As the night fell with flakes and powder of snow, Faerie Tail kissed her colt good night and wished him a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve as she left Twinken's bedroom. Returning to hers and after going through her bedtime rituals, she settled into bed... and gazed at the empty spot beside her. It'd been months since she'd awoken from her enchanted sleep, and a part of her still woke up expecting to feel the warm mass of her husband in bed with her, a warm, good morning kiss, or a hoof and foreleg hugging her around her side from behind, only to be disappointed when she saw that she was alone.

She hid her pain and her sadness from her sons, her daughter-in-law, her friends Night Light and Velvet, and the Apple Family. A few times, Midnight and Twilight had both tried to get Faerie Tail to talk about her husband, but apart from fond reminiscing, Faerie Tail avoided the subject altogether. At first, she'd spoken more earnestly about Ignitus with Midnight and even with Celestia, only to be told that despite numerous searches and pursuits of all possible leads, Ignitus Enflame had not been seen or heard from for over ten years. Midnight even told her he'd searched beyond Equestria's borders, chasing even the most vague rumor to many distant places, spoken to many beings and creatures.

All leads led to nowhere, and Midnight was finally forced to call off the searches to focus on his duties in Equestria.

The logical and reasonable side of Faerie Tail understood. Her heart however continued to ache.

Even so, she knew Hearth's Warming Morning would be bright and wonderful, and seeing her family together for the holiday would surely cheer her up. At least, that's what she thought to herself as she drifted away...

It was rare for Faerie Tail to discern that she was dreaming and become lucid with awareness. Her mind wasn't totally clear, but close enough as she dreamed up her old home back in Canterlot. The home she'd shared with her husband and her firstborn son. A three-and-a-half story manor, large yet warm with the comfort of family and the intimacy of a place where she could always feel safe and sound.

The memories of her old home were not perfect, but she could recall a surprising amount of detail as it all fleshed itself out before her very eyes. The hallway, the staircase, the living room, the dining room, the furnishings. She saw her bookcase built into the wall, filled with her collection of the written word. Some of them her own published works, others valued first editions that would be the envy of any collector of literature. The framed pictures on the mantle piece, one showing her and her husband on their wedding day, one on their first anniversary, another where she was pregnant with her first foal, the next of her holding her foal the day he was born, and more.

She continued to look around and noticed more. Her husband's favorite chair, where he often read the paper while their son played at his hooves. The fireplace where they'd taught their son how to make s'mores when he was only a toddler. The open middle of the room where her son and his best friends used to play, read comic books, and even have sleepovers with Shining Armor and Bright Side.

Though those memories were beloved and warm, of those her husband felt painfully bittersweet. She could see him right there in his favorite chair, holding up his usual paper, preventing her from seeing his face. Her wish to see him manifested in the paper lowering... and there he was. His handsome, smiling face, warm and subtle yet loving and true.

Faerie Tail didn't even notice the room around them change into their old bedroom, and Ignitus now sat on the edge of the bed, giving Faerie Tail a come-hither smirk.

"...Ignitus?" Faerie Trail spoke softly as she asked, "Can... can you tell me what happened to you?"

Ignitus said nothing. Instead, he stuck out his tongue just a little while bobbing his brows in a cheesy yet tempting manner, that Faerie Tail couldn't help but giggle though she tried to stifle it.

Candles suddenly lit up, casting the bedroom into a warm and sultry radiance, rose petals seemed to rain around them, and the look her husband was giving her. It stirred Faerie Tail in a place that hadn't been stirred in Goddess knew how long. A subtle heat in her nether regions... and apparently Ignitus was feeling a similar urge as she noticed his sheath swell before his meat silo began to peer out, colored a darker red than his coat.

