The dawn of a new day arises in the kingdom, busy are the many servants and guards that essentially litter the halls of the royal castle with their presence. It is a lively affair taking place outside of the throne room. As for inside of it, a calm and composed princess continues to filter through her stack of documents, all presented by Inkwell and a number of other assistants.

As they carry on the administrative business of the realm, Captain Solemn Oath enters the chambers with a refined strut. She hails to the purple alicorn sitting upon her throne. "Your majesty!"

"Yes, captain?" The mare seems to not miss a beat in signing her name on the dotted line of one of the papers issued to her.

The mare informs her princess of the current matter. "His imperial majesty has filed a request to pay you a visit."

Twilight rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Another one? Again?"

The captain bows her head with reverence. "Yes your majesty."

She sighs as she continues with the matters of the encroaching paperwork that has yet to be read. "The sooner he gets out of my mane, the better." She complains.

"So... do I send him in?"

"Go ahead." She answers dismissively, sending the mare to open the door as she makes yet another complaint under breath. "Can't get any worse than it is already."

One of the doors to the throne room parts away to reveal an unexpected surprise. Instead of the young Ponyland prince looking to make an audience, it is his bodyguard that makes an appearance. He walks briskly to the foot of the stairs leading to Twilight's throne. "Your majesty."

"Where's your prince?" The purple mare asks with curiosity. "You usually see him being his annoying self, and you're the one to keep him on a leash."

He lowers his head out of respect for the high princess before him. "Your majesty, I come on behalf of him. He's currently... well... conflicted to say the least. So I'm here to speak on his behalf."

"And let me guess, because you want me to accept his feelings." She assumes with a dismissive chuckle.

"While I'll admit that bit of news would be a boon for his majesty's demeanor, but I'm afraid that's not quite why I come before you today."

Twilight quirks a brow and removes the papers in from her line of sight, getting a whole view of the stallion. "Then please explain why you've elected to come here on his behalf."

The guardian takes a deep breath, already knowing that his request is unlikely to be granted. "If I must, to beg for your protection."

"I may be mistaken, but is that not your area of expertise?" Twilight questions the stallion.

"While that may be the case, I know that a return to Ponyland is not ideal in the prince's mind."

The purple alicorn mockingly calls out the reason. "Let me guess, a sibling squabble of some sort?"

"If only you knew." He replies with a doleful spirit.

Twilight rises from her throne, looking to try to understand the depths of the conflict that's heavily implied by the guardian before her. "The last sibling quarrel that occurred here in Equestria ended with one being sent to the moon for a thousand years. And even then, all has turned out well."

The guardian's demeanor changes to a more critical approach. "With all due respect, princess. Don't you find your idea of a sibling struggle rather... for lack of better words, infantile?"

"That may be, perhaps my perspective is far too rosy of a lens to view your issues, and I mean that with no disrespect." She replies. "I have an older brother. And not to mention a dragon for a younger brother. Adopted of course."

"You may have a good family dynamic, but I assure you his dynamic is not as tamed as yours." He iterates adamantly.

While still a bit dismissive of the issue, she does take the moment to hear the guardian out on the matter. "Then I am ignorant, I should be more mindful. Please elaborate."

"To simply put it, your measure of 'good will' may only lead sheep to senseless slaughter."

Twilight turns to her side, viewing one of the glass windows portraying the image of Celestia banishing Luna to the moon. She looks back at that struggle and sees a lack of bloodshed, it becomes hard for her to envision such a thing occurring to the love-smitten prince. "Why would you believe that?"

"I know the imperial family, the idea of slaughtering their own is seen as a countryside past time. It is a family rife with discrimination of blood, lineage, and birthright. His influence is minimal and his power is all but meager. The image he has is almost negligible by comparison to the others. His return may be his last."

"Your majesty, if I may?" Solemn steps in to offer her own line of questioning, which Twilight allows. "While your participation throughout this process is admirable, we cannot ignore the possibility of you two acting as spies on your country's behalf."

"I assure you, I am more interested in the prospect of protecting the prince than I am in putting him in any jeopardy. To assume my status as a spy is both troublesome and a deterrent for his imperialship's intentions."

"And yet we have caught you and him sneaking within our borders." She calls out.

"It was the prince's will that we remained here." The guardian admits. "I'll be the one to truly state his purpose of his flight from the fatherland."

"And what purpose would that be?" Solemn inquires.

"Sanctuary." He answers with a quiet steadfastness. The captain and her princess look to one another as Fencer continues with his response. "Indeed, I'll admit he is a foolhardy romantic with little but idealistic endeavors. But his affections are pure."

Solemn wastes no pity for the stallion and his prince, only pressing at her suspicion. "So his asinine crush on the princess is the metric you wish to invoke to prove against any wrong-doing?"

The stallion closes his eyes in realization that his plea, in truth being the desire of the prince himself, is going unreasoned with. "I understand it's not much. But he's true to his heart."

Twilight picks up from where Solemn left off. "I'm sure you understand that your emperor questions us about the well-being of his son."

Immediately, the body language of Sir Fencer falls to resignation. "That I do."

"Then you understand the dangers involved with his unannounced defection to our nation."

"That I also understand." He knows what's to come next, already preparing in his mind how to comfort the prince he's tasked with guarding.

At last, Twilight utters the words the pair have dreaded to hear against their pleas. "Then you should understand the reason why I cannot allow for either of you to stay."

"Again, I understand the diplomatic─"

"I'm sorry. There are no exceptions." Twilight states firmly, appearing somewhat remorseful but unyielding. "Just as you want to protect your prince, I want to protect the peace my citizens have."

