Chapter 21

Fluttershy’s Cottage, Edge of the Everfree Forest

Spike lounged on the couch, idly running his fingers through Angel Bunny’s fur every so often whilst the fuzzy little imp napped on his chest. To say that his earlier conversation with Fluttershy had been awkward was a vast understatement. Granted, it wasn’t quite as bad as getting caught having sex right in the middle of the throne room by bonified Equestrian royalty… but it was still plenty embarrassing to been seen by a close friend that you’d known since childhood.

Fluttershy had been surprisingly understanding about the whole situation, attributing the young couple’s passionate romp to a combination of pheromones and the strong sense of commitment they shared. She’d even offered to help Ember clean up in the bathroom despite the two women being both polar opposites, personality wise, and virtual strangers to one another. Truly, his longtime friend had indeed lived up to her title as bearer of the Element of Kindness.

Spike let out a deep sigh as he stared at the animal-themed wallpaper that adorned the walls of Fluttershy’s living room. From a purely logical standpoint, the Dragon Lord was cognizant of the fact that he alone was ultimately responsible for his amorous behavior… and perhaps just a little bit of the blame could, in some small part, be attributed to the sheer disparity between Spike’s native culture and his adopted one.

Like his mother had warned earlier: it was not a simple task for a trio of Wyvertii lovers (especially when two of them were still growing teenagers) to resist the temptations of the flesh when said flesh was always on full display and readily accessible. For a brief moment, Spike yearned for the days when his life was much simpler. Back when he didn’t have to constantly deal with pheromones, awkward erections, and two beautiful women vying for his attention.

Upon further reflection, Spike came to the conclusion that despite all of the craziness he endured on a daily basis, he wouldn’t trade his new life for all the riches in the world. The young man quietly admitted to himself that he had a lot more growing up to do before he could call himself a proper Dragon Lord or even a responsible adult for that matter.

Spike’s ruminations were momentarily interrupted when both Fluttershy and Ember finally emerged from the bathroom and made their presence known. The former was wearing a fuzzy yellow robe along with a pair of slippers, the later… nothing more than an affectionate smile.

Fluttershy giggled. “It certainly appears that Angel is enjoying himself. I hope he didn’t cause you too much trouble while we were bathing.”

“Not really. I just gave him a carrot or two, started petting him, and we ended up having an understanding? I dunno; he must enjoy the warmth of my body heat or something.”

“I’m sure he does. In fact, Angel loves to snuggle me whenever I’m nude too. Particularly, in-between my breasts for some reason. But! That’s not important right now. I’m pleased to report that Ember’s wounds have been successfully treated and she’s as clean as can be.”

Spike carefully lifted the sleeping rabbit off his chest and placed him onto a nearby pillow. “Excellent! That’s great news. Some of those bruises looked pretty wicked.”

Ember placed her hands on her hips and scowled. “Hey! I’m not some dainty little flower that falls apart when you touch it! You know damn well that I’m more than tough enough to take a few hits.”

“Yes, I know you are. But that doesn’t make any difference to me. I’m still going to worry about my mates whenever they get hurt. Regardless of how minor or major their injuries may be.”

Throwing all caution (and potential embarrassment) to the wind, Ember pattered across the floor and embraced Spike with all of her might. An embrace that Spike returned enthusiastically, if a bit slowly at first. The heavenly aroma of shampoo and body soap mixed with her natural scent filled his nostrils as he placed a soft kiss atop Ember’s head. The tomboy, in turn, pressed her cheek against his bare chest, relishing the warmth of her mate’s skin.

“Awww,” Fluttershy cooed, “You two are just so adorable together! That settles it! I know I made the right decision in allowing a passionate, young couple to make love on my front lawn! Even though it probably wasn’t the most appropriate one …in hindsight. Oh, I hope that doesn’t make me sound like I’m some perverted voyeur who gets off watching other people while they’re having—”

Ember blushed fiercely but didn’t make any attempt to break away. “For fuck’s sake, Fluttershy! We’ve been over this already! Just let bygones be bygones, ok? A-anyway, I’m still not too good at dealing with or talking about my feelings yet. So, uh here goes: Am I doing this whole relationship thing right? Am I being a good mate?”

Spike laughed while he gently ruffled her hair. “Like I said before: I love you exactly the way you are, Ember. You don’t have to change anything about yourself to please me. If you’re ever feeling scared or unsure about something, you’re more than welcome to come talk to me about it. I promise that I’ll try my best to help you work out whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

After a heated make-out session with her beloved mate, Ember reluctantly broke away and took a few breaths to compose herself. This time, she wouldn’t lose control and give into her lustful urges. Spike followed suit and took a deep breath of his own to try and calm himself down. However, unlike Ember, the telltale signs of male arousal were far more difficult to conceal. His already half tumescent penis was proof enough of this.