Ignitus spread his legs, allowing Faerie Tail to have a clear view of his increasing erection. It wasn't at full mast yet but... did it look a little bigger than she remembered? Either way, Faerie Tail shuddered with anticipation as she stepped forward, crouched down and sniffed, breathing in the musk of her stallion and awakening needs she hadn't thought about (much) since she'd woken from her cursed coma. As her hubby's stallionhood rose to the occasion, she eyed the length, smirked at the girth, and licked her lips as she breathed in her stallion's scent more deeply... and began sliding her tongue along the length. Ignitus growled softly with pleasure and softly gasped when Faerie Tail took her husband's member into her mouth, a bit difficult at first due to his flare, but in no time at all she gave a rousing fellatio to her stallion, who tilted his head back, groaning as he enjoyed his wife's tongue.

Faerie Tail went slow and steady at first, wanting for them both to enjoy this. But already she could feel Ignitus's shaft getting fatter and harder, and likewise she was feeling her marehood heating up as she enjoyed this, this intimacy. The feeling and the taste in her mouth though it was rather... bland? Lacking? Maybe she just had to get more into it, and so she began to deep-throat her husband's cock. She heard his groans turn into growls of barely-contained pleasure and didn't even notice how far down her throat she was sucking nor that she didn't even need to breathe.

Ignitus's growls began to turn into anxious groans, growing louder and louder, as he fought the losing battle of the fast-approaching climax and Faerie Tail rubbed herself down there, trying to abate her lust but feeling her hoof becoming wet. Finally, Ignitus let out a gasping bray and Faerie Tail felt her mouth fill with cum that quickly slid down her throat though she didn't choke. She released Igntius's cock from her mouth, which dripped with semen and saliva.

She sat there, shuddering as her arousal calmed a little but it remained. Though the taste of cum didn't seem right either. She didn't get to dwell on it as she heard a growl and looked up to see Ignitus giving her rev'd-up smirk as he gestured for Faerie Tail to come to bed. Smiling, Faerie Tail crawled in and snuggled up to her big red stallion, enjoying this familiar warmth as he leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back and they both started making out, kissing, cuddling, enjoying the other's touch. Even the touches to the other's nether regions.

Faerie Tail and Ignitus nuzzled cheek to cheek before he positioned himself over her and looked into her eyes and she his.

They stayed that way for a long moment. Until Faerie Tail reached up and caressed her husband's cheek in her hoof.
"Ignitus... I've missed you. So much. Ever since I woke up from that-that... I have so many questions for you. What happened to you? Where did you go? Why did you leave our sons? ...Are you even still alive?"

Ignitus did not answer. His face was almost blank except for a subtle semblance of regret and desire, as he leaned his head down and very gently nibbled at Faerie Tail's neck, causing her to shudder, even as Ignitus's hooves began to reach down and gently feel her barrel, her tummy, and even her teats. His touch was gentle but growing more and more passionate as he began to work his way down, nibbling Faerie Tail's sensitive parts, licking her skin where her fur was thin, and even sniffing in her scent. Faerie Tail felt her lower lips puffing with arousal... and lightly gasped as Ignitus began to lick her sex!

"Ohh... Ignitus!" Faerie Tail whispered as she held his head with her forehooves, the feeling of his big warm tongue gently moistening her marehood, how he tickled her clitoris, and tasted her arousal growing hotter and hotter with every lick.

Then he stopped.

Faerie Tail looked down and saw Ignitus leaning back... to show off his erection was once again at the ready, and she realized what was next. She spread her hind legs and bade him to proceed with a longing look. Ignitus nodded and positioned his cock just so, the flare gently brushing with Faerie Tail's petals in a teasing kind of way. She gave him a pouty look of annoyance and the way he gave her a cheeky smirk in return to tease her was rubbing her the wrong way.

"Either you rut me like an animal or I'lllaaaaAAAAAUUUGHHHH!!!" Faerie Tail cried out in aroused alarm as Ignitus stuck his dick inside her. The length, the girth, the sheer size brought back a ghost of familiarity as he began to fuck her.

He was vigorous with every thrust yet gentle with every pull, and his medial ring felt so good every time it entered and exited her marehood. Faerie Tail moaned and grunted with every thrust. Oh, how she'd missed this. This most natural yet carnal of pleasures, the feeling of being claimed by a worthy stallion, a devoted partner. The wordless process both partners shared in finding the right rhythm- Oh! There it was... She felt it, building slowly but surely, and as much as she yearned for the moment to come already, she wanted for this to last as long as equinely possible!

