All things considered, the night in the punt may have been one of the most restful nights Lero and Rarity ever had. Maybe not the most comfortable, given that the only had a single layer of covers between them and the wooden deck, though the buoyed motions of the boat almost made up for it. The night’s cold air was made bearable because of the layers of fur they laid on top of themselves and their shared body heat. The one surprise they shared was whenever one of them tried to warm their cold feet by pressing them against the other’s, which led to a few shrieking giggles in the night.

But what made it truly restful for Lero and Rarity was the shared intimacy of it. It was just them, nude and sticky from their lovemaking, sharing the fires in their hearts. Lero finally had someone to ease his doubts and fears, a task Rarity happily welcomed. After their second round, the two lovers held each other close and cocooned themselves in the furs, falling into a peaceful slumber.

Lero had been the first to awaken. Since there was no sun in these marshes, it had been his instincts that had done the job for him. He had no wristwatch on his arm (assuming the damn thing would’ve even worked in this place), so he had to just assume that it was “very early morning”. Coming up from a pleasant dream, he sleepily blinked his eyes open.

‘Must be getting homesick,’ he mused, the half-remembered smiling faces of his friends fading back into the realms of dreams. ‘I hope the guys back home really are doing okay.’

“Mmmm,” came a moan beside him. Lero looked down and saw locks of flowing purple hair poking up from underneath the fur blanket. He smiled as Rarity nuzzled into his chest and he felt the warmth and smoothness of her bare cheek.

Rarity stirred awake. She looked up at her prince, her brilliant sapphire eyes peeking out through the wispy strands of her hair. A warm smile crossed her lips.

“Hey, you,” said Lero, idly running his fingertips in her hair. He marveled at how unbelievably silky it all felt, even more so than when she had been a pony. As if he were running his hands through a cloud. Then again, thanks to Kyria’s ritual, perhaps he really was.

“Hello, my prince,” said Rarity. She scooted up and planted a gentle kiss on his lips before snuggling back into the warmth of his neck. Lero brought the furs closer around him to keep the frosty air out.

“Oooh,” moaned Rarity as she stretched a little under the blankets.

“Sore?” asked Lero with a sly smirk.

“It’s these new muscles, darling,” said Rarity as she arched her back, her full bosom pressing tantalizingly upwards. “All that walking yesterday really took it out of me.”

Lero chuckles and ran a rough palm along her belly, eliciting another, deeper moan from the woman. “And here I thought it was my skills from last night.”

Rarity gave him a sultry smile and took his hands in her own. She brought it to her mouth and gently, lovingly kissed each one of his digits. As she took his index finger between her lips and gently began to suck on it, she felt Lero’s excitement press against her thigh. Rarity climbed on top of Lero, straddling his hips and exposing her bare torso. The chilled air instantly caused her nipples to become erect.

Rarity cupped her hair in her hands, lifting the flowing locks up and exposing more of her body. “We still have time before the girls come here, don’t you think?” She gave him a wink as she began to slowly gyrate her pelvis.

Lero returned her look as his hands settled on her hips. “I can think of a few ways to pass the time…”

“I… I don’t know, Lyra,” whispered Twilight shyly.

“Come on, Twi,” said Lyra gently, her fingers entwining with Twilight’s delicate digits. “We’ve done stuff like this before.”

Twilight quickly retracted her hands and held herself. “But this-! It feels… dirty…”

Lyra wasn’t offended. It wasn’t everyday your herd sister proposes something normally outside of your comfort zone. Lyra gently cupped Twilight’s smooth cheek, bringing the violet woman’s eyes to meet her own. “Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do!” Twilight gripped Lyra’s hand, then felt her shyness return. “I’m just… I’ve never-”

“Me neither, Twi. We weren’t human before. So… this will be a first for both of us then, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“I won’t force you to if-”

“No! I mean… I want this.”

Lyra smiled and her golden eyes twinkled in mischief. “So,” she whispered, leaning in so close that her voice sent shivers down Twilight’s spine, “together then?”

“Yes,” breathed Twilight. Her breath was becoming short in anticipation. She licked her lips, unable to slow the tide of saliva threatening to overflow from her mouth as that feeling in her belly built more upon itself. She could feel Lyra move, but she dared not open her eyes for fear of losing her nerve. She sensed that Lyra had returned, she could feel her closeness as new sensations flooded her senses. She gave herself over to Lyra, knowing completely that her trust was well placed in her lover. She was ready.

Their lips parted…

...and they bit into the piece of cooked meat together.

Twilight’s eyes widened as her mouth exploded into a galaxy of new sensory data. Alien tastes, smells, and textures flooded her brain, threatening to overflow her very consciousness. But what surprised her above everything was a single thought that darted to the front of her brain.

This was delicious.

Twilight allowed herself a pleasured moan as both she and Lyra continued to chew the small morsel between them.

Off to the side, Kyria eyed the two lovers with a deadpanned stare. “You ponies are so fucking weird,” she said.

Luna hid a small smile behind a hand in a very ladylike manner.

“Morning” had come to the group thanks to Luna’s semi-divine internal clock. The princess woke up by herself and instantly knew that an appropriate amount of time had passed for the others to be well-rested. While Luna put on an acceptable facade for the other women, in truth she had not slept soundly last night. Thoughts of what the “Spriggan” had told her and those of home plagued her mind.

‘Lero was once a being of great violence here,’ she mused. ‘If what half of what Mossbeard had said is fact...’ Luna narrowed her eyebrows. ‘...then we should all be thankful that the Lost is truly on our side.’

“Are you sure that’s safe, Kyria?” asked Rainbow unsurely. She was currently sitting across from the horned girl, eating a piece of toast.

“What, the meat?” replied Kyria. “Yeah, I cooked it pretty thoroughly. It should be safe.”

“No, I mean what about Persephone’s-”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Rainbow. I took it fairly and I gave it fairly.”

“Huh?”

Kyria smiled and chewed some of her own dried meat. “Okay, so I have a theory. I take it Lero told you the story, right? How Persephone took a fruit and was bound to the underworld, right?”

“Yeah…”

“And remember back when you were telling me about your friend, um... Pinkie? The apple farmer?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, so imagine this. Someone is walking down the road next to her farm, hops the fence, and picks some apples. Doesn’t ask permission or anything, doesn’t even know Pinkie. How do you think Pinkie would react?”

Rainbow thought for a moment. The apple farmer had always been very zealous when it came to defending her fields. When a few rabbits got loose there, Rainbow had to come and talk her down when Pinkie caught the poor and hungry things eating just a few apples. So the answer came clear to her.

“Well, I guess she’d be pretty mad,” said Rainbow. “I mean, they would have stolen from her, so Pinkie would make them pay for it, or even work on the farm to make up for it.”

“Exactly. The same goes here. Everything is built around contracts and bargains. If you were to, say, take water from a river without asking for it or giving anything in return, then whatever lived in that river would try to collect its debt from you.” Kyria’s expression suddenly grew hard. “And these things have a really sucky interest rate.”

“So the thing last night…?”

“It tried to kill me, so I was free to kill it back. It would have eaten me, so I had the same right. You are my companions, so I am free to share my food with you.” Kyria looked to the side almost shyly. “And… well, you’re also… my friends. So you don’t have to give anything back.”

Rainbow’s antenna raised up in surprise, just as her old ears would have perked up. A small smile appeared on her face as she reached into one of the bags and began rummaging around. A minute later, she handed something to Kyria.

“Here,” she said. “Something for a friend.” It was half a piece of toast with golden honey scraped thinly across the surface, the same honey that Honeybee had gifted Lero and Rarity the day before they left Ponyville. Kyria blinked in surprise before wordlessly accepting the treat. Rainbow offered no further response as she resumed eating her own breakfast.

Kyria simply smiled in return. It seemed like she had smiled more in the past few days than she had in what felt like a lifetime.

Breakfast continued at a pleasant pace, with all of the women chatting amiably on many subjects. It was later, as they began to pack their equipment, that Kyria saw Luna mulling over a strange metal object.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Luna held one of her wing blades in her pale hands, the light from Mossbeard’s glowing lights, gently reflecting off the polished metal.

“‘Tis a wing blade,” said Luna handing the weapon to the horned girl. “A traditional martial weapon of my home.”

Kyria turned the weapon over in her hands. “Hmm,” she mused, “never seen a design like this before.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “They are designed to be worn on the wings,” she explained. “The most common tactic is to use quick, slashing motions with the blades extended while performing a diving attack or to used as a parrying device for close quarters fighting. There are some schools that deal with more complicated motions with them, but it can often be extremely difficult and impractical.”

“I can see that. Having a duel in midair sounds really cool but if you also need to use your wings to fly, then you’d be wasting a lot of energy.”

“Exactly. The more modern tactics favor the use of blades attached to one’s forehooves, thus freeing the wings.”

“So then why use these instead?”

Luna took a sip of tea. “I have been well trained in their marital use. I dare say that I would give several of the blade schoolmasters a duel they would never forget. Additionally, these blades are enchanted so that they shall never dull nor break. And I may also channel powerful magics through them.” She paused for a moment, a frown crossing her face. “Or… I should be able to to. I have not had time to properly test my abilities in this new form. And these blades will no longer fit my new wings.”

“We can put you body through the works later, Luna,” said Kyria with a smile. “I’m just concerned about you handling this thing like a regular sword. I mean, look at this.” Kyria awkwardly held the weapon in her hands. Luna had found out the previous night that there was no good way to grasp a wingblade with hands. While trying to cut away Mossbeard’s entangling branches, she had nearly taken her own hand off just by gripping the thing. Its hinge was such that she’d risk injuring herself on each of the backswings.

In conclusion, her weapons were completely useless in her current form.

“I… I think I can help with that actually,” said Kyria, while biting her lip.

“Oh?”

“Just, um, just give me a second.” Kyria laid the weapons on the wooden branch and proceeded to examine every part of them. The straps were fashioned from fine material, not quite leather but of comparable quality. The steel gleemed in the lamplight and the edges shined. They seemed like exceptionally high-quality weapons, but Kyria knew it just wouldn’t do.