"...I understand." He bows once more to issue his respect and farewell. "I thank you for your time, your majesty. You've been a most fair ruler for your willingness to hear us out."

As the Ponyland guardian takes his leave, Solemn glances back at the princess who sighs heavily with a mode of regret. "I don't think this is the wrong decision, your majesty. But I will say that this situation has raised some glaring suspicions."

"I know." Twilight answers. "But if this is for the good of Equestria, I need to stay true to this path." She promptly goes back to signing the documents that were presented to her earlier. "I just hope that this gives us a peaceful path forward."

"As do I, your majesty."

Upon returning to the room they were sentenced to, Sir Fencer enters with an air of sadness for the young prince currently curled up in the bedsheets. Currently undergoing a bit of an existential crisis, the prince remains motionless in thought over his circumstances.

The guardian calls out. "Sir prince..."

Amor seems to already identify the tone of his protector. "So... even beauty proves to be deaf to bargaining."

The older stallion clenches his eyes shut, knowing the confusion and conflict that's currently plaguing the prince. He harbors resentment to the idea that he's providing yet even more bad news to the otherwise bright-eyed prince. "Our departure is set for Tuesday. We leave by airship to the capital."

"To return to a place where we believe in nothing but cruel mistruth... and live an oppressive lie." The prince turns over to view his bodyguard with reddened eyes, swollen from the many tears that the prince surrendered to the sheets that cocoon over his body. "Can we... do you think we can escape it, one more time?"

"Only a fool believes in hope." Sir Fencer answers with a comforting smile. "I guess we can be fools for one last time. There are other places in this world that would accept us. This one was always a far shot, but maybe we try our luck elsewhere."

"And we'll live elsewhere?" He asks.

"In a peaceful land, a land of enlightenment." Fencer announces. "A land free of cruel labels and bitter alliances. A land where we can forget our past lives... and all that we believed in."

The young prince clenches himself, sniffling as he pleads in a whisper. "Whatever powers there be, please... keep us."

My eyes are fading from a blurry vision of the initial waking up. Normally I'd expect to see little that would garner my attention, but instead there's a griffon staring back at me with a bright and brimming smile. She seems to be eagerly awaiting the moment I'm fully awake. Thankfully that doesn't take too long with how quick she hugs me.

"Good morning!"

Her grasp is a little tighter than usual, and much longer. "Morning, Gabby."

"♫Good morning to you, good morning to you, I love it when you wake up, good morning to you!♪" She sings adorably before pouncing on my back, hugging me from behind. "You know what today is, right?"

"It's your day, I know."

"Well yeah, but what else is special about today?" She quizzes.

I purse my lips and ponder over what she's referring to. "I dunno. I know it's not your birthday."

"Nope." She falls off of my back and walks around me.

"Is it a recent event?" I ask.

She scoffs at my question teasingly. "Wow, you don't know."

"Tell me what it is!" I say, getting a little annoyed from not knowing the answer.

She gives me a feigned look of inquiry. "Hmmm.... nah."

"Seriously!?" I call out to her. "Gabby, you know I hate it when you tease something and don't fill me in on the whole picture."

"I know." She says with a half innocent smile. "But let's just file it under a surprise." The other half of that smile seems to be very sultry, hiding a side of her I'm starting to grow accustomed to seeing.

I grab at the griffon. "Or I could wrestle it out of you."

"Oh no you don't." She says, quick in her method to counter me. She yanks back at my arm and pulls me in. As I try to keep my balance, she lunges herself into me with a high leap, her wings flap to give her the extra air under her bound. I try to avoid her, but she holds me from the top of my head, her legs wrapping tightly around my neck. The sudden weight applied to my upper body causes me to fall back into the bed. She also holds both of my arms above my head as she bats her brows at me.

"What the hell?"

She sweetly declares her victory over my unprepared approach. "Yeah, you forgot us griffons are elite grapplers, didn't you?"

No doubt about it. I'm still in this bed and yet she's got my head locked in a vice, a warm and soft vice that gives a sweet smell of grapefruit and traces of arousal. She snickers as she watches me struggle a bit. "Okay, my bad. Now let me go."

"Nope. Stay in between my legs for a bit." She mocks while repeatedly shifting her weight into me.

In her doing so, I start to feel a pressure growing in my loins. The look on her face tells me that she's intentionally looking to force me into her shenanigans. While I'm trying not to give in so easily, I offer her a sign of my submission. "Gabby, please let me go."

"Is that a plea I hear?" She mocks me even more.

"Oh don't you start."

The griffon giggles back at me. "Oh I believe we have time today. So I'm gonna get comfy while you sit here, helpless, groveling for a release you may have to work for." She wafts her tail down my stomach, tickling the top of my upper thighs slowly as she emphasizes her point. "Just like I had to do for the past two days."

"If I have to, I'll find a creative way to get you to release me." I mutter.

Her grin cracks just a bid wider at the thought. "While that sounds fun, you have to be a little more personal."

"How am I supposed to fight for my freedom with you pinning me up like this?"

"Dunno. I do know that talk is cheap, so show me what you're made of, Mr. TheDragon."

I roll my eyes at that name. "I hate being called that."

"Wow, all that complaining and not the slightest attempt to free yourself. I'm almost convinced you want to stay locked in between my legs." She adjusts herself, presenting me with a most wonderful view of her anatomy. "Not that I mind keeping you here."

"Fine, I'll humor you." I say while leaning my head into her.

I give her a kiss where I could, a slow smooch that for many would lead to a lot more than just a few thoughts on whether or not to cross the line. But for her, she's unconvinced by my attempt to tease. "That's good for a casual greeting. But I need something a little more personal."