Thinking quickly, Ember rushed into the kitchen and filled a glass to the brim with ice water. When she finally came back into the living room, Ember proceeded to dump the freezing cold liquid directly onto Spike’s crotch without a moment’s hesitation or any warning whatsoever.

“EEEEEEEUUUGGGHHHH!” Spike howled in what he would later describe as a ‘manly’ fashion.

Alarmed by the “manly” scream, Fluttershy immediately stopped packing her friends’ supplies and ran out into the living room to see what was the matter. What she found was a wet, and thoroughly embarrassed Spike doing his best not to get too upset with Ember. Fluttershy tried not to laugh but it was impossible not to when she could clearly see what the ice water had done.

“Oh, my goodness,” Fluttershy snorted, “Spike, are you—bwahahaha—ok?”

Spike’s face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. “Go on get it out of your system.”

“Are you sure you won’t *snicker* need a heating pad or something?”

Ember looked like she was about to cry. “I’m so sorry! I was just trying to help. Honest!”

“Yeah, I know. But ice water? Seriously, Ember? That’s like shrinkage to the extreme! It would’ve gone down by itself after a while given some ti—”

Before Spike had the chance to argue his case any further, Ember was already on her knees, busy massaging his entire manhood. Although a decidedly a pleasant sensation, Spike could immediately tell that something was different. Her hands felt significantly warmer than usual. It was only then that he noticed the sapphire aura of Ember’s fire magic surrounding them.

Ember looked up and noticed Spike’s expression of concern. “Don’t worry! I promise that my magic won’t hurt you. Just relax and let me warm you up. A little bit of heat and some massaging will help get the blood flowing down there again.”

“That’s,” Spike shuddered as Ember rubbed her fingers over a particularly sensitive patch of skin right underneath his head, “…e-exactly what I’m afraid of.”

It wasn’t too long before Spike was sporting a stiff hard-on once more. Realizing that her well-intentioned massage was just making the situation worse for her mate, Ember backed away, dove onto the couch headfirst, and buried her face into one of the pillows. Whatever irritation Spike felt beforehand instantly drained away as soon as he heard Ember’s muffled sobs. Fluttershy gently squeezed his shoulder before he could attempt to comfort his distraught mate.

“It’s probably best for you let Ember alone for a while. She just needs some time to sort things out on her own. C’mon, you can help me pack the rest of the supplies in the meantime.”

Spike mechanically tossed around some ground venison and berries together in a large, porcelain bowl while Fluttershy stirred a pot of spiced broth right next to him. Given the nature of his erections, it took a considerable amount of time before his penis naturally reverted back to its flaccid state. A trait that neither of his mates seemed to have any qualms about during sex. It was, however, rather annoying to deal with when you were just trying to go about your business.

The young Dragon Lord was also quite aware that Fluttershy had been sneaking furtive glances below his waist, but he knew that she was far too polite to express her opinion aloud. At least… not without a little bit of encouragement first. After rolling his eyes, Spike subtly thrust his hips forward just enough to make it seem as though he’d accidentally brushed his manhood against an exposed portion of her thigh. Much to his amusement, she immediately let out a high-pitched squeak of surprise.

“Ah ha! I knew it!”

Fluttershy’s face turned beet red. “I-I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Shy, I know you’ve been trying to stare at my crotch practically the whole time we’ve been out here. And I want you know that I’m not upset. Quite frankly, I’ve pretty much gotten used to people checking me out at this point.”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Oh dear! I didn’t mean to be so obvious about it.”

“Well, it is pretty hard to miss.”

Fluttershy nudged Spike’s side with her elbow. “Stop being such an awful tease! Oooooh I know I shouldn’t be saying this about one of my dearest friends… but after getting a good look at your—um—thing up close, I completely understand why Ember was so eager.”

Spike glanced towards the living room and frowned. “Yeah…”

“Umm just so you know: I’m not wearing anything underneath my robe at the moment. I-I mean, that is to say, I wouldn’t be opposed to you joining me for some tension relieving exercises on top of the kitchen table…o-only if you’re ok with me being your partner, that is.” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Huh? I’m sorry, did you something, Shy?”

“Nothing! I-I was just thinking out loud is all.”

Spike shrugged his shoulders. “Alright then. So… do you think Ember’s had enough time to sort things out yet? I feel like I should at least pop in and check up on her.”

“Don’t bother, I’m here.” Ember supplied.

“Oh… uhh that’s good. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been crying my fucking eyes out for the past twenty minutes, Spike. How do you think?”

Spike chuckled awkwardly. “Right. Stupid question.”

