Inter-species Integration (Or: How to save lives and regret doing it)

Ember was frustrated. This frustration had nothing to do with how she got to this point, and had everything to do with the stallion responsible. Namely, how was she going to pay him back?

It wasn’t right for him to just give her all this without getting anything in return.

She had to figure out something to give the stallion in return.

But what do you give to the stallion that had not only saved your life, but also gave you a place to sleep, and restarted your hoard?!

“Ah! Think!” Ember shouted while punching a wall.

Gilda was annoyed. There came a thud from the basement. It was the fourth one in as many minutes. And the constant interruptions weren’t helping her pounding headache. A headache caused by a tad too much drink the night before.

It also wasn’t helping that she was trying to think of ways to pay the stallion back. Griffons could be greedy bastards, but they were also honorable bastards. Honor demanded that she repay the services of someone, lest she become their servant.

She grumbled and got up off her bed. Groaning she threw some shades on to prevent the foul Sun’s rays from destroying her brain.

If she couldn’t think of anything, then she’d have to ask someone who could.

Ember’s claws hurt. She never was that strong compared to other dragons. Which was part of why she’d gotten kicked out of the Dragonlands. Torch had other, stronger, whelps. Snorting, she turned away from the wall she’d been punching.

She wasn’t dragon enough for the Dragonlands.

She growled.

She used her brain too much.

She wasn’t greedy enough.

She relied on others too much.

“Shut! Up!” She whirled and punched the wall again. Only to get a sore claw as a result. She recoiled, shaking her claw. She tried to slow her breathing. Staying in this dark basement probably wasn’t helping her in any way.

Roughly shaking her head, in a vain attempt to clear her thoughts, she stormed upstairs. Once hitting the main level, she saw Gilda coming down the stairs wearing a pair of sunglasses.

“Griffon.” She grumbled.

“Dragon.” Grumbled Gilda in return.

“I’m going out.” She said.

“So am I.” Gilda grunted.

“Well don’t let me stop you.” She growled a little.

“Whatever.” Gilda shook her head, visibly winced, then trotted towards the door. On opening it she grunted again. “Too fuckin bright. Fucking Sun. Fucking sunglasses don’t-” And the door slammed behind her.

Ember snorted, trying to ignore her housemate. Though perhaps she was on to something. To return to her original problem, before her own head got in the way, she needed to figure out how to pay back Dig Site. What if the griffon was going to someone to ask how to do that?

If Gilda was doing it, then Ember could do it too!

With a snort and a smirk, Ember started towards the door. Ponyville was full of ponies. Ponies helped other ponies. Surely they’d help a dragon who only wanted pay back her house mate.

“Hiya Gilda!” Pinkie bounced next to the griffon, causing her to wince. The mare’s voice was like talons on a chalkboard

“What do ya want dweeb?” Gilda growled through grit teeth.

“I’m just saying hi! Where ya going?” The pink mare bounced around her.

“Don’t know, anywhere, away from you.” She grunted.

“Awww.” Pinkie whined. “Somepony’s being a grumpygriff.”

Gilda made to scream at the annoying pink one, when she paused, staring at her.

“What?” Pinkie, cocking her head to the side. “Oh! Sorry! Somegriff.”

“You know ponies.” Gilda wasn’t asking.

“Yeppers!” Pinkie grinned.

“Could you tell me about stallions?” Gilda asked.

“Mmmmmm, maybe?” Pinkie giggled.

“Maybe?” The griffon blinked behind her sunglasses.

“Maybe if somegriff remembered her manners I’d remember something about her mystery stallion.~” She finished, her singsong voice made the griffon wince.

“Ugh…. fiiiiine.” Gilda groaned. “I’m sorry, I have a hangover and I’m testy.”

“Apology accepted.” Pinkie grinned. “So, who do you want to know about?”

“You know Dig Site?” Gilda asked.

“Oooooo! He’s a tricky one. My only point of contact is with the bartender Stone Stud.” She giggled again. “It’s how I know to leave him a birthday cupcake on April first!”

“Huh, why didn’t I think of going to see Stud first?” Gilda mused aloud.

“Cause your poor brains hurting from your angry juice.” Pinkie gave the griffon’s head a hug.