Lucky for Luna, she had a way to fix that.

Kyria closed her eyes and began to stroke the weapon, treating it as one would a beloved pet. She hummed to herself and let the magic in her veins do the work.

Luna’s eyes widened. The blades began to shift and flow as if the steel had turned to quicksilver. Kyria’s strokes urged the metal to take a new, solid form as the central hinge melded into a single, flawless blade. Using both hands, Kyria motioned the faux-leather straps to unravel themselves. They began to flail like aimless tentacles until they found new purchase at the base of the shifting blade, where they wrapped themselves into knotting cords around a newly formed hilt. Kyria made wider, more circular gestures, like an artist painting on an invisible canvas, and the metal shifted and curved in a long arc.

The whole process took less than five minutes, accomplishing what a master smith would have spent a week doing.

By the end, Kyria set out a long breath and open her eyes to look upon her new work. The reshaped wing blades resembled a pair gleaming curved sickles, each with a dark brown leather grip. The blade was straight for one hand-length before sharply curving downward to form an elongated crescent moon.

“I, uh, I hope that this will work,” the horned woman said hesitantly.

Luna picked up one of the weapons. It felt natural to grip it in her new hand, almost instinctual in a way. It was perfectly balanced, with the blade weighing the same as the hilt. She took a few steps back and gave it a few experimental swing. The steel sang through the air as Luna twirled the blade at the wrist, performing grander and more elegant flourishes. She twirled on her bare feet and slashed at unseen enemies. A smile broadened her face as her wings flared in excitement.

“Mistress Ama, thou art a savant!” she exclaimed. “‘Tis truly a work of art thou hast rendered!”

Kyria raised her hands. “Just a simple alteration contract,” she said sheepishly. “It’s nothing too drastic, just something I… something I picked up, while I was back… there...”

Luna took note of the change in the horned girl’s demeanor and gently laid the weapon back down. “Dear Kyria,” she said fondly, placing a smooth hand on her shoulder. “I am sorry if I-”

“No, it’s fine,” said Kyria. She took a breath to steady herself. “Now, this isn’t permanent. It will last for a maybe day or two. I think I had a good flow back there, but the Contract was never meant to be permanent.”

Luna smiled in appreciation. “Tis enough, Kyria. When we reach this town, perhaps we can find a skilled smith to properly reforge it.”

Kyria nodded her head. “Sure thing, Luna. Maybe we can do the same for some of your other gear too. I don’t think that those saddlebags of yours are working quite as well with the new shoulders.”

“Indeed! It was most uncomfortable last night, hauling them with us from the boat.”

The two chatted amicably as Kyria repeated mystic the process for a few of the saddlebags; not just Luna’s, but the other girls’ as well. Rainbow was reluctant to have her own blades reforged, the gentle pegasus still wary of wielding any kind of weapon. Kyria offered a compromise. She refashioned a single blade into a small dagger, scarcely the length of Rainbow’s small palm.

“This will only be used as a last line of defense,” said Kyria. “You can hide this up your sleeve. If you are ever in trouble, just showing this could be enough to make someone back off.”

“And if they don’t?” asked Rainbow worriedly.

Kyria smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to use it safely.”

Finished with their preparations, and bidding a terse goodbye to the Spriggan who had provided them shelter, the small group descended from the tree and began to follow the path back to the dock. As the women of Herd Bellerophon walked behind them, Kyria and Luna lead them through a cold mist with glow lamps in hand.

“You are quite talented with the magics here, Kyria,” said Luna. “Perhaps, when this is all over, you would be interested in my peoples’ own magics?”

Kyria laughed a little. “Luna, when this is over all I want would be to sit down, have a cup of real coffee, and just relax.” She glanced sideways and gave a small smile. “But maybe after that, yeah, you could show me how you ponies do magic.”

Luna offered a smile of her own.

The party continued along the path in relative silence, until Luna spoke again in hushed whispers. “If I may ask, Kyria, what is your opinion of Mossbeard and his reactions to Lero, last night? Are you of the same mind as he?”

Kyria’s smile faltered. “I… well aside from being angry at him almost ripping you and Lero in half… no, I can’t agree with him. We were all…” Kyria’s tanned fist clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. “No. None of us were the same, back then. Not while They… kept us. The things we did, were made to do… I’m surprised Lero’s this sane.”

She shook her head.

“I know how crazy that sounds. I mean, the guy is running around with someone else in his head. I’m just glad that the Lost is so strong and capable… it could’ve been some kind of scared little child of an alter ego, you know? And I’m more glad that he’s on our side, I mean, what if he’d been like Mr. Hyde?”

Luna nodded, even though she had no notion of whom Mr. Hyde might be. Some particularly nasty denizen of this world, she guessed.

“Still...I… I went through some… some real tough shit back at the tower. I’ll never… I won’t ever be able to forget what happened to me. Ever. But even I think I could keep it all together when we leave.”

She turned and glanced back at Rainbow, who was talking with Lyra and Twilight about something they couldn’t hear. “And… something tells me that I’ll have a lot of help too. Just having someone else to talk to who can understand… you don’t know how much that means to me, just in the here-and-now.”

“All of us are your friends, Lady Ama,” Luna promised. “And when you come to Equestria, there will be many, many more eager to be friends of yours as well.”

When Kyria smiled at Luna, there was a hint of nervousness to it. As though a part of the horned woman feared putting too much faith in such an overoptimistic idea as Equestria.

“But… getting back to the subject at hand,” Kyria said, “for Lero to have had to do that to himself? To go to those extremes? ...What the hell did his Keeper make him do?”

Luna could offer no insight and so the pair continued to walk in silence. Though Luna did note that the air seemed to have grown much colder afterwards.

The Wanderer’s Lantern continued to guide their small craft through the wintery swamp. After a few hours, they saw a warm glow in the distance, accompanied by sounds they had left behind a subjective lifetime ago:

The busied sounds of civilization.

Icy hanging moss parted and they were greeted with an immense wooden palisade. It had to be at least thirty feet tall, made out of the trunks of trees both great and small. The walls stretches outwards into sharp points, which led Lero to assume that the city as a whole would appear to be star-shaped if seen from above.

A sudden image of a stone wall being shattered by cannon fire flashed across Lero’s mind. The odd architecture made sense; an angled wall would be harder to damage with artillery and and siege ladders or towers would find themselves attacked from multiple angles by the neighboring points. The points would also cause any assault of the gates to be funneled into a narrow killing field.

The trunks were bound and nailed together, seemingly haphazardly, and the gaps were filled in with a shiny black substance, most likely some form of tar. Atop the walls were very large and hulking figures, their forms lit by blazing braziers and torches. There was a fair bit of open water between Lero’s group and the water, with more of the surrounding area cleared of trees and anything that might impair the towering watchers’ line of sight.

So it came as little surprise when the passengers of the small boat suddenly heard a bellowing shout in a strange and foreign language. The Lost’s blue eyes flashed in the darkness. “Looks like the locals have spotted us,” he said.

“Indeed,” said Luna, her new hand unconsciously moving towards her reforged sickle blades.

“Well,” said Rarity, “there should be no reason they should be hostile, I suppose. After all we have not done anything to antaga-”

“Shh!” hissed Kyria, who held up a silencing hand. Everyone quieted to hear the sound of low buzzing. Suddenly, something small and hard landed on top of the of the lantern at the bow, which Rainbow gave a startled “eep!” at the sound. All eyes turned to the new arrival.

The new arrival was small, possibly no larger than Lero’s hand. It had a dark blue and black chitinous skin that shined in the lantern’s light. Six limbs sprouted from the body, one of which held onto a short but wicked looking serrated blade. Though the weapon appeared smaller than his little finger, the Lost hazarded that the slick oil coating on the weapon held a deadlier surprise for an opponent.

The creature stood up on long hind legs, while four slender, diaphanous wings buzzed and flicked behind it before settling along its back. The Lost fought down a sense of disgust as the little thing looked up at the seven passengers. Rarity, who had long held a repulsion for creatures with too many limbs and/or were small and disgusting, did her best to hold back a girlish scream.

“It dares to draw close to the Gladerest,” said a high-pitched chittering voice. The creature seemed to be in constant, almost manic, motion. The tiny mandibles clicked and clacked as its head rapidly regarded each of them. Its smaller two forearms fervently rubbed at each other while the other set brandished the blade.

“It will tell us why it has come to the Gladerest or it will be food for us,” threatened the thing.

Rarity balked. “Well, I never,” she sniffed. “You, sir, should learn how to properly address a lady!”

“Uh, Rarity,” said Lyra, “maybe we shouldn’t berate the tiny creature with a poisonous weapon. He’s just doing his job.”

Rarity crossed her arms and lifted her nose in indignation. “Doesn’t make him any less rude.”

“It will stop making useless noises and answer the question,” said the thing, its wings buzzing loudly. Their was now a low hum in the air surrounding the craft.

“We have come to do business with the Masters of the City,” said Kyria.

The little thing instantly darted its vision to the horned girl. “It wants to talk to the Master? And who does it represent?”

The Lost reached into his backpack and retrieved the bronze sigil given to them by the Messenger, holding it up to the miniature gatekeeper. The creature click-clacked as it buzzed forward and examined the carved icon thoroughly before casting a glance to the passengers again, letting its large, mantis-like eyes rest on Kyria. The horned girl returned an amber glare.

“It… has wares to trade?” asked the little thing. It cast a dubious glance at the many sacks held in the boat.

“We do,” said Kyria. The creature regarded Kyria a moment longer before it seemed satisfied.

“Then it will follow us,” said the creature and it took the sky. The air around the punt exploded into a humming mass as hundreds of similar insectile creatures were suddenly flying alongside their boat. Twilight and Rarity let out shrieks and grabbed onto one another as several of the flying creatures came close enough to snatch at their hair.

