Cindy quickly regained control and power, and began to follow after me, until she got her own urges. She was still not complete, and got hungry often. She tried carrying food with her, but she ate more than she could easily carry, and ended up spending some time by the warehouse, devouring her way to maturity, and worrying the people in charge of watching the supplies. If she wasn't so recognizable, they'd probably have chased her away, even if we both had one head now, instead of being a single two headed creature.

Feeling the need to repay for what our herd was taking, Dust Kicker, Neon, Sandra, and I spent time out in the fields, helping to tend to the crops and gently encouraging them with our magic to replace the devoured mass that Cindy was taking in.

Hope didn't have the earth magic, so he spent time with other unicorns, showing them how to use their magic better and proving quite competent in the task of teaching. He was patient and kind and would always find a way to break down the steps into something the student could eventually grasp. Their thanks seemed to mean a lot to him, and it was nice seeing him shine.

Sandra and Hope were adjusting to being parents. The part of Cindy that recognized them as mother and father seemed to grow stronger as she became larger, and many days began with them each getting a strong hug before she trotted off, and ending with goodnight kisses and a whispered, 'Love you, Mom' and 'Love you, Dad'. Despite being married in our own way, Cindy saw no issue at all with seeing me as a sexual target with Sandra as a platonic relation. Her hugs and snuggles with me clearly had more sensual undertones, and she promised she'd be mature and ready soon.

I asked Sandra about it while we were out working. "Does it bother you? I mean, Cindy. The way she treats us differently?"

Sandra shook her head a little. "It's weird, like everything else about her, when you get down to it. She never really wanted me before, except as part of you, so I suppose that hasn't changed much, besides... She's my kid. It'd be more creepy for me to think that kind of thing about her." She raised a brow at me. "The weirder part is the idea of my kid wants to fuck the hell out of my theoretical husband.... wife. Fuck, everything's complicated lately."

Neon poked through some stalks of corn. "Well I'm the one left out in this. From what I gather, most of the herd's gone the way of breeding. I don't want to be behind even Dust Kicker. Being last is not my style."

Dust Kicker snorted from two rows over. Her hearing seemed quite good when it involved gossip about her. "You're already too late for that."

Neon gasped dramatically and spun towards her. "You didn't? When?! You let that man-child climb on you when you were in heat?"

Dust Kicker bared her teeth at Neon. "He is not a man-child. He is a wonderful person who has done incredible things. He is also my stallion."

Sandra clopped her forehooves together. "This is wonderful! Why didn't you tell us?"

Dust glared at Neon before looking at Sandra and me. "It's not a public thing. I felt the itch, and we had a discussion about it, like adults should do. We decided we wanted a foal, and we did it. He was a perfect gentleman."

Neon burst into laughter. "You have to tell us more than that! Give us the dirty little details."

Dust stormed at Neon, nostrils flaring with anger. "I'll give you a black eye if you don't cut that out!"

Neon held up her hooves. "We're not wandering the wilderness anymore. They have laws here, like not punching people."

I nodded. "She's right, but she's also right. Stop harassing Dust Kicker." I wrapped Dust Kicker in magic and gently floated her to my side, where I hugged her with a single leg. "I'm very happy for you both! We'll help you when the time comes, and afterwards. We're a herd, right?"

Dust seemed to relax under my hug and gave a little nod. "Yes... please. I want to do everything right. I want to be a perfect mother."

Sandra sighed gently. "We can't be a perfect anything. We'll be a good family though. That'll be good enough." She cracked a lopsided grin. "Heck, these are far from perfect times, but they're becoming good ones too."

I memory tugged at me. "Sandra? What about our child? Where'd you hide it?"

Sandra flushed intensely. "I gave it to Crystal."

No sooner said than summoned, Crystal appeared brightly with a hopeful smile. This had gone on long enough. I gently released Dust and plucked Crystal off the ground in my magic. She squawked in surprise as she drifted up to me. "Crystal, do you love me."

Crystal turned red quickly. "I... yes?" Her hooves kicked weakly in the air. "Are you upset with me?"

I turned Crystal towards the others. "Are you aware I'm in a herd now?"

Crystal sagged in my grip. "Is this your way of saying there's no room for me now?"

I could feel her shudder in my mental grip. She was ready to start crying. "No, I didn't pick you up to tell you that, Crystal. What I'm saying is that trying to get to me means getting to everyone here, including Hope and Cindy."

Neon trotted up and looked Crystal over curiously. "I've never seen a pony quite like you before. Are you the only one?"

Crystal smiled. "Only one I've ever seen. My name's Crystal, kind of straight forward, yeah?"

Neon held up a hoof. "I'm Neon, also straight forward."

They met hooves with a solid clop, then I set Crystal down. Sandra cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but where did you put my egg, Crystal? It's alright, right?"

