike," Twilight's voice reached us as we entered. "If this is true, and I have a feeling it is, it would answer so many questions."

She was looking through the sketches Spike made of the murals Star showed him.

Meanwhile, Ember was standing to one side with her arms spread while Rarity took her measurements.

Smolder, was sitting nearby, giving sidelong glances to a fashion magazine on a nearby table.

Was she interested in fashion? That seemed... actually, no, that made sense.

“If you're interested in fashion, just look at it,” I said.

Smolder flinched in surprise. "Wh-what? I'm not interested in that! I'm just-"

“You know I can sense when you're lying.”

"You... but... I'm not..." Smolder stammered around for a response before signing. "Fine, I think it's kinda cool, but if ever so much as think of telling anydrake, I'll..."

I grinned, "You'll what?"

Smolder growled, but didn't respond, instead, she just grabbed one of the magazines and turned away to read.

Yomega smirked at me. <<"That sounded like a lover's spat. You getting twice the dragon tail?">>

<<"What? No. I'm still with Ember,">> I replied.

Leo said, <<"So does that mean dragons are monogamous, or just you?">>

<<"Yeah. They approach it a little differently, but they are monogamous,">> I explained.

"Luke, darling," Rarity called. "Could come here so I can take your measurements?"

“Do we have time for me to get an outfit, too?” I asked.

"The train doesn't come until late tonight," Ember informed. "So, we have time."

Twilight, apparently done with Spike's sketches for the time being, came over. "So, Luke, when we last spoke you said something about the eevees' 'potential evolutions'."

I shot a glance at Yomega and his cocky little smirk.

“Well, there's not much I could tell you about that, other than it's unknown how many forms they can evolve into,” I explained.

"What about the 'known evolutions' you mentioned?" She asked.

“Other than the ones you've seen, there's glaceon, an ice type, and sylveon, a fairy type.”

"Fairy type?" Twilight asked, confused by the term.

"It's hard to describe," I said. Sending a quick plea for help to Yomega, he psychically fed me the information I needed. "It's a type of creature that, for lack of a better term, is more in tune with nature and its magic. Think the Everfree Forest if it were friendly."

"A friendly Everfree..." Twilight pondered. "That actually sounds amazing.

"You wouldn't happen to know what triggers these transformations, would you?"

“Several factors are believed to cause it. For flareon, jolteon, and vaporeon, it's gems charged with elemental energy. Umbreon come from eevee that are mostly nocturnal. Lefeon and glaceon have to do with their environments. Sylveon comes from forming a strong bond with another. Espeon, I'm not too sure but it could have to do with magic. That one's just a guess, though.”

Yomega gave me a smirk. <<"I didn't tell you anything about how eevees evolve.">>

<<"I may not know much about pokemon as a whole, but I know plenty about eevees. They were my favorite,">> I replied.

<<"Really?">> he asked.

I chuckled. <<"Hell yeah. They're such little potential badasses and adorable as hell. You can keep your pikachus and charizards, I'd take an eevee anyday.">>

And once again, Leo's mind went into the gutter, if what I felt was any indication.

We were going to need to have a talk.

I shouldn't have been surprised.

Even though I had barely gotten into season two, it was enough to know Twilight's character enough.

“Wouldn't it be better to do this in Canterlot?” I asked. “Surely they have better equipment.”

"Hey, I take offense to that," Twilight said, though I could sense she didn't.

Rarity had gone to her boutique to make our clothes, Spike took the dragonesses to Sugarcube Corner, and Yomega said all the 'voices' were giving him a headache.

That left me, Twilight, and Leo - who was enjoying this far more than she should have - in the library's dungeon with me strapped to the torture device.

"This will give me a baseline that I can send to Moondancer," Twilight explained. "This, along with the blood samples should be enough to get her started. Now just relax. When I tell you, focus your aura into your right paw."

Thankfully, the tests were few and brief. Still, I was glad to get out of there.

As Leo and I stepped outside, I took a moment to stretch, basking in the warm sun and cool breeze of autumn.

"So," I began. "Wanna race?"

Leo quirked an eyebrow. "That was rather sudden."

I chuckled. "Nah, I've been wanting to race you since the Gathering."

Leo laughed, "You really haven't changed."

I smiled. "You have. You're a lot more confident. It's a good look for you." That got a blush out of her. "So, how about to that hill?"

Leo looked where I was pointing. It was a nice, tall hill a bit outside of town, about two miles.

"Sounds good," Leo replied.

I pointed to a bird eating from a bird feeder. "When that bird flies away."

We readied ourselves, watching the bird.

The moment its feet left the perch, we turned into brown, white, black, and blue blurs.

The world around us seemed to slow as our perception sped up to match our speed.

Even at that speed, I was already impressed with Leo. Her legs may not have had as long of a stride as me, but she easily took three for each of mine.

We tore down the road, dodging ponies, animals, and even an apple cart, me hopping over while Leo went under.

We were neck and neck, neither of us giving more than an inch before taking it back.

A hundred yards away, Leo looked over at me with a smirk.

And then she exploded.

Or, she might as well have. The crazy little furball broke the sound barrier, the shockwave sending me tumbling in the grass.

"Holy crap, are you okay?!" Leo said, rushing to my side where I came to a painful halt, lying on my back on the side of the hill. "I'm so sorry."

"Are you kidding?!" I said with a laugh. "That was amazing! That's gotta be a land-speed record!"

Leo seemed to relax, seeing I wasn't really hurt. After a moment, she laid down beside me, a short distance away.

"That was fun," she said. "I haven't had to go all out in a while."

