Archmage: Beyond the Crystal Mirror “Saddle Arabian Nights”

Tags: Erotic, Normal

Fair warning: These chapters do have erotic elements, up to and including sex. To be fair, the impact on the overall story has been reduced. You’re welcome to skip these chapters, and you won’t miss much.

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“Honestly, you two.” Celestia brandished the latest cost report. “Your midnight dalliances are actually costing us money!”

“What? You’re joking.” Luna and Twilight shared a look as they entered the balcony where Celestia waited for them. The pre-dawn sun was just barely behind the horizon, casting the faintest bit of light across the dusky sky.

“I am not! Look!” Celestia slapped the folder down at their hooves. Twilight frowned as she picked the sheets up and began looking them over.

“This is incredible.” She muttered quietly, her eyes gone wide at the sight of the figures. “I… Wait, how much does a new bed cost?!”

“One that sleeps both of you? More than our monthly budget can keep up with. And don’t even get me started on the importation costs!” Celestia huffed.

“Laundry, Fabric, Importation, Cleaning… Celestia, these have got to be wrong. There’s no way we’ve been using that many sheets.” Luna chimed in, looking over Twilight’s back.

“But you have! Look! Twelve sets of high-cost Saddle Arabian cotton sheets ruined over the course of two months.” Celestia tapped the page intently. “Not to mention a new bed frame, custom-made from Baltimare’s forests, on top of importing all of them here to Canterlot. Look,” Celestia sat down and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle with a sigh. “I’m all for you two expressing your love for one another so… Passionately. But we simply cannot keep up with these monthly costs!”

“I had no idea,” Luna shook her head and sighed. “I’m sorry, Celestia.”

“What’s done is done.” Celestia glowered at them. “But we need to find a new arrangement. You two are literally fucking your way through our savings.”

“Well,” Twilight shuffled all of the papers back into their folder. “We’ll certainly find a solution to this problem. It’s not like we don’t have the room for a second… Ahem… ‘Playground.’ We could use premium sheets and a cheaper, smaller bed.”

“Aww, that’s no fun.” Luna pouted. “I like our bed.”

“Small sacrifices, love.” Twilight smiled at Luna before turning back to Celestia. “I promise, this won’t happen again. And we’ll do all that we can to help put us back in the green this quarter.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Celestia sighed, tucking the folder away under her wing. Twilight looked to Luna with a flick of her tail.

“I had planned on visiting Saddle Arabia sometime soon. I’ll have a quick talk with their leaders to see about looking the other way in favor of some magical help.”

“You want to visit Saddle Arabia?” Celestia arched her eyebrow. “What for?”

“Never been.” Twilight shrugged nonchalantly. “And besides, Regal was from Saddle Arabia, wasn’t he? For as much trouble as he caused, I kind of want to touch base with his family, to see what they may or may not have planned.” She had wanted to visit Saddle Arabia ever since the library had been uncovered, but aside from a few brief visits from their dignitaries, Twilight had only read about Saddle Arabia.

“I urge caution, Twilight.” Celestia frowned. “They’re not exactly the most trusting of other ponies, especially when it comes to Equestria poking its nose into their affairs.”

“And yet Regal can come and try to make an attempt on your life with no repercussion.” Twilight countered. “I think it’s about time we take a closer look at their affairs anyways.”

“Twilight,” Celestia sighed as she hung her head. “I cannot condone your actions… Saddle Arabia and Equestria have held a tenuous alliance from the very beginning. Doing this now may upset a very delicate and hard-won balance. I urge caution above all else.” A silence fell between them as Twilight and Celestia pondered her request. Twilight really did want to look into Saddle Arabia, that mysterious place past the Gryphon territories that she had never really understood.

“I have an idea.” Luna broke the silence after a short while. Both Celestia and Luna peered at her cautiously. “A trial run. We send Twilight through the mirror, and she visits Saddle Arabia under a disguise. That way she can get a feel for the cultural norms and how things are ran out there, and upon her return, she can go inquire about these sorts of things in a more professional and stealthy manner, if need be.”

“That’s not a bad idea at all.” Celestia pondered. “These worlds have no impact on our own, so even if you mess up or are discovered, you’ll only impact that world. Disastrous as it may be for them, I’m sure they’ll survive.”

“I dunno,” Twilight pondered. “I’d hate to have that on my consciousness… But in light of the other things I’ve learned from the mirror, I think I can manage.” She nodded to the other two princesses. “Alright. I’ll take a trip to Saddle Arabia via the mirror and see how it is things are run over there. Who knows? I might just enjoy myself while I’m there.”

