Spike woke to the radiant vision of pink and purple locks lit up by Celestia’s morning sun streaming past the thin, translucent curtains of Rarity’s bedroom. A smile spread across his face, and was soon matched by one on the white furred muzzle beneath the curls. Today was going to be a great day.

The two enjoyed each other’s presence before sharing a shower and a breakfast, before they parted ways for the day. While the filly headed for the schoolhouse, the dragon headed for the library. The sun shined warmly through a sky artfully sprinkled with pretty white clouds. The perspective from his new height took a bit of getting used to, though his considerable experience riding atop Twilight or other ponies made it a bit less strange than it would have been otherwise. But all in all, he could get used to this.

He had even started whistling by the time he opened the library door and stepped inside. When he did, he was greeted by the sight of a bird perched within the main library. It turned its head until it was facing the opposite direction of its body, looked at Spike with unreasonably large eyes that seemed to bore into his soul, and asked a single, simple, monosyllabic question. “Who?”

“It’s Spike, Twilight’s assistant,” Spike answered. “Who are you?”

“Who?”

“That’s what I’m asking you. Anyways, is Twilight in?” Spike inquired, trying not to lose that awesome feeling he’d started the day with.

“Who?”

“Twilight Sparkle. The librarian. Runs this place. Have you seen her?”

“Who?”

“Alright, forget it creepy bird. I’ll look for myself,” he finally said before heading upstairs and trying to find the mare that hatched him.

“Oh, Spike!” Twilight greeted as she stepped from her study to greet him near the top of the stairs. “I didn’t hear you come in. What brings you by?”

“Well, I guess I don’t live here anymore, but I am still your number one assistant, right?” Spike said. “I couldn’t just leave you hanging.”

“About that…” Twilight began.

A pang of fear surged through the dragon. Rapidly his mind started fighting over its validity. Was she getting rid of him? Or was he jumping to conclusions? Would it be so bad if she did? He had a real marefriend now, and perhaps he could use the time to go to school with his friends, or maybe get a paying job?

“I want you to meet my new number two assistant. Owlowiscious,” she said, trotting down the stairs toward the perched owl. “He came to me last night, when I was working late, and has proved quite helpful already.”

“Do you need another assistant?” Spike asked, a bit uneasily.

“Oh, Spike… no need to get jealous. He’s quite the night owl, if you’ll pardon my pun,” Twilight explained. “He’ll help me out when you’re out with Sweetie Belle, or the others.”

“Oh…” Spike said, thinking it through a bit. “Great. So we’ll have shifts then. Simple as that. So, what do you need help with first?” With that a bit of the earlier feelings managed to be restored.

“Mmm, that feels really good, Shiny,” the pink furred alicorn said as she stretched out luxuriously beneath the attentive hooves of her fiance. “You’ve gotten really good at back massages.”

“Anything for you, my love,~” the large, white unicorn said to his bride to be. His hooves were getting sore from all the hard work, but he wasn’t about to complain. The strain showed on his face despite his efforts though. And in his heart, where an undercurrent of annoyance and feelings of being taken advantage of had begun to cut into the purity of his love.

As hard as he hoped to hide it, she sensed it, easily. She could point it out, as the Princess of Love, but she knew a confrontation would only tear things down faster. Instead she tried another approach. “Anything?” she asked seductively, wiggling her flanks and flagging her tail partially, just enough to tease without revealing anything. Not that she wouldn’t.

“Not that,” Shining said firmly. “Not until we’re wed.”

The disguised Chrysalis snorted in annoyance, but stopped her attempt. She had already tried her hypnotism a few times to push past his inhibitions, but they were too deep seated. The hypnotism could do a lot to reframe his perception of reality, but she couldn’t get him to believe they were already married, and without that he held firm.