We laid there in comfortable silence for several minutes, watching the sky and occasional pegasus before I asked something I hadn't really intended to, but had been thinking.

"Leo... do you ever feel that you're losing what's left of your humanity?"

Leo gave me a surprised look. "Uh... I don't know. I don't really think about it."

"I do... and it scares me," I admitted. "I may have decided to stay here, but that doesn't mean I want to forget who I was or where I came from."

I lifted my arms and stared at my...

I sighed. "I even refuse to call these paws. I still call them hands, as if that actually matters. I just feel that if I call them paws, I'll just lose one more bit of my humanity."

I dropped my arms and scoffed at myself. "Am I just fighting the inevitable?"

"Well," Leo dragged the word out, "like I said, I never really thought about it. But, there was a moment where I had those same worries. I was having a bad day, and lashed out at Thunderlane.

"And I bit him. Using the move. And I felt horrible afterwards, but not about the bite itself." Leo slashed a paw at me. "That I felt completely justified in." Leo sighed. "Without bogging you down with the details, I came to the same worries you're having."

"What did you do?" I asked.

Leo snorted. "They quickly became buried under something else. But I did get a promise from the others that they would stop me from going too far. And, besides." Leo paused to scratch behind an ear. Using a back paw. "I was always a little fluid. Most of why it took me a while to get used to this was that I had no choice in my changes.

"But, I've become comfortable with myself now. And I also think we have it easier adjusting to our new forms because of how different they are to our human forms.

"We were forced to change how we did things without hands, learn how to move around on four legs. Everything was bigger for us.

"But for you..." Leo led.

"I still have the luxury of deluding myself," I finished, flexing my hand... paw.

"You mind me asking; what brought this on?" Leo asked. "You're usually not this... unsure."

I took a breath, sighing. "First, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"These feelings you have for me," I began, immediately getting a blush from Leo. "Are they romantic or is it just a physical attraction?"

"S-sorry," Leo said, squirming a bit. "It's just hormones. I'm not going to try to steal you from Ember."

"So, just physical, then?" I asked, to clarify. Leo nodded. "Good. I ask because... remember how I said dragons are monogamous?" Leo nodded again. "Well, that's true, however, they don't associate sex with romance. It's still considered intimate, but not romantically intimate, as long as actual breeding isn't involved. It's common for two dragons that are just close friends to have sex just to blow off steam.

"I'm probably going to sleep with Smolder in Canterlot," I said, "and... a part of me wants to sleep with you."

Leo shot up in shock. "Wh-what? You... you really want to? Is..." She looked around, as if finally noticing her surroundings. "Is that why we're out here?"

My eyes widened. "No! No, ah, damnit. I just wanted a private conversation. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'd hurt you if I did. I only brought it up because it's part of why I'm having this little existential crisis."

Leo giggled. "Seriously? This all because you and Ember might be having an open relationship? Do you realize how common that is?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it is a thing on Earth."

Leo blushed again. "So... you really do want to try, you know... sex?"

I looked at her and smiled. "Maybe when you evolve. Seriously, women talk about how 'bigger is better' but this would be like a virgin getting mounted by a horse."

Leo flinched at the thought. "Oh... yeah, that doesn't sound as nice as Rainbow Dash made it out to be."

"Although..." I sat up, giving Leo an eyebrow wiggle. "We could do other stuff."

Leo's eyes widened. "Oh... yeah, I guess we could."

I got to my feet. "You wanna go somewhere a bit less... visible?"

Leo nodded dumbly and followed me into the nearby woods and found a nice tree to lay beneath.

"You sure about this?" I asked as I sat down.

Leo giggled. "I could ask you the same question." She replied and climbed into my lap. "So... how should we... you know? I've only ever done this once, and that was in a heat-crazed frenzy."

I chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I've had a bit of practice," I said with a squeeze of her ass, getting an adorable squeak from her.

Without warning, she shot up, pressing her lips against mine.

I put my arms around her and leaned forward, laying her down on her back, never breaking the connection.

I planted one paw on the ground to support me, while the other stroked the fur on her chest.

It was obviously having an affect, as Leo pressed into the kiss harder. Her tongue forced its way into my mouth as my paw moved down to her belly.

I wasn't sure if an eevee's nipples were sensitive, but I intended to find out. I found the little nubs buried in her fur and brushed my fingers across them.

I pull away, Leo trying to follow. "How's that feel?"

"Mmm... I love the bully rub," she said.

I chuckled. "I mean playing with your nipples."

Leo looked confused. "I have nipples? Right... I would need those, wouldn't I."

"Hm, I guess they aren't erogenous zones on an eevee," I noted, then gave a grin. "Let's see if this is..."

My paw descended lower, brushing her slit. Leo threw her head back, shooting a paw to her mouth to stifle a moan.

"That is!" Leo moaned. "That very much is."

"Damn, you really are sensitive," I said. "When was the last time you had an orgasm?"

Leo blushed. "Wh-when Yomega and me... made our egg."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Holy shit. No wonder you're so damn horney. Yeah, you need this."

My fingers were thicker than they were as a human, but were a perfect size to slide into her.

Leo pressed both paws on her muzzle as she came.

I wish I could have taken credit for making a lady pop that fast, but after more than a year without even so much as touching herself, it wasn't much of an accomplishment.

"And here I was thinking this would take a while," I teased. "I'll give you a minute before we head back."

"Wait, what about you?" Leo asked. "It's not right that I get off and you don't."

"I mean... if you're feeling up to it," I said.

"I know you are," Leo teased, pointing to my erection. "Your turn to lay back."

I propped myself up on the tree, spreading my legs for Leo.

