‘I must get him to show me that,’ Luna said to herself, making a mental note to do so as she returned the bow to the four stallions below her on the decking. “I'd appreciate it, Omega.” She said finally finding her voice, “Thank you.” She sniggered at the state of her son, happy they had taken her request to ‘wear him out’ to heart.

“Serenity!” Sonic called up, “Good time to show off for Mapper, can you bring lover boy here up there with you?”

Nodding, the teal unicorn lit her horn and, surrounding Dusk in her glowing hazel aura, lifted the unconscious pegasus easily up to the balcony, even going so far as to put his wings back into a resting position.

Omega shared a ‘look’ with Sonic, Trails and Sunshine before calling back up to the balcony. “We're all going to hit the showers. If you'd be so kind as to help, Belle?”

Smiling, Belle gave Tinkerer a tender kiss. “Be right down, Omega!”

“Thank you, Serenity,” Luna smiled as her son was levitated over the railing and into the ranches upper storey. “Would you be so kind as to put him on the couch?” She asked with a ghost of a smirk on her muzzle.

“Yes Mistress Luna,” Serenity nodded, moving Dusk over to a nearby couch. “Recital,” she said with a brief pause, “A blanket please, he's leaking.” She said with a tiny amount of distaste as little drips of white seeped from his ass.

Quickly Recital found an old blanket, and she used her emerald green magic to cover the couch and then Serenity very gently set the Prince down upon it.

“Thank you both.” Luna giggled behind her hoof. “I'd say he did very well.”

From her position laid next to Baron, Snowfall smiled. “Best game of charades ever.”

As Luna giggled her agreement, Mapper came over to the Princess, a seductive smile on her pink muzzle. “Not to suggest we are nearly as capable as your wife, but if you'd like a bit of TLC, I'm sure the herd will be more than happy to give you some, Luna.” She offered, very aroused after watching the performance of the stallions.

“Why not?” Luna smiled at Mapper, “I could use some fun.”

As Wildfire shuddered and moaned into her climax, Airmail surfaced, coming up for air from under her flagging black tail. “Say it, Thespian!” She called, her azure blue muzzle covered in the diminutive mare’s glistening juices.

Stood by her large hunky zebra, Thespian giggled, “Let our fun be doubled!”

“Her…aaah…her favourite line, I think.” Airmail panted as she sat up beside her new lover.

Hearing the line that she was no doubt most famous for, albeit inadvertently, from that now long ago Nightmare Night, the corners of Luna’s mouth turned upwards in a ghost of a smile, a smile which became a giggle and then a full on belly laugh. One which the other ponies joined in with wholeheartedly. “H-Have y-you been waiting long to say that, Thespian?” She asked through her giggles.

“Ever since you walked through the door,” giggled the blue / grey earth pony mare, ever resplendent in her perfectly applied tortoise shell rope bondage.

“Mistress Luna,” Mapper interjected with a polite bow as Luna and Thespian shared a nod and a wink, “May I suggest the Mare's Room for our activities?”

“Of course you may, Mistress Mapper.” Luna grinned as the lunar alicorn followed the herd, moving down the wide flight of stairs to the main floor of the ranch, just as the other four stallions came in from the open patio doors through the hoof-dip having been thoroughly washed and Belle dried, ™.

With a slightly bashful smile on his purple muzzle, Sonic approached the Princess in the hallway. “Luna…I do hope we didn't disappoint, I can say your son stood up quite well till the end.”

Surveying him critically for a brief moment, just long enough for Sonic to assume she was ‘less than pleased’, Luna smiled and put a hoof on the stallion’s shoulder. “You all performed admirably. I daresay Dusk enjoyed himself as well.”

Omega grinned beside his herd-mate, “He wasn't the only one to do so, Luna.”

“So I saw, Omega, many times.” She replied with a knowing wink directed at the eggshell white unicorn.

Hugging his wife, Caffeinated said, “Most of us are going into recovery mode now too.” The zebra smiled, ushering the herd towards the large kitchen area where the drinks were. “That was a hot show and the balcony is a mess.”

“Yes…” Luna smiled guiltily with a definite blush colouring her midnight blue fur, “I believe we all enjoyed it.” She glanced upwards, pointedly looking away towards the ceiling and the evidence of her own 'enjoyment'.

Following her gaze, Caffeinated gave a loud snicker. “Luna,” he said, his amusement evident in his deep rumbling voice, “I think we all would be hard pressed, except Mapper maybe, to determine whose puddle is whose.”

At that, Luna laughed a genuine, tinkling laugh. “Well, I suppose you're right, Caffeinated.”

Mapper began to descend the wide stairs to the basement level below, but paused on the stairs after a few steps, “I just have better tongue than you, dear Caffy.” Zebra and unicorn shared a moment as they looked at each other, before the moment passed and Mapper continued to lead the way downstairs.

“Oh,” Belle asked curiously, “Where are you all off to?”

This time Mapper didn’t pause, not out of any disrespect to the young olive drab mare, but more a burning desire to get it on with an alicorn. “To see if we can light the night,” she replied without a trace of irony.

“Open invitation?” Belle asked hopefully as by now Requiem and Snowfall both had interested looks on their faces too.

Feigning an air of indifference, while secretly performing somersaults inside, Mapper shrugged. “I'm fine with that, it seems I need to back up my boast.”

Eagerly, Belle, Requiem and Snowfall followed Luna down the stairs who in turn was following after Tempest, Airmail Serenity and Wildfire as Mapper lead the group of mares along the right side of the U shaped hallway past the double doors of the Dungeon on the left and the Wet Room on the right to the plain wooden door of the Mare’s Room.

Upon entering the room, Luna took in the details, from the wood panelled walls painted a pale sky blue, to the bar, the bed and the many cloud-stuffed futons arranged around a low coffee table to the hardwood floor on which she trod. “This is a lovely room,” she thought out loud, earning herself nods of approval from the other mares as they all took a futon each. “And…hmm, clouds!” Luna gasped as she got herself comfortable. Although, with nine mares now in the room – one of them an almost fully grown alicorn – it was considerably more ‘snug’ that normal.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire said, having been steered to the futon she had occupied earlier in the day. “That’s what I said too!”

“After we're done,” Mapper smiled at the diminutive pegasus as she sat with Airmail to her left and as always Tempest to her right, “I'm sure you will be refilling the pillows, Junior Pet.”

Turning her head towards the sound of Mapper’s voice, Wildfire ruffled her feathers proudly. “Yes, Mistress!”

“To our guests,” Mapper said loudly from her futon next to Serenity and in the manner of one calling a meeting to order, “Belle here has a thing for preening, almost as bad as Airmail. Requiem I know plays for both teams. And Snowfall,” the pink unicorn paused as, looking from olive drab unicorn, to red and blue painted earth pony, she came to the elderly pure white earth pony mare. “While it is nice of you to join us, I am a bit surprised.”

Sat next to Luna on the Princesses left, Snowfall shrugged. “So I've gotten curious watching you fillies play.” She said with a grin, “Besides, Baron says experience is the best teacher.”

“Curiosity is a fine thing, Snowfall.” Luna nodded to the pure white mare, openly admiring the curve of her flank.

Hesitantly Snowfall nodded up at the lunar alicorn, a tremulous smile playing over her white muzzle. “Still, I am rather nervous though, so it would be nice to be guided.” She took a breath before continuing, a faint red tinge colouring her cheeks. “I know how to please myself, so I think I can play.”

Perhaps it was because they were of a similar age, but Luna’s heart soared for the white mare. “Would you like to start by preening?” She asked gently, laying a forehoof on Snowfall's shoulder.

At Luna’s touch, Snowfall’s blush increased in its intensity as she swore that little electric shocks ran down her shoulder. “I um…I-I've not preened anypony before.” She almost babbled, “The whole family are earth ponies, and um, well…just watching Airmail do it is pretty exciting.” The elderly earth pony mare glanced over to the olive drab unicorn. “Belle, can you please help me since Airmail isn't much of a teacher once she starts.”

Luna smiled at Snowfall kindly. “I'm sure you and Belle will do just fine.” Standing from her futon and kicking it to one side Luna made sure she had plenty of space either side of her as the alicorn spread her rather impressive wings to their fullest eight and a half foot span, causing Airmail to almost salivate at the sight of the flared feathers. Some were the same midnight blue as her coat, some were darker while some were black as night. All of them seemed to shimmer and shine with an otherworldly iridescent sparkle that was driving Airmail crazy with desire.

“Airmail,” Luna giggled behind her forehoof, “You're drooling my dear.”

“Ahh…” In a thorough daze, Airmail blinked her brown eyes once then twice, coming back to herself as she saw the smirking faces of the other mares arrayed around her “Your ah, your wings are gorgeous!” She gushed, her heart pounding hard in her chest.

Luna, fully aware of Airmail’s feather fetish, had a very naughty devious thought. “Would you by any chance like a closer look?” The Princess winked, twitching and flexing her large primary feathers.

Getting up from her futon, Snowfall carefully bounced along the pillows like a mare half her age to join up with the younger Belle on the right side of Luna, the side opposite Airmail, who was so turned on and aroused by the sight of the most sensuously beautiful wings she had ever seen in her life that she orgasmed on the spot, soaking her futon through with her cum, and was soon close to the left side of Luna's body. Wasting no time at all, the azure blue pegasus made a start on the secondary feathers, taking the tip of the nearest one into her mouth.

“I think that is our cue,” Belle said with a gentle nudge to Snowfall’s barrel. “Stand here, next to me and I'll show you how much fun this can be.” With the olive drab unicorn on the outside of her, the two mares moved in close to Luna and like Airmail, started with the secondary feathers.

Also standing from her futon, Mapper struggled internally to contain her eagerness and anticipation, “Mares, today will be our first taste of alicorn, so this is rather exciting!”

With the pleasurable sensations of the preening starting to send little electric shivers through her large wings, Luna couldn’t help but giggle at Airmail's reaction. “You really get off that much on preening?” She asked.

Although the question was directed at Airmail, it was Tempest who responded on her marefriend’s behalf. “She is in the zone Luna, she won't be able to answer you.” The violet mare explained, noting the glazed over far away expression on Airmail’s face.

“Your turn to share, Requiem.” Mapper said to the earth pony, who was rather obviously looking down at Luna’s hooves.

“Ahem…” The red and blue painted pony cleared her throat with a smile, all the time not looking away from those simply beautiful hooves. “Ah, okay, I really like hooves. I like touching others and having mine touched.”

Upon hearing Requiem say that, Wildfire’s ears perked up and she shot her foreleg in the air, like an eager schoolfilly getting teacher’s attention. “Mistress?” She gasped, “Mistress, please may I clean Requiem's hooves, please?” The yellow pegasus practically begged.

Mapper had to fight hard not to laugh, ‘By the Goddesses, she is so adorable!’, and what sort of Mistress would she be if she denied her? “If Mistress Luna has no immediate need for your services, I see that is a proper use of you.” Mapper replied evenly.

Looking on with a quiet giggle, Tempest said, “I think we will see more of Requiem in the Mare's Room after today.”

“Nggh! Ah…aaah…” Luna’s back arched, thoroughly enjoying the slow preening being delivered to her by the three ponies behind her. “Ah…by all means Wildfire, you may...aaah...attend to Requiem.”

Sliding from her futon, Requiem knelt reverently before the Princess. “May I attend to your hooves, Luna?” The painted pony asked eagerly, licking her lips.

Serenely, and with a blissful smile on her muzzle, Luna extended a hoof to the earth pony mare. “You may.”

Leaning to her left, Tempest whispered surreptitiously into Wildfire’s right ear. “Wily, you’ll want to go forward three paces, then ninety degrees left and two paces will bring you to Requiem's flank and her rear hooves.” She directed, making sure the little yellow mare knew where she was going.

With a wide smile, Wildfire nodded before sliding off of her futon and very carefully getting into position behind Requiem, her nose snuffling down the back of the earth pony mare’s bent hind leg to reach her hooves.

Mapper looked from herself to Tempest then to Serenity, both of the other mares barely containing themselves. “Hmm…that still leaves three of us to attend to your needs, Mistress Luna.” The pink unicorn smiled, licking her own lips with the anticipation.

“Hmm…t-then, then aaaah…you may each choose a hole to pleasure...ooooh!” Luna answered, throwing her head back and moaning as she got into the preening, which was utterly sublime.

Having reached Requiem’s left rear hoof, Wildfire trailed sloppy kisses down the back of the painted pony’s leg, sliding her tongue between the rounded bulbs at the back of the hoof before kissing around the hard outer edge to the toe of the hoof, all the while tasting the deliciously sweet tang of the sweat on her tongue.

Mapper and Tempest shared a very brief look at each other, their ears flicking in an intricate game of hoof, wing and horn before the violet mare, with a triumphant look on her face, moved to straddle Requiem. “Well Luna,” she smiled, wrapping her forelegs around the lunar alicorn’s shoulders, “I wish to taste your sweet lips at the front.”

Mapper, who with an equally wide smile on her face – obviously she considered herself the winner of hoof, wing and horn - moved instead behind Luna where she was sat. “Then I’ll taste your sweet lips from behind.” She said as Serenity rolled under the Princess and with a hoof softly playing with her belly fur, the teal unicorn latched on to a nipple.”

As soon as Luna felt Tempest’s lips touch hers the Princess pressed back, kissing Tempest as deeply as the violet pegasus kissed her, though not too hard. “Hmm, as you wish, Mapper.” Luna gasped as with a thought she swept her swirling ethereal tail to one side.

Behind Requiem, Wildfire ran her tongue across the sole of the painted earth pony’s rear hoof, wrinkling her muzzle ever so slightly at the taste of the mess that had been left on the balcony upstairs. ‘I wonder whose cum this is?’ She wondered idly as she licked it off of the inner wall while she blew gently on the soft centre.

Busily licking away at the toe and white wall of Luna’s offered forehoof, Requiem shuddered, wholly not used to the sensations of giving and receiving at the same time. As she dragged her tongue slowly along the sensitive frog of Luna’s hoof, she too tasted a wonderful mix of mare and stallion ejaculate that the Princess had stepped in. Eagerly she lapped it up in an attempt to restore the hoof to its immaculate, perfect, condition.

