Author's Note

Shout outs to shadowwolf. He's done his best but I'm sure plenty is still misspelled because of me.

Lesbians.

Sad times.

Mothers Know Best.

Chapter 8.
Mothers know best.

Addressed unto the family of Anonymous the Human,

Dearest subjects Derpy and Umbrial Daze. Good day unto ye. We in the Royal chambers wish ye a very happy summer solstice- assuming yon letter hath come before such festivity. Most regrettably however, this letter seeketh not to discuss so gayly the current state of mundane things.

We, The Princess of the Night, write unto thee as a request in the most humble of forms. Though this letter ride upon the wings of the Royal Postal Service and beareth upon its seal the insignia of Our most weighty institution, We wish only to speak upon matters of intimate interest. Hark, should the lot of ye fine ponies and human accept the offer and cometh unto Us in the Crystal Empire, We would accept thee with a most jubilant welcome and the finest accommodations. The address of ‘187 Malachite Way’ shall be thine destination. The Geode Estate will be expecting you within the month of August, as We too shall be making the premises Our own home during business dealings there. Journey forth when the time is right, lest the reservations expire come September. Tarry not upon concerns of the State’s watchful gaze scorning ye on the approach, for this letter flies to ye on owl wings through the shady forest of secrecy. Not a soul but We and the courier know of yon letter’s presence. And- barring any terrible tragedy- ye shall be the only ones to lay eyes upon it.

It is hoped that Our approach will temper fears within the family ye have nurtured within Our great nation. Our heart yearns for thine presence and our lips ready themselves to sing ye a warm welcome upon safe arrival. Should ye accept, there is no need to respond. We shall be made aware of thine arrival and mightily rush to see every need met. Should ye choose Our offer not? No shame should glance at thine heart. We will accept your absence as a respectful declination. We do however, wish to see ye here rather than before the hooves Our most cherished cohort, Twilight Sparkle. We first and foremost commend her active procedure in contacting Us in Canterlot about the last so-called “incident” that struck Umbrial Daze. Our intentions may not be as noble and proper as her own but We regardless shall make upon ye offers that shall compromise in entirely different and novel ways. Should this letter be fully disregarded, then heed only this. The Night shall always be more forgiving than the blinding flare of Day.

We sincerely implore thine family to consider the invitation in the most charitable manner. Should any pony trouble ye on the matter of Umbra’s house arrest, bear upon them this seal and all shall be forgiven. Our authority reaches over all lesser courts and Our will is not to be violated.

-The Right Honorable Majesty of the Moon and the Stars, Her Majesty of the Dark Court and the Angel of Sleep, Princess Luna.

~P.S. Please find enclosed tickets of travel to the Empire. We have spared no expense in suitable accommodations.

Umbra held the fabulous scroll in her magic and read over it again and again in the bright sunlight of the snow-flecked lands rushing by. The summer sun so powerful in Ponyville dwindled to a flickering candle of itself in these lands, leaving a brisk chill to run over the flattened plains of rocky outcrops and smoothed hills. Occasionally her green eyes would watch the familiar realm go by with all its villages and towers and roads speeding past her. Each pony, each building and every character therein carried on as if the greatest scourge of their nation wasn’t in their fold once more. She watched as bustling towns swished passed while unnoticed and rubbled-laden fields dragged on in surprisingly slowness. Some were mere abandoned villages that suffered failed harvests, others were military camps no longer necessary for the security of the nation.

Others were livelihoods and homes that Umbra had burned to the ground and slaughtered. Resting her chin against the cold lumber of the train window, the Queen watched it all fly by in fast motion. The blurry recollection of time quite nicely matching the smeared colors that such a speed lended this land. Her sighs and heavy breaths fogged the mirror-surface momentarily before the luxurious air within dried it, sweet scents and aromas swirling about the brooding mare like spiracles of dust. She reflected on the brutal humor of her soaring by in such profound comfort as the wasted lands she scourged many centuries before sat there in cold desolation. The Queen shut her eyes and breathed deeply as the voices of long-lost villagers and soldiers whispered in need around her, calling out for recompense under the roaring steel wheels rolling along steel tracks.

Were it not for the jingle and jangle of fine china bumping against itself atop a wooden tray, such a monotonous sound might’ve put her to sleep. But with a rickety clank and shift, the door behind her whined open and revealed the soft mare retrieving a wonderful breakfast.

“Wakey, wakey! I got you some sippy-coffee and foldy bread!” Derpy chirped with an old hoodie wrapped about her shoulders, the worn out and hole-ridden thing forever loaned to her by a hard-working husband. Umbra’s ears perked and her lips tugged into an amused smile as she turned about and addressed the candy-sweet confections that first class train cars called “breakfast.” The dark and steamy brew sloshing gently in its tiny ceramic cup was indeed Derpy’s so-called “sippy coffee,” though most ponies her age would call it espresso. ‘Foldy bread’ could be many things she couldn’t remember the proper name of, but this time Umbra was most pleased to find a stuffed scone. Milk in tall, narrow glasses and a bowl of frigid fruit stood on either side of these wonderful treats, certainly far more sugar than vitamins packed into this morning meal.

“Wonderful, wonderful. This is a surprisingly high-class arrangement!” Umbra cooed with a warm smile as her companion sat across from her, eagerly sipping her own coffee and trying her own fruity treat.

“Oh, it was super fancy in there. Chocolate fountains, super expensive coffee machines- they even tried to serve wine for breakfast! How weird?” Derpy giggled and chugged a healthy dose of milk.

“Wine? You mean a mimosa?” Umbra quipped to her confused herd mate.

“Mimosa? I thought that was a flower?” While the silliness could be unbearably frustrating, this morning made for a gleeful and gentle Umbra. Wrapping herself in the warm and starchy blankets of the sleeping car, the chubby unicorn gently feasted on her breakfast with a bemused grin.

“Mh… could be. Cocktails love to share their names with all manner of special, nice things.” Munching and sipping and pouring and satisfaction filled the car for several minutes. Umbra couldn’t stop looking out the window and into the sunny fields around them, shrouded patches of grass holding onto the icy shell of fallen snow. The temperature drop had inspired everyone to don far warmer clothing and snuggle up at night. Even in the rather small bed designed for ponies, the family piled atop one another in a great big pile for the great journey toward the Empire. Mountains of pudge, thick muscle and fluffy fur worked together so that no one was left behind, but also inspired strange feelings in Umbra.

Even now in the morning light as she gazed at Derpy’s plush form, she felt pangs of something different poking through her. The grunting heater in the car only went so far to stave off such a chilly atmosphere, thus she often found herself gravitating toward the ultra-warm and safe mother. Her squishy body molded to hers and buried her in comfort, suspending the needy sorceress in a plain of infinite comfort for hours on end. Sweet scents pouring out of her fur and running over her body nourished a troubled mind and flooded her with relief. The near-infinite amount of mare to cuddle always gave Umbra options in the cramped space of the bed. A cramped space she would never dare leave in favor of the adjacent bed just a few feet away. A heart filled with worry kept her awake for many nights before this, but Derpy’s overwhelmingly peaceful presence conjouled her into a beautifully metered state.

“Whatcha’ lookin’ at?” Derpy quipped with a mouth half full of berry scone. Her innocent stare made Umbra blush somewhat beneath her fur, a flutter of affection moving up her chest like hot steam.

“Who? Me? Nothing, nothing…” The charcoal Queen replied, sipping her little espresso shot once more and sighing contently.

“Just thinking about some things…” Derpy’s ears stood on end and focused toward her herdmate. Unlike you, the pegasus quickly caught onto something turning and thrashing inside the crafty unicorn. The most subtle of hints to you were mountains of evidence for a mature mare like Derpy, especially one as feminine and empathetic as her. Never dropping her motherly glower of welcoming softness, the mare spoke up with a voice barely rising above a whisper.

“Excited?” She pried gently, wedging herself carefully into the Queen’s thoughts.

“Perhaps… in a manner I am. Though I’m not sure what for.” Derpy sat and silently waited for Umbra to spill open yet more of her reclusive imagination. Her style of interrogation was both remarkably cruel and exceedingly gentle simultaneously. Careful prodding and strategic pickings never pressured someone to speak without their fullest comfort, but that also allowed her to receive full admission from the unsuspecting target. One would simply feel so safe and secure talking to silly old Derpy that the words would fall out of them and keep falling until all that needed to be said lay exposed between her hooves. Umbra’s guard had long been let down before the pudgy housewife. If anything, she was made more confident confiding in her herdmate whatever concern might befall her. Derpy could simultaneously understand and fail to understand, somehow.

“Coming back to these lands stirs certain feelings in me. I must admit that I’m… dreading and yearning for this at once.” Derpy’s ears perked attentively, though she looked a little lost. Her eyes crossed in front of her espresso cup and made it difficult for her wide equine tongue to reach into it.

“Whether I was summoned here to face my final punishment or not, I cannot be sure. Those conniving Royals may be waiting just out of sight to run a blade into my back. They may set a trap for your humble Umbra so they can pick her brain and lock her away. But for some reason I cannot fully describe? I don’t care.” Derpy thoughtfully paused her munching and stared into the expression of her herdmate, cocking an eyebrow at her pudgy friend.

