Ever Onward

I spent several hours with Silk, watching her carefully thread lines of shimmering silk straight from the girls' twitching spinnerets all while she translated each click and chitter the sisters threw my way. It was soothing, spending time with them and learning about their interests and sharing my own, though it quickly became apparent that my hobbies weren't something I'd be able to enjoy here.

Daisy apparently enjoyed operatic music, though she'd had little chance to indulge recently. Silkworm had an affinity for small animals, enough so that, when Silk was a filly, she had had to get her a, rather well worn at this point, stuffed kitten so that she would stop sneaking out to kidnap terrified forest critters. And Lariat… Well, I should have expected that one of them would be into stranger stuff, considering she had grown up with Silk and her, and ponies' in general, rather brazen lack of modesty when it came to their sexuality, but I was still somewhat taken aback by her admittance to participating whenever Silk's previous partners had allowed. The thought of being spun into submission while Silk had her way with me had sent tingles into my gut, but I didn't think I had the nerves to consider it.

By the time Silk had finished with Daisy, I was lying on my back watching the evening sun set behind the courtyard walls with both Silkworm and Lariat resting on me, their bulky bodies little more than leggy pillows in my lap. If I ignored my ruined chance to lose my v-card and the anxiety of first meeting the crystal sisters, it had been a much needed, relaxing afternoon overall. My only qualm was that, with Silk's joining me on the bed, it was almost certainly coming to an end.

"All done?"

"Indeed. I have extracted and threaded enough silk to relieve my girls and keep us stocked in the case of emergencies." She smiled and laid her head on my stomach while Daisy clung to her back. "If you like, I could quite easily convince Goldie to whip you up an ensemble that will surely knock Lulabelle and Ysa dead. Plus…" her voice dropped and her heated gaze made my face blossom, "I would not mind seeing what you look like in lacy lingerie."

"I-I'll think about it."

She kept her burning eyes on me for several long seconds, forcing me to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat, and started to creep her way up closer to me when a knock sounded at the door. "Come in, it is open!" She shot me a look, a promise that she would definitely continue this later, then looked up as the doors opened. "Oh, Ysa, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I was lookin' for Mary 'cause it's dinner time and Goldie said she was with ya."

The mare chuckled and motioned with her hoof to me, trapped as I was under her and the girls. "Well, I must say that your timing is impeccable. I just finished tending to my darlings and am feeling a mite peckish. What say you, love?"

I glanced at Ysa, face red at having been caught underneath somebody even if our position wasn't exactly suggestive of anything, but shook my head. I wasn't particularly hungry, but, more than that, I didn't want to go back and face everybody again. It was all too easy for me to imagine myself saying something that would set Zunira off again and… I didn't want to even think about what would happen if I fucked up again. "I'm n-not hungry. I'll, uhm… I'll wait in m-my r-room"

A pout formed on Silk's face as a whine built in her throat, ending in a huff. "Just as we were beginning to grow comfortable with each other, too! Unfortunately, love, no matter how much I wish to stay behind and keep you company, I cannot deny my body its needs. Plus, I am on cleanup duty this evening and I cannot shirk those duties lest I risk Daliah's ire."

Disappointment welled in my breast, but I couldn't blame her. I was the one too scared to face what was, eventually, going to be inevitable, but that didn't stop me from feeling a little bitter at having to be alone.

"That's okay! I'll gladly stay with ya!" Ysa beamed at us from where she'd climbed upon the bed while we were distracted.

"A-aren't you hungry?"

The kobold shrugged, tail swishing. "Nah, look at me! I'm done growin'. I could eat once a week and be fine!" She grinned, leaned in, and whispered loud enough so that anybody else that happened to walk by the room would be able to hear. "I don't think I could go that long, though."

I giggled, shaking my head. "That's not a secret…" I shifted my gaze, voice lowered. "Thank you. I know I'm be-being selfish, b-but…"

"Psh, as if I'd care. Yer a cutie and I like ya!" She looked down, shifting and wringing her hands. "Plus… I'm a little jealous, yannow? I wanna spend all the time with ya."

Silk cooed and dragged the little lizard girl down with us, squeezing her between the two of us much to Ysa's delight. "Oh, you are simply too adorable. Have no fear, though, I have quite the feeling that I could never monopolize Mary's time no matter how much I wished." She winked and I chuckled, hugging the kobold to me.

"Plus ya smell like sex, and that's just not fair! You were s'posed to tell Lulu and me!"

I flushed, stuttering over a denial, but Silk tapped my cheek and hopped off the bed. "Not to worry, Ysa. I may have stolen a kiss from her, but her purity is still intact."

"S-Silk!"

My face burned even brighter, and Ysa took the opportunity to turn her large, emerald eyes on me, her chin planted in my chest. "Good! I wanted ta be her first!"

"Ysa!" I groaned, covering my face while everybody else, the sisters included in their own chittering way, laughed. "Sto~op."

A soft tap on my shoulder brought my hands down to see Silk smiling upside down at me from the side of the bed. "Do not forget, love, that you can always come to me if you need. I am right around the corner, after all."

She ran her hoof through my hair, her smile angelic, in a way reminiscent of how my mom used to back when I was little. She would stroke my hair, fingers gently scratching my scalp as she hummed some manner of lullaby or songs from her childhood. I would just lay there, listening to her soft, soothing voice until I eventually dozed off in her lap without a care in the world. I missed those moments so damn much and wished that I would wake up one morning and learn that everything after my last lap-top-nap was all some horrible, sick nightmare that my overactive imagination had conjured up while I lay curled up in my mother's embrace. But, each day I woke up and I was still miserable, still terrified, and still wishing it was all a dream.

"Mary?" I jumped, coming back out of my thoughts to find Ysa staring from right above me, concern plain in her large, expressive eyes. "Are ya okay? You were cryin'."

"H-huh?" I wiped my eyes, cringing as moisture smeared across my arms, and sucked in a shuddering breath. "Y-yeah, I'm… I'll be o-okay."

"Do you wish to talk about it, love? I am certain that Daliah and the others will understand if I am a little late to dinner."