For Mapper, positioned behind the lunar alicorn under her tail, it was nothing short of a dream come true. Never in her life – outside of her dreams - did she ever think she would have a chance with an alicorn. Yet, here she was, muzzle deep in Princess Luna’s sopping wet marehood. Years of experience poured into her every effort, every deft well placed lick of her labia, every lap of her tongue along her slit, every gentle kiss of her clitoris. For her efforts she was rewarded with more juices leaking from the highly aroused alicorn.

Tempest, meanwhile, was the least affected by Luna being, well, Luna. She pressed back into the deep passionate kiss, savouring every second that her tongue danced with the Princesses before pulling back to deliver an extremely gentle nuzzle along her cheek. Reaching her ear she whispered, “Thank you for being you…”

“Y-You…Hmmm, y-you are most…aaaah, welcome, Tempest.” She whispered kissing Tempest deeply once more, adding delicate little nibbles to her bottom lip while she moaned in heavenly delight at Mapper’s – and every other mare’s – attention all over her lithe quivering body.

Having licked up the cum residue from the painted pony’s hoof, Wildfire began to swirl her tongue around the middle of Requiem's hoof, gently nibbling away at the inner edge of the white wall while using her other hoof to gently stroke her right hind hoof, causing the earth pony mare to shudder and shiver in delight.

Underneath Luna, Serenity was fully on her back and the teal unicorn had all four hooves running in slow sensuous circles over the Princesses soft belly and chest fur while at the same time her mouth moved from nipple to nipple and down to her hard exposed clit and back again.

At her forehoof, Requiem moaned in sheer bliss as she worked the one hoof with her tongue until it glistened with the coating of saliva she had applied, then the painted pony took the toe into her mouth, sucking on it as hard as she could.

Behind Luna, Airmail was lost in the moment, gone in her own little micro universe that contained just her and the delicious alicorn feathers she was preening, while on the opposite wing, Belle and Snowfall were slowly making their way out to the primary feathers on the right wing.

With all the various stimuli lighting up almost all of her sensitive areas, Luna was quickly panting and moaning her way to her climax, Tartarus be damned with decorum and what was proper, this was utter heaven…her breath hitched as a particularly long tongue stroke from Mapper sent her over her edge. “Aaaah…S-Sweeet OCTAAAAAVIA!” She cried, shuddering as she came into Mapper’s open mouth.

Swallowing up Luna’s cry with a long deep kiss Tempest whispered, “She will always be as welcomed as you are, Luna.”

“Hmm…aaaah…th-thank you Tempest...” Luna moaned, breaking the kiss for breath. “I'll…aaah, I’ll bring her next...oooh Mapper, you're exquisite!”

“She is the alpha of our little herd for a reason.” Tempest smirked.

As Tempest said that, Luna’s hoof slid out of Requiem's mouth as her shuddering orgasm overtook her. Behind the mare, Wildfire could smell the cum leaking from Requiem’s marehood as she quickly recovered and moved over to the lunar alicorn’s other forehoof, while Wildfire moved onto the earth pony’s other rear hoof, making sure to give it the same oral treatment as the first, moving her left hoof up the painted pony’s leg to find her slit. ‘Hmm…she really is wet!’ Wildfire thought with a giggle.

An electric jolt of pleasure shot through a primary feather of Luna’s right wing, and angling her head back, she saw the pure white mare was responsible. “GAaaAAH…S-Snowfall...I, ooooh, I refuse to believe you haven’t preened before...ahh!” She kissed Tempest slightly harder now, nipping her bottom lip gently with her teeth.

While the Princess was getting more and more vocal, Snowfall was silent, the elderly mare fully concentrating on following Belle's lead, but with a beautiful midnight blue feather in her mouth, she knew this wouldn't be her last venture into preening.

“Hmm, Luna,” Tempest purred seductively, “However did you know I was that kind of mare?” She whispered as she kissed the Princess back with more force, bringing her own teeth into the fray.

Luna’s whole body shook as Serenity sucked on her clitoris and Mapper’s tongue swirled past her labia and around the tight inner walls of her wet tunnel, “B-Because...hmmm...y-you didn’t AAAAAAH! S-stop me!” She screamed into Tempest’s mouth as a second climax rocked her to her very core.

Abandoning Requiem’s right hind hoof, Wildfire shuffled forwards, trailing wet sloppy kisses all the way up the earth pony's hind leg before reaching her goal and planting a final kiss on her pubic mound.

“M-Murrr…Mapper isn't the only one that can give good tongue,” Tempest smiled as she slid her tongue back into Luna’s mouth.

As Requiem came again, both from Wildfire’s efforts and her own thrill at having the opportunity to worship an alicorn’s hoof, she let the now shining other forehoof slip out of her mouth. Spotting the Princesses perfect hind hooves she decided to crawl forward to get to the rear ones, only to run into Serenity's teal ass. Encountering the unicorn’s hindquarters, Requiem stopped for a snack. Feeling the foreign tongue lap against her own wet crotch, Serenity's legs straightened, lifting Luna off the ground for a moment till they bent again, letting her touch down.

As waves of pleasure washed over Luna’s very being, an idea came to her, of one area that wasn’t being pleasured. Hesitantly, unsure of the response she’d get, she whispered to Tempest, “Would you please lick my horn?”

Behind Requiem, and with her muzzle buried in the earth pony’s marehood, Wildfire drank down most of Requiem's cum as it dripped freely into her open mouth. The yellow mare dragged her tongue from the painted pony’s clit all the way up her glistening centre to her ass, before pushing her nose into her, giving her another long lick.

Looking deep into Luna’s eyes, the blue meeting the turquoise, Tempest gave the Princess a seductive look. “It would be my pleasure, Luna.” The violet mare then licked up the lunar alicorn’s long nose and planted several light kisses up her muzzle until she reached the base of the twelve inch long horn. The pegasus licked, then kissed, and turned her head sideways and took the wide base of the horn in her mouth while she grazed her teeth along the hard outer edge.

The touch of Tempest’s teeth just under one of the ridges of her horn made Luna shiver. “Hmm…yeees! J-Just like that...”

Grinning, Tempest ran her tongue along the lowest ridged spiral to the far side and then back to pick up where she left off, and in this way she slowly, almost torturously slowly, dragged her violet mouth up the length of the horn to kiss its rounded tip, while underneath her, having had her snack, Requiem crawled forward between Serenity’s open rear legs in a quest to worship Luna's rear hoof.

Luna’s turquoise eyes were half closed in utter bliss. “Aaah…ah…y-you n-need...to give...Tavi lessons Temp..ahhh!” She moaned as Tempest reared up to her hind hooves, putting her forehooves on her shoulders to allow her to more easily reach the end of her horn.

Wildfire moved forwards with Requiem, encountering Serenity's rear hooves, although of course the blind mare couldn’t tell whose hooves belonged to whom. Completely unaware to whom the hooves belonged, and believing they were Requiem’s, she gave them a long tender kiss. With her attention dedicated to suckling on Luna’s left nipple, Serenity felt a wet tongue drag along her hoof, and in a moment of shock she bit down hard on the nipple, causing Luna to cry out, more in shock than any actual pain, then Serenity began licking and kissing the offended nipple. Utterly oblivious with hooves before her, Wildfire carried on licking and sucking on Serenity's hoof.

Reaching the tip of Luna’s horn, Tempest used her teeth and her mouth to drag the Princesses head down to a more agreeable angle so she could take a few extra inches of a much longer horn than anypony else in the group has in her mouth to suck and lick, giving the alicorn a highly skilled and experienced hornjob.

After several minutes of Tempest’s exquisite hornjob, not to mention Mapper’s deft tongue still deep in her sopping marehood, it wasn’t long that Luna began releasing iridescent sparks of harmless magic into tempests mouth as her body started shaking, a third orgasm taking hold of her. “TAAAVIIIIIIIIII!” She screamed loudly, showering Tempest’s muzzle with her magical release as well as Mapper’s face with her physical release.

Tempest savoured the sensations pulsing through her mouth, while the magical emissions didn’t taste of anything they did send delightful little tingles all through her muzzle, and she took a few more inches in to start deep throating the top eight to nine inches of Luna’s twelve inch horn. Behind her, Mapper fed greedily from the Princesses latest orgasm before moving her forehoof to replace her mouth as she moved her mouth north to explore some new territory under the alicorn’s billowing ethereal tail.

Under the incessant sensory assault Luna gasped for breath, leaning on Tempest in a desperate attempt to maintain her balance as Requiem crawled forward just enough to reach her left rear hoof, which she seized in her lips and started licking away while behind her Belle and Snowfall were nearly done preening the Princesses right wing. On her left wing meanwhile the very slow and sensuous Airmail was only just now getting to the alicorn’s primary feathers.

“AaaAAH…M-mapper,” Luna moaned, in utter heaven, “Hmm…y-your t-tongue is very skilled,” she panted, already feeling her core beginning to heat up and tremble, “As…as are my p-preeners.”

Moving forward slightly, Wildfire finally caught Requiem's rear hoof – or what she assumed was Requiem’s rear hoof – and, dragging her wet tongue along it, she gave it a long slow lick causing the painted earth pony to shudder on top of Serenity and the hoof she was tonguing fell from her mouth. Instead she wriggled across Serenity's teal chest to get to the last of Luna’s hooves.

Leaning her head upwards, Serenity allowed her tongue to take over for Mapper’s hoof as she began to lick and nip all around the Princesses dripping wet labia, alternating between flicking her tongue just inside the entrance to Luna’s tunnel to delving deep inside her marehood. Behind her, Mapper proceeded to give the alicorn’s tail-hole her full and undivided attention, swirling her tongue around the muscular sphincter before stiffening it and delicately probing inside.

On the alicorn’s wings, Belle pointed with a hoof, directing the elderly Snowfall to move around the heaving, shuddering, trembling Princess to help Airmail, and from the tip of the feathers they moved inward together towards her back to between her wings and began a slow massage.

To her front, at her head, Tempest was suckling on Luna’s horn like a new born foal desperate for milk from its mother’s teat, and Airmail was still lost in her own little micro universe that consisted of her, alicorn feathers and ecstasy. As Tempest delivered a particularly deep bob of her head that swallowed three quarters of Luna’s long spiralled horn, the Princess stumbled and moans softly, a moan that increased in pitch as a fourth, far stronger and more violent orgasm coursed through her large powerful body, “H-H-Holy OCTAAAAVIAAAA!” She screamed in the full Royal Canterlot voice as she collapsed to her knees, thankfully stopping a ways short of squashing those ponies still under her, pleasuring her even as electric sparks of magic shot from her horn like a Roman candle firework.

Everypony continued their respective work until Snowfall and Airmail met up and finally stopped preening. Her mouth full of Luna’s magical emissions from her horngasm finally allowed her horn to slip from her lips, all glistening and shiny from the violet mare’s saliva, little sparks still sputtering from the tip. Requiem let the last hoof fall from her mouth, as shiny wet as her horn. Under her, drinking and swallowing the sweet nectar that flowed from the alicorn’s marehood, Serenity laid her head back for air and Mapper looked up from under her tail. “I do believe she may have heard your call, Mistress Luna.” The pink unicorn smiled as she placed a lingering tender kiss on Luna’s anus.

“Ah…aaah…” Luna gasped, greedily sucking much needed air into her lungs as the group of ponies removed themselves one by one from around her to recline on the futons around the Mare’s Room. “Ah…y-yes...I ah, I rather think she might…”

Seductively, Mapper slunk around to Luna’s front and reared up to wrap her forelegs around the lunar alicorn’s shoulders, “If you're not finished yet and would like something deeper, Tempest is our resident stallion.” She purred into her ear as Tempest merely blushed in front of her, deep red colouring her violet cheeks.

Glancing over at the heavily blushing mare, Luna wiggled her flank. “You think you can ride this, Tempest?” She said, giving the violet pegasus her best half-lidded gaze.

Quickly recovering her composure, Tempest brushed her chest with her forehoof. “I’ve had no complaints yet, nor do I expect any in the future.” She grinned, blowing an imaginary mote of dust from her hoof.

Mapper slapped Tempest’s shoulder with her pink hoof. “Atta girl, show her how it is done.”

Taking up her familiar position snuggling into Wildfire’s left side, having pressed their two futons together, Airmail sniggered, “Go for it love!”

Looking squarely at Tempest, Luna smiled. “Rut me, Tempest.”

Breathing evenly, although her heart was hammering fit to burst from her chest, Tempest trotted over to the toy box. ‘I’m gonna rut a Princess…oh dear sweet Goddesses, I’m gonna rut a Princess!’ Were the thoughts that were running through her head, joining her heart in its tattoo. “Your assistance, Airmail.” She said as evenly as she could.

Getting up, albeit somewhat reluctantly, from her yellow snuggle pillow, Airmail trotted over and from the open toy box the azure blue mare grabbed a thick double-ended stallion dildo – moulded in a V shape with an eye towards anatomical accuracy with a flared head, medial ring and pronounced veins designed to excite the recipients marehood – complete with straps and buckles. Taking the larger end in her mouth Airmail lowered it almost reverently to the pillow with her ass high and tail even higher.

Very ready, Tempest stepped into the straps, her hind legs all but quivering in anticipation. ‘Okay Stormy, you can do this, you’ve done this before…but I’m gonna rut a Princess!’ She was glad she wasn’t a real stallion, at least there was no danger of stage fright. “I'm all lubed from that horn work, so slide it in.” Quick to oblige, Airmail raised the dildo at an angle so the one part of the V easily breached Tempest’s wet labia neither lips. Sniggering softly at how her marefriend now looked like a well-endowed stallion – minus the balls – the azure blue mare then buckled it over her violet back.

Bending her forelegs to the floor, Luna positioned herself as if she was bowing, with her ass very much in the air, her billowing tail hiked to one side, shamelessly presenting herself to receive Tempest, as Airmail liberally slathered her saliva all over the shaft of the fake cock.

“Hmm…the joy of this toy is fucking you is fucking myself…” Tempest purred as she turned towards the Princess.

Luna watched a transformation before her eyes befitting a changeling. Tempest's stance and very being transformed to the stallion she had become.