“Look, I know what you’re trying to do. Trust me, the last thing I need right now is to be coddled like some child who had their candy taken away from them. Even if it is well-intentioned. Just let me say what I need to say and let’s move on with our lives, alright?”

“Sure. That seems fair. What’s on your mind?”

Ember took in a deep breath and wrung her hands together nervously. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, I’ve already forgiv—”

Ember suddenly kicked Spike’s shin. “Shut up for a second and let me finish.”

“Ow! Fine, I’ll just be quiet now…”

Ember placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it affectionately. “Spike, I’m proud to say that I love you with all of my heart. And because I love you so much, I want to make you as happy as I possibly can. But sometimes, I get ahead of myself and wind up making a ton of mistakes.

“I may not be girly like Fluttershy, super smart like your sister, or crazy good at sex like Delmira, but I am trying my best to be a mate worthy of a Dragon Lord. Worthy of… you. With all of that in mind, I suppose what I’m trying to say is: I am who I am and I’m going to make you happy on my own terms and nobody else’s. Got it?”

Spike gently embraced his mate. “Mhmm. I sure do. Back when we first met in the forest, I fell in love with the girl standing right in front of me, not someone else. I’m just glad that you’ve finally decided to accept yourself for who you are.”

“Goddess, I can’t believe how fucking hard it was to admit all of that! It feels like my stomach is still trying to jump out of my throat! Uhh—sorry I didn’t mean to ruin the moment…”

Spike laughed and gave her a quick boop to the nose. “Nah, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

After a tear-filled goodbye from Fluttershy, the young couple set off on the first leg of their journey to the Castle of the Two Sisters laden with supplies aplenty. In terms of equipment, neither of them carried anything more than the satchels holding their edibles and an old surveyor’s map of the Everfree. Between Spike’s skills in magic and Ember’s expertise in unarmed combat, the two Wyvertii warriors were confident that they could handle just about anything the forest could throw at them for the time being, until they had a chance to make camp and fashion some weapons from stone and wood.

Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the forest canopy was thick enough to make it seem like it was already late evening, progressing into night. While no gunshots were to be heard, the cacophony of fauna, insects, and birds made more than enough noise to make up for it. A certain sense of nostalgia hit Spike while he walked beside his mate. It conjured up fond memories of the days he’d spent training with Ember, learning how to survive, and getting to know her better: both as a friend and a lover.

Before long, the pair came across a moderately sized stream. Given that they’d been walking for what Spike estimated to be around three hours or so, both of them decided that it was as good a time as any to take a quick rest, eat something, and wash off all of the excess sweat and grime that had accumulated during their trek.

While she was cleaning the mud off of her feet, Ember happened to notice a large cavern in the distance. By her own estimate it wasn’t terribly far way, perhaps a kilometer or so. In her experience as a huntress, she had come to learn that caverns of that size were rarely unoccupied. Especially, if they were located near a source of fresh water. Now that she took a moment to listen, the tomboy realized that it was far too quiet in this particular spot of the forest. Her hackles raised, Ember immediately turned around to warn her mate.

“Spike, I’m not so sure it was a good idea to rest here.”

“Hmm? Why do you say that?”

Ember began scanning the nearby tree line for threats. “Do you see that cavern over there? It’s pretty damn big. I might be wrong, but those usually have something living inside of them. We could be intruding on a large predator’s territory. I think we sssshould…pack up… and—”

In a matter of seconds, Ember collapsed bonelessly onto the ground. Rushing over to see what was wrong, Spike shook her several times, eliciting no response. Having wrapped his arm around her neck, he suddenly felt something sharp poking at his skin. Right below her ear was a poison dart. Spike prayed that it wasn’t the fatal kind, but he had to worry about his own safety at the moment. He was now facing the deadliest predator of all: another person.

By sheer chance alone, he happened to be looking towards the crown of a gnarled oak tree. Crouched atop one of the branches was a woman, covered head to toe in what Spike could only assume was some kind of sooty, green-grey body paint. The woman’s shoulder-length dreadlocks hung loosely around her frame while she loomed over Spike. From what he could tell, tiny strips of leather near the ends kept them wound together. What surprised him the most, however, was the fact that she was stark naked save for the bow and quiver strapped onto her back.

Spotting the other intruder in her territory, the wild huntress lunged from her perch and tackled Spike to the ground with a meaty thud. In the ensuing tussle, Spike found out that not only was her body rippling with taught muscle but she was exceptionally tall as well. The woman was likely pushing two meters by his own rough estimate.

Despite the danger to his life, Spike had a difficult time ignoring the large, shapely pair of breasts that currently dangled right above his face. The woman seemed to notice his distraction, for she took the opportunity to viciously headbutt Spike right in the nose accordingly.