I cursed myself, hating that I was so fucking bad at keeping my emotions to myself, and rubbed the rest of the tears away while waving my hand to shoo Silk away. "N-no, I'm fine, really, just…" I took a deep breath to calm myself and plastered on as genuine a smile I could muster. "I th-thought I was o-over being trapped here, but I still… It's nothing. G-go eat."

"Are you quite certain? I am sure I can-"

"Please? I'll be fine, I can deal with it. And Ysa's here, too."

Silk bit her lip, looked between the two of us, and only seemed to relent with a sigh after Ysa gave her an affirmative nod. "Alright, I understand, but… really, love, do not hesitate to find me if you need me. Promise?"

At that, my smile was genuine. "P-promise."

She kept an eye on me for just a few more moments, then spun on her hooves. "Behave yourselves, girls, and I will see about convincing the princess to charge a gem for you." There was excited shuffling on my lap as the trio of spiders chittered between themselves while Silk leaned up on the bed one more time. "You as well, love. Anything at all and I will be right here. You will ensure that she does, right?"

I frowned, but Ysa patted my chest, grinning brightly. "'Course! No Mary will be down on our watch!"

Silk watched me, concern plain in her frown, but sighed and bobbed her head. "Very well. I will come find you once I have completed my chores for the night."

"Have fun, Silk!"

"D-don't work too h-hard."

The mare turned and sashayed out the door, tail raised and on obvious display for me to see. "Ohhh, yer a naughty girl, leavin' poor Silkie all hot and bothered like that."

"I-I didn't-! I didn't mean to!" I buried my face in my hands as Ysa cuddled up against me, tail snaking around my thigh. "We were r-really getting i-into it and…" I took a deep breath, easily bringing to mind Silk's hot, flushed face as she stared into my eyes while she caught her breath and then the flash of worry tinged just briefly by disappointment. "I'm j-just… scared, I guess."

"Well, I know it's not cuz ya don't wanna. I can smell ya." She grinned at my groan, giggling while I peeked at her through my fingers. "Are ya in heat?"

"Humans d-don't go into heat." I shuddered at the thought. "G-God that would b-be shit." Ysa giggled. "Really! I-I'm already horny all the t-time! A-and it doesn't help that I c-can't… m-masturbate… whenever I w-want…"

I mumbled the rest, face burning, but I had little doubt that Ysa had heard me, especially when she flashed me a hooded smile. "Yannow, ya don't hafta hold back. Lulu won't care and I sure don't. I like yer smell, and all." She took a deep sniff of my shirt, her tiny nails digging into the cotton. "And I can help ya." Her tail teased my thigh, sending electricity straight into my gut, as she nuzzled up into my neck, tongue tracing the line of my collar. "I'll smother your heat…"

I gasped as she kissed me and gave in to it much faster than before, especially now that I was ready and expecting it. Her tongue was much different than Silk's broad, flat muscle. It twisted into my mouth, coiling around mine like a snake as Ysa practically swallowed my mouth. I gagged as she forced her way down my throat, eyes watering at the sudden panic that overtook me, and was about to shove her off so I could breathe again, but she acted first.

Ysa jumped off me, her face twisted in fear as I coughed and retched, not quite vomiting but still feeling too close for comfort. She squeaked out apologies, her voice low, and rubbed my back, whatever forceful initiative she'd had that had been turning my Venusian cleft into a swamp of my arousal disappeared into the aether. I tried to croak out a question, to ask her why she'd literally shoved her tongue down my throat, but all I could muster was a cough. "I'm so sorry, Mary! I got too excited and- It’s a kobold thing and-!"

I nodded as best I could, hopefully assuaging her concern despite my own heart still thundering a million beats a minute, and took a deep, shaky breath. I don't know why I felt like such shit for choking like that, especially since I knew it wasn't my fault, but the way she was panicking over my safety instead of… Well, I knew why I felt like such fucking garbage, but… I didn't want to think about it. I was soaking through the bedclothes and, if I didn't do something about it, I was gonna go crazy, but now I was feeling self-conscious. I wanted to continue, but I was terrified of her doing something I wasn't expecting and freaking out again. What if the next time I panic and hurt her? I wouldn't be able to face her again, but…

"Ugh!" I stood up and the little kobold tumbled to the bed, confusion plain on her face.

"Mary?" She crawled onto her hands and knees and watched me as I stalked over to the bathroom in Silk's room. "You, uhm, ya aren't mad are ya?"

I paused, clenched my fists and slapped them across my thighs. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!" Shit. Goddamnit. I needed to take care of myself, but I didn't want Ysa to think I wanted nothing to do with her, nor did I want to turn around and see her cute little face twisted up in worry and risk throwing myself to her whims and whatever little fuck ups that would come from my nerves and fears, so I pulled the door open and spoke softly over my shoulder. "Could… Could you tell me a story through the door?"

I didn't wait for her to answer, instead just stepping inside and sliding down the door as I closed it behind me. I could just barely hear her nails clicking on the stone as I settled my ass on the cold floor, my skirt hiked up around my waist, and I sighed in mixed relief and anxiety as she settled up on the other side of the door. I could hear her breathing, as soft as it was, so I knew that she'd easily hear any noise I made, but I couldn't hold back anymore.

There wasn't any need for me to wet my fingers before sliding them through the copper nest below my belt line, and I groaned throatily as I finally dipped into my honeypot. Just the pair of simple fingers, barely even past the first knuckles, that I'd parted myself around felt like I'd reached heaven after the constant teasing and building over the past twenty-four hours, and I couldn't stop the little gasp that escaped. I was trying to be quiet, both in the hopes that Ysa wouldn't hear me and to listen to her as she kept me company through the door, but it was hard. I was beyond sexually frustrated, having rarely gone more than a day without rubbing one out andI'd never ignored the urge when I'd exposed myself to porn or other similarly arousing stimuli.

I was working through a massive backlog of my favorite chore.