The trouble was, she didn’t really know how else to reward him. And without that he was feeling used. That just cascaded with the feeling of being drained that came from the fact he was literally being drained of energy through his love for the queen on a steady, ongoing basis. And if his love faltered, the connection would become much less efficient,

It was time for desperation, time to pull out all the stops and do something that all of her instincts screamed at her not to do. “Shiny? You’ve been so good to me. Is there anything you’d like to do?”

It took a minute for the stallion to register the opportunity and think through how best to use it, while he sat down, letting his hooves rest a bit. But slowly, a smile crossed his face. “Now that you mention it…”

The changeling queen shuddered in dread, already regretting her decision.

Far below them, an actual pink alicorn was up for a much ruder awakening. A bucket of water splashed over her, the closest thing to a shower she was going to get. At the same time a small bowl of watered down oatmeal was placed before her. It was her only meal for the day, at least as far as her guards knew, and she was somewhat grateful it was watered down, as they didn’t bother giving her proper drinks.

She was suffering from a great many maladies. The crystals that lined this cavern blocked out her magic, and that was becoming rather uncomfortable in a variety of ways. At first she had been concerned that the power was starting to build up inside her, trapped without a vent, giving her visions of spontaneously exploding. But after a few days it had tapered off and then receded, even to the point of feeling quite drained by now. That too had tapered off, and remained stable for quite some time now.

Another malady was a distorted sense of time. She’d long since realized her guards were subjecting her to ‘days’ of varying length, keeping her more off balance in that way, and unable to accurately judge how long she had been down there.

Thankfully, the one malady she had been spared was malnutrition. And that was all thanks to her beloved Stocky. The bug-pony had been sneaking table scraps to her from the somewhere, the palace or some noble’s house judging by the foods, and bringing them to her as often as he could. His shift partner, Stoic, had required some kind of bribing to let it slide, though Stock never discussed what exactly he had provided, whether it was a simple case of bits changing hooves or some other consideration.

Regardless, she owed a lot to her traitorous saviour, the one who would defy their queen and risk suffering her fate alongside her because he felt it was the right thing to do. She sighed, thinking of him fondly. Almost as fondly as her fiance, Shining Armor. Now that was a good looking pony, and sweet to be sure. But he had never risked his life just to bring her stale bread and soggy lettuce. He was brave enough to, perhaps, but she had never seen that herself, been the recipient.
If he saved her now, she’d be all over him, smothering him in gratitude in every way she could express it, but as it stood… somepony else was growing closer and closer to earning himself a bit of physical gratitude himself.

It was weird to think about a bug-pony in that sense. She had been universally repulsed by them at first. But as the days had stretched into weeks, her growing fondness for the one who fed her and the lack of anypony else to even consider any intimate contact with had combined to slowly deplete her inhibitions. She wasn’t ready yet, but by now the bug pony, a bit chubbier than the others and easily recognized as such, was looking cute enough to consider.

She wondered what he must be doing to get her the scraps that he did come away with. Any pony would be terrified at the very sight of him and call in the guards. So every trip he made must be fraught with danger. It left her worrying every time he left her sight that he might never come back to her. And she needed him to, and not just for the nutrition.

As hard as it was to admit, as much as it felt like cheating, she loved that bug.

Cracked Eggs, the omelette chef, used to like his job. He would wake up in his small but extremely comfortable bed in the servants’ quarters, set up his station in the main dining hall, and make three made-to-order omelettes before moving his station back to the kitchens, where he would make omelettes for all of his fellow servants when they were free enough to eat, ending with one for himself.

But these days he only made two omelettes in the main dining hall. The young mistress was gone, for some reason, moved out at such a young age. At first he had feared the worst, but the laundress’ had seen the filly around town, and confirmed that she was only a little the worse for wear, more in need of a good bath than a doctor.

That had been the case for a few months now. But today, something had changed. Neither of the masters were ordering omelettes. They just sat across the dining table from one another, glaring in a silence that was broken only by the occasional sip of coffee. Darn it all to Tartarus, Cracked hadn’t had a sip of his own morning brew. He counted on being out of the room quickly enough to get to it before his fatigue started showing outwardly. But now it had been several minutes of just nervously watching his employers have some kind of silent showdown about something.