Kyria seemed undeterred as she pushed on the pole, propelling the craft forwards through the swarm. The buzzing swarm hummed around the small craft with one of its members occasionally depositing itself on the boat to hiss and click at the passengers before taking off again. The Lost had to resist the urge to swat every one of those that tried to pull at one of the girls or at the gear.

They were small, fast, and the Lost knew that he could easily be overwhelmed by the swarm.

The swarm was a whirling cloud of colorful chitin, buzzing wings, and chittering voices. The cloud urged the small craft towards a junction of two of the fortified outcroppings, where a large portcullis waited, illuminated by a pair of lit torches. Twilight hazarded an upwards glance and found herself and her companions under the watchful eyes of several of the towering sentries. One, a large and brutish being gave a low snarl, showing off a jutting lower jaw overflowing with sharp and yellowed teeth. Twilight pressed herself up against Lyra in mild fear.

Kyria continued to guide the craft towards the portcullis, doing her best not to show her own nervousness despite the trickle of sweat running down her temple. One of the buzzing things came too close to her head and tried to snatch one of her many baubles from her hair. She instinctively swatted her hand, sending the would-be thief tumbling through the air with a chittering howl.

A bellow sounded from within the gatehouse and the heavy metal grate slowly lifted into the air with the accompany clanking of massive chains. Kyria guided the craft under the portcullis, its massive spikes ready to descend at a moment’s notice. More shouting could be heard from above as heavy footfalls sounded on the wooden planks. Inside was another heavy gateway, effectively cutting off their path. Flanking them on either side were two wooden platforms, each close enough to allow anyone to easily board the little craft.

As soon as the heavy portcullis closed behind them, two doors on either side of the small channel opened up. Out poured a gang of large, muscular bipeds. Several brandished crudely shaped blades or cudgels while some were armed only with heavy gauntlets. One, a red-skinned and black-eyed brute, shoved his way forward to the head of the group and came within an inch of the Lost’s face.

The Lost didn’t flinched.

The brute gave him the once-over, his breathing wet and heavy, drool dripping from his toothy maw. Kyria tightened her grip on the pole while Luna’s hand drifted subtly towards one of the blades at her hip.

Sniffing the air around the Lost, the brute gave a low growl. “You’re not in the wilds anymore, little man,” he said, in a low and guttural voice. “Inside these walls, we’re the law here. Me and my boys have been aching for a propa’ brawl, you see?” The brute licked its cracked lips with a blackened tongue. “So if you and your whores decide to give us an excuse, ol’ Rutärg is going to flay the lot of ya, and use your skins as his new banner!”

The Lost’s only response was to narrow his eyes and flex his hands. Something popped and bulged underneath the skin, stretching the skin taut and ready to split. A few of the brutes began to bellow challenges and pound their chests with their weapons. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity drew close to each other, as the rest of the group readied to defend themselves.

“Come now, gentlemen,” came a low voice that cut through the air. The guards halted their actions and parted for a newcomer. “These are honored guests! We should play the part of gracious hosts, should we not?”

The newcomer was short, scarcely half of Lero’s height and maybe even a little shorter than the average pony. He, or as the ponies assumed it was a “he”, walked on two stubby legs and had a pair of arms that ended in fat, ringed fingers. His face was covered in a leathery green skin, jowly, wrinkled and sporting a few black mols. A pair of long but floppy ears poked out of each side of his bald head. The mouth was almost too wide with that smile of his and sported several long, jutting tusks that curled outwards like a boar’s. The eyes were hidden behind a pair of circular sunglasses, framed in shining gold and flanked by rich, dark leather side guards.

The being wore very fine clothes; a tailored, three-piece suit with gold buttons and a golden pocket watch. Each one of his stubby fingers had a jeweled ring. Even his teeth were bedecked with gold; several of the protruding tusks had golden caps placed on each of them. One hand grasped a polished black cane with a golden pommel. The goblin was almost as wide as he was tall with the luxurious fur coats he was wearing.

Twilight instantly recognized him as a creature of influence. Having grown up in Canterlot and lived for many years in the Royal Palace, she had seen plenty of his type before; wealthy, pompous, bloated individuals who would trample anypony to accomplish their agendas. And always with smiles to distract you from the daggers they hid behind them.

Apparently, some trends were universal.

The goblin looked over each of the newcomers appraisingly before settling his gaze on the Lost. His smile seemed to grow wider as he walked forward.

“Do I have the pleasure of addressing the leader of this lovely company, good sir?” he asked.

The Lost exited the craft, stepping between several of the brutes, crossed his arms and squared his stance. “You do,” he answered neutrally.

The goblin bowed with a flourish of his hand. “Then I bid you good morrow and warm welcomes to the great township of Gladesrest, good sir,” he said. “Allow me to introduce myself. Among friends and partners, I am known Gilded Jack and I have the honorable distinction of bearing the title of Master of the Town.” He rose from his bow and offered a hand to the Lost. “To whom does this humble hob have the pleasure of addressing?”

The Lost offered his own hand. “You may simply call me the Lost.”

“But of course, good sir, an appropriate alias. I realize that men of your profession must keep a low profile. But let me assure you, unlike other, less civilized townships, Gladesrest is very accommodating to those that curry favor among the Gentry and procure merchandise on their behalf.”

“...Of course, Master Jack,” said the Lost.

The goblin turned his gaze back towards the rest of the group. “And shall I assume that these… very lovely visions accompanying you are your…”

“My compatriots, yes,” said the Lost. He positioned himself between them and Jack, forcing the goblin’s attention back on himself. “I must say it is rather curious that the Master of the Town would greet us personally.”

“But of course, good sir, but of course! I can always sense a grand opportunity when one comes across.” Jack tapped his elongated nose with a pudgy finger. “And when one such as you, that is to say, a respectable man of the trade comes to my city, I am always eager to personally greet them.”

The Lost thought for a moment. Then an arrogant smirk crossed his face and he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I know the feeling, Jack,” he said. “Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to cross off some pack of punks thinking they can do business without a proper patron. Honestly, it’s bottom feeders like that that give my trade such a dirty reputation!”

As the girls glanced at each other in hidden uncertainty, the goblin burst into laughter. “Indeed, indeed! These so called ‘freelancers’, always thinking they can get one over on their betters. But you, Master Lost, you have the honor of such a distinguished patron. I knew instantly the moment the pixies alerted me that you were a gentleman that I could do business with!”

The Lost shook Jack’s hand again. “You said it, Jack,” he said, then jerked a thumb back at the women behind him. “Now then, we’ve got some good loot to trade and I’m looking for some fresh gear for myself and my crew. We need weapons, supplies, the works. Also some place to put our feet up for a while. None of this flea-infested crap, we want the best you’ve got.” The Lost’s arrogant smile showed off a budding set of sharp teeth that reminded Rainbow of a hungry wolf she once met.

Gilded Jack chuckled and motioned for the to the guards. A pair of brutes moved to a large spoked wheel and began turning it, raising the inner gate. “But of course, Sir,” said Jack. “Allow me to escort you and your companions through the canals. Since this is your first visit to our city, best that I show you where to go. Goodness knows we’ve seen our fair share of travellers get lost in the Market’s waters.”

The inner gate had been raised, revealing another enclosed area. This was a place teeming with more soldiers. Some were more of the large, brutish bipeds, while others were taller and more lithe, their long limbs holding wooden bows or, as the Lost instantly recognized, long muskets. Kyria was allowed to propel the punt forwards and the gate was closed behind them. The Lost followed Gilded Jack along the wooden docks to a spot where a few other, sleeker gondolas were tied off.

The red-skinned leader gave one last growl before stomping off towards the battlements. “Ogres,” commented Gilded Jack. “They are not very bright but they certainly have their uses. Now then, if you would allow one of my guards to accompany your own craft, you would be more than welcome to join me on my own craft. A simple precaution, I can assure you.”

The Lost nodded his head but not before a pair of flapping wings interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see that Luna had joined them, carrying an air of assurance with her. “It would seem that your soldiers are a touch too large for our vessel,” she said. Luna faced the Lost and bowed her head slightly. “Please allow me to joined you as well, My Lord. I would be a very poor bodyguard indeed, if I were to allow My Lord to go unattended.”

The Lost raised an eyebrow but was again cut off before he could say anything. “But of course, Madame,” said Jack. The sound of buzzing wings heralded the arrival of one of the insectoid pixies, the same black and blue one that first appeared to the party. It landed on Jack’s shoulder and whispered something in his ear. “Please excuse me for a moment, good sir.”

As the goblin walked off and began speaking to a few of his soldiers, the Lost leaned towards Luna. “‘Bodyguard’, huh?” he whispered.

“Well, one would be allowed to freely carry a pair of blades as a bodyguard, wouldn’t she?” Luna responded with a sly smile, her hand drifting down to one of the blades at her hips. “Besides, I do not like the look of that creature. I have seen enough of his kind at the palace to recognize a well-dressed rogue when I see one. Better to have someone with you who knows how to handle a blade, should the cur lead us to a trap.”

The Lost offered a smirk. “A good idea. And the ‘My Lord’ bit was a nice touch. I could get used to being called that.”

This actually caused the disguised alicorn to laugh a little. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, Sir Lost,” she said.

The Lost stepped down into the slim craft with a nod to the tall, thin boatman. He turned and offered Luna an outstretched hand, which she gracefully accepted and stepped into his vessel. The craft rocked slightly and the Lost’s arm instantly went to Luna’s waist to steady her, pulling the winged woman close to his body. Luna suddenly found her breath stilled at the contact.

“Careful,” said the Lost, oblivious to the reaction.

Luna only nodded her head and tried to slow down her heart.

‘I shouldn’t be doing this,’ she mused. ‘Becoming flustered like some filly, ‘tis unbefitting for a princess! Remember what this man is. What he is capable of! He isn’t even Lero, why would I-’

“Luna?” The Lost’s voice snapped Luna out of her thoughts. She blinked and found herself looking into the Lost’s eyes. “You should probably sit down.”