"So, there I was, just my brother and me, sitting in a puddle of jelly. We had no idea how the bottle had broken, but I'll tell ya, we were freaking out. It was our Mama's favorite jelly ever, after all." The kobold giggled and a twinge in my loins made me crush my index and middle fingers. God, she was so cute. I wanted to just yank the door off its hinges and bury my crotch in her face, let the tongue she'd choked me with ravage my body, but just the thought sent tremors of fear through me, so instead I added my other hand to the mix and slipped it up my shirt. My nipples were like rocks jutting out against my blouse, the dark peaks so starkly visible through the sweat-soaked fabric, and they tingled as I pinched them between my fingers and kneaded the nearly non-existent bumps that were my breasts.

"And then Mom was like, Ah cannae believe ya spillt ye Ma's fav'rit jam. She gon' flay ye skin chil'! See, Mom is from a highland tribe, so she talks funny, and it makes her sound angry, but really Mom is the nicest 'bold you'll ever meet." I could hear her grin even if I couldn't see it and that just further blossomed the warmth in my gut. She sounded as happy as can be reminiscing like this and, despite the growing stickiness between my thighs and the fog of desire building around my thoughts, it was easy to find myself getting lost in her story.

"Whuh… What haah-happened?"

I bit my lip, squealing softly while I squeezed my legs together, my body shuddering as I rubbed brusquely against my hood. I was getting close already and it was getting harder and harder to contain my voice as I slid down onto the floor and gyrated my hips against nothing. I squeezed my eyes shut, a long, heady growl slipping out as Ysa's voice grew louder and more excited. Fuck, I wanted her between my legs so bad.

"Mom tried to cover for us, but ya know Mama was way too good at reading her and Mom never was a good liar…" I nodded. She couldn't see it, but I understood and felt like I should at least acknowledge it in some way even if I was too lost in my lust for any verbal affirmation. Her mom sounded sweet and I assumed that she'd spent a lot of time with her. It explained why she was as nice and fun to be around as she was. "Mama was super angry… and I thought that maybe… we'd get in biiiig trouble, but… she just said…" Ysa's voice had dropped, her typical squeakiness subdued like she was trying to talk softer, and it seemed like she was a lot closer, but it was harder to hear her through the cloud of lust hanging over my head.

My fingers plunged through my pubes, spearing into my plump lips while my palm rubbed my pleasure pearl raw. I worked and worked, my attempts at muffling myself lost to the hot, heavy pants and high-pitched cries that eked out as I fought vigorously to push myself up and over that plateau that kept my from mounting my peak. I was so fucking close, I just needed a little extra push. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to have the kobold choke my womb like she had my throat and another shudder ran through my body. Her little hands would be the perfect size to just grab my cleft and spread me open to expose the pink hidden between my plump lips. She could easily fit all of me in her mouth like a slider and I groaned at the thought of feeling her teeth pricking at my sensitive flesh while she sucked on my fat mound and gently gnawed on me. Maybe she would even slip her tongue down further and tease at my rose before spearing into my ass. "You smell so good…"

"Whuh?"

That seemed like a strange turn to the story and, through my delirious haze, I thought that Ysa had said that from right below, but that didn't make any sense, even through my addling. I'd locked the door, hadn't I? "Mary, I wanna…" My eyes shot open at the sound of my name and I caught just a glimpse of the little red lizard over my raised hips before white hot pleasure exploded in my brain. She hadn't given me any time to react before, like in my quickly quashed fantasy, her beakish maw clamped over my mound and her long, writhing tongue plunged into me. I would have screamed out in ecstasy had my voice not choked out in my throat, strangled into a keening, gurgling whine as she whirled and coiled in depths I'd never reached before. My little bullet vibes and dildos couldn't even hold a candle to the way she probed and filled my tunnel, her twisting tongue creating a chain reaction of sensory overload that left all of my body numb and nigh unresponsive outside of the almost painful clenching and spasming in my pussy.

She didn't let up even as I tried to reach down and push her away, but each time she dove deeper and teased at the entrance to my womb my body would tense and spasm into a never-ending loop of brain melting pleasure until my legs just couldn't hold me up anymore, even through their locked muscles, and I collapsed, spent, on the bathroom floor. My body felt like mush, just a pile of flesh that I happened to be inhabiting if I ignored the occasional jerk between my thighs after Ysa finally slipped out of me. I could just vaguely see her pleased, sodden face through unfocused eyes and I watched her lick her chops and hum happily to herself, and I supposed I understood that. I couldn't deny that that had been, by far, the best orgasm that I'd ever had in my life. No fantasy I'd ever come up with, no toy I'd ever used could even think to stand on the same plane of existence to having her almost literally eat me out and scrape my insides out with her tongue, but…

There was a part of me that felt violated. I'd been terrified of what would happen if I actually gave in to my desires, so I tried to keep to myself and take care of my problem, but even despite that she had still crept in to watch and taken my first oral experience without asking. Yes, I enjoyed it, loved it even, and I had definitely wanted it, but… It didn't make sense. I liked her, I wanted her, so why was I feeling like this?

"Mary? Mary are you cry-?" She squeaked and I scrambled to wipe my face off with what little energy I had left in my arms, but it was too late. She'd already seen me. I couldn't play it off and just try to bottle it up and deal with it on my own. Her little hands grabbed hold of mine, sharp nails biting gently against my fingers. "Oh Harmony, Mary… Did… Did I go too far? I thought… You were saying my name and…" Now she was weeping and struggling to talk, and a boulder of lead dropped into my stomach. I shouldn't feel this bad, because I didn't do anything wrong, did I? "I-I-I-I… I'm s-s-sorry! I didn't-!"

She threw herself on me, smearing her tears on my sweaty blouse as she clung to me and nuzzled into my chest. I was torn. That small part of my mind that was screaming at me that I'd been molested against my will, but then… I hadn't even confronted the kobold about what she'd done and she was infinitely more distraught about it that I was even as my own wetness streaked down my cheeks.