“You’re dismissed,” Spoiled Rich finally said. It couldn’t have been to her husband, that wouldn’t make any sense. Wait, was he fired? Or just allowed to head back to the kitchen? Hopefully the latter, as he had hungry coworkers and a pot of hot coffee waiting for him back there.

“Is that how it was with our daughter?” Filthy Rich inquired of her, rhetorically. “Cracked, I’ll have a three-egg, with gouda, assorted peppers, and minced apple.”

Cracked looked back and forth between the two. Was he being asked to choose which order to obey? To pick sides? How was he supposed to pick?! There had to be a third way. “Gala, of course?” he asked as he started packing up.

“Of course,” Filthy said, glancing at him with a mix of hurt and confusion before looking back at Spoiled.

The mare herself looked with a mix of triumph and confusion, before fixing her smug grin on Filthy’s face.

A few minutes later the butler delivered Filthy’s omelette.

“Spike, can you get me Starswirl’s Arcanus Destinus, Glittershine’s Noteworthy Cutie Marks, and Gulligan’s Journey’s Overseas?” Twilight called out.

“On it,” Spike said as he started to make his way around the library, pushing the ladder about. “Or… not,” he said, as a feather landed on his snout. He sneezed, knocking himself off the ladder and burning up the top half of the rungs, while Owlowiscious winged his way to Twilight with the first of the books.

“Oh, thank you Owlowiscious. I didn’t realize you were awake,” Twilight said.

“And bucking for my job, it seems,” Spike groused as he watched from the floor, lying on his still stinging back while the bird swiftly delivered the other two volumes.

“What was that, Spike?” Twilight inquired.

“Are you going to be ready for lunch soon?” he asked her, louder.

“Lunch?” She looked out the window, noting the position of the sun. “It is about that time, but I’m just starting on cross referencing these three… Why don’t you start making it, I should be able to take a break by the time it’s ready.”

“Sure thing, Twilight,” he said, rolling to his feet to head to the kitchen. When he got there, he promptly hit his head on a low hanging pan, causing a cascade effect as he suffered a comic pratfall, without the benefit of an audience to laugh.

“Are you alright, Spike?” Twilight called.

“Who?” Owlowiscious voiced, but by now no one was confused by his monosyllabic utterances.

“I’m fine,” he called back, as he got to his feet and cleaned up after himself. “Just forgot how tall I am.”

He took his time putting lunch together, knowing full well Twilight would need longer than it took to assemble and cook a couple of burritos and side salads. As different as everything looked from his new height, he still had no trouble locating everything he needed, including the gems for his own meal.

As he cooked, he heard Twilight mutter something about another book, and moments later thank her owl once again as the tome made its way into her hands. He sighed, looking at the pan filled with onions, peppers and beans. “This is about the only help I can really give her anymore,” he said to himself quietly.

He called to her once the table was set with their meal. “Twilight, lunch is ready!” He took a seat and waited.

He didn’t have long to wait, as the unicorn took advantage of her mastery of teleportation to forego the stairs. “Why the long face?” she inquired.

“Twilight, I’m… I’m resigning,” he said.

“From the Elements of Greatness?” she inquired.

He shook his head. “From being your number one assistant. You’ve got a new assistant that’s better than I could be, and… honestly it’s time I start earning some bits of my own. I’m a lot bigger than I used to be, I’ve got a marefriend of my own now… I’m not saying I’m all grown up and I don’t need you anymore, far from it. But I’ve got some growing up to do, and I can’t put it off forever.”

Twilight stared at him, shell shocked, but since she didn’t say a word he kept going.

“I’ll come by every day for lunch… we’ll want to keep close, and somepony needs to make sure you eat,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do, yet, but I’m sure I can find some ways to lend a claw here and there for now. Applejack never has a shortage of work at her farm, and Rarity can always use a good digger when she hunts gems. I’m sure I can find other ponies who are willing to spare a bit of coin for some work all around Ponyville, if I just look. And heck, maybe I’ll end up working as a cook. I’m not bad at it, I’m sure you agree.”