“Just beware the sand.” Celestia sighed as she turned towards her horizon. Luna joined her opposite, their horns already glowing. “It gets everywhere.”

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“I like it.” Luna nodded her approval, even as she walked around Twilight in a slow circle.

“I feel short.” Twilight complained, frowning into the mirror in their bedroom.

“You look cute.” Luna teased, kissing her ear. The princess had to lean over quite a ways to accomplish that, not helping Twilight’s predicament. She pouted up at Luna, her brow furrowed.

“I don’t like it.”

“I do.” Luna insisted, kissing her ear once more. Twilight shuddered and turned back to the mirror before her. She was disguised as a relatively unassuming unicorn, much smaller than her usual self. If she had to guess, she was maybe half her regular size. Her coat was a dusky, sandy color, as she was assured many Saddle Arabian’s coats were. Her mane was virtually the same color, but boasted a few white streaks for accent. Her cutie mark had even changed to six black stars arranged in no particular order on her flank. (Luna insisted it was the constellation for Canis Minor, but Twilight knew better. Even from her over-the-shoulder perspective, the stars were closer to Io than anything else.)

“You’re absolutely sure,” Twilight turned to look herself up and down once more. “I look okay?”

“Yes, ‘Dusk Hoof.’” Luna teased, using Twilight’s newly-formed alias, flimsy as it was. “You look fine. Perhaps not quite as cute as Twilight, but I might be persuaded for a quickie-“

“Hey!” Twilight flushed as she batted at Luna playfully. She got a full-hearted laugh and a warm kiss in return.

“You’re so cute when you’re angry.” Luna nibbled Twilight’s ear. “You know I only have eyes for your true form.”

“But this is nice, isn’t it?” Twilight deadpanned, despite the fire in her core at Luna’s insistent lips.

“Well…” Luna moaned, pulling her teeth along the ridge of Twilight’s ear. She drew a gasp and a shudder, as only she seemed to be able to do. “You know what they say about variety in the bedroom.”

“O-okay. Enough.” Twilight managed to quell the inferno in her gut and step back, albeit with a furious blush. “We’ll talk more about illusionist tricks between the sheets when I get back.”

“Leaving me high and dry?” Luna pouted. Twilight laid a hoof on her breast, keeping her lover at-bay.

“You forget, I’m doing this in an attempt to get Saddle Arabia to look the other way on some importation costs. We don’t want to add anymore to the load.”

“Nothing saying we can’t do it in the shower-“

“Luna…” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I promise, when I return, I’ll show you the time of your life. For you, it shouldn’t be anything more than a day or two. You forget; I’m the one who’s going to be gone for a week or more.”

“True.” Luna smiled down at her once more, though this time without the teasing hint of desire. “You be careful over there, Twilight. Saddle Arabia is a strange place. Their customs are vastly different from our own. What might seem like a private affair between two ponies here is a common public display over there. And what others may perceive as normal in Equestria might very well be taboo over there. Tread cautiously.”

“I will. I promise.” Twilight smiled up at Luna once more before laying a hoof on her pendant. Even in her disguised form, Twilight would wear it. She leaned in to kiss Luna one last time, standing on the edge of her hooves to reach Luna’s lips. Their necklaces clacked together for a brief moment before Twilight pulled back, feeling the reassuring thump of the metal against her breast.

“And, you know, should you run across some pretty mare over there…”

“I’d never!” Twilight looked up at her love with wide eyes. “Luna, I only love you.”

“Relax, Twilight.” Luna teased. “I know you love me. Just because you relieve some stress with somepony else doesn’t change that. Not even a little.”

“But…” Twilight looked Luna up and down. “You wouldn’t do the same, would you?”

“Why would I? I’m only here for a day or two; at most three before you return.” Luna smiled again. “It’s you who’s stuck over there for a week or more. I’m just saying, Twilight, don’t be afraid to live a little. Saddle Arabia is… Different. I think you’d enjoy your time there if you weren’t so…” Luna inhaled deeply as she thought the next word over carefully. “Traditional.”

“We’ll see.” Twilight deadpanned. She really didn’t feel comfortable with the thought of making love to anypony other than Luna. Yet her lover seemed okay with the idea. True, Twilight loved her fiercely and nothing was going to change that, but there had been a few moments when she had caught herself looking. And Luna as well. Twilight frowned as they turned towards the door.

’Maybe we could change it up, just a little…’

“Ready?”

“Ready.” Twilight nodded as Luna led her out of their quarters and into the castle proper. She swung her cloak off of its peg by the door and threw it over herself, shrouding her saddlebags and alien form. To anypony else, it’d appear as if Luna were escorting a student or perhaps a lost representative through the castle. They walked quite a ways, since Twilight didn’t have wings to fly over the castle. She had almost forgotten what it was like to tread these halls, walking to her destination like a regular unicorn.