"Y-Ysa… Wh… why?" I sucked in a breath, trying to steady my stutter, but my thoughts were racing and heart thundering. I wanted to get Ysa off me and wash off this little niggling feeling of disgust inside of me, but I also dreaded pushing her away. "I… I closed the d-d-door. I th-thought you wou-ould know…"

"I know!" She sniffled and snuffled, her words thick with emotion. "I was tellin' ya 'bout Mom and Mama, trying to ignore ya, but ya started… Ya started moaning my name." She shivered on my chest, laying flat along my body and looked into my eyes, her huge emeralds cloudy with tears. "I tried the door a-and it just opened, b-but I wasn't sure if ya wa-wanted me to do anything, so I just watched and was gonna go back out but then ya spread your legs and stuff and really called me. I thought that… that you knew I was there and when I said ya smelled good you thrust at me… I just… I thought you were… I'm sorry, I really am. I'll leave."

She tried to get up, inadvertently pressing into my breasts, but I muffled a scream into my hands before grabbing her hands and yanking her back down to my chest. It made sense, really it did, and, even if it didn't completely clear that feeling of being violated, I could tell, or at least I hoped I could tell, that she was being sincere. She stiffened in my arms, probably because I was squeezing her just a little too tightly, but didn't offer up any resistance. I laid there, staring up at the stone ceiling, breathing heavily as I fought off that sickening feeling of betrayal in my gut and just wondered at what my life had become.

Here I was in a brand new world with a gaggle of girls itching to throw themselves on me, girls that I quickly found myself desiring despite their animalistic features, but I couldn't bring myself to make the jump. Silk had already tried to bridge that gap, but my fucking insecurities had dashed that against the rocks, and now I was, for a sound reason, doing the same with Ysa. I didn't want that. I would be a liar if I said I hadn't wanted her to shove her face in my crotch, because I very clearly fantasized about it before she'd actually done it, but… Did I moan out her name? Was I, in my lusted delirium, calling out to her? I was trying to think back to her story, trying to remember what she'd been telling me while I was stuffing my fingers knuckle deep into my muff, but all I could recall were snippets. Did I even acknowledge her story at all?

"I'm really sorry, Mary." I felt her shiver against me, a little choked hiccup muffled against my breast as she slowly eased away from her steady stream of tears that I was still trying to figure back myself. "I didn't wanna f-force ya, r-really! I really th-thought that… that ya changed your mind and I got too excited."

Already, fresh tears were pooling in her eyes and that was just too much for me. I squeezed her plush cheeks between my hands and stared into her eyes while I swallowed the frog lodged in my throat. "I… Did I really…?" She nodded, limited as it was with her gently squished between my palms. "I…" It was going to be hard, now, to look everybody in the eye when I talked to them. I'd gotten a taste of what it'd be like to lay with them, and now my body craved it while my mind screamed at me that I wasn't ready and my heart whispered in my ear to let them in and take it one step at a time. My entire being was at war with itself and, to top it all off, the more I thought about it the worse my headache got.

"Mary?"

I jumped, snapping back to the present only to realize that I'd let my hands fall back to my sides and was just gazing unfocused up at the ceiling while Ysa watched me with a mix of concern and trepidation on her cute face. She was waiting for something, an answer that I really didn't have, but everything in my life was already fucked to shit and I didn't want to lose one of the few good things I had. Was it an illogical decision after she had unknowingly forced herself on me? Possibly, but… I didn't really have any other choice if I wanted to preserve my sanity. It was pathetic, but I couldn't survive on my own.

"I f-f-forgive y-you…" Her grin went wide as she gasped cutely and nuzzled up under my chin like a cat. I reciprocated as best as I could, but it quickly became obvious that she had noticed my hesitation when she eased back and caught my gaze with tilt of her head. I looked away, shame filling my gut. "I just… Fuck, I like you, but… I'll…" What could I even say? I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted, so how was I supposed to even handle this? My forgiving her was sincere, but it tasted like ash in my mouth knowing that I was still somewhat afraid of it happening. I shouldn't be, it felt amazing, and I'd been jilling myself to the thought of her before I'd apparently cried out for her, and-

"I won't do anything to ya if ya don't tell me to, 'kay?" She squirmed in my lap, wringing her claws in her own, and looked down at me, her head dipped as if in shame. "I got too excited and assumed and hurt ya and I don't wanna hurt ya! You're really nice and pretty and I like ya and I want ya ta like me too, yannow?"

I sighed and, finally, cracked a smile through my tears. "You really kn-know just what t-t-to say. If I… didn't know b-better, I'd c-c-call you… a c-con artist."

The kobold gasped, her four spines folding back like a dog's ears. "I'd never! I just want everybody ta be happy! Really!"

I laughed and held out my arms which she eagerly fell into. That twinge of disgust sent a tremor down my back, but I shoved the feeling down and did my best to focus just on Ysa. She had calmed down and was grinning contentedly as she lay on my chest, a stark contrast to the storm roiling inside me. Still, I would weather this storm, no matter how difficult, because I needed Ysa.

"Miss Rose, are you here?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden voice, yelping loud enough to wake the dead, and flushed red when Ysa burst out into giggles. "We're in the bathroom, Lu'!"

I heard Lulabelle's padded feet on the stone before I saw her and stared up into her sapphire eyes when she poked her head through the door and blinked down at me. "H-hi…"

"If you are tired, Miss Strand's bed would be much more comfortable than her floor." Ysa laughed harder as I rolled my eyes, both to hide the sudden rush of pleasure I felt at seeing her again and to let her know what I thought of her smartass remark. The canine sniffed once then looked down at us. "Lulabelle smells sweat and sex. Did Lulabelle catch you at an inopportune time? Lulabelle can come back later if you want to finish, or gladly help if you wish."

My eyes went wide, my breath hitching, and my brain screamed while my thighs twinged, but I couldn't find an answer for her. Like with Ysa, my body and heart yearned for her, but something in the back of my mind told me I shouldn't. Was I even ready for it? I couldn't have imagined having anybody be interested in me, but now I had a whole menagerie asking after me. I wasn't prepared. I'd fuck it up. I'd-

"Nah, Mary was just diddling herself. She's been pent up!" Ysa giggled and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. It was embarrassing being put on blast like that, but it saved me from having to explain what had just happened. I didn't want anybody to think poorly of Ysa for something she didn't mean, so it was a relief that she'd covered for me. "How was dinner?"

