// Author's Note: This chapter gets a little... cloppy? I have never read an "M" rated fic before, so I don't know how close this comes to bordering past a teen rating. If it offends, I apologize. //

The sky was dark by the time Twilight made it back to the library. She passed by Spike without a word and carried Cerulean upstairs, ignoring the cries of protest from her limbs as she focused solely on the unconscious stallion on her back. She gently set him down and crawled in beside him, drawing him close and closing her eyes. He had passed out from magic exhaustion shortly after putting the ring back on her hoof. His breathing was shallow, and Twilight fought to stem the tears that threatened to fall, funneling her regret into determination never to let her emotions or hormones come between them again.

“Cerulean... I’m going to do better, I promise. I won’t let you feel alone ever again,” she whispered, burying her face in his mane as the memories of him being encased in the ice came flooding back.

“Twilight?” Spike started, but drew silent. What was he supposed to say? It was clear everything wasn’t all right, and he doubted anything he could say could fix it. While he didn’t always appreciate Cerulean’s presence due to the amount of Twilight’s attention he sapped, Cerulean really had been suffering lately. While he was loathe to admit it, Spike couldn’t deny the strength of their bond, and if it could survive whatever happened while Twilight was away, then nothing could stand between them. “Twilight, I’m glad you brought him back.” Twilight motioned him to the bed and she drew him into a tight embrace.

“Spike, thank you for your kind words and constant support. I don’t give you near enough praise.” The last of any lingering resentment for Cerulean was banished by her gracious words, and he inserted himself between the two and gave the blue stallion’s still form a mighty embrace, bringing him to wakefulness as his weakened lungs found themselves unable to resist even the slight amount of pressure. “Spike, could you go grab some water?” He dashed downstairs and returned a short while later, glass in hand. Twilight eased Cerulean onto his back and lifted his head as she brought the cup to his lips. He took a few sips and gasped, taking a few seconds to breathe before attempting to resume drinking. Twilight set the cup down on the dresser and gently gathered the frail stallion into her arms while Spike sat down on the other side of him, placing a comforting claw on his shoulder.

“Twilight?” She couldn’t help but cringe, his voice coming out raspy and hoarse. It took her a few seconds to summon the strength to respond.

“What is it, Cerulean?” She pulled back so she could look him in the eyes.

“Please, don’t ever... don’t take your ring off like that. I can’t... begin to describe the kind of terror that it caused.” His speech was strained, taking every ounce of strength he had to vocalize the turmoil that had wreaked havoc in his heart and mind. His eyes closed half way as his head was drawn to the soft fur of Twilight’s chest while her other hoof caressed his mane.

“I promise, it won’t happen again.” Silence took the room as Twilight and Cerulean took comfort in each other’s presence, before she finally summoned the courage to ask what had been on her mind since he passed out. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“Twilight, I already have.” It wasn’t fair, that she could be forgiven just like that. It wasn’t enough. He had done so much for her, she couldn’t stand to just do nothing! But as Flying Grace’s words came back to her mind, she quieted her feelings of guilt. It wasn’t a contest, and if she was indeed forgiven, than dwelling on the past would only harm the future. Wasn’t there something she could do for him now, though? Come to think of it, his magic reserves were pretty drained. He’d probably feel a lot better once he slept. She lay him on his back and snuggled close to him, nuzzling his neck and sighing softly. A sudden wave of gratitude prompted her to hoist herself up, and cracked open an eye as she looked down at him.

“Cerulean, I really don’t deserve this... but I’m going to try to show you the same kindness you’ve shown me from the start. I want to learn, so please, teach me,” she whispered, touching her horn to his and closing her eyes, letting the depth of her affection flow. Cerulean could tell, even without her transferring some of her emotions, that her words came from the heart, and it was all he needed to keep going. This could work, and with that final thought he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Twilight soon followed after, her mind too filled with awe at the stallion in her hooves to notice the usual discomfort she felt when sleeping, and she was soon in a land of dreams.

The light of a full moon shone brilliantly in the night sky as a sea of stars danced overhead. Cerulean made his way through the peaceful forest with a sense of gratitude and awe, and as he broke through the tree line he found a beautiful waterfall, the slight mist caused feeble rainbows in the faint light of the lunar bodies. He slowly made his way into the soothing flow, the cool flow as rejuvenating as any hot shower, and with a contented sigh he stood motionless, letting the strength return to his limbs.

Something brushed his flank and her turned to find Twilight leaning against him, eyes closed as she rest her head against him. Cerulean watched for a time as the water played with her mane, the streaks blending with the deeper violet to make new colors. Guiding her face gently with a hoof, he brought their lips together under the cleansing flow, and the stress and fears that had built over the last five months drained away with the water that showered down all around.

“Cerulean, you’ve been a very good colt, and now, it’s time for your reward.” Cerulean didn’t have time look confused before Twilight tackled him into the stream, standing over him and leaning in deep, but as he closed his eyes her lips connected not with his own, but his horn. It was something that Cerulean had never experienced before, and a thrill of excitement pulsed through his body as the tip of her tongue gently caressed his horn, immediately causing a faint blue glow. Feeling no need to resist, he brought his hooves to her flanks and drew her close, letting the magic suffuse his being with an altogether different, though just as pleasurable, stimulation.

