Author's Notes:

I'd like to extend a great many thanks to Gapaot, for his assistance in translating English to Russian for the Griffonian language.

THANK YOU!!

“Are you sure you won’t come back with us?” Air Raid asked the royal blue unicorn stallion out of the driver’s side window of her white racing Fiesta for what felt like the millionth time. “I’m sure Darkie’ll be missing her brother by now, you’ve been gone four months, hun.”

“Nah…” Brightstar shook his head, while his right forehoof scratched his black mane, ignoring the wind that blew it this way and that. “You guys go on ahead. I want to keep looking for Wily a little while longer.” He smiled as he pictured that griffon in his mind, “besides, you’ve been gone three months too, Raid.”

Seated beside Air Raid in the Fiesta's passenger seat, Slingshot playfully nudged the lime green mare in the ribs and whispered, causing the champion race driver to snort out a giggle. “Yeah…what you mean is, you wanna go look for that griffon again, right?”

“I…but, well I…see the thing is, but…” Brightstar spluttered as he was caught off guard, he didn’t even know why it was he was protesting, he knew Air Raid and Slingshot had him well and truly nailed to the wall. “Yes, yes ok? Yes, I want to find that griffon again, whatever her name was…”

“Oh, as if you don’t remember what her name was?” Slingshot asked, his brown eyes sparkling and with glee all over his pink muzzle.

Of course Brightstar knew. Moonbeak. Brilliant, beautiful, sexy Moonbeak. Wonderful, sexy, talented and sexy Moonbeak. The young stallion had been infatuated with her since the very second his yellow eyes had met her emerald green ones in the pit lane of the Fillydelphia speedway stadium. Instantly he had fallen in love with her, and why would he not? She was perfect. Utterly and completely perfect. From the snowy white feathers on her head and chest to the mid-grey fur of her body to the dark grey of her wings, she was perfect. Not to mention the rounded sexiness of her very pregnant belly.

The second she had introduced herself at the Fillydelphia five hundred speedway stadium the day after they had arrived in Filly, Brightstar had been hooked. That Moonbeak was the official team photographer for Air Raid’s team was a happy coincidence. From the tip of her gleaming yellow beak to the point of her grey tail, Brightstar was in love. Completely and utterly in love.

“Yes!” Brightstar exclaimed, “I remember her name, I remember everything about her, alright!?” The royal blue unicorn let loose again, earning himself another snigger from Air Raid and Slingshot in the car, not to mention looks from the other racing teams leaving the hotel.

“Even her very pregnant belly?” Air Raid asked with a grin.

“Especially her sexy belly, right, Bright?” Slingshot teased.

“Esp…ecial…ly…belly…” Brightstar murmured, a tiny amount of drool leaking from his mouth.

“Yeah but c’mon, Bright,” Air Raid sniggered as she fired up her car’s engine, “she’s gotta be at least forty. I knew you liked griffons, I just never knew you liked them old…”

“Shut up!” Brightstar yelled with a stomp of his hoof, his racer friend finally having reached the end of his long rope. “Shut. Up! You aren’t one to talk, Raid, what are you, twenty four, how old was Wily when you eventually decided you wanted her, eighteen?”

The colour drained then from the lime green mare. “Don’t you mention Wily! Don’t you dare!” She gunned her throttle with her right hoof and spewed exhaust gas from the car’s rear. “Just remember why you’re out here, okay?” And, not giving the stallion the chance to reply, Air Raid floored the gas pedal and sped off in a cloud of tyre smoke.

Brightstar watched them leave with mixed feelings. On the one hoof he was sorry to see his two friends leave. On the other hoof however he was pleased that he was now able to pursue Moonbeak away from Air Raid’s incessant teasing. Because, deep down in his soul, he doubted whether or not they’d ever see Wildfire again. In the four months he’d been here in the south eastern coastal town of Fillydelphia, he’d not seen any hint of Wildfire. Not the slightest hint of the diminutive yellow mare anywhere, nor was there anypony who recognised her.

Even deeper in his being he suspected Cold Front to be messing them about. A lot. But, you just didn’t voice those concerns to Air Raid. Unless you wanted an Equestria sized chewing out.

So, with that thought in mind, the royal blue unicorn turned and walked back to the hotel, in no rush whatever to check out of the luxurious suite he had shared with Air Raid and Slingshot.

“Air Raid!” Slingshot called out for the third time, “Air Raid, slow down, for the love of Luna slow the buck down!” They had been driving roughly an hour, and in that time they had accrued four thousand bits in automatic speeding fines doing as they were close to ninety miles per hour through fifty five limits.

“Uuugh!” Air Raid grunted as the camera flashed a fifth time on the four lane highway that led out of Fillydelphia back towards Canterlot, signifying yet another charge of a thousand bits coming her way in the mail. In sheer frustration she pulled over to the side of the road and gladly accepted the bottle of cold water that Slingshot offered her. “Stupid unicorn!” She exclaimed, slamming her forehooves into the steering wheel, which caused the horn to jam on for a solid minute.

“Hey…” the pink earth pony stallion said quietly once the horn was thumped into behaving and Air Raid had calmed down, “it’s not Bright’s fault we haven’t found her yet. You should really call him and say sorry.” Then he nudged her in the ribs with a sly grin on his muzzle. “I want you to at least remember you aren’t on the racetrack now…or shall I show you how to drive proper?”

“Yeah right!” Air Raid snorted the mouthful of water over the inside of her windscreen. “Show me how to drive. You. You’re gonna show me how to drive?”

“If I have to, yeah I will.” Slingshot turned to face her in the car. “Look Raid, we all miss Wily, okay? But…but I’m not about to let you fritter away our winnings on speeding fines just because you wanna get home quicker because you feel guilty for leaving her in the hospital.”

“Tartarus do you care?” Air Raid asked sullenly, “I made sure you got your cut, I always do don’t I?”

“Hey!” Slingshot fired back, his hackles up, “it’s never been about the money Raid, you know that! I can pick and choose who I work with and I chose you, dammit!” Now, that much was certainly true. He knew it, and more importantly, he knew Air Raid knew it too. It was just something they didn’t need to talk about. This week alone he had turned down several requests from Windcharger to go ride with her, and several more again from Skyfire’s team.

Air Raid slumped in her driver’s seat, defeated. She knew Slingshot wouldn’t have gone ‘there’ without good cause, and she’d given it him on a plate. “Look…’Shot…I’m sorry alright?” The lime green mare rubbed her temples with both hooves, taking deep breaths through her nose. “I’m just…just wound up tight I guess, I, well I miss Wily, and Darkie, not to mention Cy…even Dusk too. I just want…” she sighed, collecting her thoughts, “I just want things to be like they were at the fun fair y’know? We were, I dunno, happy then.”

“Raid,” Slingshot said with a hoof on her shoulder, “I get it, really I do. But, what’s done is done. Now, take a minute and then ring Darkie, she may have found something by now.” Offering her a quick nuzzle, he smiled, “then I want my friend back with her head on straight, or do I have to return Windcharger’s call?”

“Okay, ‘Shot, I get it.” Air Raid grinned as she nuzzled him back. “Besides, you’d never call her back, you hate Windcharger.”