"It was pleasant, Miss Ysayle, though Miss Palebeak was asking after you and Miss Rose."

"M-me?"

The canine smiled and nodded before reaching a hand down for me. I flushed, just remembering I was laying, sweaty, disheveled, and half covered in a bathroom floor, and gladly let her help me to my feet. "Yes, you."

"Why?"

"'Cause she likes ya, silly. Ya left quite the impression with everybody!" Ysa grinned and took my free hand once I was steady, or as steady as I could be while my legs still shook. She must've seen my apprehension, though, because she squeezed my fingers and nudged my hip with her shoulder. "She's the best! I love having fun and making people happy, but she's a party animal!"

I smiled softly and sat on the edge of the bed where I was quickly swarmed by the crystal sisters who chittered and clicked almost as if they were fussing over me. "I'm f-fine you guys. R-really…"

Both Ysa and Lulu looked at me, their heads tilted. "Can ya understand them, too, Mary? That's pretty crazy! Can ya teach me?"

"I d-don't!" My cheeks tingled as I stuffed my hands in my lap and squirmed. "I mean, it just seemed like th-they were, y'know, w-worried. It was j-j-just a g-guess."

It was Lulabelle that drew me to her breast, smushing my face up against her very plush mounds, and patted me softly. "There's no need to feel embarrassed, Miss Rose. We were just surprised that you seemed to be able to speak to them." I nodded jerkily. I knew she was right, really, but years of self doubt and social isolation made it hard to really take it to heart. I still felt like I should be worried of standing out even if I thought, knew even, that neither of them would think poorly of me for it, so I closed in on myself again and instead played with my skirt. "Lulabelle has an idea. Miss Rose, would you like to join Ysa and Lulabelle in the courtyard to watch us spar? Lulabelle thinks that it should help take your mind off whatever's troubling you, at least for a little while."

"Oh! That's a great idea!" The kobold jumped to her feet on the bed, her little hands plap'ing together, and grinned excitedly at me.

It was a heartwarming display, to be sure, and the idea of seeing the two of them fight was beyond intriguing. I've always loved medieval era movies, especially the intense battles where a pair of knights or warriors clashed in a fight to the death, their honor on the line, and the thought of seeing something like that in person got my blood pumping in excitement, so much so that I jumped to my feet and shouted in agreement only to flush and squirm when the kobold and canine laughed. Even the spider sisters seemed to join in.

"D-don't laugh! I just… really l-like…" I trailed off, mumbling under my breath, only to be pulled back into Lulu's breast. My insecurity seemed to ease off me as her body heat suffused my whole being, and I loosened the tension in my jaw. "I'll c-come…"

There was an excited cheer, just a cute little squeaky noise from the kobold, before her negligible weight jumped onto my back and she nuzzled into the back of my neck. "I'll win for ya, Mary, and then I'll let ya sweep me off my claws and we'll live happily ever after!"

I chuckled alongside Lulu, and I could practically hear the desert dog's eyes roll. "Miss Ysayle, we both know that it shall be Lulabelle that will sweep Miss Rose off her feet."

They broke out into an argument more akin to playful banter than any outright hostility while Lulabelle led me out of the room, a burning heat in my face and gut. I'd never wanted to continue being the center of attention any more in my life than with the two girls declaring their intentions to prove their martial prowess for my honor. I'd never had anybody fight over me before and I'd be lying through my teeth if I denied that it was doing wonders for my piss poor confidence. It felt good to be wanted like this, even if there was a chance that the desire was just superficial.

The walk through the mansion was short, considerably more so since Silk's room was as close to the main entrance as one could be without it being in the place's grand entryway, and God, what a fucking entryway it was. The room was nearly three stories tall and easily large enough to fit a small circus, each level was sectioned off into different tiers by marble arches and pillars and stairs to make a cascading wave of opulence. The second tier, where the living quarters and main halls I'd seen were connected and where we arrived from, was flanked on both sides by a matching pair of half circle staircases around a near pristine marble statue of a unicorn, its mane done up in a spectacular braided bob and adorned with a crown that would have dazzled in the light of the gems carved into it weren't made of the same stone as the rest. Those stairs drew up to a balcony of sorts that branched off into another section of the mansion that I hadn't been through, but, judging by the way the doors leading into either wing were decorated, seemed to lead directly into a library on the left and maybe a throne room or something pertaining to royalty on the right.

On the opposite side of the room, where Lulabelle was now currently half dragging me towards as I stared in wonder at the place, was a pair of straight staircases that led into a greeting area. It was obvious that it had once been a place to welcome guests, a place where a butler or some form of head of staff would take coats and baggage and invite them in on behalf of their employer, but now it had been turned into more of a reception area. A fine wooden counter had been built off to the right of the entrance, clearly much newer than the rest of the stonework and other finery, and held several stands that looked like they had, at some point, held informational brochures. Overall, it was clear that this part of the mansion had been well taken care of, especially so when I considered what Twilight had told me about it being a museum of sorts. First impressions and all that.

The grand oaken doors, decorated with carvings of unicorns in resplendent looking armor rearing with weapons drawn, opened up to a massive courtyard with long, winding, paved roads leading out into a forest that seemed to ring the building in a natural barricade against intruders. Hedges surrounded a multitude of small gardens, some of them still planted with dazzling flowers in rainbow hues while others had been cleared out and replanted with sod that had grown into pristine, albeit slightly overgrown due to neglect, grass rings. In one of the rings, the most central and easily the largest of them, was a rack of medieval weapons that glinted in the late evening sun, and the mansion…

Never in my life have I seen a building so opulent outside of religious structures. What had seemed big from the inside, with its long hallways and high ceilings, was colossal from without. What I had considered, and been told was, a mansion was actually more akin to a sprawling fortress. Sure, the stone was hewn marble and had been colored the deep red of mahogany to more resemble a house as opposed to a castle, but the architecture was undeniably Victorian, a strange cross of ancient castle and Gothic design. The roof was slanted, angled up into red-clay wedges from pale cream walls that were lined with the large, open windows I'd grown used to with myriad chimneys, all of them inert for the season save for one, reaching up into the sky like thick fingers.

