Author's Note

Here's the final chapter. Sorry it took so long, we were kinda rushing it to post it on Christmas to make it all the more special, so after it's posted, we'll edit a more better version of it. Anyways, be sure to follow NineTailBeastBall for helping me out with this story.

And as always, thank you to all you bronies out there for your patience and support during these past few years I've been a writer, be sure to stay tuned for more chapters and stories to come in the future and remember to keep on bronying on and have hope you had a Merry Christmas.

The Family of Hearth's Warming

You sat at the edge of the hospital bed where your mother laid, weak, but no longer unconscious. While it’s true that a huge weight had been lifted from your shoulders when a guard came to your room this morning with the big news, you had to hurry since he also mentioned that she was making quite a scene. With your hand touching her own, you had just finished explaining what this world is and assured your mother that you were just as shocked as she was on the day you woke up here.

“I’m glad I came down here before the shock became too much for you,” you sighed. “How much of what I told you do you believe?”

“I know you would never lie to me. If I was hearing it from any of those hippogriffs as they’re called, giving them my trust might have been a bit more of a challenge,” she answered.

“Hmm, I see. Well I suppose it’s my turn to ask questions. How did you end up in this predicament in the first place?” you asked with your voice turning a little more serious.

“Well, you see... when I heard you had died after saving that poor girl, I... I just couldn’t find any other reason to go on living anymore. I did as much as I could to keep myself from making rash decisions. I made therapy appointments, tried meditating, and then some, but nothing seemed to work. Soon the time came where I couldn’t take it anymore and... I took my own life...”

Everything around you seemed to disappear the moment those words made it to your ears. “I... I honestly don’t know what to say Mother.”

“Are you ashamed of me? Now that I’m confessing this out loud, I feel so foolish.”

You no longer had the courage to admit that you too had planned to commit suicide before your mother arrived. You clenched your legs hard enough to draw blood, hoping the pain would help try to convince you to say something. With your back turned to her, your mother couldn’t see your bleeding leg, but she could tell you there was something you needed to get something off your chest.

“Mother I... I...” you hesitated, clenching your knees tighter, while gritting your teeth and closing your eyes tight. Before you could finally admit to your mistake, you heard knocking on the door and you had reasons to believe your visitor was the same lovable girl who saved you from your said mistake.

“You can come in,” you said.

Hearing the door open, you were just about to open your eyes to see if it was indeed Skystar who had come to see you and your mother, but you were immediately blinded as a rambunctious rugrat tackled your face. And if that wasn’t enough, two more pairs of hands grabbed hold of you. One tugged at your arm, trying to pin you down as if engaging in a wrestling match, while the other went for your leg.

“Please forgive me!” cried a panicked voice that obviously belonged to Skystar. “Thunder Hawk! You know and your siblings know better than to-”

She didn’t scold the triplet siblings that her mother’s relationship with her stepfather gifted her with any further, for even though you had fallen off of the bed, you actually started laughing. Being far stronger than the toddler hippogriffs, you were easily able to get Skystar’s brother, Thunder Hawk off of your face and stare up at him with a smile as you laid on the floor. The other two who went by the names Swan Dance and Eagle Dive remained attached to your leg and arm respectively.

“Finally...” you heard your mother say in a broken voice. Even though you couldn’t pry the remaining hippogriffs who were using your body as a gymnasium since your hands were occupied with Thunder Hawk, it became of no importance when you got back on the bed to look at your mother.

“F-Finally... I get... I get to see you... smile...” she sobbed.

You blinked in surprise, realizing how right she was. A lot has happened to you in your life that you rarely ever bothered to crack a smile, and your mother was never around when it happened. You could only imagine how it felt for her to see you express such positive emotions for the first time.

With you distracted, Skystar pulled Swan Dance and Eagle Dive off for you. “Should... Should I leave?”

“No. Please stay,” you insisted. It was only proper to introduce your mother to the girl whose heart of gold led her to save your life more than once.

“Mother... I know a lot has happened, but please bear with me. I’ve come to believe that this world is a lot more peaceful than our own. Princess Skystar here... she’s the one who took me in and did everything she could to make me feel welcome here, no matter how rude and stubborn I behaved in the process. I know now that I’m not exaggerating when I say that she’s... she’s the greatest friend I’ve ever had,” you explained.

Your mother looked over at the young princess. She knew you weren’t lying, but was relieved to know you were unharmed and alive. “I’m pleased to meet you, my dear. This old lady here can’t thank you enough looking after her boy... when no one else back home would. It just warms my heart to know he’s been found by someone with such a kind heart,” she replied.