And so Luna sat and tried to get her mind onto anything but the being sitting next to her. They were soon joined by Gilded Jack, whose rotund body almost took up the entire bench across from them, small though he was. He raised his right hand and motioned for the guards to open the innermost gate to Gladesrest.

If someone had tried to recreate Venice from almost nothing but wood and a drunken description of what Venice was actually supposed to look like, then it might look something like Gladesrest. If you were also drunk and squinting really hard while you looked at it. And if they were drunk and squinting really hard while they built it.

From the moment they entered, the girls instantly saw the town as a place unlike any built in Equestria. All the buildings were erected on a forest of pylons that sank into the swamp’s murky water. There seemed to be no clear style of construction, as several of the buildings blended into one another, creating whole blocks that looked to be a single structure, sometimes interrupted with a new canal entrance. A few buildings stretched a good five stories into the air.

The blocks were connected by a spectrum of different types of bridges and walkways, some wooden, a few stone, some even were little more that knotted ropes. All around, the city was alive with creatures and beings of all sizes moving about their business. From the water, the visitors saw that the city was built in layers. The lowest layer was composed mostly of docks and more canals travelling underneath the larger blocks. Above that were two, sometimes three, stories, each packed with more merchants, buildings and pedestrians.

The walkways and the canals were alight from the glow of a thousand different lanterns in a wide spectrum of colors. They ranged from hanging oil lamps to the endless strings of paper lanterns that were popular in countries like Neighpon and Xing Ha. Under the eternal night sky, the citizens of Gladesrest lived in their own galaxy of lanterns.

All through the canals were vessels of every type; slim, one-man rowboats, large three-masted xebecs with crews unloading crates, smoke-belching steamboats, their captains cursing and shaking their fists at smaller crafts, demanding they clear a way for them. Rainbow marveled as they passed a tall creature on six stilted legs that walked over them, through the waters, a boxy cabin structure lashed to its back.

And all throughout the city they heard the sounds of merchants, traders, and shopkeepers hawking their wares and barting over prices. Even on the water, several boats were tied to each other as their pilots exchanged goods and haggled with one another.

Some looked like they were floating food carts, offering a wide variety of meals to passersby. Brightly colored goblin fruits, steaming dishes served in small white boxes, paper-wrapped packages of meat, and even one seemed to be selling insects, both live and cooked. Rarity grimaced as she saw one creature pluck a squirming beetle and bite into it with an obnoxiously loud crunch.

Still others seemed to be ferries transporting their passengers all around the city. Some were very large, holding over fifty passengers, while others, such as Master Jack’s own gondola, held only a few.

“As you can see, our town thrives on trade,” said Gilded Jack.

“Yeah, I can see you are doing pretty well for yourselves,” said the Lost, who had once again put on an arrogant facade. “And for the looks of it, I’d say you get a cut of just about every deal made here.”

Jack grinned. “There is just a small tax imposed on the merchants for conducting business here, nothing more. The money is collected for the betterment of the town.” He looked down to examine a few of the jeweled rings adorning his fingers. “I merely procure a small wage for myself, as befitting any humble civil servant.”

“I bet you do,” muttered Luna. Jack only ignored her irritated tone.

“A guy like you probably has his ear to ground on a lot of things,” said the Lost. “Knows where to find things and who to talk to around here. Probably hears a lot too.”

Jack raised a wrinkled eyebrow. “I might be those things and more,” he said. “And what would you be needing from a humble hob like me?”

“What do you say to a meeting first? I have business here that is best discussed behind closed doors.”

“Indeed? I, too, have matters I wish to discuss,” Gilded Jack replied. “Matters concerning a potential agreement with your patroness.”

“Then consider our meeting tomorrow payment for our lodgings and meals. We want a place you would enjoy a comfortable night’s rest in, Master Jack.”

The Lost was careful with his wording. He knew he had to be specific. Dealing with a goblin was never an easy task.

“Don’t forget,” he continued, “it’ll be your town’s future we’ll be discussing. And whether the Fae Lord I represent will make that future bright or dark. So it’d be highly unwise and short-sighted of you to try penny-pinching either myself or any of my crew.”

The goblin’s smile became somewhat strained. Luna could barely hear the sounds of grinding teeth and knew that the Lost had struck a chord somewhere. “Consider it done, good sir,” he said, then looked up to the boatman. “Boy, take us to the Knurly Wyvern.”

The Knurly Wyvern was a moderately sized building. Four stories above the main fairway with another two stories and a dock below, the building looked like it had been plucked straight from an old Chinese waterfront, much like the rest of the surrounding neighborhood. The ridged, tiled roofs, the wooden pillars, the hanging paper lamps... to Lero, it all seemed like he had walked onto the set of some Asian movie.

Their pilot guided the gondola into the docks, where a small group of bipeds waited expectantly. As Gilded Jack stepped out and his cane touched the wooden planks, the party bowed and a woman stepped forward.

The woman stood on a pair of bent equine legs that ended in split hooves. She wore a fine silken dress, much in the style of the Xing Ha. Her skin appeared to be scaled in some places but smooth-skinned in others. Poking out of her styled silver hair were two pairs of antlers. One was larger and curved, the other set of antlers was smaller, and looked like those of a deer.

Luna almost did a double take. Though the form was almost human, there was surely no mistaking it. This was a kirin standing before them, exactly like those those that inhabited the nation of Xing Ha back on Equis. The similarity was another mystery of the Hedge that left her unsettled at the implications.

“Master Jack,” spoke the woman, who warmly took the goblin’s fat hand in her own. “Welcome back. My little birds told me you would be coming here, so I took the liberty of preparing the top suites.”

“Ah, Jasmine,” said Jack, who kissed the kirin’s hand. Luna couldn’t help but notice the faintest revolted shudder pass through the female. “How do your little birds find out such things?”

The kirin gave a good-natured giggle. “Oh but that would be telling, Master Jack.” The woman raised her head and regarded the growing group in front of her. Kyria had just docked her punt and two larger males were helping the passengers disembark and offload the gear.

The kirin stepped forward and bowed. “Welcome to this humble place,” she said. “I am Jasmine, Mistress of the Knurly Wyvern and your hostess within these walls. You are honored guests of the Master of the Town and here as well. As a sign of our hospitality, know that everything offered in these walls is done so without consequence. On this you have my word.” She bowed once more and the taller males followed suit. Jasmine then clapped her hands twice and the two males hefted Kyria’s collection of sacks and the girls’ own packs onto their shoulders before striding off towards a staircase leading upwards.

“Do you wish to dine first? Our chefs are prepared to bring you anything your palettes can desire.”

“Thanks but I think it would best if we were to head straight to the rooms,” said the Lost, who cast a quick glance at the retreating forms carrying the bags. “We’ve been travelling all day and I think some good rest would best right now. Send up some hot vegetable soup and some drinks, though, that much we can ask for.”

Jasmine bowed her head again. “Of course, sir.” She clapped twice again and a small fluttering figure dropped down from the rafters. The new creature appeared to be humanoid woman with a pair of moth wings carrying a tiny paper lantern that glowed blue.

“Mistress!” she called out. Jasmine delicately held out her hand and the pixie landed on it.

“Girl, be a dear and show these guests to the top suites,” she instructed cheerfully.

The pixie bobbed her and fluttered in front of the Lost. “This way, esteemed guest. This one will show the way.”

“Until our meeting on the morrow, Sir Lost,” said Gilded Jack, who gave a flourished bow. “I shall send one of my servants to collect you.”

“Sure thing, Jack,” replied the Lost with cocky wave as he walked beside Luna.

As the group walked past, Kyria gave the kirin a suspicious look, which only garnered a sweet, innocent smile from the innkeeper.

After the Lost and his companions ascended the stairs, Gilded Jack turned to the kirin, a scowl crossing his face.

“I hope you were serious when you said all that, witch,” he said. “I want no funny business from you or your staff, got it?”

“Oh Master Jack,” tittered Jasmine behind a daintily raised fan. “I was being serious. I am but a humble innkeeper. Why, to have you suggest that I would dare do anything untowards my guests…” Jasmine’s gaze suddenly hardened and the air choked with a miasmal weight. “...would be very unwise on your part.”

The goblin gritted his teeth and shook his fist. “Remember your place, witch,” he said. “I run this town and I will not let you or anything else get in my way.” He turned on his heel and walked away. After giving the boatman a quick strike with his cane, Gilded Jack clambered into the gondola.

Jasmine's voice was once again light and good-natured. “Oh I wouldn’t dream of it, Master Jack. Do come again soon!”

But once the gondola departed, Jasmine’s gaze once again became steel. “After all, I know who the man represents. What a curious development this is.”

A fire had already been lit in the small hearth, giving the room a cozy warmth that was a pleasant change from the chill outside. A few of the girls let out sighs of relief as they laid eyes on the furnished sitting room before them.

The walls were hung with scrolled artwork and there were tables with ornate flower decorations. To either side of the room were two sliding wooden doors, each leading to an adjacent bedroom. On a low table in the center of the room, surrounded by comfortable looking and ornately carved and lacquered wooden chairs, was an opulent serving pot and several small bowls. The serving pot gave off a tantalizing aroma. Next to those sat a small platter of fruit and a large ceramic jug with a bowl and several small drinking cups.

“Finally,” said Rarity gratefully. “Civilization at last.”

The pixie flittered to the top of a nearby end table and gave a low bow. “This one shall remain nearby, should the esteemed guests require it,” she said.

“Thank you very much,” said Rarity. “May we have your name?”

The pixie looked around hesitantly. She then leaned forward and whispered, “This one has no name to give. Mistress Jasmine owns it and this one.” Before Rarity could give any response, the pixie once again took flight and dashed out of the room and down the hall.

When she looked ready to follow, the Lost put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “The Gentry aren’t the only ones that own others here,” he said with a frown.

