Luna’s breathing quickly evened out as she watched the pair who had been working diligently between her legs collapse into the bed sheets. Moonlight’s head now rested in Luna’s lap while Thomas, still sheathed inside his unicorn, let his torso fall limply along her back and side. It had been disappointing that they couldn’t all climax at the same time, but that was something they could work on later, together. Using her magic, Luna gently levitated their conjoined bodies up until both their heads were resting in her lap. She ran her fingers lovingly through their disheveled manes, enjoying the difference in texture as their breathing calmed.

Thomas was the first to recover, though he still relished in the afterglow and touch of both his lovers. He brought his arm up the unicorn’s side, gently caressing the toned muscles beneath her soft fur, until his digits rested on her cheek. Unable to resist, he began scratching under her jaw, causing her to squirm at the ticklish sensation.

“Stoooooop,” the unicorn whined through smiling lips.

“No.”

“Please?”

“Make me,” Thomas challenged. Moonlight reciprocated by craning her head and nipping at his fingers. “Cheater,” he scolded.

“You never said it was against the rules, so you can’t complain.”

“She has you there,” Luna interjected, causing her lovers to look up into her loving eyes. “You really should have explained the rules at the start of the game.”

“I guess I’ll defer to your expertise in this sort of thing,” Thomas chuckled as he wrapped his hand around Moonlight’s stomach. Her fur was warm and a little sweaty but he didn’t mind. She didn’t either as she wrapped her arm around his to hold him in place.

“Tell me, Moony,” Luna began as she maneuvered her fingers behind the mare’s ear. “How was thy first time?”

“It was amazing. I’ve… never felt so full bef-” *urp* Moonlight belched softly. “Pardon,” she said in embarrassment, but Thomas just tightened his grip around her middle.

Luna giggled. “Perfectly fine. In fact, centuries ago, that was a sign that one enjoyed their meal.”

“Well…” Moonlight sighed. “I did do-oh!” she yelped as she felt Thomas begin grinding his hips against her backside. He was still flaccid, but the feeling of his member pushing and pulling inside her still felt wonderful.

“Ya like this?” Thomas asked coyly.

“I think I could fall asleep to this.” Moonlight admitted as she grinded right back. It was the truth. Despite the arousing smells threatening to excite her once more, the gentle caress of Luna and Thomas, combined with her exhaustion, might very well send her to sleep any minute.

“Falling asleep on duty?” *tsk tsk tsk* Came a gentle scolding from the side of the bed. The three bedmates looked up to see Talon walking up to them, panting and with a wobble in her step. “For shame.”

“What happened to you?” Thomas asked before seeing the disheveled mane on Silver rise up from behind the griffon.

“Just playing a little game,” Talon exhaled as she sat down on the side of the bed and laid down over Luna’s leg. “Things got a bit rough.” She chuckled as she looked up at Luna. “Think you can get me some water?”

Luna smiled and lit her horn. The door to the bathroom opened and out floated four large cups of water which levitated in front of the non-alicorns. Talon was the first to snatch hers out of the air and chug it down with only a few gulps. With much groaning at having to leave this comfortable position, Moonlight and Thomas pulled themselves up and grabbed their own cups, while still remaining connected, and also drank. Silver was much more discreet and drank the quietest.

“Ahh,” Talon gasped. “You might want to get some iced water on standby the next time you want to try something like this.”

“A fair suggestion,” Luna nodded before looking past the griffon. “Silver Bell.”

“Y-yes, Princess!” Despite her exhaustion, the small bat pony still managed to spring to attention, revealing just how badly both her and her dress could use a good washing.

“You did well.” Just three words, three little words spoken with such love and affection, were all it took to drive Silver over the edge and she passed out. Thankfully Luna was able to catch her with her magic before the poor thing hurt herself and set her down gently.

“Is she…” Thomas began worriedly.

“Nah.” Talon dismissed. “Look at her smile.” She instructed, pointing at the ear-to-ear grin on the mare’s face. “Might have worked her over a bit too much today, but she’ll get used to it.”

“Indeed.” Luna nodded as she levitated a blanket over the unconscious mare. “But onto the matter at hand, dearest Thomas.” She grinned. “What do you think about Lady Moonlight’s endeavors at courting you?”

“I’m… not really a lady,” Moonlight added sheepishly.

“Quiet, you,” Talon gently scolded. “Your stallion has something to say.”