Tempest strutted up to the alicorn. Her voice deeper, "My, what a pretty filly I've been offered today." She moved alongside the mare trailing a wing from shoulder to flank. "Such beautiful curves and luscious flesh." The pegasus could barely contain herself as the larger alicorn shivered under her touch. Once behind the Princess she lifted the starry tail with a forehoof to fully appreciate the marehood of a Goddess, and what she was about to do to it. "But, enough with the formalities." She quickly climbed up onto Luna’s back with practiced precision she slipped the head of the cock into her wet entrance. “I see my friends have prepped you well.”

“Aaah…” Luna sighed as she felt the first few inches of the toy penetrate her and the sheer girth spread her tunnel, “T-They have been thorough…”

Sliding in easily as far as the medial ring, Tempest pulled out almost all the way before giving a stallion like snort and bucking her hips forward, firmly thrusting the toy inside the alicorn almost to its hilt. “I hope there is still some sweetness left on these lips,” Mapper smiled, trailing her pink hoof tenderly along Luna’s cheek and jaw as she moved around to the front.

“GaaAAH!” Luna squealed with the force of Tempest’s entry, moaning as she felt every single inch of the long wide toy penetrate her sopping marehood, felt every exaggerated vein brush along her passage, she planted her forehooves on the hardwood floor and pushed herself back in time with Tempest's hard thrusts, succeeding in hilting the toy inside her. “Hmm…k-kiss me and see.”

With a savagery that she was unprepared for, Mapper did just that. Placing her forelegs around the alicorn’s head the pink unicorn mashed her lips into Luna’s, forcing her tongue into her mouth. No gentle lover’s kiss, this kiss said ‘I’m in charge’, and eagerly, Luna succumbed to it as she heard Belle whispering to somepony next to her. When that pure white somepony got up and started licking her horn, her universe shrank considerably.

Gasping for breath, Luna did her very best to return Mappers kiss with equal force, before breaking away and biting her lip as she bucked her hips back in time with Tempest’s hard thrusts. Behind her, digging her hooves into the leading edges of her wings, a hitherto unseen side of Tempest was making itself known. “Take it, you bitch, take it all!” The violet pegasus cried out harshly as a red mist descended upon her. “Take it all day long till I'm tired!” She grunted, hilting the fake cock inside the Princesses dripping tunnel.

Luna, bent over with her ass in the air surrounded by mare’s watching her get rutted like a common slut, thrilled at the dirty talk, “Buck me like a whore!” She had no idea where that came from, but right then, with Mapper forcibly kissing her and Snowfall licking her horn, it just seemed right.

“Nggh…aaah…I'll buck you bowlegged, you dripping cunt!” Tempest screamed, lost in her own little fantasy world, “You'll be spitting cum when I'm done plowing your field!”

In utter ecstasy, Luna pulled away from Mapper’s kiss for air, begging, “Do it! Do it!”

“Nggh…yeeeeeah I'm going to ride you wet and hang you out to dry!” Like a stallion, Tempest was rutting the lunar alicorn so hard she had to really plant her hooves to not move along the floor, however unlike a stallion, Tempest had no stamina issues - and she was bucking herself while she was doing this – nopony watching really knew if she was talking to the one she was mounting or to herself. “I'll leave you so wide open a foal would fall out of you, bitch!” As the violet mare hilted the toy deep inside Luna’s marehood yet again she brought her forehoof down on the crescent moon cutie mark. “Beg! Beg me you whore! Beg me to let you cum!”

Underneath her Luna was almost delirious from the overwhelming pleasure rippling through her body, she knew her climax wasn’t far away now. In a delightful rush of pain she gasped at the contact of Tempest’s hoof on her flank. “AaaAAH! T-Tempest…p-pony up and...AAaah! Do me like a bitch!” Luna screamed, not caring who was watching or what they thought of her. “Harder! Buck me harder!” She cried before she trailed off to a mewling whimper, “Let me cum…please!”

“No you slut, you don't really want it!” Tempest’s muzzle was pulled back in a snarl of complete lust as her heat built inside her core, slamming the Princess hard and deep. “You need to beg better than that!” Leaning forward she grabbed Luna’s ethereal mane in her teeth and pulled back as hard as she could, while at the same time slamming her other hoof into her opposite flank. As her head was jerked back, the sensuous licking on her horn stopped and a large patch of white fur was sent tumbling across the futons out of the corner of her eye.

Luna’s turquoise eyes went wide as saucers with the shock of the sweet pain as her mane was sharply pulled backwards. 'This is amazing!' She thought as her flank was spanked again. “P-Please, please...Tempest, please I beg you please, let this worthless bitch cum...PLEASE!”

Curling her violet hoof around Luna’s mane, Tempest spat it out of her mouth and pulled it back ever harder as again her thrust deep inside her. “Who’s your Daddy!”

“Y-You are!” Luna had tears in her eyes with the effort of staving off the orgasm that Tempest wouldn’t allow her to have. “I'm yours! Please, please let me cum!”

With her voice reduced to little more than animalistic grunts and snorts, Tempest pulled back literally as hard as she possibly could on the Princesses mane while she slammed so hard into her wet marehood she momentarily left the floor. So deep was she inside her she was brushing the alicorn’s cervix. Letting go of her mane, Tempest held herself there like she was ejaculating. “Soak me with your cum, you bitch!”

“AAH…AAAAAH TEEEEEEEEMPEST!” Luna screamed as her mane was released, along with her pent up denied orgasm, the lunar alicorn’s sweet cum gushing all over Tempest's groin and her hind legs. “Th-Thank you...” she moaned into the floor of the Mare’s Room, “Thank…you…for letting me cum!”

Around them, the room was in quieted awe. Sprawled upon Luna’s broad back, Tempest lay panting for breath still hilted inside the larger mare. “There you go…that’s my baby. So warm, so wet.”

Riding out the remainder of her very intense climax, Luna dropped to the floor and panted heavily, breathing in the scent of the hard wood and the stench of eight other mare’s arousal – as well as her own – she gasped, “I'm yours, all yours.”

On her back, Tempest was likewise panting for breath. “While you are here at least.” The violet pegasus had just enough energy left right then to snicker, “You're a good buck Luna, but I can't keep you. I can love you though, and be sure to give my love to Octavia.”

Playing support, Airmail moved up to help her exhausted marefriend dismount and to help remove the dildo with her mouth as always. Moving it to the side to be cleaned up later, Airmail snickered, “You do taste sweet, I can see why Mapper was enjoying herself so much.”

“Y-Yes, I rather think Tavi would miss me if you kept me.” Luna snickered as she pushed herself back up to her, admittedly wobbly, hooves. “Tempest, I want a kiss.”

Helped along by Airmail, Tempest staggered in front of the midnight blue mare and gently but firmly locked lips with her.

Returning the tender kiss, whispering in her ear, “That was heavenly, thank you my love.”

“I didn't hold back,” Tempest whispered with a genuine smile, “And I daresay I loved it as much as you.”

Quickly recovering, Luna giggled. “I'd have banished you to the sun had to dared to apologise, you were magnificent.” She said before kissing the pegasus hard on her lips.

“I won't apologise for being me.” Tempest giggled fillyishly before placing a tiny little peck on her muzzle. “Thank Mapper though, she knows what I'm like and must have thought you'd enjoy that bit of play.”

“Well,” Luna giggled as she fluttered her wings and landed on her futon, “Rough is always fun.”

Regaining her own futon on Wildfire’s right side, Tempest giggled again, “Must be catchy, the rest here say the same thing.”

“And, Mapper?” Luna smiled over at the pink unicorn who was lovingly stroking her wife’s burgundy mane. “Thank you.”

Pausing in her casual grooming of Serenity’s mane, Mapper returned Luna’s easy relaxed smile. “I just help to ensure that all of Caffy's guests find their visit enjoyable. Especially their first visit.” She then nodded respectfully over to the alicorn. “Thank you, Princess, for being Luna this night.”

“You're most welcome, I thank you all for treating me like Luna.” The alicorn had a fun little thought and beckoned Mapper over, with a hoof. Seeing Luna’s gentle summons, Mapper hastened to trot over with a grin as wide as the Princesses. “You know Mistress,” she whispered when the pink unicorn was close enough to her. “Your Pets were rather naughty just then.” She said with a wink.

“One waits to confess,” Mapper whispered back, casting a look full of adoration at Serenity. “While the other is still in training.” Wildfire received a nod of respect that Airmail communicated to the blind mare via a nuzzle before giving the Princess a light kiss. “Senior Pet,” she said loudly, once more assuming her well-practised role, “How was your performance?”

Standing from her futon, Serenity took a few steps forward to stand in the middle of the semi-circle of ponies, and with her heart in her throat, bowed before the mare that was her wife, her lover and her Mistress. “I was a bad pony, Mistress.” Her soft melodic voice doing more to draw her herd-mate’s attention than her prostrate position.

“Explain.” Mapper said quietly but firmly, turning to stand side-by-side with Luna, their expressions equally stern and authoritative.

Still in her bow, Serenity replied, “I bit without permission, Mistress.”

“My!” Mapper exclaimed, moving her white sock clad hoof to her forehead, “I'm surprised Senior Pet!” Her exaggerated posture wouldn’t have been out of place on the stage, but she carried the performance perfectly. “What made you do such a bad thing?”

“I failed to control my body when I was touched, Mistress.”

Mapper couldn’t disguise the look of pride she felt when she heard Serenity confess to her. She only hoped that her newest Pet was listening and learning. “So, you did two things wrong, my very bad pony.”

“Yes Mistress,” Serenity nodded, “Please punish me to correct my bad behaviour.”

“Hmm…” Mapper breathed, moving on to Wildfire without further comment. “Junior Pet, how was your performance?” She asked, very pleased indeed to see that the diminutive yellow pegasus, having had Airmail whisper to her and tell her what her fellow Submissive had done and what was expected of her, had also took a few hesitant steps forward and bowed to her Mistress.

“I cleaned Requiem's hooves as ordered Mistress,” Wildfire started confidently but then she began to trail off. “But, but um…I got lost and cleaned Senior Pet’s as well, Mistress.”

Mapper just stared at her, trying to ascertain where the yellow mare’s head was. “Whose hooves did you have permission to clean?” She asked calmly, making sure to keep her voice even.

“R-Requiem's...Mistress. I-I was a b-bad p-pony!” Wildfire squeaked, doing her very best to not quiver in front of the other mares.

‘She’s expecting to be whipped, or beaten in some way…well I have just the thing for you, little one.’ Mapper thought to herself with a smile, a smile which she allowed into her voice, just a little. “Yes, you are a bad pony! You disobeyed me and you cleaned the hooves of a Pet and not the guest you were assigned to. You deprived our guest of her pleasure!”

Hearing the slight subtle change in her Mistresses voice, the definite hint of amusement that now coloured her clipped Canterlot accent, Wildfire breathed a little easier as she bowed. ‘This isn’t like before, Wily. Mapper’s different.’ She told herself. “Yes Mistress.” She replied, considerably calmer now, “I must be punished for my behaviour.”

‘Oh, you’ll be punished, just not the way you think, little Pet.’ Mapper stood to her full height, which while not as tall as Luna was nonetheless impressive as she passed her judgement. “The two of you naughty Pets go and stand in the corner while we think about your punishment.” Turning to the rest of the group she said, “I suggest the rest of us go to the Wet Room and clean up.”

Hastening to obey her Mistresses command, Serenity sprang to her teal hooves and rushed over to the corner of the Mare’s Room and faced the wall, closely followed by the slower Wildfire who, following Tempest’s surreptitious hoof nudge, made her own way to the corner of the room by following Serenity’s scent.

Moving to the plain wooden door, Mapper used her magenta magic to open it and stood aside for Luna to leave first. Following her out, Mapper made it two full steps before being stopped by a wall of ponies in the U shaped hallway holding various signs. Recital, Trumpet, Longshore, Sonic, Trails and Omega each held up a ten, while Thespian, Baron, Sunshine and Tinkerer all had big eleven signs. Caffeinated, stood in the centre of the audience, had a sign that just read, #%$@&#^!!.

As the rest of the mare’s, minus Serenity and Wildfire, made their way out of the Mare’s Room and began taking the applause that was due, Luna couldn’t help but laugh. “Impressed, are we?” She giggled.

Amidst thunderous clapping and stomping of hooves, a rather red faced Caffeinated, having just heard his revered Goddess being rutted in his very home, just managed to say, “I…I saved most of the glassware…”

Luna merely carried on giggling as Mapper, with a very self-satisfied smile, continued on to the Wet Room. “In that case, Caffeinated, we weren’t loud enough!”

~ ~ ~

Roughly thirty minutes later, having thoroughly washed each other in a wide circle and being dried by the ever-useful Belle, Mapper led the group of mares out of the Wet Room only to pause in the U shaped hallway. Luna, for her part, had loved the washing circle. She had chosen to wash Airmail, while Requiem had washed her. During the shower, she had discovered of the painted earth pony’s hitherto unknown daredevil side, as well as her wish to sky dive. Luna, who found she rather liked the theatre pony and professional psychiatrist, resolved to make her wish happen.

“Mistress Luna,” Mapper said with a tiny hint of disappointment that the crowd had dissipated back upstairs, “The Pets have stewed for a good while, now to consider their punishment.”

Her attention momentarily diverted from Requiem, Luna smiled. “Ah yes. To the business at hoof.”

“My Senior Pet should have better control over her hoof being licked.” While she knew Serenity, and knew her propensity for being naughty on purpose – and she loved her for it with all her heart – Mapper couldn’t help feeling a wee bit embarrassed in front of Luna. For the alicorn, she had wanted everything just so.

“Ahh, Mapper,” Requiem spoke up, the Brooks dialect colouring her Manehatten accent wonderfully, “I don't think that was Wildfire. I kinda sorta snacked on Serenity's snatch while I was looking for Luna's rear hoof.” She admitted with a not too inconsiderable blush on her cheeks.

“Not an excuse, Requiem.” Mapper asserted quickly, “Biting is a serious thing when I don’t want her to do it.” She said almost to herself more than anypony else. “Ball gag?” She asked Luna with a raised eyebrow after a moment’s thought.