Being the loving future ruler of Mount Aris, Skystar came over and gently wiped your mother’s tears. “You’re welcome, but there’s really no need to thank me madam. I was only doing what I knew was the right thing.”

You would have to wait to continue this conversation later, as the doctor came in and politely told you that you were going to have to leave so your mother could get some rest. Of course before that, they would have to run a couple of tests to ensure she was mentally stable. You understood and respectfully left the room with Skystar and her siblings so the doctors could do their jobs. After that the princess called a couple of guards to do their own jobs and escort the triplets back to the castle.

“Hey, are you gonna be okay now?” Skystar asked, putting a hand on your shoulder. Moving out of the room itself didn’t feel good enough, so you actually waited until you were on your favorite spot on the beach to start talking.

You gave her a calm stare, smiling a little. “I... I think so,” you said. “Only thing is...”

Skystar watched as you frowned. “You didn’t tell her... did you?”

You shook your head. "No, I didn't… or rather, I couldn't. How am I supposed to face her when… I tried to end it all? It was already hard before I learned she took her own life.”

"Eventually, you'll have to tell her. And if she's as understanding as she was when we first met her, then she'll understand your pain as well. You don't have to tell her now, just don't wait too long or it'll eat you up inside. Trust me, it'll help the both of you find closure," Skystar said before giving you a hug.

As much as it pained you, she was right. Sooner or later, your love for your mother would force you to come clean. As you heard the doctors talking to her from behind the closed door to her room, you decided you made the right call not to tell her since she wasn’t in the condition.

Skystar looked around to see if anyone was watching, much to your confusion. “Listen... Mother would probably agree this isn’t how an heir to the throne would talk but... I’d like to give you a confidence boost... and a gift for being so patient with us all in the last few weeks.”

Skystar then leaned in so her beak came dangerously close to your lips and just when you thought she was going to go through with it, she hesitated and pulled away. Feeling awkward, she changed her plan and planted a small kiss on your cheek instead. It wasn’t quick either. She held her beak there for at least 20 seconds before backing away to look at how red your face was turning.

“So... how do you feel?” she asked, hoping she gave you the strength to go back and confess your guilt to your mother. Without answering, you slowly turned away and headed back in the direction of the hospital. It was enough of an answer for Skystar who smiled as she watched you walk away.

“Thank you...” you replied, trying not to face her while you're trying to hide your blush. "I… I feel a little better." And so, you keep on walking, with that kiss still fresh on your mind, but now having a little more confidence in yourself. You're not sure how she did it, but in a way, it seemed to have worked.

The next day during visiting hours, you went to go see your mother again. You knew she was still recovering, but it was time for her to learn your secret. Skystar was accompanying you to provide the support you needed when you finally told your mother the truth about what you tried to do to yourself. Unlike yesterday she made sure the castle maids kept an extra close eye on her brothers and sister, as she didn’t want to risk your upcoming confession to be interrupted by another one of the triplets’ shenanigans.

“Guilt has been eating away at me ever since I found you on the beach,” you said, thinking it was only a matter of time before you started tearing up. “I learned during my time here that it’s rare for a person to get a chance to live here after they die, so I took the bet that my death would drive you to kill yourself too. I had no idea how right I would be.”

“It took a lot of courage to come clean like that, dear. What changed your mind?” she asked.

So later, you told your mom everything else that happened during your stay here. “It... It was Skystar who convinced me to keep on living… even when I had given up on myself. I got so… frustrated and confused, I didn't know what to do with myself anymore! So one day... I tried the... the unthinkable and almost splattered onto a watery grave.”

Your mother put a hand to her mouth in shock. “You... tried to commit suicide?”

“Yes,” you confirmed, hanging your head in shame. “But... if it hadn't been for Skystar, I would probably be burning in Hell. And I can’t say I don’t deserve it.”

“It’s true. It was a terrifying moment, but I managed to stop him and showed him that his life is worth living, no matter the hardships or conflicts we face,” Skystar vouched, paying no mind to the negativity at the end of your sentence.

“And when I found you here... I was shocked, but at the same time, deep down, I was relieved to see you again. But I was still worried about how you got here,” you said, holding her hand.

“Son... come here, please...” your mother said, opening up her arms. You hesitated at first, but after turning back and getting a nod from Skystar, you acquired the courage you needed to close in on your mother and felt her wrap her arms around you in a comforting hug.

“Promise me one thing, dear. If you promise not to try anything like that again, then I won't try it again either, because I want to make up for all the lost time. I wanted the chance to see my youngest boy grow up. Please, don't take that away from me again!" she begged, her voice cracking.