Thomas pressed himself further into Moonlight’s back as he buried his head in her mane. He felt her tense at the sudden pressure, but she quickly relaxed into it. He looked up to find her staring at him out of the corner of her eye, anxiously awaiting her answer. “I think it worked.”

“Your very first stallion and you won him over in a single night,” Luna said proudly. “That’s quite the impressive feat.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly a single night. Thomas thought, but decided now might not be the best time to be a smartass. However, there was something else he wanted to comment on. “Was I really your first?”

Moonlight pressed her backside firmer into Thomas’ pelvis. “My very first stallion. Why do you ask?”

Alright. Probably safe to say there’s no virginity taboo, but I can ask that at a less awkward time. “It’s just I was always told that a woman’s first time was supposed to be… painful.”

“Not necessarily,” Luna explained. “Do you know what a cooler is?”

Thomas blinked up at her. “I want to say a box that keeps your drinks cold, but that’s probably not what you mean.”

The females giggled as Luna continued. “It is a tool which, as the name implies, cools a mare’s heat. While in this state, a mare can get exceptionally agitated if she doesn’t have access to a stallion.” Luna’s horn lit and the magic floated out in front of her until it manifested into the shape of a stallion’s penis, complete with ropes in the back, along with a switch attached to a string. “When a mare experiences heat in such a condition, she will seek out another to don the cooler, shaped as you see, in order to simulate the sensation of being rutted, complete with a spray of water to trick the body into thinking a stallion has climaxed inside her.”

Thomas listened carefully to Luna’s clinical lecture, but also looked to the other females. Their expressions were entirely unfazed. No snickers at dirty jokes or looks of shame at the implication of doing it with another mare because of an inability to find a stallion. This was all just a perfectly normal and mundane aspect of Equestrian life.

“Sometimes when a filly experiences her first heat, she is able to find a colt or stallion willing to satisfy her, but this is rare,” Luna continued. “Usually she will seek out aid from any of her filly friends or family members for her first time. Either way, by colt or cooler, the first time is indeed rather painful as the hymen is breached. However, it is an inevitability which all young fillies are warned to expect.”

“I’ve been asking my mare friends to help me out all these years,” Moonlight added, assuming that her sisters’ inclusion was implied. “But I never really imagined how much I’d been missing out by not getting the real thing. Although… I’m glad you were my first,” she smiled over her shoulder.

“Me too.” Thomas tightened his grip around her stomach and smiled back. “You know, for humans it’s actually expected for the man and woman to save their first time until they, well, find the one.”

Moonlight frowned at this. “How do human mares not go crazy in their heats?”

“I’m pretty sure they’re not as bad as yours,” Thomas replied. “Our women actually become fertile about once a month, but they’re not really driven all that crazy…” he trailed off. “Although, the thing that comes after that can be a bit of an issue sometimes.”

“Once a month?” Talon gawked.

“How do you not overpopulate?” Moonlight asked.

“Well, we kinda are. We have a bunch of birth control methods,” he deliberately avoided bringing up abortion and its baggage, “but we usually have to be a lot more careful about, ya know, doing it. There’s even still a bit of a stigma about having sex before marriage,” Thomas concluded to a chorus of stunned silence.

“Now, now, ladies,” Luna gently set her hands on their shoulders. “While his customs may seem strange to us, it would be impolite to pass judgment just because he’s different.”

Thomas frowned at Luna’s attempt at diplomacy. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Means that females of pretty much all kinds of people in this part of the world don’t go into heat more than twice a year. Not to mention that we usually lose our virginity after the first time.” Talon explained. “Putting a stigma on what comes natural is just… it’s weird.”

“Huh,” he sighed. What they’re saying makes a kind of sense. It wasn’t all that long ago that human cultures married off their kids pretty much the instant they hit puberty, sometimes sooner. Plus, since they don’t become receptive nearly as often, it makes sense that there’s less of a stigma.

“Either way, guess you won’t be needing my help after all,” Talon added.

“Help?” Thomas asked.

“Cooling her off,” Talon clarified. “We were having some drinks a while back and I agreed to help cool her off for her next heat. Now that she has a stallion of her own, I guess I’m not needed.”

“Not for cooling,” Moonlight corrected suggestively. “But there are other… things you could help with.”

Talon raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

Moonlight blushed and pressed the side of her face into Luna’s stomach. “Can… can we talk about it later?” She asked with a hint of embarrassment.

