"Ouch," Smolder said in a sluggish voice as she opened her eyes the next morning and felt a pulling pain in the area between her legs. "Why does my crotch hurt so much?" She added, shoving her paws under the blanket to rub it, trying to remember what had happened to her last night.

When she was done with the massage, she raised herself up slightly and saw that she was lying in her maid's dress, with a smiling Ocellus sleeping peacefully beside her.

"Right, our magical night, now I remember," the dragoness whispered softly, placing a paw on her best friend's, or rather, girlfriend's shoulder. "We had a good romp last night. We played mistress and maid, galloped around the city, and then had fun in our dreams. Yes, it was unforgettable."

She leaned back on the bed again, closing her eyes dreamily.

"Oh, Ocellus, how lucky I am to have you. I never thought my girlfriend would turn out to be so temperamental. Hee-hee, girlfriend," Smolder grinned mentally, not used to calling someone 'girlfriend', even mentally. Still, she was glad it had happened. Their stormy night romp, the gentle caresses, the changeling's sweet tongue, it had cemented their relationship once and for all, and the dragoness didn't mind giving herself to it.

To be honest, for the first time in a long time she felt happier than ever, and not just because she'd found her true love. Most dragons had only two choices in life: either live in a pack and follow its rules (and in Smolder's case, become a mandatory breeder), or fly away to the mountains and find a secluded cave where she would spend her life alone, guarding the gradually growing treasure and scaring away the outsiders who wanted to steal it. And such a fate had never appealed to her. Smolder didn't want to lay eggs for horny male dragons or live alone, fending off thieving travelers, and had always dreaded the day when she would be old enough to make that difficult choice.

But now everything has changed. She had another option that dragons don't often get to live her life with someone who would truly love you. And that someone was Ocellus.

"Yes, I never thought I would be one of the rare lucky ones who could live with their beloved," she sighed quietly, admiring the beautiful chitinous shell of her girlfriend. "I feel like I'm in a fairy tale."

But then another thought came to her, not so happy and cheerful.

"Still, Ocellus is not a dragon, and when the time comes, we will have to part. After all, unlike her, I won't always be so sweet and beautiful. Years from now, I'll turn into a huge and fearsome beast. And what will happen then? Will Ocellus still want to be with me?"

Her happy mood immediately faded at these thoughts, replaced by disappointment and anxiety.

"Will I be as desirable and beloved to her when I turn into a huge fire-breathing beast?" She thought, pulling away from her friend and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, why is fate so cruel? Why do all dragons have to grow up?" She mentally asked, slamming her fist on the bed in frustration.

Ocellus sensed this and, frowning sleepily, opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Smolder," the changeling said affectionately. "How was your sleep? I had such a wonderful dream. Hee-hee, I think you did, too, because we're in it together."

But when she saw how tense her girlfriend was, she immediately interrupted.

"What's happened, my love?" She asked. "Didn't you like our dream?"

"No, no, it was great," the dragoness replied, turning to her. "It's just... I... um... I was wondering what's next for you and me."

"Next? What's next?" The changeling doesn't understand. "I think we'll get better and better: we'll continue to study, make new friends, and relax together like two girls in love after a hard day's work."

"Yes. But it won't last," Smolder sighed. "Sooner or later, I'll grow into a huge, fanged dragon who won't be able to dress up in a pretty maid's dress anymore."

She sobbed.

"And I won't be the beauty you've come to love."

"So that's what this is all about," Ocellus snorted. "Oh, Smolder, what nonsense is this? How did you even think of that?"

"Am I wrong? Wouldn't I be a big, scary dragon?"

"Well, I don't doubt you'll be big, but you'll never be scary. Especially not to me," she comforted the dragoness, and crawling out from under the blanket, she crawled closer to her and wrapped her front legs around her.

"To me, Smolder, you will always be beautiful, and no matter what happens, I will never leave you or fall out of love with you."

"Really?" The dragon said hopefully.

"Of course, silly," Ocellus smiled. "Besides, I'm a changeling, and I can grow quite a bit myself. So no matter how big you get, I'll always be here to hold you."

A greenish flash of flame surrounded her, and she became much taller and larger, turning into a big, fluffy dragon under which the bed rattled.

"So you and I are going to be fine, lay your doubts to rest," she said, easily wrapping her paws around the tiny dragoness and squeezing her in a hug. "And if in the future you suddenly want us to be young again, I can always send you a dream where we'll be the same again."

"Hee-hee, that's enough, it tickles," Smolder giggled as her lover's fur tickled her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ocellus said, becoming herself again. "Anyway, don't worry, love. Whatever awaits you and me, we can handle it easily. Because we'll always be together. You and me."