One of the interior hallways of the castle was guarded on both ends by a full contingent of guards. They snapped to attention as soon as Luna approached, but leveled their spears at Twilight.

“At ease.” Luna commanded. “She is my guest. This is Dusk Hoof. She has my permission to be using the Crystal Mirror. Should you see her in the vicinity, offer her any assistance she requires.”

“Yes, Princess!” The guards snapped to attention and saluted. Twilight smiled at them from under her hood. It was reassuring to see the guards were taking their duties seriously. The Crystal Mirror was too powerful and too dangerous to be taken lightly at all. The fact she had been reacted to so quickly was a comforting thought. They slipped past the guards and down the hallway to the lone door here, where Luna pushed it open and ushered her inside. Twilight felt a chill pass over her body in the presence of the mirror. The things she had seen and experienced here were both frightening and wondrous.

“Would you like me to wait for you?” Luna asked, breaking the almost solemn silence of the room. Twilight glanced up at her before shaking her head.

“I ought to be fine.” She smiled warmly. “Not like I’m going to see the end of the world or anything.”

“Not at all.” Luna chuckled. “I’m sending you to a world that’s almost identical to this one, in a time that’s well before you were even named Archmage. In fact, you’re nothing more than a foal at this time. At least, I can guess.”

“Are you getting the hang of that mechanism, then?”

“I think so…” Luna frowned at the mirror, standing atop a simple dais. “I can probably land you somewhere within ten years of a target date.”

“Oh well that’s a nice sentiment.” Twilight rolled her eyes and nudged Luna’s side. “I’ll either be a baby or an adult.”

“Have some faith, will you?” Luna grumbled, giving Twilight’s ear another playful tug. “Shall I aim for when you were ten years old, then?”

“No…” Twilight frowned at the mirror. “Sombra’s curse would still be in effect. I don’t feel like emerging into whatever nightmare that might be. Just aim for when the curse was lifted, if a little after. I think I can manage as long as I don’t, I dunno, run into Spike on his way down into the mirror’s chamber.”

“Sounds fair.” Luna nodded as her horn began to glow. Twilight watched as the surface of the mirror wiped aside, revealing yet another dark and foreboding cavern. She looked back up at Luna with a warm smile before stepping forward.

The oily surface of the mirror was becoming less and less alien to Twilight. She slipped through it without a second thought, and found herself in a musty-smelling cave, not unlike the last time she had been through the mirror. Luna, it seemed, had nailed the timing. Spike slumbered peacefully, his hot exhalations quickly making the cave oppressive. Twilight made for the far end, smiling back at the massive serpent that had once been her close friend, and was now a god, on-par with the night and day she drew so much power from.

The cavern wasn’t nearly as complicated as last time. Twilight found her way up and into the palace with ease, using a quick and easy spell to undo and redo the locks concealing the cavern. She was stopped by a guard a short ways into the castle, but she managed to get by on her excuse of curiosity. When she emerged into the brilliant, shining light of the Crystal Kingdom, Twilight held high hopes for this world.

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The trip to Saddle Arabia was rather eventful. Twilight decided to expedite the process by following the range of northern mountains all the way there. The Timber Wolf territories were a slight challenge, but Twilight managed to get by with a few cloaking and shielding spells. Once inside the Gryphon Territories, Twilight let her hood down so the high winds could blow through her mane. She skirted the mountains, making good time with the light load she had brought. Most of it was food, which she ate little of since she knew supplies were scarce this far away from Nest.

She did, however, take some time to slip into the library. In this world, it seemed, she had managed to save the library the exact same way she did in her own world. Bolt greeted her warmly, and understood when she said she wasn’t there to read, simply to refuel and rest for a while. She had read most every book in this library anyways, having spent whatever free time here she could. Then again, that was in her own world, where she had wings and the flight to this library could be made in a day.

Once she had restocked on supplies, Twilight left the library and made straight East, for the Saddle Arabian desert. Half a day’s hike past the valley was the beginning of the desert. Twilight shed her cloak as the oppressive sun beat down on her, scorching the sands all around. She was a sweating, panting mess within moments.

“Okay,” She panted, shrugging out of her saddlebags. “Gonna have to figure something out…” She kicked open one flap of her bags and pulled a book out, scanning the table of contents. “Let’s see… Hydra charm, Hydrative properties… Here we are; Hydration spell. Hmm… Curious…” She frowned at the formula for the spell, picking out some minor inconsistencies. The spell was designed to keep a pony cool and refreshed in extreme environments, but was fallible. It didn’t put up with outside interference well, and would run out once every two hours. While it was easy to cast, with a few modifications, Twilight could make it last longer and survive better against interference.

