Simplified

Canterlot Castle...

Yet another brightened dawn falls upon the lands of Equestria. While many are beginning to stir the rumors of war and peaceful dissent, the greater population shows minimal concern for the conflict stirring on the other side of the world. One such practitioner of the common mindset, even while being aware of the ramifications, is the seemingly appeased Stanton arriving from the portal of the human world. A smile wears proudly on his face as he transforms himself into his equine form and takes to the halls of the castle.

Along his walk, he falls in line with a visually perturbed alicorn princess. "Good morning, your highness."

"Morning, Stanton." Her attitude towards him is far from the usual welcoming demeanor she's known for having.

The stallion pokes a little playful fun at her. "Wow, sourpuss from the other side of the bed."

"Can you not channel your older brother today?" She snaps back quietly, speeding up her trotting pace to avoid him. The stallion increases the tempo of his gait to match.

Seeing that she's obviously not of mind to take a few playful barbs, he reconfigures his approach. "Sorry, just didn't expect you to be in a shaky mood. If you'll need me to, I'll keep my distance."

She stressfully groans at herself, slowing down while he tries to stick beside her. "Why am I lashing out at you?"

"Frustration over global events, it happens."

"Obviously." She rolls her eyes, summoning a schedule to look over for her day.

"So let's summarize, shall we? We're forty down, and there's a bunch of families looking for answers as to why Spike isn't one of them."

"Can you blame them for feeling that way?" Asks the purple princess.

"I mean I understand where some of your frustration's coming from. I mean the nerve of that guy and what he said yesterday." He alludes to an outburst during one of her outings the previous day, how an older stallion gave a heated verbal exchange to the princess.

"He was just an angry citizen, and rightfully so." She sighs. "My job as a princess is to not ignore the cries of the public, but to also not overlook the forest for the trees. It's hard to strike a balance between the two."

"I do think it's interesting that the parliament chose to wait until Spike gets back before making their final declarations known. In a way it can be pretty unnerving, especially with how emotions can either fester or wane over time. You never know which direction that group would end up taking, at least in my world we know to follow the money to find a motive."

"We're on the verge of war, I think that's a polite way of describing the atmosphere at the moment." She dismisses the parchment, having read and understood her schedule of appearances for the day. "No matter the routines of our daily walk, that dark cloud is only going to grow in the coming time. And not having any answers for it all only means that it can get worse."

"I'll imagine it could take a bit of time before they head from Silver Shoals to make the travel from there to Vanhoover. And then there's the train from that to here. We both know a certain someone ain't gonna go for that." Stanton points out. "My only question is this: Think they'll use the portals through our world to get back here quicker?"

"They shouldn't even try to do something that risky." Twilight disagrees. "Can we really trust two other equines, from Ponyland of all places, to enter the human world without any kind of prompt or preparation? Spike and his friends were one thing, they were at least transformed and made aware of what the human world contains long before entering. If one of them turns out to be a spy of some sort, all of that would just screams disaster!"

"Yeah, but can you imagine having to put them on a train, a mode of transportation you know Nondis will not take under any circumstances?"

"If they get back to Silver Shoals, Spike and Kali should be able to get them further south, they should be on a train within a few hours of them making landfall."

"And you'd want them to take two undocumented immigrants across the whole country. How do you expect them to do that without their clearances, you know, the ones that you currently have stashed away?"

"I'm sure they'll call me to have it sent over. It won't be that big of a deal."

Stanton shakes his head. "And how soon do you think they'll wait for that? Because I know my bro, he ain't gonna have that, especially dealing with Spike and where he just came from. You know he's gonna fast-track this. And I'm not gonna be the one to do put my foot in this operation. It was already hard enough to get here this morning. You want me to drive back down I-35, get off on 5th, then hop on TX-1, during what could possibly be the many instances of rush hour?"

"So do you think he'll fast-track that any better?" She asks.

"Yeah. Let that man nexus them through the family mansion, and have them dropped off in Ponyville. Spike and Kali would take it from there, and Nondis could just go back home. Seems like the easiest way of getting things done to me."

"So you would have them report directly to Ponyville of all places? Spike would probably never even look to reclaim his clearances, much less ever see me again!"

"Honestly, do you blame him?" The stallion asks. "I'd be hella pissed at you for dropping me into the crucible, knowing they'd be looking at me like a prime cut of beef. I wouldn't expect him to just go home and stay there for a while."

"But I need to see him, we need to talk, at least for the reason that my mind can be at ease." She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Even if he wants to avoid me, we have to see each other somehow. At least I'll know in my mind the next course of action to take."

"Oh I'm sure he's going to be thrilled to be back home, only to be dragged off onto the next train a few minutes later, and then hurried before parliament to give his traumatizing account of what all has happened. I'm sure it will be great to have him relive all of that before a live studio audience." Stanton sarcastically rebuts. "I'm sure you remember the last time we had a trauma dump in that setting. I sure can't forget it, and I'm sure Celestia remembers how that felt for her during that time."

"Even if that's the case, he needs to be here anyways. After every assignment to high-risk areas, it's mandatory to undergo a mental health screening for his mental well-being." Twilight counters. "If there's something wrong, I'll at least be comforted by the fact that I can do something about it.

"I'm just saying, it should be better to let him get a few days back home in his house, chill out for a bit, then you can go get him and screen him, do whatever to reopen those wounds in whatever fashion you see fit."

The princess gives an exhale of defeat. "Whatever happens, I just don't want the parliament to make wild assumptions and declare a war we may not be ready to fight."