You knew it was only a matter of time before you started crying as well, and seeing your mother break down like that made you let loose. Skystar too teared up a bit since she was such an empathetic girl, but she sobbed quietly so your focus would remain on your mother like it was supposed to be. Finally, the time was long due. The time when you would finally come out of your shell and let all of your emotions out with nothing holding them back.

“I-I... I promise!” you declared, resting your head on your mother’s shoulder as the tears seemed like they would never stop. But you didn't have a care in the world and just kept letting loose the water works and your mother just laid there, patting you on the back and rubbing your head like any loving mother would. You needed this for so long. She’s been absent for the earliest years of your life, and the few days you spent together before your death didn’t even come close to making up for that.

“Skystar... please come over here sweetheart,” your mother encouraged, noticing her crying in the corner.

"Oh no, I… I'd hate to be a bother, ma'am," Skystar tried to refuse, but your mother shook her head and gestured for the princess responsible for keeping you alive to approach the bed.

“Skystar I’ve been thanking you a lot of times, but until now I didn’t realize how much you’ve taken care of my son in my absence. You name it, what can I do to show my gratitude?”

"There's no need to trouble yourself, ma'am. I'm just really happy you're back with your son,” Skystar insisted, but your mother held her arms out to Skystar this time. “Well... if you insist...” she finally submitted before heading over and joining in on the group hug. After all three of you had calmed down a little, Skystar turned her attention back to you. "So, are you going to be okay now?"

You look over at Skystar, your eyes red from the tears flowing, but a smile dawned on you. "For the first time in a long time… I think I'll be okay now." you reply, adding a nod.

“Me too, now that I have my precious boy with me again,” your mother said.

Suddenly, the doors opened up and the doctor came in. “I’m very sorry to interrupt you all, but visiting hours are over,” he said.

"Well, I guess that's all the time we have for now. I'll see you two next time," your mother said.

“Yeah. See ya Mother. I’ll be back real soon,” you promised as you gave her
one last hug.

“That makes two of us. Go ahead and get some rest,” Skystar added. Now that you said your goodbyes, you and Skystar gave your mother and retreated into the hallway.

“Your expression tells me that you feel much better,” Skystar said as both of you sat down.

“U-Uh... I... don’t know what you're talking about,” you stuttered, trying to be modest.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to hide it anymore. So, how does it feel to finally let out your emotions after so long?” Skystar asked, holding your hand.

You couldn’t answer, not while you were looking into those amazing eyes of hers. You were feeling so many things right now as your heart pounded as if you’ve just finished running an entire mile.

“S-Skystar I... I...” you tried to say and your grip on her talons tightened. Those were the most words you could manage before you completely let yourself go and planted your lips against the princess’ beak.

Naturally she was surprised by this as it just so happened to be her first kiss, but then she slowly kissed you back and placed her hands on your shoulders. It was convenient that no one was watching you, so that way there would be no one to ruin the moment as you poured your feelings out. This couldn’t be a more perfect moment for you and Skystar. Perhaps this could be the start of something brand new.

Time really seemed to fly, it’s already been three years since you set foot on Mount Aris. Of course it wasn’t like you’ve spent all time isolating yourself from the rest of the world. You’ve paid your share of visits to the ponies in Equestria. Your first stop was at Ponyville where you got to meet some interesting ponies, including the headmare of a school revolving on educating its students on friendship, Starlight Glimmer and her human husband, Chance.

Your relationship with Skystar improved with each passing day and by now, all the residents in the kingdom knew that you were dating. When Bellator and Novo heard about you two getting together, they were shocked at first. Of course, they both gave you the talk about being good to their daughter or else. However, today they weren’t really focused on harassing you with your relationship with their daughter, since a great celebration was taking place in both Mount Aris and Seaquestria.

The occasion was none other than the joyful holiday, Hearth’s Warming Eve Three Days of Freedom celebration. Of course when you were spending your first year in this world, the festival was just another thing that you struggled to get used to. Apparently, Hearth’s Warming Eve was like this world’s version of Christmas, and the residents always took the chance to celebrate their survival from the Storm King’s tyranny.

Now, the holiday's become second nature to you and the best part is... you've got a big family to celebrate it with, including your sweetheart, Skystar. Spending Hearth’s Warming with her... just makes the holiday so much brighter.

According to the tradition, all of the residents would be spending the day in Seaquestria in order to give thanks to the ocean for hiding them from the Storm King. Since Novo was running low on her pearl fragments, you had to split yours with your mother.