“Certainly,” Luna eagerly nodded her agreement. There was just ‘something’ she found incredibly erotic about a gag, whether it was the drooling pony wearing it, or the cute sounds as they tried to speak around it. “And for the Junior Pet?”

“Hmm…” now Mapper had given Wildfire a great deal of thought over the past half hour. “Galoshes for little Miss Hoof Fetish?” When Luna agreed that this was an excellent idea, and gave her approval, Mapper suddenly sighed, “Hmph…ball gags I have, but here I only have socks, not quite the same.”

Luckily Requiem was on hoof to save the pink mare from her own pout, “Hey, Recital knows your place and she easily has the range.”

Luna smiled as she and Mapper led the rest of the group up the stairs to the ranch’s main floor. “Problem solved then, yes?”

Ascending the stairs, Mapper nodded. “Let me have a chat with Recital and then we can deal with the Pets.” Closely they were followed by the rest of the mare’s group, Luna being quite pleased to find Requiem staying close to her right side.

Meanwhile, back in the Mare’s Room, still resolutely facing the wall, Serenity heard the plain wooden door close behind her. Though she remained silent, the older mare could sense and feel the younger’s anxiety begin to rise. After the Dungeon experience, this was only to be expected. Inconspicuously she shuffled a little closer to the diminutive pegasus and leant against her.

Wildfire, who was indeed on the verge of a panic attack, felt immediately much calmer as she felt the breathed in and smelt her now familiar scent, felt the welcoming warmth of Serenity’s body heat next to her. She didn’t know if she was using her magic or not, to be truthful she didn’t care. Right then and there, knowing she wasn’t alone, knowing Serenity was with her, was more powerful than any spell.

The two ponies shared a bond of kinship right then that went beyond mere words. Leaning back into the teal unicorn, Wildfire unfurled her left wing and angled it upwards to drape it over the larger mare’s back and increase the closeness of the embrace. Feeling the feathery blanket cover most of her back, Serenity looped her right forehoof around Wildfire's left and straightaway the blind pony gripped her hoof tight to let her know it was appreciated.

Although words between them were not necessary – Wildfire didn’t even know if she was allowed to speak in this situation, she knew Serenity was going to be punished because of her and what she’d done. After a few more moments of silence, she couldn’t help herself. Leaning her head up, she whispered, “Sorry.”

Next to her, Serenity simply shook her head and remained silent, knowing full well thanks to the extraordinary link she shared with her wife and Mistress would be immediately aware if she spoke, and while she liked to be naughty now and again, there were limits to how far she was willing to push.

Wildfire who, thanks to the close proximity of her fellow Pet, felt Serenity shake her head, straightaway understood the meaning of the gesture and fell silent. She made sure however to keep her wing firmly in place over her back, and Serenity, likewise grateful for the closeness and also aware of the fledgling bond between them both, snuggled in deep under Wildfire’s wing.

‘I wonder what our punishments will be.’ Wildfire thought apprehensively as she nuzzled Serenity’s cheek.

Up on the main floor of the ranch everypony else was either arrayed around the large music room or the library situated along the left side of the house as one looked from the wide stairs. Some, like Thespian and Tinkerer, were still happily wearing their tortoise shell rope bondage, while in the music room Trumpet was still in his hoof-cuffs next to Recital. Dusk, Mapper noted with a hint of satisfaction, was still asleep on the couch upstairs.

As the mares peeled away to pair up with their respective partners, Mapper trotted up to the light blue unicorn who, at that moment was enjoying a magical mane grooming session courtesy of her husband, Trumpet. “Recital, a favour, please?”

Giving the pink unicorn a half-lidded stare from under her dark blue mane, Recital answered, “Hmm…aaaah…y-yeees M-Mapper?” She almost purred.

Mapper was about to reply, to tell her the favour she wanted when Belle, the young olive drab unicorn, skipped over to the five disc CD player and switched it to a pop…‘thing’ that the older pink mare found quite distasteful. ‘Ugh…sounds like something Serenity plays when she wants a paddling,’ she thought with a little twitch of her eye. “Ah…yes, I have galoshes in my foyer closet. I have need of a set of four, please.”

Recital’s ears perked up at the thought of exercising her teleportation skills. “Ooh! Can I get one of your dark chocolate bars while I'm there?” She asked eagerly, knowing just where Mapper stashed them, and also knowing that Trumpet had hidden hers.

Mapper nodded with a sly smile towards the dark red unicorn. “Take two or they will get stale.”

With a smile as wide as the proverbial Cheshire Cat, Recital lit her horn and in a bright flash of glowing emerald green magic, disappeared with a loud ‘pop’, leaving behind a thoroughly bemused looking dark red unicorn. “Thanks Mapper,” Trumpet said with an exaggerated roll of his golden brown eyes. “Now I'll have a chocolate rushed unicorn to deal with.”

Skipping away towards the library, pleased with a job well done and eager to escape the ‘noise’, Mapper blew him a kiss. “You're welcome love,” she called over her shoulder.

Sniggering at a perfectly executed wind up job as she’d ever seen, Luna said to Requiem, “Would you like that flight a little later on?”

Slightly disbelieving, Requiem looked up at Luna, her turquoise eyes going very wide indeed at the thought of one of her dreams finally coming true. That it was being done with an alicorn was purely a bonus. “Longshore, baby, do you mind if I go flying?”

From the library, the jet black earth pony stallion laid his book down and looked at his wife with an indulgent smile. “Not at all love, you have fun.” Longshore smiled a smile that easily reached his twinkling brown eyes. “Land safely, please.” He chuckled before once more picking up his book.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Requiem performed a four hooved dance of pure delight, the blue and red painted pony wearing a wide smile as she danced like an overgrown filly, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

As Luna was about to break down in giggles, Recital reappeared in a flash of green magic just inside the front door of the ranch, candy bar in her mouth while she held the four galoshes and the other candy bar in her magical aura. Grinning at Requiem’s little dance, she quickly located Mapper in the library and levitated the set of galoshes to her while she sent the candy bar to Luna.

Taking the bar with a word of thanks, Luna turned back to the painted pony with a smile and with a whisper to Requiem, she said, “I hope you like to go fast.” Then, a thought struck her. One she supposed should have occurred to her earlier. “Ah, Requiem, why do you want to fly?” She asked curiously.

Requiem took a deep breath as she prepared to explain why she wanted what she wanted. “I’ve been an actress for years, Luna. On the stage when I play a pegasus, I always have a wire.” She explained quickly, “But, it is just so exciting to fly around. I ah, I can only imagine having no wire.” Then, in a very soft, almost inaudible voice, Requiem asked, “Could I please have some free fall time?”

“You want me to let you fall?” Luna asked incredulously.

Looking around, Requiem made frantic ‘shh-ing’ motions with her hooves, very worried that Longshore had overheard and would put a stop to it. “Not so loud, please!” She hissed, “Yes, yes I do. I might fly like a rock but I'll be actually flying. Just in free fall.”

“Very well then.” Luna nodded her agreement as she saw Mapper trot over to the stairs down to the basement level with the galoshes and a ball gag, “It seems that Mapper has the Pets well in hoof. Hop on, Requiem.”

Unexpectedly, Requiem giggled behind a forehoof, “Teehee, can we go up to the balcony first?” She sniggered, “I'd feel silly riding you around in the house.”

“Of course,” Luna laughed softly, and side-by-side, the alicorn and earth pony alighted the stairs up to the first storey where they trotted over to the – thankfully cleaned – balcony. Once there at the safety railing, Luna couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the amazing rutting her son took on the patio decking below. “Comfy back there?” The alicorn asked as Requiem climbed up on her back and held on tight with all four of her legs.

Behind her, secured on the Princesses back, Requiem couldn’t help but smile in anticipation, “I’m better than I was in the Wet Room.”

Laughing, Luna spread her powerful wings to their full eight and a half foot span and angled her primary feathers for take-off. “I'll ask you again in a moment. Fifteen thousand feet alright for you?” She asked as with a single flap the two mares rose five feet into the clear night sky.

Now down in the basement, Mapper took the handle of the plain wooden door in her glowing magenta aura and made more of a show of fumbling to open it than was strictly necessary, purely to announce her presence to the waiting stewing Pets inside. Hearing her Mistress finally arrive, Serenity let go of Wildfire's left forehoof and stood up straight to attention, facing the wood lined wall.

Feeling Serenity pull away from her and stand up straight, Wildfire thought it best to do the same. Having no idea at that point just whom it was who was about to enter she pulled her wing back and stood to attention, just in time as it happened, as the door opened a fraction of a second later.

Entering the hard wood floored room, Mapper purposefully clopped her hooves to allow Wildfire to track her hoof-steps as she approached both of her Pets hindquarters. “Have you been good Pets while I was gone?” She asked in a silky voice.

Straightaway, before Wildfire could say anything at all, Serenity shook her head and said, “I was a bad pony, Mistress.”

Appreciatively Mapper ran her sock clad hoof over her wife’s flank, lovingly stroking her black bar of four eighth notes cutie mark. “What did you do, Senior Pet?” She asked delicately.

“I was cold and leaned against Junior Pet to be warm.”

Hearing Serenity’s admission, Wildfire just couldn’t allow her fellow Pet to take all of whatever was to come. “I um, I was a bad pony too, Mistress.” She said, sounding more confident than she felt.

Now very gently stroking Wildfire’s bright red fireball cutie mark, just as lovingly as she had done to Serenity, Mapper asked, “And what did you do, Junior Pet?”

“I held Senior Pet with my wing, Mistress.”

‘So very eager, so desperate to be liked and accepted…so very cute and adorable,’ Mapper thought with a smile, happy that through their sympathetic link, Serenity silently agreed with her. “I blame Senior Pet for that by being cold when she should have endured it.”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire nodded.

“Senior Pet, turn around and open your mouth.” Mapper ordered simply and, as Serenity did so, a right red ball gag, the two inch red ball perforated with tiny holes so as not to impair breathing, floated into her open waiting mouth. Once the ball was lodged behind her teeth and pressing her tongue down into her lower jaw the gag was securely fastened behind her head. A heavy winter coat, taken from the Mare’s Room closet, then covered her body. “That ball gag should keep you from biting ponies that don't ask for bites and the coat will keep you warm.” Mapper said firmly, then, a little bit softer, said, “Junior Pet lift one hoof at a time so I can put something on them.”

Wildfire nodded. “Yes, Mistress.” Starting with her left forehoof she lifted each up in turn as she had earlier when her Mistress had put the forest green socks on her. When she raised up each hoof she felt the socks being slid down and removed and then something hard and artificial be fitted there to take their place.

Mapper securely fitted the last of the hoof-wear and stepped back. “As long as you wear those galoshes you will know you cannot lick any pony's hooves to include your own until I think they should come off. A pet must always know her surroundings so as to not make mistakes.”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire said as she flexed her hooves, “I'll do better, Mistress.”

“Senior Pet,” Mapper said, running her hoof along Serenity’s jaw, taking up the tiny bit of drool and smearing it over her teal muzzle, “Find the soiled pillows and futons, then remove the cloud stuffing so they can be washed. Junior pet you will fill them back up tomorrow.” Turning her back to her beloved without another glance, she nudged Wildfire with her magic. “Follow me, Junior Pet. I want the others to see your fashion statement.” Walking to the wooden door she held it open for the blind mare. “Senior Pet, you may come upstarts after your task is finished.”

Following her Mistresses scent, Wildfire carefully walked after the pink unicorn, using her wingtips pressed to the floor as a guide to keep herself in a straight line, as well as making sure she didn’t accidentally hit anything, she followed her out into the U shaped hallway and from the feel of the carpet towards the stairs.

Reaching the first riser of the stairs, Mapper was duly impressed to see the diminutive pegasus so close behind her with no aids. “Step up, I hope you have remembered the step count and don't embarrass me.” She said without pausing to wait.

Feeling the vertical riser with her hoof, Wildfire stepped up easily, counting off the number of steps in her head as she went along. “Yes Mistress, I do remember,” She said confidently as she took the step up, automatically feeling for the next one in turn.

Mapper trotted up the stairs without another word, and likewise behind her Wildfire also made it up the stairs without any incident, dutifully following her Mistresses scent without question or error. Looking around herself she tried to locate her painted friend and coming up short, Mapper asked, “Where is Requiem? I have a bad pony here that wants to apologise.”

Sonic stuck his head out of the music room, “She and Luna jumped off the balcony.” He said with a snigger, then winced as a cookie hit the chuckling purple earth pony upside his head. “Ooow!” He grimaced as the perfectly aimed cookie bounced along the carpet.

“They went flying,” Thespian supplied, another cookie shaped missile ready in her blue / grey hoof should it be necessary to fire off another salvo. “They should be back soon.”

“Pet, follow.” Mapper ordered curtly.

Obediently Wildfire followed her Mistress, wondering idly where she was being led, when a few seconds later she heard Airmail’s north western accented voice from somewhere to her left, an instant later she smelt her jasmine scent. “Looking real sexy in those galoshes, Wily.” She heard the azure blue mare add a wolf whistle for good measure.

A moment later Mapper’s voice sounded again in front of her. “Stop, Pet. There is a cookie on the floor for you, you may eat it.”

Immediately, Wildfire stopped. “Thank you, Mistress.” She said gratefully, and lowering her head to the spotlessly vacuumed carpet of the hallway the diminutive pegasus used her highly developed and well-practised sense of smell to sniff out the chocolate covered macaroon. Thankfully the chocolate treat was easy to locate, and as soon as her sniffing muzzle touched the cookie she scooped it up with her tongue straight into her mouth.

Watching her swallow, Mapper asked with a smile, “Pet, do you understand what you may not do?”

Licking her lips free of any residual crumbs, Wildfire replied, “I may not lick any hooves until these galoshes are removed, Mistress.”

Mapper nodded. “I think Airmail and Tempest may wish some cuddles. You are on Free Time, Pet.” Trotting off towards the music room in search of cookies herself, the pink unicorn called out, “Thespian! I hope you didn't waste all those cookies on bonehead!”

Standing where Mapper had left her, Wildfire could scent both the sandalwood of Tempest and the jasmine of Airmail as the two mares moved along the right and left sides of her, respectively Airmail on her left and Tempest to her right. Where they had been almost all day. “So,” Tempest asked, her hot breath at Wildfire’s right ear, “What do you think of your punishment?”

