“Ahem, Moonbake, when our blood becomes...”

The six words had barely left his lips when he noticed he was being looked at like he was food. “What, what is it?” With mounting horror, he realised what he had said.

Mostly due to the wide eyed look on the unicorn’s face, but also because of the dangerous look on her daughter’s, Astraea broke down laughing and she had to turn away. Moonbeak tolerated this for several moments until she sighed. “Momma, you should be serious about this! At least more serious than the funny pony.”

Through spasms of laugher and with tears in her eyes, Astraea snorted, “Princess Luna's newest cooking sensation Moon Bake!”

Resorting to eye roll number one, something they shared with each other and knew what it meant, the younger griffon again sighed. “Momma, the ceremony?”

Brightstar still had a look of horror on his royal blue features. “Moony, I ah, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that!”

Moonbeak narrowed her eyes at her pony. A slip of the tongue she could forgive. It was funny, even. What she couldn’t countenance was the snivelling apology she was getting now. It was weak and she didn’t like it one bit. “Momma?” she asked again.

Finally, though she was still giggling, Astraea calmed herself enough to speak. “Yes, my little oven muffin?” Sighing at the look of mirth in her mother’s eyes – she had a feeling she would be reminded about this for days and days to come – she gestured for her to continue. “Okay pony, some vows are in order, or maybe you need time to think on it?”

Eager to make up for his slip, Brightstar almost jumped at the chance. “Moonbeak,” he said clearly, a little too clearly, “I bind my blood to your blood for your blood has given my blood reason to live. You and the kittens have given me reason to step forward to better our lives for your life is my life. I shall be your bound mate until the Grey Spires carry me home.”

“Is acceptable,” Astraea sniffed, a little disappointed as she wanted him to slip up again.

“Well,” Moonbeak snorted through her nostrils in an attempt to lighten the mood and lift her pony’s spirits, “At least my name was right this time.” That did it. Astraea fell apart in laughter so hard she was on the floor rolling, holding her sides.

Again, Brightstar had that horrified look on his face like a mac truck was about to run him over. “Moony,” he pleaded, “I. Am. So sorry!” As he apologised for the umpteenth time, Moonbeak sighed again and he offered her an apologetic nuzzle.

This was not the response Moonbeak had been expecting. She had expected sarcasm, humour, a witty retort. That she could accept. As she didn’t prevent the nuzzle, she resolved to get to the bottom of this when they got back to her treehouse. “Not yet you aren’t, pony. But, I will make sure you are.”

Once she had recovered from her laughing fit, Astraea coughed. “Ah, yes, well, that will have to wait. Moonbeak, do you take Brightstar as your bonded mate?”

Grateful that they were at last continuing with the binding practice, Moonbeak replied, “I do.”

“Then take his blood.” Leaning in, the older griffon whispered to Brightstar, “you need to hold up your left forehoof.”

Nodding, the unicorn held up his left hoof, ready for what he knew was coming. Using the index talon of her left claw, Moonbeak sliced a gash in the sole of his hoof. She then held out that same claw, palm up. “Brightstar,” Astraea continued, “Do you take Moonba...Moonbeak, as your bonded mate?”

Brightstar blushed and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world. A look that made his lover’s eyes narrow once more. “I do.”

“Then take her blood.” Obediently, Brightstar used his magically sharpened hoof to cut Moonbeak's offered palm, a thin line of deep red instantly appearing. “Blood has been taken! Athena?”

Startled by the use of her name, Athena looked up from her storybook where she had been reading the Billy Goats Gruff, “Yes nana?”

“Can you pretend to be a guest?” Astraea asked and, straightaway, the little kitten furiously nodded her head. “Say this then, ‘Blood has been seen’.”

“Okay. Blood has been seen!”

“Good kitten.” Letting her get back to her book, Astraea once more addressed her daughter and her pony. “Let the blood flow between them!” As she said that, she wrapped the blue ribbon around Brightstar’s hoof and she drew it to Moonbeak's claw, were she wrapped it around until the juncture between the two of them was hidden, but it wasn't tight so they could twist a bit in the binding. “They are now bound and shall remain thus till the rising of the sun. Then the binding will always be in their hearts as long as the blood flows.”

“Momma,” Moonbeak started once her mother had completed the practise ceremony, “it is late, can the kittens stay the night with you?” she asked, plans running through her head to make her pony truly sorry for crumbling into a snivelling ruin.

Reading her daughter’s mind, Astraea grinned. “The kittens are always welcome. Athena can read me a bed time story.”

Athena bounced happily at that, holding up her book as proof. “I can, I can!”

“I will need to get Zephyr's bag from the van.” Without bothering to remove the binding ribbon, Moonbeak marched to the door and, being dragged along, Brightstar couldn’t help feeling that he was a second away from being eaten. “Can my grovelling pony teleport us down?”

“I can, love, yes.” Standing on the porch in the darkening evening light, Brightstar took his time to clear his head before casting his teleport spell. Given what had transpired in the condo’s living room, it took considerably longer than necessary to clear his mind. Teleporting without due concentration could be deadly. More so when there was more than one traveller. They might appear inside something or worse, they could appear melded together.

When they appeared beside the van, Moonbeak had a firm grasp on her troubled lover’s hoof but a loose enough grip that they could move together. “Put Zephyr's bag on my back and teleport us back up.” She ordered simply, opening the van door with her free claw.

“Yes love,” Brightstar responded with a despondent sigh as he took Zephyr's bag in his hoof, placed it on her back and closed his eyes, once more lighting his horn. Several minutes later and they were both stood at Astraea's door. When he appeared though, he wobbled considerably, his magic reserve all but spent. “Ugh, th-there…”

Silently, Moonbeak pulled him inside with her and she placed the full supply bag in her mother's room. She had been with him long enough to recognise when he was exhausted. “Still bound?” Astraea asked, a smile in her voice. “Good. Now you see why many choose Sunset. And Moony? If it happens call me any time to invite me to dinner.”