The only word that came to mind was spectacular. I'd spent a large chunk of my life admiring European architecture through the blue-light glare of my computer monitor and in virtual representations in games, but seeing something like this up close was nothing short of breathtaking.

"It's beautiful, is it not?"

I yelped, nearly jumping out of my skin as I was suddenly reminded that I wasn't the only one out here, and turned, rosy-cheeked, towards Lulu. "Yeah, it's pretty damn… pretty. S-s-sorry, I'm not… great with words…"

"It's okay! The place is really crazy fancy!" Ysa giggled, covering her muzzle to pretend like she was trying to hold it in, and bumped my hip. "Us kobolds have nothing like this in our homeland. It's pretty much just the ponies that build fancy stuff like this."

Lulu, from my left side, slipped her hand along my lower back that sent shivers up my spine and goosepimples down my legs. "Not even the minotaurs builds structures like this and most of them are crafters and artisans." I swallowed and nodded, my wonder for the sprawling mansion building. Not only was this unbelievable palace more grand than anything I'd ever seen before, but it had been built by quadrupedal horses forever ago.

"Ready to watch me kick Lulu's tail?" Ysa tugged my hand toward the central hedge ring and I couldn't help my laugh as the big black dessert dog once more growled at her, this time taking a mock swing of her hand that swiped just over the kobold's expressive red spines.

The three foot lizard laughed and danced, tauntingly dodging the dog's half-hearted swipes, until we were all passing through a leafy archway and into a field nearly thirty feet in diameter. It was clear that, like the other hedge gardens, this one had once been planted with beautiful flowers, but now it was just a circle of grass that had been nearly trampled down flat, the cause made obvious by the makeshift rack of weapons set up against the hedge wall. They'd been using it to train and spar for quite a while, it seemed.

"So, Miss Ysayle, shall we go for a three point match?" Lulabelle strode over to the rack and grabbed what looked to be nothing more than a long, straight stick.

"Just don't cry when I win and steal Mary all for myself!"

"Don't I get a say in what happens?" The pair glanced at me while Ysa grabbed a pair of wooden practice swords, the carved sticks looking more akin to hunting knives than actual martial weapons, and rolled my eyes, chuckling as they raised their brows in the most 'you're kidding, right?' looks I've ever seen. "'course not. Uhm, do your best?"

Ysa and Lulu took up stances in the middle of the ring, the kobold bringing herself low to the ground, long knives held in front of her, while Lulabelle gripped her weapon in both hands near the base and angled the long end down towards her opponent. They stood there, facing each other down for several long seconds, building the tension in my gut as I waited for one of them to make the first strike. I blinked, wondering why they were just standing there as my anticipation waned, before the towering canine angled her head my way, a warm smile tilting the corners of get muzzle up. "Would you count us off, Miss Rose?"

I stared at her, my mouth open in a silent 'oh', and flushed bright red. "I-I'm sorry, I… I didn't-"

"It's alright, Miss Rose. There's no need to worry." She flashed me one last smile, Ysa giggling away to my right, before they both sobered back up. "Count us down?"

I stood straighter, trying to fight off the shame, unfounded though it was. "R-right! Uhm, three…" They steadied their stances, hands gripping their gear tighter. "Two…" I watched their bodies subtly tense, the muscles in their backs going taught and legs tightening, making it more apparent that they'd spent a lot of time toning their bodies. "One…" Their eyes narrowed and I had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat as I hesitated for just a moment. They looked like they were ready to murder each other. "Go!"

Like coiled springs, the two leapt into action, all of the tension leaving their bodies as the clashed together. Ysa's knives lashed out towards Lulabelle's legs, aiming for the sensitive flesh of the canine's shin, but her attack was shut out when she was forced to contort herself like a gymnast around the much taller girl's staff as it spun in a circle and arced up at her chin. Even from the side of the circle, I could hear thewhistle of wind as her staff continued in its arc and cringed at the thought of how powerful a blow it would have been if it had connected, but Ysa didn't even seem to give it a second thought as she used her tail as a counter balance, waving it to her right, to bring her momentum around for another slash at the black fur of Lulu's legs.

The knives grazed at the fur, parting the hair ever so slightly as Lulabelle hopped back and brought her staff in a spinning slash aimed at the side of the kobold's head, but Ysa was already leaning into her attack and rolled forward under whoosh of air. I bit my lip, no idea if I should be worried or cheering, or even who I should be cheering for if I did cheer, when Ysa lashed out one more time from between the six and a half foot dog's legs and clipped her on the back of the calf. I yelped, pressing my hands over my eyes at the meaty thwap as wood met leg, and cringed at Lulu's grunt of pain, but the sounds of fighting continued even while I wasn't watching.

I peeked through my fingers just in time to see Lulu spin around on a backswing. The end of the staff slipped through Ysa's desperate attempt to block it and cracked her loudly in the side and sent her rolling through the grass with a squeaky yelp and a hiss of pain.

"Ysa!" I was about to rush to her, but she rolled out of the tumble, knives back at the ready with a look of determination on her face. "A-are you-?"

Instead of responding, she just grit her teeth and lunged at Lulabelle as the black dog made another sweeping pass at her. Using her short, lithe body to slide across the grass and under the swipe, Ysa smacked the staff with a loud, wooden clack and finished her slide with a roll that brought her right behind Lulu again, primed for another slash at the back of the dog's knees. The kobold didn't have nearly enough upper body strength to actually block one Lulu's swings, but the half deflection had thrown off the swipe just enough to leave her open.

Or so I had thought. The moment Ysa's knives smacked against the soft rear of Lulabelle's knees, a smirk on her crimson muzzle, the desert dog lashed out like a snake with her staff as she was brought to her knees. The staff connected with Ysa's skull hard, the dull thunk making my stomach turn as the kobold staggered around, her eyes unfocused, and I took a step out to stop the fight. I'd seen what a hit like that could do. I could vividly recall the fight on the outskirts of my high school football field and the quarterback star standing over the motionless body of some poor freshman that'd committed the ultimate sin of standing up for himself. I had visions of Ysa in her bed, blood oozing from her long, pointed ears, unresponsive as her brain hemorrhaged, but by the time I had finally willed my body into action Ysa was already steady.