She stood up on her hind legs, one paw on my hip to steady herself while the other brushes my length, pulling it back and pressing it against her belly.

"Wow, yeah," Leo said with a nervous chuckle. "Good call, Vlad. This thing almost reaches my chest."

I wouldn't have said 'almost'. It was several inches from her chest, but still well past the parts ment for it.

"How should I do this?" Leo asked, mostly herself.

"I guess, just use your paws," I offered. "Maybe your tongue... or... your chest fluff?"

Leo gave me a snarky smirk. "Oh, is that what your kink is?"

"N-no!" I defended. "At least, I don't think it's quite a kink. It's just that your fluff is really soft and it would probably feel good."

I could feel my cheeks flaring up.

"Hey, it's cool," Leo said.

She sat down, freeing both paws to grab me as best she could and started stroking me. Her foot pads were very different than anything else I had ever felt.

"Is that good?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Leo turned eyed my cock, licking her lips. She leaned in, giving it a sniff before giving it an experimental lick.

Apparently it was acceptable, because she followed that up another, longer lick.

She lifted herself up a little, dragging her tongue up the entire length and brushing her fluff across the base.

She looked up at me with a sultry gaze as she slid back down my shaft, taking the tip into her maw. She could only fit a couple inches, but combined with her paws and silky fluff, it was an experience like no other.

"Oh, god," I groaned. "I'm not going to last much longer, either."

That only seemed to spur her on. She started sucking on the tip while sliding her paws and fluff, like some kind of weird, but amazing boobjob.

"Shit! I'm about to cum!"

She popped my member from her mouth and started suckling just beneath it, angling me slightly to the left.

My paw went to her head, resisting the urge to push her onto me as I erupted. Glob after glob of white fountained into the air, most of it landing to the side.

She kept working my shaft until I relaxed. When I did, she released me and crawled up my body and laid on my chest, careful to avoid my chest spike.

"That good, huh?" she said, snarkily.

"Yeah..."

Leo giggled. "So... we should probably get cleaned up a little before returning to civilization."

She hopped off. "Come on, there's a stream nearby."

Chapter 24: Dragons and Nobles

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 55: Return to Castle Drakenhiem

Talks took the rest of that day, and the following, though Cadence didn’t join us for the second day. She did promise her doctor she would get plenty of rest, after all. We still kept her in the loop as we worked things out.

In the end, we came up with a rather lengthy plan to help ingratiate Occelus’ Changelings with Equestrians. The details were long, but could be summed up as basically being that a few Changelings would be allowed in Equestria, but would not be allowed to wear a disguise. They would be escorted by at least one Royal Guard for the duration.

They would go to small towns, known for being friendly and open to outsiders, make friends, have fun, gather love, and then return.

Also, apparently my joke about a brothel was a ‘good idea’ according to Occelus, as lust was a type of love and the easiest to get quickly. The only pony that wasn’t uncomfortable with that topic was Blueblood. Being the most well traveled of everyone there, he had encountered many cultures where brothels were commonplace.

When Cadence was told about that part, she laughed for a good minute straight. When she finally calmed down, she simply said, “Auntie Celestia’s going to get so much action, and won’t even get to enjoy it!”

That was the second time I saw Celestia’s composure slip.

The redo wedding happened the day after that. It went off without a hitch. The closest thing to an issue was that Ju-Long took a good chunk of the spotlight from the bride and groom. All the mares were gushing over him, as were many of the stallions.

I also learned that my son is a total narcissist. He ate up the attention with gusto. He posed and postured for the ponies like a pro. I was both proud and concerned.

At least he was able to distract Rainbow Dash. Something was going on with Leo, and it was messing with Rainbow. She nearly forgot that she was supposed to do a rainboom, which, by the way, was just as amazing as the show made it out to be.

Occelus and her changelings were, obviously, not allowed to attend, but they had an entire wing to themselves and were granted unlimited room service and had several staff members assigned to do everything they could to make their stay more comfortable.

There were even a couple reporters that came in to interview Occelus, a few of her followers, and even Smolder. That was an interesting event. The reporters weren’t told what they were there for, only that they weren’t allowed to speak about it or publish anything until after the wedding. When they were informed what they were there for, there was a lot of panicking. Well, other than one pony. She just felt... hungry.

I recommended Celestia keep an eye on that one.

The day after the wedding was the day we were scheduled to leave. Originally we were going to be flying back with Blueblood when he shipped back out, but since we were bringing back a little over two hundred guests, we decided to ride with them on the train.

As we loaded the train, I noticed most of the changeling workers, identified by the blue or red sashes they wore, were in pony forms while only four were in larger forms, two minotaurs, a dragon, and a bear, despite that those forms were clearly better suited for the work.

When it was finally loaded and Ember, Ju-long, Smolder, Occelus and I found our private car I decided to ask about that.

“Oh, most changelings can’t,” she answered. “There are two kinds of transformations. Type one transformations are mostly illusionary.” A flash of green fire washed over her and she was replaced with the spitting image of Rarity. “With this type of transformation, our bodies only change shape. I’m still, in every way, a changeling. The only physical changes are to my body’s general shape. Everything else is an illusion.”

To illustrate this, her horn glowed and a section on her side glowed green and seemed to spread the fur revealing black chitin, teal shell, and gossamer wing.

“It’s useful for blending in, but we can’t use the abilities of those we turn into like this. If we want to use the abilities of another creature, we use a type two transformation.”

This time, when the green flames receded, Occelus took the form of a light teal dragon with a pink crest. “A type two transformation is a physical transformation. Like this, I am, in almost every way, a dragon. I can even breathe fire.” She let out a little puff of fire to prove it, much to Ju-long’s delight.