“Spike…” Twilight said softly and sadly.

“Don’t try to talk me out of it, Twilight. You hatched me, you raised me from an egg, and I never want to leave you out of my life. But I’ve changed, and now I need to change more before it’s all settled out,” he continued. “We’ll stay close, I promise. And I’m sure I’ll still need you. As a friend, and someone I can count on to find answers when I need them. And… no matter how close I am to Sweetie Belle now, I still think you’re the best pony in all of Equestria.”

Twilight closed her eyes, pinching back some of the tears as she laid a hoof on his arm. “I understand, Spike. I knew this day would come, but I never imagined it would be anytime in the next… decade, really. It seems far too soon, but then from all the books I’ve read, it seems like it always is. Every day for lunch. I’m holding you to that.”

“Every day,” he confirmed.

“Don’t worry, my love. I’m right here with you, and I’ll help you through every step of the way,” Shining Armor said to Chrysalis. “I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got.”

Chrysalis furrowed her brow at the infuriatingly thick tome before her, before another hoof reached in and flipped to a page with a particularly lusty wench depicted upon it, apparently playing some ancient instrument and singing out a no-doubt bawdy tune.

“Just play a bard,” the pegasus who owned the hoof directed her. “Since Gaffer won’t let you roll in at our level, it’s about the only way you’ll contribute much until you start levelling.”

“I’ll be nice,” the unicorn behind the cardboard screen offered. “I won’t make a point of targeting you unless you’re obviously abusing my generosity. And I’ll let your bard songs count for an extra +1 if we get to actually hear your singing voice.”

“Hey now, don’t get any ideas. She’s my fiance,” Shining Armor snapped at Gaffer.

“Now, now, Shining, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” Chrysalis lied. She was getting stuffed by the three other nerds’ infatuation with her far faster than they were filling up on the cheese puffs and chips. “I’m sure you can share the sound of my voice, at least,~” she added with a wink of the eye farthest from the white unicorn that nearly choked her on the surge of lust it triggered in the others.

“Alright… sure, no harm in that, as long as it stays just that,” Shining conceded. “Anyways, a bard’s not a bad idea, but only if you want to play one.”

“Relax, Shiny. I’m all yours, and you’re all mine,” she reassured. “I still need to pick a race, right… hmm… I think I’ll play a half pointy-ear. It says they get a +1 to seduction, that should help.”

“What would that possibly help with?” Shining inquired.

“Relax, Shiny, it’s just a game. I am all yours, but if you want your character to win my character’s hoof, your character will have to woo her himself,” Chrysalis said with a mischievous grin.

Regret marred Shining’s features for a moment, until it occurred to him that this was an opportunity as much as a challenge, and he nodded in determination. “Alright, game on.”

“Well if that’s all settled… Shining, can you guide her through the stat rolls while I get us started?” Gaffer said. “Ahem… you are all gathered together at a corner table in the Saucy Wench, the last inn on the road to Beardsville…”

“Here you are. A special treat this time,” Stock said. “A slice of a cake Princess Celestia herself was too full to finish. Don’t go getting too used to it, of course, but when I saw the opportunity I couldn’t help but think of you.”

Cadance leapt on it, literally, immediately regretting the exertion. She then stared at the cake in her hooves, and forced herself to eat it very slowly, savoring every bite, knowing she wouldn’t have such a treat again for quite some time. Stock just watched her quietly, savoring the surge of love from the captive mare and hiding his grin.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Cadance said, somewhat dishonestly. Still, she smiled sincerely.

“You have a beautiful smile,” he said. “It’s quite the ‘thank you’ itself.” Not many changelings could flirt as smoothly in their native form. But he was a specialist. If changelings could get cutie marks, his would represent that somehow. Maybe it would show him, undisguised, getting kissed by a tied up mare or something.