“Then again, not everypony can cast spells… Let alone one as strong as this.” Twilight re-constructed the formula so that it was more complex and more difficult to cast, but would perform much better. The oppressive heat of the desert faded away instantly, replaced by a surprisingly cool, refreshing sensation. Twilight sighed happily as she slipped back into her saddlebags. The desert was no longer too hot. In fact, it felt rather pleasant. She continued her walk, keeping an eye peeled on the flat, distant horizon.

Wavering shapes began to appear before long, and Twilight smiled as she cross-checked her heading with the map she had brought. Just short of a full-day’s hike into the desert was Saddle Arabia’s capitol, the Sandstone City, jewel of the desert, and home to the political seat of power in the desert country.

“Neighgrabah.” Twilight tucked her map back into her pouch as she crested a dune looking down into a surprisingly lush, verdant valley. Green grass wove into the sides of massive, magically-erected sand dunes, keeping them rooted and in-place against the high winds that kicked up at night. Nestled in the valley between the dunes was a collection of grottos, wells, and springs, the livelihood of Neighgrabah. While Twilight didn’t know much about the culture or custom of Saddle Arabia, she had read up on the history extensively.

Long, long ago, well before the founding of Equestria even, the ponies of Saddle Arabia had been roving traders and tribes of warring bandits. From the far-eastern coast of the world to the Gryphon Territories, the Saddle Arabian desert spanned thousands of miles, and boasted a lot of coastline. But the land was inhospitable and harsh. Ponies wishing to cross the desert either skirted the sea to the south, or relied on blind luck and grottos to make it across.

In the thousands of years of its development, though, the warring tribes had settled down peacefully and began to cultivate cities. Neighgraba was one of the first to sprout up, where one powerful unicorn well-learned in the ways of nature magic had hallowed out the valley, struck water, and then woven grass into the sand dunes to solidify the place. Now, Neighgrabah sat nestled in the massive valley, a collection of hundreds of sandstone buildings and tents pitched on the lush, green grass. The natural wells and springs made the whole city a verdant haven and a must-stop place for any traveler wishing to make it to any of the other cities in Saddle Arabia.

Twilight found a moderately-traveled path down through the grass and into the city. She was joined by a few other travelers trickling in from the desert, though none paid her any mind once she pulled her hood up. They all remained quiet and intent. Twilight wanted to get some rest before she explored Neighgrabah proper, so she made for what looked to be a rather well-appointed tavern at the edge of a small lake of clear water.

The sun was sinking low across the horizon, and the entire valley was soon shrouded in shadow. Twilight watched in awe as a small group of unicorns walked down the main road, their horns sparking now and again as they lit magical lanterns. The lanterns used fire to stay afloat, casting light across the path. Another larger group stood at the edge of the lake beside the tavern and lit a few dozen lanterns, casting light all over the shallows so ponies could bathe and swim still. Indeed, many of the travelers sharing the road with her were intent on that same tavern, so Twilight followed the flow of traffic. Some of them peeled off to go wash the dirt and sand from their long trip, while others made straight for the candlelit entryway to the tavern. Twilight joined the latter, though she did want to bathe sometime soon.

“Hello there! Welcome, welcome, come in! We’ve fresh pepper salad and cool mugs of Equestrian ale for the weary traveler! Welcome!” The hostess was a bright and cheery Saddle Arabian pegasus with a pale coat and brilliant, flashing blue eyes. Twilight approached her cautiously.

“Forgive me,” She whispered. “But I’ve not been to Neighgrabah for some time… Do you accept Equestrian bits?”

“Of course, my dear! Of course! Welcome home, I might add.”

“It’s good to be back.” Twilight smiled at her. “Where might I get a room?”

“Speak with the cute stallion behind the desk there.” The hostess pointed Twilight across the cool lobby towards another dusky-colored stallion sitting attentively behind a desk. “Though I’d like to hear your story sometime.”

“It’s one for the ages, I assure you.” Twilight winked at the pretty mare before pulling the hood of her cloak back up once more. At least her money was good here, and it seemed she would be well-received. She paid for a small room and two meals in advance before taking her leave to go bathe. The sun had completely set by the time she re-emerged into the night, shedding her cloak and saddlebags at the waterside. She was not alone, but not crowded either. She slipped into the cool water and watched as other ponies groomed one another. It seemed it was custom here in Saddle Arabia to communally bathe one another, and as she watched, a pretty Earth Pony mare with a dark tail and light almost off-white coat waded towards her.