“Wha- Why would they do that?” She asked, snuggling somewhat tighter into her pilfered hoodie.

“Bubby took care of all that. Twilight promised she’d leave us alone.” Umbra grinned and snuggled her own fleecy sweater, its billowing white fibers contrasting perfectly against her dark coat.

“I will never entertain the idea that this invitation is anything so personal and sweet. I’m well versed in the Royals’ style of dealing with their problems, as I’ve been one for some time.” Umbra sighed and sipped her tiny cup of coffee once again, the tremble in her voice pronounced as it was subtle.

“So… perhaps if I willingly tread into the lion’s den they will show me mercy. I want to accept this punishment rather than fight it. And if it comes to light that my fears were assumptions? All the better.” Neither wife could really pin down how the other was feeling.

Derpy watched her fluffy compatriot shift and nervously squeeze in on herself like a collapsing star. Umbra’s limbs pulled in against her body and fidgeted slightly, like a prey animal in the presence of a predator. The dark Queen likewise watched the searching eyes of her herdmate scan her again and again for answers. Fruitlessly Derpy tried to parse out what could cause such a dower feeling in Umbra, what in Equestria could compel her to feel so rotten. Instincts within her began to cook off and spark with energetic reactions to such turmoil. Her wings moved and squeezed as if to hug something, her legs aching to close about Umbra and keep her safe. She was instantly driven to protect a familiar, thus getting up and closing the distance was natural for her.

“Hmm… what are you doing?” Umbra asked softly as Derpy snuggled up against her side and nuzzled her neck, the sweet scent of the fertile mother washing over Umbra like a sea breeze.

“You’re talkin’ silly.” Derpy mumbled softly into the charcoal fluff of her companion. The unicorn responded with trepidation, carefully moving herself to allow more of Derpy’s warm weight to rest on her. She had rarely snuggled this close to Derpy before, lest it be for some more intimate purpose. The two were more than acquainted by this point, but it had rarely crossed Umbra’s mind to single Derpy out for her comfort. For years now they had slept together, bathed together, laughed and cried and loved together, but never truly connected. Only a dozen occasions in the last few years had they even kissed.

Feeling such a soothing, calming and infantilizing mood come over her in that moment flushed the concern from Umbra’s heart. The content march toward punishment now seemed so far off and silly, like a thing that would only ever happen in a dream. Here, in real life, there were protectors to save the Queen. Soft, eternal, warm and sweet protectors that wrapped around her like blankets of the softest cotton. Her muscles untangled and her heart slowed to a low bumble of noise, reducing the Queen to a simpering little child snuggled up with Momma.

“We’re gonna take care of you. We’re gonna keep you safe forever and ever and always love you.” Derpy’s squeaky and feminine voice rolled over Umbra’s body and rattled her bones to their core, for it was exactly what she needed. The most potent medicine for an otherwise deadly ailment, her innate fear of the unknown faded into nothingness.

So what if this was her final punishment? So what if the Royals could pluck her off her hooves and whisk her back to prison? Momma was here. And Momma would never let something like that happen.

“Hrrrnnmmm…” The Sorceress melted into her herd mate and collapsed to the bed. Blankets tossed aside were replaced by unfurling wings of soft grey down and rolls of grey pudge, the most securing and comfortable cushions known to ponykind. Dark legs grasped onto Derpy and pulled her close to the Queen, welcoming her to return the favor. Umbra didn’t hesitate to bury her face in Derpy’s shoulder, hiding herself in the plush realm of a mother.

“There we go… come here now. Silly pony.” Derpy naturally stroked Umbra’s mane and rubbed her back, calming down the excitable little ball of black fur. She so adored to care for those in her life, whether they be human or pony. Her remarkable skill in cuddling one into a better mood proved itself once again to be unmatched in Equestria. Her sweet scent like fresh baked goods and female pheromones was like a panicena made reality. Umbra huffed it from her chest fur like a mad addict, her eyes slowly shuddering closed as the mellow scent consumed her mind. You might’ve had the most arousing scent to her, but Derpy certainly had the very best. Her fur was warm to the touch and soft as downy feathers when one pushed their snout into it, parting the waves of dull color to let the feminine freshness wash over them. Umbra had always adored this scent, for it always meant someone kind and soft was nearby.

“Silly pony talking about silly nonsense. You’re safe with us, Umbra.” Derpy cooed dreamily and closed her eyes in the cozy delirium. It was so cool in the train, pitiful little space heaters failing to warm her frigid hooves. The rumbling roar of steel wheels spinning down steel tracks blocked out any intrusive thoughts from her conscious, the bump and tumble of the irregular ride rocked her to a peaceful sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and closed a few times before sleep snuck up and struck Derpy down. She lay there holding her herdmate, likewise turning her into a sleepy mass glued to her. With you and Dinky out of the car for quite some time, the two migrated into more and more comfortable positions. Sooner than later Umbra was face to face with the pegasus, nuzzling her snout directly and humming sweetly into her face.

Derpy huffed in return and kissed out of habit, smiling all the while.

“Hmmmn… Derpy…” Umbra grunted in a fleeting state of consciousness, her blurry vision consumed by grey mountains and yellow clouds. She pressed into the incredible comfort around her and squeezed the gently breathing pillow, eliciting a squeal of delight.

“Ooh… Sweet little Umbra.” Derpy giggled and kissed her snuggle buddy between the eyes, drawing them up to hers like magnets from afar.

“How about some of my special cuddles? Would that make you feel better?” Umbra bit her lip and stared on like a helpless plebeian knelt before their king. She felt reverie for this unique comfort, this harbinger of safety and security. Her guts turned and thrashed with the excitement of a child on the most fantastic of holidays, a long-buried feeling in her ancient heart.

“Y- yes…” She answered, earning a soft, firm kiss on the lips. She and Derpy met with a wet suction between them that made the entire world seem small as their little room. Umbra’s mind faded into the background as her herd mate massaged and moved her lips about, breaking the contact after a good while with a flourishing-

“Mwuah!” Another flurry of giggles made the Queen weak and shaking with need, the slight drafts of cool air making her press and grind against her chubby cuddler.

“You and Bubby are such suckers for my cuddles.” Umbra nodded into Derpy’s neck, her snout painfully cold without her kisses. Chirps and cooes and moans from the mother’s chest shook the ancient evil. Her bones rattled from the slightest adorable noise, her eardrums burst from the pounding waves of this sweet voice. Her own calls of delight and relaxation were nothing before the soothing symphony Derpy let out effortlessly, as if the mere sound of her voice could cure any and all ailments a pony might suffer from.

“Don’t you feel all safe and warm? Like nothing in the whole wide world can get you?” Derpy said sleepily and kissed Umbra’s ear, making her squeak and kick in ellation. Surely that was some form of silent agreement, as Derpy only felt another pony clinging tightly to her bosom when Dinky was a newborn hopelessly dependent on her for life.

“Good… we love you. Very much. We always will.” No longer could the Queen take this emotional beating. She had to reciprocate this enormous gift of content she had been freely given. Her sleepy body pushed and clamored up just enough to match Derpy’s face, every muscle in Umbra’s neck pushing forward so she could reconnect with her snuggle buddy. Derpy’s eyes widened in surprise as the unicorn held her head in her hooves and passionately kissed her, moving and grinding lips quickly evolving into slurping and wrestling tongues. There was an immediate loss of any decency or friendly intent when Umbra pushed onto her pudgy cuddler and huffed her scent. She panted and sucked down mouthfuls of the motherly aroma surrounding the pegasus, staring deep into her crossing eyes.

Derpy had seen this look in her before, but she still couldn’t quite comprehend that it was directed toward her. Normally that insane stare of lusty hunger was reserved for you, her handsome husband laying back and letting Umbra love all over you. The needy look of affection-starved mare focused solely on her now and struck her heart with a deafening lightning bolt of dirty excitement.

“Derpy… I don’t mean to alarm you.” Umbra whispered, her eyes flicking to the door between them and the rest of the car. Her magic quickly flipped the locking mechanism and sealed the helpless wife’s fate.

“But I feel we need some… mare time together in order to really relax ourselves.” Derpy whined in surprise and suddenly felt the wetness running off Umbra's undercarriage, a pronounced musk hitting the back of her throat. The tight interior of the bed let the building aroma of mare need billow like choking smoke. Fruity and spicy hints danced around in Derpy’s brain with infectious connections forming between her firing neurons. The tell-tale reek of sex, of lust and of procreation that called to all living things with a silent voice. It made her own body react with equal parts need and confusion, for it had been a long time since Derpy even humored the idea of bedding another mare.

Feeling their teats mesh together, their puffy lips hover mere inches apart and their racing heart beats syncing, the pegasus couldn’t deny how heated it all made her. She was already getting butterflies bouncing about in her chest with excited flutters dancing out of her throat. Her legs spread in reflex and her chest heaved under the weight of the unicorn pressing her nose against her own, the scent of sippy coffee thick on her breath.