"Okay, let's be real for a sec. Who's to say that Ponyland hasn't already found out if they wanted to start some shit by now? I'm sure if they're chasing down Nondis and Celestia, either one of them is going to have them looking at every other option aside from stirring up shit." Stanton warns. "We both know about Nondis' situation, but I'm sure you especially remember Blueblood's unredacted account of the Equestrian Civil War."

Thoughts of her mentor flashes in her mind, especially a recount of Starlight's intermingled engagement with Celestia's dream sequence after having swapped both her and Luna's cutie marks. "I know she wouldn't possibly go that far."

Stanton eyes the purple princess, offering a critical rebuke for Twilight's naivety. "For a man she just married, the first one she has in over a thousand years? Ain't no way you seriously believe she won't start a war over that. She may be rational in most other aspects, but you know as much as I do that she's an unchained beast when it comes to protecting him. You have to remember that Nondis wasn't in a glass case just because she thought of him as the nuclear option. You know how protective she is of him, and that's despite how exceptionally hard he is to put down by human standards. And you know how quick we can put down most any living creature."

Twilight looks back at the memory of the wedding she officiated, seeing the smile on her former mentor's face, the tearful exchange of vows, how her thousands of years dwarf the few tens of his remaining, her begrudging acceptance of that limitation.

Her eyes close, offering a prayer to her former mentor. "Celestia... please don't prove me wrong."

Meanwhile in Cloud Castle...

In the wee hours of the morning and having made an expedited flight back to their home shores, Agamemnon and Xerxes are quietly stripped of their commands by none other than the younger of their noble-blood line. Having a mind of mischief for the pair of injured alicorn stallions, he brazenly mocks them of their catastrophic failures and the losses incurred, an opportunity their father's ire disallowed during their prior conference.

To make matters worse, he offers yet another method to disallow the two their pride.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?"

Xerxes fumes as his eyes is brought upon a light-framed warship, crudely grafted and downgraded to that of a civilian airliner. "It's our airship, built exclusively for your comfort." Eros chimes in mockingly.

"You told me there would be upgrades to Zenobia's ship! I didn't think you would just downgrade the damn thing to even shittier standards!"

"I see how that may upset you, but we've done some analysis of the wreckage of the Equestrian airship you've set ablaze, the one that started all of this mess to begin with." The lavender-streaked prince glances back at his older brother, hiding a critical glare behind his smiling façade. "Plus, I did manage to acquire some ill-gotten schematics for their airship mechanics during their seated maintenance period, you know, that extended period of time we've restricted their departure from the airfield as a so-called gesture of 'good will' to exchange schematics? To keep it short, we've applied those blueprints into this build, now it's a one-hundred percent Equestrian exterior, give or take a few Ponyland features under the hood to help make a quick withdrawal."

"You've made our frigate into a pedestrian airship!" Xerxes shouts vehemently.

"Exactly, my good little puss-filled brother!" Eros confirms with a grin. "We can't be covert if we display mechanics that far outclass anything else they've got going. Some of these things got to look like pedestrian wear, so that we can travel through their lands almost unquestioned. It's better to blend in."

"And that's your excuse of this abhorrent paintjob!? You might as well remove the 't' in 'paintjob' and it would better describe what I'm looking at!"

"It's the Equestrian colors. I thought a reputable 'strategist' of your pedigree would understand that our war-time color palate wouldn't be good for international appeal."

The intrepid prince groans with disgust. "Why, why must I be subject to this torment?"

"Because you and Agamemnon went about the business of discovery, and that discovery is what sank ten of our airships on yesterday. Or have you selectively forgotten that fact?" Eros recalls with a mocking tone. "I do recall that you like to change the numbers of how many chess matches you've won against me. While you still hold a lead, you make it appear as if the difference between us is hundreds of matches, when it's really a few dozen. I wonder why you'd be so willing to lie on your prestigious resume... or perhaps it was never really that impressive to begin with."

The personal attack stirs anger in the crown prince. "Damn you!"

"Damn me all you like, Xerxes." He says as he takes notice of Agamemnon walking closer towards the ship, half of his face bandaged off from view. "There's no refuting the truth, and that truth is you're wholly responsible for all of this. You should look behind you sometime, maybe that pride of yours could use a bit of sobering up with how many friendly casualties you've left in your wake."

The crown prince insists upon his pride, refusing to turn towards the injured brother that now stands beside him. He also displays his disgust over the appearance of their intended vessel. "The hell is this piece of shit?"

"Our golden steed." Xerxes answers through gritted teeth. He walks onboard, knowing that his refusal would certainly draw further ire from his father, possibly ending in severe reprimand.

Agamemnon gags with disgust as he follows. "Just take my other eye, I'm better off without it."

"I hope the inside isn't as terrible as it is on the outside." Xerxes mutters as he opens the door. Upon doing so, he sees a much smaller command bridge and hardly any weapons on board aside from a few muskets stashed away on the wall. The communications area is drastically reduced, with a communications sphere grafted into the main console of the bridge. The interior, while matching the exterior, is a lot more lavender than powder blue. "...Well I was right, it's even worse inside."

Eros proudly admits his input for the interior. "I just thought that the color scheme would be nice with my own personal touch. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Anything but this." The one-eyed prince pleads.

"Oh come now, Agamemnon. Not everything has to be red and black and pointy to get the job done." Eros argues while illustrating his elder branch sibling's preferences. "And besides, none of us really take preference to pink, which is what this disasterclass of a vessel previously was."

"Zenobia doesn't even like pink." Xerxes points out.

"And blue is too gaudy and bold. So I went with a soft lavender." Eros states.

"If you're willing to go this far, then I have hope that the living quarters have been upgraded to some degree."