‘Maybe…’ he thought solemnly as she sat back with her eyes shut for a moment, ‘But she gets results at least and she doesn’t have this extra crap on her shoulders…’ Slingshot did not give voice to that however. Instead he reached into the glove compartment and retrieved Air Raid’s phone. “Call Darkie.” He said simply. “Put your mind at ease.”

“Fine. ‘Boss.’ You win.” Air Raid took her phone and dialled Darkstar’s number, hoping she’d have good news.

One thousand four hundred miles away in Canterlot, Darkstar had re-taken her seating pad outside of the gang’s favourite café. Lounging in the afternoon sunshine she was just about to take a large – and thoroughly un-ladylike – bite out of the wonderful donut she had just licked when her phone rang. Seeing she was alone in her spot, nopony even sat next to her on the adjacent tables, Darkstar answered her call with her magic, automatically switching it to loudspeaker when she saw whom was calling. “Y’hello Raid, what’s up?” She asked, her tongue still a little heavy from the sticky caramel.

“Let me guess. You, Café Diem, salted caramel donut and a macchiato?” Air Raid’s amused voice sounded from the speaker.

“Uh…how’d you know that?” Darkstar answered with her own question as she floated the coffee to her lips in an attempt to wash the caramel from her tongue. Strange how it tasted slightly ‘odd’ this time.

Air Raid looked over at her partner. “’Shot…you want this one?”

A stallion’s voice came across the phone, just as Darkstar heard the sound of a powerful engine brought to life. “That’s your caramel voice Darkie.”

“I do not have a ‘caramel voice’ thank you very much Slingshot!” The unicorn tried to sound indignant and failed, so contented herself with another sip of her sweet coffee.

“Sure you do Darkie,” she could practically hear the smile on the pink earth pony’s muzzle, “It’s the same lusty voice Raid uses when she describes your dances…hey! Oow!” He grunted as Air Raid nudged him hard in the ribs with her hoof.

Giggling like a filly she set her mug down and wiped her lips, “Raid just dig you in the ribs sweetie?”

“Yes…and it totally hurt!” Slingshot whimpered like a terminally injured ninety year old.

“Aw…you poor abused stallion. Darkie kiss it better when you get back, promise.” Darkstar purred in the best sexiest ‘bedroom voice’ she could make, smiling to herself at the imagined effect it was having on the pony holding the other phone.

“Y-you’d better promise.” The semi-aroused whimper was evident in his voice, even a thousand miles away.

“Down boy,” Air Raid sniggered at the wheel of the car as she re-joined the highway. “Just letting you know we’re starting back now, we should be back in Canterlot in roughly eighteen and a half hours, assuming the highway’s clear.”

“Hmm…so one in the afternoon now, you should get back say oh…seven thirty tomorrow morning then.” Darkstar quickly worked it out in her head. “Hey…you driving now? Isn’t that dangerous Raid?”

“Nah…I got it on the hooves free Darkie,” Air Raid chuckled as Slingshot let out an indignant ‘hey!’

“I don’t think ‘Shot likes being called your ‘hooves free’ Raid.” Darkstar laughed as she took another lick of the caramel from her donut ‘still tastes a little funny,’ she thought, but paid it no mind. “So hey, how was Filly?”

“Filly was awesome!” Air Raid cheered as she shifted up a gear, “We totally rocked it! Ten wins from fourteen races we got joint first over all in the tables!”

“Yes, I saw, very nice Raid well done and all that; I’m sure your trophy is very shiny and lovely.” Darkstar dismissed off-hoofedly, “That’s not what I meant. Any sign of Wily?” She asked eagerly, taking a nibble of the donut and not noticing the taste anymore.

This time Slingshot answered. “No Darkie, not a whisper. We thought we saw a small yellow pegasus the other week when we had some down time, but that was just a half look from our car, that’s why we called you then. Just like the ‘sighting’ we all thought we got that made your brother come out her the month before us, except we didn’t expect Brightstar to come out here as well just on a hunch.”

“Ugh…fine, I guess. What’s Brighty doing anyway?”

“He’s staying out here a bit longer hun,” Air Raid said with a suggestive tone in her voice. “He says he’s still looking for Wily, but me and ‘Shot think it’s got more to do with this sweet looking lady griffon he met while we were in this pub a couple of nights back.”

“He’s chasing a griffon?” Darkstar asked, taking another slightly larger bite of her now half eaten donut and washing it down with the last of her macchiato. “I’ll never see him again!” She exclaimed with a giggle.

“She’s nice; Moonbeak I think her name is. She was our official photographer for the team. We were lucky to get to hang out with her after work hours. I got a picture of them both on my phone, I’ll get ‘Shot to mail it you in a sec.” Air Raid grinned as she overtook a couple of slower electric cars. “Hey…how’s the search going back home?”

“Yeah…yeah it’s going alright…” Darkstar shook her head, fighting away a sudden feeling of room spinning nausea that washed over her. ‘Weird…’ she thought as she shook her head again. “I uh…I chased up that nurse, what’s her name, Eirene…well she put me onto this pegasus that works in the hospital cafeteria. I spoke to her and she described this purple unicorn that Wily’s dad met with. I did a little digging and she runs this care home in Canterlot. Raid I think I’m close, real close.”

“Darkie…be careful babe,” Air Raid subconsciously rubbed her muzzle with her free hoof while the other held the wheel, “Remember what happened to me before we left for Filly?” She asked, referencing the occasion a week and a half before Hearths Warming Eve when they had both pounded on Cold Front’s door demanding to know exactly where Wildfire was, just to get the door slammed in their faces, Air Raid getting a fracture of her muzzle as she was standing slightly closer than her friend.

“Raid…oooh…” The unicorn stumbled her words as the café spun again, “I uh…I’ll be fine…I, I got this sw-sweetie.”

“Darkie?” Slingshot asked with concern at the sudden slur in her voice, “You alright?”

“I…I think so…I’m gonna go…home I think, too many…donuts.” Darkstar found her hooves were shaking as she stood up from her spot.

Slingshot gave Air Raid a look from his passenger seat, a look of ‘what’s she into now?’ A look that did not go unrecognised as the pegasus put her right hoof down, once more speeding up her Fiesta. “I’ll call you later hun when we stop for a break.”

“Yeah…yeah ‘Shot…sure thing…” Darkstar hung up the call, floating her phone into her bag with her yellow magic, which for some reason began fizzing as she tried to maintain the levitation. “What the buck’s wrong with me?” She asked aloud, shaking her head again.

“Ah!” Java exclaimed with a wide smile as he appeared at the side of the table. “I’ll just take your tray if you’re done Darkie, unless you’d like another, on me?”

“Uh…n-no, no Java…I um…I’m gonna go home I think.” Darkstar staggered like she’d had three glasses of Luna’s best moonshine. Which she hadn’t of course, not since Dusk had elected to shut himself away from the known universe.

“Hey…” the cream earth pony said gently, reaching out a hoof to steady the young mare, “You okay Darkstar?”

“Y-yeah…yeah I’m fine…” she murmured as the world spun again, making her feel sick. “I’m f-fine. Thanks for the coffee…and thanks for the caramel donut too…”

“Donut?” Java wondered out loud as he watched Darkstar stagger away, “What donut?” He gave a shrug of his shoulders and thought nothing of it, ‘probably just one of her pranks,’ he thought with a smile. Well, she wasn’t getting him this time.