“There’s also a kind of hybrid transformation, usually referred to as an advanced type one that changes the overall body shape before using illusions.” This time, when the fare faded, there were two of me in the car. “This kind of transformation is no different in function than a regular type one, but is a little harder.”

I looked at the others and asked, “Did you understand her, or is she speaking poke-speak?”

“She’s speaking normal,” Ember said.

Occleus nodded. “That’s expected. Like a normal type one, I’m still one hundred percent changeling. I only look like you. In order to use a type two to become a lucario, I would need to absorb lucario DNA.”

“DNA? That’s that stuff in splooge that makes it work, right?” Ember asked.

Occelus giggled. “Yes, but also in blood and even hair, skin, and scales. Hair or scales are the most common way we get it. My dragon form is courtesy of a scale from a large red dragon that was forced to abandon its lair.”

“So, why do you know this ‘type two’ transformation while most others don’t?” I asked.

“Well...” Occelus began, with a look of shame on her face as she dropped the lucario disguise. “Because I was an infiltrator.”

“So, what, that means you used to go out and gather love?” Smolder asked.

Occelus shook her head. “No, that’s a gatherer. Infiltrators, as the name suggests, infiltrate pony society and establish themselves. We create a persona and move into a town where we live like any other pony. We make friends, get a job, sometimes even develop real relationships.

“Our role is to act as a point of contact for the harvesters. When they come into town, we point them in the direction of ponies, events, or places where the most love can be found. Also, whenever there is a big event, we inform the hive to have gatherers sent in. Our most important role, though, is making sure we aren’t discovered. Usually we just have to smooth talk any inconsistencies, but sometimes we have to use a few muddling spells to fuzz up any memories that could hurt us.”

“So, you mess with people’s minds?” I asked, not bothering to hide my distaste.

“We did, but not any more,” Occelus said. “If I’m going to be in charge of the changelings in New Dragonia, we will never hide what we are, even if we’re wearing a disguise. That’s why we’re wearing the sashes.”

“Then how are you going to gather love?” Smolder asked.

“We’re going to take Luke’s advice and open a brothel,” Occelus replied. “Lust is the easiest type of love to gather, and there’s always a demand for it. Besides, ponies don’t trust us, yet, so other types of love will be nearly impossible to gather in sufficient quantities to sustain us. With lust, though, ponies don’t have to trust us. They know what we are and what we want. They give it to us, and they get to live out a fantasy. They don’t really need to trust us any more than to trust that we won’t drain them dry of emotions.”

“That’s part of the treaties we signed with Equestria,” I said. “We allow Equestrian agents to enter at any time to investigate. They can enter, scan the area for residual traces of mental domination, as well as scan patrons for signs of aura drain. In three years, that part of the treaty will be renegotiated.”

“So, you guys really did put a lot of work into this, huh?” Smolder asked.

“I’m just glad Celestia’s as cool as she is,” Ember said. “She could have taken advantage of the fact that we’re still inexperienced, but she actually gave us more than she got.”

“It’s an investment for the future,” I said. “Dragons in the past were a threat to Equestrian citizens. Now, she can help turn that threat into a great ally. If she helps build our nation, we’ll be more open to helping her in the future. So, she’s not getting nothing from it.”

“So, she’s just doing it because she wants us to owe her?” Smolder asked.

“I don’t think so,” Occelus said. “I think that’s just how she justified it to the nobles. She’s always seemed like the type who will help others just because it’s right.”

Ember nodded. “Yeah, she does come off as a softie, but not stupid. Of course she’s going to want to get something back, even if that isn’t the main reason.”

The train ride was quite long. It took a little more than two days to get back home. We pulled into the train station in New Dragonia slightly after noon, the sun still hanging high overhead. As we stepped off the train, we were met with a crowd of ponies, probably close to every pony working here.

News took a while to travel so far, but it did travel. Naturally, they wanted to know what happened and if everything was fine in their homeland. We explained what we knew and what we could, a few facts being withheld at Celestia’s request.

The ponies sent to work in New Dragonia were made of sterner stuff and weren’t as skittish as many could be, so when we introduced the changelings we brought with us, the ponies were willing to give them a chance. They were wary, and some were a bit angry with them, but they agreed to at least try.

“How long are these workers going to be here?” Occelus asked, speaking quietly as to not wake up the sleeping baby in my arms.

“A few more moons,” I said. “A few have been considering staying longer”

“That’s great. If we can make friends with them, we can likely have a surplus by the time they leave,” Occelus said. “That will give us time to get the brothel up and running and get a business flow going.”

“Why don’t we show you where you’ll be staying until your homes are built,” I offered.

Ember stepped up and said, “While you do that, I’ll take Ju-long to meet my dad. They’ll get a kick out of each other. What was it called, again? A great dad?”

“Granddad.”

“Right. Dad’ll like that title,” Ember said before gently taking the tyke.

Honestly, we didn’t need to be so quiet and gentle. The kid fell ten feet from where he was napping in a tree in the garden back in Canterlot and didn’t wake up. We could have tossed him around like a football and he’d still be asleep. He got that from his mother.

“I’ll see you this evening,” I said, giving both of them kisses before watching Ember’s ass as she walked away.

I finally managed to look away. Smolder and Occelus had stepped away to give us a bit of privacy... or not. I felt mischievousness from Smolder, and had to wonder if she was planning something. Occelus didn’t come off as a prankster, and her expression didn’t make me think they were planning something, but she was a trained infiltrator. I figured she was quite skilled at hiding her emotions when she needed to.