“Do you agree?” Umbra asked with hope in her voice, along with plenty of syrupy, sticky lust. Her fangs glimmered with the reflected light of a racing landscape outside, the pink of her tongue poking out to lick and lap at Derpy’s lips hungrily.

“I- we- mmph! Yes!” Derpy gasped between licks and nibbles, submitting herself to the whims of this starving mistress. Umbra didn’t immediately snap her jaws about the throat of her prey, however. With care and restraint she hovered down the length of her new obsession, carefully placing kisses as she went. Over the rounded planet of Derpy’s belly she paid special attention, for there was a subtle jealousy here.

Umbra nuzzled and huffed and kissed the belly that had birthed her student. The soft expanse of gray fluff molded and worked under her lips, churning slightly with warm fat springing back against her force. She pressed to it and listened to the flowing sea of music it made, admiring such a fertile womb that could create such beautiful children. The very notion that it once housed a bright young youth like Dinky made the Queen weak and breathy. To have something so precious and pure grinding against her face sent spasms of thrill through her body, bursts of pleasure knocking about in her hips like firecrackers in a hallway. A particularly deep kiss on Derpy’s navel ended the worship however, for there were very important matters to attend to.

Derpy could only see the tips of Umbra’s horn and ears when she disappeared behind her belly, the thick walls of her thighs brushing against her cheeks. Hot and wet breaths rushed over her plump nethers like storm winds over helpless, rolling plains. Her body twitched and kicked helplessly when the muscles were so gently stimulated, a familiar yet different creep of warm pleasure. Her hooves jiggled above Umbra’s head as she dipped into the sweet reserve of her herdmate, tasting her matured and rubbery flower with an intrusive lick.

“Hhhhhaaahhnnng…” Derpy groaned as a thick and muscular equine tongue parted her girthy lips and lapped at her squeezing snatch. Fiery bolts rushed through her body with conflicting emotions that summed up into shocking delight. Satisfaction from the warm and careful organ writhing and pushing into her sex made her relax and hum and huff, but Umbra’s aroma and feel challenged her normally relaxed posture in love making. It was different enough to keep her locked in attention, constantly focusing on the tiniest tickle or touch of the unicorn’s being. She was being surprised and shocked and pleased again and again as Umbra pressed her snout into her folds, suckling and slurping with a skilled familarity.

Try as you might, no man could ever please a mare like another mare could. Umbra judged from her own tastes and desires where Derpy’s most sensitive and secretive spots would be before attacking them with lengthy and wet slurps. Slick lips dripping with creamy excitement painted her snout with the sticky heat of a flustered mare, imparting a sweet and milky flavor onto Umbra’s tongue. Her eyes rolled back as she carefully dug and slurped and kissed at her herd mate’s lips, forcing moans and grunts out of Derpy that she had never heard.

“Hrrmph! O- Ooooh goodness! EEMP!” Derpy covered her snout with a hoof to muffle her ecstasy. Never in all her life had her rear end been so cared for. The detailed and precise licking hit delicate nodes within time and time again with brutal efficiency. This manner of release was far more metered, calculated and deliberate. Rather than the pounding and raw coupling of male and female, this was a worship of the feminine body. Umbra worked to please the one she idolized, she threw herself into the warm and suffocating mire of a mare’s body for the sake of a higher being. Her eyes drifted closed as she labored away, parting the grey sea of Derpy’s lips again and again. Kisses and suckles and licks focused in on her bulging clitorous and forced the delicate nub to wink furiously.

“EEK! Umbra!” Derpy snapped her pudgy thighs about the dark Queen’s head and nearly crushed her skull. Pressure mounted around her as the unicorn burrowed into her lover and growled into her body. Her jaws parted around her bulging center of fleshy pleasure and snapped her lips about it, melting Derpy into a gurgling and whimpering paste. The rotund wife contorted and kicked and moaned and squeezed Umbra until her wheezy breaths couldn’t escape, pinning her perfectly in place for a hearty drink. Wordlessly, Derpy let loose a torrent of orgasmic pressure that filled Umbra’s maw. Any flavors left from breakfast were entirely destroyed by the creamy and milky blend brewed inside the chubby mother, a pleasing combination of funky and smooth. Umbra’s eyes rolled back and sparkles danced in her vision from the lack of air, her gulping throat swallowing the mouthful of Derpy pleasure swirling between her cheeks.

“Hah- hhhng- ooh! Oh my goodness! Oh crackers! Umbra!” Derpy bucked her hips and forced herself to release the Queen. A suction broke with a lurid pop! that set the poor creature free, a dripping maw and a hurried pace of breath punctuating both mares’ composures. Umbra quivered and savored the taste rushing through her mouth at the time, a sweet and sour blend of milky high notes and motherly hormones. A perfect wine made from Derpy’s nethers, one that portrayed her soft and powerful character perfectly.

At the very base of her mind, where thoughts were constructed without words to describe them, Umbra detailed precisely why she found such a delicacy fit for worship. The very essence of life was contained in this nectar like treasures in the Earth. A delicious and hearty essence that could birth great children and nourish them. Structures within that bent stallions of all species to its whim and dictated the whole of society. A special brew from a special mare that bore brilliant children with a handsome human that Umbra desperately wished to emulate. It was almost as if she could learn the secrets of fertility from tasting and scrutinizing her herdmate. The perfection in silky grey mounds might hold the secret, outwardly displaying a most alluring and tempting shape. Sleepy green and red eyes constantly scanned over her again and again, admiring the puffy lips engorged with life and oozing creamy drippings into the sheets.

Derpy’s rising and falling belly messaged her teats about and inflated out of sync with her pulsating winks, setting into motion many layers of jiggles and quivers and shakes. The Queen pressed her face against the mountainous pillows of the care-taker’s breasts, finding that the perch was so pleasingly pliable and warm and cushioned one could just fall asleep and never wake up. Her face sank into the supple flesh with ease and the tick of a pounding heart throbbed against her skull, working the exhausted mare down into a useless pace of sore limbs and fur. The entire cabin had grown warm with the two working out their “mare time” in such a confined space, a swirling funk of musky mare release likewise poisoning the air. Mindful and red magic cracked the window open just enough to vent all the steamy exhaust out of the train.

“Hmm… hnn… goodness gracious…” Derpy whimpered as she struggled to move. Her chubby body rotated until she was saddled up against her herd mate once again, finding that she was near dead in her exhaustion. The content grin across her snout however was quite a pleasing sign. A soothed and smug little smile on a soaking wet face that simply screamed safety and security. Umbra’s curled back and tucked in limbs relaxed in the wake of such pleasure, as if she herself had culminated from the two’s tangle. Derpy felt the soft sinew and squishy fiber of muscles in utter bliss, a state of vulnerability one would only reach in the presence of their family. For the first time in recent memory Derpy could look onto her herd mate and see in her peace. A satisfaction that would last, that was pure and was powerful. It charmed her to kiss the sleepy royal’s cheek and watch her bleary eyes flutter open in a moment of sleepy thanks.

“I’m gonna clear the table. Then we can go for a little walk to the breakfast car. That sound good, sleepy-peepy?” Umbra responded with a soft little grunt and a weak nod, burying her face in the soiled sheets as the chilly winds leeched in through the passing landscape. The ride lulled her through the foggy state between rest and awareness. All the thoughts lacing together with an endless spinning narrative came to a halt as Umbra dressed herself again in a rarely-worn dress of flowing white. The rather rough cotton garment stitched together by the Mares’ Club blended well with the increasingly snowy exterior of the passing Empire and shrouded the Queen with a gorgeous shape. Your wife looked positively ghostly floating into the dining car and taking a seat next to her hungry niece, her big appetite yet to be satiated by the provided feast.

The bustle of the table raced by Umbra without hitting her senses. Words from you and Derpy and Dinky and the few other fancy ponies sharing the space fell together into a soupy confusion she had little interest in picking through. Her mind was simply so unfocused and calm that it hardly functioned. The sound of it all, the hum of life rolling on around her was enough to sustain the Queen. For all she knew, this might be the last time such indulgence would be possible. To feel the presence of love and family, to listen to it and taste it in the air. The absurdly strong coffee soaking into the dark wood, human fingers scraping against a velvet table cloth, feathery rustles of pegasus wings and the sparkle of young magic lifting utensils. It all might be gone soon. Not likely so, but in all her years Umbra had learned the difference between unlikely and impossible. So long as the probability wasn’t zero, she couldn’t resist dwelling on it.

“Are you ok, Aunty?” Dinky sided in with a hushed voice meant to conceal her words. Umbra huffed gently and locked her eyes on the window across the car.

“Yes, my Darling Gem. I am beyond ‘ok.’” Dinky scooted closer on her chair until she could lean against her teacher, subtly linking them together on a deeper level. Both of them being practitioners of powerful magic, their energies interacted behind the veil of the visible world. Forces like magnetic fields mingled and reacted to the other’s polarization and force, examining and analyzing in a secret language that needed no words or gestures. Dinky could simply feel the aura of calm in her teacher, the subtle hints of darkness settling at the bottom like the grounds of coffee in a mug. She thoughtfully magicked a cup onto a saucer and slid it to the dark unicorn, earning a kiss on the forehead for her thoughtfulness.