“What do you think, Mom?” you asked as she looked at the underwater paradise. You were swimming at a slow pace so she could adjust. Ever since she woke up in Mount Aris, she’s developed a psychological fear of the ocean and had only just now gotten over it.

"It's… amazing. I never knew what it was like to live and breathe underwater and have an underwater kingdom, to boot. This place is just... beautiful," your mother said. She brought her webbed hand up to touch one of the fish that swam by and to her surprise, the fish allowed the contact.

Queen Novo overheard your mother and with a proud expression, she pressed her hand to her chest. “Mama here takes pride in her architecture. That despicable Storm King and his minions never even thought of searching for us in the water. They hardly ever thought outside the box.”

“And as usual, you're acting all humble about it,” you said sarcastically, but a smile remained on your face. Before Novo had the chance to respond, you found Skystar pulling on your hands.

“Come on Levi! The celebration won’t last forever, you know!” she giggled and continued pulling on you, much to your embarrassment. Levi was a nickname she gave you 3 years back. She called you Levi, which is short for Leviathan, a mythical creature that ruled the seas in the stories told in the human world.

“Have fun you two!” your mother called out.

Seaponies have begun to gather around for the underwater celebration. And the one activity that excited Skystar the most, was where she was able to dance with you to her heart’s content. You couldn’t talk her out of it even if you wanted to, so you might as well have fun.

Right as you arrived, the music was blasting and Skystar got all excited from the melody and holiday spirit. She pulled you into the crowd and soon enough, the two of you began your little holiday tango. Even though the same thing happened last year, the dance hadn’t lost its effect on the other seaponies, who grabbed their own partners so they could follow your lead. That included Bellator and Novo.

“I’m convinced you’ll NEVER lose your touch when it comes to a tango,” you chuckled, as you spun the other way.

“Dancing is one of my passions. At first it was just a hobby, but now it's my bread and butter," Skystar replied. "You've gotten better with practice, Levi. I'm very happy to see that. I mean take a look. You weren’t able to get Mother and Father to dance last year.”

When you got the chance to turn around again, you saw that she wasn’t lying. Novo and Bellator were indeed trying the tango even though it was rare to see them dance, even on a special holiday. Reason why they didn’t often dance is due to Queen Novo dancing like she’s got two left feet. Even with Bellator, she always steps on his feet. Despite not being on land at the moment, they still had trouble dancing right, but there are some worse mistakes than stepping on each other’s feet, like non-synchronized swimming.

But it was nice to see them get into the spirit and join the fun. It always can be quite the show to see them “dancing.” Novo's keeping her eyes on Bellator's tailfin to make sure she's keeping herself in sync and not throwing each other off. The look of uneasiness on her face was priceless to watch, you gotta admit. And Bellator's just smiling in amusement.

“Maybe if she'd boasting about her "greatness" and start improving herself a bit more on her feet and tailfin, she'd already be getting more attention than she should have,” you retort

“Oh, come now Levi. Don’t be mean during Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Skystar playfully scolded before giving you a peck on the cheek.

“Ah, you know I don’t really mean it all that much. I’m indebted to you and your family for all you’ve done for me these last three years. You gave me and my mom a second chance at a brand new start. Neither one of us would be alive if it wasn’t for you and your caring hospitality.” You then decided to return Skystar’s affection and kiss her on her own cheek.

"You can sure be a real sweetheart, too, Levi," Skystar said and decided to go for another round of dancing. This night was going to be a long one, and there would be two more that would be just as tiring, but exciting nonetheless.

During the Three Days of Freedom, the first day is always spent celebrating under the ocean in Seaquestria. However for today, everybody was coming out of the water to spend the second day on Mount Aris. Up on the Harmonizing Heights, you looked up at all the hippogriffs who were dancing in the sky in order to commemorate the defeat of the tyrant who terrorized them for so long.

It was unfortunate that you couldn’t join them since you couldn’t fly, but at least Skystar was sitting next to you to keep you company along with a few other hippogriffs. Plus, you couldn’t really complain since you got to look at the magnificent sight of all those colorful subjects harmonizing in the light of the sunset. It threatened to bring a tear to your eye.

“You really don’t have to sit here and watch you know,” you tried to encourage your girlfriend. “You love singing so why don’t you go fly up and join them?”

Skystar shook her head and pinched your cheek like she usually did to lighten the mood. “I can’t leave you all by your lonesome. It just wouldn’t be fair,” she said. “Besides, I can tell from your face that you think this is romantic.”

“Is it that obvious?” you asked with a cocky smirk, earning your cheek an even harder pinch. If any other hippogriff tried to grab you with those sharp talons, you would have become scared that they would accidentally tear your face open. Lucky for you, due to all the time you’ve spent with Skystar, you knew her and trusted her to be careful with her strength.