Crystal nodded quickly. "It's in my little nest. I sleep beside it to keep it warm. As far as I can tell, it's fine. I can even feel something moving around in there sometimes."

Sandra's face shone with radiant joy, then a little guilt. "Can... I see it?"

Crystal tilted her head. "Of course you can. It is your egg... I was just egg-sitting, or however that term goes." She vanished, only to reappear a moment later with the egg resting between her legs as she sat on her haunches. "Here we are."

Sandra hurried up and nuzzled the egg gently, sniffing at it and closing her eyes. "Oh my god... It... It smells like my child." She gently pulled the egg away from Crystal and began to snuggle it, becoming lost to the rest of us. I think she was imprinting on it all over again.

I reached to gently pet Crystal over her mane and ears. "Thank you, for watching over our first foal. You didn't have to, but you did, like a good friend."

Crystal pointed at my lower belly. "I... hope as more than just a friend?"

I glanced back there, at the child Crystal put in me, who almost became Cindy. I would surely start showing soon. I didn't have the advantage of egg-laying to make the process any easier. "You have to talk with everyone, make friends."

Neon slid up behind Crystal and threw a leg over her. "You seem like a nice mare. I'm sure we can have fun together."

Sandra waved without looking up from her egg. "You already have my vote of confidence, Crystal. You were the only reason we got here today, even if a lot of people don't know that or forgot."

Dust Kicker looked up at me. "I don't know her. Can you tell me about her, and how she relates to you?"

I nudged Dust Kicker towards Crystal. "Why not ask her?"

Crystal smiled nervously. "Hello. I'm Crystal, you know that. I once ruled over a huge herd of feral ponies, and taught them to farm instead of hunting for people. My herd became the template for all American ponies, and I worked with them, that is, Sandra, William, and Dusk Hope. We brought peace and stability. It was hard work, but we did it, and I'm proud to have been part of that."

Dust tilted her head one way, then the other. "Seriously? Why aren't they giving you the Queen's treatment?! Where are you living?"

Crystal directed out of the city. "I still live in the original herd's caverns... It's quiet now. I'm the only one there."

Dust kicked the ground with an angry look. "Unacceptable!" She wheeled towards me. "We're taking her with us. Even if she doesn't join the herd, the building has plenty of room for her. She's a national hero, she should be treated like one."

I nodded in agreement. "Sounds like we're in agreement. Crystal, will you come with us?"

Crystal broke into a giddy grin that quickly became a more tempered one. "It would be a pleasure. Let me gather my things." She vanished in a sparkle.

Neon looked to me. "Do you think she'll 'play'?"

I knew exactly what Neon meant by that. "Ask her first, politely. If you surprise her with it, she'll probably freak out. She identifies as a male, sexually, even if she accepts the female identity."

Neon snorted. "She is clearly a mare, and a fine one at that. Did you see that flank? Mmm. and I love the way her pelt shimmers. I want to hold her down and show her how musical I could make her throat as I made her sing with delight."

She hadn't noticed the flash behind her. Crystal was a dark red color. She heard far too much. Neon noticed the stammering and turned to see her. They looked at each other a moment before Neon shrugged. "I don't take it back." She reared up on her hind legs and spread her forehooves. "Give me a chance and I'll show you a good time, as herd sisters."

Crystal gave an uncertain nod, glancing at the rest of us with building embarrassment.

I pointed at Neon. "She may be loud, but she's being honest. There's no shame in playing with herd members."

Crystal went darker and sank to the ground. I gently pet over her raging cheeks. "I know what you're feeling right now, but we are what we are. Try it, if you don't like it, then at least you know."

She said something, but it was so quiet I couldn't hear it. I decided for another tactic. ~Crystal, you can hear me, can't you?"

Crystal looked up at me, but didn't reply.

~Crystal, you're a wonderful pony. You will not be thought less of for trying it, or for liking it, or for not liking it. Do what you want to do. Neon made an offer, do it or don't do it because you want to or don't want to. None of the rest of us will think less of you either way. I think you may enjoy it, a lot possibly.~

Crystal gave a slow and shaking nod before she stood up and took a slow breath. As she let it out, some of the color returned to normal. "I will... consider your offer. I spent so much time warding off lust-addled ferals that wanted nothing more than to soothe the ache in their balls by shoving themselves into any mare that would stand still for them. I... only did 'it' once as a pony, and it was with William."

Neon rubbed up against her side. "Well I'm not feral, I just think you're damn sexy, and you want to join our herd, so that makes you fair game."

Perhaps it would become a good friendship. At least it'd keep Neon from focusing on tormenting Dust Kicker, or so I hoped.

Author's Notes:

The herd develops as Cindy grows as quickly as she can.

Senpai William, you will be mine, you and your delicious typos.