Despite the somber words, the group was indeed grateful to have this break from the harshness of traveling. Soon they were gathered around the table, eagerly downing bowls of the hot soup. Lero had once again emerged and was actually enjoying himself. The soup was warm and filling and the drink gave them all a pleasant buzz. Rarity leaned close to her herd sisters, giving a hushed and conspiratorial conversation. Though he couldn’t hear the words, Lero could guess the context from Lyra’s salacious grin and Twilight’s blazing cheeks.

Kyria was eating especially noisily as she gulped down her third bowl and gave a loud belch, adding bits of dried meat from her satchel to absorb the juices. Under normal circumstances, this would have drawn a few choice remarks from Rarity over manners, but an exception could be made here; this was Kyria’s first true meal in who-knew-how long.

“Oh, my God,” sighed Kyria. “This is *urp* amazing.”

Chuckling, Lero reached for the serving ladle. “Up for one more?”

“Nope, but I will take more of that booze. What is it, anyways?”

Lero grabbed the bottle and examined it. Amongst the jug’s intricate detailing were characters in a foreign language he didn’t recognize and written in gold leaf. “Uh… expensive, by the looks of it.”

Rainbow laughed a little. “Wow, if they treat people like us this way, imagine how really important people get treated!”

“I agree,” said Luna as she sipped from a small drinking cup. “This does seem a bit excessive, even if we are representing a Fae Lord.”

Lero placed the jug down and looked up with blue eyes. “Well… not exactly,” said the Lost.

“What do you mean?” asked Luna.

“I mean I may have an idea on what Gilded Jack thinks we are. And it’s not merchants hawking a bunch of trinkets.”

There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. “...no,” said Kyria with wide eyes.

“Yeah…”

“He thinks we’re-?”

“Pretty sure.”

“What?” asked Twilight.

Kyria almost leapt across the table to grab the Lost by his lapels. “What the hell did you get us into?!”

“Just a sit-down meeting!”

“AS A CREW OF PRIVATEERS?!”

“...pretty much, yeah.”

Kyria’s eye twitched dangerously.

“Wait,” said Lyra. “You made him think we’re slavers?”

“Hell, no! He saw the sigil, made the assumption on his own, and I wasn’t suicidal enough to contradict him!”

Twilight looked aghast. “How could you do that?!”

“Why are you blaming me for this?!”

Luna took another sip from her cup. “I admit I had my suspicions, based on your crude manner back at the gatehouse. But I must ask all of you to calm down. If anything, we should all be thankful for this development.”

“Eh?!”

Luna refilled her drink. “Think of it: if the Crusaders have been taken here, where better to look for leads than among folk who traffic in kidnapped individuals?”

The group paused a resumed their seats. Kyria sat back heavily and crossed her arms. “I still don’t like it. I spent years dodging people just like that so I wouldn’t end up in a cage. Now you want me to pretend to be one of those scumbags?”

“You do not have to do any such thing, Kyria,” Luna told her. “Tomorrow, I shall accompany the Lost to this meeting as his bodyguard. I would have you take the others to the market and gather more appropriate equipment for our new forms and listen for any rumors.”

“I will be going with the Lost as well,” said Rarity, which drew more than a few looks. “What? Given my experience with the Weather Bureau back home, I feel I can easily play the part of the Lost’s secretary…”

“‘Scriber’ is what they’re called here,” Kyria muttered, with her face between splayed fingers.

“Scriber, then,” said Rarity. “If The Lost is to negotiate a contract, better to have someone well-versed in bureaucracy, no?”

The Lost thought for a moment and nodded his head. “That actually sounds like a decent plan,” he said. “Yeah, that could work.”

“Then if you would be so kind, good sir,” said Rarity, a hint of annoyance dripping into her voice.

The Lost sighed and casually waved off his hand. “Yeah, yeah, see you all tomorrow.” He blinked his eyes a few times. They returned to Lero’s customary hazel.

Lero furrowed his eyebrows as his brain processed his time spent as the Lost. After a moment, a frown crossed his face and he turned to the rest of the group. “Ah crap,” he said. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”

“No if we play our cards right, Fingers,” said Lyra reassuringly. The green-haired woman stood up and stretched, interlacing her fingers and cracking her knuckles with a series of satisfying pops. “Oh, wow, I’ve always wanted to do that.” Lyra tilted one way then the next, stretching her muscles as a trained gymnast would. Lero could help but feel this was merely a ploy to show off her curves poking from under her wrappings. Not that he felt like voicing a complaint anytime soon.

Rarity closed the distance between herself and her stallion, leaning against his body and giving Lero a tender kiss on the cheek. “Hello, my prince,” she said, resting her head against Lero’s neck and inhaling deeply. “I missed you,” she whispered.

Lero smiled and rested his own head against hers. “Never left, princess.”

Twilight got up and walked to one of the sliding doors and carefully opened it.

A moment later, a small squeak drifted across the common room.

“Sparkle-kitten?” asked Rarity. “What is it?”

Kyria turned to Luna and mouthed ‘Sparkle-kitten?’ to the princess. The other woman merely gave a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders.

“Girls, look,” whispered Twilight. Everyone rose from their seats and peered into the room. They were all struck dumb by what they saw.

“Is that…?” asked Lero.

“A BATH!!” squealed the women in joyous unison. Sure enough, resting in one corner of the room on a polished stone slab was a large copper bathtub, complete with brass faucets, bottles of shampoo and oils, and four pairs of perfectly white cotton towels and robes. The bathtub looked large enough to hold four people and still have plenty of room. Luna opened the other door, revealing a similar setup in the other room.

Lero walked forward and twisted one of the brass knobs. Water began to pour out of the faucet and he stuck his hand under it. His eyes widened and he looked up to the crowd at the doorway. His face said it all.

They had hot running water.

Rarity sniffed as a single tear of joy threatened to roll down her pale cheek. “Truly fate has smiled upon us this evening.”

Rarity, Lyra, and Twilight immediately gathered their belongings from the common area and planted them in the room, unofficially claiming in in the name of Herd Bellerophon. The three women began to chatter like a small flock of birds as they began to shed their clothing. Luna took this opportunity to close the door, but not before catching an eyeful of Lero without his shirt on.

“Let us adjourn to our own suite, shall we, ladies?” she said to Kyria and Rainbow, both of whom were blushing slightly. They gathered their own belongings and went to the neighboring room.

There they found three beds, one king size and two smaller queen sizes. There was another brass tub waiting to be used and three pairs of towels and robes.

“Oh wow,” said Rainbow. “Real beds!” The smaller woman would have given an excited hop, had she not realized how tired she felt. Instead, she let loose a long sigh and moved to one of the beds.

Kyria stood still, simply staring at the piece of furniture with disbelieving eyes. Rainbow had laid down her pack and sat on the edge of the bed to start undoing her worn boots. As the first one thumped to the floor, Rainbow looked up to see Kyria still staring.

“Kyria?” she asked. Luna paused her own unpacking to look back.

The horned girl finally stepped forward. She reached out a hand but hesitated, as if she thought simply touching the bed would cause it fade back into the dream she surely was experiencing. With a shuddering breath, Kyria reached out again and rested her hand on the down mattress, letting it lay on the soft and downy surface.

“I can’t remember the last time I slept in a bed,” she whispered as she ran her hand across the soft comforter.

Rainbow came up to her and smiled sadly. Her heart went out to the horned girl. Could the simple prospect of sleeping in a real bed be that titanic to someone? Then she realized that after so many years of abuse and living in the wilds among monsters and in poor environments, even a bit of kindness was something alien to her. So the idea of sleeping in bed or taking a bath, actions Rainbow had completely taken for granted back home in her little cottage...

...They must seem unreal to the poor girl.

But Rainbow was the Element of Kindness. She knew that anyone, no matter what horrible things they had faced in their past, could find peace from a simple act of kindness.

So she gently took Kyria’s hand and stood her up. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll wash your back.”

Rarity let loose a positively orgasmic moan as she sank into the water, letting it rise to her jawline. “Oh Sisters,” she sighed, “I have died and gone to the Far Shores.”

The leadmare received similar sounds of agreement fromt the rest of the herd.

They had all stripped bare, scrubbed their bodies and washed their hair, which was its own experience that the girls took immense pleasure in; the sensation of running their fingers through their hair was one they would not forget anytime soon.

Since this was only their second day in human form, there was not much to be done. Lero, on the other hand, had gone the better part of more than a week without so much as a rinse. So it was that the human quickly found himself attacked on three fronts with a barrage of scented soaps and rough brushes.

Lero did not try to protest even in the slightest. And not because he was now being washed by three of the most absolutely gorgeous women he had ever met in his entire life.

More significantly, he was being washed by his women.

Shared time in the shower back at the library was one of the most intimate times among Herd Bellerophon. Before the Swap, Rainbow and Lero shared some of their most intimate moments in the shower; the feel of hot water on fur and bare skin provided the initial spark that the closeness and contact had ignited into many a wonderful inferno.

So Lero simply sat on a small stool and let the clean his body. Rarity hugged him from behind, pressing her large wet breasts against his back, as she lathered up Lero’s hair and gently massaged his scalp. Lyra used a brush to scrub his torso and arms, paying close attention to Lero’s fingers and removing the caked mud from under his fingernails. Twilight had begun to wash his lower body, taking delight at the sight of Lero’s aroused member.

Hardly a word was said as the three women tended to their man. Nothing really needed to be said. Everything was conversed through gentle touches, soft and tender kisses, and gentle moans of contentment. By the time they had all been washed and had climbed into the large tub for a long soak, they were experiencing a unique mixture of excitement and relief, of arousal and of contentment.

It could easily be described as one the most erotic sensations in any of their collective lives.

“Wise master say, ‘The many roads to enlightenment begin within a peaceful mind’,” said Lyra. She stretched out fully within the tub, splaying her fingers and toes and allowing her breasts to breach the surface. “I think just being here right now gets us all halfway there.”