The griffon grinned. “Sure, but whatever it is, I’m pretty sure these two are going to figure it out eventually.”

“Eventually, perhaps,” Luna interjected. “But for now, there are matters of some import which we must discuss; matters pertaining to what has transpired and the dynamics of the harem.”

At Luna’s beckoning, the four sat cross legged in a circle on the bed with Luna at the head, Talon to her right, Moonlight to her left, and Thomas directly across. Deciding that Silver’s snoring was a distraction, Luna promptly teleported the mare to her room. Moonlight kept shifting around at losing the comfortable fullness Thomas had been providing. She was sadder than him when they realized he’d have to pull out, much to Talon’s amusement. Once settled, all eyes fell on Luna, who let out an exasperated sigh.

“Do you recall my explanations on the dynamic of the harem?” Luna asked to the nodding of the others. “Well, I’m afraid there are further complexities.”

“Oh joy,” Thomas deadpanned.

“Preaching to the choir on that one.” Talon rolled her eyes.

“As I had said, the nature of the harem is effectively a herd in all but name. However, to clarify, it is actually regarded as a grouping of stabled ponies.”

“As in what Talon is?” Thomas inquired. “On loan?”

“Indeed,” Luna nodded as she continued. She explained that for the sake of appearances, ponies within the harem were encouraged to return home to their legally recognized herds at the end of their sessions. In Thomas’ case, this meant that he would now be considered a member of Moonlight’s herd and stabled with Luna. Talon took great amusement in adding how he now had to answer to two lead mares instead of just one.

Thomas turned to look out the window and glowered at the city. “This whole thing is just so convoluted,” he snorted. “Guess politics ruining everything really is universal.”

“Tis not as bad as it sounds,” Luna assured. “In the end, all it really amounts to is an obligation to satisfy the mares in both your herds.”

Moonlight swatted the human’s back with her tail, causing him to look over and see her smile. The way she playfully batted her blue eyes at him caused all negativity to vanish, though he kept his expression stern. “So, for the sake of appeasing stuffy bureaucrats and a thousand year old law, I have to stick my dick into the amazing pussies of the two sexiest mares I’ve ever met, both of whom I have grown rather fond of these last few months,” the mares in question blushed at this bit, “and pound away on their plots until I make them moan in delight?” He asked while maintaining an even tone.

“Alas, tis the duty of the concubine to carry such a burden,” Luna bemoaned convincingly.

Ignoring Talon’s subdued snickers, Thomas gave his best exasperated sigh, followed by pulling his arm up and placing his fist over his chest. “Then for the good of Equestria and its people, I have no choice but to carry out this duty.”

Luna’s serious façade cracked as she let out a light chuckle. “The kingdom is lucky to have such an honorable and selfless stallion at its service.”

“Pussies?” Moonlight asked. “I mean, that was cute and all,” she blushed. “But…”

“It is one of the words humans use to describe female genitalia,” Luna clarified.

“A human’s marehood is named after a cat?” Moonlight asked in disbelief before looking over at Thomas. “Is there… some… comparison?”

“Not really. No,” Thomas chuckled as he shook his head. “Also, we sometimes call a penis a cock, like griffons do.”

“Well at least that makes sense,” Talon added as she squirmed on a dry section of the sheets. “Now that we’ve got the bad news out of the way, let’s get on to the good news,” she demanded eagerly.

“The bad news was that I’m now herded with Moonlight?” Thomas asked incredulously.

“Perhaps a better choice of wording was called for, but Lady Tali is correct that there is more,” Luna said as the group went still, save for Moonlight’s continued merciless pelting of her tail against a human who was trying desperately to look less amused than he was. “Dearest Thomas. Per chance, have you been wondering why you suddenly feel so comfortable around Moony?”

Thomas looked over at the orange unicorn in question and frowned. “Come to think of it, a little, yeah.” He began to worry when her ears dropped a little and her tail became lifeless. “That is, I’m really happy about it but… I don’t know,” he lamented, averting his eyes. “I’ve… I’ve never really been able to connect like this with anyone before, especially not that quickly. I thought it was weird at the time, but I guess I just accepted it as a good kind of weird, ya know? Frankly,” he regarded Moonlight affectionately, “it kind of feels like you’re an old friend or something; like someone I liked a long time ago, so it’s like we’re just catching up now,” He set his hand encouragingly on her knee as he stared into her eyes.

Moonlight moved her hand to grasp his. “I feel the same.”