“How about the grand tour?” I offered. “This is going to be your home for the foreseeable future, so let’s make sure you don’t get lost.”

“That would be very nice, thank you,” Occelus said. “I’ll admit, I’ve been curious what kind of place would be called ‘Castle Drakenhiem’.” We broached the obsidian spires of our home. “It kind of looks like a villain’s lair.”

“It’s much like dragons, themselves. Intimidating and scary on the outside,” I said, watching her as we made our way inside. Her jaw dropped at the interior. The polished obsidian with gold filigree inlay into the walls, all illuminated by white magic crystals, in a gothic design that blew her away. “Inside, it’s still quite intimidating, but also quite beautiful.”

“I get to live here?” Occelus asked.

“For as long as you like,” I replied.

Occelus looked back at Smolder and just gave a nod, as if affirming something.

“Wait until you see the rest of it,” Smolder said, stepping out in front.

I let her take the lead, showing her friend around. We went to the throne room, ketchens, training rooms, library, and all the other important areas. She was especially excited by the library. The tour ended with the resident wing.

“That’s Luke and Ember’s room, that one’s mine, and this,” Smolder said, throwing open the door across from hers, “is yours.”

We followed the excited changeling into her new suite, right down the hall from the emperor and empress.

“Oh, my gosh! All these rooms are mine?!” Occelus asked. “I have two bedrooms? Why do I have two bedrooms? That isn’t a bathtub, it’s a pool!”

She jumped into her bed, snuggling into the soft sheets.

I had to admire the room, a bit, too. I rarely saw these rooms without the decorations Smolder, Ember, and I had. Even the view outside her window was something different. Where ours looked out over the kingdom, and Smolder’s looked over the lava flows, Occelus’ looked over the forest, toward where we had decided to alot them land to do with what they wish.

“Oh, hey Luke,” Smolder said as I admired the view. “I still owe you something.”

I turned back to look at Smolder... or rather, Smolders, as there were two of them on the bed, giving me very saucy looks.

“Why don't we both show you how grateful we are?”

“Why, Miss Occelus, are you trying to use Smolder’s face to seduce me?” I asked in my best ‘scandalized noble’ tone.

“I haven’t been laid in more than a month,” Occelus said, even sounding like Smolder. “Seriously, thirteen moons. I’m not exactly needy, but I enjoy sex as much as anyone else. Besides, I want to see if I can take lucario DNA.”

I meandered towards the bed, wearing a cocky smirk. “Oh? And how would you ‘take lucario DNA’?”

Occelus blinked, as if trying to understand something. “Oh, well, I was going to perform oral sex on you and absorb it from your semen.”

Smolder and I facepalmed.

“I think he understands that,” Smolder said.

“Then why did he ask?” Occelus asked.

“It’s called bedroom talk,” Smolder said. “You should have said, ‘why don’t you come here and let me show you’.”

“Oh! Okay, let’s start over,” Occelus said before retaking her place, giving me those same naughty eyes, and saying, “Why don’t you come here and let me show you.”

Smolder shook her head and sighed. “You know what, let’s just skip that part. Get over here so we can put your thingy in our mouths.”

“Wait, but the pony-sutra says foreplay is essential,” Occelus said.

I ignored the existence of a book called the pony-sutra, for my sanity, and replied, “There’s your problem. You’re trying to follow a book instead of just letting go and doing what feels right.”

Occelus blushed. “S-sorry.”

I looked at Smolder and grinned. “You’re awfully adorable when you’re acting all shy.”

Smolder blushed even harder than Occelus. “Hey, if you’re gonna look like me, can you at least be cool like me?”

Occelus took a breath before giving a cocky grin and saying, “So, we doing this, or what?”

“That’s more like it,” Smolder said. “Now, get over here, dog boy.”

I climbed onto the bed, walking on my knees to the ladies.

Smolder took the lead, leaning forward and extending her long, thin tongue. It snaked through my fur to the sheath hidden within. She tickled my tip, just starting to emerge.

Occelus watched as Smolder coaxed my cock out, twisting her tongue around it as it poked out like a serpent trying to wrap around something far too big to eat.

“Oh, wow,” Occelus said, watching with wide eyes. “I’ve never even thought about doing it like that. Of course, I’ve only done oral three times, and always as a pony, so I guess I never had the opportunity.”

Smolder pulled away. “Well, here’s your chance. Give it a try.”

Occelus shifted over, taking Smolder’s place. “Like this?” She did her best to imitate what she saw Smolder do, curling her tongue around my shaft.

“Yeah, that’s good. Now, twist around him. When he gets a little harder, keep doing that while you suck on him,” Smolder instructed.

She got on her knees beside me, looking down at Occelus as she took me into her mouth. “Wow, I’m kinda hot when I’m doing that, ain’t I?”

I pulled her in for a kiss, shoving my tongue into her mouth while groping her ass. “Yes, you are.”

I placed a paw on the back of Occelus’ head and coaxed her to take me deeper. Being in contact with her, I could easily feel her aura, so I knew she wasn’t uncomfortable. Still, she was quite hesitant and nervous.

“Damn, Occelus. You’re good at this,” I said.

Occelus pulled away. “Thank you. My teacher was really good.”

“Your... teacher?”

“Yeah, my infiltration teacher,” Occelus said. “Sex is an important tool for an infiltrator, so we learn all about it.”

Smolder looked down at Occelus. “Wait, so you’re like a sex master?”

Occelus blushed. “Well, no, but I was taught a few tricks. It was only a three day course, though.”

“Oh, yeah?” Smolder said with a smirk. “Let’s see if we can teach you something new, then.” Smolder pushed Occelus onto her back and climbed on top of her. “Ready to get fucked?”