“You know Mount Aris much better than I ever will. Are all hippogriffs such gifted singers?” you asked.

“In all my life, I haven’t come across a single hippogriff who couldn’t sing aside from a baby,” Skystar answered. The music was so relaxing and calmed your hearts despite the excitement of the holiday. Practically hypnotized by the romantic atmosphere, she laid her head on your shoulder to await your loving caresses. Too bad she wasn’t going to get it.

“Tag! You’re it!” you heard three young voices full of mischief shouted in unison before you found yourself face first on the ground. Even after three years, the little assailants who had tackled you were still young and seeking chances to get the jump on you.

“Well, I can see you three have the holiday spirit,” Skystar giggled as you got up and confirmed it was indeed her siblings who had pushed you down. Since it was indeed a special day, you couldn’t get made at the little nuisances.

“You kids are lucky I can’t bring myself to get rough with children. Otherwise you’d be singing a different tune, you sneaky little devils,” you chuckled and pinched Swan Dance and Thunder Hawk’s beaks. If only you had three hands Eagle Dive would be getting the same treatment, but you would get to him in just a second.

“Mommy’s up there singing right now, so Daddy said to play with you instead,” Swan Dance explained after you released her tiny beak.

"Figures they'd sick you little monsters on us. Well, you're here now, so no use in arguing the head mama now," you said with a smile. You then forced Eagle Dive into your lap and tickled his belly while laughing maniacally. Unlike his siblings, he hadn’t gotten his beak pinched but this seemed like an equal punishment.

Skystar followed your lead and grabbed Swan Dance and Thunder Hawk Before they could fly away and began tickling their tummies as well, making them laugh like crazy and squirming to get free. They put up a good effort to get loose, but Skystar only tightened her grip and tickled them even faster.

“S-S-Stop! P-Please stop! T-That tickles!” Swan Dance laughed.

“Learned your lesson yet?” Skystar asked, still not slowing down. “Have you learned what happens if you sneak up on others?”

“Okay! Okay! We get it! Just please, stop!” Thunder Hawk hollered through his laughter.

You looked at Skystar and you nodded simultaneously, deciding the little hippogriffs wouldn’t prank you again for the rest of the night. And afterwards, you let the little troublemakers go. Even so they didn’t fly away like you expected, but instead made themselves comfortable on your lap so they could join you in watching the hippogriffs sing.

‘Sure, now they’re behaving,’ you sarcastically thought. The triplets may have been prone to cause a great deal of trouble, but it still felt nice to have them on your lap. Smiling you gave each of them a gentle pat on the head.

“Make sure to remember the happy smiles of your fellow hippogriffs and seaponies you three,” Skystar addressed her siblings as they admired the singing queen who brought them into the world. “Mother risked everything to make sure the Storm King didn’t take that happiness away when he attacked our land.”

You joined in and ruffled their heads again. “Learn from your mother and sister’s struggles and I have no doubt you’ll each grow up to become as strong and courageous as the two of them.”

“Sky, do you really think I’ll be as great as you?” Eagle Dive asked hopefully while looking at his older sister hopefully. It wasn’t long before Swan Dance and Thunder Hawk were giving her the same face.

“It’s not something that I think, it’s something that I know. And if you don’t believe me, Mother’s coming down right now as you can see.”

Indeed, the song had finally reached its end, and when the hippogriffs responsible for the performance landed, you could see just how tired they were.

“I think that just about does it for my vocal work out. So, how did you all enjoy the performance, my dears?” Novo asked, waiting for her subjects to butter her up and compliment her voice like they did every year. As expected the one who got the privilege of complimenting her first was none other than her husband.

"As usual, you blew away my mind with that goddess voice of yours, my dear. If you sang in my world, you'd be asked to sign up for America's Got Talent," Bellator praised. "You were absolutely wonderful, honey."

"Thank you, baby. As expected, it's nice to know I haven't lost my touch," she boasted, looking up proudly.

"How long did it take for this guy to get used to her ego?" you asked Skystar quietly, which got her to giggle.

"It actually took him a whole year to get used to her," Skystar replied.

"Guess he's got more nerves of steel to tolerate her if he can get used to her in that short amount of time," you whispered back. You and Skystar gave a laugh which quickly got Queen Novo's attention just as she finished the nice cold cup of iced tea Bellator brought her for her sore throat.

"Now what might you two be laughing about?" she asked.