“You used to own all of this… it’s weird to think about.”

“Some would like to dispute that. But yes. I feel this land… knows of my return.” Dinky’s ears perked and her eyes stared with waiting enthusiasm, for this smelled like another enlightening lesson.

“What do you mean, Aunty? Like, the ponies here? The dirt, the trees?”

“The silent language of a place, my child. A tongue more ancient than any living thing. The rocks, the trees, the wind- the magic saturated within them all is flowing differently about me. In one tremendous chorus they speak.”

“What do they all say, Umbra? They better not be bad mouthing you!” Dinky puffed her chest out in protective zeal. Her misguided effort did great work in strengthening Umbra’s sweet smile.

“No, no. They are ambivalent.” Umbra said simply, subtly detecting that Dinky didn’t quite understand.

“The flow of all things is avoiding me. There’s no security in my presence. Whether to feel fear, hate, forgiveness? The elements haven’t quite selected a proper response to my being here. And… I am filled with both sadness and great joy.” Dinky cocked an eyebrow and wrapped her forelimbs about the bushy matriarch as if some wind might just blow through and steal her away.

“But… we’re going on vacation, Aunty. A super fancy vacation. Poppy said the Princess won’t take you away.” Sighing deeply, Umbra silently fussed over how to best describe this feeling in her. Or at least how to cushion it so that Dinky wouldn’t be racked with the same unreasonable fear as her.

“A vacation. A trap. Another trial to account for my actions. It could be any of these things.” Umbra erred somewhat in her next word, her smile degrading into a pensive line across her soft snout.

“We stand here with our hooves dusting the edge of a great abyss. And my only desire is to leap headlong and be freed of this awful waiting.” Dinky pursed her lips in a frustrated sort of confusion, watching for any revealing details in her Queen’s expression. She dearly hoped this was some manner of test, an intricately woven trick meant to test her and press some manner of revelation on her. But the longer she let her Aunty think, the more concrete this dark realization became.

“Umbra… no one’s gonna try and take you away? …right?” The unicorn sighed deeply and closed her eyes whilst the fur on the back of her neck stood on end.

“The possibility is not what concerns me. Darling, you must grapple with the true probability of these things. While not impossible, certainly improbable. I am simply following my thoughts to their logical conclusion and… determining how I feel about the results.” Her student pawed at her arm and belly with her possessive and protective little hooves for a tighter grip on the stalwart figure in her life, staring up with a holy reverence.

“One last hardship, be it real or not. Then from this burden shall I be forever cleansed. I see this land I once conquered as nothing but foreign soil. So many lifetimes squandered to control it, whilst my destiny was with you all along, my Darling Gem.” Dinky watched her pensive friend sip her coffee in thought, her voice shuddering somewhat along with the rattle of the traincar climbing a gentle incline.

“I am finally separated from this place. Just as I am from that old Queen so filled with hate. And no matter what this call to destiny may entail, it fills this ancient body with pride to complete it.” Completing her thought, Umbra let Dinky answer. She waited for a sweet young voice to interject reason or reconsideration, but it never came. Dinky simply whined at the reality and held her dear Aunt close as her little arms could.

“I hope you stay with us forever. I hope those no-good fatty Princesses keep their hooves off you like Poppy told ‘em to.” Dinky cracked a little smile and kissed her Aunt’s cheek, using her undying affection to pop her out of this philosophical funk.

“My Aunty already got locked up and thrown away. They don’t need any more proof that you’re a good pony.” Umbra blushed and looked down on her child with a warmth that could’ve freed her from the eternal glacier so long ago. The crushing tornado of thoughts danced off into the canals of her mind once again thanks to the pushing wind of Dinky’s affection, calming her once again into a mellow and gleeful state.

“Come what may. Come what will. With my family by my side, no creature so mighty can harm me now.” She admitted as the two folded in on one another, conforming to the soft and rounded shapes of affectionate healing.

The world seemed right on that train, the entire journey from then on was nothing short of utterly rejuvenating for all aboard. You and your wives slept more soundly and for longer than you had in years, thankfully cuddled up every night with your daughter for extra warmth. Such lavish accommodations were new to you and yours, thus it was such a delightful treat to be served prepared meals every day. It was almost a shame to have it all end on the last day of the trip, screeching steel wheels grinding to a halt at the opulent central station of the Empire. Glimmering stone floors polished to a squeaky finish stretching on for miles in every direction, the stalagmites of shaped gemstone reaching high into the sky with glittering sparkles catching the weakened sunlight.

Long sleeves and puffier shirts beat off the slight cold rolling through the atmosphere, nothing too frigid but enough to be very noticeable. You were never sure how that geography worked, for it wasn’t exactly a several thousand mile journey between here and the sun-blasted summer of Ponyville. But then again, you weren’t entirely sure how there could be ponies made of crystal either. Thus, keeping your questions to yourself, you and the rest of the family made your way through the bustling nerve center of the transportation network for this side of the nation. Diamond dogs and ponies and griffons and crystal ponies milled about with loads of all different kinds sitting on the tracks or getting loaded into differing vessels, allowing for you to more or less disappear amidst the strange creatures and cultures.

The ponies certainly remembered you, that much was clear when they stopped whatever they were doing and stared. Umbra dressed herself to be less conspicuous, hiding behind her white dress and suitcase to mindfully avoid causing a scene. That proved rather difficult however when strangely dressed ponies with dark colored clothing and wild haircuts jumped toward you with insane grins and wild eyes.

“DUUUUDE!”

“It’s the human, man!”

“METAL FOREVER BRO!” They hollered at you and threw up their hooves in the best approximation of devil horns they could physically muster, earning little more than a smile and a wave.

“Poppy, those stallions have metal in their faces.” Dinky added once they were out of ear-shot, referring to the polished studs and jewels piercing through the flesh of their cheeks and ears and brows.

“Dinky! It’s rude to say that about other ponies!” Derpy quipped with a scolding tone, though equally perplexed by such a crowd.

“I’m just saying, Momma!”

“She’s right, Momma.” You added casually whilst scanning the place for somewhere to get proper coffee.

“They wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes with my guys back in the day. Their piercing game's weak.” Getting out of the populated areas proved more difficult than you had hoped. Crystal ponies were indeed a curious bunch and many approached you to ask how things had proceeded since the final trial. In a surprising turn of events, the Empire had come to appreciate you far more than Equestria had. Ponies wanted to shake your hand, they wanted to know about your wellbeing, some even wanted you to lay your fingers on their personal items or their business for “good luck.” Afterall, who could be a more fitting patron saint of the Empire than the creature who had brought its greatest enemy to heel? Umbra sneered at them so brazenly approaching her human, carefully revealing her displeased look and scaring off those that got too comfortable. Derpy and Dinky were thoroughly amused through the vicarious fame their patriarch had gained.

“Wow Bubby, I never knew they liked you so much here!” Derpy giggled as you shooed off another crystalline mare asking for a blessing.

“Starting to remember how irritating it was.” You half joked, walking behind knowledgeable Umbra as she directed the family toward this hotel Luna supposedly waited in.

“Irritating indeed describes it.” She grumbled, navigating the streets and buildings with ease. She had, of course, built parts of this city during her repugnant reign so many centuries ago, thus it was like walking through one’s own home. Conflicting tides smashed against one another in her heart seeing this place so close once again, especially considering some of the new landmarks her freed subjects erected since their liberation. Statues of the Elements of Harmony, of Celestia and Luna, monuments of freedom to be expected were naturalin a post-Umbra world. That much she could stomach. But the historical sites she created were notably more dower and covert.

She remembered where the town gallows used to be. Their quartz foundation stones still stood in the middle of a public park without the latus of black basalt built on top. Slave markets were now craft markets for skilled laborers to ply their trades. The opulent mansion she had built in her honor was long since torn down and cleared away, making a rather obvious gap between the central bank and district council buildings. Most amusing to her however was an art piece sequestered in a noble’s personal garden, one where a strangely shaped human figure offered a hand to a snarling mare. She could only assume that an artist had been inspired by your figure and tried in vain to copy it, much like herself in the last decade of applying herself to the craft of paint and canvas.

Assuring herself that even her least accurate portrayal of you was leaps and bounds above that loathsome piece, the unicorn eventually did lead the family to their destination. And almost immediately all of them froze in place and stared with jaws hanging in shock.

“Whoa Momma…”

“Goodness gracious…”

“That’s a big-ass hotel!” Your daughter shouted with little decorum, earning her Mother’s sharp stare.