Even before the sun’s first rays lit the room, Twilight had awoken as her mind instantly returned to brainstorming some way to serve Cerulean. She’d always been on the receiving end, and he never really made any requests, except to perhaps not be punished.

“Come on, Cerulean. Give me something to work with, here,” she said with a sigh, staring at the slumbering stallion with inquisitive eyes. His horn suddenly gave a faint glow for a moment before fading. Twilight immediately drew him close, expecting an incoming nightmare due to everything that had been building for so long. However, this caused the glow to become consistent, and she quickly realized that the magical aura was indicating something else entirely. Twilight hesitated a moment before touching his horn, and small flashes of his dream soon came into view. “Of course, how simple. You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you...”

Twilight’s heart began to race as she slowly sat up, careful not to disturb Cerulean with the movement and eased his head onto her chest. He twitched slightly but remained asleep, and giving a quick look to make sure Spike was still asleep, she gave his horn a tentative lick near the tip. A brief flash brought a smile to her face, and her hesitation was quickly replaced with desire. It had been quite a while for herself too, and she found the new experience extremely stimulating, even without him being awake, as evidenced by the faint lavender light that was bathing the scene. Her tongue soon resumed contact, tracing paths up and down the length of the horn. A soft moan encouraged her further, and she gently eased his horn into her mouth, suckling gently and rolling her tongue around it in slow, clockwise motions.

Cerulean suddenly woke with a gasp as the pleasure of reality overpowered the now seemingly feeble excitement of his dream. Twilight drew back, afraid that she’d done something wrong.

“Twilight, that felt amazing. Could you... keep going?” His hesitancy to make a request only fueled Twilight’s hunger for his satisfaction, and without a word she drew him close as he had to her in the dream and gingerly licked the tip, savoring each moan as if it were her own. Every fiber of Cerulean’s being seemed to come alive as the magic flowing in his blood danced and sparked, and he couldn’t help but tremble as his body was overcome with the power of the sensation. Twilight squeezed him tighter as she slid the horn into her mouth, this time a little deeper than she had before, and it was all she could do to keep from squealing herself as Cerulean’s labored breathing tempted her ears.

A sweet, crisp taste tantalized her tongue for a moment, causing Twilight to pull away and stare. A pulse of light shone as a small bead of a blue, syrup like substance seeped from the tip of Cerulean’s horn. A second lick confirmed that it was indeed what she had tasted just moments before, and she gave a soft moan as she let the taste overcome her senses. It was good, and she wanted more. Cerulean had no way to gauge how much he could take, since this was his first time receiving this kind of favor, but as Twilight’s mouth engulfed his horn, the sudden sparks shooting through his mind and body told him it wasn’t going to be much longer. Under normal circumstances, Cerulean would never had dared to make any kind of sexual requests, but his usual inhibitions about asking for things for himself were being steadily melted away as his body burned under the heat of their passion.

“Twilight, can you...” he started before losing his breath completely as Twilight bit down gently, reading his mind and promptly wiping it blank. He could feel the magic accumulating rapidly in his horn with each roll of the tongue. Twilight could sense his body’s desire for release, and she paused a moment before pushing the full length of the horn into her mouth and biting down at the base. It was too much. Five months of tension combined with the pent up magic in his horn and spilled forth, filling Twilight’s mouth and then some. She pulled away and the residual pulsing ejected a good amount on her coat, and as she swallowed a few massive gulps she gave a satisfied sigh as Cerulean trembled, completely overcome by the raw pleasure that was flooding his being even as most of the little magic he had left seeped from his horn, shimmering like glitter as the sunlight danced through it. Twilight began happily cleaning her coat as Cerulean lay seemingly paralyzed, his chest heaving and a massive grin gracing his features.

“Cerulean, I’m sorry it took me this long. You shouldn’t have had to wait like that.”

“S’all good.” She was being serious, and was hoping for something a little more heartfelt. Cerulean’s body, however, was still attempting to recover, but he noticed her slight frown and immediately tried to correct it. “It’s kind of my fault for not asking. I have trouble asking for things for myself, especially in regards to things of a more erotic nature.”

“Well, stop it. You have no idea how fun that was for me, and I don’t want you to ever feel like you need to hide something from me, ok?” He was about to respond when he noticed Twilight’s horn was shining just as his had been, and still was, though the glow was fading. “Cerulean, what’s with that grin?” Choosing to respond with actions rather than words, he sat up and gently scooped a hoof full of the magic secretion from Twilight’s chest and brought it to her lips, causing her previous blush to come back as the full extent of what had just happened came upon her. Cerulean smiled as she savored the treat, and taking advantage of the fact that her head was bent towards him, he bid self restraint farewell and slid the tip of her horn into his mouth.

Twilight’s eyes screwed shut as her pleasure center was set to full alert, a tingling feeling racing through her whole body as the torrent of desire came rushing back, banishing even the discomfort of being pregnant. She could feel a massive amount of magic being focused within her horn as it pulsed, but unlike Cerulean, her’s continued to build due to the overwhelming amount of magic she contained. Soon it wasn’t just her horn, but her entire body that was glowing with her magical aura.