"Oh nothing, just sharing a few friendly laughs, that's all," you said, waving your hand to brush it off casually. The queen squinted at you, but since this was a time to be happy, she decided not to risk making a scene and gave her attention to the triplets. Needless to say, she was completely ignorant to the little stunt they pulled while she was busy singing.

‘Phew, saved by the bell on that one. I'd hate to think how she'd react if I called her out on that thich-headed ego of hers,’ you thought to yourself. But then, another thought popped into your mind as you stared at Novo playing with the kids. 'Hmm... I wonder if it's possible for me and Skystar to one day have some kids of our own. We’ve been dating for a few years and… the timing's just right. Maybe I'll ask her later on tonight or tomorrow...' you thought as you turned to the princess herself. You wouldn’t be surprised if she admitted the thought crossed her mind at least once.

Today was the last day of the Three Days of Freedom celebration, and instead of having to choose between shifting into a hippogriff or a seapony, all the subjects in the kingdom would make the choice on their own as they spent the day partying together. On one side, you could see the seaponies sticking their heads above the surface of the water as they swam to the shore, and on the other side, some of the hippogriffs instantly went underwater.

“This never gets old,” Skystar sighed, watching everybody having a good time. “A lot of families were split up when they chose between going back to living on Mount Aris or remaining underwater in Seaquestria. It’s nice to see making such a choice hasn’t done anything to strain our subjects’ relationships.”

“You’re thinking about your cousin Terramar, aren’t you?” you chuckled. That hippogriff was no longer a child, but he still had the tendency of going back and forth between his two homes. Speaking of which, you could see him by the shore building a sand castle with his triplet cousins so you decided to go over and strike up a conversation.

“I’m kind of jealous of you Terramar. These little rascals never seem to treat you like a target,” you said.

“Why do you say that?” Terramar asked. All you had to do was point down and remind him that the bundles of energy were being so unusually well-behaved and quietly shaping the sand castle. If you tried to help them with this, they would’ve already dumped a bucket of sand on your head for a good laugh.

He shrugged. “I honestly can’t explain it. Kids are a mystery. That aside, tell me about your plans with Skystar. You’ve been dating for three years already, and I’m naturally curious what your future will look like.”

“Skystar... she's an amazing girl. It's like every time I look at her, everything just makes sense, you know. And she's done so much for me when I first came here and… I honestly hope that one day, she and I can build a future together, even have some kids of our own. I really do love her, man. Three years ago I wouldn’t have even thought of saying this but Skystar means the whole world to me,” you said, watching your girlfriend.

“What about you Terramar? Any pretty hippogriffs or seaponies you have your eye on?” you teased, and got the reaction you were looking for when Terramar blushed while the triplets snickered.

“Honestly, since it’s not in my nature to settle down in either one of our homes, I’ve had trouble maintaining a relationship,” he admitted.

“Oh, I see. Sorry to hear that, man," you replied, patting him on the back. It seemed like your joke hit a sensitive spot.

“But… there's no law that prohibits me from finding someone outside my species. And there are a few eligible candidates outside my kingdom. Just look at Queen Novo, she got remarried to a human some time after her first husband died. You’ve been dating Skystar for three years, so what’s stopping you from going beyond that? If you want to get married and have kids with her, then go ahead. I’m sure she'd love to start a family with you,” Terramar said.

To be honest, you didn’t know what was stopping you from asking Skystar for her opinion on expanding the royal family. You suppose, one thing is that it would be quite awkward if it turned out getting pregnant never crossed her mind. After all, it would mean her siblings would have a niece or a nephew even though they were only five year olds. Not to mention, Novo might get all insecure about her own age when she found out she was going to be a grandmother.

“I guess you have a point there. Well, I suppose once the festival is over, I could gather the courage to go and ask her and see how all of this plays out. Even though this was a bit awkward, I’m glad we had this talk. Thanks for the support, Terramar,” you reply, giving him a fist bump before going back to Skystar and sitting next to her.

“So what did he have to say?” she asked.

“Oh, he told me that he’s planning on finding some suitable candidates from outside his kingdom. He says it’s been hard to get a date when he’s so used to moving around.” Of course there was more to it than that, and as soon as you felt some pressure you touched your lover’s hand. “And uh, Skystar... after the party, do you think you and I can have a... a talk... alone?” you asked. “It’s kinda important.”

“Oh... of course. After the celebration is over, we can tell me whatever is on your mind, no holds barred,” she nodded. “In the meantime, try to have fun like you’ve been doing for the last two days! Mother should be here any minute and I can’t wait to see what kind of presents she’ll hand out this year!”