It it was certainly warranted in the face of such a spectacular structure. The Geode Estate had been constructed to please and fascinate delegates to the Empire many centuries ago. Its staff tirelessly crafted a tradition of excellence in every facet of its operation, assuring it was both a gorgeous point of pride for the Empire and a peerless hotel. Titanic walls stretched high as castle towers with dozens of windows carved with mathematical perfection into the blue and green crystal, accents of red and jade and pink and purple placed artfully to accent each line. Columns of malachite stood atop dark sapphire bases engraved with the faces of Emperors and Empresses of the past, though you and Umbra both lingered on one that had been smashed apart and until the feminine shape was utterly unrecognizable. You couldn’t help but notice the rather unfitting bust of Princess Cadance mounted in the center of the stairway leading to the front doors, as its pink color contrasted sharply with the red base it was mounted upon. No doubt Umbra’s facade once occupied that space, but diligent citizens had corrected it.

Guards in the most fierce armor and bearing the most efficient weapons stood still as statues in carefully arranged patterns of patrol, functioning like robotic sentries rather than stallions and mares of flesh. It reminded you of entering government institutions back in the world of humans where the construction, presentation and atmosphere were all purposely crafted to instill respect. This place was mightier than you, more honorable and more storied than anything you’d ever laid eyes upon. Or at least that’s how it seemed. Fantastic opulence flowed inside just as it did outside, the lobby of the estate spacious enough for a dragon to stretch out and relax comfortably. High ceilings were embedded with light gems and refractive crystals of all colors, creating a dazzling display that would surely give you a headache if your eyes lingered too long.

“Hmm… I can hardly believe what that pomp, pink Princess has done to my manner.” Umbra grumbled to herself.

“What’s that?” Derpy chirped, focusing on the immense fountain spewing crystaline water high into the air until it curled back down into precise pitchers held by singing foals carved from zircon.

“These rugs she’s put down on my beautiful honey calcite floors. They were textured to prevent any fool from slipping on them, but the idiot has polished it so smooth you could glide a sled across it! Not an ounce of respect for history.” Her complaint was silenced by the noisy approach of crystal hooves against a crystal floor, the glimmering and translucent mare bedazzled in shiny jewelry bowing for your posse in respectful grace.

“Welcome, most honored guests. The Princess of the Night has made reservations in your name. I am Tangerine Dream and it would be my pleasure to escort you to your accommodations.” Her orange hide glistened in the light of the opulent hotel and presented no apparent reason not to follow her. Umbra swallowed dryly, her pensive eyes floating from familiar nook to memorized corner in search of a trap. She herself had pulled this maneuver of luring unsuspecting and greedy foes into the estate and pouncing on them, thus she quite disliked being on the receiving end of such a possible plan. Her memories retraced the steps of elite assassins and loyal guards concealing themselves in the darker corners of the ancient building. Walking between you, Derpy and Dinky made her feel safer, but not totally secure. All the way up the grandest staircase in the land and through the elegant halls of the estate, she waited for something to reveal sinister intent. While you and yours gawked at the overwhelming craft and beauty, she examined it deeply.

So far so good, not a speck of dust was out of place. Pure and clean stone was freshly waxed, windows clear as the summer sky outside and the finery dusted. Decorations and paintings hid nothing from sight, say for the stone behind them. All that presented itself as a concerning itch for the dark Sorceress was the destination that Tangerine Dream stopped at.

“For Sire Anonymous and his herd, welcome to your room.” The astute unicorn stopped just before an enormous entrance fashioned from steel reinforced marble, beckoning toward a much smaller door adjacent to the vault-like seal. Umbra’s lip twitched in the presence of the so-called “High Chamber” in the estate, its confines reserved for only the most wealthy, highest born and powerful creatures in all Equestria. Thus, there was no doubt in her mind who had taken that room for themselves. The fact that her own room would be touching the Royal’s chamber twisted her guts.

“Wha- what about Dinky?” Derpy whined protectively as her wing naturally extended outwards and gripped her young child.

“Lady Dinky’s accommodations have been made for the room just across the hall. She will find-”

“My own room?!” She squealed and crashed through the doorway into the opposing chamber, madly running about and inspecting her newfound luxury.

“I got a balcony, Momma! I got a record player!” Derpy fussed and trotted after her little treasure, leaving you and the charcoal Queen to inspect the grand suite reserved for you.

“Should you require anything, please do not hesitate to make use of the bell. I will see that your every need is met.”

“Where is the Princess?” Umbra demanded coldly.

“Babygirl, it’s been a long trip.” You added cautiously. A hand on her back didn’t seem to dissuade her in the slightest, for her muscles remained stiff and taut. Tangerine’s reaction was nothing short of professional, however.

“Princess Luna has made her intentions of speaking with you known. She is, however, currently at work in the Parliament. It is my duty to summon you the moment she is ready.” Umbra pouted and huffed, but decided rather redaily to let it go. Figures that the royal wouldn’t even have the guts to face her when she landed. Dinky and her Mother still bothered about the room she apparently had to her own, leaving you to open the door and gratefully let your better third in.

She trot through the extreme luxury this place was crammed with, idly tossing her suitcase by the double king-sized bed. You had to stop for a moment and look around the shining beacon of hospitality, for in all your strange life you had never felt such pampering. It even smelled fancy. Plush sheets, embroidered carpeting, furniture speckled with gold trim and diamond studs. A magical fire roared in the hearth, causing the entire thing to pulse and emanate warmth like a living heart. It made you feel horribly underdressed in a worn out canvas jacket and tattered jeans. Dirty work boots besmirched the mirrored floor tiles of azurite.

“Jeeeeeeez! Look at this! The whole house could fit in this room!” Your voice echoed off the stiff walls and ceiling where intricate mosaics of history glittered. Umbra only giggled in response, for she personally designed much of the decorating in this wing. The mare momentarily busied herself with unlocking the glassy gate to the balcony, the breadth of which could comfortably seat a hundred ponies.

“You figure they serve breakfast in this joint? I don’t think I could afford it if we got charged for it.” The clatter of your own luggage landing by the bed snapped Umbra out of her thoughtful state and prompted her to finally answer your jovial tone.

“If it’s anything less than the finest sippy-coffee and twisty bread I will overthrow the nation again.” You retorted with a weak laugh, talking slow steps toward the same platform. The cool air crept in and nibbled at your throat, making your cheeks redden in a fashion that always deeply pleased your dark wife.

“Really puts Ponyville in perspective, doesn’t it?” You said with a hand coming to rest between her ears. Immediately the charcoal terror leaned into your touch and sighed quietly to herself.

“Many things are put into perspective by this moment.” She answered cryptically but gave little time to deconstruct it. Quickly her magic was tugging on your sleeve and drawing you to the wide balcony’s sunning chairs.

“Come, come. Let me sit with you, my King.” You obliged with a smile and a grunt when your butt hit the soft fabric. Tired muscles and worn out bones crumbled together as the unicorn lept into your lap and made herself comfortable, curling and shifting until her buxom hips were squished right against your legs and her face against your chest.

“Ooooh yeah… this is the life.” You groaned and stroked the devious mare’s face. Bundles of dark fur brushed beneath your fingers in tickles of warm joy that coated your hands in her delicate, smokey scent, distracting enough for her magic to pilfer your breast pocket for the concealed treats within.

“Hmmm… let me see…” She giggled girlishly as your cigar and lighter were stolen and held just out of reach, moments later followed by her wry glare.

“My Darling… planning on indulging that nasty habit of yours in my fantastic manor?” She gave you the most wry and condescending look a pony could give, though in this rare context it proved far more charming than irritating.

“Well, if I had known it was your hotel? I might’ve had it on the train instead…” She snickered and sliced through the cigar with a razor of dark red magic, simultaneously breathing a torch of purple flames from her plush lips. Even if the tobacco was stale, crunchy and loosely rolled, the addition of your Queen’s unique heat made it absorb her brilliant flavor and miraculously become top of the line. She and you shared an intense look as she took the first hit for herself, puffing the cloud of warmed particles into your face.

“Hmmmm… earthy. Nutty. Hints of cedar wood bark… this is a remarkably fruity piece for my husband.” Taking the piece from her magic and savoring it with haughty puffs of relaxing enjoyment, you immediately felt the rush of soothing heft that weighed on your mind. Gravity pulled downwards with renewed vigor, pinning you in place and making Umbra feel all the more luxurious against you. Soft curves and plush fur melded with your shape as you both shared the indulgence, trading it back and forth whilst staring absently into one another, the stars and the setting sun.

“I’m gonna make my case to her… right to her face.” You hummed as Umbra lay her head against your chest, bathing in the smokey scent and basking under the waning light of the sun.

“Princess Luna… I want children with my wife. I want to give Umbra a kid to be proud of.” She cooed sweetly, running her hoof in circles about your broad front.

“I’m not gonna move an inch until you give us what she deserves… so help me God you better listen.” Had the entire world been put on pause, the wind exchanged for soothing music on the record player and all things made gentle for the rest of this infinite time Umbra could spend with you, it would only barely match this zenith of peace. The dark mare, slouched across her husband and watching as the day curled back into night figured this could be a comfortable eternity. Warm and secured and loved. Adored so much that this beast of a stallion wrapped his arm about her side and squeezed her greedily to his side. Nurtured so thoroughly that her herdmate need only the whisper of need to cross her mind before she lept into action. Fulfilled so deeply with a wry and curious mind no doubt raising hell in the other room across the hall.