Gilda’s darkened vision was awash in pink for a moment. Then the mare let go. “Say hi to Studdy for me!”

“That mare is weird.” The griffon grumbled.

Ember flew around town. Trying to think of who in town would know about Thestrals. Then it hit her. She turned and made a b-line for the edge of town.

She landed with a thud. Before her was a house built into a hill. Confidently she strode up to the front door. The various animal noises around quieted as she did. She didn’t so much knock on the door, as pound on it. She was a dragon after all.

“Oh my goodness!” A soft voice within yelped. “I’m coming!” There was a trotting of hooves of wood and the door opened. “Hel-” The butter yellow pegasus mare within the doorway froze much in the same way a deer freezes when it sees a predator.

“You’re Fluttershy right?” Ember asked.

The mare squeaked.

“Great! So, you know a lot about animals.” Ember nodded.

This only somewhat broke the mare from her state. “Yes.”

“So, do you know about thestrals?” The dragon asked.

“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked with a blush on her cheeks.

“Is that a yes?” Ember frowned, somewhat confused by the mare’s reactions.

The mare only squeaked again.

“So, you don’t know about thestrals.” Ember huffed.

Fluttershy squeaked again. The blush deepened.

“Could you speak up?” The dragon said with a groan.

“U-ummm… T-twilight m-might have a-a book?” The butter pegasus managed to get out at barely more than a whisper.

“Oh.” Ember blinked. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

As she turned to leave a bunny hopped out and kicked the back of her leg, which she didn’t even notice.

“Hey boss.” Gilda announced as she pushed open the thick oak door of the pub. There were a few patrons, then again the pub had just opened, it’d pick up by evening.

“Gilda! You’re not due till later. Wha’ brings ya in?” The tiny stallion asked as he turned back towards his cooking.

“Well, one, lunch, and two, what do you know about thestrals?” Gilda asked, pulling up a stool at the bar.

“Oh, ye actually showin’ interest in Dig? Good on ye lass.” Stud looked back at her.”Mmmm, aye thestrals are tricky beasties. I don't know much about them in general, but I do know the one you've been clawing up has been clearing me out of stock every other night.” He chuckled. “He loves te drink.” He shook his head. “But that’s not really all that impressive. There was some big to-do up at yonder castle. Yer stallion was in the middle o’ it all.” He turned back to his cooking and plated some fish and chips. “Oh, and it might not mean much te ye, but he was the one who caught mah bitch ex in the cellar. Used his echolocating te find em. He’s got them sensitive ears, if ye get my meaning.”

“Uh huh.” Gilda nodded. “Think Sparkle would know anything?”

“With the library she’s got?” The small stallion set down the plate in front of a Diamond Dog. “No doubt.”

“Well I know where I’m heading next.” Gilda chuckled. “Now, how about some lunch?”

Ember was pissed.

It had been easy enough to find the castle. Easier to gain access to the library.

However.

All Ember could find was an old book on thestral culture. Pre-Unification, in fact. The problem was, it was written in Old Ponish.

Grumbling to herself, she stalked through the sections only to run into someone.

“Hey watch i- Gilda?!”

“Ember?!” Gilda asked, puffing up defensively.

“What are you doing here?!” They said in unison.

“Fuck you, I asked first!” Ember snapped.

“I’m here to find out about thestrals.” Gilda said with a slight pout.

“I knew it!” Ember pointed a claw at her.

“You better remove that finger before I find a place for you to stick it.” Gilda growled.

“Make me catbird.” Ember smirked.

Gilda snorted. “Why do you even want to know about thestrals in the first place?”

“I’m paying him back for everything, including the life debt.” Ember said proudly. “And you can’t stop me.”

Gilda blinked. “You too?”

Ember blinked at her. “What?”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” The griffon nodded.

“So… we’re both… trying to pay him back?” Ember said slowly.

“I’m only doing it for the life debt! Nothing else!” Her feathers puffed out. “Honor demands it.”

Ember shook her head. “Griffons and their honor.” She looked at the griffon. “Have you found anything?”

“Beyond finding out that he can echolocate, his ears are sensitive, and he had something to do with some recent goings on here,” Gilda gestured a talon around, “not much.”

“That’s better than what I learned.” Ember groaned.

“And that is?” the griffon quirked a brow.