Stars filled the young man’s vision, as he tried his best to cope with what he hoped wasn’t a broken nose. Working through the pain and blood now running into his mouth, Spike grabbed hold of the woman’s shoulder joint and used it as a fulcrum to flip her towards the stream bed. She crashed into the stream with a splash, spraying water and pebbles everywhere. Now that her she was face down in the silt, Spike took a moment to summon a fireball into his right palm. He didn’t want to kill her, but he had no idea if the woman intended to use her bow against him or not. Spike simply couldn’t take the chance.

After willing his fire to not to harm living beings, Spike shot a few volleys in quick succession towards the prone woman. Once she regained her senses, the huntress screamed in frustration as her weapons were reduced to ashes almost instantly. The woman charged at Spike, delivering a heavy spinning kick to his chest. Unfortunately, Spike was prepared for her this time. He caught her leg and flipped her onto the ground once again.

The woman tried to scramble back onto her feet in order to counterattack, but Spike beat her to the punch, driving his elbow directly in between her shoulder blades. Dazed and in a fair amount of pain, the wildling accepted her fate as she felt the intruder hobble her arms against her back.

“Please,” Spike gasped, “Stop this. We don’t have to fight each other anymore.”

“You’re right. We don’t. But you’re forgetting one important detail.”

Spike eyes widened in surprise as he saw the woman’s hand begin to glow like red-hot plasma. An instant later, he felt something sharp jab into the meat of his thigh and quickly began to lose consciousness.

“You were so focused on getting rid of my bow that you neglected to destroy my poison darts. Oh well. I guess you’ll just have to learn that lesson the hard way.”

Spike groaned as he slowly returned to the land of the living. The pain in his nose seemed to have subsided for the most part, but his entire body felt stiff and sore. After gathering enough strength to prop himself up, he noticed that at some point, he’d been put to rest on a bed made of deer hide and stuffed with various plant fibers. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the telltale flicker of a fire pit and there, sitting cross-legged in front of it was Spike’s assailant.

Except she looked entirely different from before. That is to say, she’d washed off all the body paint from earlier. Spike was surprised to find out how brightly colored her hair actually was. Her dreadlocks were a massive swirl of crimson and gold twisted together in what Spike could honestly say reminded him somewhat of bacon.

While he rested against the cavern wall, Spike was treated to a very generous view of her nethers, due in part to her lack of attire and the position she’d chosen to sit in. Having grown accustomed to seeing nearly hairless Wyvertii females most of the time, he’d almost forgotten what a woman with a full bush of pubic hair looked like. And as the old saying went: the carpet most certainly matched the drapes in her case.

Much like anyone who spent copious amounts of time outdoors, the woman’s skin was completely tanned to a shade of light bronze. As she rose to her feet, Spike noted the various scars that adorned her body: a ragged set of claw marks along her abdomen and a long, thin line that ran from her ankle up to the midpoint of her calf muscle. With a cocky grin, the woman padded over to where Spike was resting and offered him a skin full of water.

“Good to see that you’re finally awake. Can’t say the same for your friend over there though.”

Spike took a few gulps and cleared this throat. “The poison you used, it’s not deadly… is it?”

The woman shook her head. “Nah. It’s made from the venom of Spotted Tree Peepers. A heavy-duty sedative in and of itself but nothing more. She’ll wake up soon enough.”

“Good. I was worried that she might—ah—you know… die.”

The woman rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I was only trying to protect the den from intruders, not kill anyone. Oh my gosh! How rude of me! I suppose introductions are in order. The name’s Sunset Shimmer but you can call me Sunny if you’d like.”

“I’m Spike and the girl lying over there is Ember. She and I are mates. As for the reason we’re out here: it’s to investigate all the recent disturbances that’ve been getting all of the animals riled up. We have reason to believe that it’s being caused by a group of treasure hunters.”

“Mates, huh? Guess that explains why you two were so chummy. In any case, it’s pretty clear to me now that neither of you are a threat. No offense, but your typical treasure hunter doesn’t go traipsing around the Everfree Forest buck naked and unarmed…”

Spike raised his eyebrow. “Hey! You’re one to talk! I don’t see you wearing any clothes either.”

“Nope. Haven’t for the past eight years, and I don’t intend to ever again.”

Now that Spike had gotten the chance to get a good look at Sunset’s facial features, he immediately realized that her aqua-colored eyes had the distinct draconic slits endemic to the entire Wyvertii population. Upon closer inspection, he even spotted a tiny pair of fangs protruding from her lips. Everything suddenly began to make sense! This girl must’ve have been some kind of long, lost Wyvertii!