I feel her grip on my wrists loosen a bit, she's giving me the chance to be a little more coercive. I take the opportunity, and feel the softness of her legs as I give her lips another kiss, this one being more interactive. My claws begin to massage her glutes as I start to work on her a bit. My tongue is held on reserve while I offer the moistened warmth between her legs worship. She coos softly with my approach, knowing that this moment is what she yearned for.

She rubs the top of my head, giggling all the while. "That's better. I'd even call it a welcome amongst classmates." Her grasp at the top of my head intensifies. "But I need a lot more than that."

Wish granted. I allow my tongue to roam freely from my maw, tasting the tanginess of her body and whilst captured in a loosening vice. My reward is a tender rub at the back of my head. Her coos louden, shudders run through the flesh around my neck, both appendages losing control of me as I damn the concept of restraint. My tongue develops an intimate relationship with her unique anatomy.

The griffon pants as she quickly releases me and rise from off of my mouth. One of her legs slide against my neck as she pulls herself back. She finds that my lower half is showing quite a sign of interest, and I throb at the sight of her plump posterior presented before me. She stretches a hindleg out to me while crawling atop of me. "Kiss my peets while you're at it." She demands, flexing her toes at me.

I placate to the griffon's demands, slowly at that. "Demanding, aren't you?"

"More like sensory-deprived. And you already know why." She answers with her tail tilting up my chin.

I carefully pull her into me, trying not to let my mating instincts take over too much. It takes a great effort in stopping myself from yanking her up to me and just forcing my way in like some feral monster. But I can't treat her quite like how I can get away with both Smolder and Ocellus, the latter to a certain degree. "You're just fiending today."

"And you're currently working on the solution. Thanks for that by the way." My hips yearn to press into hers, but my better self yearns to know her a little more intimately. She knows it, and plays on that fact. In turn, she pulls herself from off of me and leaves me in the cold. "But sometimes a bit of absence grows for a much fonder experience."

"What, you don't want me to finish?" I ask.

"Later. Let me build on what you gave me." She answers with a talon reaching back to check on herself. She reaches back forward to see a thin bridge of her essence between her talons. "And I'm sure you'd like the reward for our delayed gratification just as much as I would. But I urge you, patience, my thirsty traveler. The inn is accommodating, but the room is not yet made for you. I'd wish you to hold fast your inhibitions until the time is right." She plants the two digits that served as the vessels for her visible trait of arousal between her beaks, lolling out her tongue as she cleans them manually. "Only then will I permit you to claim your comforts."

Oh she's disgusting... that wait better not be for too long. I might get a little a little vulgar myself. "That's okay then."

She makes her way to the bathroom, looking to clean herself off for the morning. "I should warn you, the place for you is quite meager. It may take some time for you to truly feel rich with the treasures I hold."

She's requesting the time to adjust. It's a respectable request, but also a foul suggestion to have me wait for the prize that I've worked so hard to claim after years of her slipping through my grasp, the countless letters prior to our split, the numerous days I spent in my bed trying to put voice to imagination, suffering ten thousands deaths in the peak of my adolescence. But I'll at least offer her that grace before I offer her the punishment she's clearly a glutton for. "Then I'll be patient and wait."

She gives off a giggle, the slight rasp of her voice sweetly beckoning me. "Be patient, but not disinterested. I have much for you, sir paladin."

And just like that, I'm already the tyrant thinking of ways to conquer her nation. "I'm sure of it."

She closes the door behind her, leaving only the memory of our minute-young encounter marinating freshly on the forefront of my mind. And my better self is primed on the thought, he seems pretty ambitious on the idea of trying to get himself into good trouble. Meanwhile my claws are debating the next course of action. Do I execute those inhibitions and forego the tension for a moment's reprieve, or do I hold as she would prefer?

*sksssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss─*

Maybe I'd vouch for a better idea, walking into that bathroom while the steam gets good and thick, opening that shower while she's mid-scrub, pinning her smaller frame against the glass, and keep her pinned between that and my stomach, all while I act the tyrant I now think myself to be, impaling my victim with repeated disregard for restraint.

That moment of entry, the sight of such narrow folds embracing a larger host... Sweet bliss.

These cruel thoughts are starting to become more frequent, but bear no ill-intent. If she wishes to make room for me, all she would have to do is ask me to start at a snail's pace, easing and teasing until her little body grows to adapt to the change I'll bring. She knows that I won't look to bring any harm to her... but then again, she's a glutton for it. Even now, my mind replays the words from her own beaks.

"I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

With such thoughts on my mind for the better part of ten minutes, I'm left to a form no less than half-mast. "What is taking you so damn long? Get the fuck out here so I can stuff your shit." I mutter under my breath impatiently. Feral boundaries are starting to become blurred with the passing second, And she knows that she's playing the long-game. I've lost patience at this point, my imagination runs mad with the taste of her fresh on my tongue, the feeling of her sunk in my teeth, the mere moment she even broke her character to beg me to 'pull it out'. Only difference is this time, Smolder's not here to break us apart.

*PLU-KING*

Nope, that honor would go to Twilight and her horribly-timed text messages. I just simply leave it on the nightstand. But instead of it being left at that, there seems to be yet another message with her name attached... followed by a third... and a fourth. And if I know her to be the annoying mare she can be, she'll soon send a bevy of one letter responses spelling out words, complete with blank bubbles for spaces. Might as well get it over with.