Stumbling along the street Darkstar leant against the wall as the world continued to spin; she swallowed hard, breathing through wave after wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. Another step and her vision swam again, the sidewalk and the street blurring together to be indistinguishable from one another. “Wh-what…what’s wrong with me?” Taking a further step she tripped over the curb and landed in the gutter, her head in her forelegs in order to steady the world and stop it from spinning.

“Ugh…bucking hell…wh-what…” So preoccupied was she with keeping the world in the right axis and the contents of her stomach on the inside rather than decorating the street that the stricken unicorn didn't notice the white transit van that pulled up alongside her with a screech of tyres…

~ ~ ~

‘Ah!’ Brightstar thought to himself, somewhat triumphantly. ‘This looks to be a good place!’ The place in question just happened to be a two storey bare brick building with dark blue doors and window frames. Of course the name of the pub – The Twisted Tail - helped too. The sign outside, which promised the best whiskey this side of the Delamare River, made the place seem just what he needed.

Not that he was down or anything, far from it, he didn’t mind leaving the Twin Stallion hotel over on Fetlock Avenue, he’d found that place too pretentious (even for a pony from Canterlot). Instead, when Air Raid and Slingshot had left, he’d taken a look at a tourist travel board and came across a likely offering. Indeed, the royal blue stallion had found the Wandering Pony Hostel in Horsehead Square, a mixed race neighbourhood of Fillydelphia, eminently more to his liking, especially as Darkstar and himself lived in the lesser suburbs of the Residential District back home, about as far away from the nobles as you could manage and still be on the mountain.

No, far from being ‘down’, Brightstar found himself just in need of liquid inspiration. At a thorough loss as to where to go or what to try next in regards to finding Wildfire, and with rapidly diminishing funds, and with a certain sexy griffon haunting most of his waking – and sleeping – thoughts, he decided a night off with whiskey to be just the thing he needed.

Looking through the dark blue framed window at the clientele inside, he saw the long blue topped bar being propped up by a huge crimson minotaur, and three other tables scattered about, two of them had four griffons sat around them while the third had three laughing earth ponies openly leering at a scantily dressed female griffon who for her part was teasing them with a shake of her hindquarters as she walked away to the kitchen.

As a frost blue male griffon came staggering out, clutching his belly as he fell face first in a nearby bush, Brightstar made up his mind and entered the pub, making a beeline for the bar and sits at the bar. Almost instantly he felt many eyes glare his way for a brief moment as the established crowd looked over and judged this strange face, then the hubbub of background noise resumed as they went back to what they were doing. All except the hulking great minotaur, who continued to stare at him for a good few minutes until the bar maid, an amply breasted jet black griffon, demanded his attention. “Hello Pony, whatcha drinkin’?” She asked, an appraising smile on her beak as she surreptitiously glanced at a selection of Canterlot wines behind the bar.

Looking over the selection, Brightstar grinned a wide grin. He knew full well she expected him, as a unicorn, to request something from the wine list and, looking the selection on offer over, he was a little impressed they had a Prench Pinot noir from eighteen fifty three. “Ah…” the very second he opened his mouth he could feel all eyes on him again as they too expected him to order something prissy. Thankfully, for just such situations as this one, Brightstar knew Air Raid. “I’ll have a shot of Dalwhinny single malt, please.”

As he expected, that earned him a few raised eyebrows, even a few cheers from the griffons that this pony with the Canterlot accent knew what a ‘stallion’s drink’ actually was. He even got a nod of approval from the crimson minotaur whom, while the jet black bar maid served up the drink, Brightstar finally realised was a female and going by her tattoos, a cage fighting champion to boot. “Get ya somethin’ ta eat, luv?” She asked, eyeing the royal blue stallion up with a tiny amount of respect as she slid over the full shot glass and Brightstar hopped up on the bar stool. While not as comfy as a seating pad, it did offer perfect views of the griffon’s ass.

“Sure,” Brightstar grinned as he lit his horn and, lifting the shot glass in his yellow aura took an unflinching sip of the whiskey. “I’m a loveable kind of pony.”

Having quickly finished her appraisal and judging the stallion as ‘okay’, the jet black griffon reached under the bar and retrieved a folded menu which she placed in front of the unicorn. “Да у нас тут комик.” She commented in her native Griffonian, earning herself a gale of laughter from the griffon and earth pony table.

Looking over the menu which he now held in his glowing yellow magic, Brightstar smiled to himself. He could of course speak griffonian fluently – languages being one of the gifts he shared with his sister – but of course they didn’t know that. He also noted that while the bar maid had called him a comedian, the minotaur wasn’t laughing. ‘Hmmm…what to have…what to have…’ he thought to himself. A couple of options stood out to him, the pub served a mix of pony and griffon food, and it was in Equestrian only.

Being a port city Brightstar wasn’t surprised to see fish dishes prevalent on the menu as well as meat, eventually he made up his mind. “Excuse me miss?” Brightstar got the bar maid’s attention, “I’ll have the flame grilled tofu cheesesteak please.”

“Hmhmm, good choice luv.” She smiled in approval of his order and she put in a screen for the kitchen. “First time here in Filly?” She asked as he paid over the necessary bits for the meal.

“Hmmm,” Brightstar answered noncommittally as he gave the scantily clad waitress a long hard look as she sashayed past him to the kitchen. “Yeah,” he said in a more firm tone as he returned his attention to the bar maid, “I came to visit Fillydelphia, and now I’m on an extended trip, of sorts. Just…looking around.” He didn’t feel the need to fill in what he was looking for, or whom.

“Well honey,” the bar maid smiled, wiping down the bar top with her cloth, “not much ta see round here, more in the city proper, over the river.” She gestured with a clawed hand in the vague direction of the centre of Fillydelphia.

Brightstar was about to finish his shot of Dalwhinny when he leant forward on the barstool and grinned, “I don’t know about that; the view I have right now is pretty good.”

“Sure it is.” The bar maid snorted a laugh when she saw Brightstar’s yellow eyes fixed on her flank and swishing black tail. “Ya looking ta walk on da wild side, pony?”

Grinning, Brightstar finished his first drink. “Maybe.”

The bar maid watched the unicorn place his empty glass on the bar top. “Another luv?” When Brightstar nodded his agreement, she made it a very large, slow effort to bend over and get a glass from the bottom shelf at the back of the bar, enjoying every second that the royal blue stallion stared at her rear. Finally standing up she poured him another drink. “Here ya go.”

“Hmhmm…” Brightstar nodded, “very nice view.”

“Пони про клюв или хвост?” The jet black bar maid said with a grin on her yellow beak as she leant her arms on the dark blue bar top and winked at the unicorn, waiting expectantly just in case he did not speak the language.

Brightstar was about to lift up his drink, instead he paused and blinked once then again a second time. “Pardon?”

“T’ain’t nothin’ honey, just me flappin’ me beak.” She shrugged her shoulders as she moved over to serve the minotaur her requested drink. “Here ya go, Brass, stout straight up.”

The very attractive and scantily clad sandy brown griffon waitress came out from the kitchen then, carrying Brightstar’s food on a tray over to the bar. “Here you go sir, please enjoy.”