Occelus furrowed her brow. “What’s ‘fucked’ me-ah!”

“It means that,” Smolder said with a chuckle.

“Well, you certainly have Smolder’s form down pat, inside and out,” I said as I gave a few slow test thrusts.

Smolder grinned. “Then you should already know how to make her scream. Hurry up. I wanna see me cum.”

I smirked. “You’re going to do more than just see.”

As soon as I started rocking my hips into her doppleganger, I pressed a paw to the real Smolder’s snatch.

Despite the physical similarities, they both let out very different moans. Smolder’s was closer to a grunt, whereas Occelus’ was much more feminine. That wasn’t the only difference. Where Smolder was more active and dominant, even when I was the one in control, Occelus was entirely submissive.

I could tell Occelus wasn’t going to last long and I was still a ways from my own climax, so I picked up the pace, trying to catch up. Smolder apparently noticed what was happening as I felt her tail curl around my waist, slide between my legs and start fondling my balls with the tip.

That was enough, as just as Occelus vocalized her orgasm, I released inside her, filling her with all the DNA she could need.

As Occelus moaned and gasped in pleasure, Smolder could just say, “Damn, I’m hot when I cum.”

“You do realize that’s not the face you make, right?” I asked.

Smolder gave a sexy glare over her shoulder. “Mine is sexier, though, right?”

I hummed in thought. “I don’t know.”

She wiggled her butt. “Maybe you should compare them?”

I hummed in thought before saying “Good idea.” and gave her the same treatment.

Author's Note

There are three important thing I have to say. First, Occelus is not "joining the harem". What happened in this chapter is not going to be a regular thing. She's just showing her gratitude (and Smolder kinda talked her into it).

Second, I'm going to be slowing down on this story for a little bit. I'm not stopping, but I am going to be putting a little more focus on my other story, Chaotic Harmony: Do Over. I'll still try to post a chapter every month, but no promises.

Finally, I got some awesome art from FireworksPOP

We got Luke with floating Blade Rush swords (which isn't something he can do, but now I might have to give him the ability to control them telepathically) and Ember with her Bigsby's Hand (Bigsby's Claw?) ready to yeet some moron that mistook her small size for weakness into the side of a mountain.

Chapter 25: Shopping With Smolder

"How are you feeling?" I asked as I gave Ember a good morning kiss.

She gave my ass a little pinch. "Good. Sunflower introduced me to something called a 'cooler'. Apparently ponies use them when they're in season to help curb the urges. It's still not as good as the real deal, but I can wait. Of course, hearing you two going at it all night didn't help."

I gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just a pleasure machine."

"Oh, did you not want a choice in whether or not we have an egg?" Ember warned. "Then don't tempt me."

"Well, threaten me with a good time," I teased.

Ember rolled her eyes. "Let's just get some breakfast. Where is Smolder, anyway?"

Smolder stepped out with a slight limp. "I thought the whole 'giving a female a limp' thing was just talk."

Ember laughed. "It's worth it, though, right?"

Smolder laughed, "Heck yeah it is!"

"Good morning," Sunflower greeted as she came around the corner.

"Morning," Ember and Smolder said simultaneously.

"Good morning, Sunflower," I greeted. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Not much," she said. "Ember is needed for a few follow up tests to try to ascertain the nature of her connection to the magic field. The two of you, however, are free for today."

"Has Doctor Rose not contacted the pony she needed to in order to go forward with my own tests?" I asked.

Sunflower gave me an apologetic smile. "She has located him, but he no longer lives in Canterlot, so she had to leave town. Hopefully they will both be returning by tomorrow."

"Then perhaps we can tour more of the city?" I offered.

"That can be arranged," Sunflower said. "I hope you don't mind if I arrange for somepony else to escort you."

"As much as we would love your company, we understand," I said. "You're an ambassadorial aide, and Ember's the ambassador."

"Exactly," Sunflower said. "Don't worry. You'll like who I have in mind."

Smolder and I waited by the entrance for our escort, though it wasn't for long.

Soon enough, we were approached by none other than the possible anthropologist enthusiast, Lyra Heartstrings.

Yeah, even I knew her reputation in the fandom. I found something endearing about a pony in a children's show having an interest in a mythical race, that happened to be the audience.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I was caught up at the lab."

"Understood," I said. "We aren't exactly in a rush."

"Oh, that is so cool~" she sang. "Sorry, I just never met a creature that talked telepathically without using the psychic field.

"Anyway, I'm Lyra Heartstrings, you can call me Lyra, and I'll be your escort for today."

"Thank you Lyra," I replied, with a nod. "You may call me Luke."

"Alright, Luke," Lyra said with a smile. "So, where to first?"

"We got those bit things, right?" Smolder asked.

Lyra nodded, "Yup! Quite a bit. Those gems Ember brought were pretty good. Plus there was two sea sapphires and a fire ruby, which are all quite valuable."

"I did want to get something for the guys," I said.

Smolder scratched her chin in thought. "I like stuff as much as any dragon, but is there anything more, I don't know... I heard you guys have, like, stories that ponies actually act out. That sounds pretty cool."

Lyra's grin grew. "Oh! Canterlot has a bunch of plays, and even two movie theaters with four screens each! That's eight movie screens! Only Manehattan has more."

I had to suppress a laugh.

"What the heck is a movie?" Smolder asked.

"Well, it's like a play, but it's all done beforehoof and recorded on film," Lyra explained. "Because of that, they do do crazy stuff, like make a normal mare look like she's a hundred hooves tall."