"You and me," the dragon repeated in her tone and leaned over to Ocellus and kissed her soundly.

***

Three hundred years had passed.

A small column of armored vehicles driven by minotaurs drove onto a wide mountain road, surrounded on all sides by impregnable cliffs, including a couple of smoking volcanoes. All of them were wearing high-tech energy armor, and they were holding laser weapons. After a few turns, they came close to a group of unusual-looking changelings, which, in addition to their bright colors, had much longer fangs and slightly elongated dragon-like faces. They guarded the tall and slender queen of the swarm with a beautiful turquoise shell.

About thirty paces away from them the minotaur squad stopped, and out of the leading vehicle forward stepped a tall, scarred bull-giant, wrapped in a red cloak, who with confident and somewhat abrupt steps walked toward the changelings, accompanied by several of his fighters. In his hands he held a massive techno-magical hammer, on which faint sparks ran.

"So," he began as he approached the queen, "here we are, insect! I've been waiting a long time for this meeting, to set the record straight once and for all after what happened on the North Ridge! You and your changelings will answer to me for the shameful defeat you inflicted on my men!

"Defeat? What are you talking about? I don't understand," the queen grinned briefly.

"Don't mock me, bugbear, I know perfectly well that it was you! You and your warriors who attacked my great army when I wanted to take back what was rightfully mine!"

"Really? I thought it looked more like an invasion and an attempt to take the northern part of my kingdom, which your warriors decided to arrogantly appropriate," the queen parried.

"Not appropriate, but reclaim! These lands have belonged to my clan for centuries! And I only wanted to reclaim what has always been mine!" The minotaur threw a temper tantrum.

"Yes, several millennia ago, before my mother occupied them. It was a sad incident, but much has changed since then, and those lands are now home to my race. I regret what she did, but I don't believe that attacking can fix anything. In any case, your great-grandfather signed a peace treaty with the Equestrian Union, and it would be unwise of you to violate it."

"Yes, he did, and it was his greatest mistake! He had no right to override the will of my people! Therefore, I want you to return the North Ridge to me immediately."

"But there are many of my subjects living there. What will happen to them?" The Queen asked.

"I don't care! I have no intention of keeping the changelings! So they will have to go! Every last one of them! Unless, of course, they want to face the wrath of my warriors!"

"I see. Well, then I'm afraid I must refuse you. I must take care of my children and protect them with all my might," the queen said calmly.

"Then there will be war! And I promise that your pathetic alliance will not be able to resist my great clan!" The minotaur flared his nostrils and shook his hammer, and his bodyguards responded with cheers.

"Really? You're really willing to do this? Break the peace treaty that was signed by your ancestor?"

"If it is necessary to restore our honor, then yes!" He said. "And you can't stop me from doing it!"

"I may not, but my acquaintance will not like it," the Queen grinned, and from the mouth of the nearest volcano, which was not far from them, suddenly flew out a huge dragoness covered with smoke and, having made a circle in the air, landed near the minotaurs.

Spreading her wings wide, she directed her blazing gaze at the tiny enemies and, raising her head upward, let out a deafening roar.

The minotaurs staggered back in terror, pointing the trembling barrels of their laser rifles at her.

"I wouldn't advise you guys to do that," the Queen said with a smirk. "Your toys won't even leave a scratch on her scales. By the way, chief, let me introduce you to my chief assistant, who single-handedly defeated your invincible army."

"What?" he gasped.

"Yes, yes, that was her. Not my changelings or my allied ponies, but her. And she did it in ten minutes."

And, seeing the minotaur turn pale, the queen continued:

"So what is it, honorable Harinas? Do you want to continue to threaten us with war or can we agree and part ways peacefully, forgetting about this unfortunate misunderstanding?"

The minotaur stared at the big-as-a-mountain dragoness for a while and then said:

"No, I will not risk the lives of my warriors. We... we don't need a war."

"Good, I knew you would make the right decision," the Queen said in a satisfied voice. "And as for your land claims, there are things we can discuss. Let's say we meet at my palace and agree to give your subjects a portion of the North Ridge. What do you say?"

"Yes, well, negotiating is good," he replied, putting the hammer behind his back.

"Fine, then please make an appointment with my counselor, and he will set up an appointment for us," the queen said. "It will be better for all of us, and it will show you that not everything can be solved with weapons these days. Peace talks are much better."

And after bowing to him, she added:

"So I'll see you soon, Chief Harinas."

"Yeah, Queen Ocellus," he replied, and he and his bodyguards hurried off in a hurry toward the cars that they had climbed into and left the rendezvous.