Cadance blushed and nodded. “Still… I feel like you deserve more.” In part it was just the natural flow of the conversation… but she knew full well where she was heading, and that she only had a few more lines to back out.

Stock waved a holed hoof dismissively. He had fewer holes than most of his fellows, a fact he was quite proud of. It showed that most of the love he fed on was given to him ‘freely’, rather than through deception. Well, that was a bit of a lie. The little games he played to twist captives’ hearts around were every bit as deceptive as the disguises his broodmates used, but that didn’t seem to be recognized by whatever magic dictated the number of holes a changeling bore. “I’m just a guard who slips you table scraps. I barely deserve the praise, much less anything more.” The false humility was just one more piece of his disguise.

Cadance paused, looking at him as her heart warred against itself. Ultimately the pony that was literally here for her won out against the one who had failed to rescue her in all this time. She stepped forward and planted a light kiss on the bug-pony’s cheek. “Let me be the judge of that.”

“As you wish,” he allowed, before turning to meet her next kiss. It was an absolute feast, and he desperately hoped the dim lighting and her current proximity kept her from noticing any changes as he fleshed out a bit from the abundance. He did what he could for now to push some of it out to his fellow guards immediately, but it was hard over a distance, and couldn’t match the flow.

Suddenly she stopped, stepping back and shaking her head, lowering it as a hoof came to cover her forehead. “No… this is… it’s wrong. I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Stock’s heart skipped a beat as he had a panicked moment of fear that she had actually caught on to what he was doing, but then realized it was just her lingering faithfulness to her fiance. Nothing he hadn’t planned on, merely a matter requiring patience. “I understand… I’ll go.”

As he turned to trot away, she caught sight of the effect she had had on him, however. He wasn’t anything special to look at in that regard, but the fact that she had put him in such a state gave her a twinge of guilt. “Wait.”

Stock waited, uncertain if he should even let this proceed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her, it was that he wanted her to take this step out of love, not any other motivation.

But, despite his expertise, he couldn’t find a way to turn down the alicorn mare’s offer, while keeping up his character and his ruse, and not convincing her it would never be.

“Ah, there you are,” Dotted I greeted as her latest client entered the small sitting room. “I’ve been waiting a while, though I can forgive you. Your staff provided such lovely refreshments while I waited.”

“Thank you for coming, Dotti,” Filthy Rich greeted, offering a hoof to shake. “Especially on such short notice. I know you just finished with that… last matter, yesterday.”

“This isn’t about that, is it?” Dotted asked. “Look, I’m sorry to have been a part of your family’s troubles, but-”

Filthy cut her off with a gesture before speaking. “It’s related, but it isn’t that matter exactly. Listen, I need you to be an even bigger part in my family’s troubles.”

“What… part, exactly?” Dotted inquired, glancing about the room nervously. There wouldn’t be any witnesses if he planned to do anything untoward with her. Still, she shouldn’t leap to any conclusions.

“I need a divorce lawyer,” Filthy explained plainly.

“Oh? Oh. Oh!” she said as her mind put the pieces together one by one. “And you’re sure you want me for the job?”

“Of course. Dotti, this town isn’t that big. There are only three lawponies here to chose from. And of course I would want the one that’s actually done something to see that my precious little Tiara is taken care of,” Filthy said.

“That’s true, though… with your money, couldn’t you call in some big shot from Canterlot?” Dotted asked.

“Possibly… and my wife may do just that. Do your best, it’s all anypony can ask of anypony,” Filthy said. “I’m sure to lose a lot in the process. My omelette chef almost certainly, for starters. But staying with her after what she has done… it’s too much to bear.”

Dotted nodded, then gave him a softer look. “You really love your daughter, don’t you?”

She barely had time to brace herself for the answer, which was the stallion grabbing her in a powerful hug and crying openly on her shoulder.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, how’s it been?” Spike inquired as he entered the Carousel Boutique.

