The Convoluted Life of Gleaming Shield

The sun had long since sunk beneath the horizon when Gleaming finally called it quits.

Rubbing at her bloodshot eyes, she tucked her scrap paper and character sheets into the front of the guidebooks before closing them and storing them beneath the coffee table. In the future, she’d need to find a better place for them, but for now, the location worked.

She hadn’t had much time to go over the rules, what with how late they had gotten back to the apartment, but she felt confident enough with what she learned. If anything, she could just claim she was a little rusty if suspicion came up. Hopefully having four fleshed-out character sheets would be enough to allow her to join. She wasn’t sure what the proper amount was for a campaign, so she just covered all her bases. A tank, a healer, a magic-user, and, of course, a bard. She would have done a few more, just to be safe, but she was exhausted both mentally and physically, and there was only so much that coffee could help before the sweet siren call of her bed captured her for the night. Putting her new dice back in their respective boxes, she made sure that the coffee table was relatively cleared off before leaving.

There were no lights on in her apartment as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom, a heavy darkness claiming the rooms as its own. That didn’t really bother Gleaming though, for she knew the layout of her apartment by heart and could walk it blindfolded.

Something she knew from experience.

After brushing her teeth and using the toilet, she entered her bedroom and proceeded to fling herself unceremoniously onto her bed, not even bothering with the covers. Nose buried in her pillow, she inhaled deeply, taking in the still somewhat fresh scent of the recently washed linen. The detergent she used had a pleasant lilac scent, the smell relaxing her tired muscles a little.

Her eyelids were heavy and she could feel them slowly closing as she lay there. Sleep was calling her, and she was going to it willingly. Sweet blessed relief was just a few moments away. She didn’t care when she woke up, she was going to enjoy this while it lasted.

Unconsciousness was just beginning to creep over her when she felt a presence creep into the room. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a shiver ran down her spine. A soft, feminine giggle was the only warning she got before a sudden weight settled upon her back. Warm breath washed over her ear, followed by a sweet, heated whisper. “Mmm, you know, you’re surprisingly comfy.”

Gleaming groaned as the she-demon nibbled on the tips of her ear. “What do you waaant? I’m trying to get some sleep… for once.”

“Well,” Cadance purred, “there are so many things that I want, but I highly doubt I’ll be getting them without some kind of miracle. I wanted to be able to taste food again, I want to feel the sun on my fur, and I really want to smell the sweet scents of the world again. However, with all those things being impossible at the moment, I’ll just settle for something much more simple.”

“And what might that be—oof!”

Putting her full weight down onto Gleaming’s back, Cadance pushed the unicorn deeper into the mattress, nibbling at the base of her left ear as she did so. “You ignored me earlier. You ignored me, a demigod, for a silly little game of paper and dice. While I can appreciate that you are trying to get some of that sweet, elusive monkey dick, I do not appreciate being ignored by my subjects.”

“First of all, I’m not one of your subjects.” Gleaming tried hard to suppress a moan as the she-demon nipped and sucked on her left ear. “It’s not my job to entertain you. And secondly, you have to-o-o—what are you doing?!”

Cadance grinned as her forelegs slipped beneath Gleaming, sinking into the mattress itself. “I’m getting more comfortable, Love.” Clutching the unicorn against her chest, she rolled over suddenly, pulling the startled Gleaming with her.

There was a flurry of motion before Gleaming found herself stomach to stomach with Cadance, both of them laying on their sides. She noted that the she-demon was adorned in a set of black long-sock that came up to almost her shoulders. They accentuated her legs and brought special attention to her flanks.

Gleaming suddenly realized that she was in bed with a being that could easily be considered an exceptionally attractive mare. A mare who’s chest fluff was pressed up against her own. And who was currently giving her a smoldering, half-lidded smile that promised… things.

A deep blush crept across Gleaming’s cheeks.

“W-what… what are you going to do?” she asked nervously.

“Well, my dear, sweet Gleaming,” Cadance growled playfully, “you seem to have forgotten that you are indeed my subject now. After all, was it not you who broke the Crystal Heart and bound yourself to me? That means you are mine to do with as I please.”

Gleaming was finding it difficult to swallow.

“Now, as I stated earlier, you were ignoring me.” Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “You were being a naughty filly, and naughty fillies get what’s coming to them.”

“I… I don’t like this,” Gleaming stammered.

Cadance’s smirk grew. “Oh, don’t worry. You will. I’m going to give you what you deserve.”

Gleaming couldn’t have moved her body even if she wanted to. Lost in a cloud of contentment, she dozed, completely oblivious to the world and whatever troubles it might have. She could only lay there, lost in the bliss that had claimed her.

Through the haze, she was aware of Cadance cradling her head against her chest, the she-demon running a hoof gently through the unicorn’s mane as she whispered sweetly in her ear. “Relax now. That’s right. Just relax and listen to the sound of my voice. Nothing else matters right now. Release all the tension in your body and just relax…”

A soft sigh escaped Gleaming as she found herself doing as was asked. Honestly, this wasn’t what she was expecting from the she-demon. The way things had been leading up, she was half-expecting to not be able to walk tomorrow. This though… this was nice.

She…

She could get used to this.

“It’s okay. Just relax. You’re fine. You’ve done wonderfully. You’re so strong, so independent, so resilient. But you don’t have to be right now. You can just let go. Relax. Relax. The day is done. You tried your best, but now it’s time to rest.”

“Rest…” Gleaming murmured.

Her ear twitched as Cadance giggled softly. There was a rustle followed by a pleasant warmth encompassing her as the she-demon’s wings wrapped around her body, pulling her closer. Protecting her from the world, if only for a little while. Protecting her from her troubles, her worries, and her woes.

Unable to help herself any more, Gleaming slowly drifted off to sleep, Cadance’s words echoing around her head.

“Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed.”