“I will, momma.”

Truly exhausted, Brightstar was pretty much along for the ride at this point, the unicorn walking quite quickly to keep up and not be outright dragged along. Thoughts of his mother, sister, and now his slip up were running roughshod through his head. “Thank you momma, for the practise.”

“Maybe Moony will let you practice binding night.” She giggled, “or maybe not.” Moonbeak didn’t dignify that with a response, she just hugged her mother tightly and, as he was pulled along, Brightstar hugged the older griffon as well.

“Have a good night, momma.” Brightstar said sadly when the hug was released. Judging by the way Moonbeak was eyeing him up, he was fairly certain the evening was going to be eventful when they got back to the treehouse.

“I think I'll sleep very well, but first I might bake something for the kittens.”

Again, Moonbeak rolled her eyes at her mother’s sarcasm. She greatly wanted her pony to join in. At any other time she was sure he would have, too, but the conversations on the phone earlier had scrambled his brain like a free range egg. Disappointed, she sighed, “they do love your cooking, momma. Let us go, pony.”

Back outside, Moonbeak stopped his attempt at a teleport before it could fail and motioned for him to get up on her back. Brightstar, who sighed a grateful sigh, got up and held on. “I need you in one piece for the ceremony.” She said, turning her head and nipping an ear lightly. “And for fun tonight. For me.” she left that at that and flew down to her van.

No sooner had they landed than Brightstar slid off and, blushing in the dark, he opened the van door for her. “I'm going to be sore tomorrow, aren't I?” Saying nothing, Moonbeak pushed the pony into the van and climbed in after as they were still bound. “On an entirely distractionary note, momma had almost no griffon food in, so I sorted that at the store.” He said for the sake of saying something, anything, to break the silence. “She's stocked up now.”

“Momma will remind me of this day, and she will tell my grandkittens.” Moonbeak ignored what he had just said and held up a talon to his lips so he couldn’t speak. “On that day I may laugh with her.” She looked at him, staring holes into his soul. “You know you'll be sore in the morning, but you don't know how sore…” she left that hanging in the air as she started the van and drove off.

‘Ooookay...’ he thought to himself, ‘so the distraction didn't work...’ he knew well enough to not try and say anything in his defence. Instead, he chose to sit quietly and await his punishment at home. At any other time, Brightstar would have found the situation comical as Moonbeak drove with her left claw and his left hoof bound together. She had him pulled next to her so she could drive one clawed. She didn't even look at him as she drove her van.

The drive back was short, uneventful and painfully quiet. When she pulled up in the parking lot near her treehouse, Moonbeak opened the door and, in getting out, pulled Brightstar out of the van. Her talons had a strong grip on his hoof, making him wince a little as his hooves touched grass beside the van. “On my back,” she ordered, at last breaking the silence. The unicorn wasted no time at all hopping up onto his lover's back and she flew up, opened the door and entered, closing it behind her with her hind paw and headed straight into the bedroom.

“Stay,” she commanded tersely, for she didn't want him to slide off of her and walking with her. Order in place, the dark grey furred griffon walked around the bedroom so that it was easy for him to watch. She wanted him to see what she was collecting. Her port of call was the large pine toy chest inside the closet. “Feather, check, crop, check, Cuffs, not really needed...” she spoke largely to herself before addressing her passenger. “Enjoying the view?

On her back, Brightstar looked a little worried at the feather, not so much at the crop. He disliked being tickled. “Yes Mistress, I'm enjoying the view so far.”

She continued to rifle through the box until she was happy she had everything she’d need then she returned to the bed. Now was the time to adjust his attitude the only way she knew how. “Your thoughts have been half baked all afternoon today. Why?”

Sighed deeply, Brightstar prepared to admit to his lover what was bothering him so. “At first, this morning, I was worried about momma, then talking with mother then...with Darkie, knowing my slip up caused her to get upset when she was in a good mood...”

“You are a fool to think you are always in control. I will not bind with a fool.” Moonbeak snorted and, sitting down on the bed, she pulled Brightstar on the hoof so that he didn’t slip back and, without warning, the crop struck him hard high on the right flank and then low on the left flank. “I will 'not' bind with a fool!”

Brightstar could see the crop pass in front of him as she changed sides to continue her assault. Every time the crop landed on a part of him that she could reach, he let out a pained yelp. After ten strikes on each flank his hindquarters were lit up like a traffic signal, and by the fourteenth strike he was crying like a scolded colt. Both ass were bright red and bore welts from the crop. “Rose!” he said his safeword, which stopped her, “I was a fool Mistress!” he cried between heavy sobs, “I'm sorry Mistress.”

“I will not make that mistake again,” Moonbeak snorted with the effort of reigning herself in and dropped the crop to the floor. She then rolled the quivering unicorn off her left side where she inspected his angry red flanks. Proud of her work. “If anyone is to kill you it will be me and no other.”

Brightstar nodded, his pained sobs becoming little more than soft whimpers. “Yes Mistress,” he breathed heavily in an attempt to manage the pain that flourished across his ass, “I understand, I'm not a fool, Mistress.”

Moonbeak paused in her inspection. She saw that in a couple of places she had drawn blood, as was her right to do so. “A griffon can focus.” She stated, licking up the few spots of blood with her tongue, relishing the coppery taste. “There is always time to mourn, and never time to doubt. Accept your responsibility, and refuse to accept it for others.”

“Yes Mistress,” the unicorn sighed and hissed with pleasure as she licked the spots that were bleeding. Tomorrow they would be sore as anything, but for now they were turning him on. “I can focus, Mistress.”