Eros chuckles as he gives his answer to the crown prince. "Oh no, there was no need to change that. Zenobia's room is still just as pink as she left it. I guess you can say it'll be waiting for her when she gets aboard. But for now, Xerxes, you can take that room. My subordinates do say that the bed is awfully nice."

Xerxes chokes back on his gag reflex. "Me sleeping on whatever mattress she's sullied in her juices? Ugh."

"Oh be an adult." Eros reprimands the crown prince for his concerns.

"Then why don't you sleep in that bed since you're the one in charge?"

"She's not my sister by full-blood. So I wouldn't dare mark her bedding with my scents. Besides, she'll need something to come back to when we offer her return. And besides, I'm sure she wouldn't mind a bit of puss in her sheets seeing how she's just as much of a burn victim as you are, if not less than." He points over to his fellow branch sibling. "Agamemnon, you'll be in one of the other staterooms. I'm sure you'll enjoy the unsullied sheets."

"Now that's an idea I'm fairly fond of." The one-eyed prince declares as he walks off to take his rest.

As the two are left in the room by themselves, Xerxes growls back at the smiling sibling. "What do you think you'll gain from this, Eros?"

"I don't want anything, dear brother." He shrugs in return. "I just get to see the look of bemusement when I succeed where you have failed. And given the past few days, you've been failing pretty mightily. I enjoy seeing how easily you've decimated global view of our lineage, I should be offended but I'm actually impressed that you've done this much in so little time. Both you and Zenobia are truly the image of your mother's pearl."

"You take that back!" The crown prince snaps back, quickly grabbing a musket from the wall.

"Oh calm down, would you? So thin skinned against a little brotherly brigading. It's a shame to see the state of you these days." He calmly nudges the barrel of the weapon from his face, giving the crown prince a word of warning. "And besides, killing me at any point would only turn father against you, especially after how you've taken the life of Adelphos. To think you've killed him over his protective instinct of your lesser-blood play toy. I bet that father has already planned for your... proclivities. In fact, he already has one in place." He steps even closer to Xerxes, fearlessly staring down the injured crown prince. "To think that Zenobia isn't here to cover for you in this failure, but she'll be the main thing that keeps father's line going, yet another failure of your post. Once you've been crowned emperor, she will be considered as the Noble Blood Primus, she'll be the bearer of our family's lineage, siring foals with the birthright while your international position will be shamed for your lack of foresight. Oh what words they'll speak of you, to know that the emperor of a proud nation sires no direct heir because of the fact that even the most beautiful mares can't seem to get it up for him. An impotent primus is no primus at all." He whispers into his ears a final remark. "To have your own sister bear your kids outside of the prime of her life, what a scandal truly worth your mother's final resolution."

Eros walks away, smiling with a stifled laugh as a disgruntled Xerxes puts the weapon down. He trembles with rage as he looks back at the departing stallion with murderous intent. Eros keeps his back to his older brother, waving a hoof back at him.

"Remember, no hunting on this trip." He says with a playful wink. "Father's orders."

Celestial Sea Three days later...

Nondis sits quietly, tapping his heel anxiously as he looks at the fuel reserve tank across from him. While his height has him looking down to see the levels, he's having to lower his head just a bit more to pay closer attention to where they are for the time being. His wife walks into the room, noticing the concerning expression sat upon his face.

"Honey, you okay?"

"Well... wanna see something interesting?" He points to the levels indicated on the tank.

She walks over to see his concern. "Oh... that's not good."

"Bingo on fuel, can't even say that with confidence." He replies. "We didn't get nearly enough before we had to skedaddle out of Foalsom. No telling if we'll even reach Equestrian waters at this point."

"Not a good thing to be on low reserves, but we'll reach the bay with the speed we have. We just have to be patient and not go into full-throttle for any reason. We'll have a visual of land, but we probably won't get there altogether." Celestia turns to her husband, rubbing his arm. "So what's the plan, babe?"

"If it's enough to get us out of international waters, maybe even close to the marina, that should be enough. Still, we won't be able to port the ship in properly."

The mare gives her husband's arm a jubilant tug. "Do like we did during our wedding reception?"

The man stares at his wife like she's gone mad. "I could call Luna when we get close and see if we can get a tow into the harbor."

Celestia hawks a growl of disappointment. "You're no fun."

"Now hold on!" He points a finger back at the mare. "You're the main one who'll always be saying 'sometimes fun isn't the most effective method'. So now that I'm doing that, you think it's a bad idea!?"

She returns a pointed wing at her partner. "Well since we're calling things out, I do remember you responding along the lines of 'fun ain't effective, it's just a lot more entertaining'."

He rolls his eyes at his wife. "Of course you would use my own words against me. Why would I expect anything less of you?"

"If I didn't know you any, I wouldn't do that. But since you've married me, you'll now have to deal with that for the rest of rather short life. I never said I would make these next fifty-some-odd years easy. I'm going to get my bits worth for the fleeting season I have with you." She yanks her husband down by the collar of his shirt, pulling him into a passionate smooch. "Now come on here, breakfast is ready."

"So what am I eating first, the food or you?" He asks.

The mare giggles. "I would love to be cracked open and slurped clean like crab legs, but our food will get cold by the time we finish."

He snarls into her ear, smiling as he nibbles at her tip. "And that's the excuse I get from the literal sun demon?"

"Nondis, you know I am not a microwave." She whispers.

"Sure you are, you keep that box hot and ready for me."

"Fuck." An impatient pant leaves the former princess' lips. "Baby, attempt 589 will have to wait."

As she backs off from him, she pulls him towards her, guiding him towards a large pipe she could rest on. "Tia, the door's that way." He thumbs behind him.