"That sounds pretty cool," Smolder said. "Let's do that."

I thought for a moment. "That sounds like something Ember would enjoy, too. Maybe we should hold off on that until she can join us."

"Yeah, I guess," Smolder hesitantly agreed.

I looked at Smolder and had an idea. "Maybe we can go somewhere where we can see more fashion. I do like my suit and wouldn't mind seeing what else ponies can do with clothing."

I felt Smolder's excitement spike, even as she scoffed, "Fine, if you really want to do something so lame."

I was going to get her to embrace her interest. That was a promise.

The first store we stopped at was a casual wear shop.

In true tour guide fashion, Lyra lectured as she lead us inside. "Casual wear isn't very common in smaller towns, like Ponyville, but in cities it's quite common. After all, with so many ponies in one place, you need something to help you stand out."

There were a lot of hats. About half the store was hats, in fact. There was other stuff, too, of course. Shirts, ties, neckerchiefs, and shoes, among other things, filled the other half.

Smolder looked around, a bit confused. "So, where are the dresses?"

The shop keeper, obviously a bit nervous, replied, "W-well... miss, we, uh, don't have formal wear. We do casual clothing, like one would wear in everyday situations."

Smolder turned to him, eyes wide and excited. "Wait, you mean you can wear clothes just doing whatever? That's awesome! You got anything that'll fit me?"

"N-not in stock," he admitted. "We don't get enough bipeds to keep stock for them, but I do occasionally do custom work."

Meanwhile, I was looking at the jewelry. In particular, a very beautiful necklace with a large, dark blue and black gemstone pendant.

"Sir," I asked. "Sorry to interrupt, but how much is that necklace?"

The shopkeeper looked over. "Ah, that one is... two hundred and thirty bits."

I looked at Lyra, who nodded, confirming it was a fair price.

"I'll take it."

I eyed a couple other pieces.

Well, I did say I would get presents, I thought to myself.

The next place we found was, surprisingly, an electronics store.

I mean, I knew there was electricity. Twilight had it in the library, and most shops use electric lighting, but I didn't think it was something that had entire shops for it.

Maybe Ponyville was just a slow adopter?

"Let me get this straight," Smolder said, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "They basically make lightning, shoot it through wires and that's what makes this stuff work?"

"That's a gross oversimplification, but close enough," I said.

"I call minotaur crap," she replied.

"No, he's actually right," the storekeeper confirmed, a middle aged earth pony stallion. "There's two whole plants - industrial plant, not grow-from-the-ground plant - that make the electricity. One in the industrial section and one near Ponyville."

"And we could easily build geothermal plants to bring electricity to the dragon lands," I pointed out. "That's why I want to see what kind of devices Equestria has, so I know what to introduce."

"Geothermal?" the pony questioned. "Like, using the heat from a volcano? That's... pretty smart, actually. Are you an expert on electric power, or something?"

"Nah, I just know enough to get the actual experts thinking," I said with a smile.

We looked around for a bit. There were radios, record players, and even a TV that boasted six whole channels. There was even a couple arcade cabinets.

And then, I saw it. The perfect gift for Zann.

"How much for that?"

Meanwhile...

Celestia studied the readouts coming from the scanners. “This looks promising.”

“Can I stop now?” Ember asked.

“Yes, I believe we have enough,” replied the princess.

Ember let her magic go, releasing everything she was holding. “So, what’s up? What did you figure out?”

“Well, your magic seems to affect the very fabric of reality,” she explained. “Because of this, it takes much more power to do things that are considered so simple with unicorn magic. Simple levitation, for example, takes twenty-one times the amount of mana. This is mitigated by the simple fact that you have access to more raw mana than has ever been recorded, even more than my sister and myself put together.”

She studied the readouts a little more. “It seems like your magic is more suited to making slight adjustments to the laws of nature. This is likely why your ‘mage hand’, as you call it, is easier for you to use. It is simply a magical construct that still abides the laws of physics. In fact, your ‘mage hand’ only uses eight times the magic a unicorn would use casting a similar spell.”

“So... what does that mean for me?” Ember asked.

Celestia smiled and said, levitating a book to Ember, “It means this would make a better spellbook for you than anything else.”

Ember took the book, reading the name in confusion. “Physics one-oh-one. So, basically, my magic breaks physics, but the more I break the harder it is. That about right?”

“I would say it’s more accurate to say your magic rewrites physics,” Moondancer amended. “Like if you wanted to make something float, you don’t make the thing defy gravity, you make gravity ignore the the thing.”

Princess Celestia added, “Likewise, if you were to set something on fire, you don’t create fire and apply it to the thing. You simply make it so the laws of physics demand the thing burn.”

Ember grinned. “So, basically, my way can burn water.”

“Precisely,” agreed Celestia.

“Okay, that’s just obscenely awesome,” Ember said said. “When will I be able to Teach Smolder?”

Celestia looked up and grinned. “Well... let’s find out.”

"Oh, my god," I said as I walked in. "You are absolutely adorable, with the lab coat and ponytail and glasses."

Celestia giggled. “Well, thank you. It’s nice to know I can still pull off the scientist look.”

“Hitting on the princess, too, huh?” Ember asked with a smirk.

I crossed my arms, turning my nose up in mock indignation. "It’s not flirting. Ponies are just cute. Like puppies."

“Like the puppy you diddled in Ponyville?” Ember countered.

"Leo isn’t a puppy. She’s more vulpine than canine, so she’d be a kit."

Celestia just raised an eyebrow. “You two have strange conversations.”

"We’re strange creatures," I stated, with a shit-eating-grin.