To wrap up the festival to commemorate their survival from the Storm King’s oppression, Queen Novo left early in the morning with a handful of guards and spent the entire day in Equestria gathering all kinds of unique treasures to hand out to her brethren. Proper rewards to express her gratitude in her subjects for believing in her so she could find the power to keep them all alive in a war torn environment.

About 20 minutes after the sun had set over the horizon, the queen had returned with two loaded chariots following behind her. Having the utmost respect for their ruler, everyone got in a nice, single file line waiting to see what kind of gift they would receive.

As for you however, no kind of present would be anywhere near as significant as the question you had for the love of your life.

“I swear Hearth’s Warming Eve becomes more fun each year...” Skystar sighed as you gave her a piggyback ride back to her chambers, or more accurately your chambers. It wasn’t like she was going to tolerate you sleeping in that old guest room now that you were a couple. Once you both reached your chambers, you sat Skystar on the side of the bed before going back and closing the door. You then walk up to your lover and sit down next to her. "So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

You waited for a minute to take a deep breath, then turned to face her eye-to-eye. “Skystar, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." you said. She nodded in understanding. “We've been dating for 3 whole years, but it feels like you've done more for me and my mom than I ever did for you and to be honest, I feel like I want to have a chance to make you the happiest girl of all time. Every day has been an adventure and a half ever since you and your family found me and took me in without hesitation. If it wasn't for you, I feel like I would've wound up in Hell. So now, I'd like to ask you something that's long overdue."

Skystar had a feeling of what you were gonna say as you got down on your knees in front of her and took her hand. “Princess Skystar... will you marry me?”

“Oh heavens to Celestia...! Yes! YES! OF COURSE I’LL MARRY YOU!" she exclaimed as she tackled you to the ground with the biggest hug she could give you and a kiss on the lips. Ordinarily your kisses only lasted a couple of seconds, but things were changing and before you knew it, Skystar’s tongue was poking your lips begging you to open wide. You did so and let your own tongue dance with hers.

Even though this was romantic, there was still another important question that you needed to be answered and so you pulled out of the kiss. “Skystar I’m sorry but I need to know something else... I’m not sure if you’ve noticed the way I’ve stared at the triplets, but every time I watch them play... I can’t help questioning our own future... What I’m trying to say is... is...”

“You want to start a family,” she finished for you. “Well, to be honest… I've always wanted to start a family of my own. I was just waiting for the time when you'd finally ask me that. And it seems you found the perfect time. So… are you ready to be a daddy?” she asked, staring at you with her sweet, adorable smile.

“Yes... I’ll admit I was a little scared and unsure of myself, but now... now I’m finally ready for it,” you confirmed. Tears of joy fell down your cheeks now that you had Skystar’s consent and you grabbed both of her cheeks to give her another fierce kiss. Hypnotized by the contact with her beak, you didn’t even notice that she was trying to take her dress off.

Soon, she eventually gets it off fully and tugs at your clothes, trying to get you just as naked as she was. You helped her out by grabbing your own shirt and taking it off, separating your lips from her beak for a split second. You tossed your shirt to the side and got right down to taking off your pants and boxers. You even kicked off both your socks and shoes, too. Now you were just as naked as she was.

"So, this is how you look like in your birthday suit... You’re just as adorable and beautiful as the day I met you...” you complimented, checking out her perfect body from her curves and legs up to her ample bosom and star-spangled eyes. She let out a giggle in reply.

"You're not so bad yourself if you've got a neat body like this," Skystar replied, eyeballing your well-built chest and six-pack. Even after you arrived at Mount Aris, you made it a habit to keep yourself in shape instead of laying around all day and moping. Needless to say, your daily exercise routines have worked in your favor for the princess to be checking you out like that.

“Glad you like what you see, my princess. And I certainly like what I see,” you replied. Despite your husky tone, you took things slowly so Skystar wouldn’t feel like you’ve betrayed her trust. Looking at her F-cup bust, you gulped as you ignored the temptation to grab them as hard as you could. Instead, you gave her right breast a careful squeeze and got a relaxed moan out of the girl.

“T-That’s it...” she sighed. “That’s just right... Please continue...”

“Okay...” you whispered back and kissed Skystar’s neck and held your mark until you were drawn to her nipples. Your hand still hadn’t left her breast, nor did the gentle hold you put on it change. While you focused on carefully tending to her right breast, you slid down until your mouth was right above her left nipple and went down so you could suck on it.

Skystar giggled. “I suppose I should get used to this... Once we have our baby, he or she will be giving me the same treatment.”

