Spread Wings and Caged Hearts

by Drop_It_Like_Its_Clop

Rating: mature
Tags: Romance, Terramar, Sex, Human, Silverstream, Porn, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Ocellus, Fetish
Length: 20808

Terramar and Silverstream walk in on each other sleeping with each other. Wait, what?

"Is it always vital to tell the truth? What if the truth's bad? What if it ruins friendships? Do I have to tell the truth then?"

Silverstream has a secret - a shameful secret. She can't share it with anyone, not even her family or friends; especially not her family and friends. The School of Friendship has taught her a lot, but the more she learns about friendship and what's expected of a good person, the more uneasy she feels. How can she be a good person if she can't do what's expected of her, and how can she reconcile doing what's best for those around her and doing what's right? And what happens if she plays indecision? As it turns out, there are some things in life that only experience can teach you...

My entry for the Found Out February contest, where it achieved second place, and a surprise sequel to another piece I wrote for another contest in the same group. The fact it's an entry for this contest gives away at least some of the contents, but I'll warn you anyway; incest, bisexuality, transformation, threesome, implied gang bang, and humanised characters who retain some animal aspects. All characters are of the age of consent, and are not minors.

Cover art is by Racoonsan/Racoonkun on Derpibooru.

Published 2021-03-01 05:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-03-01 05:00:00 UTC

The open door

Full.

That was the only way to describe just what he subjected her to, how he made her feel, as she lowered herself onto his length. The penetration was intense enough, his crown parting her passage with exhausting ease and spreading her tunnel around its shape. His shaft was even more stern, keeping her stretched, unyielding against her instinctive, involuntary squeezes. If she clamped down, all she felt was how hard and stubborn his pride was. If he flexed, her entire canal tingled from the tiny fluctuation. By the time she reached his base, she was trembling, her body trying to adjust to the paradox that was his wonderful member; as hard and imposing as rock, yet as tender against her walls as velvet.

"So thick," she whimpered, huffing in quick breaths to steady herself, resting her hands against the man's broad chest. "Oh my gosh..." She took a deep breath, her core straining from the effort of merely having something so wonderfully, deliciously sizable embedded in her, and gazed down at her partner. The sight of him was familiar, but this view was very new, and she drank in every detail, from the sharpness of his toned muscles and cut jawline, to the deep cyan of his caring eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his hand sliding up her waist tenderly. His touch was electric, a tingle following in the wake of his contact, and the girl couldn't help but coo. He wasn't even doing anything, and she was practically melting, just because it was him. Even with her straddling him naked, their bodies meeting in such an intimate way, he was still kind and concerned. Was it possible to climax from someone's personality?

"I'm fine," she promised, her wings fluttering behind her. "You're just the first real one I've taken, and...wow...it's so weird. In a good way!" Her awkward backtracking pulled a boyish chuckle from him, and he stroked her belly as she blushed and smiled down at him sheepishly.

"As long as you're not just pretending to be okay for my sake," he checked, stroking his knuckles down her cheek. She simpered at his affection, nuzzling his hand with a contented sigh. "Don't rush yourself, Silvy."

"Stop being so cute," she whined in response, complaining half-heartedly at him, her hands making their way across his firm shoulders. "We're meant to be rolling in the sheets until we're both a sweaty mess, but you're making me want to kiss you and cuddle you and fall asleep holding you..."

"Who says we can't do both?" he asked, grinning up at her. "We've got all day, right? We can start with some kisses, if you want to work up to something more sweaty later on."

"Or we can get sweaty right now," the girl proposed, swivelling her hips. Their breathing heightened just slightly, just an iota, the shift of their bodies stirring a new wave of tingles and throbs. "Wow...it's like...a really still vibrator..." She lasted a couple of seconds before she giggled, and the man beneath her joined in. "Okay, that analogy doesn't work, so...you feel so good inside me, and I can't get enough of your huge dick."

"You don't need to talk dirty," the man assured her, his hands having moved to her waist. "What you're doing is plenty-" He was cut off by an insistent squeeze, the girl's fingers digging into his shoulder and chest from the feedback of clenching around his obstinate rod.

"I've practiced on toys, but..." Her grip loosened, the indents in his skin disappearing and returning to a flawless canvas she adored so much. "They never felt this good. They never twitched or flexed or felt hot or made me want to kiss them." Her grinding picked up in pace, her breathing mirroring her efforts as she flexed back and forth, undulating her entire upper body to ensure she was properly riding him. She wasn't going to settle for the awkward pillow-humping that had defined her teenage years; she was going to milk every buzz, tingle, and throb from his pole, until she'd experienced everything it had to offer, and she had his shape committed to memory.

The grinding transitioned to bouncing, her hips gradually shifting away from rolling back and forth to rising up and down, adjusting with a tilt and a lift until she was slapping her crotch down onto his. She closed her eyes to compartmentalise the sensations, the cycle of being crammed full of her partner's pride sending hot, sparkling ripples up her body that didn't lessen with repetition, and the wonderfully tight stretch of her muscles that accumulated with every glide down his member. Dropping down onto him, over and over, awakened her in ways that she'd never have considered but for this experience; prickles ran up her sides, tingles walked up her spine, her stomach fluttered and tightened in a way that usually came at the tail-end of a satisfying workout, but just managed to invigorate her to do and want more.

Fingertips grazed across her mounds, brushing her skin on their way to grasp her jostling twins, catching them as they rebounded from her ribs and jiggled in a shallow arc. He latched onto her, his grip digging painlessly into the soft skin and groping her tight, kneading the flesh in his hands in instinctive, aimless squeezes and pinches. She felt enclosed, held firm from every direction, more securely than by the sturdiest harness, and it accentuated everything. It made her feel lighter, made the rod she was riding feel hotter and thicker, made-

"I'm close."

The urgent, shameful whimper reached her ears with startling vividness, piercing the maelstrom of concentration she'd fallen into. Opening her eyes, she glanced down, witnessing her partner's tense face, his mouth parted as he panted in hurried breaths.

"Already?" she asked, her surprise bypassing her conscious thought and zipping straight into speech. His face, already pink from their activity, darkened as he blushed.

"It's new for me, too."

The girl blinked and nodded in understanding, realising she'd probably sounded condescending. "I'm glad I feel so good," she encouraged, smiling warmly at him. "So...go ahead. Don't hold back." She rolled her hips again, falling back into the steady rhythm that had lit his fuse and sent him down that inexorable path towards a much-anticipated destination. This time, his breathing was heavy, husky, groaning without the restraint he'd been exerting on himself before, when he didn't know she was happy to finish him quickly. She clenched, massaging his stiffness as she rode, delighting in the blip in his tone she brought about just as much as she enjoyed the sweet feedback it sent through her groin.

"Oh gosh," he huffed, his grasp on her breasts tightening. "S-Silvy, kiss me."

"I want to hear you first," she told him, his words and tone prompting her to grind against him faster, nonetheless. "I want to hear you as you finish inside me, I want to see how you look when your big bad boy is pumping out a huge load." She bit her lip and whimpered to herself, her own words conjuring up vivid images in her mind. It wouldn't take long to find out for real; he was swelling against her walls, and his fingers dug more earnestly into her boobs.

"Ugh, Silverstream!"

Her heart blossomed with joy as he called out her name, the frantic exclamation followed by a babble of noises that described in lascivious, sordid detail the experience he was going through. His face scrunched up like he was undertaking a monumental effort, straining so hard for her. He looked indescribably perfect, exactly as he should look, and she lost herself in his visage, the unapologetic chaos of a man she adored doing something so base and primal.

The gushes slapped her tunnel in wild, delayed volleys, a steady heat spreading through her a second after his throaty proclamation. She groaned at the sloppy contact, his release coaxing her to duck downwards and ensnare him in a kiss. Her lips sought out his, locking the two of them together and snuffing out his garbled praises and senseless bleating, stiffling his cries into muffled whines against her mouth.

The heat didn't stop building after he'd stopped shooting and throbbing, and neither did their kiss. Silverstream kept herself pressed to him, moving in swift, shifting turns, filling her appetite on his presence, tasting his satisfaction from the sluggish but loving response he gave. When she broke the kiss, she was panting, her chest rising and falling.

"Are you ready to go again?" she asked hopefully, eyes brimming with excitement. "Because I'm actually close now."

"Already?" her partner asked, smirking dorkily when he realised the turnabout he'd inadvertently invoked. "I mean are you expecting me to go again already? That took a lot out of me. And you're close now? You really enjoyed that show a lot, huh?"

"Mm-hm," she answered emphatically, nodding. "You looked and sounded and felt so amazing, and you called my name, and now I just want-" She shuddered, a hot chill running through her. "Just lay there and keep being cute for me." She sat up to a kneeling position, dipping a hand down to her crotch just above where they were joined, and reaching up with her other to grope her breast. Her head lolled back a little, her eyes closed as she focused on her own pleasure, her hips working back and forth in a sharp, shallow path. "Oh Terramar..."

As close as she was, she hadn't expected her simmering excitement to boil over so quickly. She was only grinding against her partner for a few seconds before his hand sought out her free nipple, pinching it lightly between his eager fingers, his other hand brushing across her waist and belly, and that started her off. She shook, trembling as the tension in her lower stomach grew, her nerves becoming more sensitive until they were glowing. Her bud was white hot, every faint touch and slight motion sending sparks through her loins.

The release was monumental, the roaring heat rushing up her body like a rolling fireball up an elevator shaft, and she couldn't hold back the cry it ripped from her. She spasmed atop her partner, shaking and trembling, her hips jerking sporadically as sharp pulses peaked and pinged. Waves ocillated up and down her body, reverberating from her head to her toes and back again, the warmth surging and burning a trail through her.

"Terramar!" she cried out, shouting the name blindly. "Terramar!" A pair of lips pressed against hers, her lover sitting up and pulling the two of them together, embracing her with an enviable level of co-ordination while she whined his name into the kiss. Her own limbs wobbled on their way to wrap around him, trying to pull him tighter against her. He was the only sturdy thing in existence to her at that moment, and she used him as an anchor, holding on and refusing to let go. The ebb and sway of her orgasm levelled off, and she was left with the rhythmic pulses of sensation and the tingling numbness in the wake of the cacophonous crash she'd been through.

BANG!

"Silverstream! What's wrong? What happ-"

The sudden heavy whack of the door being flung open and the panicked voice of the entrant was cut short as he stumbled across the sight inside the room. The man in Silverstream's grasp broke the kiss and turned sharply towards the voice, startled by the intrusion. The girl's response was sluggish, her body recovering from its overload, and her mind weaving itself back together, but even she managed to hastily look over, the situation sending a cold chill through her that she registered even through the echoes of her climax.

Terramar was standing in the middle of the room, frozen in place, gawking at her. His eyes bulged, his gaze flicking speedily from her to her partner. The silence seemed to stretch on for hours, days, and weeks, the three of them caught in the net of indecision. Terramar's mouth started to twitch, clearly trying to form words, but his brain was lagging behind. Silverstream knew with almost complete certainty how he felt.

"H-How?" he asked, his voice timid and hesitant. "Why am I in your bed?"

The Terramar embracing her gave a very feminine squeak and threw himself down onto the bed, reaching for a pillow and covering his face with it. The man standing blushed a dark shade of red as her boobs, previously squished against her partner's chest, sprung back to their usual full roundness, her engorged nipples standing noticeably out against her smooth flesh, twin peaks of pink against the white of her chest pillows.

"I-I'm gonna leave!" he announced, his tone strained as he backpeddaled towards the door, bumping into the doorframe in his hurry to get out. Stepping over the threshold, he turned and started to run, tripping over almost immediately on the luggage he'd dropped.

"Wait!" Silverstream called out, lifting herself off the man beneath her and letting his cock slap back against his stomach as it exited her tunnel. "Don't go! I can explain why- AH!" Her legs gave way beneath her, and she stumbled onto the floor gracelessly, her wings flapping to try and slow her fall to no avail. Landing in a heap, she looked up and tried to stand again, wobbling far too much to be able to make any significant progress.

"Silvy?" the man from her bed asked, his voice muffled behind the pillow. A flash of cyan and a sound reminiscient of a bonfire roaring to life filled the room, and there was a creak as the figure moved on the bed. "Silvy? Are you okay?" The voice was far more womanly, concern laced in every syllable.