“Your mane?” She offered, holding up a bottle of shampoo and a rag.

“Thank you.” Twilight turned her back to the pony, smiling faintly as her new acquaintance began tenderly scrubbing and washing her sandy mane.

“Where do you come from?”

“Equestria,” Twilight answered off-hoofedly, glad for a chance to exercise the story she’d been constructing on her journey here. “I went to study enchantments in Canterlot.”

“That’s amazing! You’re coming back home, then?” She remained occupied with Twilight’s mane, but the pleasant banter was rather relaxing. Twilight felt the stress and fatigue melt away bit by bit.

“It’s been a long while,” Twilight nodded gently. “Thirty-four years, to be precise.”

“You don’t look that old…”

“Why thank you.” Twilight smiled at her unofficial spa pony for the evening. “I have an easy lifestyle.”

“I envy you,” The pony scrubbing her mane sighed. “Being the daughter of a tradepony… There’s much travelling involved. And the deserts are much more inhospitable of late than I can ever remember. My poor mother, she has to cast my hydration spell almost hourly.”

“You know,” Twilight mused. “I’m somewhat of a spellsmith myself, and my time in Equestria was well-spent… May I try casting a hydration spell on you?”

“I don’t see why not.” Her partner shrugged nonchalantly, and Twilight stood up in the shallow water to face her properly. “I’m Emerald, by the way.”

“Dusk Hoof. Dusk for short.” Twilight offered her hoof in greeting, shaking Emerald’s with a warm smile. “Now relax. It’s a relatively new spell, but I used it myself on the way here.” Indeed, it was still in effect for Twilight. That coupled with the chill night air and cool water was rapidly making her cold. She shoved the shivers to the back of her mind and focused on casting her new spell on Emerald.

“Wow. I can feel it.” Emerald smiled at Twilight warmly. “This is powerful magic. My mother is talented, but I don’t think she could cast that. You are very good!”

“A lifetime of practice, I assure you.” Twilight chuckled as her horn died down. “I’ll be around for a while. If you see me later on, tell me how long your spell lasts.”

“I shall, Dusk. Thank you very much… Now, would you mind?” Emerald turned around, exposing her flanks directly to Twilight. She even flicked her tail aside, completely baring herself.

’Talk about different customs.’ Twilight blushed, but managed to catch on anyways. She settled to her haunches and began scrubbing Emerald’s tail, which she could tell in the warm light of the candle lamps, was indeed a deep, vibrant green. Her cutie mark was a series of three red hearts, and offset the white and red of her coat and tail well.

Emerald stood still while Twilight scrubbed her tail, but she did not remain silent. She had many questions about Equestria, and Twilight was obliged to answer them as thoroughly as she could. They spoke of many things, ranging from daily life to the customs and practices of ponies. Twilight’s cover story rendered her unfamiliar with Saddle Arabian customs, so Emerald was happy to answer her own questions about ‘what has changed.’

The answer to which was almost always ‘not much.’ Twilight had to remind Emerald twice that she had left Saddle Arabia at a very young age. As far as anypony was concerned, she might as well have been an Equestrian citizen. Emerald apologized and went on to explain in detail some of the differences between Equestria and Saddle Arabia.

Chiefly was the openness of intimate relationships. While it wasn’t customary in Neighgrabah, ponies elsewhere in Saddle Arabia openly engaged in sex or semi-erotic displays of affection. In Neighgrabah, it was allowed and not frowned upon. But elsewhere, it was promoted and indulged in traditionally. Twilight was shocked to learn that public orgies and shows of two or more skilled lovers were commonplace. Here in Neighgrabah, such things were done perhaps on balconies or behind thin screens, but not necessarily in pain view.

“In fact,” Emerald glanced back at Twilight. “I’d offer to make love to you here and now. You know, an unofficial ‘welcome home.’”

“In the pool?” Twilight blinked at her. “I thought you said it wasn’t exactly-“

“Look over there.” Emerald pointed with a hoof. Twilight followed her line, spotting two ponies not that far away stretched out in the sandy shallows, their lower bodies submerged by the thinnest layer of water. They were very obviously going at it, and now that Twilight was focused on something more than Emerald’s luxurious tail, she could hear their thin moans from here. “And there, too.” She pointed opposite them, and another pair of ponies were kissing heatedly, though their hooves were beneath the water, moving surreptitiously against one another’s nethers. Twilight felt her cheeks heat as she glanced back at Emerald.

“I… I didn’t realize… How prominent it was.”