“Thank you, Miss.” Brightstar smiled appreciatively both at her and at the food she had delivered. After four months in Fillydelphia he had taken quite a taste to the city’s famous grilled tofu cheesesteak, although he understood griffons had it with meat instead, which he wanted to try but hadn’t had the nerve yet. As she swayed sexily away to wait tables he took a deep inhale of the food. He had to admit it looked and smelled as good as the bar maid stood in front of him cleaning glasses. “If you were trying to tell me how pretty you are I’d have to agree.” He grinned as he swallowed a small mouthful.

"Мой муж с тобой согласится.” She replied with a cheeky smile as she cleaned the last glass in the tray. “But, me an’ youc’n flirt all night till ya run out of money or close’n time, whichever comes first.”

“Really, Ma’am.” Brightstar took another quick bite of his cheesesteak, “I mean the beak, the feathers, and that flank. All sexy.”

Laughing, the bar maid got to stacking the clean glasses back on the shelf. “So, ya come down here ta find a griff?” She asked over her shoulder.

“Maybe,” Brightstar nodded thoughtfully as he ate another small bite, his expression softening to that of a mooney eyed colt at the thought of ‘her’. “But, one in particular.”

“Ya a copper?” She asked sharply, and several pairs of eyes snapped simultaneously in the unicorn’s direction.

“What? No!” Brightstar exclaimed in protest, catching the knife and fork he dropped in his magic before it hit the floor, “I’m a few months fresh from university if you must know.”

“Hmm…” the bar maid made the noncommittal sound and turned back to lean on the bar as the suspicious eyes turned back to their business. “Want ta be sure, ta be smooth like tan ya is.”

Brightstar nodded and smiled, “I can be smooth.”

“Sure ya can,” the bar maid laughed a shrill tinkling laugh that the unicorn found immediately cute and sexy. “как полированный клюв.”

Brightstar chuckled, “maybe you’ve heard of her.”

“Sure, maybe I have,” she grinned back at him as she watched him eat, “but a tiny city with one or two pony in it.”

“Her name is Moonbeak,” Brightstar supplied eagerly. “She’s a photographer. She worked with my friend recently.”

The bar maid whistled, “Ya sure aim high ya does, pony.”

Unexpectedly the immense minotaur turned and smiled at them both, and in a voice far softer and far more feminine than Brightstar would’ve suspected, said, “Air Raid. Your friend is the Canterlot racer, yes?”

Turning to the minotaur, Brightstar nodded, “she is. You know her, Miss?”

The hulking creature smiled softly down at the royal blue stallion. “Indeed so. I follow the circuit when I’m not fighting. She made me a lot of bits from winning the Filly Five Hundred Motorcross that has just ended.” She extended her large hand in a fist to Brightstar who in turn bumped it with his hoof. “Brass Knuckles has decided Air Raid is a friend. She will follow her and bet on her again.”

“Um…thank you, Miss Knuckles,” Brightstar smiled somewhat awkwardly, eager to get back to his conversation with the bar maid.

“No. You call me Brass.” She smiled again as she drained her whole pint in one swallow. “You are friend also now.”

“Uuuh…thanks, Brass,” Brightstar smiled up at the mountainous figure. He made a mental note to catch the next cage fighting event on the cable network. Surely she must break any opponent in half. Easily. With a polite nod he turned back to the bar maid. “So, Moonbeak, you know her?”

“Этот жеребчик хочет оседлать Мунбик.” She replied loudly to the pub in general, a wide smile on her beak.

Hearing that, one of the griffons at the nearest table looked up from his conversation with his mate and called back, “Сними-ка с него пробу!"

To the male, who had just been elbowed hard in the ribs by his mate, the jet black bar maid laughed, “Я с ним не настолько хорошо знакома..” Smiling a wide smile as the rest of the pub erupted in laughter, she served up Brightstar a refill to his Dalwhinny. “Tis be ya lucky day stally, as she be in tonight in a few minutes or so.”

“Really?” Brightstar looked to the door so quick he almost knocked his half empty plate to the floor.

Another griffon seated at the same table as the first one to comment, this one a copper colour with a long scar running the length of the left side of his face, called out, “Приятно, когда такой сладкий жеребчик приходит сам!”

The bar maid patted Brightstar’s shoulder with a sympathetic clawed hand. “Finish tha food, pony. Ya got time.”

Doing as he was told, Brightstar returned to his – by now considerably cooler – vegetarian cheesesteak. As he ate he still spun around and checked out the door every time it opened to see whom had entered, much to the amusement of the bar maid who took every opportunity to tease the lovestruck unicorn every chance she got. He was almost finished with his food when for what felt like the millionth time the door opened and… “Мунбик, этот пони хочет тебя в постель затащить, и говорит у тебя отличный клюв, перышки и зад!” The bar maid called out by way of a greeting before the heavily blushing Brightstar could utter a word.

Moonbeak gave the royal blue unicorn a thoroughly dismissive look, like she was inspecting a poorly developed negative that was bound for the trash. “До или после того как я откушу ему член?” There was lots of laughter from the patrons of the pub at that as the pregnant griffon padded her way over to the table by the bar that was hers and hers alone. “What are you doing here, didn’t your pony friends leave after the race back to Canterlot?” She asked.

Amidst the general laughter that thankfully died away, Brightstar, who was imagining that sexy beak torturing his rock hard shaft, crossed his hind legs and tried to think of something else as he gathered his nerve. “You didn’t leave.”

Moonbeak shrugged her grey furred shoulders as she shifted a few times to get comfortable at her table. “I have a kitten and another on the way.”

Brightstar downed his third shot. For courage. “That’s hot.”

Flashing him a slightly annoyed look – annoyed with the seat being tight against her swollen belly, rather than the admittedly cute stallion currently admiring her. “You stalking me, pony?”

“Ты меня покусаешь за неправильный ответ?” Brightstar asked, displaying his fluent griffonian, by way of reply.

“Да.” Moonbeak replied as the bar maid gave a long loud laugh before turning to serve Brass Knuckles once more.

“Then no,” Brightstar smiled over at her, inclining his head respectfully, his tidy well-kept black mane momentarily hiding his yellow eyes. “But, I would have if I could. Luck had me here and you walking in.”

Moonbeak wanted to scowl, but instead she smiled. It had been three months since Goldcrest had left her and Luna above knew that she had needs. “You are a crazy pony.”

Brightstar smiled, seeing that he was in, at least for the time being at any rate. “Crazy for you, Moonbeak.”

Finally getting comfortable, Moonbeak kicked the seating pad opposite hers out with her leonine legs and pointed to it with her clawed hand. “Он купит мне выпить.” She said to the bar maid.

Grinning, Brightstar got up and walked over to the seating pad. “Охотно, госпожа.”

‘Willingly, huh?’ Moonbeak thought to herself with a sly smile. She liked the ‘my lady’ part too. Liked it very much indeed. ‘This pony seems like the sort I can have fun with…let’s see how eager he is to please me…’ she watched the unicorn stallion approached the seating pad she had kicked out and she waited until his royal blue butt was an inch away from it until she interrupted him. “What are you doing?” She asked sharply, her shrill voice getting his attention like chalk scraped on a blackboard.

Brightstar froze an inch from sitting down. “I…am sitting, Moonbeak, you did invite me to do so.”