"We need to go after him," the sprawled girl lamented. "He's probably freaking out and writing to mum and dad, and they'll disown me, and...and..." She moaned pitifully and buried her head in her arms.

"One problem at a time; you can't run after him naked. Get dressed." A pair of lithe legs padded past the moping girl and made their way over to the door, closing it. "Come on, we need to get dressed."

"But he already saw-"

"Silverstream." The utterance was stern. "Get up, get dressed, and let's get after him. I'm not doing this alone."

There was no way to argue with that tone, Silverstream knew, and so she obeyed, dragging herself up and gathering her clothing from around the room, collecting the haphazard scattering of underwear, shorts, and blouse from their seemingly random resting places. She apparently took too long, because a pair of soft, feminine hands took over, firmly pulling the garments onto her and straightened them out appropriately.

"Thanks," she muttered, smiling softly at her helper. "But now what? He's probably on the way back to Mount Aris by now."

"He won't be. He's going to be nearby."

"But-"

"No. No buts. We'll find him, together."

Silverstream smiled, the confidence of her partner filling her with a hope she couldn't summon herself. She didn't know how, but she believed it too. They were going to find Terramar together.

Confused.

As he sat at a mushroom-shaped table outside one of Ponyville's many eateries, Terramar tried to organise the swirling fog of confusion into something comprehensive. Even with his trip over the baggage in the hallway, he'd managed to flee from the school and scramble into a tree to hyperventilate for minutes on end, until he'd exhausted himself and just clutched the branches, shaking and rocking back and forth. His sister and another girl had found him there, managing over the course of ten minutes to coax him down and convince him to talk with them over a hot and relaxing drink.

After twenty minutes of silence and a waiter bringing them their order, he still didn't know where to begin, or how to begin processing what he'd seen. Instead, he gripped his coccoa with both hands and ignored the seeping burn until it no longer felt painful.

"I guess we oughta start with some introductions," Silverstream proposed, a nervous chitter underpinning her chipper tone. She put down the cake she'd been toying with for the past couple of minutes. She must've been nervous, the man realised; in any other circumstance, she'd have cleaned the plate without hesitation. "Terramar, this is my girlfriend, Ocellus." She gestured to the other girl sitting at her side, who smiled shyly. "Ocellus, this is my brother, Terramar."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Ocellus greeted politely, her cheeks tinged rose. "Silverstream talks about you a lot."

"Yeah," Terramar responded, nodding awkwardly. "She...yeah." clearing his throat, he tried to latch onto some sort of conversational hook. "She's mentioned you a lot in the letters she sent home. I think she mentioned you could change form, too."

"I told you she's a changeling," Silverstream assured him. "And she's got a huge heart, and she's just wonderful to be around. You'll see." For a moment, she sounded as excited and bubbly as she normally did, when there wasn't anything bothering her and she spoke freely about whatever was on her mind. It lasted long enough for Terramar to take notice, and then died down just as quickly. "You'll see during your stay here. Because you are staying, right? That's what all the luggage was?"

"Yeah, I did come to stay," he told her.

"Great!" she exclaimed, jumping in before there could be any pause. "What for? You didn't write to let me know, and you normally always write ahead."

"It was a surprise," he revealed. "I wanted to come and visit you for the weekend, and thought I could get here before you got out of class. I didn't realise you were free...busy?"

"There's an hour of independent study every Friday from 2pm to 3pm," Ocellus informed him, her tone crisp as she ignored the blush blooming across her face. "Everybody else was outside or in the library, so we took the opportunity for privacy."

"It was Ocellus' idea," Silverstream added, blinking when the girl in question balked at her. "I-I mean taking the opportunity for privacy! She figured it would be the best time to be alone with the greatest chance for everyone to be out of the dorms."

"I didn't account for visitors," the changeling lamented wryly, glancing to the side. Silverstream pulled her close, hugging her girlfriend.

"You did a great job! It was a brilliant plan, and no one could've predicted a surprise guest! It's why it's called a 'surprise guest' in the first place, after all!"

"I suppose," Ocellus conceded, accepting the hug and smiling warmly at the contact. Silverstream kept hold of her until Terramar cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence.

"I didn't mean to barge in on you," he apologised. "I heard Silverstream shout my name, and thought she needed my help. I didn't stop to think about how she knew I was coming, or why she'd call for me in a school of powerful magic users and shapeshifters. I just rushed into action. Family instinct, I guess."

"I'm sorry we didn't lock the door," Silverstream giggled sheepishly. "I pulled the curtains closed and didn't think there'd be anyone bursting through the door like a superhero. The dorms were meant to be empty."

"I should've planned for it," Ocellus lamented, only to be pulled into another hug by her girlfriend.

"No more self-pitying," Silverstream ordered, kissing her lover on the head. "You did a great job-"

"But I should've taken the precaution," the changeling interrupted. "Taking precautions is what I do! And I nearly gave your brother an existential crisis." She looked at the man in question, offering an awkward smile. "Sorry for traumatising you."

"It was...weird," Terramar admitted, scratching his arm. The ridiculousness of the situation hit him suddenly, and he laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Uh, wow. It was really weird. This whole situation is totally weird." The girls giggled along with him, Ocellus more reservedly than the hippogriff next to her. Finally taking a sip of his cocoa, he breathed in deeply and let out a long sigh. "Coming face-to-face with yourself is..." He paused, searching for the word.

"Strange?" Silverstream offered. "Spooky? Whacky? Weird? Disconcerting?"

"Disconcerting," he agreed. "It's unreal and almost supernatural."

"I know what you mean," Ocellus murmured, a morose frown crossing her visage. He raised an eyebrow at her comment, but didn't pursue it.

"How did you manage to...become me?" Terramar questioned. "I mean, my hair, face, muscle tone, all of it. How did you get it down so perfectly? It was like looking in a mirror. A very freaky, topsy-turvey, perverted mirror, but I could see it was clearly me."

"Silverstream showed me photos of you," the changeling informed him. "I wasn't kidding when I said she spoke about you a lot; I could've created a passable imitation of you a long time ago from how she described you, down to mannerisms and idioms. Some photos, an actual mirror, and a little bit of coaching from your sister was all I needed to replicate you down to blood sugar level."

"That's deeply terrifying. All that from images and descriptions?" He let out a breath. "Even without the disguise, being able to impersonate my behaviour so accurately is chilling."

"Changelings are more adept at it than other creatures," she clarified. "We used to rely on impersonation to survive, so we're naturally very observant and competent at pattern recognition and imitation. Not anyone could do what I did. Uh, that's to say that you don't need to worry about anyone impersonating you, just changelings. Um, no, that isn't what I meant...Only I'd be a wild replica of you, since I have both the natural ability and intimate knowledge about you from Silverstream...I-I'm going to stop talking."

"What she means is you don't have to worry about running into another you again," Silverstream took over, receiving a nod from the flushed changeling. They fell quiet, taking the opportunity to drink from their cups. The silence continued, dragging past the boundary for comfort and progressively thickening like an oppressive, humid vapour around them. The amused smiles faded into awkward glances, and then into anxious frowns. Fingers drummed slowly on the tabletop, the rhythmic cluds sounding like shattering glass for how sharply they cut through the tension.

"So..." Ocellus spoke up, slowly reintroducing speech back to the gathering. Terramar glanced at her, gripping his cup tightly. "Does anyone want...food?" She grimaced at her own words, but tried to force a smile, glancing between the other two.

"Great idea," Silverstream jumped in, dropping her cake back onto her plate of other treats again. "How about ice cream? Sugarcube Corner has tongue-tinglingly amazing gelato. You wouldn't think a bakery of all places would sell frozen desserts, but they do and it's stupendiously scrumptious, so I'm not gonna complain. Let's go." She stood up to leave, glancing at Ocellus with a hopeful smile.

"Why was I there?"

Terramar's question was monotonous and low, managing to sound quiet even though he spoke it at a conversational volume. The female hippogriff froze, just shy of fully straightening up, and her face fell. Pursing her lips sadly, she sat back down.

"I guess that was always gonna be a question I'd have to answer, huh?" she bemoaned softly.

"It's pretty much the only question," Terramar observed, setting his drink down. "We can't keep dancing around it. Why was your girlfriend impersonating me - down to my blood sugar level - when you two were..." He trailed off, depriving any eavesdroppers the bawdy details.

Silverstream's eyes darted to his and away again, her mouth forming various shapes as she tried to speak. Nothing intelligible came from her, and it was clear from her expression she was overwhelmed. Her countenance folded and wrinkled, discomfort, frustration, and fear sweeping across her features so clearly they could've been words written on her skin. She shrank, her posture slumping, and it looked like she'd cower away totally until Ocellus reached out and grasped her hand firmly, drawing the hippogriff's attention. The changeling intertwined their fingers, giving her girldriend's palm a light squeeze, and smiled, and with that gesture, whatever storm was billowing inside the hippogriff stilled. Drawing herself back up, she looked Terramar in the eye.

"Because..." she started, her words steady, and only the slightest wobble in her voice. She took a deep breath in, exhaled, and continued. "Because I asked her to. I taught Ocellus all about you, and when I asked if she could become you for an afternoon, she did it. For me."

"But...why?" Terramar probed hesitantly. An idea, incomplete, prickled at his brain, but he couldn't properly comprehend it through the pervasive swirl of uncertainty and anxiety. It was like a foreign language, carrying meaning he should know and could probably derive if he spent time on it, but alien to him at that point in time.

"Because I have...," Silverstream started, then stopped. "I want...I like...I..." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know how to say it! I just feel...I really like you! I love you, as more..." Her head snapped around, searching for anyone who might've been listening in, and then leaned towards him. "...as more than a brother," she finished in a whisper. With her words spoken, the energy left her again, and her face drooped.

Terramar stared intensively into his cocoa, blood thumping in his ears. The pulsing, pressurised swosh blocked out a good portion of the sound around him, letting him exist in a bubble for a while. He hoped he could stay there, wait out the bustle of his thoughts and the circling, baying swarm of unlabelled emotions and feelings, but the same pounding that insulated him from the world around him also stopped him from thinking straight. Compelling his arm to move, he grabbed his drink, raised it to his lips, and gulped it down, tipping his head back to consume it faster. It tasted bland, the flavour failing to properly register to him, but the action anchored him, and focused his mind.

"Okay," he answered, letting out a breath. "That's okay. I'm okay with this development." He looked over to Silverstream, her eyes devoid of their usual hopeful glimmer. She looked tired, sapped of spirit, and just completely torn down. He hesitated for a second before extending his hand to her, casting aside his concern for what it might look like or what it might implicitly mean; he needed to be there for her. Her eyes tracked his hand, just following its steady path towards her, and he was worried she wasn't going to take it for several seconds. When she reached out and grasped him weakly, a wave of relief washed over him. "Maybe we should head back to the dorms and talk this over?"

"I could rush back and clean up?" Ocellus suggested. "Make the bed, clean up the floor...air the room out." She flushed at those words, but stood up nonetheless. "Take your time; I'll make it presentable for when you arrive." Her thin, translucent wings flittered behidn her, spreading into a posture more suitable for flying, and springing daintily into the air, she drifted towards the school, leaving a buzz in her wake. The two hippogriffs watched her go, their eyes locked onto her departing form until she dropped out of sight, and her droning hum had faded away into obscurity. They watched a little longer, falling into the comforting tranquility of the town life around them, the view of nothing in particular offering them respite.

"I guess we oughta go," Silverstream spoke up at last, to which Terramar nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed, giving her hand an assuring squeeze. "We should." He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, only to hear the clatter of coins, and looking up, he saw his sister had dropped a handful of bits in the centre of the table. He blinked and looked at her questioningly, to which she just stood up and reached for his hand again, looking hopeful. Shoving his wallet back in his pocket, he stood up and grasped her hand again, setting off with the uncharacteristically quiet hippogriff by his side.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" she asked, her voice nearly a whisper. "We're not going to get back to the school and you're just going to pack up and catch the next train back to Mount Aris?"

"No," he promised, casting a concerned glance at her. "Why do you think that?"

"You've just learned something really weird about me and you look super uncomfortable." Her expression was forlorn, resigned trepidation reigning over her features with a struggling optimism flickering underneath, a trembling hope holding back despair.

"It's just a lot to take in," he answered. "It's weird, yeah, but I'm not abandonning you or running off."