"You of all creatures know how fickle I am." The sound of a buckle clacks loudly in contrast to the consistent hum of the engines beneath them. She anchors herself as he takes firm grasp of himself. "We have five minutes before they get curious."

"So we doing this like that time we did in the bathroom of Ponyville Townhall?" He asks, rubbing a thumb against his desired target.

"Back then, we couldn't do this. The anticipation of not knowing what you feel like and the curious anticipation is what drove me in that moment." She uses her magic to guide him inside of her, giggling as his girth parts her warm and welcoming walls. "Now it's the crippling case of addiction. I'm stuck on a drug you gave me the night of our marriage, I can't seem to turn away from it. What cruelty to alter my life with such an abusive substance."

"You could walk away at any given time. Cold turkey." He says as he withdraws from her.

"Sometimes 'fun' isn't the most effective method, but right now that's a question you know the answer to." Her horn glows to take hold of his waist, reintroducing himself back into her depths.

"You're so nasty." He mocks quietly.

"You made me like this." She whimpers between breaths. "Now start working."

With hoof over mouth and eyes peering through the cracked door, a quiet mare watches the interactions between the married couple. She takes in the anatomical differences they have, the enormous size disparity from a loving husband and his wife, what should be their incompatible sexes melding so naturally. The glazed expression of the former princess heralding the girth of her human, the manner of her writhing between his thrusts, a plea between his slow drives, they reawaken a side of her that she has long try to keep subjugated.

A foreleg rests firmly between the haunches of it's longing possessor. Her hips instinctively pulse forward while her hoof rests upon the top of her nethers, a conflicted struggle taking place as the human and his equine wife exchange lustful quips.

"I thought this was supposed to be quick." The wife mewls.

"I know how much you love taking your time." The husband traces a finger along the length of her horn, causing her to shrivel under the pressure of his applications.

"Baby, no." She weakly argues against his approach, but knows she enjoys every last bit of his work, his attention to detail, and how his lips adorn the base of her horn. "Oh shit."

"That's right, I'll make you a mom today." Celestia's wing clumsily unfurls, batting at a nearby pipe as she squirms at his words, as well as the accompanied reentry. He snickers at her helplessness. "I'll love making you a mom, I can already see us trying to find time in between to give our first born a sibling."

'But I gave you that already.' Thinks the viewing mare, caught between wanting to relieve herself at the action taking place, and finally wising up to get their attention to have them come eat their breakfast. In between the heated breaths of her personal conflict, reflections of her memories with him and her come to mind, visualizations of his human shape drastically encroaching over her smaller equine frame overwhelm her. The quiet realization manifests a fantasy of her easily taking the place of the alicorn in the room, how she would love to scream in these tortured moments. Her eyes clench, at last submitting to the shameful realization that her emotions aren't quite resolved in the agreement made. She mouths a sinful plea. 'Love me instead. I can give you more if you ask.'

Her hoof takes the journey further south, at last breaking the awkward separation between it and her pulsing lips. Her hoof motions in a circle, her horn active as she casts a distortion field around herself, silencing her longing cries. At last she can ignore the mask of motherhood she tries to bear so righteously in the face of others, relapsing back to the mode of her days as a servant to the man currently enjoying the warmth of his wife. The shadow of his length withdrawing from the path of her womb is cast upon her eyes, only to be followed by the sudden collision of his hips upon hers.

Celestia's legs open broadly as her husband works up a tempo, he takes advantage of her compromising position, pulling a leg into his arm and bearing down upon her shoulder. He gives a quick burst of speed, causing the mare to whine from the pressure. Her eyes give longing as her husband makes no provision for her to retreat. He whispers to her. "Deep breaths, babe."

"Yes sir." She painfully coos as he shows very little relent.

The position they take stirs a familiar memory in the mind of the voyeuristic zebracorn. She recognizes the shape they take, not from some mere magazine, but from a past application. She remembers firmly their second tryst, a moment where both were made to perform in subjugation, a moment where she lost control and began to enjoy herself. She remembers the look of bewilderment upon his face as she took his leg and applied herself upon him with fervor. The lust-mad grin that once dressed her lips bearing down to him, it's now shows as a plagiarized script the man recites to his spouse.

Unaware of her own pace, she finds herself heaving against the doorframe, hunching over as she spills herself unto the hallway floor. Kalimba grunts loudly as sharp pleasure quakes throughout her body, her legs losing all bearing before she collapses to the ground, laying in the reminder of her sudden outburst.

A quiet realization sits upon her as she hears the two continue in the room. Her eyes drift towards the stained hoof that committed the transgression, her mind subconsciously dubbing blame upon it for her broken composure, as well as the broken scab that reopens an old wound.

A brief image of her son appears in her mind, his smiling up at her, the beaming show of affection causing her to flinch intrusively. Her spell falters, her eyes briefly meeting with the mare receiving the preferential treatment. Kalimba realizes that she is seen and rises to her hooves quickly. At that moment, she makes a quiet escape from the doorway, pacing slowly away before darting into a gallop away from the married pair.

Celestia's wings cover her face as she hides her expression from her husband. She continues to moan at his diligent work, but her eyes are cast to the side, filled with deep regret and shame. She allows her husband to continue unopposed, hiding her face so that he does not slow himself to ask questions. "Oh honey, you're so vigorous today. You're not exactly making it easy to breathe." Instead she offers praises while hiding her growing insecurity, her mounting guilt.

In the 589 attempts, she's sired not a single pregnancy, while the zebracorn in a mere 6 exchanges bears his first born.