"Hey Spike. Just as a reminder that you'll be setting
out pretty early for Ponyland. I know it's a tall order,
but I really think that if this goes well, we can start
to foster a better relationship with the empire. And
bonus points: Amor will finally be out of my mane
for the foreseeable future." 8:39 a.m.

"You would not believe this, Sir Fencer came to me
with a request for sanctuary! As if I could even think
to say yes! It's bad enough that whole underground
thug situation seemed to drive some
misunderstanding like we're purposely holding the
prince hostage. They can have him, I don't care!" 8:41 a.m.

"Seriously, I need to hear back from you that you've
got this message. You'll be leaving early on Tuesday,
so you may want to already be packed for the trip by
tonight if you want to make the best use of your time." 8:44 a.m.

"You have me on 'delivered.' You better text me back." 8:45 a.m.

(...) Twilight is typing a message.

I'll admit, she's pretty damn good at souring the mood. I had my mind completely off of that assignment up until now, at least let me have my fun for the weekend before I have to start considering what my last will and testament is going to have written down. But no, she's forcing me to face the reality of the situation. So I quickly answer her damn texts.

8:45 a.m."K."

"Did you seriously just one-letter respond to me?" 8:46 a.m.

"I'm talking matters of national security, and the best
you can do at the moment is just 'K'? Like have you
just decided that none of this is even worth the time
for you?" 8:48 a.m.

8:49 a.m. "I just said I got your message. Now leave me alone."

"Look, I don't care what you do with Smolder or Ocellus,
but if you don't treat this with the urgency that this
deserves, I'm going to teleport myself to Ponyville and
straighten you out personally. You have a job, and I
expect you to do that job while responding with the
professionalism that's to be expected from one in your
position." 8:52 a.m.

8:53 a.m. "Well forgive me for not signing my will the day of you
telling me where I'm going. I'm sorry. I'll do better."

"Thank you." 8:54 a.m.

(DRAFT) "Go fuck yourself like you wish Nondis still could."

*ssssssskt...*

It takes everything in me to not send that last message. All creation knows I want to, and boy do I just want the satisfaction of it. But doing that is only going to waste more of my time and put me in a worse mood. I barely even notice that Gabby finished her shower a few seconds ago, but instead of plotting for my hostile takeover of her body, I'm thinking about how, and if I'm able to get my body back across the ocean if all goes wrong.

The mood is ruined. And by the time Gabby walks out, she sees the deepened frustration written all over my face. She also notices the lack of an erection that she left there with the intention to come back to it. "Spike, you okay? What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." I mutter lifelessly as I turn my phone over to hopefully never see Twilight's stupid fucking name pop up on the screen.

She sits down right next to me, reaching over my lap to grab at the phone I just put down. "Spike."

"What?" I say, airing the slight bit of frustration out at her instead of where it belongs.

She's visibly disappointed to see I'm unhappy, and also physically disappointed to see I'm in no mood for our scheduled recreational activities. "Okay, grumpy. Tell me what's clouding up those thoughts of yours."

I take my phone back from her. "Assignment."

"Oh." The disgust in her voice rings familiar, much like it did in the months leading up to our initial break. "That's great, I guess."

"It's a pretty risky one for me." I deadpan, knowing I don't want to go on it.

"Can't be that bad." She scoffs. "You've had worse by now."

I give her a glance before laying on my back, still gathering my thoughts. "You know, they supposedly hunt dragons in Ponyland."

"Ponyland!?" The feathers on her neck fluff out in an expression of abject shock. It's the first time I've ever seen her blow up like that. "Spike, why didn't you tell me something!?"

"I didn't want you to be concerned─"

"Ponyland, Spike!?" She interrupts, jumping out from beside me. "You might as well donate your body to science because they'll be selling you for parts! You can't put yourself in that position, and then tell me to not be concerned!"

"I didn't want to make a fuss about it!" I argue back.

The grief is apparent in her voice as she turns back to me. "When do you leave?"

"Early Tuesday, apparently." I say with a sigh.

"Tuesday!?" She screeches. "Spike that's... Augh!... No. No! We are not doing this! Not today!"

"Wait?" I jump out of the bed, seeing her barrel for the door. "What do you mean by that?"

*BANG*

"PONYLAND!?" Smolder screams to the top of her lungs.

"Oh hive save me." Ocellus drops her head into her hooves as she expresses grief over the news.

Gabby didn't just call the whole house into a communal, she basically blurted out the news like she was announcing the death of a close family member. I suppose it's fair that she wanted this to be told to them upfront as opposed to being surprised by it tomorrow. But still, it leaves me in a bad position because I didn't want them to be so up in arms about me leaving.

Smolder's the main one I know has an issue with it, for a damn good reason. "You mean to tell me that you just got out of a hostage situation and now you're going into an even worse deathtrap!? Like what the fuck!"

"It should only be a few days." I try to reassure everyone.

"A few days, right." Ocellus shows extreme skepticism with my projected time frame. "You realize it'll only be a day before they try something, right?"

Smolder jumps back into the discussion. "More like the first hour he shows up! Travel to Ponyland is forbidden by decree of Dragon Lord Ember! Even she knows that our dragon population in the far east have dwindled to a mere fraction of what was originally there some years ago. And lately, that's been getting worse."

Ocellus offers her own words of warning. "Even Thorax warns us against transforming into dragons over there in that region. They already don't like changelings too much as it is."

"Well why not?" Gabby asks.

"You think our hive is the only one out there?" Ocellus adds.

"We're only the largest hive by a mile because of the tactics my mother used to do back in the old days, long before I was born. At the time, she would take her armies and lead them into varying cities across Ponyland, Equestria, Zebrabwe, Saddle Arabia, you name a country of equines and I can guarantee she's wrecked it once before in some manner. Equestria is the only one that hasn't fallen total prey to her, even if she's come close numerous times."