"You already did."

Terramar grimaced, realising he walked right into that flaw in his argument. "I was freaked out, but that was my first impression. I thought you were being attacked and were calling for help, and then I ran in on you being...uh, not attacked...by me. I was looking at myself, doing something I wasn't doing, while I was watching on. Don't you think that's kinda freaky?"

"Well, when you put it like that..." She let out a short, sharp laugh, a smile twitching at her lips.

"Yeah, exactly," he continued, rubbing his face with his free hand. "I'd say 'Wouldn't you have reacted the same way?', but knowing you, you'd have probably, I dunno, asked for a selfie or something."

The air cleared a little with her chuckle, and her walk was just a tad more perky. At least, that's how it felt to him. She wasn't bouncing with joy, or chatting his ear off about the latest new thing she'd learned, but it was a step above the morosity she'd been sinking into. He didn't know how he was going to sort all of this out, but he knew he was going to make sure his sister was okay. Above all else, that was what mattered. He wanted his sister back, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

Anxious.

The bottomless pit of dread that had been spread out before her, ready for her to tumble in, was something she'd managed to avoid for the time being, plucked back from the edge by the gentle assurances her brother made. Even so, after giving him an overarching explanation to what he'd seen and not being outright rejected, she still had to deal with the gnawing anxiety of what lay ahead. He'd have questions, no doubt, and she'd have to try and convince him that she was still someone worth having in her life, not some perverted weirdo who was detrimental to his wellbeing.

When they arrived back in her dorm room, it had been transformed into an almost presentation-level of cleanliness, ready to stand against the scrutiny of inspectors, prospective students, or interested parents. The bed was freshly made - with clean sheets, she noted - and the floor was swept, the window ajar to let in the light breeze from outside, carrying with it the fragrant scent of the town. Terramar's luggage, previously dropped in a pile in the corridor outside, had been neatly organised in one corner, out of the way from any clumsy feet.

"I hope this is good enough?" the changeling asked as they entered, glancing at her handiwork hopefully. She let out a sigh of relief when they nodded, clearly pleased with their approval. "I'll leave you two to talk about whatever you need to talk about, then."

"What?" Silverstream asked, her heart jumping up to her throat. "You don't have to go. Wouldn't it be better if we all stayed and talked it through?" She locked eyes with her girlfriend, staring imploringly at her. The other girl hesitated, looked over at Terramar, and finally gave a slow nod.

"Okay," she acquiesced. "I'll stay, if you both want me here."

Terramar probably responded too, but Silverstream was already closing and locking the door, having learned from the last experience, and immediately strode over to the window to shut and bolt it. With the entrances to the room barring anyone short of a breaching team, she sat down on the floorboards, crossing her legs and trying to look like she was ready to conduct a conversation circle. Patting the floor either side of her, she invited the other two to join her.

"What questions do you have for me? I'm an open book, and Ocellus can answer anything I can't."

"Me? I'm just here for emotional support." The changeling sat down and took hold of the hippogriff's hand, giving Silverstream something to ground her. "Even if I could answer his questions, I think he deserves to hear it from you."

"Yeah, I know," the girl sighed, intertwining her fingers with the changeling's own. "Ask away." She focused her attention on her brother and waiting for the incessant interrorgation to begin.

After twenty seconds, it hadn't. He sat there, giving off lots of drawn out umms and fidgeting nervously. His gaze wandered, staring at some spot on the wall before drifting back to the girls, and then swiftly turning down or to the side again. Silverstream glanced questioningly at Ocellus, who let out a soundless sigh.

"Why don't you start with a basic question?" the changeling prompted gently. "Something like...What exactly are your feelings for me?"

"That's basic?" Terramar asked, blinking at her. The changeling shrugged sheepishly. "Well, that can't hurt, I guess. Silverstream, what exactly are your feelings for me?"

"Well, I...really like you?" It was her turn to gaze around the room, trying to find the words somewhere in the furnishings. "I think of you like a really close friend, and someone I can't live without, and it's been something that's become more and more apparent since I left Seaquestria. When Ocellus told me how she felt about me, and we started dating, I started to realise that the way I felt about her was the same way I felt about you."

"You're...romantically attached to me?" Silverstream gave a single, sharp nod. "Okay. That's pretty straightforward, I guess. How long have you felt this way?"

"Since forever, I think," she admitted. "I don't really know, because I can't remember not feeling this way about you. I just assumed it was normal to think about your siblings as amazing and wonderful and want to spend hours cuddling and playing with them. If you mean when I figured out that I loved you more than most sisters love their little brothers, then that came after I started dating Ocellus, like I said."

"Why didn't you tell me?" There was a twinge of hurt in his tone, and Silverstream felt her ears fold, the fluff curling down.

"So many reasons," she complained. "How could I? I could've sent you a letter, but then that would've risked mum and dad and the court and all of Mount Aris and Seaquestria learning about how I felt, and I would've ruined both our lives - our family's lives - because I couldn't keep my feelings to myself. Imagine how much that would've sucked, and that even if you felt the same way, which I didn't even know how to begin finding out. I could've confessed to you directly, but that could've risked someone overhearing, and we'd have the same problem as before, but I'd also have to face you and see your reaction, which was just so difficult to even pluck up the courage to think about doing. I mean, have you tried revealing your feelings to a crush? Someone you care a lot about, and not knowing how they'll react? Not knowing if they'll accept you or gently let you down or be disgusted and never want to see you again, or wanting to remain friends but never trusting you like they did because they see you differently now?"

"It's pretty scary," Ocellus chimed in, giving Silverstream's hand a tender squeeze. "I was lucky I fell for a really sweet hippogriff who was open to trying all sorts of new things, including dating. Didn't hurt that she was a friend I knew I could trust. But even then, just telling her I liked her a lot more than as a friend was debilitating; my knees were wobbling so hard I had to hold onto the wall just to walk over to her."

"I thought you were doing a cool changeling wall trick," Silverstream reminisced, a smile cracking her sombre expression. "I asked if you could teach me, and you blurted out you wanted to teach me how to feel instead."

"Oh my gosh," Ocellus groaned, covering her blushing face with her free hand. "I did say that, didn't I? Ugh, I tried to say 'I have feelings for you' and 'I want to teach you anything you want to learn from me' at the same time. And then I collapsed."

"And thennnnn," the hippogriff continued, leaning in close. "Then I rushed over to you, asked if you were okay, and you just smiled up at me and asked if I was free that night for tea."

"You didn't even realise it was a date," Ocellus added, pouting, the glimmer of a smile shining behind her expression. "You asked where everyone else was, and I had to tell you I wanted to spend time with just you. And you still didn't get it. You didn't get it when I asked to cuddle, when I asked if you thought friends could date one another, if you could ever see yourself liking another girl, and then you had the nerve to ask how it felt to be able to sense other people's emotions, since you didn't know what signs people showed when they were romantically interested!"

Silverstream giggled, her face a mixture of sheepishness and smug amusement. "Okay, I was pretty clueless," she admitted. "But it was worth it! You stared at me for a while before basically shouting that you thought I was the prettiest girl you'd ever seen and that you wanted to date me." Her smirk simmered into a sincere smile. "And that was really cute and I still remember that moment every time I think of you."

The changeling simpered as Silverstream nuzzled and kissed her hand, sharing a sweet moment before Terramar cleared his throat to remind them he was also present. Cutting their trip down memory lane short, the female hippogriff returned her attention to the matter at hand.

"So, uh, like we were saying...it's hard enough just confessing to a crush that you're into them, and that's if everything's normal. What happens when your crush is your brother? It's bad enough ruining a friendship because you want something the other person can't provide, but what about ruining your family? Who can I even go to ask advice about that without outing myself?"

Terramar stammered and stuttered a few words in reply, failing to find fault in her argument. Falling silent for a second, he rested his chin on his palm. "I know it couldn't have been easy, but it's not healthy to bottle that up. I found out anyway, and surely there would've been a better way than for me to walk in on you. It doesn't matter that it's abnormal or that you've got a secret; I want what's best for you, and letting this eat you up wasn't good for you. Do you think I'd spread stories about you for something this significant?"

"No, of course not," the girl answered. "But you've talked about how this affects me; what about how it affects you?"

"How do you mean?"

"You said you can keep a secret like it's your job to take care of me, but..." She straightened up suddenly, an idea springing to mind, and scrambled towards her drawer. Yanking open the top drawer, she pulled out a heap of notebooks and paper, tossing most of them onto the floor and standing up to spread open the folded paper in her hands. By the time it was unfurled and tucked into place on the bunk bed, it was five feet in length, a patchwork of A4 sheets taped together to form a mosaic. "Here's a flowchart."

"A...flowchart?"

"Yes, a flowchart," she confirmed. "It's the thought process I've gone through to come to the conclusion that I really really really really really reaaaalllllllyyyyy really shouldn't tell anyone that I love my own brother, including the brother in question. And these are my primary sources." She scooped down to gather the notebooks and carried them over to the other hippogriff, pushing them towards him and aligning them by colour, facing towards him. "They're my notes from class, and each one is colour coded for professor. I'll read out the page number, if you want to check."

"Wait, what do your classes-"

"So," she carried on, positioning herself beside her flowchart. "The obvious place to start was honesty, since that deals with telling people things, even if you don't want to. I looked at what Professor Applejack had told us, and found that we need to admit when we're in over our head - page four - so we don't burden others. We were also told that bottling up feelings wasn't healthy, and could lead to really bad outcomes if we ever hit a catalyst - page one hundred and forty five - and to express our issues whenever we needed to fix a problem. Lastly, we were taught that lying about an issue could cause it to snowball and become a much bigger issue further along the line - page one hundred and forty - and that refusing to talk about an issue and resolve it could lead to heartache, as well as forcing us to abandon happiness for a sub-par result - page forty."

"That just sounds like a compelling case to tell me," Terramar pointed out, flipping from page to page as she called them.

"It does," she agreed. "I was ready to call it and fly home to tell you, but then I looked at my other classes, and saw that it was far more complicated than that. For example, page one hundred and ninety two is all about how being completely honest can lead to devestation and destruction, and that you need to temper honesty with awareness of your actions and the effect it might have on others. With that in mind, I looked through the notes from Professor Fluttershy's classes, and found a bunch of stuff about not asserting yourself and becoming a bully, and that you need to find a balance between chasing your own dreams and ambitions and not doing something that you want without considering if it hurts those around you. That led me to Professor Pinkie's lessons, where she taught us that crossing boundaries is far too easy and that you should always consider which boundaries friends and family have before acting so as to not hurt them."

"Okay, okay," the man mumbled, flipping through the various notebooks to catch up with her speech. "Okay, there was a lot of cross-referencing, I get it. You had a lot of various lessons you applied to come to your conclusion. What is that conclusion?"

"I realised that friendship was more than the sum of its parts," she replied, smiling proudly. "It's that symbol, the ball where half is white and half is black, and it symbolises balance. Yak-Yan? Yan-Yak? I think it's something to do with yaks? Anyway! I knew I had to weigh everything up and come to a reasoned conclusion, like an essay question, and so I weighed the honest thing to do against the potential consequences of doing so - ruining our family name, bringing shame upon our family, getting ostracised at home, pushing you out of my life forever - and tried to figure out what was best for everyone involved, which was to just keep it to myself!" Her eyes fell onto the changeling. "At least, until I had someone I could maybe share it with. Maybe."

"I didn't actually notice anything until she brought it to my attention," Ocellus revealed. "I can sense emotions, and love is the easiest to detect, but I can't differentiate between objects or subjects. The best I can do is guess from when their feelings are strongest and who's around when that happens, but since she was my girlfriend, I just thought she was extra loving at certain intervals. I never questioned it."

"I did a lllloooottttt of research," Silverstream added. "I looked up changeling relationship norms and social structure, and even managed to get Ocellus to inform me more about the way they selected partners back in the Hive. As it turned out, they didn't have the same taboos as we do."

"We weren't really individuals," Ocellus clarified. "You had to do you duty and procreate for the benefit of the Hive, regardless of how you felt about the changeling you were partnered with. Of course, since deviation was punished, every changeling was the same as the next anyway. Now we're free from Chrysalis' rule, we're a lot more free about how we function, so it's very...experimental. Open relationships are the norm, and other than the minimum age, anyone is fair game, if they consent."

