Survival Begins at Home

Shining woke up in a strange room that he'd never been in before. He propped himself up to take a better look around, but a sharp pain in his shoulder alerted him to his bandages. He was injured, but he did not remember being in a fight. He didn't remember much of anything after the negotiations.

"You're awake." The sudden voice startled Shining, and as he quickly turned to face the speaker, the pain in his shoulder suddenly became much worse, and he let out a yelp. "Easy there. Calm down. You don't want to rip out your stitches." The elder mare approached slowly and presented him with a paper cup. "Would you like some water?"

Shining nodded, taking the cup and sipping from it. "Where are we?"

"This is my son's room," answered the mare. "He's in Manehattan right now, protecting the citizens of Equestria. I'm sure he wouldn't mind my offering his bed to you while you recover, though. Especially after what you did for us."

"What did I do?"

"Don't worry about that now. You need to rest." With a gentle push, she lowered him back to the bed and tucked him in. "I'll check on you again in the morning."

Shining shot up again. "Wait! How long have I been out?"

"Just a few hours," shushed the mare. "Just rest for now."

"No, I have to make sure my wife knows, or Whinnyapolis is going to be overrun!"

"We've already been overrun by the zebras. You have returned our freedom to us. The least we can do is make sure you're alright. Now, I insist you go back to sleep. I will send a messenger to your wife."

"That won't be good enough. I have to go back."

The mare let out an exhausted sigh. "Fine. You need to go back? I'll set it up personally. I will be going with you to make sure you're not hurt again. Now please, sit still while I fetch a wagon?"

Shining nodded in agreement, and the mare left the room. He leaned forward and swung his legs out of the bed. He was covered in bandages, but nothing seemed to be worse than some simple lacerations and a few contusions. He wasn't sure if there was anything worse at this point, but he didn't see any splints or hard casts, so it was unlikely that he'd suffered a broken bone. His breathing was normal, he was allowed to drink water, and his head felt fine.

Aside from the bandages, he was completely nude. His armor, covered in blood and dented in places, sat in the corner over a towel, which was on top of a painter's drop cloth, presumably to avoid staining the carpet. His sword and shield were not among them.

As he took another sip of water, he nearly choked. Another mare walked in, wearing only a sheer nightgown. It was the same mare he'd seen right before passing out. He quickly covered his genitals as a sign of civility. As he did, she held up his sword. It was not only cleaned up, but polished to the point where he could see her face in it. "I couldn't think of a better way to thank you for saving me," she said, offering him the handle.

He took back the blade and admired the work she'd done. It must have taken hours. "You didn't have to do this," he replied. "In truth, I don't even remember saving you. I thought it was just a nightmare I was having, honestly."

She pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. "Well, your nightmare saved me from mine. I had to do something for you."

"You're a citizen of Equestria, I think. That means it's my duty to ensure your safety. That's what guards do."

The mare chuckled. "You're an injured pony. That means it's my duty to ensure your health. That's what nurses do. And you don't have to cover yourself, I was the one who stripped you down. I've had a good, long look at it."

Shining blushed. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I'm not," she smiled. "Your wife must be very happy."

"She says she is," smiled Shining, "but I think she's holding back for my sake. I wish I still had the drive I used to."

The mare brought her hand up to her chin. "Lowered testosterone, perhaps? I can check on that, if you like."

"I need to be leaving soon. I can't wait around all night."

"It won't take more than a few minutes, I promise."

After a moment's hesitation, Shining nodded. "As long as it's quick."

With a smile, the mare dropped to her knees, and ducked under the blanket Shining had covered himself with. A second later, he felt her fingers on his balls, feeling them for size, shape, weight and firmness. At least, that's what she told him. In reality, she was seeing how fast she could coax an erection out of him. Turns out, it was pretty fast. Shining thought that might be the end of it, but then he felt the familiar touch of a tongue against the base of his shaft, slowly dragging its way up to the tip.

Shining closed his eyes. For a moment, he forgot about the pain and was brought back to a happier time. He reached down under the cover and brushed her mane out of her eyes. It was a short mane, slipping through his fingers easily. She responded to his touch by taking the whole thing into her mouth, sucking on him enthusiastically.

She was very skilled with her tongue, and as a result, Shining didn't last very long. As he let loose his load into the mare's mouth, she pulled back to taste it. "Very masculine," she chuckled, swallowing all that he'd given. "There's certainly nothing wrong with your reproductive system. It's in top shape."

Shining smiled, leaned forward, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "When this is all over, you're more than welcome to join me in the Crystal Empire anytime you wish. I cannot thank you enough for this, miss..."

"Sparkling Punch," she smiled, stepping out into the hall. A few seconds later, she returned with a large robe. "You can't wear your armor again until it's repaired. Too many dents and punctures. You can have it fixed at home."

Shining slipped into the robe. It was comfortable and cushiony. She slipped into one of her own, covering up her body as the other mare returned. "I see you've met my daughter," she said. "Your chariot awaits, my prince."

Shining and the two mares returned to the alleyway where Shining had first seen the assault take place, where a wagon was indeed waiting for them. One of the guards that had accompanied Shining to the city limits was pulling the wagon with a third mare. Sparkling Punch had loaded up his armour into the back and carried with her Shining's sword in its scabbard. As soon as they were situated, the quintet set off for Ponyville.