"I don't know, wrecking the royal castle seems to be up there on that list of accomplishments." I add.

"Consider what was taking place at the time. Celestia and Luna just barely seceded power to Princess Twilight. And Discord just threw her a huge monkey wrench so she could prove her power. So add in a suped-up Queen Chrysalis, combined with an alicorn Cozy Glow and a magic-fed Tirek... you get what you get."

I still remember that instance. For me especially, it was like coming back home to the treehouse the first time after Tirek did a number on it. Only that time, I got to watch the destruction unfold before my very eyes, the rubble falling around us and how Twilight's barrier basically protected us from certain death. I'll never forget the chill that outside air brought in that day. "Yeah, Celestia and Luna virtually had to unretire just to help coordinate relief efforts. I'm sure Nondis wasn't pleased in coming back to see that seventy percent of the castle was thrown across the mountainside. Not to mention having to postpone his own retirement for that reason also."

Ocellus quickly shifts the conversation back to her own perspective. "The past aside, there are more hives out there. They're much smaller than ours, but they likely haven't converted to our ideologies just yet. And any means of having them do so is all but impossible due to Ponyland's close-minded manner of diplomacy. A skirmish is inevitable."

"And dragons are no different in that regard. If anything, we're a commodity for their hunt and trade purposes, not to mention our scales being a well-sought-after item. Some even use it for decoration for armor." Smolder explains.

Gabby hums with uncertainty. "I know they're notorious for engaging in trade with Griffonstone, but even our diplomatic ties with them are shaky at best. And over the years, due to our alliance with Equestria, those ties started to get even less stable."

"Well, so much for the little enthusiasm I had in going." I smile back sarcastically. "Now I'm almost ready to convince Twilight to reassign this to someone else."

Ocellus gives me a slow nod. "You probably should."

It does not take me very long to get back in touch with Twilight. It doesn't take long for the topic to be brought up. It takes even less time for me to vent out my concerns. But it takes yet even less time for her to come up with some sort of an excuse as to why I can't reassign this to a more suited delegate.

Once more, I plead to the deaf. "Hello, I'm just saying that you're practically sending me to a suicide mission! Is there no other way you can reassign this to anypony else? No other way?"

"Spike, I've already considered it. I would've gone myself, but I've already have a locked-in schedule with Queen Novo of the hippogriffs. Then after that, I have a summit with Prince Rutherford of the Yaks, a reformation outreach conference with Prince Pharynx, and a very important peace agreement with the arimaspi down in Arimaspi Territory. And as you can probably tell, that agreement is already on an unsteady ground as is. It's not like you're the only one engaging in dangerous negotiations here. I've just merely taken on the bulk of your work."

Honestly, just half of that being delegated to me would be less of a security risk than sending me out into the literal hunter's den. "You mean the Arimaspi Territory that have been fairly quiet, even as our rail upgrade operations continue through the region, the same group of creatures who have actively desired no confrontation whatsoever with us, the same one I went to two years ago to negotiate the rail system deal, that's dangerous to you?"

"Anything can happen! They've killed one of our royal family members before!" She reminds me, referring to some prince who died over five-hundred years ago.

"Twilight, you do realize that you're going to be exceptionally hard to kill, right? You could break your fucking neck and be right back at it in two weeks." The bottom line is simply that she doesn't want to deal with Amor.

"Yeah, but they didn't leave much of the last prince they killed. And I don't think I can survive something like that, nor would I want to."

"Still, you can reassign this to someone else." I mean how could you send someone looking at you with puppy-dog eyes, begging for attention, to their possible execution grounds without sacrificing some of your own morality. That would suck... for her at least. But you know what sucks even worse?...

"It has to be a high-ranking official. They've requested that this get my personal attention, which I've considerably turned down for obvious reasons. So I have to send my next in line, that being you."

"Twilight, I might get killed." That. That's what the fuck would suck for me!

"I'm sending you twenty guards, a crew of engineers, and a specialist for your protection! How bad could it possibly be!?"

Oh that magically makes me feel better now that I know I have a small armed security detail going into a place we're in shaky neutrality with. "The better question is 'How good are their poachers when it comes to their job?' And I don't think I want to find out the answer to that."

As per usual, she looks at things from her fairly deluded lens of optimism. "You'll be fine, I promise. If anything, the specialist I'm sending with you will be a damn good one. So you won't have to worry too much about it."

"I'm telling you, you may have to reassign this one." I plead one last time.

"And do what, let Blueblood take over in your place? He isn't going to take this assignment because he has a grudge with members of the imperial family there. That's just asking for trouble! Shining and Cadance has their own mess to clean up where they're at, and Flurry is way too young. Who does that leave?"

"So I'm the only one who can take this?" I angrily ask her.

"Unfortunately." She answers with some frustration set in her voice.

I shake my head and hold back a litany of swears. "...I'll call you back." Selfish bitch.

Moments of the past still sit firmly on my mind. Not only the terrible things I've done to make the situation into what it was, but also the cringe-worthiness of my motives. Because at the time I felt myself to be a victim, all for not liking someone who had the attention of my crush. I can't help but to grimace at my younger self for the actions performed, the roles played, and thanking the stars above that it didn't get as bad as it could've been. I can only imagine how Twilight would be able to assume power with the restrictions of that time still active to this day... and how quick it would be wrestled from under her.