"Anyway, I'm actually glad you're here," Celestia said. "I was hoping you would let me run a scan on you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of scan?"

"Ember told me a more detailed account of your meeting with this spirit dragon," Celestia explained. "Specifically the part about some kind of blessing. With your permission, I would like to see if we can't pick this blessing up and maybe learn more about it. I would look for Ember's, but she overwhelms every scanner we use."

Ember grinned, smugly at that.

"Alright, which machine are we using for it?" I asked.

"Right over here," Celestia replied, leading me toward what I could only call Merlin's CAT scanner. "You aren't claustrophobic, are you?"

I could help being a little nervous. "I wasn't before."

"I assure you, it's safe," Celestia said.

"It won't be affected by my metal bones, will it?" I asked.

Celestia blinked. "My apologies, I haven't had an opportunity to read your test results. You have... metal bones?

I nodded. "Basically. They use iron in place of calcium."

The princess closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with one hoof. "That... makes no sense. In no way could iron ever take the place of calcium. It just doesn't work that way." She groaned. "No! No. That's a problem for another time. It shouldn't affect the machine, so if you would please, just lay down on your back as flat as possible."

After dinner, I decided to go for a walk in the gardens. I told the girls I needed to think about some things, so they said they were going to hang out in mine and Ember's rooms.

Like so many things, the show failed to capture the splendor of the gardens. I mean, I only saw them in the show once, at night, but still.

There were all kinds of amazing things there. There was a shrub that had these growths on them that seemed to sing with every breeze. There was vines with glowing bulbs. There were birds that had feathers that changed colors.

And I barely noticed any of it.

My thoughts were occupied by a single question: am I ready to be a father?

I had been trying to focus on other, more immediate things, but now I could really consider it.

"You look like you have the world on your shoulders," came a light, playful voice.

I looked around, trying to see who spoke.

All I could see was a couple sleeping birds, a squirrel running around, and a cat... a light pink cat looking down at me from a tree branch with a friendly smile.

"Was that you?" I asked out loud.

The cat giggled. "I didn't startle you, did I?"

"A little," I admitted. "I can usually sense every creature around me."

"Oh? I guess I'm just really sneaky. So, why the long face?" she giggled

I sighed and took a seat on a rock. "My mate is... actually, I'm not sure what it's called when a reptile is fertile."

The cat jumped down, "So you're upset because you can't have any fun without getting stuck with a youngster?"

I gave the cat a little glare. "Actually, I'm wondering if I'm ready to be a father, yet."

"Yet?"

"Yeah," I said. "I know I want to be a father someday. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that just yet."

"Why not?" the cat asked. "What will you have later you don't have now?"

I leaned back on my paws. "I don't know. Probably nothing.

"But that's just it. I'm pretty sure I have everything I need to be a good dad, but at the same time, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm missing something crucial to being a good father? If I have a baby, I can't just take it back afterward."

The cat's gaze lingered on me, as if boring into my soul, for several seconds. "So, you really love your mate."

I looked up at the stars as I let my mind drift to thoughts of Ember. "I really do. She's amazing. She's smart, but strong, kind, but tough. She can be gentle and caring when she needs to be but knows when a firmer hand is needed."

"Then you don't have anything to worry about," the cat claimed. "I don't think anyone ever has everything they need to raise a baby. It's just something you have to learn. But if you love your mate and she loves you back, you'll figure it out. Besides, I'm sure you have friends you can rely on when you need them."

My mind filled with thoughts of me and Ember, playing with an adorable little tyke, laughing as we ran around, his little voice calling out 'I'm gonna get you, daddy.'

I smiled. "You know... I think you might be..."

I looked down again, but I was all alone.

I flung open the door to our room, stepping inside with a purpose, slamming the door behind me. Ember and Smolder jumping to their feet from where they were sitting on the bed.

"L-luke?" Ember began, uncertainty in her aura and voice.

"Smolder," I said. "You should probably go to your room... or watch. It makes no difference to me."

"Watch what?" Ember asked, a little fearful. "What are you doing?"

I strode over to her, gently cupping her cheek.

"Making you a mommy."

Ember's eye practically lit up.

"Yeah, I'll just be going," Smolder said, hurrying to the adjacent rooms as Ember and I fell to the bed in a passionate embrace.

Ember wasted no time, her claw stroking my shaft. I was already hard. Hell, I was surprised I was able to hold it in long enough to get in the room.

Smolder hadn't even shut the door before I was sliding inside, the familiar heat readily inviting me in.

I didn't bother taking it slow. Neither of us wanted to. We wanted release. We wanted to bathe her egg in my seed.

I kissed and nipped at her neck and chest. One of her claws squeezed my ass, pulling me into her, as the other combed through my fur.

"Oh, shit, Luke," Ember moaned. "You're an animal tonight."

I just gave her a smirk and a growl before slamming into her.

The whole bed rocked with every thrust, but barely made a sound. I was kind of disappointed. I loved the creaking of our bed at home. There was something about it that just confirmed that I was giving Ember the pounding she deserved.

Still, the sounds of me churning up her insides, fur slamming into scales, and her cries of pleasure were enough.

I picked up the pace, feeling my end approaching. Ember's legs wrapped around me, pulling me in tight.

I growled as I came, my seed flooding her as she followed suit. I humped into, again and again until my climax faded.

"I love you. So much." I leanded forward to kiss her again.

Suddenly, the world spun as she rolled us over. She sat up, straddling me, my cock still buried in her.

"You're still hard," she said with a sultry smile.

I returned the expression. "And what are you going to do about it?"

She rose up and slammed back down. "Oh, I'm going to ride you till you're dry."

"Bring it on."