“Relax, Dusk.” Emerald smiled, though she did step closer. “I know you’re unfamiliar with your homeland’s customs, so I’ll not pressure you. But you are a very beautiful mare, and the offer stands.” Emerald winked at her, the corner of her mouth turned up in a teasing grin. “Whenever we might run across one another.”

Twilight had never been more sorely tempted in her life. Emerald was a very beautiful mare herself, with a curvy body and full flanks. What few glimpses Twilight had caught of her bathing partner’s marehood had been rather arousing, and the memory of Luna’s lips on her ear sent a shudder through her system. Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath, raising a hoof to the pendant on her neck.

“I’m sorry, Emerald.” She managed to breathe. “I’m promised to another.”

“An Equestrian?” Emerald pouted, her own hoof cupping Twilight’s as she lifted the pendant from the water.

“Yes, she is…” Twilight sighed, smiling as Emerald surveyed the pretty teardrop pendant.

“A very lucky mare, then… Though I’ll have you know,” Emerald leaned in to kiss Twilight’s cheek gently. “Being promised to another might not mean as much in the eyes of a Saddle Arabian. You’ll find many of the marems even in Neighgrabah scoop up promised ponies without a second thought.”

“Marem?” Twilight shuddered, scooting just a little bit away from Emerald. Not that she didn’t like the kiss, it was actually quite nice. But she had never heard that word before. “What’s a marem?”

“You don’t know?” Emerald blinked before grinning wide and shaking her head. “You poor soul, you’ve been gone for far too long… Dusk, a marem is a group of ponies whom are more-or-less promised to one another. They share a love for all the members of their group, either emotionally or passionately. They’re dominated by a chief mare, whose role it is to lead the group and make important decisions about their livelihood. Under her, any other pony is free to come and go. Some marems own their own homes, others are large enough to constitute entire pavilions.” Emerald lifted her other foreleg from the water, revealing a previously-unseen golden bangle. “My mother’s marem is one of the largest travelling ones in Saddle Arabia.”

“Your mother’s?” Twilight blinked. “You mean you’re promised to your… mother?”

“Well, I don’t make love to her. At least, not intentionally. Too much wine, you know.” Emerald winked teasingly before lowering her hoof back into the water. “But I share a love for her nevertheless. Our marem is eighty-five strong, and more join with every city we travel to. Marems can be loose coalitions of mares and stallions who are simply friendly to one another, or they can be large and serve a purpose, like ours.”

“What purpose does yours serve?” Twilight asked curiously, looking down through the water at the golden bangle. “And what does the jewelry signify?”

“Well, to answer your first question, our marem trades. We offer services and goods to all Saddle Arabian cities, and each pony in our marem serves the whole. We’re expected to make a certain amount of money no matter what we offer, and it all goes into a collective fund. That fund helps feed and clothe us, and whenever one of us feels the need to settle down, their home is bought from the fund.”

“That’s actually really nice.” Twilight smiled.

“Mmhmm. I’ve joined only recently, since I’m still very young. But I love everypony in our marem fiercely. The bracelet,” Emerald lifted her hoof once more. “Signifies the love we share. Some marems use jewelry to signify ownership or allegiance to one marem or another, while others are small enough they don’t need it. Here,” Emerald brushed a sodden lock of her mane aside to reveal her ear. She had a golden ring and a silver ring pierced through both ears, previously unnoticed by Twilight. “You can belong to more than one marem at a time… As long as you love everypony involved. While my bracelet signifies my loyalty and devotion to my mother’s trading business, these earrings are from another, more intimate marem.”

“I see.” Twilight nodded, admiring the beautiful jewelry. They lent Emerald an exotic, mysterious quality, one that Twilight was loathe to admit made it more and more difficult to deny the beautiful mare. “Which marem is that?” She asked, trying to distract her thoughts.

“Well, like I said, I offer my services to my marem. And my services are best used between the sheets.”

Twilight blinked.

“You’re…”

“A whore, yes Dusk.” Emerald winked teasingly. “Though I do make exceptions for pretty mares like yourself. Free of charge.”

“I… Wow.” Twilight blushed. Whores were not uncommon even in Equestria. Canterlot itself didn’t have a brothel, but Ponyville did, as did several other town and cities. What shocked her most was Emerald’s brazen admittance of her title. The ponies Twilight had had the pleasure of speaking with in Equestria preferred the term ‘contractor’ or ‘escort’ or something else. She had never met a pony who had so openly admitted to being a whore. “Culture shock, I suppose.”

