Chapter 18

Castle of Friendship, Ponyville

Trixie tried her best to ignore the tightening sensation in her throat as a roiling mass of anger, frustration, and bitter disappointment rose from her chest and threatened to bring tears to her eyes. Just who did this supposed “Dragon Lord” think he was fooling? It was one thing to politely refuse a woman’s earnest proposition for the sake of propriety, but another matter entirely when the other party involved happened to be a paragon of pure manliness whose stiffened member had made his interest obvious to everyone in the room.

The fact that he didn’t seem to be the least bit ashamed of his nudity (with a scrumptious body like that, he had no reason to be, in Trixie’s not so humble opinion) or that he made no attempt to conceal his arousal, only served to infuriate her further. Trixie’s inner conscience practically begged her to take what Glimmy had said into context before jumping to any wild conclusions. Unfortunately, the magician’s fiery temper put a quick end to any such notions.

“Trixie has never experienced such a ridiculous contradiction in her entire life! Is this all some elaborate joke designed to mock her? Trixie will have you know that it has been ages since her itch was properly scratched and she desperately NEEDS satisfaction! Are you refusing Trixie’s offer because you still hate her for what she did to Ponyville and your friends? Is it because you enjoy watching her suffer?!”

Spike let out a long sigh and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Trixie, I forgave you for what happened in Ponyville a long time ago. And as for your offer, I’ve always considered you an attractive woman, so I’m definitely interested. But… I’m in a committed relationship now and I don’t want to betray the trust my mates have placed in me by having sex with someone behind their backs.”

Trixie didn’t immediately respond because she was too busy looking over Spike’s shoulder at the pair of naked women who had just entered the room. It only took a moment for Trixie to connect the dots and realize that they had to be the “mates” Spike was referring to. Their reptilian eyes, pointed ears, and fangs were strikingly similar to Spike’s, which cast aside any doubt that they were all of the same race.

The magician felt an icy lump of fear form in her gut when she finally managed to get a good look at the blue haired one. With her piercing gaze, bronzed flesh, and muscle-hardened body, the young woman fit the part of a savage jungle warrior perfectly. It was almost as if she had been ripped straight from the pages of a Daring Do novel. The white haired one’s body was trim but punctuated by the soft, feminine curves that men wrote poems about and fought wars over. But Trixie wasn’t fooled by her alluring appearance.

As a practitioner of the arcane arts, Trixie was able to sense a subdued but unmistakable aura of mystic power undulating around the pale-skinned woman’s body like a pool of molten lava. The only time Trixie recalled ever experiencing this particular sensation before was when she had traveled to Manehatten to see Princess Celestia raise the sun during the Summer Sun Celebration a decade prior.

What little knowledge Trixie had regarding the reclusive dragon folk came mostly from myths and rumors, but the accounts consistently mentioned that their lifespans were measured in centuries, not decades. If that was true, the white haired one had to be much older than she appeared. It was the only way her body could emit the same ancient magics that Princess Luna and Celestia had at their disposal.

It was at this point that Trixie let out a defeated sigh. Despite her intense craving, she didn’t want to push the issue any further and invite the wrath of the exotic and potentially dangerous dragon women. Particularly, the blue haired one. She already seemed irritated and eliminated any doubt of the fact when she ripped apart a towel as if it were nothing more than tissue paper.

“Trixie understands. However, she cannot help but feel a lingering sense of disappointment.”

Spike chuckled awkwardly. “Again, I’m really sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. Ever since I stopped wearing clothes, it’s become a lot more difficult for me to notice when I’ve started getting an—ermm—erection. You know, because it usually rubs up against—”

“Yes, yes. There is no need to explain any further. Trixie is familiar with how the male reproductive organ works from personal experience. Unlike a certain book-obsessed virgin princess who shall not be named.”

“Umm… right.”