"So I dropped lots of hints," the hippogriff continued. "Got her feedback, guaged how she felt, and asked if it'd be weird if I had feelings for a family member, to which she said no. Then I asked if it'd be weird if I had romantic feelings for my brother, to which she said no. Then I asked if I could share a secret with her, and the ball dropped when I asked that question."

"That's quite a journey," Terramar commented, visibly mulling the process over in his head.

"I'll say! I got lucky that I had a super sexy, open minded cutie in my life to share my secret with. I wondered if she'd need time to adjust to it, but she took a few minutes to process and told me she'd always be there to support me, and to not hide my feelings from her again."

The man nodded slowly, a ghost of a smile playing across his face. "I'm glad you had someone. Have someone." He opened his mouth to say something else, paused, and shook his head, dismissing the words. "So you've been fulfilling your fantasy ever since?"

"Today was the first time," Ocellus revealed. "We built up to it."

"Oh." A pause. "Sorry for...getting in the way...of myself."

"It's okay; we were finishing up anyway."

"I noticed," he muttered, cheeks flaring red.

"That's pretty much everything," Silverstream concluded, kicking her foot back and forth. "I love you so so much, I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was the best thing to do, I've had Ocellus to work through my feelings which means I wasn't alone, and I'm really sorry you found out like you did." She began to play with her fingers, nervously flicking them against one another, grasping and wringing her hands. Swallowing anxiously, she took one shaky, laborious step forward, followed by another. "Which sums up everything from me. There's only one more thing I need to say."

The man looked up at her, and she turned her head slightly as his eyes met hers, like she was averting her vision from the sun.

"Well, more of a question than a statement. There's only one more thing for me to ask, not to say."

She knelt down beside him, reaching her hands out to his. He met her halfway, closing his fingers around hers. With a deep breath to steel herself, she looked up, meeting his eyes. Those gorgeous, inquisitive, entrancing cyan eyes.

"Do you feel the same about me?"

The pause dragged on, each second feeling like a full minute. The room's clock ticked at a tenth of the speed, as if waiting intently to hear the hippogriff's reply. The walls themselves seemed to lean inwards, the air thickening around her.

"I don't know."

Her heart fell, and she slumped as her enthusiasm fell through the floor, her earfluff drooping along with her face and shoulders. "That's not a 'no', though?" she queried, her question lethargic and monotonous.

"It's not a no," he agreed. "It's a lot to take in, and I need more time to think it over. Can you give me a day?" She nodded, trying and failing to force a smile onto her face, and his hands rested on her shoulders comfortingly. "I still love you, Silver. You're still my big sister, and I'm not going anywhere, no matter how this turns out." She didn't trust herself to speak, so she just rested her head on his shoulder and let him hold her, his arms winding around her back and under her wings, pulling her close. It wasn't the closeness she wanted, and it didn't even feel right, but she couldn't bear to pull away either, and so she stayed there for minutes or hours or days, pressed into him as much as she could manage.

Stranded.

There wasn't any other way to describe how he felt, both emotionally and physically, other than stranded. He'd felt stranded with the two girls when they'd gone for dinner, expecting it to be an awkward affair after Silverstream's explanation, given how her zealous adoration clashed with his uncertainty. Instead, they'd been sat down for just a minute or two before four other people joined them, who he quickly realised were the friends that his sister wrote about in such detail in her frequent letters home. He ought to have expected it, but after the rollercoaster of a day he'd had so far, something as normal as meeting with friends had gone over his head, and it couldn't have happend at a worse time. Whether or not they believed it, the group ostensibly accepted that Silverstream was downbeaten by something at home, and so let the subject go.

Needing time and space to sort out his thoughts, the girls decided that he ought to sleep at the group's treehouse that night, a decision that required a lot of assurance that it was nothing to do with him being unable to stay in the same room as her before Silverstream signed off on it. Ocellus volunteered to go with him; to guide him there, help carry his luggage, and make sure he wasn't alone in the middle of a forest through the night. He'd tried to object, assuring her he'd be fine, but she'd insisted, citing his inexperience in Equestria. He was stranded with her for the night, leaving Silverstream alone.

The flight over the Everfree Forest was wordless mostly out of necessity, the hippogriff lagging several metres behind the changeling as she led him to his accommodation for the night. He was glad she'd shown him where to go, because out of everything he'd expected to see, a crystaline tree sitting amidst the weathered and toppled walls of a castle ruin wasn't one of them, and he'd never have thought to check inside. She showed him one of the bedrooms - the tree gave them whatever they needed, she explained - and helped him unpack what he'd need for the night, and then left him to muse over his own thoughts, letting him know she'd been downstairs reading if he needed anything.

Looking out from the balcony at the trees hemming him in like a perimeter fence, he reflected on being stranded in the middle of a forest with the girl who'd unintentionally alerted him to his sister's true feelings for him. It was a safe little haven, and beautiful, but with the events that had led to this moment, and the treehouse being his retreat for substantial life-changing reflection, he couldn't bring himself to appreciate the scenery. He leaned against the railing, staring at the surroundings dully, seeing them without really taking in the sights. The sunlight clipped the treetops, tumbling onto the surrounding scenery, skidding across the ground in its descent. He would've described the golden sheen it painted on the stones as regal, the glow it brushed on the leaves as pleasantly atmospheric, and the sparkle it ignited in the crystal treehouse's exterior as magical, but he couldn't. The sunset taunted him, and the approaching night leered at him threateningly.

He turned away from the balcony and the mocking march of evening, pacing around the bedroom instead. Watching the passage of time didn't relax him, help him think, or do anything other than remind him that he was here until he made a decision. Everything hammered that point home, nature itself seeming to twist itself to deride him; the chirp of the birds were no longer sweet songs, but heckling jeers, the gentle brush of the wind was now a mocking pat on the back. Huffing in frustration, he left the bedroom behind. Being alone with his thoughts was doing him no good.

Ocellus was exactly where she'd promised, sitting in a comfortable armchair pouring herself into a book. The section in which she sat looked like an austere study, nowhere near as ostentatious or as deliberately decorated as the rooms of polished wood and exquisite carvings he'd seen in some of the grand homes he'd visited. Along the walls, carved shelves were crammed with bound books of all descriptions, most of them thick and technical in nature, if the titles were anything to go by. Four chairs sat equidistant from a plain wooden table situated between the walls, including the one Ocellus was occupying. He seated himself across from her, noticing the air around the table was pleasantly warm, like being sat next to a crackling fireplace, without the smoke or the noise to distract him. Glancing around, he couldn't find a source for it.

"Settling in?" the changeling asked, looking up from her reading material and smiling warmly.

"Yeah," he answered, looking around at the room. "Yeah." The words that were meant to come after that never materialised, and he wasn't thrown a line by the girl. They sat there for several seconds in silence. "No."

"Still feeling overwhelmed?" She closed the book at set it aside, giving the hippogriff her full attention. "I can sense you're uneasy. You don't need to explain how you feel or anything, just talk, and I'll understand what you mean." She sat straighter, adopting a welcoming, receptive pose. "If you want to."

"How much time do you have?" he asked, chuckling dryly.

"All night," she reminded him, half-smiling at his quip. "As long as you need."

"Right, of course." With a sigh, he settled more loosely into the chair, letting it support his weight. There was a lot to support. After a few seconds, he frowned in curiosity, and looked the changeling over. Besides a flicker of shyness across her face, she didn't try to look away or move. "Actually, can I start with a question? Why are you doing this?"

"This?"

"Helping me," he clarified. "Staying here overnight, sitting up, giving me time to talk through what I'm feeling. It's nice, but we've only just met. Why are you so invested?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," she answered, raising a finger for every reason she gave. "You could do with some help and I'm able to provide it. Because you're a nice person who could do with a little bit of support. Because you're my girlfriend's brother, and so there's already something connecting us. Because you could be a friend I'll make out of this, and it's beneficial to be nice to you. Because it's fixing a problem between other people, and that's both good and wholesome." She paused and dropped her hand down to the table. "But you want to know the core, central reason, don't you? Well, the biggest reason I'm doing this because your sister is incredibly important to me, and you're important to her. It's vicarious interest."

"Yeah, that makes sense," he accepted, resting his chin against his palm. "Any idea how I should start figuring this out?" His eyes flicked to the shelves. "I don't suppose there's any books on therapy here, are there?"

"A few," she told him. "I'm not a qualified professional, obviously, but I've learned enough to know how to help at least a little bit, and we have counsellors at home who do this sort of thing. They usually begin by asking you to talk about exactly how you're feeling, to ascribe form and meaning to what you're experiencing, so it can be understood more clearly. From there, we can analyse your feelings and decide on a course of action."

"Can't you sense what I'm feeling already?"

"Well, yes, but the point is to get you to put your feelings into words, so they're definite and examinable. Besides, changelings can sense emotions and feelings, but it's merely sensory feedback, like other senses. I can't assign weight or value to what you're feeling with any degree of accuracy any more than a person can tell the exact temperature outside without a thermometer, or the exact amount of salt in a dish just by tasting it."

"Does accuracy matter?"

"We're trying to resolve an emotional conflict. We don't medicate a patient using the rule of thumb."

"I guess we don't. We use the symptoms to diagnose the patient first, though."

Ocellus sat forward a little, looking the hippogriff up and down, and focused. She closed her eyes, as though listening, and her expression turned almost studious. "You're feeling conflicted," she reported. "There's affection, but it's swept aside in a swirl of shame, and disgust. Then there's...more shame, I think. Either shame or guilt, or remorse. It's hard to tell precisely." Opening her eyes, she sat back again, checking his reaction. "Can you fill in the details?"

Terramar shifted in his chair, rearranging himself a few times while he mulled over his thoughts, trying to put what was in his head into words. "I...I like Silverstream," he began. "I mean, she's my sister, so I love her unconditionally. That's not gonna change, whatever happens between us. I just don't know if that's the same love as I need to, well, love her." He fidgeted, crossing his fingers over one another and untangling them again, repeating the motion as he talked. "Does that make sense?"

The changeling nodded, prompting, "That must be hard for you."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "How do I even begin to work this out? How do I figure out what normal siblings feel for each other? All I've got to go on is what I feel, and that's exactly what's in doubt. Silverstream said earlier that she didn't realise she loved me loved me until she fell in love with you, and realised it was the same feeling; what if that's what I'm feeling? What if everything I thought about our relationship was wrong? Has everything we've had been something else entirely? Did I treat her as a sister when I should've treated her as a partner? Did I treat her as a partner when I should've treated her as a sister?" He huffed and rested his head on his palm again.

"An identity crisis," Ocellus spoke up, smiling at him. "I've had my share of those. It was resolving my own deep-seated issues which helped me ask out your sister, actually."

"Huh," Terramar commented, raising an eyebrow. "How did that work?"

"It wasn't exactly like yours, but I had..." She paused, and looked just past him, gathering her thoughts. "I had an idea of who I was as a person. For the longest time, who I was was linked to my race. I was supposed to be ruthless and calculating, cold and cruel, and utterly, totally subservient to the queen. Everything that made me me was seen as wrong and deficient. I didn't get on well with my own kind, basically. I internalised that and assumed that I was a monster deep down, because I was told I was supposed to be, and due to my 'weakness', not only was I a monster, but I was a failed monster. The Hive didn't want me, and Equestria sure didn't."

"That's awful," the man replied, gawking as she explained. "If that's meant to make me feel better, then it's worked; nothing I'm going through compares to that."

"No, it's not about making you feel better," she answered, followed by a pause, and then, "Well, it is, but not because it's comparatively worse than what you're going through."

"So...what happened?"

"A changeling showed me that I wasn't some irredemable monster, and that I couldn't judge myself on the standards of my society's past. I wasn't a monster back then, and I wasn't after Chrysalis' defeat. She set me free, and gave me the confidence to pursue my own dreams and desires."

"She sounds like the exact changeling you needed."

"She was. Soon after, I asked Silverstream if she wanted to be more than a friend."

"And in doing so, you fainted," Terramar pointed out. The changeling giggled, a faint blush frosting her cheeks.

"Yes, I did. It was terrifying. Regardless, I asked, and she said yes. I'm so much happier because I pushed past the fear and took that risk." She leaned towards him again. "If I can come to terms with who I am, see that I deserve to be happy, that I can make someone else happy, and be the person I truly want to be, free from inhibitions and from fear, then so can you. You can look deep inside and come to terms with how you feel about her. You can be honest and do whatever needs to be done. I know you can."

