Waking up Endymion yawned and stretched. Fuzzy memories scratched at the surface of his mind. Slowly he tried to make sense of them, wanting desperately to clear his foggy head. He laid there, unable to really make sense of what it was that had happened and inside rolled over. His eyes widened at the form of a body under the blanket beside him.

He grabbed the blanket, slowly lifting it, and for a moment his entire mind just went blank.

“Wow, now that’s an airship,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked around the dock the airship was tied to, “It’s got to be as big as the East Germanenay Trade and Spice ship, maybe even bigger!”

“The Lunar Light is exactly three hundred feet wider, and thirty seven feet longer than the Weißer Geist.”

“And how would you know….” Rainbow began to say before she turned and saw Luna.

“Because I had them measured. It is a please Ms Dash.”

“Y...Your Highness,” Rainbow bowed deeply, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything.”

Luna tittered a moment, “There was no insult meant, and it is a transgression that is easily overlooked and forgiven. Most of the others are already loading and onboard.”

Luna watched as the Pegasus mare made her way up the gangplank and into the ship itself. She heard familiar steps behind her, “My son, cutting it a little close, aren’t you?”

“Sorry Mom, I was just making sure that I had everything,” he said as he began to go up the gangplank himself. Following Luna boarded the ship and nodded toward one of the crew that saw the the flying and overall operation of the ship.

The stallion pulled up the gangplank, untied the tethers to the ship, and slowly it began to lift into the air. Once it was high enough four solar guards moved toward the front, connected on the harnesses, and began pulling toward Mount Gloom.

Endymion watched them, remembering from when he rode aboard the Lunar Light before and knew that in about four hours they would trade out with another four ponies while those four ate, rested, and recouped until they were ready to go again. The entire mane crew would take turns pulling them, and from what his mother said this trip would take at least two and half weeks of travel, depending on where they needed to go.

There was an auxiliary turbine engine built into the Lunar Light, in case there was a need to evade enemy fire or in the chances of making a hasty evacuation, but his mother preferred not to use the system if at all possible. The mana batteries that powered were slow to recharge and the turbine system took at least a full hour to warm up. Getting to speed in this those conditions was tenuous at best.

Somewhere deep in his consciousness, he recalled memories of moving at speeds exceeding the speed of sound. Normally watching the speed of the Lunar Light made him feel exhilarating, but now he was feeling like a particle on a slug. The Royal Airship of Equestria should be the fastest vessel on the planet, but the memories he recalled were making him realize just how slow the airship actually was. It was a frustration he couldn’t really name.

It didn’t feel right that his memories as a young colt would contradict what he was feeling now. He could remember the ship being so much faster, and he could remember his mother, when she wasn’t chewing out the nobility that dared to come alone to ensure that she at least attempted in securing a lasting alliance with Minos, pointing to the night sky and telling him how each one of the constellations were stories from their past.

It would be hours before the night, but he thought of them, and one of the ones that really stuck out to him was Starlight the Bold. Starlight had been a lunar Unicorn, something that was rare even now, and she had been something of an adventurer. She had told him that Starlight had claimed to have found an entirely different empire of beings that defied logic.

These creatures had no hooves, seemed to be almost like earth ponies in their design, and yet there was some of them that had magical abilities well beyond that of the common unicorn. She told him how Starlight told stories of the wealth of knowledge and power waiting there. Some part of him wondered if what they were looking for was the same thing Starlight had seen so long ago. The recollected memories suggested that was very much the case. Although it didn’t explain why a society of such vast technological and magical superiority would hide they way the did.

As he mused, he felt a presence near him. He turned to his right and found Pinkie Pie, setting on a pair of sticks (he seemed to recall a certain circus pony that used a similar device for resting) and she was snuggling against his arm. She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes, a sad smile on his face.

“Is something wrong, Endy?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, not really,” Endymion replied, “I was remembering the first time I was on this ship. It was something of a happy memory, spending time with Mother… But now, I seem to have these other memories in my head. They’re conflicting with all the experiences I’ve had previously.”

“Aw,” Pinkie cooed, “you’re all sad because you’re seeing memories of a much faster ship and even though this is a pretty fast vessel, it makes you feel like a turtle doesn’t it?”

“A slug, actually,” Endymion states, “it’s kinda frustrating.”

“Well, have I the job for you!” Pinkie exclaims, “seems we’re missing out on some kitchen staff. Sure, we have a full galley, but what we’re missing is ponies to serve the food. And those guys on point are to be coming in extra hungry.”

“Okay,” Endymion said, “what do you need me to do?”