Ember held out the book. “That there’s a book on thestrals but it’s written in Old Ponish.”

“Well I can’t read Old Ponish.” Gilda deadpanned.

“Neither can I.” Ember grumbled, pouting a bit with a slight flush in her cheeks.

Both lapsed into silence before turning in unison towards the purple mare who was virtually vibrating in anticipation. She made to speak-

“Fuck the lecture, Purplesmart, you know anything about how to impress a stallion?” Gilda asked.

Twilight visibly deflated, thought for a moment, then perked up. “Oh! There’s a whole section back here!” She gestured at a corner of the library that was covered in a black curtain. “Nopony ever checks anything out, but it always ends up messy, oddly enough.”

Spike waddled by, pushing a cart full of books. “Eleven months and counting.”

“What was that Spike?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Nothing.” The small dragon sighed.

“Well, anyway girls, I’d recommend checking in there.” Twilight happily gestured at the curtained off area.

Both dragon and griffon looked at Twilight, then looked at each other, they shrugged in unison then made for the curtain.

“That innocent mare.” Gilda deadpanned.

“It smells like every book was used as a mastrabatory aid,” the dragoness agreed.

“Huh, I was going to say baby batter.” Gilda shrugged, picking out a book. On opening in her wings popped out. “How? How is that mare innocent?”

“Baby batter?” Ember asked, picking out her own book and sitting on a slightly stained chair. “I prefer nut butter.”

Gilda snorted. “The fuck?” She looked at the dragon. “Pearl jam.”

“Isn’t that some pony band?” Ember blinked.

“Huh, haven’t thought about that one.” Gilda chuckled. “That would explain some of their songs though.”

Ember suppressed a giggle. “Ugh, most of these look like their oriented towards stallions.”

“Yeah… we may be here awhile.” Gilda sighed. “Though if you get distracted and start spelunking for pearls, I’m going to hit you.”

“Oh, I dare you.” Ember smirked.

Gilda gave her a deadpan look and walked over to her.

“What you going to do catbird?” Ember said smugly.

Gilda raised a claw and brought it down to grab her tail. Ember gasped. Gilda squeezed. Ember moaned. Gilda blushed, met the dragon’s eyes, then squeezed harder. Ember let out a loud moan and spread her legs wide.

“D-don’t!” Ember panted. “Tail’s-”

“Sensitive?” The griffon raised a brow with a wicked grin on her face.

Ember nodded, her face paling as her blush turned her from blue to pink.

Gilda slowly started to squeeze. “G-gil-” Ember groaned slouching in the chair and spread her legs further. “G-Gilda!”

“Hmm?” Gilda asked, sitting on her haunches and taking the tail in both talons

“D-don’t… don’t stop….” Ember squeaked out.

Gilda smirked. “New plan dweeb. I think I got an inkling of how we’re paying that stupid stallion back. I just gotta deliver you to him on a silver platter.” She gave the tail a hard squeeze… then dropped it. The griffon smirked smugly then turned around.

There came a low growl from behind her. Suddenly Gilda was flattened as a dragon pounced on her back. “I was this close you- You-” The dragon roughly grabbed the griffon’s wings right at their base. The griffon’s breath hitched as her front half went down to the floor.

The griffon now had her flank in the air, with a dragon on her back gripping her wings. “D-dweeb, don’t touch my fucking wings!” Gilda tried to sound tough, but she sounded quite out of breath.

“Why not? You grabbed my tail.” Ember growled as she ran her claws up each wing.

“Oh f-fuck. F-fuck.” Gilda managed through grit teeth.

“How about I truss you up like the turkey you are and leave you on his bed, hmmm?” Ember asked as she dragged her claws down to the base of Gilda’s wings.

“Ember! You k-keep that up a-and this sections gonna have more stains!” Gilda panted loudly.

Ember paused. “You know… This spot is curtained off…”

Gilda looked back at the dragon. “A-and I just got an idea.” She grinned. “Why not truss the stallion up?”

Ember matched her grin. “And make him watch.”

Twilight trotted over to Spike. “They’ve been in there awhile, think they’re okay?”

“I’m sure they’re fine Twi.” Spike said as Twilight trotted away. “Surprised she didn’t notice the soundproofing spell…”