“Oh! Welcome home, sweetie,~” Sweetie said, bounding up to him and testing his stability as she leapt into a hug and quickly added a kiss. “I made a few sales, and took notes from the few customers willing to leave any. If sis doesn’t get home soon, I’m going to have to take up sewing myself…”

“If it’s just repair work, Fluttershy actually is really good with a needle. We could ask her to lend a hoof,” Spike suggested. “She just doesn’t know how to design for fashion.”

“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll keep it in mind,” Sweetie commented. “Anyways, how was your day at the library?”

“Eh, only stayed there half the day. Twilight’s got a new assistant. Since lunch, I’ve actually been helping at Sweet Apple Acres,” Spike admitted.

“Oh? Find some time to ‘play’ with Apple Bloom?~” the unicorn teasingly inquired.

“Nah. Well, not like you’re implying, anyways. Just a few riddles and the like while we plowed and seeded,” Spike said. “This new size and strength goes a long way toward that kind of work.”

“She shot you down?” Sweetie inquired.

“Didn’t ask. I’ve got all the mare I need right here,” Spike said as he settled onto the couch, wrapping his tail around the filly. “When she wants it bad enough, she’ll come to me. Or find her own special somepony.”

Sweetie kissed his snout. “Flatterer.~ Anyways, I do want to be there when it happens and enjoy the show.”

Spike chuckled. “You’re obsessed.”

“And you’re not, mister I grew 50 hooves tall just from sex?” Sweetie asked.

Spike looked away. “I kind of have to not be, now.”

Sweetie toned it down, reminded of the reality they lived with. “Well… thank you. I think you’re just the right size now.”

Spike leaned down and kissed her in response. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. I doubt any of our friends will object, given what we’ve already done together. Well, unless they’re just in a hurry.”

“Don’t be mean about it, or anything,” Sweetie conceded. “You know I won’t be mad.”

Spike nodded and they cuddled until hunger compelled them to action.

“My own gourmet chef,~” Sweetie cooed, when Spike plated some spaghetti for each of them, sprinkling his own with some ground ruby.

“I was actually considering going down that route,” Spike admitted. “Becoming a real chef, I mean. I have a lot of practice in the kitchen, even if it isn’t really anything special. Yet.”

“It’s special to me, sweetie,” Sweetie said, her voice filled with sincerity.

Spike was skeptical for a moment until he thought it through. “Rarity’s not that good of a cook?”

“You didn’t hear it from me,” Sweetie insisted.

“You find yourself staring down the shaft of a nocked arrow, wielded by none other than the Amarezonian Queen,” Gaffer said. “Roll for initiative!”

After sorting the numbers called out, the oubliette master pointed a hoof at the pink-furred changeling queen. “I cast Bicuriosity on her. Will save difficulty 24,” she said smugly. “If she fails, I get a free Seduction roll at +4.”

“Oh, come on!” Shining Armor protested.

“That’s a fourth ranked spell, and bards don’t get fourth rank until level 10! You’re only level 1!” Poindexter pointed out.

“It’s only third rank for a bard,” Chrysalis pointed out, showing the page. “And I’ve been levelling up this whole time.”

“What? How? Thanks to you we haven’t fought a single enemy all night!” 8-bit, the pegasus, exclaimed.

“Actually, she’s right. I give experience for overcoming adversaries and obstacles, regardless of how it’s done. But since most of you haven’t actually participated…” Gaffer pointed out. “She’s earned enough XP for a party of 3 level 18s like yourselves for what was supposed to be four sessions, all for her little level 1 mare’s sweet, nymphomaniac self. If she pulls this off, she’ll hit level 11.”

“You know, if any of you gentlecolts want in on this, the spell triples the effects of your Helping Out roll if you’re the opposite sex of me,” Chrysalis pointed out. “You’d be giving me a… +6,” she said in the most unbelievably sultry voice the number six had ever been uttered in. While it was directed at Shining Armor, all four stallions were making use of the table to hide their arousal. Not that it was a change, or that it did anything to hide their lust from the changeling. Even without supernatural senses, she could see it on their faces, all session long.