My room isn't quite a mess, but it's showing signs of disarray. The small trash bin I had sitting by the nightstand is now overflowing with balled-up wads of poorly written statements, wills, and allocations. I know I've finalized my drafts, now all there is to do is wait for a notary to come by and sign off on it. That'll get done tomorrow, but it only seems to enhance the anxiety I'm going through right now.

Gabby walks into the room, seeing me as I look over the papers sitting neatly paperclipped on the top of the nightstand. "No dice, huh?" She asks.

I shake my head. "She fucking knows this is a death trap for me. And here she is, sending me off like I'm a fucking condemned criminal!" I roll my eyes at the thought of the irony, but also find some bitter humor in it. "I'm really starting to wonder if this is karma for the shit I've done in the past."

"What did you do to deserve something like this?" She questions.

I boil down what is basically a week and some change's worth of hell and trauma into a single sentence. "I helped file off the paperwork to ship the previous captain to Arimaspi Mountain. I did it out of spite, I'm sure you can imagine why."

"Rarity?" She's not pleased over the simple guess.

"You got it. She had a huge attraction to him and I wasn't happy about it because he was basically two-timing with Twilight." I also add from my perspective. "And I worked with a senator who had a grudge against the royal family, so it nearly jeopardized their situation as well."

She groans to herself in thought over my past misdeeds. "That's some pretty serious stuff, Spike."

"I know." I reply, starting to feel some sort of accountability for my actions and somewhat accepting the consequences. "But still, Twilight knows this is some bullshit."

Gabby tries to find an argument rooted in some sort of reason. "I'm sure she's doing it because she's left with little choice."

"Oh, of course." I nod with a sarcastic smile.

"I know it's stressing you out."

"Boy is it." I comment.

Gabby gives off an exhausted sigh before pulling me by my shoulder, and with considerable force might I add. "Come here."

"Hey, what the─" Before I can finish, she pushes me on the bed and stares me down.

"You know, being that it's my day, it means it's my day to take all this stress off of you." She pins my back to the mattress as she lands on my chest, pressing all of her weight against me. "So be a good drake, and lay down here on this bed, and I'll make you feel better."

I admire her forwardness, it brings me a little bit of humor and reflection. She tilts her head at me while I snicker for a brief moment. "I know sex is a pretty fun way to relieve stress and pass the time, but I don't want it to be a crutch."

"Spike, can you just forget about that other stuff right now?" She replies, giving me a warm hug. "Let's just focus on each other for the few little moments we do have."

As her upper thigh brush against my loins, she nuzzles into me. "Rushing to get to the point of the matter, aren't you?"

"We're not exactly long for time at this point." She illustrates with a nudge of her leg upwards into me.

"Yeah. I guess I don't mind putting off what's already on the wait list."

She slowly traces a claw down the side of my chin, then suddenly pinching my cheeks and smushing them together. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to have you like this."

"Knowing you, I bet your mind is still probably fresh from Friday night." I tease her.

"Ugh, that was terrible! Did you know she rubbed that thing on my stomach and left me on cycle for hours before my sybian motor overheated?" She complains with a grimace. "I have to get it looked at, but that's nothing compared to constantly getting worked up, only to start all over again without any payoff."

As she raises slight off of me to adjust herself. "I hope she removed that spell on you."

"She did this morning right after our meeting." Ah, now I get why she was being so slow and methodical this morning. She makes it obvious that all the restraints on her are loosened, clamping her haunches around my waist while she playfully mewls at the sensation of resting in my lap. "Which means I can finally commence the efforts of being your muse, to sing you the songs of my temple and offer worship upon your alter of flesh. Such a beast as the one you own is that worthy of an intimate exhortation. Wouldn't you agree?"

I see she's back to doing her usual wordplay, it's funny how she doesn't resort to vulgarities but she can make a simple conversation so raunchy if you look past the surface. It's a delightful stimulation of the mind for me. "I knew it wouldn't take you long to snap back into what you do best."

Her hips show little in the way of subtlety, pressing deep into mine as she gasps from the pleasure building in her body from the contact. "How I wish I had patience enough to fool you with the cuts and crevices of my legs and thighs, but that patience has worn since the moment I have watched you be taken by others. Now it is my turn, and I want nothing more than what I now possess in between the warmth that grows fickle to time."

I look down to see my better self lovingly being crushed under her weight, being dampened by her delegate in this very heated exchange. "In other words, you don't want to wait."

"That appears to be the case." She reaches downward, grabbing a hold of me and pulling me upwards to her sex. "Even the maiden drools with a yearning."

I lean upwards, planting my claws to her hips, my palms almost burning from the heat her body gives out. "Then satisfy her hunger so that she may be well-fed."

"A troublesome beast, this is." She compliments on my endowment.

"You know, I don't like to be teased for too long." I growl in a low voice, looking to get myself more than buried into her.

The low crackles in my voice causes her to shudder as my lips close in to the warm feathers of her neck. She lifts her chin, allowing me the unrestricted access. "Forgive me. It seems that I have much work before I can fully invest myself upon you. My room is not yet made."

She rises up, flicking me firmly against her lower lips. She buckles from the sensation of me continuously kissing against the hood of her most sensitive features. "Too big?" I chuckle at her hesitation to commit to the plunge.

"Perhaps." My taunting does not please her attitude, but only serves to embolden her resolve. "But I can still get used to your size."

She places herself on me, aligning at last our bodies to embrace one another. She takes a deep breath before making trek with just the tip of me. She stifles a whimper while biting down on her own self. I see the bit of discomfort and call to her. "Gabby? You sure you're not hurt?"