“I did invite you to sit, pony,” Moonbeak seemed to hold him suspended with her emerald green eyes. “Но я сказала сесть сюда, не так ли?” She asked with a smirk as she pointed a clawed finger to the pub floor in front of her table beside the seating pad. ‘Let’s see what he does…’ she thought as by now she had drawn some attention from the other tables.

Brightstar’s yellow eyes flicked down to the floor for just for the briefest of moments. However, in that short time he was aware of the griffon of his dreams watching him, judging him, gauging his reaction. He was also aware of the other stallions and mares watching the scene intently to see what he would do. It only took the tiniest second to make up his mind. In the end there wasn’t really an option.

With a little smile, Brightstar shifted to the right of the seating pad and sat on his haunches on the floor. The top of the table reaching his chest, the lower angle making him look up into her triumphant emerald green eyes as the rest of the pub whooped and cheered. One of the earth pony mares called out, “he knows his place already, Moony!”

‘My place?’ Brightstar thought to himself with a little blush. He’d never considered himself particularly submissive before, but for her, he’d happily do anything. Besides, Wildfire enjoyed the game when she had played with Air Raid. As he settled onto what was doubtless not the cleanest bit of floor in Fillydelphia he nonetheless felt a warmth blossom through him generated by the satisfied look she was giving him. He had made her happy, and that made him happy. ‘Yeah…this is my place. I’m good with this.’

Watching him, Moonbeak’s smile was almost ear to ear. ‘Sweet Luna he’s actually done it!’ In her heart she knew then he was a keeper. ‘Но сначала с ним можно и поразвлечься...’ smiling her warm smile that definitely reached her eyes, the griffon said, “very good, pony. Though I expect to be obeyed quicker next time...” she fished in her memory for his name, then continued, “Brightstar?”

“Да, Госпожа.” Brightstar answered straightaway, and Moonbeak’s smile almost went wider than her head.

Turning her grinning beak away from the obedient unicorn, Moonbeak called out to the bar maid, whom as it happened she knew very well. “Selene, что пил этот молокосос?”

Hearing her name called, the jet black bar maid looked up from the conversation she had just started with Brass Knuckles at the bar. “He was drinkin' th' Dalwhinny, Moonbeak.”

“Impressive.” Moonbeak spared Brightstar a courteous nod. “He'll buy himself another and a Salty Dog for me.”

Prepping the order Selene giggled behind her clawed hand as she saw Brightstar sitting on the floor like a good little colt. “It’s okay honey, I got it covered for ya.” She said with an amused grin, stopping the royal blue unicorn in his tracks as he opened his mouth to speak up. ‘She’s got him wrapped around her claw already.’ Selene giggled.

“Is the pony comfy?” Moonbeak asked the stallion sat on the floor in front of her.

“Yes!” With her attention wholly on him, Brightstar fidgeted a little on his haunches, the very hard very unyielding floor numbing him slightly, “yes I'm very...comfy, thank you.”

Selene carried over the two full shot glasses, one with whiskey and the other with vodka, on a tray. “You wanna watch the pony, Moony, he's a flirt.” She said with a smirk playing on her beak.

“Really, Selene?” Moonbeak commented with a raised eyebrow, her emerald green eyes holding Brightstar as still as any rope. “I was commissioned to photograph Air Raid, yet this pony photo bombed every picture I think.”

Selene set the tray with the drinks down on the table between them. “Hmhmm, smooth as polished beak he is, t' be sure.”

Brightstar shifted uncomfortably on the very hard wooden floor. “Uh...well I um...I was checking out the perfect curves of your flank,” he said, trying for the smoothness that had so impressed the bar maid not all that long ago.

Moonbeak grinned, “yes, Selene does have a nice flank.”

“Попался.” Selene giggled as she walked away towards the bar, playfully wiggling her leonine flank and swishing her black tail provocatively.

“Yes…she does...” Brightstar murmured out loud, his yellow eyes tracking the bar maid’s wiggling rear. “Oh um, no, I meant yours, I was checking yours, Mistress.” He quickly attempted to correct himself, a very deep blush colouring his cheeks.

Moonbeak gave Brightstar a long, long hard apprising look, scrutinising him for any sign of duplicity. ‘He does have a very honest face,’ she thought to herself, ‘and those beautiful eyes…’ she had to remind herself she was going to have some fun, lest she get lost in those beautiful eyes. “I'm a bit too round to have pretty flanks.” She said evenly as her kitten kicked inside her.

Looking at the griffon’s swollen pregnant belly, Brightstar licked his lips and answered before he could stop himself, “Это как раз подчеркивает их красоту.”

Moonbeak grinned, deciding to go with it. “Ты глупый пони, но хотя бы милый.” She said bluntly, earning herself a gale of laughter from the other griffons who had started a game of poker between themselves, a mountain of bits already adorning their table.

“'Милый' меня устраивает.” Brightstar smiled, lighting his horn and taking the full shot glass in his glowing yellow aura.

“Ah,” Moonbeak grinned mischievously, “you feel you must earn the rest then?” Still smiling, she reached for her glass of Salty Dog with her right clawed hand and lifted it to tap the one Brightstar held in his magic.

With his glass in mid-air Brightstar paused and watched the sexy white and grey griffon tap his glass with her own. Momentarily mystified, he completely misunderstood the gesture’s significance. “Um...no magic?” He asked, already lowering his full glass to the table.

In turn, Moonbeak misunderstood Brightstar’s question, and pointed a clawed finger to her forehead. “No horn, score one for you earning that title.”

Still a little oblivious, Brightstar lowered his glass in his aura to the table-top and, believing he was doing what Moonbeak had implied said, “um…okay Mistress.” And, lifting his forehooves, took the glass in them instead.

Moonbeak frowned as she tried to ascertain just what this pony was doing. “Did I say you couldn't use magic?” She asked sharply, her already shrill voice raising up a whole octave. ‘Пони решил, что умеет читать мысли...’ she thought to herself, ruffling her feathers in annoyance.

“I’m uh…I’m sorry, about that…” Blushing intensely at his error, Brightstar lit his horn and once again lifted his shot glass full of Dalwhinny whiskey.

Almost immediately that Moonbeak saw the unicorn’s horn light up with it’s yellow glow she reached over the table and fast as lightning took his horn in her clawed hand, curious to see if it tingled.

“AaaAH...” Brightstar, concentrating on his glass, didn’t see the pregnant griffon move until she had a firm grip around the base of his horn. “Oooh…”

Fascinated to discover that yes, a unicorn horn in the process of casting a spell did indeed vibrate, Moonbeak called over to her friend behind the bar. “Selene, you need to feel this!” Keeping a hold of his horn, she tightened her grip just a little.

Straightaway Selene saw what her dominant friend was doing, and a wide grin spread across her beak. “Oooh that looks like fun!”

“Aaah…” at any other time Brightstar would’ve agreed that yes it was fun, but here in the pub, surrounded by gawking onlookers and on his way to a very public horngasm, he wasn’t sure how much fun it was. “Aaaah...” he moaned again as his aura flickered around the hovering glass.

As curious as her friend, Selene came over and gripped Brightstar's horn in her left clawed hand, just above where Moonbeak was holding it. “Oh!” She squealed in surprise, not bothering to keep her voice down so the whole pub heard her, “I got a toy from MiAC at home that feels just like this!”