“What a wasted opportunity,” Trixie lamented while staring longingly at Spike’s crotch, “You’ve got some serious heft in-between your legs there. When combined with your chiseled body and endearingly dorky personality, well… let’s just say that you’ll probably end up being quite the heartbreaker despite a lack of intent on your part.”

Without even turning around, Spike knew that his mates were standing right behind him because he heard the pitter-patter of their bare feet making contact with the tiled floor. Delmira made her presence known by latching onto Spike’s left arm and affectionately nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. Meanwhile, Ember took her place next to Spike’s right side but opted to keep her arms crossed underneath her breasts. The expression she wore was decidedly more hostile than her fair-skinned companion.

Trixie nearly let out a terrified squeak when it became apparent that she was the target of Ember’s angry glare but offered a friendly handshake instead. “The two of you must be the mates Spike was referring to earlier. The Great and—ahem—my name is Trixie. With whom does Trixie have the pleasure of speaking with?”

The tomboy merely stared at Trixie’s outstretched hand and snorted. “Ember.”

“Ah, what a lovely name. It certainly suits you.”

“My father chose it for me when I was born.” Ember intoned.

“Right, of course he did. Umm… would it bother you if Trixie asked a fairly personal question?”

“I guess not.”

The traveling magician nervously twiddled her fingers. “Trixie couldn’t help but notice that the three of you seem to prefer being naked. Is that common amongst your kind?”

“You’re mistaken to call it a matter of preference; the Wyvertii don’t consider themselves to be any more ‘naked’ than the rest of the creatures living in the wild. We’ve never had any need to clothe ourselves because the sun, along with our fire magic, has always provided us with an abundance of warmth.”

“That may very well be the case on the Lost Continent, but you’re in Equestria now. Surely, the three of you don’t intend to remain unclothed for the entire duration of your journey? If so, everyone will think that you’re just a bunch of sava—”

Starlight gently tapped Trixie’s shoulder. “No offense, Trix. But I think it’s in your best interest to stop talking now.”

“Why? Trixie is asking a legitimate question!”

Starlight rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. “If you’d have actually bothered to read the newspaper lately, you’d know that they’re Equestria’s first official visitors from the Lost Continent. Princess Luna even issued a royal decree that protects their right to observe whatever native customs they see fit.”

“You mean to tell Trixie that it’s not only legal, but socially acceptable for them to go about their business like that?!”

“Yes! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you the entire time! But, as usual, you just went ahead and jumped to your own conclusions without fully understanding the situation.” Starlight huffed.

The silver-haired magician bowed towards the trio. “Trixie sincerely apologizes for any trouble that she may have caused you. Any acts of seduction or insults on Trixie’s part were made purely out of ignorance rather than malign intent. Seriously, Trixie had no idea that Lord Spike was already spoken for...”

“It’s all water under the bridge, Trixie. I came to terms with my people’s culture and their way of life a long time ago. And even though I’m perfectly happy living this way, there’s always going to be people out there who’ll have a hard time accepting the changes I’ve gone through.”

“♫ I spy with my little eye, something else that’s long and hard ~♫” Delmira sang after giving the tip of Spike’s dick a playful boop.

“Stop doing that! I’m having enough trouble as it is trying to get this thing to calm down. You don’t need to make it any worse!”

“Well, if you don’t feel like letting it calm down, I’d be more than happy to help you get rid of that erection the fun way. There’s plenty of uninhabited rooms in the castle we could scamper off to for some private time…”

“No, that’s not how I want—” Spike sputtered.

“Oh my! How bold of you, Lord Spike! Exhibitionism typically isn’t my goblet of wine, but I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of giving everyone here a good show. There’s no need to feel ashamed. Plenty of people enjoy the thrill of fucking their partner in front of a captive audience.”

Spike’s entire face erupted in a crimson blush. “Can we please not talk about this right now? My sister could show up any minute now and it’s gonna be awkward enough just trying to explain my new lifestyle to her. We don’t need to make the situation worse by repeating what happened in the throne room.”