“You didn't show that to me today.” Moonbeak said sharply. She could see the crop had made him aroused by the way he was showing from his sheath. “Don't think I forgot the music of yesterday, then you were focused. Now you are not. Your mind is a pony mind, and it is far from me.”

He knew that she was right, he knew that he had to do better. “I apologise, Mistress. It is hard to be the griffon I am where Darkstar is concerned. I forget I am not responsible for everything.”

Leaning in close to him now, Moonbeak nipped his cutie mark, the tip of her beak piercing the large white star and drawing fresh blood, which she savoured. “I was barely focused yesterday with momma in the hospital. It took all I had to control my rage, and you were my rock. I need my rock.”

“Mmmmm!” Brightstar moaned, his cock instantly hard and erect from the fresh pain in his cutie mark. He so wanted her to bite the three little yellow stars that surrounded the large white one. “I am your rock, Mistress!”

Giggling, she poked his thigh with a talon until she drew a bead of blood from his upper left yellow star. “Soft pony rock.” Now she saw his considerable length was hard and ready, Moonbeak fanned her powerful wings and stoked his upper body and face. Now they could have some real fun. Her hind legs locked around one of his hind legs and the feather was introduced to the sole of his left rear hoof.

Unable to see what was being done, thanks to her well-placed wings, Brightstar was shocked to feel the feather. ‘Oh no. She's tickling me!’ he thought. No sooner had the thought occurred to him than the feather she held in her claw was drawn over his sole and sensitive frog. “Heheheheeeee!” he burst out laughing, almost straightaway he writhed and squirmed, “Hahahahaa Mi-Miiiiistressssss!”

When Brightstar attempted a defense of his left hind hoof with his right, Moonbeak quickly slashed across it with her free claw. The right hoof started to bleed, but she was careful to not cut too deep or sever any tendons. “AaaaAAH ooooh teeheeeee yeeeessss!” poor Brightstar didn’t know whether to moan or laugh, so he tried to do both at the same time.

Moonbeak's wings fluttered over his broad powerful chest, his right forehoof and his face. She was determined to tickle everywhere at once, or as much as she could reach at once, anyway. The way she was twisted to reach the rear hoof gave her a clear view of his sheath and hard stallionhood under her belly.

After what felt like an eternity, an eternity in which he was writhing in a futile attempt to get away from the incessant tickle torture, where he was struggling to breathe and to not pee everywhere, perish the thought, he finally gave in. Suffocating from lack of air was preferable to peeing everywhere. “R-Ro-Rose!"

Immediately upon hearing his safe word, Moonbeak stopped and locked her beak on his muzzle, planting a deep passionate loving kiss on her sweat covered heaving pony’s lips. “I love you, and I can't lose you.” She said once she had savoured the kiss. “I'm not getting younger, and you've accepted me for me. The kittens love you too. Family is important, but griffon families freely argue and disagree, the love is still there. Momma will never let me forget that.”

“I-I lo-love you, Moony, truly with all my heart.” Brightstar panted deeply, hungrily drawing in breath after much needed breath. “It's just...I've been in control for so long with Darkie - I've had to be…it's difficult, even though I trust Raid to care for her.” He leant forward and stole a kiss. “Thank you for reminding me of this family, this love.”

“Your family is my family too. One I will deal with as she comes, the other I have a hind paw with claws for attitude adjustment.”

Once more, he kissed his Mistress’s beak, his shaft alert and throbbing at the mention of her beautifully swollen paws, then at the thought of her powerful legs and her fat ass. “You know I love your paws, Mistress.”

Moonbeak didn’t even try to hide the smirk of triumph. “I know and with this workout I'm sure they are really sweaty and tasty right now.”

“I'm sure they are…” he trailed off and glanced down at said paw he could see, licking his lips at the very thought of tasting the sweet sweaty flavour as well as her taste on her leathery sole. “Um, not that they aren't always tasty, Mistress.”

Playfully, she swatted his face with her clawed hand. “You are being punished, pet.” She reminded him, wiggling the paw she knew he could see, tantalisingly wiggling her toes.

“Oh ah, yes Mistress…” unabashed, Brightstar didn’t take his yellow eyes off of the wiggling toes or the paw.

“You have also been naughty in not a good way.” Her shrill voice became deadly serious. “I had plans for tonight for the music you played. If you had made a good joke after using that name, it would be a good naughty, but instead you grovelled and apologised. A bad naughty.”

“You're right, Moony. I allowed my doubts and fears to get the best of me. It wasn't very attractive, was it?”

“You will always be my sexy pony, but to not stand up for your mistakes is a weakness. Now,” she moved about on top of him until she had him on his back and she was positioned on the centre of his body, “I'm wet on the inside and I need some scrubbing.”

“I-I can do that…”

“No,” Moonbeak cut him off quickly as she lowered herself over his iron hard rod, his flat head spearing her dripping wet pussy to the hilt in one smooth movement. “You will do that.” She took immediate charge of the depth and the pace. “Be slow to cum, pony.”

“Hmmmmm,” he moaned, the stallion never ever getting tired of the feeling of entering her, whether he was in charge or she was. “I will be slow, my love.”

“You think?” Moonbeak seemed to take that as a challenge. Bracing herself, the middle aged griffon went into overdrive, pumping his shaft in and out of herself so fast that her large ass was visibly wobbling and bouncing with each thrust. At the same time, she used the feather held in her hand liberally on his balls.

Brightstar found his resolve to not climax early sorely tested. “AAaaaAAAH sw-sweeeeeet Stooormclaw!” he cried, pleasure coursing through his body. Nowhere did he regret his bravado more than in his throbbing cock and heavy tightening balls. Damn if his Mistress wasn’t skilled with that feather!

“Are you a bad naughty pony, or a good naughty pony?” Moonbeak asked, taunting her lover, her pet as she increased her efforts, the griffon now using her internal muscles to drag her sopping wet muscular tunnel over his rigid penis.