She glanced over to me, a bright grin on her face. "I'm okay!" I wanted to tell them to just stop. Whatever excitement I'd had had been wiped out entirely. I was terrified. It had been romantic, in a way, to have them duel in my name, to keep me entertained, but now I was even more stressed than before.

"One more for the match, Miss Ysayle."

The kobold giggled and dropped into her ready stance, knees bent and knives forward. "I'mma get ya in the face for smackin' me!"

My heart was in my throat as I watched them both tense up again before lunging at each other for what I hoped was going to be the last time. There was a fire in their eyes that set my nerves on edge and twisted my gut, like they were craving the fight, but before I could protest further they were rushing at one another once more.

Ysa lashed out with a high pitched cry, forcing Lulu to hop back on the defensive, and pushed forward, aiming her slashes high. Each swipe was blocked or dodged, every stab knocked aside with seeming ease, but even with my limited martial knowledge, it seemed that the flurry of blows was taking all of Lulabelle's concentration to keep track of. The kobold continued her press, barely even reacting to the force of the parries, a manic grin splitting her muzzle as she pushed Lulu up against the hedge. Her mania turned to confidence when she realized that the canine had nowhere else to go, and slashed at Lulu's weapon with all of her strength. Her grin became a triumphant smirk as the weredog staggered, caught off guard by the sudden jump in force behind the kobold's attack, then, while her opponent was still reeling, Ysa launched herself into the air with a kick of her short, taut-muscled legs, wooden knives aimed right at Lulabelle's muzzle for her promised payback.

Time seemed to slow as the kobold lashed out, assured of her victory, but she couldn't see the change in her opponent's stance. It was subtle at first, I hadn't even realised it was happening before Ysa had gone for the finishing blow, but as the kobold closed the distance between them, Lulu shifted more and more. Her stagger, obviously a feint in hindsight, turned into a swivel, giving her leverage to bring her staff in for an upward arc, and I watched in mixed fascination, awe, and worry as she turned her apparent disadvantage into what would likely be her win. There wasn't any way for Ysa to dodge this swing. Not only could she not see it coming, her entire focus centered on Lulu's face and her seeming inevitable win, but she wouldn't have the proper momentum to do so even if she could. She'd put her entire stock in this one, final attack, ensuring that she'd have the leverage and force behind her movements to see it through.

There was a trio of near simultaneous cracks as both of their attacks meet their marks, Ysa's swings knocking Lulabelle's head sideways in a sickening snap only for her to send the kobold flying up and over the hedge, out of sight. I screamed when I heard her hit the ground with another gut-wrenching snap, and rushed to the break in the hedge near where they'd finished their fight, but Lulabelle held out her left hand and caught me before I passed as she rubbed her muzzle with her right.

"Why are-!? Let me-! She could be-!" My mind was a jumbled mess and it was getting harder and harder to string together the rushing thoughts into coherent words as I tried to force myself past Lulu.

"Miss Ysayle is fine, Miss Rose."

I wanted to scream my frustration at her, but all I could get out as I struggled weakly against her was unintelligible mumblings about the crack I heard when she landed. All of that struggle came to a halt, however, when Ysa limped through the part in the hedge, favoring her right leg and carrying her wooden knives, one of them snapped in half. I sank to my knees at the sight of her, whatever surge of adrenaline that had been coursing through me evaporating into nothing as relief flooded my brain.

"I can't believe ya threw me like that but ya were too slow! I definitely won this time!"

"Lulabelle seriously doubts that. As much as it hurt, you were lucky to even hit Lulabelle. If you had even been half a second slower, you would have missed completely."

Ysa huffed and ineffectually stomped her uninjured clawed foot in the grass. "That's a load of apples and ya know it! Feint or not, ya barely hit me fast enough to even come close to a win!" She glared, hands on her hips and knives jutting out awkwardly. "Mary was watching! She'll know I won!" I blinked, my brain finally catching up with the argument when they both turned to me, and just gaped in disbelief. "Did ya see, Mary? I won, right?"

My mouth moved, but words failed me. I was dumbstruck, both by the absurdity of the argument in light of my worry and suddenness of being pulled into the middle of it. They watched for several seconds, stances tense, before they eased up as tears started to spill down my face. "Miss Rose, are you-?"

"I thought… Y-you… I-I H-heard-" I sucked in a deep breath and glared at the pair of them. "I don't care who won! I-I-I-I f-fucking thought you w-were really h-hurt, b-but you just- And you!" I took a steadying breath, but it did nothing to calm my thundering heart or the pounding in my head as a haze crept across the edge of my vision. "You c-could've… You coulda really hurt her!" I stared at them for several long seconds before putting my face in my hands and muffling a scream into them.

"Mary… I'm sorry, I didn't realize ya were so worried…" Ysa's voice was soft and, over my panting, I could hear the rustling of grass where she was standing. "All of us spar all the time and we all know how much we can take…"

I felt Lulu's big hand settle on my shoulder and heaved a stuttered, hiccup-broken sigh as I reluctantly looked up at her and my anger ebbed away. "You were so excited to watch us, we didn't think it would frighten you so much."

I watched them for just a moment, taking in the sincerity of the remorse on their faces, and sagged in defeat as I weakly reached out and tried to pull them close, both in an effort to get back to my feet and to lose myself in their comforting presence, no matter how frustrating they seem to sometimes be. Luckily, both Ysa and Lulabelle were more than eager to help in both regards, and I practically fell into their embraces hugged them tightly. "I… I don't think… I don't th-think I could w-watch something l-like that a-again…"

They both looked at me solemnly and Lulu pulled back to hold me at arm's length. "Miss Rose…" Her voice was soft and would have been comforting if not for the context of her tone. "We're exiled from our homes and will be fighting to take them back. We're going to get hurt and… maybe worse. It's inevitable."

