Failure, Eternally Retold, Part Three: Morality

Kai took in a deep breath. He was lying on a down-filled pad under the stars. He'd helped set up a few of the guards' tents for them, but they hadn't returned the favour. They had tossed an MRE in front of him, which he promptly tucked away to gather something fresh to eat instead. Fluttershy had taken the MRE, as she was quite tired of forage. It was a disappointment after having the tavernkeep cooking for them, but it was real food from a civilized society.

After dinner, She'd gone off to go make sure Nik was okay, and Kai had set up a bed for himself, not knowing if she'd want to sleep on the ground with him if given the opportunity if a cot. He'd been sleeping out in the weather this entire trip. A bit longer wasn't going to be too harmful. His bed consisted of a pad and his cloak, which was already better than how he'd spent most of the last month. At the very least, he couldn't feel the rocks beneath him.

Tonight was a clear night with a dim, waning crescent moon, perfect for stargazing. It was a harmless activity, and allowed him a moment to calm down before the final test of his combat skill. With any luck, this would be the last time he would have to fight. It had been a necessity in his life for multiple decades, not really a pleasure or a pain, just something that he had to do. Fluttershy removed that need, giving him the option of peace, and he rather liked the comfort of her embrace. On top of that, he didn't want his kid to be caught up in the violence. The thought chilled him to the bone.

"What are you thinking about?"

He looked up and saw Fluttershy returning to him. "Nothing, really. How was Nik?"

She lay down next to him. He moved over to allow her space on the pad. "He's fine. He's sleeping in Celestia's tent tonight, so he's safe enough. You didn't look like you were thinking about nothing. You looked angry."

Kai smirked. "I'm not angry. Not remotely. I was thinking of our kid, growing up in a scenario where there's no fighting, no running, and plenty of time to breathe. A scenario where the worst injury is a papercut. Maybe I'm being a little selfish, but I want a good life for them."

She rested her head on his arm and looked up at the sky. "I don't think that's selfish at all. I think it's natural to want the best for your kids. Part of being a good parent. I think it's unrealistic, though. Kids do dumb things, and their parents have to protect them from the consequences. I guarantee, they'll hurt themselves doing something that they shouldn't, and they will hopefully learn from that."

"I don't like to think of my kid being hurt, though." He shuddered again.

"When I was really, really young, my mom was making pancakes. I wanted a pancake, and they were coming out of a skillet on the stove. So I grabbed the skillet with my hoof. You can guess what I didn't do again."

Kai winced at the story. He'd cauterized some bad cuts with a hot piece of metal in the past, and had the scars to prove it. The memory of the pain was causing him discomfort.

"The good news is, if something does go wrong, you can do what my dad did. Immediately fly them to the hospital for treatment. Most doctors will make the recovery very easy for you and them."

"Promise?"

"Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Kai reeled back. "Why in Equestria would you ask me to do that?"

Fluttershy shrank down. "I'm sorry. That's a Ponyville saying. It comes from a friend of ours named Pinkie Pie; you've met. I'll have her explain it later, but my point is, I promise that the doctors and nurses at Ponyville General will do their best to help you."

Kai wrapped his hoof around Fluttershy's shoulder, and pulled his cloak over her to keep her warm. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead and held her tight.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Fluttershy leaned up and looked around. They were decently removed from the rest of the camp, and the firelights had started to go out. They were far enough away that, if they were quiet, nopony would notice a thing. She climbed up on top of him, leaned down, and whispered to him.

"You know, there's nopony else nearby. If we stay quiet, we can have some fun, if you want."

Kai placed his hooves on on the small of her back, just above her tail. "I'm glad you're not one of those mares that feels the need to announce to the world that you're having a good time. It would be tiring to climb up onto the rooftop all the time just to shout about how much I love you." He held her close, then rolled over so that he was on top. "Keep a lookout, and let me know if somepony's coming."

With a trail of kisses leading down her body, Kai slid down under his cloak, letting his legs and tail poke out the other end. While he didn't much care who knew that he had a sex life, he wanted to protect her privacy.

Her legs opened for him, revealing that she was mildly aroused already. She wasn't soaking wet, or even dripping, just a little damp. She'd showered this morning, and he'd had a sponge bath to protect his bandages. She still smelled of the waxflower soap she'd used. It was a lovely scent, that made her smell as sweet as her personality. As he gave his first lick, her hoof wrapped around his horn and did not let go.

She tasted better than he remembered. It had been a long time, well over a year since they had started their physical relationship. Now that they were essentially an item, they could do this as often as they wanted. This, and a great many other things. As Kai dug his tongue in between her lips, however, he was struck with a new realization. She knew a great deal more about sex than he did. He hadn't even known the position they took when they'd conceived. She'd taken the lead. It was disheartening to suddenly think himself incapable of pleasing her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just stopped all of a sudden. Is something the matter?"

He shook his head. "I'm probably just overthinking things. I can't help it; I'm stressed about this whole situation."

She pulled him up by his horn and licked the drippings off his lower lip. "If you're not feeling up to it, we can just talk for a bit. Seriously, what's bothering you? I want to help."

Kai took a deep breath. "I'm not good at sex."

"You're plenty good enough for me. And even if you do feel inadequate, I want you to know that you'll have plenty of time with me to practice. The rest of our lives, no matter how long or short they may be. I'm with you until the end." She gave a reassuring smile. "It doesn't matter what you do, I can feel the love you put into every bit.

They shared one more kiss before he disappeared back beneath the cloak.