Ever since we sent her to tell Nondis and Celestia about breakfast, we haven't seen hair nor color of Kalimba today. If I'm not mistaken, I'd say she fallen overboard with how quiet she's been. But thankfully that idea is dispelled over the fact that Zenobia explains how she has another checkup featuring the zebracorn. And because of her, she hadn't experienced much in the way of discomfort. She seems to be doing great, moving around the ship and conversing with her siblings a little more regularly. But when it comes to the usual exchanges both she and Kalimba have had during her rehabilitation process, she's even noticed that her quips have been rather subdued on today.

I grow concerned, even going by her room on occasion, just to knock on the door and check in. No answer at all, it's like she's completely unresponsive to anything other than what she needs to do. Perhaps her sea-sickness has finally gotten the better of her and she's just trying to tough it out. So I at least try to respect her space and give her the time she needs.

Dinner comes and goes, she's a no-show. Even Nondis makes a comment of it, Celestia doesn't seem to say much, but she's not as bright-eyed as she normally would be either. And he takes notice of her lack of interaction within the conversation. Of course, she goes right back into her façade and laughs it up with everyone else. But both she and I know that something's up, especially after our conversation some days ago.

It's something about Nondis, and neither want to say it aloud.

The sun goes down, the sea is pitch black, and there's a fairly smooth patch of waves running beneath the ship's hull. I resign myself to some quiet reading out on the deck. The air's a little bit chilly, but not nearly as much as when we first got started. I'm mainly reclined in the hot tub to keep my scales warm and my limbs free-moving.

I hear the sliding door shut in the distance. I poke my head out from the brim, expecting it to be Amor. "Cooling off again?" But instead of seeing him, it's Kalimba that I see quietly creeping out. "Oh, it's you." She tries to turn around, avoiding my eyes like the plague, but I already see the issue plaguing her. "Your eyes are puffy. You okay?"

She keeps herself turned, doing whatever to hide her face. "Just... collecting."

I climb out of the hot tub, placing the book aside to speak with her. "Thoughts?"

"Memories." She tries to write it off by waving a hoof at the thought.

"About... you-know-who?"

A silence brews between us before she quietly admits her grief. "I guess he's part of it."

"What's on your mind if you don't mind me asking?"

"Just personal things. You don't need to be concerned." She responds.

I read past her attempts to downplay her issue. "Does seeing him and her together hurt you?"

Her body sags as my question hits it's target. She still looks away, not wanting to show me the magnitude of her troubles and how much they weigh on her. "It shouldn't. But sometimes it does."

"Have you tried talking to him about it?"

She walks past me, making a vehement declaration. "No. And I never will."

"Why not?"

"Because I made a promise." She reiterates. "What would I look like to go back on something I try to make good on? At that time, I had little to hold for myself other than what was given to me, by him no less! I had nothing in my name until he came along! I had no future to look forward to, until he walked in my life! And I had nothing to give back other than my whole body!" The mare sulks, trying to calm herself. "I tell myself that is an avenue I no longer have, that I should be content in having what I do now. I am a mother, and I should be proud of that."

"But that's not enough for you." I conclude. I walk to her side, looking to reason with her, taking the stance that I know Celestia herself would offer. "I know I can't force you to move on something you stand on, but don't you think you deserve some happiness somewhere?"

"It's just as I said. My happiness is back home, it's probably giving Gala a hard time, but it's back home."

"I get it, you're a mom who wants to do right by her kid, even if that doesn't really add up to me personally. But I know that even as an adult with obligations, you're still you, you're still complete with your own wants and desires, those things you've clearly elected to ignore. I'm not saying you're lecherous for having them, nor will I degrade you for thinking of it, but something's gotta give." I try to word my suggestion in a way that wouldn't offend the frustrated mare. "I'm sure if we offer the space, and Celestia has a conversation with Nondis, he'll be willing to oblige a─"

"Absolutely not!" She finally turns towards me, sharply objecting to the idea. "If I were to even ask, and he were to somehow accept it, would I find the strength to let him go after?" Her ears fold down, her guilt manifesting in them. "I am very aware of my answer."

"You think it'll start something?" I ask. "I know it's pretty weird to hear from me, but I have more than one that I need to accommodate for. I'm in a multifaceted relationship, basically a... um... let's see..." I count on my fingers the names of myself and my partners. Me, Ocellus, Smolder, Gabby─ "A love rectangle, if you will. And the start of this was me being with my first, who was already in a relationship. Then as time went along, she asked if she could make this officially a thing under the premise that her other partner could remain in link. And while me and that third are good friends already, I opened myself to that. Then I asked if I could bring my link into it, and they agreed, cited their rules, and it was all good. So to me, if she's willing to bring you on, then what would that start between you two?"

The mare shakes her head. "You did not see how Celestia and I were when we were still working through the Corrotto situation. It was quite bitter."

"And you don't want to reopen that wound, I understand. But she's still offering, you can't possibly think that she'd be upset if you wanted to claim some time for yourself."

"Then what, have my son in an even worse position because he won't understand why his father is different?" She asks. "I know that you all mean well for me to pursue my own happiness, but there's so much more that I need to care for. My life isn't my life anymore, everything I do is for my son. I want him to be in a place that's comfortable." The mare gives a dejected sigh, concluding her side of the argument. "I know what Nondis is about, he's a firm believer in the rule of one. If I inject myself knowing what I have, then that will take away the time he has for her, and he's worked a lot for that. I couldn't possibly betray what he went through for something as simple as a night with me, much less anything more than that. It's better for us to leave things be."

"Even if you're not happy about it?" I ask.

She looks at me, placing further validation of her beliefs. "You do the same as I do already. Or maybe your feelings for her have completely waned?" She waits for me to give her an answer, knowing that I can't bring myself to truly break past my heart's innermost desire. "...I figured as much."

The door slides open yet again, our heads turn to see Zenobia stepping out. "Pet, there you are! Finally found you after looking stupid all over this ship!"