"But what if I'm honest with myself and I don't like what I see?" he asked, frowning. "What if I don't love her like she loves me, and I have to tell her that, no, I don't want to be more than siblings? That'll break her heart. Or worse - what if I'm wrong? What if I think I love her, but it turns out I don't, and I figure that out in a month's time? Or six months? Or a year? Or three years? What if I have to tell her I made a mistake, and we have to go back to being siblings?" He slumped in the chair, his face a mask of despondence. Ocellus watched him silently for a few seconds.

"You're worse than Silverstream," she spoke up at last, earning a questioning glance from the man. "This afternoon, when we had to chase after you, your sister was throwing about hypotheticals and he's going to hate me forever and I had to make her get dressed and go searching for you. It's cute that you're both so similar." She allowed herself a giggle before returning to a serious desposition. "Any relationship can fall through. If you realise you don't feel the same way in five years, then that's unfortunately something you'll have to address then, like an adult. It's possible, and healthy, for couples to return to being friends."

"And some couples fall out and they leave bitterly," Terramar countered. "And we can't afford that. How do I even return to being her brother after I've been more than that? Neither of us will be able to just undo what we did and revert to being normal...whatever normal is."

"That's a big if," she reminded him. "Silverstream has really strong feelings for you, and I don't see that changing any time soon. You have strong feelings for her, even if you can't pin down exactly what those feelings are, and if it crosses into romantic love. If you figure that you're in love with her, I think it's going to be a very long, very happy union."

"And if I figure I don't have feelings for her, then I break her heart," he groused. "And if I'm wrong, it's a short, unhappy union."

"If, for whatever reason, you realise you don't love her as she loves you, then she still has me," Ocellus promised him. "I'll keep her safe and happy, and you have my assurance that she won't be left alone. I'll make sure she has everything she needs, and help her through her emotional roadbumps."

"But I don't want to hurt her at all!"

"Of course not," the changeling assuaged. "But it's not about avoiding pain, it's about doing the right thing."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"Not at all. If you enter into a relationship with her, and you don't want it, you're going to be hurt, and it'll be based on a lie. If you don't enter a relationship with her because you don't see her as more than a sister, she'll be hurt, but she'll be okay, and she'll know you were honest with her. Can you imagine how she'd feel if you lied to make her feel better? How she'd feel if she realised that her entire relationship with you was based on a lie? She'd be devestated, and that's far worse than disappointing her through rejection."

"It sounds like the only way out of this without anyone getting hurt is to go through with the relationship and really truly love her."

"Yes, it is."

The hippogriff huffed and rubbed his face in his hands. "This sucks. I don't know how I feel!"

"That's what you need to find out," Ocellus gently reminded him. "You can't run from it, and you can't just throw a random decision at her to get it over and done with. This matters. You both deserve to be happy, and I'll stand by you whatever you choose. If that's a future with both of you, good. If it's a future with just her, I'll still be so lucky to have her, and you two will remain as an adorable pair of siblings. It'll be whatever it needs to be."

"But what if 'what it needs to be' ends up hurting her?"

"Then she'll be hurt for a while. But what happens if you refuse to answer, or feel pressured into making a bad choice? Will that not hurt her? And hurt you? And me?" At his long sigh, she pressed on. "You're seeing the worst possible scenario, and you're not thinking about this clearly. You said you don't know how you feel, but I think you do; your first thought is her wellbeing. Your first instinct is to try and to try and save her from getting hurt, rather than focusing on your own happiness. You're stressed and worried because you're carrying her considerations and expectations on your back. You truly, deeply care about her."

"I know, but-"

"And she's just like you," she interrupted. "She went through the hardship of hiding how she felt about you, in spite of the belief that she'd never get to express her feelings to you or have the life with you that she wants. She was horrified when you burst in, because she thought it'd be nothing but awful for you. Her first thoughts were you and your wellbeing. She was willing to endure incredible unfulfillment to keep you happy and safe, and like you, she assumed the worst when forced to confront the issue. She thought you'd hate her, that you'd never want to see her again, that you'd run away and tell your family that she was a freak. That didn't happen."

"No! Why would I do that?!"

"Exactly," Ocellus answered. "You think she'll be miserable and your relationship will fall apart if you don't feel the same way about her, and find a way to make it work. That isn't going to happen. She's waiting for your decision, knowing it might be a no, but she's still waiting to hear. She still wants you in her life."

"I...guess. But she's my sister-"

"Is that what the shame's about?"

"I mean...I think so? It's not the first thing you think of when you're choosing a partner, is it? It's..." He rubbed his head, running his fingers through his hair several times. "I dunno. It's just so new to me, and it's strange."

"Take your time," the changeling comforted him. "She wrestled with that issue too, at first, until she realised that it's irrelevant if she loved you the way she did."

"But what about the future?"

"What about it?"

"I can't start a relationship without thinking about how it'll work, and how it'll impact her, especially if I want it to last. I mean, just to start, how will it work between us three? What will we be?"

"Whatever we want," Ocellus answered, honestly. "We'll be sharing a girlfriend, at the very least, but if you want more, that'll be fine, too." She smiled at him and her blush sharpened, her shyness, which had been absent for most of the evening, returning. "I'm not opposed to the idea, if...a-anyway, it won't be an obstacle. I'm open to getting to know you better."

"Okay," Terramar agreed. "But what about children?"

"There's adoption, surrogacy, genetic therapy, and many other options," the changeling listed. "And if we go down the route of a polyamrous life, then you could always...well, I'm wanting to be a mother anyway, so I'm an option. Again, that's if you're interested in taking it that route. This is all very open-ended."

"But our parents, and our friends, and-"

"No," Ocellus interrupted. "Those are distractions. They aren't reasons to avoid answering the question."

"I am answering the question," Terramar objected. "These are legitimate issues! I can't leave them unresolved! I need to figure them out before I can even begin figuring out if a relationship with Silverstream is gonna work, nevermind if I want one or not!"

"No," she repeated. "All you've done so far is danced around the actual question. You came here to find the out the answer for one question; do you feel about Silverstream the way she feels about you? Nothing else - what other people think, long term plans, hypothetical issues further down the line - have anything to do with that. You're scared to look for the answer, and I understand that, I really do, but what you're doing is pretending that you can't answer the question because there's a slew of other questions to answer first. You're shifting the responsibility of answering the question because it frightens you."

"But they're still things I'll need to resolve eventually."

"Eventually," Ocellus emphasised. "There are solutions and options for them, and I'll be right there helping you resolve them if it comes to it, but you're not here to resolve them. You're here to resovle your feelings for Silverstream. Why should possible problems in the future stop you being happy now?" She picked up the book she'd put aside when he'd sat down and opened it up to where she'd left off. "I'm not going to tell you what conclusion to reach, but you have to reach one, and it has to come from the heart." With that, she returned to reading, letting silence fall across the room and leaving the hippogriff alone with his thoughts.

Conflicting voices and worries swirled in his head, rushing up from his chest to occupy his mind. He tried to keep them ordered, but they battered at his attention, each individual string of consciousness grabbing at him and trying to pull him in its tow. He couldn't focus, and shutting his eyes tight didn't do anything to centre his thoughts. Every attempt was shoved aside, coherent ideas blown away before they could coalesce into something usable.

What would happen if his parents disowned them? Maybe Silverstream could forgive him, but where would they stay? What sort of life would that be for them, having to stay away from their home, never welcome to return? Would Silverstream's friends stick by her side, or abandon her? How much of her life would he ruin if he didn't make the right call?

He was getting nowhere, and he banished everything from his head, snatching up something random from the depths of his memory; kelp fritters, homemade and freshly served. His mum had made enough for the four of them, but he was still hungry, and was petulent that he didn't have any more to eat. Silverstream passed him one from her plate, and he scoffed it down. Another memory; leaving the sea after hearing of the Storm King's defeat, and testing out his wings for the first time. Silverstream egged him on, pushing him to try to fly higher and higher, until they were soaring around Mount Aris, and she challenged him to a game of tag. One of her swipes had hit his shard, and he'd found his wings vanished from his back mid-flight. The crash hadn't broken any bones, and Silverstream was quick to carry him to back home to have his cuts and grazes tended. When asked what had happened, he'd lied and said he hadn't looked where he was going, and had crashed. He'd received an hour-long lecture about the importance of knowing his limits and not leaving his sister's sight.

He realised he was smiling; he could feel the happy stretch of his muscles in his jaw and the lift of his cheeks. It was a real smile, full and joyous, and he felt lighter. There was still the weight in his shoulders and gut, but there was something in opposition to it now, too, like embers among lifeless ash. He considered Ocellus' words, and turned his thoughts away from directionless meandering and towards particular avenues of thought; birthdays spent in Seaquestria, their discovery of underwater music, days spent from breakfast to bedtime playing games with the other children where Silverstream would team up with him so they could win together. Every single memory was vivid, the shades and hues so bright and defined he could see them without opening his eyes, the sounds recited word-for-word as he revisted them, the feeling of water almost real against his skin.

More than anything else, they were brimming with happiness.

His happiest memories, regardless of what they were, were with his sister. So were the bland, the terrifying, and the manifestation of excitement; throughout it all, Silverstream stood out. He knew exactly where she was when he cast his mind back. He knew where she was when they had to flee to Seaquestria. He knew where she was when they emerged to reclaim Mount Aris. He knew which carriage she'd sat in when she'd left to join the School of Friendship, waving out the window as they saw her off from the train station. It was as if they were the only two people in colour in a black and white photograph, highlighted against the monotony of the others around them, and of the scenery itself.

Was there a future without her? Before today, he'd have doubted there would be a future without her, but now he knew with absolute certainty that he couldn't have a life where she wasn't there beside him. Would there be problems? Likely. Would there be difficulties? Certainly. Would he walk out this room thinking that he could be anything to Silverstream than a partner? No.

Opening his eyes, he blinked at the relative brightness of the room. Ocellus was still reading her book, having made substantial progress. According to the clock, he'd been lost in his thoughts for forty minutes.

"Ocellus?"

"Yes?" the changeling replied, looking up and smiling at him.

"Can you do something for me?"

"What do you need?"

"I think I've made up my mind," he answered, her smile growing wider at his words. "But I want to make sure. There's something I need to check before I commit to this." He breathed in, and let out the air slowly. "Could you transform into Silverstream? I want to know how I feel about seeing her, knowing that she'll be more than a sister."

The changeling nodded respectfully and once again placed the book on the table. Sitting up straight in the chair, she waited for the man to give her a confirmatory nod before she closed her eyes and let the bright flash sweep up her body, passing over her form in less than a second. The petite girl was gone, her forehead lacking its signature curved, smooth horn, and her stature and appearance replaced by the familiar sight of the bubbly hippogriff. Terramar's heart skipped a beat at the sight, beautiful violet irises in place of the cyan orbs when she opened her eyes, the wavy, shoulder-length pink hair now a waterfall of cornflower blue, wings of magenta feathers where there'd previously been cuticle. Feathery tufts protruded around her ears, starkly contrasting the pointy construction she'd had before her transformation. Her body was svelte and lithe in the right places, her pale skin now a pleasant peachy tone.

"How's this?" the imitation asked, carrying the perky, inquisitive expression of Silverstream's voice perfectly. Terramar nearly melted, beaming at her brightly.

"Like every memory that's worth remembering," he said, standing up and walking over to her. He tried to say something else, but he couldn't find anything meaningful to add. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder. This was what he needed.

Exhausted.

Silverstream had read the same passage for the last hour, dragging her eyes across the page and drifting listlessly across the words without taking any of them in. There didn't seem to be any meaning to them, and trying to force herself to understand was like trying to struggle against quicksand, but if she stopped reading, that meant she started thinking about Terramar and his decision, and then she started worrying, and that lead to her having to read to stop herself from having a breakdown. The cycle left her completely drained, and totally emotionally exhausted.

The knock at the door wasn't especially welcome, given she wasn't in any state to interact with anyone, but the book was offering her nothing, and talking was at least something new to do. Getting up from her desk, she plodded over to the door and opened it up, greeted by a pair of bovine horns. The weight of the knock had suggested it'd be Yona, and the sight of the busty woman normally would've made her happy, but today was a grand exception.