“Sunset, you’re one of us! Why didn’t you say anything before?”

Sunset blinked in confusion. “Uhh… what? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“You’re a Wyvertii, like Ember and I! Torch told me that some people occasionally decide to move outside the Continent, but it’s exceedingly rare. What are the odds? How long have you been living out here?”

Sunset cocked her head. “What exactly is a Wyvertii anyway? I don’t recall reading about them in any books. Well, at least not any that the school had access to. All I know is that I’ve always been different from everybody else. Because of my looks, people treated me like I was some kind of sub-human, a monster! I chose to come live out here, so I could be with my own kind and away from them.”

“Wait… so you really don’t know what you are?”

Sunset shook her head. “I’ve been an orphan for most of my life, Spike. The only thing I ever knew about my biological mother was that she was part of the Equestrian Navy at some point. She left one of her patches with me when she dropped me off at the orphanage. That bitch clearly didn’t want to keep me 'cause I was a freak, so I’m not gonna waste my time crying over what could have been. That’s why I live by one simple motto: My past is not today.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. If it’s any consolation, I know exactly where you’re coming from. You see, I never really knew my parents because they both died when I was only a baby. I ended up getting adopted but I never really fit in with Equestrian society either.

“That’s why I’ve decided to embrace the Wyvertii way of life and live by their customs. About a year ago, I traveled to our people’s ancestral homeland and discovered everything that I had been missing out on while I was growing up in Equestria. I felt like I’d finally found a place where I truly belonged. A place where I could walk around freely as my own man and not be judged merely by the way I looked. Do you want that, Sunset?”

Sunset rubbed her chin in thought. “Normally, I’d find a story like that hard to believe but based on how you look, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re telling me the truth. So yeah. I think I’d like to learn more about these Wyvertii.

“Hey—umm—do you think we might be able to… become friends? I know that’s asking a lot considering that I attacked the both of you but it’s been such a long time since I’ve had other people to talk about stuff with. IF you don’t want to, I’d totally understand…”

“Sure, I’d be more than happy to call you my friend. Ember will probably take a little bit more convincing but she’ll come around once we explain the situation properly. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able teach the two of a few things too.”

Spike yelped in surprise as he was tackle-hugged onto the bed by a very happy and very naked, Sunset Shimmer. The forest dweller’s sudden skin to skin contact left no doubt in Spike’s mind as to whether or not her exquisitely shaped breasts were more voluminous than either of his mates’. Not only that, but they managed to achieve the perfect balance between softness and firmness as they squished against his chest.

Spike just assumed that Sunset probably wasn’t the most pleasant-smelling person to be around, considering where she lived and her lack of access to modern hygiene products. Yet, this was decidedly not the case. As she nuzzled her cheek against the Dragon Lord’s neck, the smoky-sweet scent of cinnamon and woodfire assaulted his senses.

Suffice to say, her sweat was also heavily laced with pheromones. Try as he might, Spike was powerless to stop his over-eager member from rising to the occasion. It really was the only logical outcome. These things tended to happen when you got smothered by a busty amazon.

Sunset gasped when she felt something hot and stiff press up against her stomach. “Is that… what I think it is?!”

“Umm,” Spike chuckled awkwardly, “it’s exactly what you think it is? Aww jeez! I’m sorry, Sunset. It’s kind of my—ah—body’s natural reaction to being hugged by pretty naked girls. I hope you understand…”

Sunset blushed furiously and slowly backed away from Spike. “Oh, no worries! I should have asked if it was ok to hug you in the first place. My apologies for being improper. I can be a bit impulsive with expressing my feelings on occasion.”

“No, I can totally understand where you’re coming from! Heck, Ember can be like that too sometimes. Can we please just… pretend this never happened and move on?”

Sunset sat cross-legged on the extra doeskin next to Spike. “Fine by me. So… if you and I going to be friends from now on, it’s only fair that I tell you a bit more about myself and how I wound up living out here. I gotta warn you though: it’s long, difficult, and complicated story.”

“Sunset, if it makes you uncomfortable to tell it, you don’t have to.”

Sunset ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “No, this is something I want to do. You opened up to me about your past and trusted me enough to offer your friendship unconditionally. This is the least I can do to reciprocate that trust. I suppose it all started on my thirteenth birthday…”

8 Years Ago

Celestia’s School for Gifted Mages, Girl’s Dormitory

Sunset laid in her bed, quietly staring out the window as a stray beam of moonlight shone through and illuminated her bedsheets. Today was her thirteenth birthday… or at least that’s what Mother Charity Rose had told her back when she was still living at the orphanage. Since her mother had abandoned her as an infant, no one could ever truly be sure of when Sunset had actually been born.