The Princess of the Night grinned in gratitude at her lover’s confession, but could sense the lingering question. “A most fitting analogy, but you still wonder what makes us different from your past experiences, yes?” At his nod, she continued. “This is not a state secret, but there’s really no need to go around bragging, understand?”

“I think I’m about to.” Thomas agreed.

“Indeed,” Luna nodded. “To start off, it is well known across Equestria that all life reincarnates.”

Thomas gave a small chuckle. “You know, I should probably be a lot more impressed by something like that, but I’m still way too mellow from all the sex right now.”

Luna smiled and continued. “When a pony, griffon, minotaur, or any other thinking creature dies, its soul moves onto a plane that acts as a holding area until they are ready to return to the mortal plain. My sister and I know this because, in our meditations, we have seen this plain and spoken with its denizens. This is where we learned to see the spirits that lay within the flesh. Usually souls show preference for a certain kind of body, meaning the soul of a griffon will most often be reborn as a griffon again. However, sometimes a soul will seek out new experiences and move into a new kind of body. Do you follow so far, my little human?”

Thomas chuckled at the use of his nickname, but nodded just the same. After as much exposure to reincarnation in fiction as he had, he suspected he knew where this was going. “I’m the reincarnation of a pony, aren’t I?”

“No,” Luna said flatly. “I thought you were, but you are not.”

The human blinked in shock, expecting the conversation to go the other way. “What?”

“There is more to be clarified.” Luna paused and turned to Moonlight. “The first time we met, Moony, your name was Bronze Aura.”

“Bronze Aura?” Thomas furrowed his brow in contemplation. The name was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Bronze Aura. Bronze Aura. Bronze…” He looked up at Luna with eyes wide in shock. “That Bronze Aura?”

“Who’s Bronze Aura?” Moonlight asked, impressed, but not terribly awed by this revelation.

“The stallion from her first herd,” a flabbergasted Thomas answered.

Luna nodded with a warm smile. “We have known each other for your lifetimes, little Moony. But even back when you were my first stallion, I knew that you would forever be my special somepony.”

“That’s where it comes from, ya know,” Talon interjected, tired of listening in silence. At Luna’s approval, she continued. “Special somepony actually came from the Princesses when they saw that ponies, griffons, or whatever who were really in love in one life tended to be together in later lives.”

“Love is a thing that transcends life, death, and even race,” Luna said with a wisdom and depth that showed her age and made the others shudder. “It was actually Celestia who coined the term, but that part has been lost to the ages. But once the idea became known, it became increasingly popular for all ponies to declare their herd-mates as their special someponies, whether it was true or not. As the gesture was born out of genuine affection, neither my sister nor I saw the need to correct them.”

“And that’s how the harems have pretty much worked ever since.” Talon picked up. “Whenever they find someone they used to know, they invite them to the castle, just like how Leste pretty much had me pegged the moment she saw me.” She snickered. “I tapped that flank in a past life and she wanted me to do it again in this one.”

“But sometimes we are unable to find any of our special someponies, even for decades at a time,” Luna lamented. “So to quell our need for affection, Tia suggested the creation of an attendant position as a trial system. Often we find ponies we like well enough, but on the rarest occasion we find new special someponies. This is why the harems have been steadily growing over the centuries.”

“Like me?” Thomas cautiously asked.

Luna smiled gently and set her hand on Thomas’ other knee. “Like you, my beloved little human.” The Princess leaned down and planted her lips on the human’s. It wasn’t an erotic kiss, but the affection being exchanged as Thomas leaned in was undeniable. Eventually they parted. “It saddens me that I could not tell the both of you sooner, but since my… return, my abilities have not been as profound as they once were and it is only recently that I am able to recognize any of you on my own. Though it is customary that we do not tell until new bonds form of their own accord, I apologize deeply for making you wait this long.”

Moonlight smiled affectionately. “It’s no trouble at all, Princess Moonbutt,” she giggled.

Luna shared in the laugh before letting her gaze fall on Thomas where it lingered uncertainly.

“Sorry, but I’m still really lost, here.” Thomas rubbed the side of his head. “If you’re still recovering, wouldn’t Celestia have been able to…”

“Instantly,” Luna answered with a soft chuckle. “At least, she thought she did.” The Princess reached out for Thomas’ chin, holding his face up as she studied his features. “You are a curiosity, my little human. Sister thought she recognized you, and even now I can’t help but sense some manner of familiarity, but neither of us can place who you were.”