"Want to go to bowling alley?" the yak asked, her thickly accented speech booming with cheer. "Gallus and Smolder busy, but Sandbar available for fun!"

"No thanks," the hippogriff answered, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm busy tonight. Maybe another time." Her lackluster response pulled a frown from the other girl.

"No? Why everyone not want to come out tonight? Griffon and dragon not tell Yona anything, sound like excuses being made. Ocellus missing. Silverstream busy." She looked put out. "And why hippogriff so sad?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "I'm just tired, that's all. No need to worry about me."

"Hippogriff not very good liar," Yona gruffed. "Friend been sad all day. Yona knows sad friend when she sees one. Why friend sad? Is to do with Ocellus?"

"No, no," Silverstream answered. "It's nothing to do with-"

"To do with brother?"

"...n-no, it's...I'm..."

"Yona want friend to be happy." She rested a hand heavily on Silverstream's shoulder, pulling the other girl's left side downwards. "If problem, talk to other friend. Solve problem. No let problem continue."

"We've already talked," the hippogriff answered, not bothering to move Yona's hand. "He's making a decision now, and I've got to leave him to make it."

"It big decision?" Yona asked. Silverstream nodded. "Big decision that affect you both?" Another nod. "Then decision need to be made together! No wait for other friend to make decision! Go and make decision together!"

"It's not that simple, Yona. It's-"

"Friends make decision together!" the yak insisted, staring at Silverstream intently, bringing their eyes level. "Hippogriff have yak's support, and other friends, too. Friends all be here when Silverstream get back. Go solve problem!" She pointed in the direction of the door leading out of the dorms.

"But what about you and Sandbar?" the hippogriff asked. "Don't you want people to go bowling with you?" The yak finally lifted her hand away from Silverstream's shoulder to wave in the air dismissively.

"Bowling alley be there tomorrow, and day after, and day after," she reasoned. "And if not, still more important that friend make decision which affect her. Would rather friend be happy than go bowling."

Yona's words started a small fire in Silverstream's belly, and she felt the weariness begin to melt away. Flinging her arms around the thicker girl's midriff, she squeezed her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Yona," she sighed. "I'm going to do just that! Tell Sandbar I'm sorry I can't go bowling with you two tonight."

"Pony will understand," the yak assured her. "Just like yak understand. Now go and fix problem!"

With a final squeeze, Silverstream let go of Yona and hurried down the corridor, flinging the exit open and striding out into the courtyard. With an open sky above, she sprung from the ground and unfurled her wings, flapping in powerful beats to launch herself higher and higher, reaching towards the scattered pinpricks of stars. When she reached the lowest of the clouds, she ceased her movements and leaned back, using her arc to drop into a sharp drop, opening her wings after several seconds to transfer her the speed of her drop into a glide.

She reached the edge of the forest within a minute, and with determined flaps, it took her five minutes to arrive at the canyon where the treehouse was situated. Flying low over the treeline, she let her feet scrape across the tops, the brush of the thin branches whipping her harmlessly, the sudden cessation telling her she was clear for a closer approach. Dropping down and flaring out her wings, she bled off speed, eyes set on her target. Coming in level with the balcony, she reached out and grabbed the balustrade, flipping her legs over and landing softly, coming to a smooth and silent halt. She'd normally allow herself a proud grin at that manoeuvre, but her mind was focused on her reason for coming here.

The doors were already open, allowing her unobstructed entry into the bedroom, but she was stopped by sound emerging from within. There was a voice, but she couldn't make out any words. It sounded like a woman; was Smolder here? Was that why Yona couldn't find her? No, it didn't sound gruff enough. Ocellus, maybe? Not high enough, and not quite as prim as her girlfriend's well-spoken demeanour. It sounded excitable, feminine and eerily like....her. Leaning to the side, Silverstream peeked in as far as she dared, looking around the doorway without exposing too much of herself.

There was a Silverstream sitting naked on the edge of the bed, gasping and whimpering as a cyan-haired man kneeled in front of her, his face mashed into her crotch, his head nestled between her soft thighs and her legs resting over his shoulders. Whatever he was doing was having an effect, the other Silverstream panting and clenching her toes, her fingers running through his hair encouragingly as he worked his magic. Whenever he hit a particularly sensitive spot, she arched her back, groaning and uttering his name.

Silverstream gawked from the balcony, surprise and arousal battling for supremacy over her sentiments. She hadn't flown here expecting to see her brother servicing her girlfriend. If anything, she'd expected him to be laying face-down on the bed trying to block out the images he'd seen in her bedroom, while Ocellus read something in the corner, but instead she was presented with an erotic display she'd only been able to dream of before. She was unable to tear her eyes from the scene, surprise fading to awe and wonder, and her mouth closed as she sought out her lower lip with her teeth. Slowly, her fingers trailed from her knee up her thigh, travelling over the denim of her jean shorts, grazing her crotch in glacial brushes and teases until the need to feel more became too much for her to ignore.

She'd managed to slip a hand under the waistband of her panties when the girl on the bed happened to glance in her direction long enough to spot her. They froze, ceasing their movements in complete synchronicity, two pairs of violent eyes staring unblinkingly at one another, their faces mirrored masks of shock. Stood stock-still on the balcony, Silverstream thought her bounding heart would give her away, slamming against her chest like a war drum, booming loudly enough to resound throughout the forest like a gunshot. If not, how long would they remain motionless, staring at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move, to decide how they ought to react?

Her counterpart moved first after what felt like an age of indecision, raising a finger to her lips before returning her hand to her partner's head, massaging his scalp tenderly. Her fingers ran through his thick hair, grasping handfuls of it just to have hold of him. His head remained steady, the woman's hold purely for pleasure as he made a meal of her mound.

"You feel so good," the impersonator moaned, biting her lip lustfully. She glanced over at Silverstream, cheekily winking at the voyeur. "The way you touch every bit of me, the way you're so eager to taste me...oh gosh, it's so good!" She rolled her hips, grinding her groin against his face, and he followed her movement, keeping his mouth where it needed to be. "That rough patch just there? Focus on- Yes, like that!" She hissed in a breath, her fists balling in his hair. "Oh my gosh, keep using your tongue! Yes yes yes!"

Silverstream kept her eyes on the intimacy, resisting the urge to close her eyes or let her head drift back as she slid two fingers into herself, the two slender digits sinking frictionlessly into her tunnel all the way to the knuckle. She tried to match the treatment her counterpart was receiving, gauging what was happening from the verbal cues, of which there was an abundance. As if knowing what Silverstream was trying, Ocellus huffed and groaned and gasped her feelings, expressing her pleasure to the room and directing both the man between her legs and the woman watching.

"Don't move your whole hand, just curl your fingers inward," she panted. "Yeah, just like that! Keep stroking with your fingertips. Faster...y-yes, just there!" She bit her lip, letting out a throaty groan and stretching her neck back, raising a hand to grope at her breast, kneading herself firmly. "Put your lips around that bump and suck gently as you l-lick. Oh gosh oh gosh oh yes Terramar!" Her free hand pulled him closer, fingers clutching needily at him.

On the balcony, the peeping hippogriff matched her simulacrum's motions, slipping her hand under her blouse to grasp at her bust, stopped by her bra. She persisted, digging her fingers into the material to evoke that same feeling of primal goodness, that desire to be held and have her body put to the use it was made for. It wasn't enough, lacking the spongy feel she longed for, and she squeezed harder, trying to replicate it, knowing it wouldn't be enough unless it was him doing it. Her other hand followed Ocellus' words, the tips of her fingers grazing over the rough patch on the roof of her passage, running in circles and biting her lip to stifle her whine, her palm grinding against her pelvis roughly. She pressed against her bud, squeezing her legs together to heighten the pervasive buzz it sent through her groin, her nerves tingling with the warm feedback.

The hippogriff wasn't sure if her impersonator was leading her or reacting to her; everything that happened, she wanted, and her desires flowed into the scene, manifesting in her doppleganger's exclamations and actions. The two winged girls moved together, matching one another in all the ways they could, and finding alternatives for what they couldn't. They locked eyes several times, their faces mirrored masks of reddened cheeks and parted lips, their hips shifting in sharp jolts forward or slow rolls back and forth. When Terramar stopped licking to use his thumb, running circles over her engorged nub, Silverstream switched to thumbing herself, covering her mouth to hold in the squeals, her counterpart providing enough noise for both of them.

"Y-you can't s-stop, okay?" Ocellus pleaded. "Don't stop, k-keep going, I-I'm getting cl-close. I'm s-so close, keep sucking m-my clitty, oh gosh, y-yes!" She grasped his head needily, crossing her ankles behind his back and her thighs clamping either side of him, pulling him as close to her thrusting loins as she could manage. "It's so good, keep going y-yes yes yes! Terramar! Oh my gosh oh my gosh Terramar!" Her back arched, her body stiffening and her legs tensing.

Silverstream sped up, jiggling her palm against her mound and stroking insistently at her walls, focusing on that spot that sent ripples through her body, and brought a warm glow to her groin. Instinctively, she gyrated against her hand, trying to eek out that desired pleasure, trying as hard as she could to emulate what the other her was feeling, imagining in such detail it was almost as good as sitting in Ocellus' place. The intensity of the pleasure coursing through her was as strong as it had ever been with a partner, and she doubted anyone else could make her feel half as good as her brother was just by putting on this display for her.

"T-Terramar!"

There was a couple seconds of silence before Ocellus shouted the hippogriff's name, her limbs trembling as she peaked, and her hold on the young man tightened. The hippogriff didn't even attempt to pull away, continuing to work at the huffing, whining girl as she gasped and shouted out nonsense in staccatto bursts. Perhaps he was trying to pull away, and the climaxing beauty's grip was so tight and insistent that his attempts didn't make the most minor of differences; Silverstream knew she'd be holding him in place exactly the same way.

Ocellus let out a few squeaks and groans as her high wound down, scratching the man's head lightly, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair and her chest heaving, rising and falling sharply with her her gasping breaths. Letting her legs fall limp, she allowed Terramar to detach his face from her nethers, glancing up to her flushed face.

"Was that genuine?" he asked, a cautious optimism to his voice. "Were you just acting to make me feel like I'd done a good job, or...?"

"That was all real," she promised, smiling down at him, caressing the side of his head affectionately. Her speech was breathy, but exuded a satisfied lustre that always followed an invigorating evening; she was telling the truth, Silverstream knew. "You felt me squeezing down? How tight and rhythmic it was? That's how it really feels. That's how you can tell."

"Can't it be faked? All it'd take is pelvic exercises and practice, right?"

"Yes, if you're really, really skilled, you can flawlessly fake it. I wasn't though, because you were amazing. You didn't hold back at all. If nothing else, you weren't faking." The voyeur could imagine the blush on her brother's face. "And since you were making such an outstanding effort, is it hard to believe that you really made me cum?"

"I guess not," he conceded, shyly stroking the plush, peachy thighs around him. "So...this settles it."

"I think it does."

There was a prolonged silence, Ocellus moving her legs out of the way so Terramar could stand up. His apple-white wings fluffled nervously, and Silverstream's heart bounded heavily, the roar of blood nearly drowning out the murmured words she was listening for.

"We should go and tell her."

"You don't want to wait until morning?"

"I can't. She's probably laying awake wondering where she can run away to. The one thing I didn't want to do was hurt her, and now I've made my mind up, waiting is just cruel." He stretched, his wings extending in a slow, powerful spread. "Do you think I should go alone, or would she want you there when I tell her? On the one hand, it's about me and her, but on the other hand, we ought to have everyone in the relationship there when we tell her. What do you think?"

"I think you're overthinking it," Ocellus answered, her tone soft and understanding.

"There'll be three of us in a relationship now," he reminded her. "I'll be the newest one. We need to agree what that means-"

"You're definitely overthinking it," the disguised changeling interrupted. "And we're both going to be with her when she learns about your choice."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Let's go."

"We don't need to go anywhere."

"Huh?"

"You should probably come out now." There was a momentary silence, the awkward quiet feeling like it was dragging on longer than it actually lasted. Taking a deep breath of her own, Silverstream swallowed and stepped into the bedroom, feeling the piercing gazes of its occupants lock onto her.

Looking up, she locked eyes with her brother.

Rattled.