“It does feel nice…” Moonbeak commented as she moved her talons gently up and down the captured horn, feeling every ridge along the smooth conical appendage.

“Gaaa!” Caught in the grip of the two griffons, Brightstar couldn’t help but pant a little, his forehooves planted on the table to steady himself.

Selene tapped her friend on the shoulder with her free clawed hand, “Moony…Moony I think he's liking this!” Grinning, the jet black griffon stroked Brightstar’s horn in time with the larger female’s ministrations.

Keeping a close watch on the levitated shot glass, Moonbeak nodded as she moved her hand a bit faster, but with a feather light touch to her claws that Brightstar couldn’t believe he was experiencing. “Oooh...ooh...” he was barely managing to hold up his glass, his horn vibrating a little harder the faster Moonbeak and Selene stroked him.

A sly impish thought occurred to the dominant griffon, and without warning, Moonbeak lowered her head and licked Brightstar’s already excited horn, for no other reason than to see what it tasted like. She was pleasantly surprised to find out it tasted sweet. Very sweet. Moonbeak liked sweet things. Sweet things like this very cute stallion in her grasp.

“Oooh Luna!” Under the new, unexpected stimulus, Brightstar’s eyes crossed and just for a split second his magic flickered as bright glowing yellow sparks flew harmlessly from the tip of his horn, lighting up the pub like the fireworks of the Summer Sun Celebration.

“You could sweeten your coffee with this.” Moonbeak licked her beak with a satisfactory grin. “Have a taste Selene.”

Giggling, Selene dragged her tongue very, very slowly up Brightstar's horn, causing ever more sparks to erupt from its tip, turning the royal blue unicorn into a sunshower candle. “Hmm!” The jet black bar maid’s eyes went wide at just how sweet it was, causing the watching group of earth ponies at the table to snicker loudly amongst themselves. “You think he does one lump or two?” Selene asked as she licked his horn a second time.

“Hnnnng!” Brightstar moaned in utter bliss, his tongue by this point lolling out of his mouth, a strand of drool dripping onto the table past the glass that he was struggling to keep floating.

“Two I think,” Moonbeak commented dryly. Watching the state of Brightstar’s drink closely for signs of spillage, she saw he was barely keeping it up, so she decided one last test was in order. Giving her friend a wink of her emerald green eyes she leant down and took the very tip of the horn in her beak, suckling gently but firmly on the tip.

“Ooooh!” Brightstar’s yellow eyes shot open. His magical aura began to flicker and sputter out. “Pl-please...” he gasped out the whimpered noise, “please don't stop...” lost in the sensory overload of the stroking and now the suckling of his horn the unicorn finally lost control of the glass and it fell to the table, upending itself and sending its contents spilling over the table and the floor.

Immediately Moonbeak and Selene both pulled away from the moaning pony. Very quickly, while he was still lost in his sensory haze, the white and grey griffon gave the glass a close look with her eagle sharp eyes for any signs of breakage. Seeing none and therefore deeming it safe to carry on, the pregnant dom positioned her beak an inch from the pony’s ear. “Such a waste!” She screeched, “lick that up now!”

“But…” on the very edge of a wondrous horngasm, Brightstar whined at the sudden loss of contact. “B-But...” Taking one look at Moonbeak’s severe look however silenced any further protest and he hastened to obey her command, licking the table top clean as the tan earth pony mare passed the orange stallion next to her a small bag of bits. A moment later and the royal blue unicorn sat back. “Th-There…” he looked up at both of the griffons hopefully, willing them to continue.

The tan earth pony mare noticed a large spill on the floor and in a not quiet at all voice said to her mate, “fifty bits says he licks the floor.”

Grinning, the orange stallion replied, “A hundred says he does the floor and her paw.”

Spitting on her hoof the tan mare bumped hers with the stallion’s. “You're on.”

Also noticing he had neglected the floor, Moonbeak purposefully dipped her paw in the puddle. “All of it, pony, now!”

Blushing so hard he threatened to combust, Brightstar leant down to the floor, his cock emerging hard and erect from his sheath as he pressed his muzzle into the spilled Dalwhinny whiskey and started to lap it up. Seeing a bit of the liquid on her paw, he dragged his tongue along the hardwood floorboards and licked there too.

“Whoop!” The earth pony stallion cheered in triumph. “Ha! Blossomseed, that’ll be a hundred bits, thank you!”

“Fine, Forge.” Blossomseed grumbled as she reached into her saddlebag with a tan hoof and passed over another bag of bits, this one bigger than the first.

Very pleased indeed, Moonbeak said to the bar maid, “another round Selene if you please, seems this one is not as wasteful as I thought.”

“You got it sugar,” Selene replied, scooting behind the bar, “be jus' a tick.”

Giggling at the poor pun, Moonbeak used a wing tip to rub and caress Brightstar’s still-vibrating horn while he licked diligently away the floor and the digits of her paw.

“G-GAaaaAAAH...” Brightstar moaned into the pregnant griffon’s paw, his voice full of lust and desire as once again his horn was stimulated.

Seeing her chance to win her money back, Blossomseed said, “two hundred bits says he horngasms down there.”

Forge grinned, thoroughly enjoying the free entertainment, “you're so on, 'Seed.”

Noticing that the royal blue stallion’s cock was fully erect, Moonbeak used her other wing to move under his belly from and stroke him from his balls to tip of his flat head, which was already dripping pre on to the hardwood floor.

Brightstar paused in his licking and shuddered, “OoooOOH sweeeeet LunAA!”

Over at the bar, Brass Knuckles, who had been silent all this time, downed her twelfth pint and said, “five hundred bits he cums from both.”

Both of the earth ponies looked at each other with smirks on their muzzles. “You're on, Knuckles!”

Hearing the bets being made around her, Moonbeak herself began to become aroused, the spectacle she was helping to create turning her on greatly. It was almost like the old times with Goldcrest before…before… ‘No!’ Moonbeak chastised herself, ‘You are not a kitten! He’s gone and he’s not coming back…besides thinking of him now is not fair to this very cute pony lapping at your paw. Time and a place, Moony.’ Smiling as her sex became hot and wet, she applied some gentle beak action to his horn while his tongue licked her paw clean.

Under her, Brightstar worked his tongue deeper in between the digits of Moonbeak’s paw, whimpering at the tangy taste of the whiskey mixed with the griffon’s sweat as he got very, very close indeed to his climax, intense sweet sparks shooting from his tip of his stimulated horn even as his rock hard cock threatened to explode.

As the crowd of earth ponies and the minotaur watched on eagerly, Moonbeak draped over the excited unicorn and added a surprisingly tender claw to his horn while at the same time she rubbed the back of her clawed hand over his flared head.

All the stimuli proved too much for the poor Brightstar. “LUUUUUNAAAAAA!” He screamed aloud, his Canterlot accented voice resounding around the pub as he climaxed from both his cock and his horn, bright glowing harmless fireworks erupting from his horn as rope after rope of his sticky white cum spurted out and hit the clean floor, the griffon’s claw and her extended wingtip.

“Awww dammit!” Blossomseed and Forge moaned as they both got pouches full of five hundred bits each out from their bags and placed them on the table.

“Knuckles wins!” The hulking crimson minotaur veritably skipped over on her cloven hooves and scooped up her winnings. The easiest thousand she’d made that week. “That is how it is done, ponies!”