Come what may, she could not find the energy to fear it. The cruelest and least humane punishment a pony could conjure for her would be a worthwhile price for one more second in this embrace. It was almost irritatingly disruptive when Derpy finally came back from her little excursion after the sun had set, her gentle hooves clopping harshly against the stone floor below and jostling Umbra from her near-sleep state.

“What’s up, Mushy?” You greeted with an eager hand reaching out for your grinning wife. The pegasus dodged your pet like a playful hound, holding onto a most brilliant smile and dancing gently on her hooves. Her wings bristled with glee and her tail whipped about like ribbons in a parade, signaling that perhaps something was in need of your attention. Both you and the sinister sorceress sat up at attention to hear this jovial news.

“Princess Luna said she wants to talk to youuuuuuu!” Derpy hummed in a sing-song tone that could peel the scales off a dragon. Her voice wormed into your and Umbra’s hearts alike with exciting heat, burrowing through the icy wind rolling across the nighttime city.

Finally, it seemed the time had come. Putting out your smokey cigar and rising with your dark wife, immediately the air became thick and tense like cast iron. Weighty reluctance made your unicorn lover walk slower than she normally would, even with your full support behind her. Despite your full belief that nothing bad would befall you or your family, the dread of meeting with the highest authorities in the land still sank its claws into you whenever they so forced themselves on you. Patting your gorgeous mare on the side and finding that Derpy only stood there in full excitement, the short and stiff journey began.

“You comin’, babygirl?” You asked the grey pegasus as she tapped back and forth on her hooves so rapidly her chubby sides jiggled on each little bound. Her wings likewise began to extend on either side of her back, chilling both you and Umbra with the intense implication of “specific” flavors of excitement.

“Nope! Momma needs everything ready in here!” She giggled and shoved forward into your rear ends, pressing you and Umbra out of the chamber and into the hall with rapid smacks of her hooves against the floor.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Go talk to her! Go, ya silly-heads!” She chirped and squealed in delight and forced you from the comfortable room before slamming the door. It clicked shut in a manner far too familiar to be comfortable for either you or the Queen, but the looming cloud of dark wood and iron from before hung much closer than you needed. Umbra swallowed heavily and pressed her tail against her rear, pinning both ears back against her skull as well. Were you any less anxious about it you might’ve offered some words of encouragement. Your hand gently digging into your back and stroking her fur was the best you could do. A little bit of effort for a long way’s progress. Umbra hummed quietly to herself and worked with your hand to press open the mighty barrier of destiny.

It didn’t creak or groan, but whispered with the displacement of the air moving around it. The duofold doors opened to a stately chamber fit for the finest of ponies to inhabit, complete with art and books and finery already installed. A fire made of heat crystals roared in the hearth with a smokeless fury that filled the entire room with a dancing, orange energy. Reflecting off the polished quartz and gems and diamonds, it made for quite a dazzling display. Following behind Umbra, you found it quite foreboding to enter such a massive room, for many buildings back on Earth were the only structures that could hope to match its impressive breadth. The dangling chandelier of mighty diamond shards bedazzled you with its refractions and optical trickery, distracting just long enough for Umbra to push forward on her own toward the central office. Separated by the slightest partition of hanging curtains, the driven mare saw to having this business done with once and for all. Spreading the fine red fabric revealed the Princess herself standing behind her desk and peering through a fine telescope of gold and silver, pondering her gorgeous collection of stars and galaxies lazily hovering through space above.

“The coming of Ye has brought great joy. We are relieved beyond measure that forgiveness finally comes.” Umbra stopped herself before the desk as you trundled in with confusion swirling about your head, both of you quickly bowing in respect for the leader. The Mistress of Stars grinned sweetly at the sight of her once-mortal enemy kneeling before her, even if it was more of a courtesy than a full, respectful bow.

“Rise, min guests. There is no need for such cold formality in the realm of friends.” Doing as you were asked, both you and Umbra found that Luna came forward and dipped her head in respect, a most strange thing for a monarch like herself to do for common folk. Her eyes quickly darted to yours with a longing that sent rattles down your spine, one plainly visible before Umbra. Keeping hold of your composure, there was little else you could do outside of standing there and remaining stoic.

“What is the meaning of this summons? And what manner of ‘forgiveness’ could one such as yourself need?” Umbra questioned with a sharper tone than was entirely necessary. Her voice cut through the dull fog of distraction you shrouded over Luna, making the somber Princess redirect herself in the proper direction. You couldn’t help but feel her eyes on you just as you would warm your hands, for the gripping power behind such a gorgeous creature was nothing short of magnetic.

“Some explanation is in order, yes. You all deserve as much, given what all We hath put ye though. Will you hear Our most forlorn request for thine ear?” Umbra sneered as you felt the blood in your face warm, the mere presence of this mighty mare stirring strange sensations in your gut. Umbra looked to you with a raised brow and a skeptical glare, but your lack of denial assured her that nothing strange was afoot.

“Speak your piece, Luna. I endeavor to understand.” Umbra’s voice cut off much like the precipice of a cliff. She dropped the burden of carrying the conversation square on Luna’s shoulders, pounding her into making any manner of mistake she might sense. Given her career, The Princess of the Stars took such a task in stride. She sucked in a deep and resounding breath that rattled the very foundations of her being before guiding her eyes squarely to the charcoal mare before her. Looking at you whilst attempting to force her words out would almost certainly end in her speaking out of turn and ruining this delicate moment.

“Umbrial Daze… ‘tis been a long and storied journey for thee to hath come this far. Openly We shall admit to doubting that this moment may ever come, when thee and We could share a room with amicable relations.” Umbra rolled her eyes and pouted, but quieted her disgruntled huff when you leered sharply at her.

“T’was an error We shan’t soon forget. A fool of Us has time made and from such a belittlement, We only wish to learn what We might.” Umbra’s less than impressed expression was to be expected, but the dark-colored alicorn remained unfazed. Her cyan eyes flicked to you for but a moment with a starlight flash of inspiration, instantly followed by a dry swallow in her parched throat.

“And… upon reflection? We would like to think some effort has been made to correct that.” Umbra’s tail flicked with a certain lack of patience running through her. She fidgeted and snarled at the sweetly smiling matriarch looming over her, unable to parse out exactly what ends this was heading towards.

“Tonight, We have brought Ye outside the jurisdiction of the Canterlot Council. By entering these grounds, ye hath come under Section seven of the International dictate on foreign officials. So long as the family remains on these grounds, but a fraction of the laws placed upon Equestrian citizens shall apply to ye. Thus, We are able to give unto thee a most auspicious gift.” Standing there, shielded from the cold by the magnificent walls she built, Umbra could only slowly put the disconnected pieces together. Grinding the gears of her mind together and gnashing her teeth, Luna could watch the revelation expand in her intricate mind just as her eyes did. Her tail lifted and her ears perked, signaling some worrisome combination of rage and elation reacting with one another.

“You… you have restricted my divine-given right to breed with my own Husband?!” She snapped, her legs bracing into a defensive posture. You couldn’t formulate a response, for immediately your body was reacting physically to Umbra’s outburst. Both hands leapt to her and grabbed onto the mare’s barrel, shielding her from this revelation with armor made of flesh and bone.

“You damnable tyrant! Rotten, corrupt, fat royal! Where doth thine authoritarian reign end- if not the bedroom door of every Equestrian! How dare you betray my trust?! I have submitted myself to you! I have prostrated before the nation- a respect I now see is naught but a hollow platitude to ye!”

“Babygirl-!”

“Curse thee! Damn thee to the very bottom of tartarus for this injustice!” Luna absorbed the outburst with remarkable stoicism, chewing it for but a moment as she forced it down.

“Nay… t’was not a crime of passion, Umbrial Daze. But one of inaction and neglect.” Luna sighed, dousing only a part of Umbra’s hellish rage. She still fumed and bared her fangs at the royal, snapping at the air as you forced her down with the weight of your masculine strength.

“Any creature born of divine blood must be approved by the High Council of Canterlot. All those whom shall wield the greatest strength of our kingdom must be controlled, lest they arrive unto this world rejected and tormented by that which they cannot control. Surely thou understand this better than We ever could.” Immediately the unicorn’s fury was tempered. The pounding rate of her heart still thumped mightily away between her ribs, but the realization of such a cold truth cooled her hellfire mind.

“Diluted as the corruption might be, the Council sees fit that We should never give unto thee a proper heir. A lingering string of evil should be cut and left to wither away. However they may see it, We hath disagreed. We hath advocated on behalf of thine clan. We hath done all We could to see that thine progeny shall be made legal.” Luna’s increasingly frustrated tone reflected the days, months, years spent nagging the changing tides of politics. Standing there like a pier in a never-ending storm, the countless comings and goings of the current concern beat her down into a desperate and raw nub. Not a single mind had changed in all these years, at least never enough to make a difference. You saw the passionate fire in her eyes, the mark of a truly capable mare committing herself to a seemingly impossible undertaking. Truly, it was a task only the divine could see through.