"Th-that's not fair… I don't- You guys can't-"

"Hey, it's okay Mary. We've got plenty of time to prepare." Ysa's tiny claws gripped my fingers, the pads of hers squishing against mine. "We don't really hafta tussle. We just do it to stay fresh and for fun." She smiled and smiled, grinning up at me as I tried to sniffle back the tears. It was getting ridiculous now, crying all the time, because, even with how much of a wreck I was, I'd never been this emotional before and it made me think there really was something wrong with me, but luckily there was just something about Ysa's beaming grin that ate away at my gloom. "There ya go!" She laughed and snuggled up against my stomach, rubbing the side of her face and her spines into my blouse.

I let out my breath, easing my arms around the kobold, and hefted her up like a toddler on my hip and a grunt. "I-Is your leg okay?"

"Oh yeah! Lulu got me good, so I'll be walking funny for a bit, but it's prolly just a bruise."

I nodded, then turned to Lulabelle who was still rubbing and working her jaw. "Lulabelle is fine, Miss Rose, though Lulabelle does appreciate your concern." Her smile was warm, if a little stiff, assumedly because of Ysa's last attack. After a few, brief moments, the weredog took her staff from where she'd settled it up against the hedge after the fight and walked it and Ysa's one and a half knives back over to the makeshift weapon rack before looking up into the sky. "We should head back inside before it gets too dark. The skies are clear, but we're just coming out of a new moon and Lulabelle would rather not worry about you tripping over anything."

I followed her gaze up and took my first good look at the night sky since I got here. The sun was setting behind the mansion-castle, casting the previous blue expanse into a cascade of oranges and purples that was quick starting to be dotted here and there by sparkles of white light as the stars began their turn to dominate the field above, and, just off to what I assumed was about the northeast, was the slightest sliver of a moon that barely cast enough light to make its presence known. It was a breathtaking sight, one I'd never had the opportunity to see back home quite so vividly since, even in the suburbs, I was much too close to the city and its light pollution to have a clear night sky.

I wasn't quite sure how long I stood there and watched the colors above shift slowly away from the warm oranges and light purple to darker, more dusky tones before Lulu touched my arm and snapped me back to the present. I coughed, flushing a little with a muttered apology, and quickly stepped into line right beside her with Ysa in my arms clinging firmly to my blouse.

"It's really pretty, huh?"

I nodded and carefully hefted the kobold to readjust her on my hip. "Y-yeah, it's… pretty amazing. I, uhm, never saw anything like it back home. The stars and whatnot are too hard to see outside of little sprinklings."

"Well, Lulabelle is certain that Princess Luna would be pleased to hear that when you get the chance to meet her."

I looked at the canine, tilting my head just slightly as I tried to figure out what she meant. "Why… would she be happy? I mean, I'm guessing sh-she's like the night d-duty princess or something?" They both stared at me, Lulabelle standing in the entryway holding the front door open for us, and I shifted back and forth between them with what I imagined was as much confusion on my face as I saw in theirs. "What?"

"Princess Luna moves the moon and the stars. She brings out the night sky."

I narrowed my eyes at the kobold, trying to process what was said and, if I could, see if she was fucking with me, but there wasn't even the slightest hint of a grin. In fact, she seemed even more confused by the intensity of my scrutiny. "What do you… mean? Does she, like, ring a bell or… something?"

There was a moment of almost outrage on their faces before Ysa perked up. "Ohhh~ Mary, she literally moves the moon and stars. The princesses are like goddesses."

"They what!?" I almost dropped her in my surprise, but Ysa was holding on tightly and I scrambled to regain my grip on her. "Y-you're fucking with me, r-right? It's l-like some symbolic shit, right? That's… th-that's just… impossible!"

"The princesses are incredibly powerful, Princess Sparkle included, and have lived since before Equestria's founding."

"Not Twilight, though!"

Lulu chuckled and nodded. "Yes, not Princess Sparkle."

"Wait! Wait, wait, w-wait!" I held out my free hand, shaking it and cutting Lulabelle off right as she opened her mouth to continue, then rubbed the bridge of my nose. All of this was starting to make my headache pound harder. "H-how old is Twilight?"

"I dunno. I never asked her." Ysa shifted in my arms, swinging her head back and forth, and I had to hop her up again to keep her comfortably situated. "I think she's about a hundred and fifty though?"

"A hundred and…" I stared ahead, working my jaw as I tried to process that. There just wasn't any way it was possible. I mean, I wasn't a big horse person, but even I knew that horses only tended to live at most forty years if they were especially hardy, but Twilight was over… I mean, I remember her mentioning something about centuries, but I'd brushed it off. Who wouldn't? The idea of somebody living that long was absurd, let alone an animal, but now there were two more that were older way beyond that, too. It was ridiculous. It was stupid. It made my head spin. It… "I think… I'm gonna…"

I stumbled, tilting forward as the world turned around me, vaguely aware of the ground rushing up to meet me, and jolted as a pair of strong, black arms caught me. I glanced up, bleary-eyed, into Lulabelle's bright blue eyes, a pair of blurry orbs of color in a world of searing pain and indistinct shapes with vague hints of motion, only to drop my gaze back to what I could only hope to guess was the floor as my stomach churned. The only clues I had that I emptied my stomach right there on the front steps of the mansion was the sudden foul taste in my mouth and the horrible clenching pain in my gut.

I tried to apologize, but through my heaving stomach and fucked senses, I had no idea if I was even spitting anything more than gibbering noise. All I had was the piercing, searing pain throbbing in my skull and the world spinning around me. Sweat soaked through my shirt, matting it to my skin like a hot, sticky film, and my body felt heavy, like every muscle, organ, and bone had been replaced by lead. I couldn't move more than little shifts despite my efforts, and even that was a monumental task. It was like my body was being slowly crushed under a hydraulic press and I didn't have the faculties to do anything about it, and, if it wasn't for Lulabelle, I would've been sprawled out on the floor, likely drowning in my bile. As it was, the swirling masses were getting harder and harder to make out, my delirium making what was once semi-discernable shapes into nothing but almost colorless smudges that continued to twist and churn and make my stomach heave one last time before everything faded into nothingness.