"It's a little uncomfortable..." She winces. "You're bigger than most of my toys..." And in spite of her initial show of discomfort, she amuses herself with my form, rotating my tip within her folds as she makes mention of my compatibility with her. "Well... thicker."

"You sure you're okay?" I ask once more, truly not wanting this to stop in the slightest.

"I thought I told you already, I'm a big girl." She cockily responds, rising from off of me to slowly work herself back onto me. "I just have to get used to you. It's like one of my toys... cool and all... but thicker... and it throbs each time I go down... plus you get bigger towards the base."

"Don't get too happy and drop all the way to the bottom then." I warn her.

She rises yet again, slowly taking yet another inch further down. "Oh I know. You get really big then."

While I wish I could experience more of her at the moment, I can truly say that my hard work in reconnecting with her did not come with any disappointment. If I could make mention of the grip she has every time she raises herself from me, it's as though I am hugged with a fond embrace. She's only a third of the way down, so I can't help but to want more of her.

She takes notice of my gripping thumbs pinching slightly with every descent, my eyes closing with each drop, the way my chin raises from every withdrawal, the sharpness of every breath I take. It brings her a fiendish joy. "You like the way I feel?"

"Yes." I mutter, lost in my mix of enjoyment and frustration. "I want more."

She stops moving for a moment, gazing down at me with a light-filled gleam. "You know, I'm really happy I can finally give myself over to you like this." She gives herself a slight raise, not coming off of me completely like she's been doing for a while now. Instead, she sinks herself to take on the next third of me. "I've been wanting this for years, I've thought about you since the moment we got together the first time. Even when we were apart."

"Gabby─" She grips my snout shut with her talons, she leans in with a now-realized greed.

"Gabriella..." I look at her oddly, surprised that she called out her own name for me to use. "I know what you're thinking, but I feel like I want to connect with you deeper while we're like this. So... yeah."

I smirk as she releases my snout for me to speak. "Okay, Gabriella."

She giggles under her breath as she starts to work a slow pace. "Give me that rumble you have in your voice."

I take a deep breath, letting her name resonate from the deepest part of my chest. "Gabriella."

"Yeah. That's the one." She quietly cheers as she inherently picks up her pace.

While I wish she would really just take the dive on the remainder of what I have left over, I'm satisfied enough in knowing that she's currently having fun with what she's working with. It's taking everything in me not to slam my hips into hers just out of instinct, but she's seems to be gradually working herself further down. She's taken in everything but the bulge of my hilt. "Really getting into it now, aren't you?" She tries to shush me, but one slight adjustment I make knocks me a little out of alignment, causing me to slip out. She responds by battering herself with me before continuing matters from where we left off. She lolls her tongue as she intensifies her pace and drive. "You naughty girl." I whisper.

"Only for you." She whispers before she takes a sharp gasp of air. "Oh, I'm gonna cum."

I purse my lips and pull her up, holding her back from sinking into her finish. "Now you hold on a sec."

"Ooh, you tease!" She hollers with ample dissatisfaction.

I laugh like the villain I move to be, but I also look to give her a much better way to reach her desired destination. I wasn't going to force her to do all the work. Plus if she goes off now, she'll probably crumple over and request a break. I wasn't going to let her do that without getting the full experience she know she deserves. So I swap our positions, laying her on her back as I guide myself back within her folds. "I know this is how you really want it."

She grabs onto my arms, her talons gripping tightly against my biceps. "Yes... yes..." As I threaten to bring her to the flaring base of my better self, she digs her nails deep into my arms. They puncture me as she writhes from the unexpected impact. While I slowly withdraw, she takes notices of her nails slightly embedded in my muscles. "Sorry for the nails."

"Tough scales, I can handle it." I reassure her.

As I assert myself upon her body once more, she shifts her hips to accept more of me. I hesitate for a second before I realize that she's grappled herself onto my waist, locking her legs around me while her body threatens to explore uncharted territory. I look back down on her, seeing the fiendish smirk on her face. "I bet you won't do it."

I hunch over her, wanting to shove myself into her without restraint. But Ocellus' warning still runs clear through my mind. I'm already as deep as I think I can afford to be without hurting her. "Oh Gabby... please stop."

"Or what, you're gonna plug me?" She mocks, licking me on my cheek. "Make me reconsider my life choices? Go on, give me a push... you know you want to right now. Plus you said it yourself, I'm a bad girl. I need to get punished." She gives me a nod, squirming her hips into mine, causing me to slowly work the last bit of myself into her. "I keep telling you I'm a big girl. I can take it."

My eyes clench shut as I growl steam from behind my teeth. The last barrier of restraint I held for myself breaks and I anchor myself onto the bed. "You little─!"

My body melds with her at last, one fell press and I am at last in the warmth of her forge. "AAAH!" A yelp of surprise sounds loudly from her throat before I nibble down on her. The wood of my bed creaks as I adopt a more fervent rhythm. Had I not been privy to her reactions on Friday night, I'd take her rapid stammers as tearful cries of refusal. Instead they are the tell-tale signs of her achieving her finish.

I give a few thrusts of my own, before her spasmodic reactions drive me to my own conclusion. I feel her hind paws behind me flexing and straining to allow me to stay. Her natural inclinations are to drive me off so that she can come back down from her climb. But she's willing to persevere, welcoming my deepening encounters with open arms.

At last, the stars in my eyes reappear once more for the umpteenth time this weekend. But this one's quite a surge. I feel my hips jerk involuntarily while I unleash the long-built pressure from my day empty into her warmth. As I pant in relief, I free myself from her neck and hulk over her. My lips seek hers, joining above as we have below. Her eyes look upon me while I spare no passion for retainment. Our tongues dance momentarily as the sweat from my brow falls upon her.