“And… finally… Unto you have We brought the enlightening truth. T’was Us that allowed for Dinky’s birth. T’was our inaction that has made this herd barren. And it shall be Our will that sustains this clan. Equestria shall not mend thine terrible wounds, but We shall.” Silence so thick fell over the room. Umbra’s ears rang with the deep pitch of a mind nearly broken, a heart made to reach the highest peaks of heaven and simultaneously the lowest dregs. Shocks of painful spite collided with the soaring heat of excitement overtaking her, crashing against one another like bullets fired from opposing rifles. These feeling stopped dead in her center and knocked her about with visible distress. She was unable to speak, completely numb from the chin down. Stars formed in her vision, for Umbra was entirely shocked beyond reason. You, on the other hand, still had some wits about you.

“I… I’m not sure what to say. It was really you guys the whole time?” The dumbfounded and idiotic sounding words brought a nod out of the dower looking ruler, her posture straightening into a scholarly and aloof stiffness.

“It is a shame that We had not the heart to tellest thou so long before. We are guilty of a most heinous crime and wish dearly to make Our amends to ye.” She stepped closer with a cautious gate, making Umbra flinch back and nearly burst a blood vessel in her straining eye.

“For the time that ye shall inhabit this place, We give unto thee the ability to cure this mare of her ills. Any mare that shall… ahem accept thine seed shall be sewn surely with child. And since they shall be conceived outside the gaze of the Council? They shall have no say.” Heat overtook your cheeks at the very thought of it. Another bundle of children, another phase of life starting all over again. Monumental joy overpowering everything else in your mind, it was impossible to ask rational questions or formulate thoughtful insights. Legal ramifications and specifics be damned- you were given a chance to do what had been demanded of you for so long here and now, free of charge. Were there a more potent fuel for the heart of man, it could never compare to the pure delight such an opportunity brought.

“This revelation indeed has stopped ye. We understand.” Luna said this with a strange and robotic quality to her voice, blushing and hiding behind her flowing mane somewhat.

“Please. Take time to reflect. Enjoy the amenities. There need not be a rush to-”

“Silence.” Umbra commanded, wiggling herself free of your grasp and asserting herself to the monarch.

“Never in all my years has my own treachery reached the heights of disrespect and disregard for liberty that you have.” Umbra snarled, beating down the already soft and malleable Princess with her tone.

“I have taken lives and toppled empires with less sadistic and convoluted means than this. Were I ever to dream of such a prolonged and heinous punishment? I might resign myself to the badlands as punishment for my madness.” Luna recoiled into herself, invoking memories of Fluttershy when someone at the market accidently bumped into her.

“My hope for your damnation will burn bright as the summer sun until the very day I am recalled to the divine glory. But in the meantime… I shall accept this token apology you have given me.” She said with an upturn of positivity toward the end, bringing all eyes back to her with a specific flavor of awe. Umbra approached the towering royal and stared straight into her, slowly lowering her head for the mighty alicorn.

“Thanks be to you Princess Luna, for finally seeing the light.” For a moment the Princess simply stood there in confusion before mirroring the gentle bow to the Sorceress, quickly rising again with a shaky smile to address you.

“And Sire Anonymous? This is agreeable to you as well?” A nervous laugh was all you could let out, for the pressure was mounting so tall it crushed the breath from your throat.

“Heh… w- well if the wife’s okay with it? I don’t see why not.” Umbra hummed with self-satisfied glee in her throat, flicking her tail side to side in order to taunt you with the half-concealed curvature of her backside.

“Then We are pleased. A most wonderful occasion to be celebrated indeed!” Umbra turned stiffly to face you, a most devilish and disgusting grin painted on her face. Somehow, it filled you with both an overwhelming and masculine energy and a sincere fear of her intentions.

“Shall we prepare our accommodations then, my King?” Luna’s blush darkened at the very notion, her shining gaze unable to rip away from undressing you then and there. Feeling rather objectified in the most sensational manner, you couldn’t help but get a little skittish and jumpy.

“Uh- ehm- yeah! Yeah I’ll go fetch Derpy and tell her-”

“She has already been informed, Sire Anonymous. In her own special way.” Umbra flicked her tail and fidgeted between expressions of delight and sour hatred. Her heart fluttered and skipped vital beats to make stars dance in her vision, rapidly thinning blood rushing through her mind and refusing to carry important nutrition to her mind. The Queen huffed and immediately felt more sensitive, more charged and aware of her surroundings. Already, the needy mare was pushing toward the door with her antsy hooves scraping against the mineral flood below.

“Before ye galavant off to ehm… take care of business, We have one last request to make of thee.” Luna said to Umbra with a singular glance toward the squat little unicorn. The dark Queen flared her nostrils in frustration and cast her gaze back towards you, taking a sizable bite out of your appearance with her hungry glare.

“Phenomenal timing, Your Highness.” The unicorn sneered, flicking her tail with a hurried and frustrated energy.

“Only a moment of thine time, Your Highness. We simply wish to speak covertly with a peer.” Luna hummed with a bemused and playful tone, her own heated eyes dancing from your wife to you. Umbra cocked an eyebrow at such an implication of respect, watching the Princess for any breaks in character. Detestable blushing and weak smile aside, Luna betrayed no internal conflict that she could interpret as malicious. In the many lifetimes they had spent at one another’s throats, opposed and studying the other for weakness, Umbra had come to understand Luna as a remarkably controlled being. Were she truly planning anything outside of the most honest and kind ordeals she would have no such smile. The Alicorn would retract and harden, pulling herself into a cold state of immovable concrete that shaped itself into a mare. At the moment she stood there raw as an open wound and openly trying to soften her appearance. The Queen bit her lip and fought to dispel her own cynical thoughts, for the situation was so radically different and unique among their interactions that it simply demanded to be addressed differently.

“Ugh… I shan’t be far behind ye, My King.” Luna’s trembling smile beamed wider as she bid you a silent farewell, watching with shimmering eyes as you slowly moved back and out of the tremendous room.

“Uh… don’t keep her too long, Princess.” You said meekly and with a small bow toward the royal. She returned it with an oddly deep dip towards the floor, nearly kissing the polished surface in her show of respect.

“Fret not, Sire.” Her breathy retort turned Umbra’s stomach like the sloshing waves of a lake beating on a rocky shore. She cringed in disgust as her Husband was addressed in such a way and her property trespassed against. Green, sickly eyes stuck to Luna as the mighty door was pulled shut and latched behind you, leaving them in a crucial silence. Both mares had done plenty sizing up of the other since they came to this vital junction. The metallic taste of a grand precipice lingered in the air alongside the perfumes of a grand hotel and the smokey hint of a fire in the hearth.

“One must wonder how my husband is in any way ’sire’ to you.” Umbra started with a less than friendly tone.

“Anonymous the Human is a fine stallion worthy of such a title, no matter the mare that giveth. This much, thou already understand.” Luna replied politically and clearly, swallowing the storm of emotions bundled in her throat with great difficulty.

“Indeed I do. I understand far more than you ever could what kind of stallion he is.” Her stance quickly became defensive and hostile, pushing back against this encroaching presence softly winding over her.

“I also understand what hunger does to a mare. Even the highest born mare.”

“Umbrial Daze it is not like that.” Luna answered robotically and stiffly, banishing the offense curling in her chest that would otherwise ruin her mission.

“Then how is it? Traipsing about his dreams, inviting him to extravagant hotels, divining semi-legal favors- when does it end, Princess?” Luna sighed quietly and hung her head, pushing her hooves together like a prep-school filly taking a lecture.

“I can no longer stop a pony from coveting what they please. But that desire best remains private when stallion and mare become one, as we have.” Holding her face still and burying her blush beneath indigo fur, Luna steadied herself for the final leap forward. Their eyes locked together in a wordless exchange of ideas and emotions, though Umbra had very little positive to give.

“Indeed… a unity of three. Exclusive and inclusive together. Contradictions made perfectly functional.” In her tone was reverence, admiration. Umbra flinched at the response and its whirling implications. Luna averted her gorgeous stare toward the fire rather than Umbra’s piercing hatred, trying her best to find some peace in the dancing heat.

“Lest ye art part of some hitherto unknown cult, We would be most comfortable assuming ye a herd.” Umbra didn’t respond, instead baiting the alicorn to carry on explaining herself.

“And… given that We haven’t had the opportunity to court a noble creature in so very long-”

“Very funny.” Umbra interrupted, ripping the Mistress of the Evening from her train of thought.

“Surely this ‘test’ of yours has gone beyond all realms of reason? I am fully aware of your preferences, Dear Luna. Don’t attempt to enrage me with your contrived desires.” Umbra boasted with a pouty and dismissive weight to her voice, watching the mare’s face for any sort of change in her stoic expression. Concerningly, nothing of the sort immediately came, rather few motions even threatening to disturb the Night’s cold and political facade.

“Min ‘preferences’ remain mysterious to thee as thine wicked justifications remain to Us.” Luna answered coldly and with audible frustration, taking a full second to pack all of it down once again.