Wildfire cocked her head to one side, deep in thought for a few moments. ‘I’d hardly call it being punished,’ Wildfire thought to herself. ‘It’s certainly nowhere near as bad as I’m used to…’ Turning to her right, the blind mare smiled. “Well, it’s not so bad really, it just means I can’t clean any hooves for a while.”

Airmail gave her new lover a gentle nuzzle. “Did you think punishment must bring pain?” She asked kindly.

“It usually does,” Wildfire replied, before smiling, “But that was before. I know it’s different now.”

Copying her marefriend, Tempest gave Wildfire’s other cheek a nuzzle, “Welcome to being loved, lover.”

Impulsively, Wildfire bent her head to the right, “And welcome you to a sloppy kiss!” She giggled, pressing her lips to Tempest’s in as sloppy a kiss as she could manage, hoping the violet mare could taste the chocolate cookie.

“Don't get me wrong, Wily.” Airmail said, slightly envious of the grade A lip lock that Tempest was bravely enduring. “If you had hurt a pony you might have pain with the punishment. Mapper doesn't believe you should be punished for more than the offense you committed.” A second or two later, and Airmail tapped Wildfire’s shoulder. “And sloppy kisses for me, please. She isn't the pretty one.”

Breaking the kiss, but leaving a sexy strand of saliva between them, Wildfire turned to the lead editor. “I know. That's why Mistress is better.” She smiled then, before she passionately kissed Airmail. “Of course I have kisses for you, Pretty.”

Expecting to see Serenity at any moment, but after a few minutes had passed and there was no sign of the teal unicorn, Tempest asked, “Do you know what she did to Serenity? She hasn't come up yet.”

Wildfire nodded, “Mistress made her wear a ball gag, and she placed a winter coat on her.”

“A winter coat?” Airmail asked, not sure if Wildfire had understood properly, “I can see why the ball gag for biting. But the winter coat? That just sounds silly.”

“Senior Pet leant against me because she was cold.” Wildfire explained simply. “Mistress sorted it.”

“Wily,” Tempest said gently, “Do you think she was cold?”

Cocking her head again as she mulled over what the weather captain had asked. The answer was obvious, really. It certainly was not cold anywhere in the ranch. “No, Honey. I think she was comforting me, she held my hoof too, because she knew I was about to panic.” She added the last eight words quietly, almost ashamed.

“You may be right,” Airmail smiled, “But what did she tell Mapper?”

“Senior Pet told Mistress she was cold.”

“Do you think Serenity would lie to Mapper?” Airmail asked, unfolding her right wing and draping it liberally over Wildfire’s back.

“She'd be a bad pony if she did.”

“Yes,” Tempest smiled, seeing where Airmail was leading Wildfire, and determined to help her get there. “So maybe she was cold but holding your hoof and leaning against you warmed her up. If you were comforted by that then it was a bonus, right?”

“Now for a harder question, Wily.” Airmail said, kissing the yellow mare’s left cheek. “What did Serenity teach you about your new Mistress?”

Casting her mind back an hour or two, Wildfire knew the answer to this one. She easily recalled what Serenity had told her after she had slugged Mapper. “She said we're each responsible for our own actions, Pretty.”

“Nice try, Wily.” Tempest said with a nip of her right ear. “Could it be possible that Mapper thought the same thing you did when Serenity confessed?”

“Yes, I'm sure of it.” Wildfire nodded. “Mistress isn't silly.”

“Did she challenge Serenity on it?” Airmail asked.

“No, Mistress accepted it.”

“The lesson is Mapper trusts your intentions too.” Tempest spelled it out for her. “She does love you Wily, and she understands we are not perfect. Just be sure what you say is truthful, even if not the whole truth. Talk to Serenity about it when you are not in play time.”

“I will do,” Wildfire nodded with a smile, “Although I think I get what you mean.”

~ ~ ~

After taking care of Mapper’s little delivery request Recital went on search of her husband while nibbling the dark chocolate. She stuffed the last of it in her mouth when she found him in the Music room. “I’m bored, so very bored,” the unicorn stated while holding a forehoof to her head.

Trumpet, who had been listening to Serenity’s pop jazz remix, opened his eyes and smiled at his wife’s antics. “How many of those candy bars did you eat?”

“Just one,” replied a sorrowful voice before she thrust a hoof into the air, “And it’s gone!” Recital rolled to her side and then to her back draped over her husband. Then with a sly smile she started nibbling on his horn.

Longshore walked into the music room, “Recital, you’re back!” He watched her roll her eyes at him. “I have something you might be interested in. The play is called Appleloosa, and it is a musical.

Recital gave one last lick to her hubby’s horn before she sat back up, “Oh?”

Trumpet held back the soft sigh as his wife went from sexy to shop in an instant. She was deep into reading the script when he stood. “I’ll get us some drinks,” he stated before leaving the room without acknowledgment.

After several readings Recital looked up at Longshore, “I’m all in for this. Looks like fun.” The earth pony nodded and retreated back to the library. Her husband hadn’t returned and the unicorn found herself bored again. A look around and inspiration struck her as the facilitator of her plan walked by. “Thespian,” the Stallion Island native called out, “Do you have your make up kit with you?”

Thespian paused when she heard the question. Of course she had her kit at the house. The blue / grey earth pony set down the plate of cakes in her mouth, “Sure, Recital. Oh! You want to do makeovers?”

Recital smiled and tossed her mane, “Well, yeah, kinda.”

Thespian giggled as she stamped her forehooves, “That will be so much fun! Let me get the rest of the mares.” She bent down to pick the plate back up.

“Thespian, wait,” Recital stopped her again while pointing a hoof at the sleeping form of Dusk resting on the couch in the hallway. A wide grin crossed her muzzle, “I want to do that one.”

Thespian looked to where her friend was pointing and blinked twice. “Luna's son?” She asked as the ghost of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Looking back from the enthusiastically nodding unicorn to the sleeping pegasus and back again a few times, little gears turning in her head, Thespian snickered at the thought of what they were about to do. Raising her voice just slightly she called to the music room, “Trails, we're doing make overs!”

Straightaway Trails’s Brooks dialect piped up with an excited clap of his hooves, “I'm in!” His voice sang out as he skipped into the hallway.

“Not you.” Thespian stopped the bouncing pink stallion with a hoof to his chest.

“Aww!” Trails moaned, visually deflating like a balloon with the air let out, “Why not me?”

Thespian just grinned, her green eyes twinkling with mischief, “Him.”

Trails followed where she was pointing with her blue / grey hoof, his visage quickly switching from disappointment to the smile of one who had just been told he could lick out a chocolate covered mixing bowl. “I'm so in.” He grinned, his dark green eyes alive, “You got your kit?”

“Getting it now,” Thespian said over her shoulder as she headed up the wide stairs to hers and Caffeinated’s bedroom. “You get the consultants.”

Bouncing on the spot, fit to burst, Trails skipped back to the music room virtually glowing, “Hey!” He called, getting most of the occupant’s attention, “Tempest! Lavender! Me, Thespian and Recital are giving Dusk a makeover, are you in?”

Lavender thought about it, for the span of a heartbeat anyway, before she sang out, “I’m in!”

In the corner next to Wildfire and Airmail, Tempest sniggered, “Yeah should be fun.” Nudging the yellow mare with her elbow she asked, “You want in, Wily?”

“Oh yuppers! Definitely, yes!” Wildfire buzzed her wings excitedly, “I've always wanted to paint his hooves, I'm in!”

“Serenity,” Trails said as he turned to the ball gagged teal unicorn, “Would you be a dear a position the client for us, please?”

With a brief look to her Mistress, who merely gave her the tiniest of nods, Serenity lit her horn and enveloped Dusk in her glowing hazel aura and magically she rotated the young Prince onto his back and for good measure she wedged pillows under him so he wouldn't roll off, then she positioned his legs for easy hoof access.

“Let me know when you need to get to his mane.” Mapper said, feigning bored disinterest although her wide smile gave her away. “Can we move him to the park?” She asked as the delicious idea ran through her head.

“No Mapper,” Trails said with a touch of admonishment in his voice that clearly stated ‘you should know better’, “You'll just have to remember this.” Pink had just finished scolding pink when Thespian came back down the stairs with her makeup kit held in her mouth. Shrugging, Mapper trotted off to the dining area leaving Serenity in the music room with her ‘music’ as Sonic trotted out to watch the fun.

“Hmm…” Trails was looking Dusk over with a critical eye, working out what colours would best go where, when eventually he made up his mind. “With that fur, I'm thinking silver highlights and purple eyeshadow. I'm torn between ruby red and burgundy for the hooves. What do you think, Recital?”

Recital too joined Trails in looking the Prince over as if they were scrutinising a painting in progress at the museum, “Good choices, though burgundy is a bit more masculine, and I think a better looking lip gloss.”

Helpfully ushered into a kneeling position by her best friend’s hooves, Wildfire said quickly, “I call dibs doing the hooves!”

Trails smiled over at the diminutive yellow pegasus, “They’re all yours love. Okay…so, if we do burgundy here and there, then we go with ruby for the ribbons in the mane and tail?” The pink stallion asked, more thinking out loud really, to which the others nodded their approval.

Suddenly, Tempest sniggered, “Hey guys, remember that quip about Sunny slapping his moon red?”

Of course everypony could recall with absolute clarity the events that had taken place outside on the decking. Thespian squeed with delight, “I have fur dye in the kit!”

An idea struck Trails, and he turned to Tempest, “What about his wings, Stormy?”

“Hmm…” Tempest looked Dusk over, “I say keep it simple. How about silver highlights towards the edges and tips of the feathers? That combination would look well against those dark coloured feathers.”

Wildfire giggled, unable to contain herself, “This is gonna be sooo cool!”

Trails clapped his hooves like a conductor bringing an orchestra to attention. “All right mares, let’s get at it!”

“Wily,” Tempest asked with a hoof on her shoulder, “Can you handle a brush to paint the hooves?”

Wildfire nodded, “I should be able to, I'll hold it tight in my mouth, Honey.”

Very carefully, having selected a medium sized hoof-brush from her kit, Thespian placed the handle of the brush near Wildfire’s open mouth. Feeling the tip of the handle with her tongue, the yellow pegasus gripped it in her teeth, sliding her muzzle down to hold it by the ferrule. Next, Thespian pressed the tin of burgundy paint onto Wildfire’s hoof where she gripped it tightly. “It's non-toxic but not the best tasting.” Thespian warned with a smile. “Don't worry if you get any in your mouth, we can clean up later.”

With the brush held firmly in her mouth, Wildfire mumbled a barely audible 'okay' and began layering the paint on the brush and once she was satisfied she got to work, carefully working the brush around the centre of Dusk’s forehoof, starting with the hard toe and the white wall while the others quietly consulted each other as they worked away on the Prince’s makeover. Caffeinated walked in to find out where his cake went. Only to be drafted into giving needed advice on tribal facial designs that were all the rage in the rock and roll circles. Grinning at the state that Dusk was being turned into, the zebra wisely took his leave, and cake, before the mares decided they needed a model that was awake.

Having tried a few different angles to properly coat Dusk’s hoof, Wildfire mumbled 'damn!' around the brush, “I just can’t get it everywhere!” Then…she had an idea. It sailed pretty close to the wind with the galoshes still on her hooves, but it was an idea. In utter frustration she spat out the brush and dabbed a bit of the burgundy paint on her tongue and began using that to now properly paint her best friends hooves. Taking the paint on her tongue Wildfire winced a little, as it tasted somewhat of pickled beets, nonetheless she carried on, ‘Heh…it’s not the worst thing I've ever had in my mouth’, she thought as she moved onto the other forehoof.

Pausing in her painting the underside of Dusk’s wings, Tempest noted what Wildfire was doing and, more importantly, the good job that she was doing and with a sense of satisfaction went back to applying the silver highlights. “And D said I'd never prank him!” Wildfire sniggered as she dabbed more of the paint on her tongue ready to tackle the hind hooves.

Trails gave her a reproachful look that reached his voice, “Darling. This isn't a prank. We’re giving this stallion new life!”

Wildfire giggled, “You can call it what you like, I'm pranking him.”

“Once you finish that hoof, I’ll tell Mapper Serenity can roll him over.” Tempest said with a smile, having finished her ‘art’ on the wing nearest to her.

Hearing her name mentioned, Mapper came trotting back into the hallway from the dining room, a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting held in her hoof. “Are you ready yet...” she trailed off to silence as she saw quite clearly Wildfire dragging her tongue along Dusk’s hind hoof. Outraged, but keeping her voice as even as she could, she asked, “Junior Pet! Are you licking a hoof?”

Wildfire’s heart skipped several beats as she jumped a few inches in the air. “Um…n-no, Mistress.” She replied with a shaky tone in her voice.

Mapper took a few steps forward, tapping her hoof dangerously on the carpeted floor. “Lies will not sit well with me, Pet!”

“B-But…but I-I'm not licking Mistress, honest! I-I'm painting!” As proof, she opened her mouth to show the burgundy paint on her tongue.

Mapper paused, entirely not expecting this at all. “What?”

Finally finishing up the facial designs on Dusk’s face, satisfied the Prince looked like a glam rocker from roughly a decade ago, Thespian put her brushes aside. “She is rather good at it too, Mapper. You could do worse than have her paint your hooves some time.”

Mapper narrowed her magenta eyes, searching for any sign of duplicity. Finding none, in fact she giggled, wondering if after her time at the home Wildfire was capable of telling a lie anymore, said, “Didn't you have a brush?”

“Yes Mistress,” Wildfire admitted with a nod of her head. “But, please forgive me, I just couldn't get it to cover the whole hoof.”

“Pegasus thing,” Tempest offered helpfully, “Don't have your magic, nor an earth ponies lip dexterity.”

Mapper sighed, accepting what she was being told. “Fine. Fine, finish up and I'll get Serenity to roll him over.” To the olive drab unicorn she called, “Belle, we'll need some more pillows from downstairs, please love.”