Words buzzed in her head yet never made it to her mouth, as Faerie tail couldn't bring herself to interrupt this most intimate of progresses, this most natural of acts between a mare and her stallion. At the back of her mind, she wanted to say something despite knowing deep down that as much as she wished for him to be, this was not her Ignitus.

The impending pleasure was nearing the apex. She threw her forelegs around Ignitus, moaning in both pleasure and heartache, juxtaposed by her wishes that this could last... maybe not forever, but for a while longer, and for the moment to come already. In more ways than one.

Then... she came. Oh, how she came! She threw her head back, her eyes closing in ecstasy, feeling the brief yet incredible pleasure of climax...

...and then she woke up.

Looking around, Faerie Tail realized, she was still in her bedroom, in the Apple Family residence. And she was alone. But the blissful pleasure of climax yet lingered in her marehood and she realized, she'd just had a wet dream.

A wet dream that had been so intense and passionate it caused her to wake up from an orgasm.

As she lay there in the afterglow, feeling the pleasure fade away... she felt the bitter heartache return with the reminder of reality. She was alone. Her husband was not here. The tears began to well up in her eyes as her heart hurt... but no. There was no use crying over- Well, not spilled milk, or even the damp aftermath of pleasure courtesy of her wet dream.

She got out of bed, quickly changed her sheet while levitating in a paper towel from the hallway bathroom and cleaned herself.

Before returning to bed, Faerie Tail looked out her bedroom window and gazed out to the night sky. It was so beautiful. Far more beautiful than it had ever been when she'd been growing up. It made sense, of course.

Princess Luna had still been banished to the moon.

Clearly the Princess of the Night had started making up for lost time in glorifying the night. As much as the day was more busy and lively, the night was now so much more resplendent for those who only took the time to appreciate it. The stars shined brighter, the constellations more detailed and perceivable, distant nebulae glimmered with a rainbow of colors by the various lights of the galaxy's celestial bodies shining through their stardust.

But her eyes were drawn to one certain star.

It was a star that always shined beside the moon, radiating a blue so pale it was almost white. It was known as the Lunar Arrow, because it made the crescent moon look like a bow with an arrow at the ready. She'd never known that. Until her third date with Ignitus Enflame, who'd pointed it out to her and explained that the Lunar Arrow both represented and honored the Guardspony who first served Princess Luna millennia ago, early into the initial reign of the Royal Sisters. He'd been her most devoted and loyal soldier, such that he gave his life to protect his princess during a battle.

Touched by his sacrifice and heartbroken by his loss, Princess Luna had made the Lunar Arrow Star to represent her first soldier, who'd always helped her stay on the straight and narrow. His loss had attributed to her losing her way, that she became Nightmare Moon.

When Faerie Tail had asked Ignitus why he was telling her this story, he'd answered that because Faerie Tail was now his guiding star. So touched and charmed by his words, the look on his face, the sound of his voice, they'd kissed right then and there for the very first time.

Looking upon the Lunar Arrow now, a comfort settled Faerie Tail's heart, as well as a newfound faith.

"Ignitus..." she spoke softly as she held her gaze upon that star, "I can only suppose you left to find a way to wake me up. That doesn't excuse you for leaving our sons, but I can understand. I don't know how, or why, or even when... but somehow, I know you're still alive, that you're still out there. That, Faust willing, you will come home to us.

To me."

Returning to bed, Faerie Tail no longer felt sad, but rather assured. Sure, she had no irrefutable proof that confirmed whether or not her husband was dead or alive, but that's what faith was all about. To hope that, in spite of the odds, that things would turn out okay.

Such as it would for the life inside Faerie Tail that was long overdue to begin.

Next Chapter: 353. Spice Up Your Life Estimated time remaining: 24 Hours, 8 Minutes