“At times I have been plagued by strange visions… perhaps foretellings of the world to come, perhaps delusions without meaning. For fleeting moments in my most private moments, I see him.” Umbra hissed quietly under her breath as the fur running along her spine stood on end and her legs tensed into stiff pillars ready to kick at a moment’s notice.

“He is strong, he is loyal, he is… both mine and yours at once. An object of desire- yes. Even I must admit to this. But a cure for what so long has rotted this ancient heart.” Umbra could not formulate words to properly convey how she felt. The disgust, the avarice, the understanding all together made for a milky and unpleasant potion in her gut. Her ears steamed with the boiling heat of her running mind, venting off the pressure rapidly overwhelming her voice. She wanted to speak, to shout, to damn and curse this Princess for her ridiculous words. But not a single syllable fell from her still lips. Rather, a discontent hum of noise growled in her throat.

“He is a contradiction. And… I wish to be a part of it.” Luna turned on her hooves to face Umbra, lowering her head into a traditional show of respect. Her chin touched the floor, something the Princess perhaps hadn’t done for any other creature since her mighty father. Umbra watched with disgusted confusion, as if a bug had come out of the brush and likewise debased itself for her.

“Umbrial Daze, honorable mare of Anonymous the Human. We ask to join thine herd with yon blessing.” A laugh, a snort or a guffaw would surely knock the wind from Luna’s little show. The flabbergasted mare could do nothing in response but gawk at such audacity. Her eyes hovered from one part of the royal to the other, failing again and again to formulate a properly biting response. Instead, the bark that popped first into Umbra’s mind was the only thing her trembling lips could make out of her dizzyingly complex displeasure.

“Good gods… stand up. Stand up, you ridiculous royal!” Umbra commanded, shaking her head in utter befuddlement.

“I will admit it here and now that I have long admired your gall, Luna! The sheer audacity it must take for you to do the things you have done and never break character! It is truly an incredible trait of yours!” Umbra puffed out her chest with assertive aggression running through her veins, her unnaturally colored eyes locked onto the Princess as she stood again and held her piece with pursed lips.

“The audacity it must take to demand that I share my stallion with the likes of you! It simply boggles the mind that anypony could thirst so desperately! You wish to have him? You truly wish to bed my precious, loyal King? Then ask him yourself! What need do you have for tormenting me with your depraved questions?!” Umbra yelled until the entirety of her breath was exhausted. Sweat dripped down her neck and rattles of energy moved through her jaw as Luna simply stood there and bear the brunt of such rage. The Princess drew a deep breath and recomposed herself to gain some manner of control over the situation.

“Anonymous need not have his mind clouded at this moment. I show restraint out of respect, not guile.” Luna started softly- so softly that the fire and the wind nearly drowned out her volume.

“The stallion contends with enough as it is. Satisfying his obligations day in and day out. Two mares in divine matrimony is a burden very few are willing to take on. One must approach a courtship with the same grace and gentleness they would the lover they intend to please.” Umbra huffed and snarled at the idea of Luna calling her husband a “lover,” for such a term was indeed quite exclusionary in Equestria.

“We have already received Derpy Hooves’ blessing to join this herd. Should I follow the tradition of things, then I need not consider the opinion of his second mare and simply go about my business courting Sire Anonymous however I pleased.” Luna sharpened her features for Umbra, holding fast a serious and unchanging expression.

“But… since thou hath walked a righteous path with such drive and dedication? It is high time that respect be shown to these efforts. Thus I have brought thou here and endeavored to make all right.”

“Favors shall not dissuade my judgment of you.”

“And I expected so much. I am no arrogant fool like Nightmare Moon. I have brought you before me to ask with the utmost respect.”

“And that is why you ejected My King? So he couldn’t have a say in your molesting him?”

“Because he is unable to decide.” She answered, nearly choking on the words and taking deep breaths to retain her thoughtfulness.

“He and I are not the same. The powers invested in me by divine birth would color his judgment such that I could never trust it. Who is he, a common stallion to deny me? I know with the coldest truth that even if he detested me with vitriol twice that of yours, he wouldn’t have the right to deny our affection.”

“He worships no Princess. Your authority means nothing to him.”

“And what of you? What good could such a conflict between herdmates ever bring? Think selfishly- I’m sure thou hath the ability.” Luna stepped closer with a looming presence about her, standing high above Umbra with eyes made into glaciers.

“Could the King ever be truly content if his Queen and Princess gnashed at one another’s throats? Nay. We think not.” Umbra pouted and stood off against the royal, defiantly spreading her legs and digging her hooves into the floor.

“I ask thee- not as a Princess- but as a mare. Umbrial Daze, wouldst thou ever open thine heart to me? Couldst thou ever stomach the idea of thine King sharing his affection with me? Well and true, from here until the dawn of another age?” Umbra didn’t reply, clearly swishing the notion in her mouth like vile spit.

“He would never know need, or want. Derpy and thou would be cared for by the greatest wealth in Equestrian history and permitted to do as ye pleased. Our offspring will have naught but the best education, the most loving care. Mine and yours raised together as paragons of Equestria, fathered by the greatest stallion to yet walk this land. If thee truly can welcome me, it shall be a life untethered to the concerns of drudgery.” Umbra’s teeth grinded against one another in a furious and stiff slowness. Her jaws gnashed and her voice cracked under the pressure, for it was all too much to bear.

She yearned to see the very best for her family, for all she held dear. Already she had rationalized an eternity of punishment for the sake of her loved ones, the depths of punishment she could stomach would fill oceans beyond capacity many times over. Pain, loss and redemption had been prepared for, accepted and understood before she ever stepped hoof in this building. But this proposition was simply different. It was not a moment of agony, a promised retribution that might lead to eternal peace.

This was different. In her heart she knew it was wrong to deny the benefits, no matter how deeply it sickened her to think of it. That another mare, a mare surely mightier than her might share the same bed as she and you and Derpy. Luna, the Princess that had discarded you in the very beginning like lowly trash unworthy of her time now boomeranged right back and begged forgiveness. The very notion lit off the long-buried synapses and reflexes in the Queen that detected treachery. There wasn’t a single fiber in her being that believed it, yet she somehow knew it to be true. The dark sorceress knew- by means completely secret to her- that Luna meant only to do well by you and the herd. She would be a model wife by any stretch of the imagination and doubtlessly bring great honor to the family.

But to feel her presence in such an intimate manner, to feel her warm weight in the same bed as her herd and to watch her bear children from her precious human- it was all too much. Umbra’s heart faltered at the idea and forced tears to her eyes in a pitiable display of weakness. She sniffled and wiped them away with a hoof, shaking her head.

“I had prepared for a punishment great enough to crush a mare… yet I have been humbled regardless.” Luna held her posture, the soaring weightlessness in her heart gripped tightly by the anchor of reality.

“I am… ashamed of my disgust. Princess, it is impossible for me to admit your-... b- benefit to my herd.” She growled and stomped her hoof in frustration, hanging her head low and concealing her simpering expression with her hanging mane.

“I cannot bear to think of it. I wish to bring him happiness- but not for a moment could I honestly stomach such an arrangement!” Luna’s expression fell while her wing tip rose. She lifted Umbra’s chin from the floor and gave a dower smile, the reddened emotion about her eyes likewise generating burning tears.

“Umbrial Daze… is it not a shameful thing to be honest.” Luna hummed, smiling softly as her own voice whimpered and wavered in its strength.

“It is a virtue I am glad to see in thee… even if it will pain me to see this herd climb aboard that train without my love to accompany. Umbra’s lip still twitched at the idea, forcing Luna to let her go and step away with tentative respect.

“By the Moon and the powers it grants unto me, I shall respect your wishes. But… with one request.”

“Speak it quickly, before I change my mind.” Umbra spat, bringing quite a pause to Luna’s thoughts.

”Were we a weaker mare, mayhaps we would hold our tongue then.” She thought to herself, rapidly returning to her centered train of thought.

“If I may… ‘visit’ Sire Anonymous on occasion in my own realm, would this be agreeable to thee? For nothing more than to satisfy my own curiosity?” Umbra was beyond drawing petty lines in the sand, her fluttering heart simply begging to be reunited with her family.

“As you wish… perhaps it will dampen your need for him and leave us all at peace.” She retorted and turned to leave, shoving aside any niceties in leaving the Night Mistress behind. Simply standing there and watching as the Sorceress left, Luna’s tears fell to the ground and nearly shattered the entire world beneath their crushing weight.

The night was yet young, but never had the royal felt its length more potently than now. Luna swallowed a sob but still it groaned from her lips in that moment, echoing around the grand hall she inhabited. Another vision yet struck her in the irritated fog of her weeping gaze, bringing to her conflicting peace that she could not wrestle properly to reason.

The presence of a man, not a stallion. A reassuring grip about her shoulders that would never let her go and a familiar face crafted just for her. An affection so pure and so natural that it would sprout ancient trees and vast rivers should it ever touch the ground, all for her. When and where were unclear. All that mattered was the presence of a unique soul never to be seen again in Equestria’s long life.

“May they come to me soon… by the divine, let it be soon.”