“Awww~ You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”

“Damn it, Delmira! I’m being serious!”

The albino goddess ruffled his hair and laughed. “Yes, I know you are. And that’s part of the problem. I was only teasing you to help lighten the mood. Learn to loosen up a little, ok?”

“I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. It’s just that I’m angry at myself for not having more self-control. On the other hand, I feel like it’s practically impossible to stop myself from getting turned on by other women sometimes. It goes without saying that I think you girls are incredibly beautiful but—”

Delmira silenced Spike with a kiss and then proceeded to boop his nose. “I’ll hear no more of that kind of talk. From the moment we first met, you impressed me with your maturity and level-headedness, despite being so young. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still in the process of becoming a man.

“Arousal is as much a natural process of life as breathing or eating. And trying to stop it from happening can sometimes prove to be an exercise in futility. I assure you that there’s really no reason to feel guilty about it because women experience it just as often as men do.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Spike muttered.

“Would you like me to let you in on a little secret?”

“Uh… I guess so?”

“Ember and I are very proud of the way you handled the situation regarding Trixie. It takes a considerable amount of willpower to resist the wiles of a minx like her. Had I been placed in your position, I’m not so sure that I could have done the same.” Delmira quietly admitted.

“Believe me, I was tempted. Yet, I knew how much pain it would have caused the two of you if I’d have caved in and taken Trixie up on her offer. Ugh… this is gonna sound really corny, but the bond we share is precious to me and maintaining it is way more important than acting out one of my teenage fantasies. That and I just wanted to let you girls know how much I love you.”

Spike suddenly found himself looking up at the ceiling as his mates tackled him to the floor. Before he could even make any sense of the pile of limbs that he was currently entangled in, both Delmira and Ember pressed their bodies tightly against his own and smothered their chosen mate with a flurry of passionate kisses and affectionate snuggles.

When he finally got the chance to look around, Spike noticed that Trixie and Starlight shared the same blissful expression that Rarity adopted whenever she witnessed something heartwarming or romantic. That alone was embarrassing enough, if not for the additional presence of one other person in the room. There, standing in the doorway, was none other than Twilight Sparkle.

The large paper bag the princess held dropped unceremoniously to the floor as she gawked, slack-jawed, at the scene before her. Without having any context to properly assess the situation, she immediately jumped to the foregone conclusion that she was witnessing an unspeakably lewd act. In her defense, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to assume because what else would a trio of disheveled, naked people be doing in the middle of the floor?

“Hey, Twi. Erm—long time no see?” Spike squeaked.

“WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME IS GOING ONHERE?!!” Twilight roared.

“I-I swear, it’s not what it looks like!”

“Oh really? Then why does it ‘look like’ you decided to have an impromptu orgy on the floor of my kitchen?! That’s just so—ugh—unsanitary! And why are Trixie and Starlight just standing there watching? I know everyone has their kinks, but I didn’t think the two of you were such dedicated… voyeurs.”

Starlight’s face turned beet red. “We’re not into that kind of stuff!”

“Speak for yourself, Glimmy. Trixie doesn’t necessarily mind watching other people while—”

“NOT! HELPING! Twilight, I know things look pretty bad from your perspective… but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.”

“Very well,” Twilight huffed, “I suppose I can give everyone the benefit of the doubt for the time being. However, I want Spike to be the one that explains the situation to me.”

For the sake of comfort, everyone agreed that it would be best to take the conversation from the kitchen and into the main parlor. Despite being a rather large room, it was designed to feel warm, cozy, and welcoming to any guests or dignitaries that Princess Twilight might decide to host. A platter full of assorted cheeses, meats, pickles, and biscuits had been laid out on one of the coffee tables just in case anyone was feeling peckish.

After grabbing a little snack for himself, Spike hopped onto the enormous, plush couch situated in-between the fireplace and the coffee table. Delmira and Ember were soon to follow, happily munching on handfuls of meat and cheese while they made themselves comfortable and cuddled up against him.