Like most of her life up to this point, the fiery-haired teenager was often the victim of teasing, bullying, and intense scrutiny from her peers and in some cases, even adults. Sunset had long since come to terms with the fact that she was different from everybody else. But it didn’t make their harsh words and insults hurt any less.

Demonic Freak, The Beastly Bookworm, Lizard Girl, to name a few. Some of the names she’d been called over the years had been far worse, and it caused Sunset too much pain to dare repeat any of them aloud again. That’s why she always strove to excel, both academically and magically. If for no other reason than to prove everyone wrong. To prove, once and for all, that she could be better than them, regardless of the way she looked.

The young teen levitated an adorable stuffed bear that she had received as a birthday present from her best friend in the whole wide world, Moondancer, off of the dresser and into her arms. Moondancer was one of the few people in her life that she could genuinely say she loved. Her surrogate sister was just as nerdy and eager to absorb knowledge as she was and had never once judged Sunset simply for the way she had been born.

Sunset wrapped the teddy bear in a tight hug. “Not sure how I’m gonna sleep tonight. I’m just so nervous, Mr. Grizzby! What if I have another magic surge and fail my exam? I’ve come way too far to be kicked out of the school now…”

The stuffed creature didn’t give a response. Sunset honestly didn’t expect him to, but voicing her concerns aloud was cathartic and helped her to manage all of the stress and anxiety she’d been feeling lately. As talented and intelligent as Sunset was, she still had difficulty controlling her magic sometimes. Particularly, when she got emotional.

Every professor she’d ever discussed the matter with hadn’t been able to provide her with a straight answer as to why her magic was so volatile. On more than one occasion, she’d accidentally caught things on fire while she was just trying to perform a simple levitation spell. It was almost as if her magic behaved more like plasma, rather than regular mana. To that end, Sunset spent long hours refining her technique and took extra care to exercise as much control over her magic as she possibly could.

“Guess there’s no sense in getting all worked up about it. G’night, Mr. Grizzby.” Sunset muttered as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sunset awoke from her night terror drenched in sweat, heart nearly beating out of her chest. It took her a few moments to regain her composure and come back to reality. She’d dreamt that the entire lecture hall and everyone inside it had been burnt to a crisp when one of her spells failed spectacularly. She could still see the looks of horror on their charred faces, hear their wails of agony as they were cooked alive.

It was no use. Sunset just couldn’t calm down. Much to her horror, the teenager noticed that part of her bed had actually caught fire somehow. When she looked down at her hands, they were glowing with the red-hot pulse of her magic. The poor girl panicked, and in her emotionally unstable state, her magic was only made stronger. A crimson aura enveloped her entire body and erupted outwards, engulfing the entire room in a raging inferno.

Everything burned. Her bed, her clothes, all of her belongings. Nothing was spared from the wrath of the mystical flames that now surrounded her. She could hear the shrill blare of the fire alarm as it went off, and the shouts of other students as they evacuated the dorm. A terrified Sunset Shimmer burst through the dorm’s rapidly disintegrating wall and fled towards the Everfree Forest, not daring to look back at the destruction she had caused.

Sunset ran. She ran harder and faster than she’d ever had in her entire life. Sunset wanted nothing to do with Celestia’s School or Equestria, for that matter, ever again. Should she return, everyone would surely label her as a dangerous abomination, a creature unfit to exist in civilized society. That’s why Sunset decided it was best for her to live out the remainder of her natural life in the Everfree, a fitting place for monsters like her.

Determined or not, Sunset was still accustomed to living with all of the comforts and conveniences of the modern world. Like shoes and clothing for instance. That being said: an inquisitive-minded individual such as Sunset found it more than a little baffling as to how she’d managed to stay warm up to this point, despite being completely exposed to the elements. It was almost as if her body was naturally designed to compensate for temperature variations. Even so, running through a dark, spooky forest barefoot and naked was still an alien experience for her.

Panting heavily, Sunset found a relatively clear spot in the grass to sit down on and massaged her sore, aching feet. Now that her adrenaline high was begging to ebb, Sunset began to feel the numerous cuts and bruises that she had accumulated during her flight into the depths of the forest. Without a significant source of water, it was practically impossible for her to clean off the layer of ashen-gray soot that had now caked onto her skin. It was extremely uncomfortable and made her itchy all over, but the miserable teenager resisted the temptation to scratch herself (particularly around her cuts), knowing that it might cause her to get an infection if she did.

Thirsty, sweaty, and covered head to toe in soot, Sunset cried out in joy when she happened to stumble upon a rather sizeable stream after several hours of ambling about in the wilderness. The water probably wasn’t the safest to drink, but she didn’t care.