“We need to make sure you’re ready before we go for the real deal, you know,” you said and moved your hand down until you felt Skystar’s clitoris brush against your palm. “May I?” you asked and after you got a slow nod, you gave the bud in between Skystar’s legs a playful pinch. Whether it was intended or not, rolling her clit between your thumb and finger rewarded you with some of the most adorable noises that you’ve ever heard. Not to mention, her virgin slit was spraying the juices of her arousal against the hand that was tending to her needs.

“T-That...! That feels... so g-good...!” she stuttered before letting out another of her lovely moans. “I think I’m gonna... I’m gonna...!” Her body beat her mouth to it, as she squealed loudly as she sprayed a fair amount of her love juices onto your hand, prompting you to release her clit so you could get a good look at your messy hand.

“Go ahead and help yourself,” you said with a smile as you brought your hand up to Skystar’s tomato red face. This was all new to her, but like someone who has been stranded in the desert for days, she leaned up to your fingers to lick up her nectar as if her life depended on it. You didn’t think the hippogriff princess was capable of doing such a thing, but in your eyes, it didn’t do anything to ruin her beauty.

“Not bad... but that’s not all I want to taste,” she said and looked down at your impressive shaft. “Please let your royal bride-to-be return the favor.”

You didn’t do anything to protest Skystar’s intentions even though this would be the first blowjon you ever received. You got off of her to sit down on your knees, presenting your rock hard manhood to the drooling princess. She licked her beak a few times to get it nice and wet before she showed you just how warm and soft her mouth was.

“Oh! Oh, wow...” you gasped and placed your hand on Skystar’s soft mane, which felt like silk in between your fingers. Keeping such a careful hold on her head, you slowly pushed deeper down her throat and you were colored impressed that you didn’t hear her choking.

“S-Skystar... are you really okay?” you asked. While of course she couldn’t give you a verbal response, just staring into her beautiful eyes gave you all the assurance you needed to know that she could handle your length. And if sucking you wasn’t enough to drive you off the deep end with pleasure, Skystar got naughty and reached to fondle your family jewels.

Her evil plan was working, for as you felt her talons tickle and squeeze your groin, pressure was already starting to build up in your shaft. Biting your lip, you placed your bets that the pain would distract you into holding back your release so you could relish in the luxury of Skystar’s mouth. Unfortunately the moment she noticed you were resisting, she groped your nutsack with even more pressure, and that was enough to break the dam.

“Levi...” she said once there was nothing left for her to swallow, “...I think I’m ready for you...” Returning to her original position where she was laying on her back, Skystar spread her legs wide open, giving you the perfect view of her virgin flower. Taking it was an honor she couldn’t even think of giving to anyone else except you.

You lined the tip of your manhood with Skystar’s pussy. “On the count of three, I'm gonna put it in. If you feel even the slightest pain and discomfort, you let me know and I'll stop, okay?” Skystar nodded. “One... Two... THREE!” From that moment, you plunged your manhood right into her royal love caverns and felt the resistance of her hymen trying to push you back, but you wind up breaking through, making her gasp and shout in pain and pleasure.

“S-Skystar! Honey are you-” A good, deep kiss was all it took to calm you down. "I guess I'll take that as a way of you saying you're okay...” you said. Wiping a tear away, you pulled out slowly and moved back in with the same amount of caution.

Skystar holds onto you, moaning softly and having a great time. You nuzzle this horny princess cheek to cheek while you keep thrusting inside her. It was your first time and didn't want to mess it up, but she seemed to be enjoying herself plenty.

“S-Skystar.. you’re going to be a w-wonderful mother...!” you grunted and picked up the pace. These were no longer cries of pain ringing in your ears, but cries of pleasure.

"A-And you’re... gonna be… a fantastic father, Levi!" Skystar moaned back. Things only got noisier as you grabbed both of your mate’s breasts, using them like handlebars as you thrusted into her, desperate not to lose to the tight embrace of her pussy.

Skystar then locked her legs right around your waist, losing her mind to your amazingly huge manhood. Eventually, you felt your balls building up pressure deep down, ready to blow.

“There’s no going back now...! H-Here it... COMES!”

"Give it to me! FILL ME UP! MAKE ME INTO A MOTHER!!!"

You continued shouting at one another until you finally let loose the cream cannon, painting her insides white. Skystar let out the loudest scream and came hard all over your crotch and on the bed sheets. You spurted a few more times until you were spent and collapsed on top of Skystar with nothing else to give her. Exhausted as you were, you managed to move your tired body enough to get off of her and lay at her side.

"Gotta say… this… was by far… the best Hearth's Warming ever..." you said between breaths.

“I couldn’t agree more Levi...” Skystar panted while rubbing her belly. “I couldn’t agree more...”