8-bit looked tempted, but a glance at Shining Armor reminded him once again that even role playing anything sexual with his fiance was off limits. Gaffer only got a pass because he was the OM, and the mare had essentially forced him into it time and again. Not that he had tried too hard to avoid it. Poindexter hadn’t been invited this time, as he was playing a mare, but had been shut down plenty of times already.

Finally, Chrysalis had to know. “Why have you been so adamant on staying out of it yourself, Shiny?”

Shining Armor muttered something quietly.

“What was that?”

Finally, Gaffer chuckled and filled the Queen in. “His character took a Vow of Chastity. It gives him a few nice bonuses like immunity to diseases, but if he ever breaks it he not only permanently loses the Perk, but also loses all his Paladin powers until he can get a Redemption spell cast.”

“Oh? I’m so sorry, Shiny, I didn’t know,” Chrysalis said. “Maybe we should have all rolled new characters, so we could have avoided such a terrible misunderstanding.”

“It’s alright. Just… can we skip the elaborate descriptions of the action this time?” Shining whined.

“Alright, alright… I don’t need the roleplaying bonus to level this time. What was that save, Gaffer?” Chrysalis conceded.

“22,” the OM replied after a die roll. “67 for the Seduction roll. Heh, sounds like we both were short by two,” Chrysalis replied.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 8-bit asked.

“I’ll explain it later,” Poindexter offered.

“Alright… well, that’s all the material I had prepared, and it’s getting late anyways,” Gaffer conceded as he tallied up the numbers. “This has been a unique experience, I’ll give it that.”

“Next time, can you please let us fight at least some of the battles?” 8-bit asked.

“No worries,” Chrysalis said, flipping open a supplement she had been perusing as they went, not needing her full attention to spell out intricately detailed sex scenes, after all. “With this new Specialty Class, I can cast spells up to fifth tier, off either the bard or sorcerer lists. It was a long way to wait for level 11 to get it started, but I’m looking forward to blowing ponies up with you next time.”

“Is… this what it feels like to go up against a pool shark?” Gaffer asked.

Meanwhile the real Cadance snuggled up tightly against Stock, neither really able to move. It wasn’t just the afterglow for Cadance, this time, the cumulative exhaustion of so many rounds had added up, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Stock himself was in something of a food coma, eyes completely unfocused as he looked at his delicious, sexy prey. All he could make out was a vaguely pink shape of unfathomable deliciousness.

Cadance wasn’t sure how normal this was. It was her first time, which left a simple lack of answers from ignorance to start with, and he was a different breed of pony, and there was perhaps a bit of the ‘honeymoon phase’ going on, but… if sex was always this good, why had she gone so long without it?! Why did anypony? Maybe when it was a little less fresh on the mind she’d have more tempered thoughts on the matter, but right now?

It hadn’t started out that good. The pain of losing her virginity was something she’d been taught to expect, and it took some time to really warm up. Though her lover knew some rather pleasant techniques to help that along. He obviously wasn’t a virgin before this, that was the only logical conclusion. Of course, he’d never claimed to be.

She’d heard stories of stallions falling asleep immediately after, sometimes without even bringing release to his mare. But Stock was the opposite. Every release of hers seemed to fill him with a renewed vigor, helping him carry her on to new heights. It was unbelievable. Almost literally. She kept expecting Luna to show up, revealing it was all a dream from the beginning, or at least from the start of the good parts.

It was only when the fog of her joy began to part that she started seriously thinking that through. It really was unbelievable. How had the other guards not heard them and come to investigate? Sure, Stock had been bribing the one on shift with him, but shouldn’t his shift have ended by now? What time even was it? And anyways, somepony would have heard even farther away, like wherever the guards stayed when it wasn’t their shift.