Starlight and Twilight sat across from them on a pair of ottomans, both nursing a mug of coffee and trying their best to act causal… despite the tense atmosphere. Trixie, still clad in her nightie and fuzzy slippers, declined to join in on the discussion. The only explanation she gave for her absence was that she was in desperate need of some Trixie Time™ in order to prepare herself for the remainder of the day.

Starlight rolled her eyes as she watched Trixie saunter off towards the bathroom. She knew damn well that her BFF didn’t have anything planned for the remainder of the day other than lazing about. The magician simply preferred to spend her days off that way. Trixie Time™ was merely a polite euphemism for: “taking a long, hot soak in one of Princess Twilight’s luxurious bathtubs while indulging in peanut butter crackers and hard cider.” A slightly odd combination to be sure, but it was one of Trixie’s favorite leisure activities.

Spike wasn’t at all surprised to see Twilight’s left eye twitching when he glanced over at her. After living with her for so many years, he was intimately familiar with his sister’s obsessive-compulsive habits when it came cleanliness and sanitation. He could easily tell that she disapproved of the bare-bottomed heathens currently defiling her furniture and getting bits of foodstuff everywhere.

Even though the Dragon Lord knew for a fact that all Wyvertii had very high standards when it came to personal hygiene, he nonetheless made a mental note to try and find one of the castle’s maids later, so that he could put in a request to have the couch dry cleaned. If only to ease his sister’s concerns.

Regardless of how uncouth they acted, Twilight wanted to show her guests that she was still willing to be a polite host and listen to what they had to say. Plus, the scholarly side of her was eager to learn more about the near-mythical race of dragon folk who were practically unknown beyond the borders of the Lost Continent.

She enjoyed reading her brother’s letters when they arrived and appreciated how frequent they were, but he had always been so infuriatingly vague when describing Wyvertii customs. Twilight hoped that one of his companions might be more willing to share some details. A firsthand account transcribed from the perspective of actual natives would be invaluable for future research! But that could wait. The Princess of Friendship was far more interested in hearing an explanation as to what had been going on in the kitchen earlier.

“Princess Luna briefed me on what to expect when you finally decided to return to Equestria. Even so, I was still shocked to learn how quickly you adapted to a culture where social nudity is even more prevalent than in ancient Pegalopolis! But the longer I thought about it, the more I came to realize how important it must have been for you to reconnect with your native heritage and establish your own identity as an adult.

“I’m your sister and I love you, Spike. That’s why I will always support your decisions, even though I might not be entirely comfortable with them. However, that doesn’t give you the right to copulate whenever and wherever the mood strikes you. Such behavior is not only irresponsible, but extremely disruptive as well. You completely crossed the line today!”

The Dragon Lord withered under the harsh admonishment of his older sister. “Like I was trying to say earlier: that’s not exactly what happened…”

“Then how do you explain your… e-erection and the state of your companions? They certainly didn’t become that disheveled just from walking around the kitchen.”

“That’s because Trixie was trying seduce me earlier. But it wasn’t entirely her fault! She had no idea that I was already in a relationship.”

Twilight furrowed her brow in confusion. “Then why didn’t you inform her of that the first place? Wait a second… you still have a crush on her, don’t you?!”

“Look, I tried my best to politely decline her advances but she wouldn’t take the hint and kept trying to flirt with me. Then, to make matters worse, when she started pressing her body up against me, I realized that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath her nightie. It was super thin and made of silk, Twilight. SILK! Any red-blood man with a pulse would have gotten excited from that!”

A slight blush formed on Twilight’s cheeks as she attempted to clear her throat. “I-I suppose that it’s possible for arousal to occur during an exchange of intimate physical contact between two adults who, as best as I can surmise, share mutual feelings of sexual attraction towards one another.”