She giggled, a sound that was actually very musical, or was right up to the point she snorted a little, “Oh silly, it’s easier to show you!”

With that she stood up, one hand grabbing the sticks before they could fall, and the other snaking around Endymion’s arm again. He felt himself being pulled into the galley, and like the last time he had been in it he was in awe. The galley was indeed huge, expansive, and meant to feed far more ponies than they currently had on board.

Pinkie lead him to a huge wooden table that was securely bolted to the floor. The old iron legs the wooden topped table looked strong, well made, and certainly something his mom would have easily chosen. Even though it didn’t need designs there was plenty to behold. Small crescent moons, stars, and even the occasional sun dotted the legs perfectly. The top of the table, though worn and sporting more than one notch from various things being cut on it, looked well taken care of.

“Okie dokie loki, we’re going to make Potato Goulash. I need those potatoes all washed, diced, and ready to boil. There’s also a barrel of pickled herring over there, and we’re going to use a little for flavoring.”

Following her orders he began with the first few potatoes, not bothering to skin them, since she didn’t say to, and instead he went on washing them. The water that ran through the system seemed to change to the perfect temperature, becoming just warm enough to make the cleaning so much easier, and cool enough to keep from burning his hands. He rubbed the dirt off of them, working until each potato was clean. Pinkie didn’t give him a certain number, so he ended up doing that with every single potato that had been on the table.

“Good! I was hoping that you’d do them all! Now we’ll have plenty for tomorrow! Okay, dice them up nice and small, oh, save back three or four of them okay?”

He nodded, and soon he found himself cutting through the potatoes with ease. The knife, much like the water, seemed to react on its own. It was almost as if it sensed what he wanted, and while he was holding it in his hand it did the work for him. Potato after potato the knife sliced through them as if it was the first one. It never dulled, never slowed, it didn’t even get slick from the juice out of the potatoes.

Before he was done Pinkie went to gathering the pieces, throwing them into a pot to boil and when he finished he noticed that there was a small pile still on the table. Smiling that brilliant smile of hers she pointed to a small five gallon bucket.

“Okay, I want you to take those pieces, put them in that bucket, fill it with water, add some yeast, and then take this pillowcase and tie it on top.”

“What does this make?”

She grinned, and gave him a look like he was asking the dumbest question in the entire Universe, “Vodka, silly!”

“What are you making vodka for?” Endymion asked.

Again, Pinkie gave him a smile like he was making an inquiry into something painfully obvious, “Because we’re gonna need something to wash down the goulash and red wine just ain’t gonna cut it.”

“I think Rarity is going to have a heart attack when she hears this,” Endymion murmured.

“Are you kidding?” Pinkie said, “she’s the one who suggested it.”

Endymion looked stunned. He’d never expected Rarity to be somepony that would suggest a harder drink for a meal.

“Rarity, really? We’re talking about the same mare, right?”

Pinkie nodded, “Yepperoni! Oh Rarity knows all about drinks and food, and she’s really good about what goes with what. Like Goulash needs something strong with it because it’s a heavy meal. Wine, except for the stuff that Berry Punch makes, just isn’t strong enough. And to be honest… I’m not sure many ponies can drink what Berry Punch makes. I’ve seen that stuff melt paint off of the wall.”

Endymion’s eyes widened when she told him that. The thought that something was that strong seemed almost impossible. He muttered under his breath, a stream of personal vindictives he reserved for nobles like Jet Set and certain merchants, like those hustling unicorns that sometimes set up shop in Canterlot, the Flim-Flam Brothers. The last time they breezed into town, they gave several citizens of the Lower Wards a horrible rash with the lotion they were peddling. It didn’t seem to affect him much, even though his normally flame red mane was much shinier than normal, but he saw more than a few of his friends in The Steppe itching themselves bald in spots.

The distilling of the vodka didn’t take all that long, and given Pinkie’s instructions in it, Endymion had to conclude that the Roamani mare had more than fair share of moonshining. He didn’t know if that was something that was permissible in Equestria proper, but given that plenty of ales and harder liquors are crafted in small, family owned breweries, he didn’t think Pinkie’s extracurricular distilling amounted to much under the law. Still, Pinkie, besides being cute and talented in many things, she was also a fair instructor. He would need to remember this recipe for later.

He hadn’t realized that the cooking, and baking, had taken so long until after the first air team came in to dine that afternoon. The lead mare walked into the galley hunched over from flight and breathing heavily. She was the first of the team that called forth ale. And Endymion knew that the Lunar Light had a vast store of Selene Silver Label Ale on hand at all times. It was his favorite ale, as well his mother’s, so he knew its exact location on board. He had tankards of the brew ready in a thrice and the crew of Pegasi drank hardly as Pinkie helped him lay out a spread of epic proportions. Applejack and Rainbow Dash joined soon after, partaking of some vittles and downing a pint of ale, as well.