"Are you ever not gonna call me that?" I ask, getting a little annoyed.

"Sorry, you're just going to have to fucking bear with it." She says, trotting up to me with inspired vigor. But that inspiration soon turns to trepidation from the breeze of the night. "It's a bit chilly out here, you should be inside."

"How you feeling by the way?" I ask.

"She's fine. She's been begging me to work quickly so she can get a hold of you again." Kalimba answers.

"And you obliged?"

The imperial princess nuzzles her head into me. "I told her the quicker she'd get done, the quicker she'd be done with me."

"And I work fast." The zebracorn replies as she trots past us, heading back inside. "Have fun."

"Hey, wait up!" I call to her, only to have my collar activated.

A pink lead yanks at my neck, her hooves greedily wraps the slack between us as she closes the distance. "Oh no, you're not getting away from me this time!" She yanks the collar itself down to where my head is but mere inches from smiling face, her sinful intentions on full display.

As she vies to take advantage of me, I try to argue against her getting back into the swing of our lustful exchanges. "Uh, Zenobia... I think we need to have a few conversations before we─"

"Well frankly I couldn't care less. I'm in a fairly good mood. My wounds have healed, I'm not oozing with puss, I don't smell like shit, I'm well-bathed, and I'm back to full vigor. You know what that means."

"I think it's time for bed." A third voice chimes in.

"Ha! Someone's got it..." In the midst of her excitement, she slowly realizes that we have a visitor to our discussion. Celestia beams a frown towards the mare, causing her to quench her magic immediately. "...right."

I nervously laugh as she doesn't seem the least bit pleased. "Celestia, where did─" Her eyes narrow, giving me a wordless warning against disobedience. "─you got it. Bedtime. Goodnight."

As I dust myself off and dart back inside, she offers the same glare to the imperial princess. "Zena. I'm sure your wounds have healed quite nicely for you to be acting out like that. Perhaps if you're so energized, you would be willing to entertain me in a little spar."

"No thanks." She shows she is more than enthusiastic to make an early retirement of the evening. She tries to dart past the former princess. "I'll be on my way, your majesty. Goodnight."

As she walks forward, her entire body is frozen in place by the millennium old alicorn. Even the tiniest nudges are denied to her as Celestia circles around her to give a word of warning. "You know, it's because of that collar that Twilight found every reason to call us to rescue him. So I'm sure that you wouldn't mind if I kept you here for the night, would you?"

"I don't think I fare too well in a breeze." She quickly replies.

"Then you will find no reason to use that thing any further than you already have." She releases the holding spell over her and takes the first step inside. "Oh, and please do keep your sexual proclivities to yourself. Spike has enough partners as it is." She closes the door behind her, leaving the recovered alicorn alone on the deck amidst the pitch-black darkness of the sea.

"He has... partners?"

Silver Shoals The Next Afternoon...

Finally...

We arrive close to land before our vessel finally burps on the last bit of fuel and puckers to a complete stop. While our call of 'land ho' comes to a disappointing but inevitable delay, we take appreciation for having made it this far, especially thanking our pair of skippers for not getting us run aground on some uncharted desert isle, or cast into the sea by some unassuming iceberg drifting about. They've done their jobs in getting us back to Equestrian waters, now it's a matter of seeing if the tow can come and guide us to the local marina.

The phone call is made to Luna, who alerts the maritime authorities of a local vessel stuck out in the bay with no fuel. The port authorities are quick to respond, and they send a pair of tugboats to pull us along to the docks. And once the local pegasi hop on to cast our mooring lines, we officially jumped off ship and enjoyed the firm foundation of concrete and sedimentary sand underneath us.

"Home. Fucking. SWEET HOME!" Of course I don't think about that sand bit for the initial moment my lips come into contact with the ground, but the taste of miniature quartz beads leaves a traumatic taste in my mouth. I immediately jump back with regret and start dusting my lips and tongue, much to the laughter and enjoyment of both Amor and Hestia.

Meanwhile, Zenobia is starstruck by the appearance of former princess Luna. Her mane, instead of being cut short like Celestia was, is still as long as I remember. "I see you've undergone a return to the status quo."

"It's temporary." Celestia responds. "I'll be back to my short bob after a day in nurturing."

"So I see. How did that little excursion go for you, sister?" The younger millennial asks. "Obviously something had to have happened to have you go through such a growth spurt."

"I'd... rather not discuss it."

"And you somehow didn't punish Nondis for coming out of retirement? How unlike you." Luna points out.

"He was punished enough." Celestia folds her forelegs, not wanting to get pressed on the matter.

The younger sibling pokes fun at her elder. "Don't tell me you just merely refused to put out. I bet your bout with celibacy didn't last long, did it?"

"Luna, can we not discuss these matters at the moment!?" Responds a rosey-cheeked Celestia.

Seeing she's struck a nerve, the younger sibling is satisfied with the answer implied. "Oh, I see."

After clearing off the mess on my lips, Zenobia walks beside me, taking in the sights of the town. "So... here we are, I suppose."

Amor runs past her, taking a deep breath of the salty air. "Yup, new land, new lease on life! Our start begins here!"

Hestia looks around, seeming unimpressed for the sleepy port town being what it is. "This place is so... plain. Is this supposed to be like another Hayfling? It doesn't exactly hold up to some of the ports we have."

"You should see Manehattan!" Amor responds energetically. "Now that place, there's buildings everywhere, not a castle wall to be seen! And the buildings stack up tall, way taller than even the castle back home! It's pretty crazy that they have a city with over a million in it, all living and interacting like that!"