Spike was sorely tempted to face-palm at his sister’s response but decided to continue his explanation instead. “After the whole… situation with Trixie, I wanted to reassure the girls of my continued commitment to them. What you saw in the kitchen was pretty much their version of a makeup session. Sure, we snuggled and kissed, but we weren’t having sex at any point. My people simply have a different set of standards when it comes to public displays of affection. I don’t think it’s very fair of you to judge us only by what’s considered appropriate in Equestria.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s ‘very fair’ of you to assume that I can just conveniently ignore years’ worth of etiquette lessons and societal imprinting in a single instant either. I’m not proud of the way I reacted earlier, but from my point of view, it appeared as though the three of you were engaged in some manner of unscrupulous behavior. All I’m asking is that you please be patient with me, Spike. It’s going to take a while before I become acclimated with all of the changes you’ve gone through.”

Spike got up from couch and walked over to where Twilight was sitting. “I’m sorry, Twi. It was wrong of me to try and force you into seeing things my way. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never truly felt like I belonged in Equestria. Because no matter where our adventures took us, there were always people who would stare at me like I was some kind of freak.”

“Spike, we’ve never considered you to be—”

The Dragon Lord interrupted his sister with a frustrated huff. “That might very well be the case for you, the girls, our family, and the people of the Crystal Empire but the constant whispering and suspicious looks still hurt all the same. You have to understand that it wasn’t like that in Brimstone. The Wyvertii welcomed me to their village with open arms and hospitality from the very first moment I arrived. Even Torch treated me like I was his own son.”

“Technically, you’ve always been one of their kinsmen. It’s only natural that they would be eager to assimilate one of their ‘lost sheep’ back into the herd, so to speak.”

Spike let out an exasperated sigh. “Maybe, but that’s beside the point. The other problem I always had around here was that everyone saw me as the slightly awkward, easy-going little brother of Twilight Sparkle. The impression must have stuck because no one ever seemed to take me seriously no matter how mature I tried to act. Especially Rarity. At first, I enjoyed being called Spikey-Wikey but as I got older, I started to resent the nickname she gave me. It was as if she hadn’t even realized that I wasn’t a kid anymore.”

Twilight felt a pang of guilt begin to well up in her chest when she saw the saddened expression on her little brother’s face. Neither she nor the rest of the girls had ever intended to hurt his feelings in such a manner, but rather, they just hadn’t done a good enough job of acknowledging the signs of Spike’s inevitable transition into adulthood.

The Princess of Friendship fully understood the sheer awkwardness that came with initiating any kind of physical contact with her bare-naked brother, but she sensed that he was in desperate need of some reassurance at the moment. After taking a deep breath, Twilight rose from her seat, carefully wrapped her arms around his back, and pulled him in for a hug.

Spike stiffened his posture for a brief moment, clearly surprised that his sister would be willing to do such a thing while he wasn’t wearing any clothing. But it didn’t take long for him to collect his wits. Once he did, Spike didn’t hesitate to embrace his sister in kind and nuzzle his cheek against her hair, so that he could breath in the familiar scent of her favorite lilac shampoo. A powerful wave of nostalgia hit Spike like a freight train when he felt Twilight use her fingers to gently massage the space in-between his shoulder blades. It was a technique that she’d used countless times before in order to calm him down whenever he got upset or needed some comforting.

The sensation of Twilight’s warm tears as they slowly rolled down his chest finally burst the dam of emotions that the young man had forced himself to hold back for all of those long years. It was a much-needed moment of catharsis for the two siblings. They both came to appreciate just how precious the bond they shared truly was. After wiping away a few drops of liquid pride that had mysteriously started leaking out of his eyes, Spike kissed his sister’s forehead and laughed.

“I think we both needed that.”