“HNNNNNG I-I aaaaaAAAH I'm a goooood naughty!” Brightstar, on the verge of an almighty orgasm, scrunched his eyes tight shut and he concentrated on police procedures and trainings, anything to keep from climaxing. “I'm a good naughty!”

Moonbeak’s shrill high pitched laugh filled the bedroom. “Fill me, pony!”

“Th-Thank you Mistress!” Brightstar exclaimed and, now given permission, it didn't take him long, perhaps several plunges, for him to cum, liberally coating his Mistress’s insides as he did so. An instant later and Moonbeak came while Brightstar was still ejaculating inside her, her juices mixing with his hot sticky seed. She then laid still, content to rest silent on his body, allowing nature to withdraw him from her. “Ooooooh,” he sighed, seeing stars after that, “wow I am one lucky pony!”

“You are my rock,” Moonbeak whispered, the vulnerability evident in her voice, “do not crumble.”

“Never, my love.” Once Moonbeak had allowed nature to take its course and Brightstar’s member had retreated back inside its sheath, she twisted herself around so that they were now laying belly to belly and head to toe and hoof, laying on her right side so her bound claw was level with his bound hoof. “I'm tired,” she admitted with an exaggerated yawn, “and my toes are aching. Do not wake me.”

Brightstar, confronted with two paws and six sexy toes directly in front of his muzzle, took the two big toes in his mouth and serviced each, licking and sucking each one slowly and lovingly, easing his lover to sleep. Presently, when she start snoring, he resolved to carry on for a short time until he too drifted off to sleep.

Unfortunately, their peaceful slumber was not to last. Hours later, when the clock had ticked over to one a.m. Friday morning Fillydelphia time – which happened to be eleven p.m. Thursday night Canterlot time, Brightstar’s phone rang in his saddlebag in the living room where he had left it. It rang and rang for minutes until the unicorn was roused from his slumber. “Ugh...uh...whu-what the...”

Bleary eyed, snuggled deep in Moonbeak’s warm soft fur, he blindly reached out for his phone until he remembered where it was. As he used the hoof that was bound, the griffon snorted at his first attempt, but she didn't awake. All the while, in the darkness of the house, the phone carried on ringing. Grunting with annoyance, he levitated it still ringing to the bedroom, bringing the bag first.

He tried again, without success, to fumble in it with his bound hoof, then, when that didn’t work, he levitated the phone out of his bag before he answers it. “Hmm? Who’s this at one a.m.?”

Annoyed, Moonbeak cracked open a green eye in the darkness of her bedroom. “If that is the hospital,” she uttered grumpily, “wake me up. If that is not the hospital, why did you wake me up?”

On the other end of the call, giggling like a filly, Darkstar said, “Oh wow, she is grumpy in the evening, isn’t she?”

Brightstar still had his eyes closed like he was pretending her was still asleep. “It's Darkie, love…” Suddenly, the moment he said his sister’s name, he was properly awake. “Hey Darkie!”

“She can bite my pony's hoof. I'll show her grumpy!” Moonbeak groused, resigned to the fact that she was awake at this Stormclaw-damned time that nobody had any business being awake at.

Darkstar though, sat on her seating pad in front of a raging fire in the house she shared with Air Raid, with a mug of hot chocolate on the table beside her, snickered. “Oh, she is Air Raid grumpy!”

Beside the white mare, nestled on her favourite couch with a good book in her hooves, Air Raid snarked, “I'm not grumpy.” She wasn’t, but she was tired. One and the same, really. Calming and cheering up her friend had taken all day.

“Hush you, you're in enough trouble.” Darkstar reached over with her hoof and pressed it to her legal guardian’s lips, effectively silencing her. “And Bright, I'm sorry we snapped earlier, but we’re still mad at you.”

“I know sis,” Brightstar rubbed his eyes in an attempt to rub the sleep out of them, though the bedroom light was still turned off, “You both have a right to be mad at me.”

“You shouldn't have told Raid to not wake me up.” Said Darkstar as she took a long welcome sip of her drink. Air Raid had even put a marshmallow in it and added chocolate sprinkles. She couldn’t be angry with her after that. “So, you're marrying grumpy beak, huh?”

“I probably shouldn't, but I stand by my decision, sis. And yes, I'm marrying grumpy beak, next month.”

“Raid said her calendar is clear,” Darkstar responded as she took another long sip of her hot chocolate. “We will visit Ponyville for a bit, Raid has a lead on a better doctor. Then we’ll come see you.”

“Sounds like a plan, sis. We can't wait to have you over,” he smiled, forcing his sleep addled brain to work as ‘grumpy beak’ buried her talons into the flesh of his hind leg. “Oh, guess what?”

Darkstar snickered, she couldn’t resist the tease that had come to her mind courtesy of Darkie. “You'll make me queen of Fillydelphia for a day?”

As the phone was on loud speaker, and seeing as she had read the same paragraph of her Audi R8 owner’s manual – her idea of a ‘good book’ - several times, Air Raid chipped in, “He'll save you two seats!”

“Raid!” Darkstar exclaimed, the white mare tossing a pillow at her while the lime green mare laughed it off.

Brightstar too laughed at that. “Get her Darkie! Get her good!” he giggled when he heard the flumph of the pillowy assault. “No, I cleared it with mother's doctor. She can come to the binding, too.”

The moment their mother was mentioned, Darkstar’s good cheer evaporated like morning mist. Softly, she said, “Oh...Oh...we, I, ah, saw her a couple weeks ago. She made me Duchess of Lower Maretonia. She does have a nice tea, and her Chamberlin told me later she was doing well.”

Just as softly, Brightstar said, “I spoke with Moonstone. She said she'd send me some candy. She seemed excited to see the rainbows here in Filly. She's doing well, sis, and she is happy where she is.”