Dinner had always been an important meal to Endymion and his mother as he grew up. It was a time for them to converse about the day, to be mother and son and not princess and prince. This dinner was no different. Those that sat at it saw Princess Luna let her mane down for the first time in a long time. She laughed, she joked, and she ate the offered meal while guzzling vodka.

Endymion watched his mother, and he felt Pinkie’s hand touch his own. She grasped it, leaning over to lean her head on his shoulder. It was comforting, and he let a grin escape him as he felt it. He didn’t notice Twilight watching the couple, her eyes practically staring daggers at Pinkie Pie. The fork held in her magic practically began to bend from the pressure she was putting on it. When Pinkie tickled him, causing him to laugh, and then kissed him she felt like she was going to explode.

On the other side of her Fluttershy watched the pair and shook her head. This was not how a champion was supposed to act. He wasn’t supposed to be drinking back ale, kissing mares, eating like a slob, and playing with the mare he was kissing like some foalish colt. He certainly wasn’t supposed to be that friendly with Pinkie Pie. Why was he so friendly with her? Sure, she’d admit that Pinkie was pretty, but there are so many other forms of beauty, and why was he attracted to that form?!

She felt herself getting upset, and she wasn’t sure why. This kind of behavior was something she would normally forgive and move on from, but it was bothering her, really bothering her. She looked away from him, intent on looking at her own plate of food, silently poking at it, unsure of what to say, or even if she had the right to say anything.

Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy, unsure of what was bothering her friend, but currently not really sure that there was anything she could do to help, so instead she was sucking back the vodka, eating the Goulash, and feeling pretty damned good about life. There was treasure, lots and lots of treasure just waiting for them to come along. She looked at the way that Pinkie Pie and Endymion was carrying on.

A blush formed across her blue muzzle, and she tried to wave it off. Pegasus courting rituals weren’t that different. It was obvious to anypony sitting there that the two of them were going to be knocking hooves before this trip was over. Surprisingly that was fine with her. If Endymion and Pinkie wanted to be together, then let them. Hell, maybe it’d make him mature a little faster.

She looked at her now empty glass of vodka, and silently she wondered where it went.

“Heeeey AJ… Wheresh the Vodka all gone?”

“Dash, ya dun drunk your fifth glass.”

“I haveshed? Reeeealllly? Could’a swooore more was in there… I’mmma gonna go get some more.”

AJ watched as Rainbow’s wings tried to flap, but they were flapping out of sequence and all that really happened was that her rainbow maned pegasus friend fell onto her back, “Found the floor!”

“Y’all, Ah’m a gonna put Rainbow ta bed ‘fore the walls start spinning on her,” she said as she picked Rainbow up, “Come on now.”

“Ya gots a real nice rump AJ… Ifish I was alittle more bent… I’d wreck it….”

“Uh huh.”

Luna watched the two, and she smiled. In truth she was feeling much the same way. She’d forgotten how quickly Vodka snuck up on a pony. The last time she had drunk it was nigh over a millenia ago. She had been in the Crystal Empire, visiting Sombra and his bride Rose Quartz. Of course this was before an assassination attempt took Rose Quartz from him. She looked at Pinkie and thought of how closely she resembled the late Queen of the Crystal Empire. Sombra hadn’t been evil, not truly evil.

Everything he went on to do, the corruption, the enslavement, it all was a result of his losing himself to his own neurosis. Still, the last time she had drunk this she ended up in their bed. A handy spell she had learned from her sister allowed her to grow a stallion’s phallus and she had split roasted Rose Quartz with Sombra.

She blushed at the old memory, the feeling of Rose Quartz anal wall around her magically created phallus, the way she moaned and bucked against her, and then she removed it from herself, casting it on Rose Quartz, and allowed Sombra and Rose Quartz to do the same to her. The following morning she was so sore, those sheets were so stained, and every orifice she had ached with the knowledge that she had indeed engaged in shenanigans that would be for a very juicy scandal should they ever be found out to the public.

She never said a word of it to her sister. She knew how Celestia was exceptionally fond of Sombra, and she knew that she entertained the idea, more than once, of entering their herd. She looked at Pinkamena Diane Pie, and she saw the same light, love, and lovely mare she had seen so long ago. She knew what was happening, and she knew there was a chance for something to happen.