Not yet finished with the show, Moonbeak kept up the pressure of her beak on Brightstar’s horn, but was prepared to immediately let go if he showed signs of pain.

“AaaAAAH!” With the continued contact of the beak on his horn, Brightstar kept on climaxing from it, the bright yellow light show lighting up the pub like mini exploding suns.

“Holy crap, pony.” Brass Knuckles commented as she shielded her blue eyes from the intense light.

Selene set another tray bearing more drinks down on the table as Moonbeak, finally satisfied with a job well done, moved back a bit and watched the gasping unicorn ride out his dual climax. Idly she wondered how long it had been since he had last experienced either. A while, judging by the mess he had made.

After a good few minutes, Brightstar’s euphoric crescendo started to subside, at least to the point to where could speak and string two thoughts together. “Aah...” he panted, his brow covered in sweat, “wow...”

Amidst the cheers and whoops from the griffons who had paused in their poker game long enough to comment, Moonbeak merely looked on impassively – inside though she was performing backflips of joy – and, keeping her shrill voice as even as she could, said, “you've made another mess. Lick it up.”

“Huh...” Brightstar rested his head on the table, “I…I did...what?”

“You think he will?” Blossomseed asked her mate in a whisper loud enough to be heard by those around her.

Forge grinned, “'Seed, he'll do whatever the Tartarus she orders him to do.”

“Drink piss?” The tan earth pony asked with a raised eyebrow, hoping against hope that would be next.

Forge nodded, “even that, no more bets now, just watch the show.” He replied as he draped a foreleg around the tan mare’s shoulder and hugged her tight.

In a steady voice that rose in pitch, Moonbeak repeated herself. Something she hated doing. Something this pony would learn. “Lick it up!”

‘Lick it up, right...’ Brightstar’s addled brain, aided by the severe stare from Moonbeak’s emerald green eyes, processed this command and compelled him to slowly slide from the table once more to the floor. “Да, Госпожа, сию секунду, Госпожа.” Getting his muzzle down to his cum, the royal blue unicorn did his best to shut out the chanting crowd as he stuck out his tongue and proceeded to slowly lick up all of his sticky mess.

“Daaaaaamn!” Propping up the bar, Selene had a claw deep in her dripping wet pussy. “That's so hot.”

“Knuckles agrees.” The minotaur was breathing heavily, her legs squeezed tightly together as she watched. “Very hot.”

“You got some on my claw too.” Moonbeak said imperiously when her unicorn had once again cleaned the floor with his tongue.

“Простите, Госпожа,” Brightstar humbly apologised, crawling on his knees to the clawed hand that his griffon extended to him. “Позвольте мне очистить Вас.”

Five solid minutes of having her hand licked clean later and Moonbeak casually inspected her dark grey wing where some of the stallion’s semen had spattered on her feathers. “It seems you have some on my wing too.” She extended the stained wingtip to him for cleaning.

Hurriedly, not wanting to waste any time, Brightstar sucked her claw clean, and then without question he moved on to drag his tongue slowly along the cum stained feather of her wing.

This did draw some gasps – mostly from the poker playing griffons - as it was common knowledge that most griffon’s didn't like having their wings touched. Watching him very closely, Moonbeak evaluated his preening skills, which to her very great surprise was more than satisfactory.

Delicately, Brightstar licked and caressed the dark grey feathers long after the semen was cleaned from them.

“Wow…” Blossomseed breathed in Forge’s embrace, her hoof clopping away at her marehood.

“Wow...” Selene gasped, two taloned fingers sawing in and out of herself.

“MmmMMmmm!” Moonbeak nodded and moaned, her beak half open as Brightstar took a dark grey primary in his mouth and sucks it straight, dragging his tongue gently along the leading edge, cleaning off the few feather mites he found there in the process.

Blossomseed and Selene both orgasmed at the same time, one wetting behind the bar while the other soaked the pad she was seated on.

With her wings flared, Moonbeak waited patiently until Brightstar was done. When he was, which wasn’t long, he scooted back around the table and resumed his position sitting on the floor. Smiling a very, very wide smile, Moonbeak lifted her glass in the cleaned claw half way towards him. “До дна!”

Getting it right this time, Brightstar magically lifted his glass up to meet hers. “До дна!”

In one smooth gulp, Moonbeak downed her glass of vodka. “You may have the honour of walking me home.”

Likewise, Brightstar swallowed his Dalwhinny, though now he thought it tasted better mixed with the taste of griffon, “thank you Mistress.” Standing to his hooves, he bowed low in order for her to get on his back.

“Проверишь его выносливость?” Selene asked as she licked her talons clean of her juices.

“Возможно.” Moonbeak replied before looking incredulously at the bowing stallion. “What in Equestria are you doing?”

“Giving my Mistress a ride to her home,” Brightstar replied, his muzzle pressed to the hardwood floor. “If it pleases her, that is.”

With a gale of laughter from the other griffons, Moonbeak frowned. “It does not.” She said firmly. “To walk me home is to escort me. Your back is very narrow and looks quite bony and uncomfortable.”

Blushing, Brightstar stood up. “As you wish.”

“Get him a saddle Moonbeak,” Forge called as he hugged a now happily snoozing Blossomseed, “then you can ride him around Horsehead Square all day long.”

Passing by their table, Moonbeak winked at the orange stallion. “We haven't advanced to the riding part. See you tomorrow Selene.”

Behind the bar, Selene prepped Brass Knuckles another pint. “See ya, sugar.”

Smiling, and with a nod from his griffon, Brightstar obediently lit his horn and held open the door for her to leave ahead of him.

Outside the Twisted Tail pub, Moonbeak waited in the harsh glare of a lit street light for the royal blue unicorn to catch her up, seeing as she had left ahead of him. When he was alongside her, she stopped him with a claw to his chest. “Why are you here, Brightstar?” She asked simply.

Brightstar blinked once then twice. “Because…because I want to be with you, since the first moment I saw you in the pit lane of the stadium.”

“Hmph…” Moonbeak snorted through her nostrils as they began to walk again, the griffon leading the way along the sidewalk back to her house. “What do ponies know about griffons anyways?” She asked over her shoulder.

Brightstar grinned, “you'd be surprised what this pony knows about griffons.”

“I'd be surprised if that pony knows anything.” Moonbeak retorted. While she found this unicorn cute and very easy on the eyes, she was deeply apprehensive and mistrusting. She decided to see how far she could test him on the short walk home to her treehouse.

Brightstar chuckled, making sure to stay a pace behind the dominant griffon as they walked along. “Well, according to Stormclaw Academy, which was named after the first Queen – Aureli Stormclaw who was joined to King Grover the first, the first King to successfully unite the warring tribes with the Idol of Boreas and create Griffonstone seven hundred years ago, I know quite a bit.”

Hearing that, Moonbeak actually turned her head to look disbelievingly at the young unicorn. “Stormclaw is a very prestigious institution, and they don't take ponies.” She said, instantly mistrusting him and suspecting him of lying. “Raid said you went to university at Canterlot.”

“Yes it is,” Brightstar agreed straight away. “And normally no, they don't, but while I was at university in Canterlot, two years ago when I was seventeen, there was a cultural exchange going on. I was volunteered to take part as I was on a hardship grant to pay for my classes.”