Thomas swallowed uneasily. “Could you have, maybe, forgotten?”

Luna flinched back. “Alicorns are far from perfect, but it would be unconscionable to forget those we hold most dear to our hearts.” She shook her head. “No, dearest Thomas. For though you might seem familiar, and even your feelings of past kinship with Moonlight would normally be a clear indicator, I cannot say with any certainty if we ever knew one another in the past.”

Thomas nodded with a dower expression. “If harems are made up of past lovers, does that mean that I…”

Moonlight wrapped an arm around Thomas’ shoulder, pulling him into an embrace before he could finish that thought.

“It means that I love you,” Luna finished, pulling the both of them into her arms. “Though born of a misunderstanding, I swear to you that it matters not! I love you Thomas. I grew to love you because, despite your own doubts, you were willing to be there for me when I most needed somepony by my side, and in my bed,” she added under her breath. “You were there for me and I am ashamed that I could not have done more to be with you.”

Amidst the embrace of the powerful mares, they felt a stirring as the tiny human endeavored to wrap his arms around their large bodies. Each felt a new touch of wetness run down their bellies as they felt the human begin crying against them. They soon joined as the three lovers shared tears of joy. In time they parted, looking upon one another in a new light.

“So,” Thomas spoke first, feeling the need to fill the silence. “You guys used to be together in a past life?”

“Lives,” Luna corrected. “Be it as mare or stallion, we have always done what we could to look out for one another.” The Princess sighed contentedly. “While it has been painful to know so many lovers and watch them depart, Tia and I have taken solace in the knowledge that these departures are only temporary. And it has been our utmost privilege to meet those same wonderful ponies all over again, different minds and bodies, but the same wonderful beings we fell in love with the first time.”

“What’s the difference, you know, between regular love and the transcending life and death kind?” Thomas inquired, suspecting Moonlight was especially interested with the way her ears stood stiff.

Luna shrugged. “After all these millennia, even we alicorns cannot say for sure. What is the tangible difference between the love of a good friend and the love of one’s lover? Where did this other plane of existence come from? How is it that, despite predating our ascension to rule, my sister’s love of sweets has not caused her plot to blossom out until it is equal to that of the eldest dragon?”

The others put up only token resistance before descending into guffaws of laughter.

“The finest philosophers and theologists have spent countless lifetimes exploring these questions, but have yet to find any discernable answers,” Luna continued, doing her best to ward off her own chortles, but soon even she fell victim to the contagion.

“I think…” Thomas said between bouts of laughter. “I think I might know the last one.” The others quieted down, though still unable to stop smiling, as they eagerly awaited his theory. “Celestia’s plot actually got so big that it imploded and retroactively reverted to a more manageable size.”

While Talon and Moonlight renewed their guffaws, Luna threw her head back and drowned them out as she howled in glee. “That…” she gasped. Eventually she found her breath as her expression of mirth turned to one of serious contemplation. “That… that… that almost makes sense.”

Later that evening, the four lovers made their way to the dining hall for dinner. Thomas and Talon wore their uniforms and took their seats on Luna’s side of the table. Moonlight, who had redressed in her armor, was asked very politely, the sort of politeness that implied one didn’t have the option to refuse, to remove her helmet and sit with them. All eyes shifted in anticipation between Luna, her harem, and the long-lost newcomer until Luna decided she’d made them wait long enough.

The cheers and hoots from the other concubines at the announcement of Moonlight formally courting with Thomas were almost deafening. Even Silver looked pleased. When asked if Moonlight would soon be donning the uniform, it was explained that they’d decided she would stay in the guard as Thomas’ protector. The former had been her dream after all, and the latter was just an extension of her marely duties to her stallion. It just so happened that now, in addition to her duty coming whenever the Princess ordered, she would now have to cum whenever the Princess ordered, which everyone agreed was a fair compromise.

After dinner, they all retired to Luna’s chambers.

Luna and Moonlight are reincarnated lovers, yet Thomas is not. Bet you didn’t see that coming. This element was inspired by a story by vavacung http://vavacung.deviantart.com/art/Chapter-27-Reincarnate-457151559 It made sense to me that Luna’s love of the anti-social human would be driven by more than just him being cute or something; but after much backlash and internal turmoil, I came to agree that it did cheapen the romance, so I cut Thomas out of the reincarnation loop.
Also, for funsies, this used to be chapter 54.