"There, I knew he could be persuaded with a little diplomacy and tact," Ocellus said to her smiling children, and then walked over to the smoke-shrouded dragoness. "Well done dear, you were on top of your game. Well now it's time for us to go home."

The dragon nodded to her and with a flap of her wings, she quickly rose beyond the clouds.

"I'll see you in our cave, my love," Ocellus said, looking after her, and together with her children went to the waiting chariot.

***

"Smolder? Honey? Where are you?" Ocellus asked, stepping inside the huge cave that was a few hundred paces from her hive. The entire space was filled with all sorts of treasures and jewelry that were piled up in various nooks and corners of the cave.

"I am here, my Queen!" Immediately roared a giant orange dragoness, who landed from under the vault of the cave and landed beside the tiny figure of the queen and smiled at her with her wings and her mouth full of sharp teeth, which would have terrified even the bravest adventurer. However, the changeling only smiled cheerfully at her and asked:

"Did you get a manicure?"

"Yes, I'm glad you noticed," the dragon murmured, leaning down and showing her spear-sharp claws covered in shiny crimson nail polish. "Do you like it?"

"You bet I do. I noticed it back at the meeting, but I didn't want to say it out loud and ruin your image as a formidable dragoness."

"Formidable and tough, you mean," Smolder added, lying down on the floor and resting her head next to Ocellus. "So, how'd it go?"

"It was great. Your appearance there was quite spectacular, and it made that uncouth minotaur listen to reason."

"That's good. I wouldn't want to scatter his frail warriors again," Smolder said, scraping a claw between her teeth as if trying to pull out a lodged piece of meat, but, noticing the queen's reaction, she added: "Don't worry; I didn't eat any of them. I just growled a little and stomped my feet, and that was enough for them."

But Ocellus kept a suspicious eye on her.

"All right, I chewed on one of their tanks for a couple more minutes, but only after everyone had jumped out of it. Honestly," the dragon added, raising her right paw upward.

"Okay, I believe you. I wouldn't want our truce with the minotaurs to be marred by someone else's sacrifice," the changeling said.

"I suppose, though the minotaurs don't deserve such care," the dragon nodded and leaned toward the queen and ran her wet tongue gently over her cheek. "You, on the other hand, deserve something – a little rest and affection after all this royal business."

"Yes, my faithful maid," Ocellus said, nuzzling her muzzle and kissing her nose. "And I'm sure you can give it to me."

She laid down on the floor and spread her hind legs, letting Smolder play with her slit a little more with her tongue.

"I'm so glad I have you," the queen said, savoring it.

"And I have you," the dragon muttered back. "I still remember the night we became a couple."

She glanced at one of the walls of her cave, where her most prized treasures were kept – various school supplies, photographs of her old friends, and a glass case containing a tiny and badly tattered maid's dress that was too small for her. But Smolder kept it as her most precious treasure and never let anyone touch it. Except for his beloved wife, of course.

"Yes, it's been so many years, and it still feels like it was just yesterday. Our first awkward steps, our nights together, confessing to our friends. Remember how excited they were for us and how nervous you and I were when we told them we were dating?" Smolder said with nostalgia in her voice.

"You bet I was so nervous, I thought I was going to faint when you told them you loved me," the changeling said. - I thought they'd be surprised to hear it.

"But instead they surrounded us and began to congratulate us," the dragoness smiled. "And all our fears immediately disappeared."

She pulled away from the queen and rubbed her belly with her nose.

"Since then, we have never been afraid to show our feelings again," she finished.

"That's because our love has no limits, my dear," Ocellus smiled at her. "And no matter how many years you and I have left, I'm sure that they will be just as happy and carefree. Now let's take a moment and enjoy each other's company."

And she threw off her crown and armor and began to grow and grow in size until she looked like her younger self, only much larger.

"Oh, are we going to play with transformations today? I thought you'd want to crawl into my sweet little cave again," Smolder said, snuggling up to her.

"All in good time, love. But tonight, I want you and me to be on equal footing."

She pushed Smolder back onto the pile of treasure and spread her hind legs.

"And remember the night you first became my faithful maid."

"Yes, Mistress," Smolder muttered loudly, wrapping her paws around her, and they both kissed passionately, surrounded by objects that reminded them of their past, present, and the future years the two girls in love had yet to spend together.

Happy End.

Author's Note

Oh yes, what a cute ending! Smolder and Ocellus became a family and proved that even after 300 years, their love will not falter and they will continue to love each other.

Thank you all for reading this story to the end. I really hope you enjoyed it. And a special thanks to my beta reader NovemberDragon and editor Deathofaking for their help in writing this fic