"I've only heard stories of Manehattan, never once got the chance to visit. Maybe we can start over there!" The enthusiasm seems to jump onto her as well, but they look now to include the final piece of their imperial trifecta. "How about it, Zenobia, starting over in Manehattan?"

Her mind flashes to the picture that was shown to her, the glistening lights of towers rising high above the trees, her mind is more lost in the marvel of that image than the auditory descriptions her brother give about Equestria's largest city. "Is there really a point in it?"

"Of course!" Amor passionately answers. "Why wouldn't there be? We get the chance to make something of ourselves through our own hard work, we don't have to be held to an imperial schedule, and we get to live our lives however way we see fit! That's freedom! We're so much better off like this!"

"Yeah, let's go!" Hestia chirps as she tugs at my arm. "So what, no train to take us to your capital city? Let's get a move on already!" She stops tugging my arm and directs her question to Nondis. "Excuse me, sir, is there a train we can catch in the next hour that will take us to Manehattan?"

"First, this is a town of retirees, there's no train station here, you either walk or caravan your way here. And second, there's not a single train you could ever get me to go on." He turns to his sister-in-law. "Luna, I know you love torturing Tia, but I need you to take a break from that. We're headed over to your place."

"Anything to avoid a train ride." The night alicorn teases. "I suppose you are you going to nexus to Canterlot?"

"Nah, just Ponyville." He answers.

Hestia appears confused by the name. "Ponyville?"

Zenobia appears to be greatly put off by the name. "What... in backwater... is that?"

Meanwhile, I'm absolutely ecstatic to be getting the express ticket back home. "FUCKING THANK YOU!" My outburst seems to startle both of the imperial princesses.

Amor takes amusement and satisfaction in my animated response. "That's the most life I've ever seen out of you in two weeks. I'm glad you get to have your moment of homecoming. Hopefully it isn't as sinister as mine."

Having overheard our location, Kalimba chimes in with a concern. "Would it not be better to go directly to Canterlot?"

Nondis quirks a brow at the mare. "Kali, you're seasick and airsick, and you're coming off of a boat. I cannot trust you in a forty-five minute drive not to make a mess of the upholstery. And I can't trust these other three to keep their cool along the ride. Bottom line, we're going through the mansion and you guys will get dropped off in Ponyville. From there, you can work out your travel in whatever way you need to. I trust you enough to take over once my part is done."

"Hey." I also add on a small request. "Can you not call Twilight and tell her that I'm back home? I don't want to deal with all the bullshit, I just want to go the house, get with the others, and try to operate with selective memory in mind."

"I respect your decision." He nods. "But get checked up every one in a while. You'll be better off with than without. Trust me when I say you don't want to section that off on your own."

We walk through the quiet town, a number of foals running past and eagerly greeting Nondis as we go by. Some of the locals have even greeted the man quite warmly. It seems the entire community is so receptive of him, that or they respect his previous tenure as captain of the royal guard. Then again, I'm sure with Celestia singing high praises of her husband to anyone, they'd be eager to give him whatever he wanted to keep her happy. And with a village of old timers, they're more than welcoming to the idea of new life being sprouted in their otherwise quiet hamlet.

After around a fifteen minute walk through the miniscule town square, traversing through the waterfront neighborhood, we get to a blue and gray house. It's nothing special by any means, but Luna proudly walks to the front door and inserts her key. "Oh... wow." Hestia appears less than impressed with the former princess' current living arrangement. "Such a... humble dwelling."

"It's Luna, she never really went along with the 'living big' thing." Nondis explains. "Honestly, she's a quiet homebody with an upfront personality. And a prankster's mentality to match with her sister's execution in that field."

As the former princess of the night swings her door open, I see a purple blur darting through the doorway, a smiling alicorn-shaped missile aimed for my exact location. "Twilight?" I don't even get the chance to breathe any other words before her forelegs go for a crushing hug around my chest.

"SURPRISE!" She laughs happily, her tiara's about halfway ready to fall off of her head. "It's so good to see you again!" She looks up to me, her eyes taking in the sight of me as she breaths a sigh of relief. "Oh, I missed you so much, I was so worried!"

I don't exactly share the same level of exuberance. "How did you get here?"

"Well Luna called me and told me that she saw you on the ship! So I just thought to rush over and meet you before you'd find the time to run away!" She jokes. "And I'm not gonna have you do that without speaking to me first. Everyone's missed you!"

Before she can give me yet another constricting hug, Amor praises her appearance. "Princess Twilight!"

Her mood changes drastically as she hears his voice. "I guess our reunion will have to wait." She looks over my shoulder, still hugging on to me. "Prince Amor, you've returned."

"Prince no longer, your majesty. I officially reject my crown." He says proudly.

"As do I!" Hestia almost tramples over the poor guy in trying to greet the Equestrian high royal. "I'm Princess Hestia, well, not-princess Hestia. I abdicate all that is Ponyland! From now on, I look to become every bit of the Equestrian citizen I can prove myself to be! I understand that you have a lot of questions about who we are and what we believe in, our systems and the like, but I can try to be the best example of a─uh..."

Just as Hestia's rambling trails into a silence, Twilight's frown falls to a new depth as she glares towards Zenobia. "You're a familiar face."

Zenobia displays a proud defiance as she looks back at her, knowing what she's done. "As is yours, your highness."

Suddenly, the hug she meant to give me turns into a very possessive grasp as Twilight drills her from over my shoulder. "Why are you here?"

"I'm merely here to be with my darling pet." And she's not relenting any less than she did when they first contacted.

"Spike is not your 'pet'." She strongly emphasizes.

"Well quite frankly, I don't presume him to be yours either."

"He's my assistant."