He thought he'd overcome all of the problem's head have to face when it came to dealing with his sister - battling his emotions, coming to term with his failings, overcoming his hangups and concerns, coming to a decision - but seeing her step into the room, the real her, left him rattled. He tensed, a cold rush sweeping down his body and heat soaring back up to flood his cheeks, his face burning from the unexpected confrontation. Why was she here? Would she be angry that he'd just played with her girlfriend?

Her eyes met his, and he realised just how bright and deep they were. No, that wasn't true; he'd always known, but now he understood fully. They were gently wobbling pools, shimmering with some internal glint that just highlighted the elements about her he adored - her curiosity, her boundless energy, her need to explore and attempt everything. She was insatiable in every way, and he needed that in his life, more than he'd ever realised.

"That sounded like you've made up your mind," she spoke up, her smile constrained by tension. "You feel the same way, don't you?" Her tone was pleading, her question a desperate call for confirmation. He swallowed, nodding to give her the response she needed before he got his voice working.

"Y-yeah...I do," he answered, her coutenance cracking into a full beaming smile, her posture lifting. "I...I love you, Silver. I want to spend my life with you, come what may." Each word came easier, cascading one after the other. He didn't get to continue his heartfelt confession, though, as the girl in question launched herself at him and ensconced him in a vice-tight hug, squeezing him as though he were a lifeline in a storm.

"I love you too," she breathed, a whimper following her words. "I love you so much." She pulled him closer, their bodies crushed against one another, and it still wasn't close enough. He reciprocated, stroking the back of her head and wrapping his arm around her lower back, keeping her against him. Her lips pressed to his neck, pecking up to his jaw, across his cheek, and towards his mouth.

"You might not want to kiss me," he suggested, craning his head away. "I've just gone down on-"

A hand came to rest on his cheek and pulled him back towards her, where she was waiting to ensnare him in a kiss. Her lips mashed against his, seeking him out and angling herself to indulge as much as she could in the simple oral embrace. Terramar fell into the kiss, accepting the firmness behind her action and the softness with which she met him. Her tongue pushed demandingly at his lips, and he submitted to her wishes, meeting it with his own, the kiss growing deeper as their lust mounted and they were given unbridgled access to one another. Her tongue outpaced his, darting up and down, left and right, implacable in its exploration, and the more he tried to respond, the more energy she summoned to outperform him again. She led their dance, and he wasn't able to challenge that - not that he wanted to.

She broke the kiss to lay a line of smooches across his jaw, nipping softly at his neck. He took the opportunity to breathe, running his fingers through her hair and breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo. She smelled good, she felt good, and she just was good. Everything about her filled him with a soft, omnipresent warmth he just couldn't shake, and didn't want to. Being this close to her, holding and freely sharing their affection, was more comforting and addictive than soaking under a hot shower on a cold day.

"How do we work this, then?" the hippogriff asked, looking over to the other Silverstream, who'd gotten off the bed in anticipation of what might happen. "We're a throuple now, right? Does that mean that we all share tonight? How's it gonna work?"

"Not just yet," his sister answered immediately, and he gasped as her hand grasped the bulge in his trousers. "I've been waiting for this for ages, and you owe me!"

"You've been wanting it for a few months," her doppleganger corrected. "And you've been waiting for it for less than a full day."

"That's still too long," she huffed, kissing his collarbone. "I want you now."

"With Ocellus just standing there?"

"I don't mind watching," the girl in question answered. "If you don't mind. I think it's pretty hot, actually." She blushed, a cute demureness for someone standing stark naked in a bedroom preparing to watch him bed his sister. "I promise I won't get in the way or anything."

"Uh, okay, I guess." There wasn't really any room for objection; he'd already played with her, and he planned to make their relationship a permanent and stable one, so having her present wasn't anything shocking or even weird. Pulling away Silverstream's swiping thumb and wandering fingers, he gestured to one of his bags. "Can I go and get something first?"

"Fine," she answered with a pout, smiling as he stepped back. "Don't keep me waiting long, though. I'm really antsy."

"I can see that." He chuckled as he turned, his steps almost bouncy. Walking felt lighter, easier, and as he reached his bag, unzipping it, a grin creeped its way onto his face and refused to leave. He hadn't thought he'd need this any time soon, but today had been anything other than usual, and he was glad that his mother's insistence on being prepared just in case had stuck with him.

"How long have you been carrying that around?" Silverstream asked as he pulled out a square foil packet. When he didn't answer, too preoccupied blushing, she laughed. "I'm glad you haven't had to use it. It means you're yet to have a reason to use it, and I'm that reason and, well...a-anyway, I'll be quiet now so you can put it on."

Even though he wasn't facing them, Terramar could feel the gazes levelled at him, the burrowing of their eyesight into his back and down his legs as he stripped himself of his garments. Having them run their eyes up and down his thighs and calves was one thing, but as he shimmied his boxers down, he felt the wave of anxiety run over him again, and had to push himself onward. He'd never really thought about what a guy's ass should look like before now, but it was an unavoidable situation for him now that he had to get naked for two girls. Was it too big? Too small? Too smooth? What exactly was a guy's ass meant to be? He'd tried to tone his arms and front, judging from various posters, magazines, and celebrities that girls tended to like, but he'd never heard of anyone talking about a man's behind. His face burned, and he straightened up as quickly as he could, ripping open the packet with trembling fingers.

He'd applied several before - it wasn't like he had any use for them other than practice, or messing around - but the knowledge he'd be putting it to use for real this time made him stumble a few times, the latex rolling back up towards his tip. Tugging insistently, he managed to unfurl the wrap down to his base, the tight grip holding and keeping him wrapped in an artificial smoothness. Swallowing, he turned towards the bed nervously, ceasing his experimental stroking.

Silverstream was laying naked on the bed, freely touching herself. Both her hands were put to use, one clamped between her legs, and the other clutching at one of her tits, the abundance of doughy flesh overflowing from her grasp, spilling between her fingers. Her lidded eyes locked onto his pride, gazing intently at it.

"Keep stroking," she requested, the hand between her legs moving in lazy circles. "It looks really hot."

Terramar obliged her, gripping his rod and sliding a hand up and down its length as he approached the bed, drinking in the sight of the girl waiting for him. Her skin was smooth and flawless, a beautiful peach tone which seemed to radiate with splendour, her legs slender and soft. Her thighs were the perfect balance between padded and thin, offering enough softness to rest against, but retaining a tone that spoke of a ceaseless energy he knew she possessed. Her midriff was supple and womanly, her wide hips slimming to an hourglass waist and a kissable, supple belly. Her bust was definitely the part of her everyone noticed, the pillows on her chest easily large enough to fill his hands, each one requiring more support than he had to give. Currently, they were flat against her chest, gravity pulling them down, her pink, perky nips jutting out as though eagerly calling attentiont to just how desirable she really was.

He clambered onto the sheets, crawling over to her as his heart drummed a marching cadence for him. As soon as he took his hand from his shaft, Silverstream lifted her eyes to lock with his, lust mingling with love as he approached. It felt clumsy, his legs brushing over hers and his knees sinking too far into the mattress, and momentary concern crossed his mind before it was banished swiftly by her adoring gaze. His tip bumped against her groin, and he lowered himself atop her, reaching down to try and align himself with her. Blindly, he slid his crown over her nethers, judging by the muted sensations where he was. He frowned, slipping against her delta, failing to make any progress in spite of how pleasant it was.

"You need to go lower," his partner informed him, stroking along his waist.

"Isn't that your, uh, other hole?"

"No," she giggled, biting her lip and reaching for his shaft. "Let me?"

He relented, letting her dainty fingers close around his latex-clad shaft and dip it down, sinking between her lower lips. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his frown deepening.

"Don't be silly," she admonished gently. "I don't want you to be sorry; I want you to make love to me. So what if it's lower down that you expected? You're still going to go through with it, right?" He nodded, and she cupped his cheek, gazing at him again. "This feels so right. I'm...I'm really really happy." Seeking out one of his hands, she wove her finger between his, grasping him tightly. "I'm ready. Are you?"

"Yeah," he answered, taking a breath. "I'm ready." Leaning down, he pecked her on the lips, and then again, and again, until they were locked together, breathing deeply throughout their slow, sensual dance.

The pressure was the most prominent thing he noticed, the persistent squeeze against his tumescence. He had to push, her walls compressing his cockhead until he parted her enough to slide his girth into her fully. She took a deep breath as he penetrated her, then let out a long whine, whimpering into the kiss. Reaching as far as he thought he could go, he eased back, and then slid forward again, finding another inch, and dragging another whimper from his lover. With every stroke, he sank himself in deeper, searching for more room to his slow, glacial thrusts.

The heat hit him next, or rather creeped up on him. The sheath insulated him, but embedded in her as he was, the sweltering heat warmed his shaft through. It was body heat, but fulller and more intense. He didn't realise just how hot someone could be, nor just how good it would feel. He let out a gravelly whimper, savouring the sensation like the first bite of a hot meal, the painless burn hitting him just right.

Her hand tightened around his, and he squeezed back, pouring his affection into the wordless gesture. He could feel her in a way he'd never even realised was possible before, and not just physically. Sure, he was amazed at the way he felt her pulse and throb around his cock, the satisfaction of feeling her body react to his presence, her tunnel shaping around his intrusion to fit and pleasure him, but the real thrill was just how intimate it truly was. Every stroke of her hand was a direction, every squeeze was an expression, every clench and grip was a request. He knew what she wanted, and she knew he could tell. It was a closeness above what they'd had before, and he doubted it could happen with someone he didn't share feelings for. What had Silverstream asked for? 'Make love to me'?

This wasn't just sex; it was far more.

He slipped a hand under her waist, stroking along her spine with a thumb, working towards the small of her back, unfurling his wings carefully. Pulling the feathery appendages towards them, he felt her do the same, her own wings folding over his, wrapping them in a loose cacoon of feathers and limbs. Her hand reached to his head, pulling him closer into the kiss, her breaths hot against his lips. In response, he thrust his tongue into her mouth, surprising her, and trailed over her teeth before she replied, fencing with him. Before long, she'd pushed the battle back into his mouth, dominating him with ease.

The girl's hips flexed, grinding herself against his unmeasured thrusts, growing more needy and aggressive with every passing minute. Terramar adjusted, changing from a rocking of his hips to a roll, lifting with every thrust to match her rotations. He knees squeezed against him, her legs wrapping around his waist, and she nipped at his lip, pulling a wince from him that he shook off and resumed their kiss. Their handhold was broken, palms gliding every which way to feel and explore, grasping and holding, seeking out parts of each other they hadn't touched or had reason to touch, to truly feel and experience one another.

His movements were uncoordinated and jerky, not the smooth, nonchalant hammering he'd seen in porn, but it still felt good, and if her reactions were anything to go by, it felt good for Silverstream too. That was all that mattered. He shifted whenever she made a noise or a movement that suggested to him she liked what he'd just done, ignoring his own pleasure in pursuit of hers. The way her body reacted was good enough as it was, and he was grateful the condom staved off some of the sensation, giving him a fighting chance of finishing after her.

The graze of fingers against his pelvis made him look down, breaking the kiss to check. She was rubbing herself, panting heavily, the squeezing of her quim growing stronger and more frequent. Leaning back, he slid his hand from under her and brought it to her belly, brushing her hand out of the way and taking over.

"F-fast," she urged him. "Go fast and don't s-stop, okay? I'm so close, I need you to go fast and hard, p-please." Her hands sought out her boobs, tweaking her buds in a desperate, needy pinch. "R-rub it like that, please, oh gosh please just rut me!"

Terramar heeded her demand, flicking at the hard nub she'd been reaching for, swiping his thumb over it as fast as he could manage. He thought back to Ocellus' reaction and encouagement, the way she'd writed as he'd focused his touch on that little nexus of nerves, and pressed down, keeping pressure on her button as he jiggled away, feeling her walls grip his immobile shaft and hearing her tone tone rising. Her calves tensed, slowly starting to pull inwards.

"R-rut me!" she huffed, her voice nearly cracking. "Please pound me, please!" She threw her hips towards him, dislodging his thumb from her clit, and he grunted distractedly as she inadvertently worked his shaft, riding him at an angle.