“We must admit, she is more like an aunt than a mother.” Darkstar giggled, “That aunt you always invite, but aren't bothered if she doesn't come.”

When he heard his sister giggle, Brightstar laughed. “At least you weren't treated to Madam Red Light trying to recruit you for her brothel!”

Joining in the laughter, Air Raid put in, “She wouldn't give me a decent pay scale!”

“So we were safe from that.” Darkstar gathered her composure by downing what was left of her hot chocolate. “Can we come early? To see the city, and um, have you, um, heard anything about Wily? I still don't think she is there, though.”

Brightstar sighed deeply. Very, very deeply. “No. I mean yes, yes of course you can come early, silly. I'll get grumpy beak to clean for you.” He hissed softly when those sharp talons found their way into his leg again. “I mean no, I haven't seen or heard anything of Wily. I'm beginning to think she was never here, but then we thought that. I um...I thought about her, earlier.”

“Since this...since what happened…my...we aren't thinking either, but you went to Filly about that so, we're thinking again.”

Still with that soft tone in his voice, Brightstar said, “I didn't realise...it's been the better part of a year since I last thought about her. I'm sorry, sis.”

“Stop that!” Darkstar snapped, “I'm the downer in our group! Don't take that away.”

“I think she has a certificate to prove it, too.” Air Raid snickered, dodging another pillow that was sent her way.

“Yes you are, and yes you have.” Brightstar chuckled, the royal blue unicorn nestling his muzzle in between Moonbeak’s two paws as he spoke. They were right there, so why not enjoy them? “So. Chief Groom's maid, looking forward to bossing Cy about?”

Darkstar’s quip was so fast it must have been preloaded. “As long as I don't have to change her nappy, yes.”

Brightstar’s retort was just as quick. “You can delegate that task to nana Raid…”

“Best Mare!” Air Raid exclaimed with an air of faux indignance.

“You have experience, dear brother.” Darkstar countered and both mares giggled.

“He does!” Moonbeak offered, helpfully sliding her toes in and out of her lover’s mouth.

“Fine.” Brightstar groused good-naturedly once he removed his Mistress’s toe from his mouth. Usually he wouldn’t, but he was on the phone. “I'll deal with Cy the Ever-Stinky.”

Air Raid whooped out a celebratory cheer, “High hoof!”

The unmistakable sound of hooves clopping together came down the phone line, followed by Darkstar’s cheery voice. “In that case, we forgive you for being dumb, you are just a stallion.” Moonbeak just giggled at that, wholly unable and unwilling to argue the point.

“Hey,” Brightstar said, a warning in his tone, “If she eats something really spicy the night before and gases me out, I'll know who to blame and I will get you back, all three of you.”

More laughter was the only response to that. “Okay,” Darkstar said once she had recovered enough to string two words together, “I'll let grumpy beak go back to sleep. Raid just told me it was after midnight for you. Not sure why she didn't say something earlier…”

“Whaaaaaaat?”

While Air Raid’s tone feigned innocence, Brightstar doubted she was anything but innocent. “Oh...I think I know why. Don't think I'll forget this, Raid.” He let out a wide, deep yawn, a look at the alarm clock’s illuminated numbers in the dark telling him it was fast coming up to a quarter to two. “G'night, sis, Raid.”

“You know a lot of stupid ponies,” Moonbeak commented when the call had been ended and the phone was back in his saddlebag, the bag now on the floor.

Although the bedroom was pitch black, Brightstar could hear the smile in his lover’s voice. A smile that was evident by the way she rubbed her paws all over his face and muzzle. “I also know a sexy grumpy beak…”

“Interrupting my beauty sleep has this moon baked.”

“Like a delicious moon pie, my love!” Brightstar, with a huge goofy smile on his face, leant in and snuggled his face against those oh-so-sexy toes he loved so much. “There's still some time to sleep before the alarm wakes us again, thank Stormclaw.”

Thoroughly happy with the world, content that her rock was stable as ever and back by her side, Moonbeak snuggled against her pony’s hind legs. “You will pay later, pony. Now, wipe that silly grin that just appeared on your muzzle and go back to sleep.”

“I'm sure I will,” Brightstar tenderly kissed each of her toes good night. “Sleep well, my love.”

~ ~ ~

Moonbeak sighed. The seating pad she was sat on was stiff, straight and uncomfortable, as well as unfamiliar. She shifted slightly upon it, as it was no match for her rather overly large behind. It helped though, in a way, because it helped her to remain awake through the speeches. She hated speeches with a vengeance, she always had done. Here though, at the police academy, they were practically compulsory.

Several days had passed since the now infamous binding practise and the ‘Moonbake’ incident. They had practised it a few more times over the past week, perfectly. Thoughts of her stallion were only reinforced when she watched him take the stage and walk up to the microphone.

The dark grey furred griffon was sat in the front row of seats, there were twenty rows of thirty behind her in the packed auditorium. The orange Fillydelphia PD banner lined the wall, its emblem taking pride of place among those of the other Equestrian city police forces. She smiled when Brightstar began his speech. It was nice to hear her pony speak as the number one graduate in the class, and even nicer that he kept it short.

She let out another sigh, though this one was not as deep as the one before it. Over all, she was happy that she came to the graduation. Right up until leaving the treehouse, leaving her kittens with her mother, leaving her mother’s condo and parking up at the police academy visitor’s lot, she was changing her mind on a minute by minute basis.

When Brightstar finished his speech, something about him being proud to represent the police force as a member of the undercover operatives known as Shadowbolts, Moonbeak glanced around, desperately trying to think of anything to pass the time. A sense of dread reached her belly when she saw Olive Branch step up to the microphone. The length of the instructor’s speeches were legend.