“Does Equestria not have whores?” Emerald asked curiously. She idly returned her hoof to Twilight’s mane, scrubbing the silken strands once more. Probably to keep herself occupied in the rapidly-chilling night. Twilight was beginning to shiver.

“They do,” Twilight answered carefully. “But I’ve never heard of any of them admitting to it so openly.”

“Well, you’ll find we’re unashamed of our titles. Some would say it’s actually rather prestigious to do what we do. I know my mother’s recruited many to our marem with her own skills.”

“I see… So your mother, she’s a-”

“Whore.”

“… Right.” Twilight chuckled as she shrugged out of Emerald’s tender scrubbing, but only to turn her attention to the earth pony’s mane instead. Emerald giggled and let Twilight scrub her. “This is all so new to me… My memories of home were so long ago, I… It feels like a new world.”

“Don’t be so off-put, love.” Emerald groaned, leaning back against Twilight gently. “You’ll come around, I’m sure.”

’I hope not,’ Twilight thought, tensing a little as Emerald’s warm body pressed against her chest in the water. ’For Luna’s sake… And my own.’

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After leaving the pool and kindly refusing Emerald two more times, Twilight was finally able to retire to her room. The salad and ale were wonderful, and Twilight ate her fill before slipping under the heavily-woven fabric of her bedding and closing her eyes. The cool night air melted away into wonderful warmth, and Twilight slept through the night.

When she woke, the sun had yet to rise. The air was cool, but not cold, and Twilight’s hydration spell had run out. She called for her second meal and sat on the balcony of her room, watching the sun rise over the dunes of Neighgrabah while drinking a delightful, heady tea. She washed it all down with cool water before re-casting her hydration spell, donning her cloak, and entering the streets. Today, she’d fling herself full-on into Saddle Arabian culture, to learn as much as she possibly could. She left many of her possessions behind in her room so she had space in her saddlebags for any purchases she might make.

Neighgrabah’s market was already busy by the time Twilight arrived. The sand had been hard-packed into a dusty road lined on either side by a multitude of stalls, shops, taverns, and spas. Twilight was just another pony in the crowd as she followed the bustle, surveying the multitude of mystical and exotic wares. The gryphons had a healthy trade relationship with Saddle Arabia, it seemed, as there were actually a few gryphons with heads wrapped in turbans that had set up stalls at this market. They sold intricate pieces of jewelry and strong clothing, as well as mysterious books Twilight had never seen before.

Some of these books were simply recipes for Gryphon cooking, but even more were history books and even a few spell scrolls here and there. Twilight had to tear herself away from them, though she did scoop up one mysterious-looking scroll for fifteen bits. The rest of the market awaited, and it wasn’t like she couldn’t come back tomorrow or later on that week. She had time to spend. All down the rest of the street, merchants hawked their wares, hollering and shouting at passersby to look at their latest piece of jewelry, new produce from the gardens, or beautiful dresses woven with beads and ribbon.

Half the day had passed before Twilight could even think about it. The sun was high in the sky overhead, but Twilight’s spell kept her cool and refreshed. She was hungry, though, so she found an open-air pavilion ringed in by brightly-colored bolts of cloth strung between sturdy poles. She was treated to a spicy dish coupled with juicy greens that complimented one another well, and washed down with sweet-tasting, clear juice.

After lunch, Twilight returned to the massive, dusty market. She purchased two books from the gryphons and a sturdy-looking, well-designed belt of woven beads from an elderly Saddle Arabian unicorn mare. The belt was joined by a beautiful bracelet with a curious gem embedded in the center, and a small sheaf of rare roots dug up in one of Neighgrabah’s gardens.

The night began to descend, and the paper lanterns floated up into the air to light the way. Many of the usual stalls began to close, though some cleared the way for a different set of wares. Twilight saw bottles of aphrodisiacs and powerful love-centric potions for sale, intricate pieces of clothing to help stimulate and arouse a pony, and one very obvious shop for dildos and other devices.

Twilight was loathe to admit, but she was rather enjoying herself. She and Luna had never engaged in some of the things she saw advertised, and the mere thought of such deviancy had Twilight squirming with delight. She was getting some very naughty ideas about what she was going to do to her lover when she came home from this trip, and she was on the cusp of buying a pink-colored lotion to be used for erotic massages.

Just as she was about to bring the bottle to the stall’s owner, though, a hoof laid on her shoulder. She was spun around to be greeted by none other than Emerald, grinning ear-to-ear.

“I knew that was you, Dusk.”

“H-hello, Emerald!” Twilight flustered, her eyes darting between the curvaceous earth pony and the massage lotion before she hastily replaced it back on the stall.