“Yeah,” agreed Lero blissfully.

He knew full well that the world outside of these walls was a place full of madness and new dangers that they would have to face in the morning.

But right there, right then, at that very instant, he felt peace. And he wasn’t going to waste a single moment of it.

Twilight let out a quiet gasp as a hand touched her leg. Lero ran his hand along the underside of her calf with smooth, firm fingers. Twilight felt the heat rise in her cheeks as Lero gently massaged her aching leg. Lero’s masseur skills were one of the many things the girls loved about him. Before he had left his job at the spa to focus on helping the Swapped reach equilibrium, ponies would come from all across Equestria to slot an hour on his table. And they would pay exceptionally well for his services- well, as much as he would let them- Lero was never one to price his service out of the range of the common pony.

So the girls knew that they were very fortunate to not only receive his gifts for free, but that Lero would often include “special services” in his massages that were not open to the public.

Twilight’s lips parted in soft panting as Lero lifted her leg out of the water and began to rub her foot with his strong fingers. She moaned aloud as the new sensations spread through her limb. Lero began to assault her toes, working every joint and stretching out every digit with his thumbs.

The pale symbols that had been appearing on Twilight’s violet skin since her initial transformation began to shimmer and dance. She had tried to document these symbols in her journals, but no avail. Most appeared and vanished too quickly for her to properly copy to paper with these new fingers of hers. Even the symbols she’d successfully managed to record were meaningless; not even Kyria had a clue what they meant. Right now, they were the last thing on her mind as Lero softly kissed her big toe.

“Oh!” moaned Twilight. Her back arched out of the water, exposing her erect nipples. “Oh! Lero!”

Lyra took advantage of Twilight’s weakness and latched her mouth on her right nipple. Twilight cried out loudly as the green-haired woman began to gently suckle, her hand drifting upwards to Lyra’s eternally drifting mint-green hair. Her moans were cut short as a pale hand snaked in behind and gripped her own violet locks.

“Oh, what’s this?” cooed Rarity as she gave a tug, causing Twilight to open her mouth and her tongue to loll out. “Does our Sparkle-kitten have a new fetish?”

“R-Rarity,” panted Twilight. Her thoughts were increasingly becoming muddied as Lyra switched to the other nipple, casually taking it in her teeth and flicking circles around it with her tongue.

“Shh,” shushed Rarity. “I think we can put that mouth of yours to better use.” With that, Rarity locked lips with Twilight, her tongue invading the other woman’s mouth. The two of them shared a moan as they fought for dominance, a fight Twilight quickly began to lose as she felt something brush against her nethers. Rarity was fighting dirty, using her middle finger to brush upwards along Twilight’s lips and end with a gentle caress against her nub. Pretty soon she had given up entirely as her eyes simply rolled backwards.

Rarity broke her kiss with Twilight and drifted downwards, leaving a trail of butterfly pecks across her wet skin, before she latched onto an unattended breast. Twilight jerked her head to the side and bit her lip so hard she was afraid she might break the skin.

Rarity continued to play with Twilight’s submerged cunny as she bit down on her nipple, eliciting a long cry from Twilight. Rarity then met eyes with Lyra and the two stopped the shared teasing to lock lips in a wet and sloppy kiss. Lyra’s other hand drifted back up to Twilight’s face, who eagerly began to suck on the other woman’s thumb. Twilight fumbled with a free hand and began to clumsily massage Lyra’s breast.

Lero had stopped his ministrations (he’d have to try that again with Twi’s hooves next time she was a pony) and simply marvelled at the sight in front of him. His own lust was evidenced by his erect member, which he gently stroked as his women continued to please themselves. Lyra and Rarity shot him smoldering looks as their tongues continued to dance, adding their own moans in an increasingly loud choir of lust.

Finally, Rarity slipped a pale finger into Twilight’s nethers. It took very little prompting for her to reach her peak and cry out loudly as she orgasmed.

“Well,” said Luna, taking a dainty sip of the clear wine from a shallow drinking cup. “It seems things are becoming quite lively over in the next room.”

Twilight Sparkle’s loud moans could be heard through the walls as the three women who weren’t part of Herd Bellerophon sat in their own tub, each new moan causing poor Rainbow Dash to become redder and redder, almost to the point that she matched a portion of her hair. Kyria was trying to keep her own mind elsewhere as she indulged in a cup of her own wine.

The trio’s post-dinner bath had been slow to start. Kyria had seemed somewhat reluctant to get into the bath with the two other women, which both Luna and Dash attributed to humanity’s nudity taboo.

Later, thanks to some gentle coaxing from Rainbow, Kyria was able to disrobe and allowed the smaller woman to carefully clean her back with a washcloth and and wash her hair with some scented soap. Afterwards, the three settled into the large tub to relax and enjoy some pleasant conversation and much-welcomed drink.

And then Twilight’s moaning started.

Rainbow had her knees drawn up to her chest, her small breasts pressed so firmly against her thighs that she gave herself a small cleavage. Her eyes were trained on a single spot of the brass tub under the water, as she desperately tried to force out the mental images of Lero, Twilight, Rarity, and Lyra naked in a bathtub, their bodies entwined with each other, gazing at her with sultry eyes, asking her to-

“Why don’t you join them, Rainbow?” asked Luna casually.

“WHAT?!” screeched Rainbow Dash, her gossamer wings flaring fully erect and sending up a spray of water. Kyria’s mouthful of wine vaporized into a cloud as it left her mouth.

“You are courting them, are you not? It should only be natural that you join them in moments of passion.”

Rainbow Dash gaped like a fish out of water for a few seconds before she returned her gaze to the bottom of the tub. “Oh well, I… eventually, I will but, I only just started courting them. I mean, it’s not like I can just barge in and ask if I could… if I could…” Any further thoughts were lost as Rainbow slid further into the water, her words coming out as incoherent mumbling between a string of bubbles.

Kyria’s gaze darted from Luna to Rainbow Dash and back to the wall where she could hear her travelling companions’ sounds of intimacy. Her eye widened and her face became more flushed as the implications of what her batchmates were saying truly dawned on her.

“This… this really is normal for you?” she stammered. “Everyone has… you all have group sex? All the time?”

Rainbow poked her head fully out of the bath water. She was still blushing furiously but able to reply with, “Well… yeah, absolutely! Er, well, if by ‘everyone’ you mean ‘ponies in general.’ I don’t, but Lero and his herd… they all love each other.”

Now it was Kyria’s turn to stammer. “Well, wouldn’t, I mean, one man and multiple women… wouldn’t there be jealousy?”

Rainbow Dash became genuinely confused. “Uh… no. Why? They’ve all got each other. What would any of them have to be jealous of?”

Luna sat her drink back down on a small floating tray with a knowing smile. “I think I recall Sir Bellerophon once saying that in the land of his birth, there are an equal amount of sta… men as there are women, and that it’s customary for them to join in monogamous pairs?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right,” said Kyria. “One mom and one dad; that’s pretty much the human way. I mean, I’ve heard that some other cultures practiced stuff like harems, but they were only for the kings and sultans and stuff. No one does it like that anymore.”

Luna refilled her drink and poured one for both Kyria and Rainbow Dash. “In my nation and among my people, there has always been and will forever be a vast abundance of ‘women,’ and a lamentable scarcity of ‘men.’ So our practice of polygamy arose out of a biological necessity, at first, and has since grown into the social standard. It is customary for the ‘women’ to form bonds of love between themselves and unite their strength together to protect the ‘men’.”

Kyria laughed at that. “Seriously? Wow, if you said that to some people back home…” Kyria chuckled again as she downed her drink in a single gulp.

Rainbow Dash remained oblivious as to the source of the horned girl’s amusement. “Yeah,” she said, “Herd Bellerophon… I guess you could say they pretty much represent a very typical, healthy, natural family unit where we’re from. And frankly, I’m super-lucky they want me to be part of their herd.”

“Surely, even on your world, there must still exist groups of multiple lovers?” Luna asked the horned girl.

Kyria thought for a moment. “Well, yeah, I guess, but only in threes, at most. And even that… well, aside from it being illegal to marry like that in most places, it never-”

Rainbow looked aghast. “Illegal?!”

“Surely not!” cried Luna.

“Yeah,” nodded Kyria. “Polygamy is illegal back home. Besides… I’ve heard it never works out anyways. Humans are just too… possessive. One always loves another too much or too little and things just break down. Do you ponies never really have that problem?”

Luna didn’t hesitate. “Well, I can’t say that every herd has been perfect. There is such a thing as a lead mare and stallion-”

“Which would be Rarity and Lero,” interjected Rainbow.

“Correct. And, yes, sometimes a herd will be divided for any number of reasons. But, generally, it is as natural to us as monogamous pairings are to you, Kyria. Those that form a herd do so out of love, the stallion to his mares, the mares to their stallion, and the mares amongst themselves.”

Kyria’s eyebrows raised. “You… you all have same-sex…?!”

From the other side of the wall, the three ladies could all hear Lyra and Twilight both excitedly urging each other on.

“Of course. It is love. And our people do their best to embrace it in all its forms.”

Any further commentary was cut off by a renewed set of moaning from the neighboring room.

“Lero! Lero! Leeeeerooooo!!” cried out Rarity as she climaxed against her stallion. Lero had bent her over the edge of the tub and had taken her from behind. One arm wrapped around her torso, a hand clasping at a large breast while the twin came up from Rarity’s sticky nethers. The woman moaned in satisfaction as Lero gave a few shuddering thrusts, spilling his load in her womb. Rarity turned her head and locked lips with her prince, savoring the warm sensation flooding her body as she prolonged their joining with their intimate kiss.

“Oh, my prince,” she whispered. “That… that was…”

“Yeah,” replied Lero, as he deepened the kiss.

“Oh Leeeeerooo,” singsonged Lyra.

Lero looked up and saw both her and Twilight displaying themselves on the room’s single, large bed. Lyra was kneeling with her legs spread wide, showing off a set of swollen and dripping lips while Twilight had laid on her back, one hand pulling her hair back while the other spread her own nethers.