“Mhmm. I really missed having you around.” Twilight whispered.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, you big doofus,” Twilight assured her brother after giving him a playful shove, “But in all seriousness, I promise that the girls and I will do our very best to respect your new lifestyle and treat you like an adult from now on. I’m sorry that we didn’t recognize it sooner… but I think we were all just having a difficult time coping with the fact that were finally growing up.”

“Thanks Twi, that means a lot to me. But I’m partly to blame as well. I probably should’ve told everyone how I was feeling instead of bottling it up. I can’t believe how stupid I was…”

Twilight patted Spike on the shoulder and smiled. “Don’t beat yourself up too hard over it. Teenagers aren’t exactly known for their ability to make sound, rational decisions.”

The tension that had previously hung in the room like a dark, noxious cloud lifted as everyone in the room shared a knowing laugh. With the notable exception of Ember, who was immediately reminded of the not-so rational decisions she’d made recently. The tomboyish princess made a valiant effort to try and conceal her rose-hued face behind a pillow, but Spike managed to pounce onto the couch and snatch it away from her before she was able to do so.

Just as she was about to whack her traitorous mate upside the head for his insolence, Spike quickly grabbed hold of her wrists and blew a big, wet raspberry along her exposed stomach. Much to the amusement of everyone present, Ember started squealing and giggling in a surprisingly girlish manner while she flailed about. Once Spike was satisfied that Ember was sufficiently cowed, he let go of her wrists and planted a tender kiss directly on her lips.

“You looked like you were in need of a distraction.”

Ember blushed once more and crossed her arms. “S-Shut up! And stop being so smug! You’re only making things worse by embarrassing me even more than I was before.”

Twilight and Starlight both smiled while they observed Spike teasing his girlfriend. It looked like she was just as stubborn about acting ‘mushy’ in front of others as Rainbow Dash, but her lack of resistance indicated that she enjoyed being on the receiving end of Spike’s affection. Both spellcasters were happy for the young couple and silently agreed that they looked positively adorable together.

Delmira cleared her throat. “Your highness, if I may interject?”

“Huh—err—I mean, you may. But there’s really no need to be so formal around me. Just Twilight is fine.”

“Very well, Twilight. If we aren’t going to be using titles, then I must insist that you refer to me as Delmira.”

Twilight straightened her sweater vest took a moment to compose herself. “Is that so? Pardon my ignorance, Miss Delmira but I don’t ever recall Spike mentioning you in any of his letters.”

“Beings as long-lived as I tend to forget some of the aliases we’ve accumulated over the centuries. I imagine that Spike probably referred to me as Wintersilk in his correspondences with you. Does that name happen to ring a bell?”

“Yes, but… you mentioned using a title earlier. Spike told me that Ember is technically a princess by virtue of her father being Dragon Lord, but he never said anything about you being part of the ruling class. Something’s inconsistent here and I don’t like it.”

Delmira shrugged her shoulders. “Alas, it seems as though I’m not able to deceive any of Equestria’s Princesses. Whatever shall I do with myself?”

“Choose your next words carefully, Miss Delmira,” Twilight warned while she summoned a magenta-hued bolt of magic in her palm, “I don’t take kindly to acts of deception. Especially when they concern the wellbeing of my little brother.”

“Upon my honor, I swear to you that I have no ill intent towards anyone present. I merely wish to be forthright about my true identity.”

“True… identity?”

Delmira nodded. “Indeed. I’m sure that you and your friend have sensed my aura by now. Are you not curious to know more about it?”

Starlight shifted in her chair. “Yeah! I could tell right away that you were radiating some seriously powerful Grade S magic. I’m pretty sure that it’s old too, but it feels—I dunno—muted somehow? Like you’re suppressing it on purpose.”

“An astute observation. And entirely correct.”

“How so?”