He hadn’t imagined he would, but the magic seeping from Twilight’s horn was the most delicious, gratifying thing Cerulean could ever recall tasting. Ever eager to please, Cerulean rapidly shifted between different spots along the length of Twilight’s horn, always shifting and evenly distributing the stimulation. It was really very unnecessary, since staying in a single spot would have been enough, but as he saw Twilight’s being radiating with magic he drove himself to greater efforts. She was much more vocal than he had been, and was doing little to keep her voice down. Cerulean closed his eyes and slid the horn into his mouth, preparing to take her through to the end when a sudden voice caused him to spook, biting down hard.

“Cerulean, what are you?” Spike said before Twilight screamed in elation as her body couldn’t contain the magic within any longer. The poor dragon had but a moment to comprehend what was occurring before his vision was blurred by a thick, glittering, lavender substance that exploded from her horn, coating the room in a veritable blanket of the magical secretion. Cerulean choked and sputtered as he was coated mane to hoof in the substance, and while still blinded he felt an occasional splash as her horn emptied itself of the last remaining remnants of magic. Twilight would have been thoroughly embarrassed, but her body and mind were incapable of such sentiments as she was still filled to the brim with the tingling afterglow of the experience. Spike hadn’t moved from his spot on the steps, his face still coated, and Cerulean wiped his face clear with a hoof, absent mindedly licking it clean before attempting to make contact.

“Spike? You, uh, you ok?” In response, the dragon’s famously long pink tongue snaked out, took a tentative lick, and immediately gave himself a full bath.

“Ok? That was delicious! Twilight, it’s nice to see that your experimentation with food has finally paid off! What was that?”

“Oh, just a little jam Twilight made up special,” Cerulean snickered, looking back at his now thoroughly embarrassed, and slightly disturbed, fiancé. Did it really taste that good to everypony?

“Well, I’ll just get right to “cleaning” this mess up!” Spike replied, getting ready to dive in before Cerulean stopped him.

“Easy there, Spike. You can’t eat too much of this, errr, jam. It’ll make you sick if you do. Come on, let’s get to cleaning.”

“But, we can’t just waste it! Oh, I know!” he exclaimed, dashing downstairs and returning with a few large jars. “We can just scoop it in here. That way, we don’t have to throw it all away!” Both ponies were now blushing violently, Twilight focused intently on the wall and Cerulean was desperately trying not to make eye contact. What were they supposed to say?

“Should we,” Twilight started.

“No, let’s just... let him be.” Spike dutifully began shoveling generous amounts into the jars, taking great pains not to get any unnecessary dirt or other such debris mixed in. In the end, he filled seven gallon sized jars before calling it quits and busting out the mop, while Cerulean worked on the shelves and other harder to reach places. Spike began cleaning the stairs, and as soon as he was out of sight Cerulean set down the towel and began cleaning what was left out of Twilight’s fur. She welcomed him with open hooves, and closed her eyes as gave her a thorough grooming. “You’re much messier than I was expecting.” Twilight rolled away at the statement, immediately self conscious and thoroughly embarrassed. Cerulean’s hoof gently descended on her shoulder rolling her to face him. “I never said it was a bad thing, Twilight,” he said softly. “Thank you for sharing with me. Besides,” he chuckled, “it’s extremely, how shall I say, Twilight-licious?”

“Oh, don’t start that again,” she laughed, pushing his face away. He lay down beside her and drew her close, holding her in silence as they both felt the strengthening of their bond, not simply in action but in heart. “Cerulean, I know I’ve said it a lot already, but...”

“Twilight, just hold me.” It was a simple request, but his voice was soft, fragile, and she knew that there was more meaning behind the words than their literal meaning. Ten minutes passed before he spoke again. “This... this is all I need from you, Twilight. Just to know that I am appreciated, to know somepony cares, that my efforts aren’t in vain. That day, after the poison joke? That kept me from going over for nearly a month. I know you weren’t ready to be a mother yet, and it’s painfully obvious that you’re struggling. It also doesn’t help that I’m kind of an idiot,” he said with a weak chuckle, eliciting a small squeeze from Twilight. “But I will try my best. To learn, to love, and maybe even how to ask a favor every now and then.”

“Oh, please do,” she whispered, and for a moment Cerulean had to wonder if he was being taken seriously. Twilight pulled away and beheld her stallion with shining eyes, a small trickle running from each. “I’m going to do better too, Cerulean. I promise. I will never let you feel alone again.” Cerulean gently drew her muzzle into a tender kiss, wiping away the tears as the fires of hope roared back to life.

“Uh, hey everypony? I’m done cleaning downstairs.” The sentimental moment was shattered as they beheld Spike, who despite his best attempts to look innocent was clearly guilty of discarding the mop in place of his tongue. The baby dragon couldn’t understand what was so funny until their pointing hooves caused him to gasp, leading his eyes to his swollen gut that was shining with a faint, lavender aura.