Glancing to her right, she saw an elderly mare sat on a seating pad that was equally as uncomfortable as her own. Dredging thee depths of her memory, Moonbeak recalled the pale green mare’s name was Thistle and that she was the grandmare of one of the cadets, but the name of the cadet eluded her for now. The only thing she thought out of place in the packed auditorium was the empty seat to her left. Nothing was said, but she was quite sure it was for Goldcrest.

The appearance of somepony on the stage whom Moonbeak didn’t recognise nor did she care about drew her attention back there. Miraculously she was still awake, in spite of Olive Branch’s efforts to the contrary. The newcomer started naming names and Senior Instructor – and head Shadowbolt – Olive Branch was right there hoofing out the diplomas. First to receive theirs was Brightstar and she screeched a very loud victory screech that echoed around the large room.

A short time later, after several scrolls had been passed out, Moonbeak heard the elderly mare shout out for a pony named Silver Leaf. ‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘that was the name of her grandfoal.’ Her brief curiosity sated for the moment, the griffon settled back in her uncomfortable seating pad and determined to make it through the rest of the afternoon without falling asleep. The rest of the graduates went without notice as she watched her beloved pony still standing on the stage.

Moonbeak closed her green eyes when, with the conclusion of the diplomas, Olive Branch started speaking again. Would he never, ever run out of things to say? She remembered when Goldcrest had crossed that stage. She couldn't remember who the super intendant had been back then, but she would never forget what happened to her beloved griffon, how he had been taken from her too soon by a ganger’s bullet. She opened her eyes and stared at her pony, to be sure he was still there and hadn't vanished to the Grey Spires.

Up on the stage, gazing out at the packed auditorium, Brightstar could count only a hoof full of times where he had been as proud as this before in his life. Getting into Canterlot University was one, definitely. Graduating from it, sure. Earning the opportunity to attend Stormclaw Academy in Griffonstone, then there was the birth of Zephyr. Thinking of all that as he stood at attention even made Olive Branch's next speech bearable.

Standing at the podium, Olive Branch addressed the microphone for what many attendees hoped was the last time. “I wish to thank the Mayor for his attendance at this graduation,” he intoned, smiling at the guest of honour in the front row. “Our goal is to protect the citizens of Fillydelphia. I give you all, the graduating class of 2026!” Moonbeak stood with the rest of the audience and shouted as she clapped her claws. Though they all cheered and whooped, she cheered the loudest, for now she had her pony.

As the audience cheered, Brightstar caught the eye of the other two Shadowbolt graduates and grinned, sharing a wink with the two of them, all three very thankful that the never-ending speeches might at last be done. Watching eagerly, Moonbeak waited for her pony as the graduates left the stage. She almost growled, because, as first on, Brightstar would be the last off. She did however give a little bow when the elder mare collected her beaming grandfoal.

At long last, Moonbeak saw Brightstar coming towards her and she didn't wait. Launching herself from her stiff uncomfortable seating pad, she rushed forward and wrapped her precious, beloved pony in her claws and wings. “Hey sexy!” Brightstar hugged his lover tightly before his hooves wandered lower to her wide ass. “We survived the speeches!”

“Just barely,” Moonbeak snorted, though she did love the way his hooves gripped her ass. “I could have clawed the pony to my right.”

Brightstar laughed at that, mostly because poor Thistle overheard her and the pale green mare went ever paler. At least he knew that his partner was joking. Mostly. “The weeks of training was easy compared to having to stand at attention like that for so long!”

As soon as they each pulled away from the much-needed hug, Moonbeak reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out her pony’s cell phone. She pressed it into his hoof and gave him a serious look. “Call them, I know you need to, Bright.”

Taking his phone in his glowing yellow magical aura, the royal blue unicorn’s thoughts now turned to his sister in Canterlot. To the call he had received from Air Raid two days ago. In an attempt to be helpful and cheer his sister up, she had taken her for a night out at Trixie’s Place. The night had not gone well. So ‘not well’ that Darkstar had flirted with a group of four stallions so much that the mares accompanying said stallions had beaten her up to the extent she had been sent to the hospital. “Thank you Moony,” he said, stepping aside and dialling Air Raid’s mobile number.

Air Raid, who answered on the second ring, moved to sit beside Darkstar’s hospital bed. Thankfully the door to her private room was closed. The lime green mare had been expecting her friend to call so she wasn’t disappointed. “Hey, Bright, you make it through graduation okay?”

“Yes, I did.” Brightstar replied with a smile in his voice as he watched the other graduates mingle with their relatives and friends in the auditorium. “I didn't pass out from the speeches nor did I worry too much either.” Moving aside to a little alcove, he turned serious. “How is she, Raid?”

“Ask yourself,” Air Raid responded, though there was a harassed tone to her voice she couldn’t quite hide. All these suicide attempts were starting to wear on her nerves. She had removed all the knives from her house, but the last thing she expected was for Darkstar to try and get herself beaten to death. “I just have to hold the phone for her.”

A second later, Darkstar’s depressed voice came over the phone line. “Failed again.”

“Hey sis!” Brightstar, who had noted straightaway the lack of even a ‘hello’, knew that meant the white mare was still in the depths of her depressive episode. He forced a cheery sound into his voice, determined not to bring her down any further. “I'm glad you failed. I'd miss you, ah...both of you.”

His sister snorted into the mouthpiece of her friend and caretaker’s phone. Seeing as she was on suicide watch – again – and therefore bound to the bed by elasticated straps that only allowed so much movement, she couldn’t do much else. “Darkie is not amused,” she said flatly. “Darkstar isn't amused either.”

Brightstar rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Darkie's never amused, is she?” he then smiled, “How are you doing?” He didn’t bother to ask why, they had been over that already.

Darkstar sighed as she slumped back into the comfortable bed. “I was tired of Raid not believing me.”