They all had to have been in on it, probably from the start. Was this the whole reason she was foalnapped in the first place? To turn her into some kind of slut for their pleasure and amusement? Actually, that was kind of- NO! She would not be tempted by something as degrading as that!

Her troubled thoughts caused Stock to stir, and he quelled them for the moment with a gentle kiss to her muzzle. “I’d better go, before the shift changes,” he said quietly. “I love you,” he lied sweetly before taking his leave.

Cadance melted, watching his sexy bug flanks as he walked away, until he was out of view. What had she been thinking, again?

“What are you doing here, Daddy?” Diamond Tiara asked, as she approached the forlorn stallion sitting at the edge of the wreckage where the clubhouse had stood.

“I didn’t know where else to find you, precious,” Filthy said, his voice lacking the firm vigor it usually did.

“I’m living with Cloud now, of course. We’re just inside the Everfree, near Fluttershy’s cottage,” Diamond explained. “Though… it’s kind of dangerous out there, so maybe it’s best if you don’t…”

“I thought I could brave any danger to make sure you were safe,” Filthy said. “But there was one I couldn’t brave. The one I married.”

“Daddy…” Diamond began, but didn’t know where to go from there.

“Don’t…” Filthy said. “We’re getting a divorce. I can’t live with a mare that would give up her own daughter without fighting tooth and hoof to prevent it.”

Diamond reared up to hug her father, mostly to console him. She knew he was in the process of losing everything, no matter how favorably the divorce procedures went. The hugged in silence for nearly half an hour.

“I’m such a foal,” Filthy finally said, wiping back some tears. “Any chance Cloud would adopt me too?”

The mare looked a little bedraggled, far more than she was comfortable with really, but at least at this hour nopony was likely to be about and notice. She dragged her heavy suitcase all the way from the train station to her front door before dropping it, taking some time to pant and recover from the exertion before finally retrieving her key and unlocking the entrance to her home.

She only bothered dragging the heavy container inside the building, knowing its contents would wait for the morning to unpack and launder. Right now she had other matters to attend to. Namely, her bed.

She passed a smaller bed on her way, failing to notice it was in pristine condition, still neatly made, and not occupied as it should be at this hour. Reaching her own room, she approached the bed only to freeze in surprise.

A tail peeked out from the end of her covers, defying all expectations. She knew that tail, would recognize it anywhere, though its owner had certainly grown since she’d seen him last. And filled out nicely, if the shape of the covers was any indication, though given the dark of the room, that was perhaps more guesswork and fantasizing than reality.

Still… after what she’d been through and what she’d witnessed… finding this mature masculine figure in her bed was a welcome opportunity. How could she not see it as an invitation? She slipped her nose under the bottom of the cover where the tail peeked through and worked her way forward, until she was straddling the sleeping figure, her horn dimly glowing as it gently worked him up.

“Hello, Spike~” she said softly, sweetly.

“Hmm? Rarity, you’re home?” he asked groggily before groaning a bit. “Sorry, we had to take your bed… I got a bit too big for my own, and we haven’t had a chance to do anything about it yet.”

“That’s alright, I’ll let you make it up to me,” she said, before doing a bit of a double take. “Wait, ‘we’?” Only then did she notice her sister’s sleeping head where she was snuggled against Spike’s side.

“You’re going to have to wake her up and let her watch or maybe join in if you want to do anything like that,” Spike stated.

Rarity considered it, then sighed and moved off to his other side. “In the morning, we’re getting you your own bed.”

“Wise choice… but why were you even considering it? Aren’t you and Blueblood…?” Spike questioned.

“That cheating cheater?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah. That’s how you met, right?” Spike pointed out.

Rarity blew on her mane in annoyance. Her tail flicked several times as she tried to come up with a response.

“I’m glad you’re home. She will be too, when she wakes,” Spike commented.

“So… you and Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked.

“It’s a long story, but yes,” Spike confirmed.

“Be good to her, or I’ll kill you,” Rarity said, before snuggling against his side and closing her eyes, soon to fall asleep.