"Well I consider it a coincidence. He assists me in many ways as well. He's even gone so far as to save my life! You can't allow me to go on without paying back my debts. It would look far too terrible on the imperial family if I were to leave a blood debt owed. Surely you can admit that while my method is initially dubious in appearances, it has in part lead to his safe return."

"Safe!? Your imperial family tried to hunt my dragon!" I hear a whirring of magic coming from my side, indicating that Twilight is about ready to get on the offensive.

"I did no such thing." Zenobia argues, spurring up her magic in readiness to defend herself.

"Then tell me about the seven dragons whose heads your nation have paraded before my Royal Friendship Advisor!"

"Hey!" A large field develops between both of the spirited alicorns, quenching their magic simultaneously. Nondis tiredly intervenes and points a finger towards Twilight. "You can settle that at the tribunal. Get your asses through the portal and make your rounds back to wherever you need to do so I can get my shit looked at. The damages my hull took ain't cheap to fix."

Twilight loosens her grip on me, accepting the man's call for a stand-down. But she narrows her eyes towards Zenobia with every intent to make her experience an uncomfortable one. "We will discuss this later."

"Indeed." The noble-blooded prince complies with the forced truce, walking by her with a fierce glare. The tension proves to be so great between them that I could easily assume this to be the next thing Twilight firmly delivers a punch to outside of driving Lord Tirek into the ground like a stake. The only difference between them is that Tirek could stand back up after that, I can't say the same for Zenobia.

The others follow after her, including myself as Twilight directs her inquiries to her ex. "You didn't cause any trouble, did you?"

"Lots, didn't event try." He answers honestly.

The mare facehoofs, knowing the amount of paperwork she might have to do to smooth things over. "But officially speaking..."

He catches her cue and goes along with it. "What a lovely cruise me and my wife went on."

Still displeased over his honesty, she takes the 'official response'. "Okay then."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

After a brief stare down between both Twilight and Zenobia, we finally make our way through the portal into the human world. While I myself haven't experienced the layout, the manner in which the portals are done is simply one being stored in a bedroom, while the other is located somewhere down the hall in another bedroom.

As we all make our way through, comments are shared from the imperials' point of view. Since this is clearly the human world, everything seems to be placed on stilts. I'm sure it must be funny to look at a table who's surface is probably at your eye level, in Zenobia's case, at neck level. But for my height configuration, it's feels pretty normal to me. Even if five feet is short by human adult standards, I can still operate per usual around the place. If anything, it feels like home.

Needless to say that we haven't told them exactly what we're doing right now, only that we're in a nexus going from one location in Equestria to another. It's halfway true, but it's omitting the fact that we've entered into another dimension. And we can't exactly trust them with the upfront knowledge of this place. We merely let them marvel at everything around them. "This place, this place is HUGE." Hestia cites.

"Why is everything so tall?" Zenobia questions me, knowing damn well she's not getting anything out of Twilight.

I quickly weave together a lie, trying to produce something that's plausible to an extent. "Don't worry about it. It's just a dimensional space. Things scale up and stretch out here."

But as we walk through the halls, it dawns on one individual where we are. She seems to be the only one to notice the picture sitting on the wall in the hallway depicting a family of five humans. The mother and father standing behind a trio of young boys, each with brightened smiling faces and eyes brimming with life. The three are all ordered by age, Stanton being the smallest, and Alex being the tallest, Nondis falling in the middle. To see him so young is an oddity in and of itself. But for Kalimba, it's a bittersweet moment of finally seeing that youth and innocence on display for the first time.

I try to get her attention so that the others don't pay any interest towards the portrait, quietly guiding her forward. "We should keep moving. I know you're still missing your son right now."

"Right." She mumbles before moving on. "...Definitely his father's dimples."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*

Upon our arrival, we are greeted by a proud assembly of officers. Captain Solemn offers a salute to the princess as she gives comment towards her. "Your highness, any word from the former captain."

"A matter to be discussed later." She warns.

"I understand." She nods before greeting me with a bow. "Sir Spike, we are enthused to see you alive and well."

"Likewise, captain." I reply.

It doesn't take long for the bombshell to drop, having us do what I didn't want to do upon setting foot back here in the growing suburbianopolis of Ponyville. "Your highness, the preparations for our expedited journey to Canterlot is ready."

"Very good, we set out immediately." Twilight confirms. As we make our way out, taking everyone along with us, I notice that she's taking great care to keep me away from Zenobia, clasping my arm mid stride as she speaks with me. "So... Interesting house you have. I thought I made the request for it to be a modest build."

"Well... it's modest for my lifestyle." I reply. "I like what I have."

"I'm sure the others in your little herd like it just as much." She comments quietly before her ears perk with yet another update. "Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention this. Ember visited some days ago."

I roll my eyes at the news. "Of course she would."

"She's waiting for you in Canterlot as well."

I nearly trip over my own self as I take a quick peek over to Zenobia, already imagining the disaster of having them meet in person. I can admit that my assessment of her and Thorax's initial contact was conceived of my own mismanagement, but this is a situation I can firmly label as a toxic biohazard poisoning the water table beneath our feet. Everyone's going to drink the tap, not knowing that they'll be dead in a month's time. I come to the only conclusion I could safely and reasonably deduce for myself, she had to have told her something. "You fucking didn't."

"You're right, I didn't." She confirms. "She actually found out through her own means." Twilight summons a crumpled wad of parchment, allowing me to unfurl the document and see the advertisement written in plain daylight, complete with my face as the top of the marquee. It's a wanted poster from the guilds, and I have a lofty sum of spurs on my head. "She says that she needs to talk to you about that, by the way.

Well, at least I know I'm going to be hunted by my own kind this time.