“My natural form has always been that of a dragon, but from time to time I choose to become human because it enables me to interact with my children on a much more personal level. However, this vessel is incapable of withstanding the immense strain of containing and casting the full extent of my ancient magic. The vast majority of my power remains sealed within a sacred cave atop the highest peak.” Delmira explained.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “How fascinating! Now that you mention it, I do recall Starswirl making reference to a white-scaled, draconic deity in the second volume of his: Compendium of Legendary Creatures. Your albinism is also astonishingly similar to his description of—Sweet Celestia—you’re the actual goddess, aren’t you?!”

Delmira put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest with pride. “Present and in the flesh!”

“Your story does sound an awful lot like some of the older creation myths I’ve read. But, I’m far more curious as to how you managed to keep a straight face after your response. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone embody that phrase quite so literally before.” Starlight quipped.

“Say what you will, magus. It is my divine right as a goddess to appear in whatever manner I see fit. That being said, it makes no difference to me if my preference to remain nude offends your narrow-minded definition of morality. Furthermore, I have the utmost confidence that Ember and Spike find my body desirable, so there’s absolutely no reason for me to cover it up!”

Twilight coughed loudly. “Be that as it may… I think we ought to get back to the topic at hand.”

“Fine by me. What else do you wish to know?”

“You mentioned that your current form isn’t capable of handling the magic that you would normally have at your disposal. I’m not sure I entirely understand the implications.”

Rather than answering the question directly, Delmira strode towards the chair and unceremoniously plopped onto Twilight’s lap. The goddess ignored her indignant squawk of surprise and proceeded to take hold of bookworm’s wrist. With the greatest of care, she guided Twilight’s hand towards her breast and invited the princess to fondle it at her leisure.

“C’mon, don’t be shy! I want you to feel how soft and squishy I am~”

“You c-could’ve just explained that to me verbally!” Twilight squeaked.

“Perhaps, but I’ve always found that kinesthetic learning is much more beneficial when one desires to leave a lasting impression.”

“I swear, you’re almost as bad as Discord…” Twilight grumbled under her breath.

“Now, for all intents and purposes, I’m bound to this human construct while outside the confines of what you Equestrians call ‘The Lost Continent’. Don’t get me wrong: I’m still immune to disease and age, but the resilience of my current body pales in comparison to my real one. I’m afraid that makes me as vulnerable to injury and death as any other mortal.”

Twilight frowned. “I didn’t realize that deities were even capable of dying.”

“Well, not in the traditional sense anyway. My immortal spirit would eventually reconnect with the rest of my magic and I’d probably end up reforming in my original body at some point.”

“No offence, but it doesn’t sound as though you’ve actually tested your theory…”

Delmira shrugged. “Eh, none taken. I’m definitely more of a lover than a fighter, so I typically avoid confrontations and putting myself in peril if I can help it. Besides, I have two young, strapping mates that are more than capable of protecting me. Why take the risk?”

Twilight mumbled in half agreement while she mulled over the ramifications of what transformed goddess had just said. After dealing with Pinkie Pie and Discord’s zany antics over the years, Twilight knew that it was a fruitless endeavor to try and apply any sort of logic to the whims and wants of reality warping beings. Instead, she focused on levitating the brown paper bag over to her side that she’d dropped on the kitchen floor earlier.

“I was hoping that we could all head over to Sweet Apple Acres later this afternoon for lunch. Applejack said that she wanted to show all three of you, and I quote: ‘Somegood ole’ fashioned Apple Family hospitality’. It would also be a good opportunity to catch up with everyone else.”

Spike looked towards his mates to see if they were on board with the plan, and when neither them seemed to object, he gave his sister a nod of agreement. “Do you think we could just walk there? The Acres aren’t very far and I think the girls would enjoy touring the rest of Ponyville.”

“I honestly don’t think that’s such a good idea, Spike.”

Spike scoffed. “C’mon, Twi. This is Ponyville we’re talking about! The townsfolk have dealt with way crazier things than the likes of us. Plus, we can’t exactly go sightseeing if we’re all cooped up in a carriage.”

Twilight sighed. “Alright, but don’t say that I didn’t try to warn you.”