Already, Lero’s blood was stirring to his groin again.

“Why don’t you dry off and join us, Fingers?” asked Lyra. Both of her hands squeezed her smaller, firmer breasts and she arched her back with her words.

Lero helped Rarity out of the tub, who gave him a quick toweling and ushered him to the edge of the bed. Lero kneeled on the bed, his eyes never leaving Lyra’s for a moment as the two wrapped their arms around another and kissed passionately. Rarity laid next to Twilight, a hand gently resting on Twilight’s navel as they both watched their other lovers.

Lero broke the kiss to leave a trail down Lyra’s jawline, his breathing becoming hard as he inhaled her scent. Despite the transformation, she still held onto her original scent. They all did. As Lero revelled in Lyra’s minty smell, his hands ran along Lyra’s smooth back, sending tingling current of pleasure throughout her body. Lyra arched her back under the touch, pulling Lero’s head down to her breasts. Lero planted soft and gentle kisses on the firm mounds.

Lyra’s thoughts swirled in her head under Lero’s expert touch. She felt her skin light ablaze as he took one of her nipples between his lips. But she was never one to simply lay back and let the stallion do all the work. Her hand came between them and Lyra gripped Lero’s erect member, a move that made the man give a low and rumbling moan into her chest. Lyra began to use her new hand to pleasure her stallion. Using her palm to stroke his length, she eventually moved downwards to cup his sack.

“I want you,” whispered Lyra into his ear. Her other arm was wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders. “Now.”

Lero’s hands cupped her rear as he lifted her up slightly and onto himself. The lotus position was the pair’s favorite. As a pony, Lyra had only been successful in using it with other mares, but not stallions; the way their bodies had been built just made it very uncomfortable. Lero’s unique physiology and his skills as a lover, on the other hand, hadn’t just made it comfortable.

It made it divine.

Lyra moved herself up and down on top of Lero’s stiff cock, Lero meeting her with his own slow and short thrusts, their skin slick in sweat as the two looked into each other’s eyes in shared silence. Compared to whenever they made love with Twilight, or Rarity, or Rainbow before her Swap, Lyra and Lero were very quiet with each other, aside from a small squeak or a loud gasp. To most, the act may have seemed boring, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The shared movements and breathing were some of the most intimate two being could share.

Rarity watched in rapt fascination as the lovers moved subtly, their faces becoming more strained at the approaching shared climax. When the moment did come and the two lovers shared what Lyra called “the big long now”, she felt her own nethers becoming slick again with arousal. Rarity let out a gasp as she felt Twilight’s lips on her sensitive breasts, the violet woman’s eyes looking up at her, half-lidded and foggy with passion. Twilight gave a little whimper as she rubbed her legs together, silently begging for release.

“Why, Sparkle-kitten,” Rarity whispered teasingly, “is there something you need?”

Twilight’s response was to pant heavily and moan, a hand drifting down to her dripping cunny and fingering her engored mound.

“P-please,” she half-whimpered, half-begged. Lero and Lyra had turned to gaze at her, their own eyes drooping in post-coital afterglow.

Rarity reached out to Lero as Lyra slowly pulled herself off of him, letting the evidence of their joining dribble a little onto the bedding. Twilight’s gaze immediately latched onto Lero’s cock, still glistening with Lyra’s juices and his own seed. She got to her hands and knees, allowing Rarity to lead her over to Lero.

Twilight began to eagerly suck without any hesitation. The taste of Lero’s and Lyra’s mixed cum flooded her senses. Lero, who had abandoned all rational thought at this point, simply grabbed onto Twilight’s hair, giving it a firm tug. Twilight moaned loudly around the still-erect penis as Lero’s hand turned her gaze upwards to meet his own. She began to bob her head eagerly, slurping wetly as her tongue ran along the bottom of his shaft, and gagging slightly as the head entered her throat.

“Oh, fuuuuucck,” Lero moaned loudly, as Rarity pulled a panting Twilight off his dick, leaving behind a glistening strand of saliva.

“Does it taste good, Sparkle-kitten?” whispered Rarity. “Did Lyra’s little cunt taste good on our stallion’s cock?”

Twilight offered an incoherent murmur in response. Rarity sat her upright and kissed her, her tongue swirling around Twilight’s mouth, tasting the last remnants of cum.

“Mmmm… that did taste good,” she said, laying Twilight on her back with spread legs. “But I think I know what you want now, Sparkle-kitten.”

“Uhn,” grunted Twilight. Lero had taken up position between her legs, rubbing the head of his throbbing dick at Twilight’s entrance. Twilight responded with a wiggle of her hips, trying to reach herself on top of him, but Rarity held her in place.

“Tell us what you want, Twilight,” said Rarity.

“Ru… rut me,” begged Twilight as Lero continued to tease her.

“No, no,” chastised Rarity, her tone maddeningly sweet. “Use the right words.”

“F-f-fu-fuck…”

“I can’t hear you, darling.”

“Fuck me,” said Twilight. Lero moved forward slightly, using only the tip to open her up before pulling back out. It was too much, and Twilight cried out. “Fuck me, Lero! FUCK ME!!”

Lero surged forward and Twilight suddenly wasn’t there anymore. In her place was a woman who was panting like a dog in heat as Lero drove into her, causing her to sound off in loud pleasured cries as each thrust hit her in that one sensitive spot that all women shared.

“More! More!! Fuck me MORE!!” cried Twilight. Lero grabbed and lifted both of Twilight’s legs, spread them upwards in the air as each of his thrusts became more fevered, filling the room with Twilight’s moaning and the wet slapping sound off their bodies meeting.

Lyra had latched herself onto Rarity, spreading the pale woman onto her back. Lyra was on her side with a hand between Rarity’s legs, lifting it over her own midriff as Lyra teased a supple breast with her tongue. Rarity’s head lolled to one side and gave her own cry as Lyra’s fingers coaxed her tunnel.

“Oh, Lyra!” moaned Rarity. “How -- ah! -- how are you so skilled -- mmmmhm! -- with those, songbird?”

Lyra looked up, grinning her trademark smile while she flicked her tongue in lazy circles around Rarity’s hard nipple.

“Do you have to ask, Rarity?” she responded. Lyra then got up and repositioned herself. Intertwining their legs and pressing their crotches against each other, both women moaned loudly as they began to grind. Their juices pooled in the center between them as they quickly reached a shared climax. As they leaned close for a sloppy kisses, gripping each other as they continued to shudder in ecstasy, a massive shriek drew their attention.

Twilight had somehow managed to get on top and was currently riding their stallion for all he was worth. Lero’s hands were on her hips, his thrusts forceful as he met Twilight’s downward thrusts. Twilight head lolled back, her tongue hanging out as a small stream of drool dribbled down her cheek. The symbols dancing across Twilight’s body glowed brightly, each one becoming distinct.

It happened so fast it took everyone by surprise. The symbols froze in place and flared brightly. Twilight’s eyes filled with a shining white light and-

-everything was blurred, indistinct.

Chains rattled somewhere, but she couldn’t see where.

Three small forms were shoved forward to their knees.

White, spindly legs skittered behind them.

Large, heavy footsteps descended from a black, stone staircase.

An imposing figure, cloaked in shadow reached out with its hand-

-and Twilight blacked out as her body rocked with massive spasms, so strong they drained every ounce of remaining energy from her body. Her body continued to shake as a flood broke from her vagina. Lero brought her close to his body, holding her tight against him until she quieted.

Rarity and Lyra helped them both under the covers. They laid Twilight on her back until her trembling breathes slowed and became steady, then surrounded their herd sister with their warm embrace. Twilight was out cold and they were soon to follow. They all relaxed in the afterglow, hot and sticky from the lovemaking.

As Lero closed his eyes and descended into slumber, he drew in the scent of his women, revelling in the simple fact that they were all together and ready to take on whatever.

“-ness, I must protest!”

“Captain Night Song,” said Celestia, setting down a scroll with her magic. “I would first like to know what-”

“You know damn well what! Classifying my reports is one thing, but having your stooge Bound Volume break into Clear Water’s office is completely out of line!” The two solar guards at the door tensed and fixed the thestral with harsh glares. Celestia waved them off with a wing.

“Come in,” she calmly said. Night Song stood tall and proud as he strode forward into the the Princess’ office. A fire was lit in the hearth, warming the room against the winter’s oncoming chill. Nearby was a large and ornately carved desk piled high with scrolls, small plates and used tea cups. Night Song notice that the only relatively clean area was one that surrounded a single framed photograph, though he could not see what it held from his current angle.

“Captain,” said Celestia, drawing back his attention. “I know these past few months have been… difficult, but-”

“Difficult does not begin to describe it, Your Highness,” he interrupted. “My tribe’s patroness, your own sister and fellow diarch, has gone missing along with half of the Elements of Harmony, yet at every chance I get to gather resources or personnel to look further into the matter, I suddenly find my efforts hindered. Reports have gone missing, ponies are suddenly reassigned, funds are diverted to ‘more pressing matters’. Your sister has vanished from the face of Equis! Why have you not-?”

“Captain,” fumed Celestia, her voice taking on an unnaturally firm tone. “I do not like what you are insinuating-”

“I am ‘insinuating’ nothing, Your Highness. I am laying accusation. I know that that worm Bound Volume answers only directly to you! Ever since you sent him to the Alpha Site, he has made a concentrated effort to suppress everything we tried to accomplish. Classifying the reports is one thing, but completely destroying them and all of the evidence retrieved?”

The truth of the matter was far more extensive. The Department of Internal Affairs had launched investigations on every member of the expedition. The soldiers, the academics, even the doctors and the zebra shamaness. It had been going on for months. When Night Song had begun to put the effort into raising the issue again, every one of the academics suddenly found themselves too busy or unwilling to help. High Tenure even had the gall to say that he couldn’t ever recall going into the Everfree in the first place.