Part of her didn’t want it to. After all, Endymion was her little colt. He was always going to be her little colt, but another part would be happy to see him find someone that loved him as much as Rose Quartz loved Sombra. She was going to toast them, their new budding romance, and she lifted her glass, only to feel herself become dizzy.

‘Ah, there you are, Vodka my old friend. Time to make me seem like a filly that can’t hold her liquor. From now on… Ale, just ale,’ she thought before she sat back down, her head lowering to her hands on the table.

Seeing his mother looking a little more drunk than he’d ever seen her before Endymion slowly stood, with Pinkie Pie, and the two of them went to Luna. Twilight rose, helped them, and the three of them helped carry her to her bed chambers.

“Wow, Mom really let her hair down.”

“She did…” Twilight said, “I keep forgetting that she is a pony like everypony else from time to time. Endymion, I…” she swallowed what she was going to say. Her nerves got the better of her, “Never mind, good night.”

She turned and walked quickly out of the room, ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid! I could have told him right then! Twilight, you moron. Now he’s going to… And with Pinkie… Sol damn it,’ she thought.

After dinner Endymion helped Pinkie clean up, smiling he hugged her, stealing a kiss from her, and left to his own cabin. Sleep came quickly, as did the morning, and soon he found himself in the same situation again. Once more the ship moved at a snail’s pace, not that he’d ever tell the Pegasi pulling it that, and once more he found himself in the kitchen helping.

He learned the previous night that he wasn’t much of a vodka drinker, but he gladly made more. It seemed the bucket he was making it in was actually enchanted for that reason. It let the vodka ferment and become ready in hours instead of days and weeks. As he and Pinkie talked, and she showed him the many different ways to create muffins, cupcakes, and normal cakes, he began to realize how complex she truly was.

He’d be lying if he said that the first he noticed wasn’t her shapely rump. No, that, and her bust, was the first things he noticed. But she was intelligent, hard working, fun, and witty. He found himself enjoying spending time with her, and as the day passed into night, dinner once again served, Rainbow Dash once again carried out by AJ, but his mother did not partake of the vodka. She instead stuck with Ale.

He did much the same, and once the galley was again clean he found himself going to his cabin, but he wasn’t alone. They entered the room together, he had asked her if she wanted to, if this was what she wanted, and she had said yes. She’d seen him, nude, in the dream, and in reality, and so he felt no true embarrassment as he undressed. He soon crawled onto the bed, waiting for her.

Pinkie looked at him, she’d always been so confident, so sure of what she wanted, and there was no lie in that she wanted him. She felt it, the moment she had seen him, the moment he walked into Lucky’s she felt the connection. Her mother had told her that was what happened when she met her father. They had met together at a multicolored rock on a trail. Two different Romani families that were traveling the countryside, and every chance that they’d ever meet was slim. But there, that night, they met by that stone, the choosing stone, and they felt so connected.

Her mother said their courting was short. Both knew that they were each other's destinies, and over the course of two weeks they dated, until finally her father took her mother to bed, and ask her to be his bride. There was a small ceremony, as tradition among both families, but it was small, nothing huge, and with a gift of a wagon, enough food for at least a month, and enough bits to set up near a township, they were sent off into the world.

Now, now she felt the nervousness her mother never told her about. She looked at him again, seeing his eyes tracing her, but at the same time his expression wasn’t one of wanton lust. That made her feel more sure about this. She undid the top three buttons of her blouse, untied it, and let it slip off of her shoulders. Her breasts were bare, large, and making his eyes seem to widen in unexpected joy. She giggled as she found the clasp on her skirt. It dropped and she stepped out of them. She moved up to the bed, crawling into it, moving toward him, and touching his nude form.

“I love you, Endy,” she whispered before she kissed the tip of his cock.

He let out a moan of pure bliss as she slowly engulfed him. Her wider tongue sliding under his cock, teasing, it, feeling the sensitive underbelly of it, and she moved until she felt him at the back of her throat. There was no choice in this. She wanted him, all of him, inside of her mouth, and she so she pushed until he began to slide down her throat. She pulled back, thankful for all of the times she had swallowed large gulps of water without gagging or needing to take a breath. She began to go down on him again, and she felt his hands in her mane. She pulled back up, moving up him, turning around, and presenting her sex to him.

Realizing what she wanted, and hoping that he could make her feel as good as he was feeling, he gave her marehood the first tentative lick. The smell of cotton candy filled the air around him, thick, heady, and present for him. He licked again noticing how sweet she tasted. His hands pulled her hips against his mouth, and he began lick and suckle. She lifted her head, a lewd moan escaping her, and she looked over her shoulder at him.