Sunset crouched by the stream bed and took in several greedy gulps of life-giving water. She thanked whatever higher powers she could think of for finally being given the chance to soothe her parched throat. Once she’d had her fill, the teenager laid down in the grass nearby, a satisfied smile stretched across lips.

Before Sunset had the chance to relax, she heard a twig snap behind her, followed by a deep growl. Her heart caught in her throat as she turned around and saw a massive, brindle-coated Dire Wolf glaring back at her with its yellow eyes. Thinking quickly, the young woman grabbed the biggest rock she could find and hurled it at the beast’s face.

Given her weakened state, the impact did little more than irritate the wolf. The enraged canine lunged towards her, sharpened claws ready to tear her limb from limb. Out of pure instinct alone, Sunset summoned a red-hot bolt of plasma in her palm and blasted the wolf straight in the chest.

Although the beast was injured by her attack this time, it was still very much alive and capable of killing her. The smell of singed fur filled Sunset’s nostrils as she attempted to scramble to her feet and run for dear life. Her legs burned while she ran, but Sunset knew that if she stopped, death would be certain. By a stroke a sheer bad luck, the teenager managed to trip over a tree root and stumbled along ground.

As the Dire Wolf loomed over her, poised to rip the poor girl to shreds, Sunset felt a heat like a thousand suns fill her entire being. Soon, her body was glowing with a crimson aura as it had before in the dorm… except this time, she knew exactly where to direct it. With a primal scream, she channeled her fury at the Dire Wolf, immolating the beast in the blink of an eye.

Utterly spent, Sunset managed to shuffle her way back to the stream and promptly collapsed onto the ground soon after. Before she even had the chance to catch her breath, Sunset witnessed an even larger creature walk up beside her and take a drink from the stream.

Based on the books she’d read, Sunset was positive it was an adult Ursa Major, judging by both its sheer size and the constellations that covered its body. Knowing full well that she was in no condition to do much of anything at the moment, Sunset wet herself in fear, and proceed to curl up into a ball.

“P-please don’t kill me,” Sunset sobbed, “I just came here to rest and get a drink!”

The Ursa regarded Sunset with a snort. “Calm yourself, young one. I have come here to quench my own thirst as well. I shall not bring any harm to you… yet.”

Sunset hiccupped. “What? H-how are you talking like that?!”

“We have always been a sapient race capable of telepathy for many eons. However, we do not normally trust your kind with such knowledge.”

“Why trust me, though?”

The Ursa narrowed its eyes. “It is not a matter of trust, little cub. It is because you are such a unique specimen for your kind. You exhibited powers that I have never seen before and it intrigues me. Besides, you hardly pose a threat to me in your current condition. Am I mistaken to assume so or is the urine I smell merely a ploy to discourage me from eating you?”

Sunset’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “O-ok, fine! I’ll admit that I’m scared out of my mind right now and on the brink of passing out from exhaustion. What more do you expect from me? I’m just a pathetic, little orphan girl who’s hit rock bottom and has nowhere else to go…”

The Ursa let out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Indeed! However, you confuse my words for an insult. What I meant was that you are both physically and magically different from all of the other two-legs I have seen over the centuries. More… predator like, I would say. That is why I have decided to show you compassion this day. Come. Let us wash off the grime that coats your hide and fill your belly with sustenance.”

Now that she’d had a chance to bathe and get something to eat, Sunset was beginning to feel significantly more relaxed than she had before. It was more than a little strange to be sharing a cave with a pair of Ursas (the big one’s name was Cassiopeia, and her cub, Mensa) but Sunset found their company to be far more pleasant than people. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it felt wonderful to snuggle her entire body against their, soft, warm fur.

“Cassiopeia, I wanted to thank you for taking me in. I’m not sure how I can ever repay you… but you can’t imagine how much this means to me.”

The Ursa nuzzled Sunset with her cheek. “You are quite welcome, young one. I appreciate your gratitude and humility. Other two-legs could learn a thing or two from your example. Now, rest and regain your strength. If you intend to live with us from now on, then you shall have to earn your keep by learning how to hunt and forage. That lesson, however, shall come another day.”

Present Day

Sunset's Cavern, Everfree Forest

Ember slowly cracked opened her eyes only to be greeted by a skull-splitting headache, the likes of which could put even the nastiest hangover to shame. Her memory of the past few hours was still a bit hazy but she recalled getting hit in the neck with some kind of dart. As she made an effort to prop herself up, Ember noted that she had somehow been placed on a bed fashioned from deer hide and stuffed with what she could only assume was hay or some kind of dried plants. She was surprised to see her mate crouched beside the bed, waterskin in hand.

“Nnngh. Spike, are we in a… cave? How the hell did we wind up in here?”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, a funny story that is.”