Straightaway, Belle brought up a veritable army of cloud pillows and Serenity, under Mapper’s direction, magically rolled Dusk over to his front when the last hoof was done while Belle and Recital nested him securely on the pillows so they could finish the wing tops, mane and tail.

After about another fifteen minutes, Wildfire asked, “Does he look gorgeous?”

Trails took a step back to admire their finished work of art. “Oh…oh yes, yes he does.”

Tempest nodded her agreement. “He does, in a feminine kind of way.”

“That’s what I said.” Trails giggled, “But he does need one last thing. Thespian, some of your hot pink lip gloss please.”

Tempest looked confused, “We put burgundy on his?”

Trails gave the violet pegasus a knowing wink and a nudge of his foreleg. “Tempest, darling, you will see.”

Wildfire snorted out a laugh as she got up to her hooves. “I do wish I could see his face when he finally wakes up.”

With Dusk finally finished to all their satisfaction, Serenity laid him out on his side on the couch with his wings neatly folded away. As a finishing touch, Trails applied the lip gloss to himself and then gently moved one of the pegasus’s hind legs so he could place several sloppy kisses all along his sheath.

“There,” the pink stallion stood back to fully admire his work. “Now he is done.”

~ ~ ~

As she approached the ranch Luna spread her wings to effectively slow down her gliding descent. “Well, there are thrill rides and then there are eighteen thousand foot death drops.” She smiled as she flared her wings wide and landed softly on the balcony of the ranch.

Waiting for Luna to fold her wings away, Requiem slid off of her midnight blue back and trotted inside the first floor. Taking a few steps down the stairs, the red and blue painted pony paused at the bottom on the ground floor and stomped her hoof in utter outrage. “Oh, for the love of the Sun and the Moon I've been upstaged by a stallion!”

Behind Requiem, Luna took a moment to realign a few feathers and then followed her new flying buddy down the stairs, eager to see what had caused her outburst. Joining the earth pony mare on the main floor, Luna didn’t have to look very far as arrayed before her, still sleeping from his rutting on the decking outside, was Dusk. This however, wasn’t the Dusk she had left behind. This Dusk had been given a considerable makeover. Everything from the burgundy hoof paint, to the lip gloss to the hickies on his sheath, her son looked a picture. “Oh my...” Luna barely contained a snigger behind her forehoof. “Who invited Vocal Chord?”

As she sniggered, Longshore walked into the U shaped hallway. “Welcome back love, Luna.” The jet black earth pony stallion greeted the two mares without an ounce of shame. “While you were flying the rest were chatting in the dining area, and well, some of them got bored.” He waved a hoof over to Dusk as if that was explanation enough.

Taking another look at her son, Luna didn’t even try and hold her laugh in anymore. “So I see Longshore!” She barely managed to say as she erupted in snorted giggles. “Now,” the Princess said as she calmed herself with a conscious effort, lest she give herself the hiccups, “Who's responsible for my son's new look?” She asked as she and Requiem walked in to the music room.

Immediately Trails shot his pink hoof into the air, reminding Luna of an eager student in class. “Me! Well, it was sort of me.” He gave a sideways look to the light blue unicorn and the blue / grey earth pony, as if selling out his gang members to the teacher in the Principal’s office. “It was Recital's idea, and Thespian's makeup.”

“I did the hooves!” Wildfire chirped happily.

A split second later and the pink stallion shrunk and hid behind his partner, Sonic, at the death glare that the painted earth pony mare was giving him from beside Luna. “Ouch, Requiem, turn down the stare…and, what on earth happened to your mane?” He asked, as ‘windswept’ was definitely an understatement.

Unable to hold her scowl for more than a few seconds as she was still high from the ‘flying’, Requiem started bouncing on all four hooves again, looking like a filly who’d been told she could have a lifetime’s supply of her favourite ice cream. “I was flying!” She exclaimed, momentarily drowning out the jazz that Serenity had put on the stereo. “I really did fly, almost not straight down, too!” The painted pony couldn’t contain her four-hooved dance any longer, “It was so awesome! Luna took me cloud walking too! I ran right of the edge and it was a total rush!”

“So, you flew better than a rock, then?” Caffeinated asked with a coltish twinkle in his emerald green eyes that earned him a perfectly formed raspberry from the red and blue mare.

“How long did you free fall?” Tempest asked, taking a break from nuzzling Wildfire.

Conspicuously, Requiem shot Luna a ‘look’ as she ran a hoof through her blue and red mane in a futile attempt to smooth it down into her regular style…a style that had nothing to do with a tribute to Siouxsie Sioux. “About twenty seconds I think, and another forty flying.”

Luna, for her part, and to her eternal credit with Requiem, didn’t rat her out on the fact that the free fall was nearer to ninety seconds than it was to twenty. “I had to double check her for hidden wings, you'd think she was a pegasus with how comfortable she was on that cloud.”

“It was even better than the Mare's Room!” Requiem squealed, much to Longshore’s amusement. “I was bit slow at first, I thought it might be icy and I didn't want to fall on my butt on my first proper cloud walk.”

“You were amazing.” Luna affirmed as she looked at the zebra with a grin. “Caffy, I do believe Dusk has offered you a flight?”

Caffeinated returned Luna’s grin, “I'll live through Requiem, Luna.” He nodded, “Thank you for taking my friend up there.”

“It was my pleasure,” Luna replied with a smile. “Even more so to bring her back down.”

At that, Longshore laughed lightly, giving his wife a long hard cuddle as she laid next to him, “Yes I'm very happy with that too.”

“I rather thought you might be.” Luna smiled and joined in with the easy laughter as a thought struck her. “How about you, Wildfire, have you done much flying recently?” While her primary duty here today was over and done with, and the Princess was more than happy to leave Wildfire here with her new herd-mates to grow with them, she was still interested.

“She will be re-filling pillows tomorrow.” Mapper replied on the yellow mare’s behalf when she didn’t answer straight away.

‘Fireflight…I like that name for a foal…she’ll be a pegasus and I’ll teach her to fly and…’ her train of thought was derailed at the station when Wildfire felt Tempest’s foreleg nudge her barrel. “Oh, um, sorry...I was miles away.” The diminutive mare admitted with a blush. “I did a bit of flying earlier, with Tempest's awesome help, apart from that no, not so much.”

Luna nodded, “You make sure she does a thorough job, Mapper.”

Reclining next to Serenity, and idly stroking her mane, Mapper shot Wildfire a sideways look through narrowed magenta eyes. “My new Pet is sneaky, she painted hooves with her tongue.”

“Hmm…” Luna couldn’t quite hide the smirk in her tone, “Wasn't your Junior Pet forbidden from using her tongue on hooves, Mistress?”

Without pausing in her petting of her wife’s long flowing burgundy mane, Mapper nodded. “I think my Senior Pet has been teaching her,” the pink unicorn said with a casual flick of Serenity’s teal ear, “She was not allowed to lick hooves as she likes to clean them. Painting hooves, however, is putting something on them.” Now Mapper smiled over at Tempest, “Of course, the rest complimented my Pet on her good work.”

“I should hope they did, her hoof-work is impressive.” Luna smiled, fully appreciating Mapper’s dilemma – do you punish or praise? – and thoroughly pleased that Wildfire was at last acting a little more like herself. “Still, I'd watch that one, were I you.”

Mapper nodded, “She is too pretty not to watch.”

“Well, I can’t argue with you there Mistress, she is indeed pretty.” Then, very curious to know how Wildfire was doing, mainly because she knew Celestia would ask her when she got back anyway, Luna turned to Tempest. “So,” she said to the violet mare, “Tempest, how was your new herd member with flying?”

Not bothering to break the loving nuzzle with Wildfire, Tempest replied, “She was like a new filly to flying, but her confidence was gaining as I took her to basic level graduation by the end.”

Wildfire, in turn, cooed as she nuzzled Tempest happily. “Honey is a great teacher.”

“And, how do you rate Wildfire's ability Tempest, do you see her improving?”

Tempest paused for a moment, sharing a look with Airmail over Wildfire’s back, considering her answer before she turned back to the Princess with a serious look on her face. “That is something we still need to work out with Wildfire. We expect independent movement in and around Manehatten. Although, her confidence in formation flying has shown a marked improvement with just one, two hour session.”

Airmail scrutinised the lunar alicorn with a hard look from her brown eyes. “Why the intense interest Luna? Curious has to how little they did over in Canterlot?” The azure blue mare asked, a little harshly and unkindly maybe, but she found she had precious little sympathy for others where Wildfire was concerned.

Luna turned away towards the open door of the music room, her ethereal mane and tail seeming to deflate along with her mood. “More like I’m ashamed at how little was done in Canterlot, Airmail.” The Princess took a few steps towards the door, with cake in mind to pick her back up. “Please forgive my nosiness, I was just checking,” she sighed deeply as she walked out, “It’s painfully apparent what was and what was not done.”

Luna paused when she felt a hoof on her shoulder, looking back she saw a smiling Airmail jerk her head up towards the balcony. “Are you up for some more flying?” She asked, her voice considerably kinder now than it was back in the music room.

“Most certainly I am!” Luna exclaimed with a sudden smile.

Behind Airmail, Tempest ushered Wildfire out of the music room with the brush of her violet wingtip. Smiling, the lead editor turned to her little lover, “Wily, you got free wing movement with the ropes?” She asked as she made sure the forest green blindfold and the bridle were secure around her head so they wouldn’t slip or move in-flight, but she removed the reins, purely for safety reasons. The thought of the straps of material getting caught in her wings and causing a crash made Airmail shudder. “Don’t worry, Wily, I'll put them back when we are done.” Lastly, Airmail checked the galoshes were also secure and tight around her yellow hooves.

In response, Wildfire spread her wings and rotated them comfortably through all the motions she’d need for flight, ending with a flexing of the wingtips and primary feathers until she was happy. “Yuppers, I can move these babies okay!”

Airmail tried really hard not to giggle. And she failed utterly. “Tempest, take lead with Wily in tow. Luna and I will take flanks. I’m thinking some low level night flying with a few lit areas to show off our pretty mare.”

Walking past the little yellow pegasus, Tempest flicked the tip of her black tail under Wildfire’s nose to get her attention. “Let’s go to the balcony, Wily.”

‘I’m gonna be shown off again!’ Wildfire thought with a blush as she heard Airmail's comment, and instead concentrated on following Tempest's tail and her sandalwood scent up the wide flight of stairs to the balcony on the first floor. “I'm there!” She giggled excitedly.

“Step up, Wily.” Tempest warned of the little raised step that led out on to the balcony proper.

Wildfire felt the riser of the little step as she walked forwards, and stepped up to navigate the step. ‘I'll get the lay of this place soon,’ she thought to herself, as once more she heard Tempest’s south western voice slightly up ahead. “Be careful, use your wingtips, there are table and seating pads.” Turning her head this way and that, Wildfire pinpointed where the larger pegasus was, then she said, “Slide a bit to the right and walk forward to the railing.”

Flaring her wings, Wildfire used the tips of her primary feathers to feel her way around, presently making her way around the scattered obstacles to the balcony rail without incident. “See? I’m getting it…eventually.”

Through her wide beaming smile, a smile that reached her eyes and coloured her voice, Tempest said, “You can do it Wily. Now, just wait for my call.” Flapping her strong violet wings, the Manehatten weather captain lifted off from the balcony and hovered a very short distance over the grass. Tucking her tail between her legs, she let loose a short stream of hot golden pee and lifted up her now wet tail to allow Wildfire to catch her scent. “Wily, straight up!”

Straightaway, with her nose raised in the air, Wildfire picked up the scent of Tempest's pee and, sniffing a few more times she got her position in her mind’s eye. “I gotcha Honey!” Flapping her own wings, Wildfire took off, following after Tempest like she had done earlier in the day.

“She's a stunt flyer, but I'm not so don’t worry if I fall out of formation.” Airmail smiled to Luna as she took off from the balcony into the fresh night sky.

“Interesting technique.” Luna giggled as she too flapped her wide powerful wings and took off, settling in beside Airmail as they flew.

Up ahead, spying an open wooded park, Tempest called out, “Wily, we’re going low under some trees, your wingtips may touch grass.”

Despite it being almost eleven in the p.m., there was enough ambient light from the street lamps dotted around the park for Tempest, Airmail and Luna to comfortably see under the trees, since it was a public park. ‘Under the trees? Yikes...okay, here goes nothing…’ Wildfire egged herself on as she descended, blindly following Tempest’s scent, giggling like a filly as the very tips of her wings touched the grass. “That tickles!” Luckily she couldn’t see the very large very solid branch she just missed colliding with.

In front of her however, Tempest did notice as she looked over her shoulder. “Wily! Less talk, more follow!” The violet mare called out sternly as she pulled up into a steep climb and performed a sharp one hundred and eighty degree turn to fly backwards, weaving and swerving between the treetops, imitating one of her favourite sci-fi movies.

Behind her, Wildfire sniggered. Tempest's trail wasn't at all hard to follow, and to the yellow pony the scent was like a homing beacon. “Whoa!” All of a sudden, she noticed the sharp change in direction and, calling upon her experience of formation flying and close quarter flight in tight spaces with the Canterlot Residential District Fire Team, she flew up and turned to follow the pungent scent trail to weave in and out of the leafy treetops. She was doing very well, until she miss-timed a swerve on the last tree canopy and clipped it with the tip of her left wing, letting out a loud, “Oow!”

Deciding to leave the fancy life threatening stunts to Tempest and Wildfire, Airmail very bravely flew over the trees instead.

‘Damn… but that's impressive!’ Luna said to herself as she followed after Wildfire, weaving through the trees with ease, a wide gleeful smile on her face.

Without pausing for a second, Tempest flapped her violet wings harder, gaining altitude as she climbed and changed her course to head over towards a large very well-lit suspension bridge. Flying along behind the weather captain, Wildfire flapped her wings, gaining altitude and following after Tempest, matching her roughly move for move. Alongside Airmail, Luna flew in the loose formation, matching the other mares in their rate of climb.

Levelling off, Tempest flew along the road on the bridge, weaving between the green lights and, flaring her wings, slowed down to a hover. Flying along behind, Wildfire noticed the scent of Tempest’s pee becoming stronger and stronger the closer she got.