“Oh… Endy… Oh Sol… Light my party cannon…”

Realizing that she wasn’t going to stand it, unable to hold back she felt her first flood of orgasm rushing her. She put her lips down on his cock, feeling him pulsing and she began to work him over hard and fast. He moaned into her as he came, and it was thick, like frosting. She swallowed it down, and turned around to face him. Before she could do a thing he kissed her, deeply, his hand moving down to play with her nub.

She felt his cock stiffening, and she moved his hands. Moving her thighs apart she straddled him, slowly lowering down onto him until he felt a resistance. She lifted up a bit, and the pushed down again until he was through it. She winced, just for a moment, but then she began to build a rhythm. His hands moved up to her breasts, and she felt him holding them, feeling their weight, pinching and playing with her nipples as they moved together.

Oh Sol, it was glorious, feeling how well he fit inside of her. This moment was what she had waited for. This moment with the stallion who would be the father of her foals, this moment with the stallion she was going to love forever. She felt them moving, him taking over, becoming dominate, and she let him. She was his mare, and he was her stallion.

She knew she would end up sharing him. Even a blind pony could see how much Twilight loved him, and besides, herding was normal. Another sister to help watch foals, another sister to plan mischief with, and perhaps even another lover when needed. She wouldn’t dare keep him from bringing somepony like Twilight into a herd. Especially when he could make her feel this good.

She moved her hips in time with him, feeling him thrusting deeper, harder, and faster into her. She matched him, and what had originally lasted only a few minutes the first time was moving well into an hour. Her mane was sweaty and it was sticking to her fur, she was getting tired, but she wanted to finish. She wanted to feel him go when she did. She felt him move his arms behind her back, and he went to setting up, causing her to rise up and straddle his lap. She began to pull herself up only to impale herself again on his marvelous cock.

Her voice was getting so tired from the moaning, crying and other wonderful sounds that he was causing to come out of her. She felt him lean into her shoulder, his mouth opened, and she felt the graze of his teeth, the gentle nip of a love bite, and she tightened up around him. She exploded. He came into her hard, and both of them fell forward. Breathing labored, sheets sweat soaked, and bodies brought past the peak of exhaustion, the pair lay there recovering; Pinkie on the bottom with their combined fluids sloshing around inside of her passage, Endymion on top with his still erect stallionhood deep in her folds.

Pinkie closed her eyes, visions of them together like this for years to come filling her mind. She grinned, gigglesnorted, and cuddled into his side. In mere moments, she fell fast asleep, the warmth in her belly and residing inside her lulling into beautiful dreams.

He looked at her, at Pinkie Pie and his mind was still fuzzy on what happened exactly, but he wasn’t upset at it. It felt right that they ended up in bed together. She seemed to blink awake, her eyes fluttering up, and she looked up at him with a gentle smile.

“Morning silly,” she cooed.

“Good morning to you, too.”

She slowly raised up, kissed him and then he felt her straddle him. His hands wrapped around her as she hugged him deeply. It was a hug that he returned happily. Her hand touched his chest, slowly pushing him back, and a cute, but impish, smile crossed her lips.

“I think that part of you is waking up to play…” she practically sang.

He felt her scoot back, her rump raising into the air, pointed toward the door, his cock in her hands, as she stroked him, and then the door opened. His eyes widened as he saw his mom. Luna’s expression was one of surprise, confusion, and instant remorse.

“Sorry, sorry!”

The door was shut a little harder than expected. Endymion closed his eyes and silently cursed. Pinkie grinned and continued doing what she started.

“Pinkie… what about…” he started before she looked at him.

“Endy, please, the cake batter is already spilled, so we might as well have some fun before we clean it all up.”

Luna scrubbed the table where the food was prepared, the counter space, the stove, the table where they ate, and anywhere and everywhere else that had a flat surface. She wanted to believe that her son would wait until he was in his cabin, but she couldn’t be sure, and she most certainly was going to make sure that none of his, or Ms Pie’s essence made it into their food.

Twilight walked in to see her teacher scrubbing vigorously, and acting as if the polished wooden table wasn’t clean, or ever would be cleaned. Luna barely regarded Twilight, but instead she continued to magic more hot soapy water over to her. It was as if she wasn’t able to clean it fast enough, or it wouldn’t come clean fast enough. Silently Twilight wondered exactly what it was that had set Luna off on a cleaning spell like this.

“Princess, are you okay?” Twilight asked as she neared her, “‘Cause I don’t think that table can get any cleaner.”