Truth Seeker, the stallion who was involved in the horrible accident at the site, had been placed in a hospital to recover from the ordeal. But just as he had been making progress, enough that he may have even been able to fully describe what happened to him, Night Song found out that he had a sudden breakdown and had been transferred to some government facility that the Captain had never even heard of.

Even among his own Night Guard, he found problems. Night Shade, Hammerfall, all the others that experienced the strange dreams in the aftermath of Truth Seeker’s experiment, were suddenly ordered to go on leave for ‘psychological evaluations’, an order that was instituted by the new Captain of the Royal Guard that went directly over Night Song’s head. Upon returning, they had become extremely tight lipped about the whole experience.

It was only Night Shade, a stallion that Night Song held as close as a brother, told him about the matter. They had all been interviewed by Bound Volume himself. The unicorn pressed them on every detail imaginable from their experiences, writing everything down in a metal-bound book. It had gone on for hours with each interviewee. At the end of it, he had, in no subtle terms, threatened each of them with full discharge from the guard along with evidence that would completely discredit them.

Clear Water, Arcanus’s own assistant, had come to Night Song directly when she found herself being followed. He offered her his protection and the two had begun to investigate on their own. That is until Clear Water found her home and office broken into and all of her materials stolen.

“This is irresponsible, Celestia. Very important ponies have gone missing and may need rescue, yet any effort to do so has been derailed. How do you expect us to open another gateway and find-”

“That’s quite enough, Captain,” said Celestia, her tone carrying the finality of the matter. “I will not risk our world anymore than it already has been by outside forces.” She affixed the thestral with a glare that would have melted concrete. “Since you seem determined to pursue this matter, allow me to make it completely crystal clear to you.” She walked forward and Night Song found himself under her imposing gaze, the weight of it.

“There will be no more interviews, no more research, and no more experiments. I am forbidding any and all investigations into the matter. This not a request. It is my royal decree.”

Captain Night Song tried to muster a proper response but found himself nearly quaking in his armor like a rookie. The only words that came out were, “But she is your sister.”

Celestia’s eyes softened as the imposing mask melted away. “And that is what cuts me most deeply, Captain,” she said. “But for the sake of everypony in Equestria, every being in this world, I must order the investigation closed. We can only pray that they will find their own way back.”

Seeing Celestia like this was not what Night Song had expected. He had been ready to, well, he wasn’t quite sure really. Had he been ready to come in there and face the wrath of the sun? To demand justice and shame a demi-goddess into action? What had he hoped to achieve? Maybe it was just the sight of Clear Water, the unicorn mare alone and scared on his doorstep that prompted him into action.

He wasn’t even sure anymore. Without any further word, Night Song turned and exited the office, leaving the princess alone.

After the door closed behind him, she let out a shuddering breath, the carefully crafted mask dropping as she walked slowly around to behind her desk. With a flash of magic and the click of a hidden mechanism, a slender drawer popped loose, revealing a bottle of aged liquor. Celestia uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount into one of the many tea cups before downing it in a single gulp.

Her eyes drifted to a nearby newspaper. “SEARCH PARTY STILL MISSING; THREE MONTHS AND NO WORD” the headlines proclaimed. Behind it was a single framed photograph. It held the image of group of ponies and a single human, all grouped together with determined looks.

Celestia’s hoof drifted over the stern faced, midnight blue alicorn. “Come home, sister,” she whispered. “Please, come ho-”

Rainbow started awake in a cold sweat. Her chest heaved under her small hand as she tried in vain to slow down her heart. The pair of gossamer wings gently fluttered against her back, a reflex of her agitated state.

‘It was a dream,’ she tried to convince herself. ‘It was just a dream.’

But try as she might, she just couldn’t convince herself of it. The way it lacked the strange surrealness, the clarity of everything around her, the words she read on the newspapers-

‘Wait a minute, have I ever dreamed about reading stuff before? Newspapers and books and stuff? I’m pretty sure the few times I did, the words were either blurred or just… weren’t right. So what was…?’

“No, please,” came a tiny whimper. The voice was enough to snap Rainbow out of her thoughts. She looked around to try and find the source to voice. All the lights had been extinguished, blanketing the bedroom in darkness, save for the muted glow of the lanterns outside through the window blinds. Rainbow spotted Luna’s curved form resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing slow and gentle.

As her eyes wandered to the other bed, she noticed something amiss: it was empty and devoid of the downy comforters.

“No, no, I won’t…” came the whimper again. Something on the bed moved and Rainbow realized that it was the sheets. Something was pulling the sheets to the floor.

Rainbow gingerly got out of her bed and padded over to the third bed, pulling the silken night robes tight to her body. She felt anxious as she neared, as a foalish notion of some monster under the bed popped into her head. But as she rounded the foot of the bed, she saw what is really was.

Kyria was on the floor, curled into a tight ball, her eyes screwed shut as she pulled the sheets down around her. She was shivering and murmuring in her sleep, trapped in some sort of nightmare. Kyria’s black nails dug deeply into the bedding, threatening to tear holes into even the sturdy fabric.

“No, stop,” she cried again in a small voice. Rainbow knelt beside the horned girl. Why would she be on the floor?

“Kyria,” whispered Rainbow. The other woman didn’t respond. Rainbow carefully held her shoulder and began to shake. “Kyria, wake up,” she repeated more loudly.

Kyria’s trembling seemed to be getting worse, her whimpering becoming more fervent. Rainbow became more anxious and grabbed her with both hands and shook her more. “Kyria, wake up!”

Dash was rewarded with an open and wide pair of amber eyes and a hand at her throat. Kyria, still in the grip of the nightmare, stared at Rainbow and breathed harshly, her hand clasped around Dash’s smaller throat. Sweat poured from her brow as her eyes narrowed into a dangerous, predatory glare.

Rainbow had taken care of many animals who had been injured. Whether from abuse, other animals, or a purely natural accident, they could lash out at any given time. The best way to deal with them was with patience and caring. And Rainbow had both in spades.

“Kyria,” Rainbow whispered. She didn’t tense up. She allowed her body to relax, willing her breathing to be easy and her muscles to stay still.

Kyria’s amber eyes softened as the last remnants of the nightmare faded and recognition settled in. “...Rainbow?” she whispered disbelievingly.

Rainbow’s reply was accompanied by a soft smile. “It’s okay, Kyria,” she soothed. “It was just a dream.” She took Kyria’s hand in her own and gently removed it from her throat. As the horned girl looked around, still trying to get her bearings, Rainbow gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’re okay. We’re safe here.”

“But I saw-!”

“It was just a dream, Kyria,” reassured Dash. “Dreams can’t hurt you.”

Kyria raised a hand to her face and realised that twin streak of tears were already running down it. She tried to turn away from the winged girl to wipe her tears with her calloused palms. Rainbow stopped her and calmly took a corner of the sheets with one hand while holding her face steady with the other. Kyria flushed in embarrassment that she had to have her face cleaned up like a child, but she knew that she couldn’t argue with the caretaker. That and…

...it felt good. Just to know that someone cared.

“Why were you on the floor?” asked Rainbow, switching to the other cheek. “Did you fall?”

Kyria looked away. “I… I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “The bed was…” She mumbled something Dash didn’t quite pick up.

“It was what?”

“...it was too soft,” said Kyria. “After all that time sleeping on the ground or some straw or in the furs of monsters I skinned, if I was lucky, I… I can’t be comfortable anywhere else.”

Rainbow felt her heart ache as her earlier suspicions confirmed. The girl had lived for so long in the wilds that even something like a simple bed seemed to be off-putting. She had grown so used to living in hardship that the simple luxuries of civilization had become alien to her.

‘Well, not tonight,’ she resolved.

“Come on, stand up,” she ordered with a smile. Kyria blinked in surprise at the command and found herself being pulled upright by the smaller woman. Rainbow led her by the hand back towards her own bed, doing her best not to wake Luna, who had somehow slept soundly through all of this.

Kyria allowed herself to be seated on the edge of the bed and tucked in like a child would. She blushed again once she felt the residual warmth Rainbow had left behind, providing her with an unfamiliar but not unpleasant sensation through her own silken robes. Giving into an impulse, took a soft inhale of the lingering scent; rain, fresh earth and flowers. Rainbow then walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers. Kyria held her breath as she realised what Dash intended.

Dash came up close to Kyria, pressing herself into her back as her hands gently, almost shyly, rested on her shoulders. She felt Kyria tensed under her small palms. Under normal circumstances, Dash would probably be a stuttering mess, given the intimacy of their position. She had never had any real relationships before Lero had come along and she knew she was still bent. But these thoughts were ignored as she felt Kyria finally began to relax under her touch.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Rainbow whispered. “You should never have to be afraid of anything when you’re with people you care about. Or who care about you.”

She did not think of this as sexual. This was a different kind of intimacy. The kind shared between two friends in need of comfort.

Kyria shuddered as she turned over to face Rainbow. “Is this real?” she whispered. She was almost on the verge of tears as her hand reached out to touched to the transformed woman’s cheek. “Are you real?”

Rainbow smiled and touched Kyria’s hand. As if guided by her new form’s instincts, she interlaced her delicate little fingers amongst Kyria’s larger calloused digits.

“As real as you are, Kyria,” she whispered.

Kyria smiled but said nothing as she closed her eyes and a happy tear spilled. She pressed her forehead against Rainbow’s and the two women slept soundly in each other’s warm embrace.

Author's Notes:

[Omake: As he laid under the furs, a tiny voice in Lero's head had pondered why they seemingly hadn’t frozen to death the previous night, being nude under a relatively small pile of clothes while frost had formed all around them and sheets of ice floated in the waters below. That same voice found itself punched in the head by cartoonish rendition of Kyria, who promptly screamed, “It’s fucking magic! I ain’t gotta explain shit!”]

Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter took so long, but hopefully the content will make up for it. Comments, likes, and favs are greatly appreciated!

'Til next time!