“Wildfire, slow down a bit.” Luna called out when she realised the yellow pegasus wasn’t going to stop.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire called back, slowing herself just in time. “I um, I thought the scent was getting stronger. Sorry!”

Hovering over to lay a violet hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder, Tempest said kindly but firmly, “You need to stay aware of your surroundings, Wily. Now, it is show time, so somepony may be watching and taking pictures.”

Wildfire giggled, “I hope anypony looking enjoys the show, Honey.”

“Right…” Tempest looked over the bridge, the suspension cables and the towers, and an idea percolated in her stunt flyer brain. ‘This really will be a show!’ Still hovering, Tempest nudged Wildfire with a foreleg. “Wily, rotate through ninety degrees and make sure you stay on course.” The violet pegasus then rotated to the right, but didn't care which way Wildfire rotated behind her.

Wildfire first rotated ninety degrees to the left, trying to catch the scent, then finding nothing turned to the right and followed after Tempest as she exited the bridge and performed a slow bank to the right. “Wily,” Tempest called loudly to ensure her directions would be heard, “We are going to fly between the suspension cables. They are eight feet apart. We will be flying sideways.” Tempest said, not pausing or slowing in the slightest as the cables came ever closer, “You will rotate left. When I say lock, your wings will be level to your body. Do not flap. I'll say unlock after the first wire, and you will have fifty feet to the next wire. I'll say lock again. Any questions?”

Wildfire grinned a wide grin, recalling what Heatwave taught her many, many years ago now. “No, Honey. Nothing to it but to do it!”

Once again, Airmail decided that discretion was the greater part of valour and said, “I'm going under. I’ll see you on the other side.”

Watching as Tempest finished the wide bank and lined herself up with the dangerously narrow gap between the cables and resumed her flight speed, Luna decided she had to agree with the lead editor. “I believe I'll go under with you, Airmail.”

Wildfire meanwhile, happily followed the wide bank and sped up to match Tempest’s course and heading, heard the leading mare call out sharply, “Rotate!” as she herself rotated left to slide sideways between the steel cables. Next came the orders “Lock” and then followed by “Unlock.”

A split second later, wholly unaware of how close she came to hitting the cables, Wildfire rotated to the left and followed Tempest’s orders to lock her wings in a sideways glide. The fifty feet that spanned the bridge passed in a matter of seconds and again Tempest called out to her to lock and unlock her wings.

Having safely – just – navigated the hanging suspension cables, Tempest called out, “Unlock, Wily. Normal flight.”

Obeying her commands the second she heard them, Wildfire unlocked her wings and flew along behind Tempest, really hoping she’d done it right and that Tempest was suitably pleased with her for how she had flown. “Did...did I do it, Honey?”

Ahead, Tempest flew with her forelegs tucked in. Noticing Wildfire was going to copy her she called out, “Fly level, Wily, I'm manoeuvring.”

“Okay Honey.” Wildfire replied, concentrating hard on maintaining her level flight.

Flying around and back under the diminutive yellow pegasus to deliver a surprise nuzzle to the underside of Wildfire’s chin, Tempest’s voice was full of pride. “You did very well, Wily. I'm very, very proud of you.”

Happily, Wildfire returned the nuzzle with a wide grin. “It was nothing really Honey, I just followed your trail.” To Wildfire it had felt a lot like an old training exercise from back in the day. Smoke room flight practise had called for teams of two to fly through a burning building with visibility almost zero. It called for total and complete trust between partners, and full confidence in their ability to lead you. Which Wildfire had in Tempest.

“Hey…” Tempest started admonishingly, “Do not diminish what you did. Your rotations were right on the money. You got upside down flying in one try and you followed commands.” She couldn’t hide the pride in her voice when she spoke next. “Where would you like to fly?”

Wildfire virtually glowed with pride at Tempest’s compliments. “I'm very good at doing what I'm told!” It was true, she was. Very good at following commands given to her. It made her happy and she knew it pleased those whom she obeyed. “Well…I'd like to try what I used to do for a job, when I flew through a building.”

“You want to fly through a building?” Tempest asked, her mouth open wide.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed with a smile, “It doesn't have to be on fire or anything like last time.”

Coming up from under the Manehatten suspension bridge, Airmail said to Luna out of the corner of her mouth, “I should fly with my eyes closed more often, I think.”

Flying up alongside the azure blue mare, having also taken the ‘easy’ route, Luna nodded, “Me too Airmail, and I'm immortal.”

Mulling it over in her head, Tempest was trying to work out if Wildfire had a day job as a lawyer in Tartarus’s Kitchen. “That’s…doable, Wily, but we will need to schedule that. I don't want to trespass, but there are buildings under construction we can fly through them another day.”

Beside her, Wildfire gave a loud squee as she clapped her hooves together. “Awesomes! Hey, I'll be putting out fires again next!”

Smiling at the blind mare’s enthusiasm, Tempest led her out towards the sandy beach that surrounded Stallion Island. “Let’s fly the surf and then we can go back to Caffy's place.” She said with a grin as she steered her over to the eastern shore of the island.

Unquestioningly, Wildfire followed Tempest's lead, more than happy to go wherever she was led. “Hey, Honey, do you think we could teach my foal to fly if it’s a pegasus?” She asked, practically from nowhere.

Following along behind Tempest and Wildfire, far enough back to not be overheard by the two mares in front as they flew towards the east of Stallion Island, Airmail leant over and to Luna commented something that had been bothering the back of her mind since the parade with Mapper and Serenity earlier in the day. “Wily's blind trust is a bit scary, but I think I can earn it.”

Luna considered this carefully, and with a nod, replied, “You think it’s part of how she was conditioned by Amethyst Glory?”

Airmail merely nodded. “That’s why it is so scary.”

“Indeed,” Luna agreed. “You'll have to watch that in the near future.”

Airmail made a mental note as they flew along. “I'll let Mapper know, Luna. Who she takes orders from needs to be limited.”

“A very prudent move, Airmail.” Luna nodded, making notes all the time for Celestia later. “I would limit it as well. Forgive the poor turn of phrase, but she does follow blindly.”

“Hmm…,” Airmail made the rather noncommittal noise. That was worrying, but not what was worrying her the most after watching Wildfire – albeit skilfully – fly through the suspension cables. “I have to say, her lack of fear is another surprise. She knew the danger but she never flinched, not even slowed down. She just kept going.”

Here, Luna thought she had some information to hoof. “I understand from Dusk, that before she was blinded Wildfire was a reserve firefighter in Canterlot. She even flew through a burning building to save two colts and an earth pony mare.”

“Yes,” Airmail said thoughtfully, recalling the subway ride she had shared with Wildfire after they had left Caffeinated’s coffee shop. “She told me the story. Personally, I think she would be good for the weather team, but I'll let Tempest do her career path. I'm pretty much a loner.”

“Going on that, I'm not surprised over her lack of fear.” Hearing Airmail say she was a loner, the Princess thought she detected a hint of ‘something’ in her voice. Very pleased to have the opportunity to get to know an extremely reliable pony that she only previously knew through her military record in person, Luna decided to push a little. “A loner you say? I am of course familiar with your service records Airmail, your reputation goes a long way before you.” From all the times that Luna had made use of the ex-sniper’s expertise, she could definitely say this was true. “Your service was always delivered ‘on time’.”

Airmail nodded gravely. “Once you earn a nickname you have to live up to it.” Then, she sighed deeply, as if the weight of the nation was upon her shoulders. “I don't want to be alone anymore, and having Wildfire in the herd is great, my job though still needs me to be independent of any pony.”

“I apologise, Airmail. I didn't mean to drag up any bad memories.”

“Bad is a point of reference.” Airmail said simply as she began her descent to the wet sand and the breaking waves below them. “Mostly for the survivors I left behind.”

Luna, noticing straight away that they weren’t going to be landing near Tempest and Wildfire, who were already almost down, carried on the steady glide with the pony next to her. “I understand you, Airmail. As I said, I have read all the reports. I too like to see a job through to the end. Whatever that end may be.”

Airmail didn’t look at Luna as she flared her wings a few feet above the sand, “I left survivors because they weren't targets. Like that foal’s parents, or a spouse sitting right next to their partner left wondering why he or she suddenly had no head. I've often thought it would have been kinder to kill them too, but I didn't.” The azure blue mare gave Luna a long hard cold look as she touched down a good thirty feet away from her marefriend and Wildfire. “Sometimes…sometimes, you can't afford to be kind.”

“No.” Luna agreed, their eyes locking, sharing a joint understanding, she placed a midnight blue hoof on Airmail’s shoulder as her hind hooves touched down into the wet sand. “No you can’t. I'm afraid I’m not kind, either.”

~ ~ ~

“Wily,” Tempest turned to face the blind mare in mid-flight, angling her wings to rapidly slow her descent as they were over the sandy beach. “You will be able to teach your foal to fly and do a lot more besides.” Tempest said with a concerned look on her face as she landed. “You can teach the foal to see like you do.”

“I do hope so, Honey.” Wildfire smiled not far behind the violet pegasus.

“Okay, Wily, you’re going to be landing on wet sand.” Tempest said, offering guidance as the yellow mare hovered down to land. “Ten feet and closing…five…two…one, and, you’re down!” She talked her in to a perfect landing.

Landing, Wildfire felt the cold wet sand squelch beneath the galoshes that covered her hooves. “Hmm…thanks for the heads up, Honey.”

Trotting up the beach a tiny way to avoid the tide, Tempest laid down on her back. “Wily, lay next to me, sweetie.”

Nodding, Wildfire walked up and flopped on her belly next to Tempest, smiling a wide smile at the feeling of the sand under her belly and leant in close to nuzzle the larger mare’s cheek. “This feels nice Honey.” She said almost absent mindedly as Tempest extended a wing over her to cover Wildfire’s lower back and tail.

Wildfire draped her wing over Tempest in return, breathing in deeply to taste the salty tang of the sea at the back of her throat. Feeling the soft chill of thee night, hearing the dull roar of the ocean just a few feet away she lowered her head to rest on Tempest’s outstretched foreleg. “Honey…” she sighed happily, “I think I love it here.”

Laid next to the little blind mare, Tempest looked up at the clear starry night sky, figuring out in her head how best to ask what it was she wanted to ask. Ultimately she decided on the direct approach. “Wily, why do you want a foal?”

“Why?” Wildfire turned to the sound of Tempest’s south western voice. This was quite possibly the easiest thing she’d ever been asked. “I've always wanted a foal, ever since forever. When they were doing the bad stuff to me in the home, punishing me, using me or whatever, I'd keep the thought in my head that one day I'd see my dream come true. They couldn’t take that dream from me. It kept me sane, if you call whatever this is, sane.”

Raising herself up on her foreleg, Tempest found she got it. As she placed a tender kiss on Wildfire’s lips, she got it. “I think you fly saner than I do.”

Grinning like a filly, Wildfire kissed her back, just as gently. “It helps when you can’t see what’s coming.”

Tempest, however, wasn’t going to allow her to simply brush away what she had done so easily. “Yes, but I told you what was coming though, yet you were still very brave.”

Wildfire nodded, “I clipped a few obstacles though, especially those trees that insisted on getting in the way. But, I trusted you wouldn't lead me anywhere I couldn't follow, the rest was easy.”

Leaning across, Tempest gave Wildfire a tender nuzzle, “Wily, who else will you trust to follow?” She asked gently, full of concern.

Laying in the sand, cuddling with her new herd-mate, Wildfire gave the question the thought the question required. “Well…Mistress of course, and anypony you think is trustworthy.” Wildfire smiled then, as a further thought came to her. “Like those herd-ponies back at the ranch, I’d follow them, they’re nice.”

Tempest nodded, herself mulling over what Wildfire had said to her and the implications of what she’d said, that she’d happily follow any one of twenty one ponies. “You, Mapper, Serenity, Airmail, and I are a herd.” Tempest started slowly, “I trust all of you - yes you Wily - with my life. I'd ask you trust them as well.” Then she took a breath, hoping she phrased what she wanted to say next the right way. “I love those at Caffy's place and I hope you can be part of the greater herd. I would ask you think carefully about what anypony asks you to do and I guess make sure it won't anger the Mistress, me, Airmail, or Serenity.”

In Tempest’s embrace, Wildfire thought for a moment before she gave her a nod and a smile. “Yuppers, I can do that. You know Honey, I followed you because I wanted to. I could have and would have landed if I wasn't happy.”

Overcome suddenly, Tempest reached a foreleg over the little yellow mare’s neck and pulled her into a deep passionate kiss, mainly because if she didn’t, she’d have burst into tears of joy instead. And at that moment a deep kiss seemed better. “That…that is the nicest thing you could have said to me right now.” She whispered as she pulled away.

Wildfire pulled away from the kiss with a slightly puzzled expression on her face. “Really, Honey?” She asked as she pulled Tempest into another tight hug, showering soft kisses all over her muzzle.

“Really.” Tempest returned the kisses, kisses which turned into nuzzles which became petting in the wet sand.

With her forelegs wrapped around Tempest’s neck, Wildfire suddenly rolled over in the sand and, as the violet pegasus came to rest on top of her she began kissing along the weather captain’s jawline to her neck. Going with the unexpected roll, the older mare moved into heavy petting, delivering sloppy kisses all the way up the side of her head to nip and lick Wildfire’s twitching ears.

Moaning happily, Wildfire blew a trail of soft hot breath down Tempest’s neck, tickling her fur violet fur just as she took that opportunity to slide her right hind leg up between the blind mare’s own, the knee brushing against her marehood while her right forehoof played with her outstretched left wing, the other violet hoof holding her tight in a deep kiss.

Feeling the soft gentle touch of Tempest’s hoof caressing the feathers of her left wing, Wildfire whimpered in sheer pleasure as her yellow wings flared out erect beneath her body. Moaning in utter bliss she nibbled gently on her bottom lip as she locked in the kiss. As she felt the nibble, Tempest’s petting became more and more intimate on the wet sand of the beach.

Taking the initiative, Wildfire kissed her way down Tempest’s right foreleg, ruffling her violet fur as she went first with and then against the grain of the soft velvety fur, until eventually she rubbed her nose over the hard toe of her hoof. Smiling, thinking very naughty thoughts, Wildfire used the tip of her left wing to brush away the wet sand that had clung and accumulated on and around the white wall and the sole, before she tasted sandalwood as she tenderly kissed the outer edge of the now sand-free hoof.