With her so close to he edge, and her grinding too wild to find her nub again, he grasped her waist and slammed himself forward, quickly building up a pace. She squealed and huffed, panting as he ravaged her, plowing through the ever tightening contractions. The irregular, rapidfire slapping of skin mixed with Silverstream's squealing, his own laboured breaths negligible compared to her vocalisations.

"O-oh gosh, oh gosh, y-y-es, T-Terramar!" She gazed at him, repeating his name as she tensed, approaching her peak rapidly. Leaning in, he planted a kiss on her lips again, darting in quickly to seal it, before pulling back, locking eyes with her one last time.

"I love you," he grunted. "I love you so much, Silverstream. Cum for me."

"TERRAMAR!"

Her grip before had been tight - it became adamantium as she crossed the threshold, yanking him down to her and locking him inside her with her legs. Her scream filled the room, letting the world know who had just claimed her, and her nails dug into his skin, the pain staving off his own orgasm. She hollered and bellowed, shoving her face into his shoulder to try to constrain her euphoria. It didn't work.

The man rode her orgasm with her, her as her muscles wringing his shaft and her quaking filling him with the satisfied pride of a job well done. He kissed her neck, holding her close and grimacing as her fingers gripped him harder than he would've liked. Slowly, she relaxed, her body still twitching her her muscles clenching, and she let her head fall back, her wings dropping to the bed. The panting took a lot longer to fade into a steady breathing, and while she tried to recuperate, she held him, stroking his shoulders, arms, neck, and all parts of him she could reach. Her eyes were glazed over, her face was flushed red, and she looked content with everything.

"Babe," she called out at last. "Can you...take care of him...for a moment?" She lacked the usual enthuiasm and energy she possessed in almost any other situation; he must really have put her through her paces.

"I'd love to," an identical voice purred, coming from behind him. Terramar started, remembering the other girl in the room as she placed a hand on his back and trailed it up to the base of his wings. Shivering, he allowed her to guide him out of the recovering hippogriff and onto the floor. A familiar pair of arms wrapped around his midriff, hands trailing up his abs, and he sighed happily at the girl's touch.

"Do you want a go too?" he asked, wondering how he was going to pull that off. It had taken him no small effort to satisfy just the one girl, and he was still close from the spasms wrought by her climax.

"Not just yet," came the reply, a series of soft kisses trailing up and down his back. "I want to make you feel special. I want to make you feel amazing."

"Uh..."

"Turn around."

Cautiously, the man obeyed, rotating on the spot to come face-to-face with another Silverstream, the her hands draping over his shoulders as he faced her. She smiled brightly, and he felt his heart melt at the sight of her. Even knowing it wasn't really her, he couldn't get over her beauty, or her personality, or...her.

"Hey, handsome," she whispered to him. "Do you know how hot it was seeing you drive me to a screaming, wailing orgasm?" She bit her lip, lidding her eyes. "You absolute stud." She kissed him, her movements confident and purposeful, but slow and sensual. Her hand touched his cheek, a fingertip tracing feather-light down his jawline, over his neck, and along his collarbone. Her lips moved to his neck, suckling softly on his exposed skin, and pulling a whimper from him. "Do you want to cum, babe?"

"Y-yeah."

"Mm, I bet you do. He's ready."

There was a reticent creak from the bedsprings as Silverstream rolled over, her feet tapping lightly on the ground as she made her way over to them. The simulacrum serving him moved aside, still suckling on his neck, her hand admiring his pecs, giving the real girl space to drop to her knees. Terramar looked down, following her descent, and tepidly rested a hand on her head. She didn't stop him or pull away, accepting the contact. Looking up at him, she smiled mischievously, grasping the base of his cock and opening her mouth.

Then she shoved herself down on his dick.

The man gasped, surprised at the bold, sudden move. Silverstream wiggled her head, trying to take more of him, and gagged for her effort, struggling to fit more of his pole than she already had. Pulling back, she sealed her lips around the tip, and slid forward until she reached her limit, repeating her slow, careful slide. After several passes, she pulled back, smacked her lips together, and grinned.

"Delicious," she declared, her fingers reaching for the rim of the condom. Now let's see if you taste as scrumptious as I do." With careful, deft plucks, she rolled the cover up his legth, freeing his manhood from its protective prison. Tossing the empty wrapping carelessly over her shoulder, she gazed upon his pride, diamond-hard, pulsing faintly in time with his heartbeat, lined and crossed with fat veins.

The first lick was darting and sudden, a sharp swipe up his tip, and it sent a resounding pang through his loins, coaxing a shiver from him. After that, it was a procession of indulgement, her tongue sliding along his length, curling around his girth, swirling around his crown, lapping thirstily at his cumslit, gliding and flattening and sweeping every inch of flesh she thought to reach. She suckled from the side and from below, sealing a section of his shaft between her lips to lavish the turgidity before shifting the a new position, always wanting more.

"Don't I look like a perfect slut on my knees?" the Silverstream at his side asked, whispering lascivious thoughts to him. It was like she was speaking for the kneeling hippogriff, narrating what was going on in her mind while Terramar watched on. "Most girls would just move straight on the the blowie, but I had to suck my own juices off the condom first. What sort of naughty girl does that?"

The man panted, enduring kisses and nibbles to his neck in addition to the tongue bath from below. He tightened his grip, pulling her up to his glans and easing her lips around him fully. The other Silverstream hummed in approval.

"I can't wait for you to cum," she purred. "I want a huge, juicy load all to myself. I can already imagine how thick and gooey it's gonna be, and I promise to swallow every last drop. I bet you're brimming with jizz, aren't you? Let it all out. Give me everything you have."

"Getting close," he warned, scrunching up his face, as the weight in his nuts heated up, the heat spreading through his loins. He received a happy chirp from his side.

"Thrust," the girl ordered, kissing just below his ear. "Use my mouth like a pussy. I want you to rail my face until you blow your massive load down my throat. I can take it." Before he could ask, he received an affirming mm-hm! from his crotch, shivering as the vibrations travelled through him. Steeling himself, and with some encouragement from his yearning desires, he bucked his hips forward.

He started slow, but that lasted a few seconds before he gave in to his burning lust, quickly jackhammering into the girl before him. It was messy, drool running down her chin and dripping onto her breasts, saliva splashing onto his groin and legs. The throat-swabbing resulted in a melodic gluck-gluck-gluck, the salacious sound spurring his drive on further, the boiling in his lower half threatening to spill over.

"Use me," the Silverstream at his side praised. "You own my mouth, babe. You're gonna cum soon, right? Feed me your spunk, stud, paint my throat white. You feel amazing, but I need more. Cum for me, cum for me, cum for me, fill me up babe, please, I need it so bad-"

"Oh gosh, S-Silverstrrr-"

There was a nibble at his ear, the rising tide swelled, withdrew, and then redoubled, erupting in a blinding surge that sapped him of his senses. Lightning coursed through his body, overloading his nerves and synapses, his thoughts lagging as the dffort of functioning was diverted elsewhere. Colours dimmed, shades and hues lessening, and shapes lost their definitions, blurring at the edges. His muscles stopped responding, his limbs privy to the whims of the sporadic sparks springing up at inconsistent intervals. Heat spread through him, flowing like a molten torrent from core to extremities, doubling back and repeating its route in reverse.

He was ensnared in a kiss, groaning and grunting animalistically against her mouth, unable to stop himself. His legs wobbled like jelly, trembling so hard he began to tilt, panic flaring up sluggishly inside him. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso, catching him, and pulled him back towards the kiss, holding up his weight. Pressing a shaking hand against the drawer nearest him, he tried to support himself, enduring as best he could the seismic shocks emnating from crotch. Each pulse sent another set of tremors through him, the impact crashing over his mind like a tsunami, leaving his mind battered.

The spiralling went on for what felt like minutes, the reduction gradual and incremental. Silverstream pulled away from his still-pulsing shaft to swallow and breathe, his reserves running dry before his orgasm did, and he was helped onto the bed by the two girls. He barely noticed the cyan flash, the second Silverstream replaced by the pale changeling. It took several minutes before everything returned to normal.

"Are you back yet?" Silverstream asked for the third time, this time receiving a nod. She beamed, then grinned. "I did pretty good, huh? You came like a firehose!"

"It was a team effort," Ocellus reminded them, smiling to herself.

"Speaking of a team effort," Terramar spoke up. "I didn't realise you were so dirty, Ocellus." He grinned at the changeling's blush.

"I-I can get into it sometimes," she admitted. "I have a vested interest in making sure everyone's feeling happy and horny, and if there's a lot of lust floating around, I let loose. Your sister helped me get like this."

"That sounds about right," Terramar reasoned. "I didn't know condom blowies were a thing until tonight."

"Oh, she's downright filthy. We'll show you soon enough."

"Maybe even tonight," Silverstream suggested, a sly grin breaking out across her face. "We can start with-" She fell silent suddenly, and the other two glanced at each other in concern. Perking up their ears, they heard it.

The flapping of approaching wings.

They didn't have time to make a move or hide before the thud of shoes on the balcony outside informed them that the newcomers had arrived. Tensing up, the trio fixed their gazes on the open door, listening to the scuffle of shoes and waiting with bated breath for the intruders to enter the bedroom. Terramar tried to keep his heart still, but it adopted a resounding beat nonetheless, loud enough to alert anyone in the treehouse that he was here.

"But Sir Gallus, this is not the knightly way!"

The trio balked as a feminine voice made its way to them from outside.

"To Tartarus with knightly ways!" replied the second person, identifiably the group's griffon. "If I have to choose between you and my vows, then I choose love! Come with me, Princess Smolder, and let me show you what pleasures love can offer!"

The smacking of lips heralded the entrance of the two students, clumsily stumbling towards the bed as they made out, hands grasping at one another impatiently. The griffon was dressed in a suit of plastic armour, his blue hair sticking out from under the helmet, and he was caught in a passionate liplock with the tomboy dragon, who was dressed in a beautiful feminine dress. As she broke the kiss to talk, she exposed her face, showing her effective application of eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush.

"Before we go any further, Sir Gallus, there's something you must know," she spoke, her voice sweet and girlish. "It's important to me that I stay pure before my wedding. If you want to lay with me tonight, you'll have to stick it up my-"

Glancing at the bed, the dragoness' face dropped in horror, and she jumped back with a yelp. Spinning to see what had caused the commotion, Gallus jumped back with a yelp of his own. All faces in the room flushed red.

"What are you doing here!?" Smolder demanded, her voice back to its familiar throatiness. "Actually don't answer that. All I need to know is that you aren't gonna tell anyone about this, and I mean anyone. If you tell a single person about this, I'm killing everyone in this room, and then myself!"

"We aren't going to tell anyone!" Ocellus promised, holding her arms across her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to fly!"

"We won't tell anyone about this," Terramar jumped in, swallowing as all eyes turned to him. "Provided you don't tell anyone about us."

"Deal," Smolder agreed readily.

"Seems fair," Gallus assented. "No one talks about the roleplay or the incestuous threeway. Everyone keeps quiet about it forever."

Silence fell across the group, the five of them glancing at one another intermittently.

"Now what?" Silverstream asked at last, breaking the stalemate.

"Well, we came here to fuck," Gallus answered bluntly. "We can't exactly go back with Smolder dressed like that."

"Or with Yona breaking Sandbar's bed again," Smolder added. "Seriously, you think they'd learn after the third bed, but I still have to put up with the noise every time, and they still don't think we know! We're not deaf, or stupid!"

"So that leaves here," Gallus concluded. His eyes roamed over the three on the bed. "That bed got enough room for five?"

"You...can't be serious?"

"Why not?" Gallus asked with a grin. "Smolder? Up for it?"

"I didn't fly here to have a tea party."

"Nice. Silverstream?"

"How can I say no to that?"

"Ugh, fine," Ocellus muttered. Gallus' grin widened, and he turned to Terramar expectantly.

"Um...maybe?" he offered, smiling nervously.

"Oh, he's cute when he blushes," Smolder chuckled, locking eyes with the hippogriff. "You're mine tonight."

"Is that still a 'maybe', Silverstream's brother?"

"...s-sure."

"Nice," Gallus cheered, slapping the dragoness on the butt to send her in Terramar's direction. "Welcome to our little group. You're gonna fit right in."

Terramar gulped, watching the dragon stalking closer, eyes locked onto him. Silverstream giggled and kissed him on the cheek, squeezing his hand supportively.

Somehow, he wasn't too worried.