“You’re such a sly little minx, turning me down in the pool last night. And here I find you in my own stomping grounds, looking to buy my lotion.”

“Y-your lotion?” Twilight backed away a few steps. “You made it?”

“I told you, Dusk,” Emerald beamed, snatching the bottle of lotion Twilight had just replaced. “Every mare in my mother’s marem brings something to the table. This is my contribution. And it sells well. Would you like to see why?”

“I… I… No, I was just going to-“

“Oh right.” Emerald’s eyes flickered down to Twilight’s pendant, and her expression fell. “You’re promised to another. Such a shame, you’re very beautiful… I’d love to see how you reacted to this little product. But that does remind me,” Emerald replaced the bottle once more before smiling warmly at Twilight. “I have somepony I want you to meet.”

“O-okay.” Twilight blushed ever-deeper as Emerald hooked her hoof, drawing her away from the stall and the well-lit market. “Emerald, where are you taking me?” Twilight complained, feeling almost as if she were being dragged along.

“Here,” Emerald gestured ahead of them. A large sandstone building rose before them in the night, only the arched entryway lit by several hovering candle-lamps. “This is my mother’s home whenever we travel through Neighgrabah. You see, Dusk.” Emerald smiled back at her. “Your spell has yet to fade. When I mentioned it to my mother, she expressed interest in seeing you. She wanted to know how you cast it, and if she might be able to accomplish the same.”

“Oh.” Twilight frowned as Emerald released her, a few steps away from the arched entryway. She nearly gasped when two intimidating stallions swooped in out of the tall shadows just inside the archway, but they backed away as soon as Emerald showed them her golden bracelet. Twilight followed cautiously, staying wary of the two guardponies.

“We’re a little famous,” Emerald explained as Twilight looked back at the two shadowy guards. “And some marems have a bit of a rivalry. Old habits die hard, huh?”

“I guess so…” Twilight muttered, keeping her wits about her as Emerald led her across a wide courtyard. The building was constructed of pale sandstone, and this main courtyard was dark. A series of poles with colorful drapes lashed between them covered the open air above them, and Twilight knew during the daytime this place would be a haven of cool shade. Now, though, it was all but abandoned. Twilight could hear the trickle of a pair of fountains to her left and right, but the source of the noise remained naught but a vague, shadowy pillar lost amongst the others of the arched walkway surrounding the courtyard.

The sound of conversation reached her next, and Twilight could make out the shadowy, hulking figure of two large wooden doors set back in another archway. Emerald led her towards these, which she pushed open. Twilight blinked as a bright wave of light greeted her, followed by a swell in the conversation and the strains of music beneath it all. Twilight followed Emerald cautiously, her magic at the ready just in case anything happened.

Just inside of the double doors was a very wide, low lounge, and what appeared to be a rather festive party in full-swing. The lounge consisted mainly of sunken-in booths and couches, where ponies were stretched out or curled up, laughing, talking, or in two very obvious cases, making love. Twilight surreptitiously pulled her hood up over her head and scooted closer to Emerald. Every one of these ponies had a golden bangle on one of their forelegs. She was the outsider here, and whenever a pony would look up from their conversation, she drew curious looks.

“Over here, Dusk.” Emerald drew her attention around with a gentle touch. At the far end of the lounge was a draped archway, and behind it another cushioned booth. Emerald parted the drapes and ushered Twilight inside. The larger earth pony blocked her view of whomever it was seated on the lounge, chiefly because she cheerily jumped on them, wrapping them in a gleeful hug.

“Hello again, Mother.”

“Hello to you too, Emerald.”

Twilight froze at the sound of the voice. It was hauntingly familiar, but she hadn’t heard it in over three hundred years… ’No, not three centuries… one of the times I went through the mirror.’

“And who’s your friend? The unicorn you told me about?”

“Mother,” Emerald disengaged herself from the gleeful hug to step back. “This is Dusk Hoof. Dusk, this is my mother-“

Twilight’s blood turned to ice in her veins. She stared wide-eyed at the beautiful white mare stretched out on the lounge, her coat as white and pristine as the last time Twilight had seen her. Her purple mane… Her cutie mark.

“Rarity.”

Author's Notes:

I wanted to explore Saddle Arabia a little bit, and I realized we had gotten a little further away from what Archmage is all about: Twilight being a badass.

Additionally, the entirety of this little 'arc' is already 13k and I've hardly even moved pased Neighgrabah. I'm thinking anywhere from three to five parts for this little bit.

Nothing really happens in the real world, though Twilight will be making some waves in this one she's visited.

So, stick with me here.

Also, I'm sorry for the lack of recent updates.

Depression's a bitch.