Sensing where Wildfire was going with this, and knowing where to draw the line between naughty and disobedient, Tempest whispered in her ear, “Wily. Kissing is okay, but no licking.”

“Oops!” Wildfire squeaked, the yellow mare flinching involuntarily, “I was nearly a bad pony!”

“Yes, you almost were a bad pony,” Tempest nodded with a sympathetic smile, “But you can use that talented tongue on something other than my hooves and be a very, very good pony.” The weather captain whispered seductively in her ear.

“You bet I can, Honey!” Wildfire slid down Tempest’s body underneath her, rubbing her nose along her violet belly as she went down, at the same time trailing wet kisses as she gradually went lower and lower. Kissing and licking between her breasts she stopped at her pubic mound. Resting her chin just under Tempest’s marehood, blowing a gentle breath on her exposed clitoris before she gave it a slow lick. “That nice, Honey?”

“Hmm…” above her, Tempest quivered at the touch of Wildfire’s tongue, “Mmm…yes Wily that is in need of cleaning…”

~ ~ ~

Having landed the thirty feet apart from Tempest and Wildfire, Luna removed the comforting hoof from around Airmail’s shoulder and turned to look out over the roiling, tempestuous waves. Breathing in the salty tang of the ocean, the lunar alicorn stood in quiet contemplation for a few moments. She desperately wanted to unload on to the azure blue pegasus stood by her side, and she was weighing up just how much she could trust her. Ultimately she decided. Dusk trusted these ponies. So to could she. “Airmail,” Luna started, breaking the easy silence between them, “May I ask how many you took?”

“Lives?” Airmail asked, without looking up at the Princess.

Likewise, Luna stared out over the waves, she replied quietly, “Yes.”

Airmail shot her a quick look before returning her brown eyed gaze back to the dark waters before her. “Seven hundred and sixty one,” she said without a trace of pride or pleasure. In fact there was precious little emotion at all as she continued, “To include that stallion six months ago.”

Scrutinising the unfathomable waves, Luna nodded sadly. “My own tally stands in the tens of thousands.” She sighed deeply as she once again offered up a prayer to her mother for forgiveness. “I’m afraid I lost count while on the moon. Today…today I added seven more...and...” the Princess of the Night found she couldn’t finish her sentence. Instead she wept tears, hot stinging salty tears that fell like raindrops to the sand beneath her hooves.

Sparing her a longer look, Airmail took a step closer to the alicorn and put a comforting wing over her side. “Does that tally include the ones you ordered, or your personal count?” She asked and, not waiting for a reply, the ex-sniper followed up with, “I will kill now if need be. Life has value, yes, but some do bring that value to less than zero.”

“No, Airmail.” Luna shook her head determinedly, “Whether I ordered it, or whether I did it on my sister’s orders, I still have all that blood on my hooves. I still have all that red in my ledger.” The midnight blue alicorn offered a tiny smile at the blue mare’s gesture. “Today Airmail…today I did something unforgivable, something you may hate me for.”

Quick as a flash, Airmail responded with, “You found and ate my cookie I had hidden?”

For a good few minutes, Luna laughed bitterly. “No, no…today I instructed Dusk in his first kill, to join the ranks of my assassins…” Luna’s voice trailed off as in her mind’s eye she pictured the scene. The bodies of the fallen Wardens laying in a neat line, their hearts magically crushed inside their chests, their bodies still twitching as their brains finally accepted the cold embrace of death. She saw herself lighting her horn and the wingblades sliding on her son’s wings. She could see the scornful look the unicorn gave her son, hear the mocking tone of her last words. She saw the flash of the impossibly sharp blades as they sliced through muscle and bone, saw the fountain of blood a second later. She saw it dripping from Dusk’s unflinching muzzle. “Dusk took Amethyst’s head himself.”

Airmail laughed softly, recognising the need of a spirit that needed lifting. “You need a funny story, let me tell you about my last kill.”

Luna leant in to Airmail’s feathery embrace. “I'm listening.”

Airmail took a deep breath as she delved into the memory. “A unicorn stallion thought I'd be another easy rape victim. Once he mounted me his magical grip weakened so I broke his neck. Court called it self-defence, but they were concerned because I had no remorse over the stallion’s death. Said I needed therapy for anger management.” Airmail couldn’t help but giggle, “This is the funny part. Requiem has a license to practice.”

Luna nodded with a grim satisfaction. “Then, the stallion got what he deserved.” Then, the Princess breathed out a long sigh. “Oh Airmail I don't just kill, on occasion I banish the worst of the souls to Tartarus as well, as in the case earlier.”

Airmail shrugged, perhaps a little nonchalantly, “I have no concern for souls.” She did however offer the Princess a tender nuzzle. “If you didn't want Dusk to know the realities of life and death you could have left him behind. If he didn't want to do what you asked he would have rebelled there and then, or he is waiting to rebel when the time is right.” The azure blue mare paused as she considered her next words. “I can't say I understand Dusk, but then again I haven't known him for a whole day yet.” Then she put her hoof pretty close to what she thought was the underlying issue at hoof. “And, if you think Octavia will be disappointed, I disappoint ponies more often than I'd like. They still love me though.”

“Dusk did a lot of growing up today. I've never been prouder in my long life than when he took Amethyst Glory's head from her shoulders....and…and that makes me a monster, doesn't it?”

Pulling her wing away from Luna’s back, the lead editor took a step back and bobs her head, giving the Princess an exaggerated inspection, looking closely over and under every part of Luna’s body as she walked slowly around her. “Is your sister a monster?” She asked plainly.

“No Airmail, she is not.”

“Aah okay,” Airmail said with a smile, “For a moment there I took that as alicorn equals monster.” Still with the same smile, the azure blue mare put her wing back over Luna’s back. “Do you want to be a monster?”

Luna shook her head in Airmail’s embrace. “No, but what I want isn’t important. It is the role I play, and sometimes I play it all too well.”

Airmail nodded wisely, “The word is pride. I'm proud of what I've done, for I did it well. To the best of my ability. I'm sure someone out there would call me a monster too.” Airmail gave a snorting laugh, “A pox on them I say.” Then, she turned to face Luna with a serious, searching look on her face. “You though, while Caffienated would defend you to the hilt, have been a monster. I believe in the sanctity of life. I'm on the side of good. Life has value and I'm moved that I must take it away, but I do so. The side of evil places no value on life and uses it accordingly. Like a tool in a box that is tossed if broken and easily replaced. I don't know, but were you like that as Nightmare Moon, or did you still value the lives lost to your cause?”

In response Luna merely sighed and examined her hooves in the sand. She had only ever shared these thoughts with Sky Dive, her sister and her beloved Octavia before now, and here she was about to tell an almost complete stranger of her innermost demon… “Airmail…I was an utter monster when the Nightmare had its hold of me. You know the worst part? The Elements of Harmony cleansed that demon’s taint from my soul, allowed me to master it rather than the other way around, but I still bear the memories, and the shame, of what I did.”

“Difficult question first.” Airmail said, a little coldly, “Why?”

“I bear the shame, Airmail, because I stopped killing the targets sanctioned by my sister, and I went after anypony. When the Nightmare had me in its grasp, when I had given myself over to the hate and the bitterness, the resentment and the jealousy, then many innocents fell to me just as easy as the guilty.” Luna began weeping once more. “I'll not live long enough to atone for what I've done. That's why.”

Airmail nodded, startled somewhat at the Princess honesty, and fully appreciative of this insight into her mind. “Serenity would tell you that all ponies are bad ponies. I would add that all bad ponies don't deserve to die. My sanctioned kills were just two hundred and sixteen. I'm sure there are a few more in the reports, but not the number I gave you. Evil must be confronted by good. A little over a thousand years ago I would have fallen to you.”

Again Luna sighed, unwilling to give and admit the answer to that. Airmail knew though, didn’t she? “Yes, you would. I would have taken you, and I would have revelled in the kill.” She admitted baldly, although the real issue weighing her down like leaden weights now presented itself to her. “Now…I ask you, what kind of mother teaches her son to kill, Airmail? Answer me that.”

“Good,” Airmail smiled sweetly, “Time for the questions that matters then. Did you learn anything from the experience?” She asked, straight to the point. “Something that you took away? Something you can pass on to your son? Or did you teach him to kill Amethyst Glory like Nightmare Moon killed whomever was under her hoof at the time?”

Defiantly, Luna put her hoof down with a shake of her head. “No. It wasn't a slaughter, it was an execution. There is a difference. We didn't allow them to suffer. We were quick, clean and merciless. Dusk was...he was an artist with his blades.”

Airmail nodded with satisfaction, feeling her point was made. “Then, Dusk didn't kill because he could, but because it was needed. That is the difference between good and evil. Yeah, you were evil once, and I'm sure you could be again if you chose to go down that path.” Airmail paused then, deciding whether to unload her baggage to Luna. She took a deep breath, “I let five of all those targets I killed bleed out. I really, really didn't like those five.” Then, Airmail laughed lightly. “Even the stallion that raped me was dead before he pulled out.”

Luna nodded. “Celestia judged the executions were necessary, and left me to carry out her orders. That is how it was, that is how it is. I wanted them to suffer for what they did, I really wanted to hurt them, Airmail, but we were clean and we were quick.”

Airmail leant in close to Luna’s left side and snuggled with her, nestling into her ethereal mane, allowing the little shining stars to twinkle around her head. “Memories are forever and for you that is a long time. Regrets are for never. Shame, well that is a hard one. I have no shame whatever over my actions. You may need to talk to a smarter pony than me on that.”

“I only bear shame for the ones the Nightmare killed.” Luna asserted. “I don't regret any of the sanctioned kills. They were judged to be necessary.”

Airmail shrugged, “So why so worried about your son? Really, monster?” She giggled into Luna’s midnight blue fur, “As long he knows killing is ending a life and not a sport, he'll be fine. For all you know that kill was his last kill, and then he may make you proud too.”

Now, Luna couldn’t help but laugh out loud, feeling the weight of her burden removed from her shoulders. “Next you'll be telling me I'm a silly filly and you’ll spank me for my foalishness.”

Airmail stepped away from Luna’s side and turned to face the larger mare, a very serious, stern look on her face. “You are a silly filly.” She prodded the Princesses chest as if she was scolding her, although a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth belied her seriousness, “Caffy has learned to spank Thespian, I wonder if he'd spank his goddess too?” She asked, finally giving in to her giggles.

Luna joined in, finding the giggles quite infectious. “I think it would probably make his night.” She nodded to the azure blue mare, “I thank you for listening, Airmail.”

“You're welcome, Luna. I still need to let Wily know of my past.” Airmail sighed, before a deliciously naughty idea crept into her head. “My secured cookies says he faints if you ask him to spank you.”

Luna snickered, picturing the large, muscular, well built, hunky, orange zebra given free rein to act out his dreams. Dreams she’d seen many times over and found delightful. “I'll see your cookies and raise you Tia's cake supply that he cums on the spot if I ask him to tie me up first.”

“Unfair tactic!” Airmail protested, “That is his kink!” She snickered, “Then again, if Thespian has worn him out it may not be on the spot. A rock hard erection though, yeah.”

“Your time frame from asking to cumming, then?” Luna asked, eager to work out the details of the wager.

“Hmm…” Airmail mulled it over carefully, giving this very important issue the thought and care it was due. “If you ask him to spank you first and he doesn't pass out, the cookie is yours. He won't agree, but you'll have a cheering section to be sure. You ask him to tie you up for punishment, he will do that and yeah, zebra meat is impressive. After that if he does spank you I owe you boon I can grant, not harming my herd directly or indirectly. If he cums within ten minutes of his saying done, to the last knot on tying you up, you can make me do something embarrassing in your mind. If not I get lots of cake.”

Luna’s turquoise eyes twinkled. “Deal!” Lifting her forehoof to her mouth she spat on it and extended it to Airmail.

“I'll even count it as cumming if Thespian blows him.” Likewise, Airmail spat on her hoof and extended hers to meet Luna’s, and they bumped them together with a wet smacking noise that wasn’t gross at all.

“Excellent!” Luna said with a giggle, “This should be fun!”

“It will be good fun too.” Airmail agreed with a smile, a smile that only got wider as she glanced over to where Wildfire and Tempest were busy making out in the wet sand. “I see my herd-mates are enjoying sand in places they will wish they hadn't later.”

Looking over, Luna sniggered at the show, and started to walk over with her new friend. “Indeed they are, Airmail.”

Walking up with a jaunty swagger, Airmail put on a deep voice, “Beach Patrol!” She barked.

Quivering on top of Wildfire, Tempest was busy panting but still found the energy to reply. “Pfft…have the Princess send them on their way.”

Luna sniggered behind her hoof. “Shall we go on our way?”

Airmail was practically bouncing like a giddy filly on Hearths Warming morning eager to open her presents. “Luna's going to give Caffy a wet dream!”

“Eh…” Tempest snorted dismissively, “Nothing new there.”

Airmail’s brown eyes shone bright. “While he is still awake, Stormy.” She filled in just as Wildfire chose that moment to nip at Tempest’s swollen clit before wrapping her lips tight around it and sucking hard.

“Mmm…Wily, let’s aaah…aah,” Tempest moaned, “Let’s take this were it is more comfortable and where there is a bigger audience than these two.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire giggled, “I'm up for that.” She wriggled down under Tempest’s body and rolled to her hooves, extending one to help Tempest stand up.

“As I said,” Airmail nudged Luna with her foreleg, “You’ll have a large cheering section and I won't be sorry to have no cake, even though I think I'll be getting some.”

Luna’s eyes sparkled in the twilight. “We shall see. Depends if Caffeinated lasts longer than ten minutes.”

Tempest rose up to a kiss from her blind mare. “You got her down to ten minutes? Now that’s a challenge!” To Wildfire she gave another lingering kiss as she shook out her black tail. “I'll need my tail cleaned though before we go inside. Ready?”

“Yuppers!”

Author's Notes:

Requiem's flight with Luna can be found here