“Volunteered,” Moonbeak caught on to the key word immediately, “so you didn't want to go.”

“Oh Luna no, not at first.” The royal blue unicorn smiled at the memory. “I hated it. Then after the first month or so I started to learn the language. Attitudes changed towards me after that.”

“Weren't you afraid you'd be eaten?”

Brightstar’s smile became a long loud laugh, that drew the attention of a few passers-by as they walked from one street light to the next. “Of course I was, but you can get brutally attacked anywhere, trust me I know, so I kept my head down, learned Griffonian and after the mandatory one semester was done I stayed for a second.”

‘You stayed for a second?’ Moonbeak was quietly impressed with this pony. Stormclaw Academy wouldn’t just let anypony stay for a second term if they weren’t worth it. “Some griff attract your eye?”

With a bright blush that could be clearly seen in the moonlight, Brightstar nodded. “The aah…the teacher was very cute.”

At that, Moonbeak made an odd snorting like noise as she exhaled sharply through her nostrils. “Why me?”

Again Brightstar blinked as he considered his answer. “You're a beauty, and I liked the way you bossed Raid about in the photoshoots.” He smiled, recalling the few times the dominant griffon had taken control of his lime green friend. “Then you became beautiful and sexy.”

“Beautiful?” She asked with an arched eyebrow.

The unicorn nodded solemnly. “Словно восходящая луна в ночном небе, прекрасная и очаровательная.”

Moonbeak shrugged. Goldcrest had used these words, and more besides, and look where she was now. She had no need of fancy words. “You use fancy words that say nothing.”

“That's Canterlot for you.” Brightstar smiled then chuckled, “but yes, Moonbeak. I find you very beautiful.”

“And you say nothing as well in Equestrian.” She remarked somewhat coldly.

“What more can I say?” Brightstar pleaded desperately. Despite how well it had gone in the pub, he couldn’t help but feel he was losing his case out here. “You are an attractive griffon. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I love how strong and commanding you are, but most of all love your eyes.” He walked alongside her and nudged her gently to stop, which she obligingly did. Looking into her emerald green eyes he smiled. “The greenest green I've seen, and looking into them I can see you've lived.”

‘Oh sweet Luna those eyes…’ Moonbeak almost swooned into those beautiful yellow eyes, before she hitched up her walls, her shields firmly in place once more. “Pfft, so we get down to it.” She said derisively, “like your teacher, you only like me because I'm old.”

“No,” Brightstar started indignantly, “no, not at all, I love you because you're you. Age doesn't concern me in the slightest.” Taking a deep breath as they walked, he carried on, “I really liked how dominant and aggressive you were in the pub too. That was…that was something else.”

Turning her attention back to the sidewalk ahead of her, she replied, “your inexperience was like a beacon.”

“Was it that obvious I've never subbed before?” Brightstar asked as he chuckled nervously. “I'd very much like the chance to do it again, though.”

“Would you, pony?” Inwardly Moonbeak was performing somersaults and backflips. Outwardly she tried to reinforce her aspect of supreme indifference. “You said you liked my fat belly too.”

“I would,” Brightstar nodded, wondering what in Equestria he had to do to get through this sexy griffon’s barriers. “But, I would ask you not to refer to yourself like that. You're pregnant, not fat. And that is sexy too.” He said genuinely.

Moonbeak stopped completely, scrutinising this pony as if for the very first time. “So, you like them pregnant?” She asked harshly, before continuing, “then again I have a kitten at home. Is it me or my kitten you really want?” She asked with a sneer, at once determined to push him and to protect her kitten.

“What!?” Brightstar paused so suddenly he almost tripped up on the sidewalk. “No!” Indignantly he stomped his hoof firmly into the pavement. “I want you for you! I'd never ever do anything to hurt your kitten!”

She held his gaze a few seconds longer before smiling and continuing walking along her way. “I believe you. So, pony, you swing both ways? You say you love me, what of my kitten's father?”

“As it happens, no I don't.” Brightstar replied shortly, his hackles still up from the insinuation that he’d interfere with a foal…‘no, kitten…ugh, whatever!’ he thought angrily, then he told himself she was the mother, she had to be sure, didn’t she? “I assumed you were single as you've never mentioned the father.”

‘No, because Goldcrest is none of your business, pony…’ Moonbeak thought, although her shields had come down a little with his assurance he wasn’t after Athena. “You might look good in grey,” she snickered, “were the griffons at Stormclaw so open to you that they gave their life's story?”

“Hmm…” Brightstar thought, “maybe I would...” he blushed intensely as he realised he’d just thought that out loud. “Um, I mean ahh...no, no they didn't.”

“But you have my life story and I told you nothing till today.” Moonbeak continued with an amused smirk on her beak. “What made you think I was single at the photoshoots? The fact I only shot you with a camera?” She asked in a demanding tone of voice as they turned onto a very large square, a wooded area, and there were wooden houses both around the trees at ground level and up off the ground.

“Oh...oooh now these are cool!” Brightstar took a moment to look at and admire the houses. They were treehouses yes, but to dismiss them as just treehouses was to do them a disservice. These were not a foal’s plaything, these were as well constructed and sturdily built as any house he’d ever seen. “Well...” he said presently, turning his attention back to the pregnant griffon, “you've been with someone, there's a groove on the ring talon of your left claw that says you wore a joining ring for a long time, but not anymore.”

Moonbeak shot him a severe look that made him shrink back a little step. “A detective pony.” She said, spitting the words from her beak, then she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “If I had a job were it wasn't safe to wear a ring I could shrug that off, but photography is a ring friendly job…” suddenly her emerald green eyes misted up, threatening tears. “I shouldn't have took it off...”

“I’m an observant pony, that's all.” Brightstar corrected her as he offered what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. “Um…from my cultural studies I know there's only two instances where it’s permissible to remove a joining ring. Where your life-oaths were cast aside, or um...or the partner dies.” He went silent for but a moment, “forgive me Moonbeak, I didn't want to pry.”

“You pry like a talon!” Moonbeak snapped, hastily wiping dry her glistening eyes with a loud sniff. “He was murdered saving us from…” just as suddenly she stopped, cutting short her explanation and saving it. She’d already revealed far more than she’d intended to this quickly. “And this is my home. Can you teleport?”

Brightstar looked up at the treehouse – tree mansion would be a better term, it looked like two very large hexagons joined together end to end and built around four huge oak trees on a single level, reminding him of a cloudhouse except it was made from expertly crafted wood rather than cloudlets. “I can teleport that far, yes.”

“Someday I'll have to invite you up, but not today.” Moonbeak nodded. “I'm doing a photoshoot at Celestial Park at ten a.m. tomorrow. Be there.” She said commandingly.

“Count on it.” Brightstar replied, already making a mental note to be there early at nine forty five. “Are you open to hugs?”

“Not yet.” She lifted her left claw. “You may kiss a talon.”

Smiling, Brightstar placed a very gentle tender kiss on the tip pf the extended index talon. “I had a most pleasant evening tonight. Thank you, Moonbeak.”

“Tomorrow.” With that, Moonbeak spread her wings and flew up to her perch and entered her impressive treehouse without a backwards glance, leaving the love struck unicorn stallion to make his way back to the hostel where he was staying.