Her eyes glimmer and I'm left to a pant while she whispers words of approval. "That's a good boy." She pats me on my glutes.

I look to pull out, but notices that she gives off an uncomfortable wince in the attempt. "You okay?"

She looks off to the side. "I'm fine, just hurting... a little bit."

Once more, the words of Ocellus roll across my mind as I realize that I am firmly stuck inside of her. We're joined so taught that there's not an ounce or drop of my seed flowing past my bulging base. But I do notice a bit of blood lightly staining the sheets. "Oh my gosh─"

She yanks me down, causing me to fall on top of her body. "Nope, shut up. Let me have this." She demands strongly. "You and I both know this was in the works for some years."

"Damn... I didn't want to fuck you up this bad." I mutter.

"It's fine." She says dismissively, completely ignoring her own discomfort. In fact, she seems to relish in it a little bit. "I just needed to work you in slowly, my body would've taken care of the rest... Obviously, I got a little caught up in the moment and went a little overboard."

"You sure you're okay?" I ask again.

"Meh, It'll sting for a bit... but I don't mind it much." She says with a scoff. "Friday was pretty much light work compared to some of the other stuff my second boyfriend got me into."

"Wait, seriously?" I looked at her oddly, wondering what all she went through to consider Friday's torture as 'light work'. "What did he get you into."

"The whole dom-sub thing, the bdsm stuff, anal, electro-stimulation, role-playing was already our thing... but let's just say he expanded on it a bit too much."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

She groans over the thought. "He was controlling all the time. It's fine in bed, but when the sheets come off I expect to be treated like a equal. He didn't see things that way, I was always supposed to be submissive, obedient, do whatever he says or get punished for it. One time he literally beat me, and that was the last time I was with him." She coils her arms around me as she speak. "It was only one time, but I knew that it only took the first time to see where things were headed. So I just packed my stuff, left Griffonstone, never looked back."

So she picked up that kink from an abusive ex who didn't know where the lines were drawn. That answers one inquiry, now for the next. "So what about your last guy? He kept calling you Gabriella, what's the difference between me and him?"

"Ugh, night and day." She says with an annoyed groan. "You're smart enough to play along my little word-play, he's not. You keep things casual and I don't feel weirded out when you touch me, he makes my nerves crawl. You make sure I'm okay and look after me first, he looks after himself. You don't mind me doing my own thing sometimes, he got annoyed when I wanted to branch off on some things. If I say I'm not in the mood, you'll be like 'okay, guess I'll go entertain myself', while he'll try to force it and slither his way in despite the mood I'm in. You don't mind being rough, but you'll check on me. Galefor can be overtly affectionate and clingy, like he wants me to be a part of everything he does. But when I want to do something, he's either not interested or want to turn it into what he wants to do. All of that's just a huge turnoff."

"And your biggest turnoff with me?" I ask.

"You stayed busy, no time for us. Like I wanted to do all sorts of things with you, including the freaky kind of stuff. But couldn't do that when you're always half a world away." She bluntly explains. "So yeah... not so much of a problem until the coming days."

"Yeah." I grimace at the thought.

She pokes a claw against my snout, booping me with a cute whimper. "...You know I adore you, right?"

"Even through the pain?"

"Worth it!" She seems a little too eager with that response, even as I'm still waiting for myself to calm down before I can pull out of her without any issues on her end. "It's a good kind of hurt." Okay, maybe I should really look into her inventory and see just how depraved she can be... for science, of course.

I look back down below at where we remain conjoined. "My lady, it seems that tragedy has befallen the docks. Should take some time for the necessary repairs to take place."

She dismisses the notion. "Eh... Give it a few hours. Griffons lay eggs larger than what you got packing."

"You sure?" I question her.

She smiles back at me as she grinds her hips into me again. "Technically, this means I can do round two without worrying about the knot."

"You whah???"

She completely pops off of me, freeing the both of us up, only to mercilessly sink herself back onto me. She locks her legs around one of mine as she presses herself firmly into me. I gasp at the fact that she's so aggressive with her own self. "You believed I was done in after just one time? Surely you jest, sir dragon. I've only begun my claim of you." She pulls my head towards hers. "I've got heavens knows how many years of things I want to show you now."

...You know, I think I understand how Sunburst feels with Starlight being the way she is.

Author's Note

Well hello to all after a month and some change of absence. You'll have to forgive me for this extended time away, things got a little busy that I fell a bit behind on writing. I needed to take some time to get myself right with my health, as I was doing poorly for the better part of a month. But now that I'm back in the not-so-busy stage, 30 pounds lighter, and being a lot better in the mind, I can get back to being the creative that I am.

In fact, I might have been so creative that I might have a little something planned for you guys who read the previous story. Of course I can't say what it is but I'll be sure to drop it in the Author's Notes of next chapter.

In speaking of chapters, I took a bit of time to also marathon a few drafts to get a solid direction of where I want to take the story. Needless to say we're back in the author-reader's gap of how far apart we are. It will gradually close back in over time, but as of the time of my writing this, I am nine drafts ahead of you guys. A lot is to come and some new faces will pop up, as well as a few others.

Having that said, thank you all who stuck with me this far. I gotta stop being so infrequent with updates, but it's hard when your mind is going a million miles per hour with ideas, both music and writing wise.

I'll see you guys around for the next one.

ALSO: Hey mods, is that picture of Gabby a little too much for TOS, I tried cropping out the implicated vulva to better meet with standards. Perhaps the teats are a bit too much. Art is by FacelessJr.