For the umpteenth time that day alone, Air Raid rolled her eyes. She had lost count of the times that she had apologised to her friend for taking so long to take action over the abusive nurse, Jewel Joy. “I was wrong, okay, and you were right.”

On her bed, Darkstar smiled smugly. “We do like hearing her say that.”

“I bet you two made her say it more than once, am I right, sis?” Brightstar asked, full of concern, “Still, getting yourself beaten up, sis, that's a bit...”

“We weren't supposed to get beaten up!” Darkstar objected as she interrupted her brother. The aim of the evening had been to get beaten to death, not beaten up. Although, she had to admit, that bit hadn’t gone quite to plan.

“The bouncers kept them from killing her.”

“Hmph!” Darkstar huffed and shot her legal guardian a nasty look when she said that. She would have crossed her scarred forelegs had she been able, but the straps wouldn’t allow her hooves to meet. “Stupid bouncers!”

“I know what you wanted to do,” said Brightstar softly, “and I'll say it again, I'm glad you two failed.”

Air Raid snorted, “Don’t worry, she’s in huff mode.” The lime green pegasus pointedly ignored the death stare she was getting from the restrained mare. She was immune to it by now. “Better news is I've fired that nurse, and the other doctor. The one here suggests a doc in Ponyville...”

This time Darkstar interrupted her. “Again!”

Air Raid’s long stressed out sigh spoke volumes. Very loud volumes. “We go next Tuesday, they release her on Monday.”

“I pity you, Raid. Huff mode is not fun.” Brightstar snickered, for he had been on the receiving end of many a patented Darkie Huff over the years. These incidents were usually made better with a salted caramel donut and a caramel macchiato. “I'll assume then that the cameras got you the evidence you suspected?”

As Darkstar made her contribution known by delivering a long, loud raspberry, Air Raid sighed. She felt a hundred years old, she sounded older. She didn’t want to think about how she looked. “The second camera in Darkie’s room did, she was tampering with the one I had already installed, and well…Darkie was only getting madder at me.”

“Was it...bad?” Brightstar asked uncertainly, unsure whether he wanted to know all the details over the phone. He recalled what Air Raid had told him before, about what the nurse had reportedly done to his sister. “No, I don't think I want to know...”

“The agency is settling with me out of court.” Air Raid said, cutting across her friend with that same tired sound in her voice. “I don't have the energy to take them to court. Part of the deal is Jewel Joy doing community service at her sister – Amethyst Glory’s – care home in Canterlot.”

“We think she should be executed!” Darkstar yelled, tugging at the restraints that held her to the bed.

“I just hope the money goes to something that will help Darkie.” Air Raid stroked her friend’s foreleg in an attempt to calm her down. Of course, the piece of chocolate helped a long way towards that. She didn’t want the hospital’s staff alerted by her shouting, nor for her to be sedated, again. “Wedding still on track?” she asked, deftly changing the subject.

“Yes, best mare,” Brightstar rolled his eyes audibly down the phone line so his friend could hear him, “It's still on track. Everything's on track. Done the graduation, going to the party later and then the wedding!”

“Okay. All is on track for Shining Star, too.” Air Raid smiled, she liked her friends’ mother. Well, except for the Empress. But, in her defence, nopony really ‘liked’ the Empress. “We are going to visit her sometime late next week. Hopefully we’ll get Moonstone.”

“We don't want to visit the Empress,” Darkstar put in helpfully.

Air Raid fed her friend another square of chocolate. It helped. “Yeah, but the nurse will let us know before we leave to see her.”

Brightstar laughed at that. “The Empress is scary,” he agreed, the laugh still in his voice when he spoke again. “Besides, I want Raid to visit Madam Red Light again so she can start her new job!”

While Darkstar laughed, eating her medicinal chocolate, it was Air Raid’s turn to blow her friend a very well pronounced raspberry. Listening in, as she had been the whole time, Moonbeak said softly, “It’s nice to hear your sister laugh.”

Lighting his horn, casting his voice just for Moonbeak to hear in her ear. He didn’t cast illusions very often, so when he did, it was a bit of a shock. A shock she was determined to repay him later in the Tail. “Yes it is, she needs to laugh more…” he then turned his attention back to the phone. “It'd be worth the bits just to watch Raid dance! I'd pay to watch that.”

“I'll dance donuts with my car, how about that?”

Still laughing, Darkstar said, “Even her four left hooves can do that.”

Brightstar couldn’t resist the tease, “As long as you don't crash like you did last month, huh Raid?”

“Bad reception,” Air Raid made a very good imitation of static white noise, “I can't hear you…you’re breaking up…” Darkstar just laughed all the louder as all of a sudden – no doubt due to the ‘interference’ - the phone abruptly disconnected.

As Brightstar gave his pone back to Moonbeak, his dress uniform didn’t have any pockets, nor did he have a bag, the griffon rolled her eyes at him. “You do a good job of getting a pony off the phone.” The royal blue stallion shrugged as she put his phone away. It had made Darkie laugh. Or Darkstar laugh. One or the other. “Ah,” she smiled when she saw Olive Branch and Sour Sweet, who had been delayed by closing down the event walk up to them, “Your superiors are here.”

Olive Branch gave the griffon a well-mannered nod. “Moonbeak, Brightstar. After party unchanged?”

Moonbeak nodded straightaway. “It’s still at the Tail.” Where else would she have any kind of party other than the Twisted Tail? If Selene found out she would claim disloyalty and claw her insides to her outsides.

Alongside her boss, Deputy Instructor Sour Sweet nodded to what she counted as friends. Recently elevated to such vaunted status from mere associates. The unicorn was worthy of her respect from his test scores alone. Not everypony made Shadowbolt status, after all. “Rookie, Moonbeak.”