“There’s no way the two of us just magically floated onto these beds. We were unconscious, for Goddess’s sake! Something or someone had to have put us here.”

Sunset chose that very moment to walk up to the bed carrying a roasted rabbit on a skewer. “Hey, I know it’s not much but this should help Ember get her energy back—”

Sunset didn’t even get the chance to finish her sentence before the enraged tomboy punched her square in the face. Although plenty tough in her own right, Sunset was caught completely off guard and stumbled onto the cave floor with a pained grunt. Not satisfied that she and her mate were out of harm’s way yet, Ember ran over to where the woman had fallen, poised to deliver a few strikes to their would-be assailant.

What Ember didn’t expect was for the amazon to immediately punch her right back. In her half-dazed state, Ember had a difficult time telling up from down and promptly fell straight on her ass. Realizing that the situation was quickly getting out of hand, Spike scrambled towards the two women and placed himself between them.

“Girls, STOP! This is all just a big misunderstanding!”

Sunset massaged her aching jaw. “Damn, your girlfriend has one seriously mean right hook. But I can’t really blame her for hitting me ‘cause it’s mostly my fault anyway. I should’ve waited until you explained everything first before coming in here unannounced…”

“Alright, Spike. What the actual fuck is going on here? Do you know this woman?”

Spike knelt down next to Ember and rubbed her back. “Mhmm, that’s right. Although, we only met a little over an hour ago. Her name’s Sunset Shimmer and she’s been living out here in the Everfree for the past eight years. I thought that we could help her learn about—”

“By the Goddess, she’s one of us!”

“Based on what she told me, I think Sunset’s technically a half-breed. But! She’s still just as much of a Wyvertii as us as far as I’m concerned! That being said: I think it would be a good idea for us to teach Sunset about our customs and how to control her magic better. I know you’re probably still upset about her attacking us, but I’d really like to help her out.”

Ember shrugged. “Eh, why not? I trust you, Spike. If you say she’s not a threat to us, then I’m inclined to believe you. Besides, I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to have a sister.”

“Huh?”

Ember pouted. “Ok. Fine. Big sister. But only because she’s so freakin’ tall. I know way more about being a Wyvertii than her, so I get to be the one who gives out sisterly advice n’ stuff. Got it?”

Sunset sauntered over to Ember and proudly displayed her ample bust. “Emphasis on the ‘BIG’ part. As I’m sure Spike could tell you~”

“Oh? Why might that be, my dearest mate?”

Spike began to work up a nervous sweat while he tried to conjure up a reasonable excuse. Finding none, the young Dragon Lord came to the conclusion that honesty was the best policy in this particular situation and resigned himself to suffer Ember’s wrath.

“Ember, you can’t possibly expect a red-blooded man like me to simply ignore an amazing pair of breasts like those. I’m sorry. If you want to hit me, go ahead…”

The tomboy shook her head. “Franky, I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean, she does have really nice tits. For now, your punishment shall be to… feed me that grilled rabbit over there. I’m starving, so you’d better get to it while I’m still feeling merciful!”

“Of course! I’ll be right back!”

Sunset blushed at the unexpected praise of her womanly assets (she was mostly joking around) and sat down next to Ember. “Look, I just wanna clear the air and say that I wasn’t trying to steal your boyfriend away from you or anything like that. If it’s alright with you, I’d like us to start over with a clean slate.”

“Never said you were. But whatever. It’s all water under the bridge now, I suppose.”

Sunset let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness! For a second there, I thought you seriously hated my guts. So… uh—Spike told me that you guys are going after a group of trouble-making treasure hunters? I don’t mean to brag, but I’m fairly certain that I know the layout of the forest way better than you two do.”

“Yeah, and your point is?”

Sunset began to twiddle her fingers. “Well, if you’re not opposed to it, I think it would be a good idea for us to travel to the Castle of the Two Sisters together. With all the shortcuts I know, it would only take about three hours tops. Plus, I’m not too keen on letting a bunch of trigger-happy morons shoot up the forest and put my family in danger.”

“Your family? What family?”

Ember’s jaw dropped when she saw a massive, constellation-studded bear emerge from the bowels of the cavern and make itself comfortable in front of the fire. With surprising tenderness, the creature craned its neck and nuzzled Sunset’s entire body. She responded in kind by hugging the bear around its neck.

“Ember, Spike. I’d like the the two of you to meet my mother, Cassiopeia.”

Author's Notes:

Hope everyone enjoyed my take on this universe's version of Sunset Shimmer. She was a character that I had long planned on adding into the story, but I was simply waiting for the opportune moment to introduce her. I also have an art commission in the works for her, so keep an eye out for it on my Derpibooru User Page.