Moonbeak held up the index talon of her left claw to her pony’s lips to prevent him from returning the greeting. “My apologies, but my pony isn't quite dressed yet.” Smirking, like a kitten who had just made her first kill in the Trials on the Plains of Blood, she reached into her bag and pulled out Brightstar’s grey collar.

The moment his yellow eyes alighted on the collar held in his beloved’s clawed hands, Brightstar nodded to in deference to his superior. “Sour Sweet, good to see you…” he was blushing furiously as he bowed his head, he reached back with his hoof and pulled aside his black mane. “Thank you, Mistress.”

As Moonbeak placed the collar around her pet’s neck, as she buckled it tight, the royal blue stallion couldn’t believe she was doing it right then and there in the auditorium! Right there! Even though some of the ponies had gone, there was still a few there to watch what was happening. Bold as brass, though, she shared a smile with Sour Sweet. “New record, rookie!” the Shadowbolt grinned, “Written up for out of uniform on day zero.”

Moonbeak joined Olive Branch in his snicker. “I want photos of his punishment detail, Sour.”

“Can do, Moonbeak.”

Brightstar threw up his hooves. “Oh come on...punishment, Sour, really?” Though he feigned indignance, he did have a smile as wide as a Cheshire cat. “I haven't even got an assignment yet...”

Sour Sweet looked on approvingly at the tightness of Brightstar’s collar. “Toilets don't scrub themselves, do they?”

As they bantered, a thought occurred to Moonbeak, something she had found odd all throughout the day. “Was there a reason the seat next to me was empty today?”

Expecting that question, Olive Branch was fast on his hooves, faster than a speeding pegasus with the wind at her back. “Actually there should have been empty seats on both sides. Silver Leaf's grandmare showed up late and wasn't fussed about sitting next to a bundle of claws with an attitude problem.”

“Me neither,” Brightstar grinned, the stallion sensing an opportunity for some good bad naughtiness. “That's why I'm binding with her in a couple of weeks!”

Moonbeak held her pony tight in her wing so that he couldn’t escape her tight unbreakable grip of iron. She had such plans for her pet at the Twisted Tail. There would be stories told of this night to rival those of Stormclaw herself. “Come, pony. We go now.”

“Be a good lap pony,” Sour Sweet snickered behind her hoof, “see you there, rookie.”

Olive Branch laughed, “Time to go, Sour. See you both there tonight.”

“And try not to get lost, rookie!” Sour Sweet called after them as they walked.

“Lost?” Moonbeak asked curiously, her interest piqued by the Shadowbolt’s statement as they headed out of the auditorium and to her van waiting in the parking lot. This looked like being a very fun story. One she really wanted to hear.

Chuckling, Brightstar obediently followed Moonbeak to the van, being the good little pony he was deep down. He figured he’d have to tell this story at some point, whether he wanted to or not. At the van, she waited expectantly by her driver’s side door. Well trained, Brightstar opened the van door in his magic for his lady and Mistress, even adding a little bow too. “My second day of training. A bunch of us trainees were left at the very north of Filly, near the marshes. We were told to find our way back within a certain time. I took the lead, real confident like, but it was misty. I went north instead of south. I only realised when we ended up in Baltimare.”

Moonbeak had laughed long and loud, her peals of shrill laughter filling the van as she drove along. She was still laughing when Brightstar called Cyclone to tell her the news of his graduation. Unfortunately, the black mare was out, at one of her comic or sci-fi conventions, Slayer-Con, it was called. “Nice message you left for nappy pony.” She snickered.

“Yeah,” Brightstar snickered, “I hope it makes her laugh when she gets it.”

“You hope she fills her nappy, you mean!” Moonbeak retorted, steering her van through the streets of downtown Fillydelphia, over the Delamare River. “I'm looking for some fun tonight, pony.” She grinned a most predatory grin once they crossed the wide river. “The sort of fun like the night I met you at the Tail.”

Brightstar grinned, the unicorn feeling remarkably at peace while he watched the scenery of the south eastern coastal town whizz past the van. A rather devilish, fiendish idea came to him, a good bad plan to earn some quality fun later at the bar. He reached a hoof for the stereo. “Care for some music while we drive, Mistress?”

Moonbeak caught what he was about to do and reached for his hoof with her clawed hand. She seized that hoof and lightly dug her talons in, not enough to draw blood, but enough that he got the message. “You put on that punk station, you're walking, pet.”

“How did you know I was thinking that?”

“There was this crazy getaway driver that thought it would be good driving music the other day,” Moonbeak grinned, her grip on his hoof neither loosening nor tightening. “I think he said some word because it wasn't his best idea.”

“Fine,” Brightstar relented, not wanting to be bad bad. Good bad was the order of the day. “No Sex Pistols today. Don't feel like walking. Now, if it would get me a spanking, that'd be different…”

Finally, Moonbeak released her claw. Partly because she was satisfied, partly because she needed her claw to steer the van. “You get a spanking for just thinking about it, pet.”

“I was thinking about turning it up full blast. I won't do that either.”

Moonbeak snorted. “Seems my pony has gained a tiny amount of wisdom.”

“The pony doesn't want to walk, more like,” Brightstar rested the hoof that had been recently seized on his beloved partner and Mistress’s leg. “I'm glad you came today, to the graduation. Seeing you in the auditorium got me through all the speeches.”

“There were speeches?” Moonbeak asked, her eyebrow raised, “Maybe I zoned out a bit.” She then turned her attention back to the road. It wasn’t long before they arrived in the somewhat less well-kept area of Fillydelphia south of the river. Their ultimate destination soon came into view amid the desolate boarded up houses and abandoned shop fronts.

The place in question happened to be a two storey bare brick building with dark blue doors and window frames. The name plate, worn and faded, heralded The Twisted Tail bar. The sign outside, which promised the best whiskey this side of the Delamare River, as well as the best atmosphere, made the place seem just what they needed right now for the night ahead.