“WAaaAAaaAA!”

Brightstar, snuggled in the cocoon of warmth that was the large bed in the treehouse, opened his yellow eyes at the sound of Athena’s cry transmitted over the monitor. The royal blue stallion glanced over at the alarm clock. The evil device reported to him that it was three a.m. Before he could process a thought as to what to do, Moonbeak had gotten out of the bed and departed for Athena's room.

‘Ah! Sweet Luna it’s cold!’ He thought as he huddled under the thick fluffy comforter to try and regain the trapped warmth that had escaped when the pregnant griffon had left him.

He heard, over the monitor, the creak of the wooden door as it opened. Next thing he heard was Athena’s little voice, as shrill as her mother instantly stop her cry when she walked into her bedroom. “Wata Mama!”

“Potty?” Moonbeak asked questioningly, trying to ascertain just what had awoken her little kitten.

“Nuhuh.”

Brightstar heard Moonbeak say, “Okay,” and then there was a pause of a few moments where he couldn’t hear anything over the shuffling of fabric and an odd clink here and there. “Here you go.”

Another brief pause and he heard Athena’s voice from the monitor. “Tanka Mama…” then, amidst the gentle sucking sounds of a little beak on the tip of a cup, he caught Moonbeak tell her, ‘Good night.’

A few seconds after that and Moonbeak returned, padding softly into the darkened bedroom. Walking on autopilot she made it to bed and resumed her snuggling position as the little spoon with her back up to her young stallion. Brightstar wrapped his foreleg over her shoulder and held her tight against his chest. “Hmm…” he nestled his muzzle into her neck. “’Thena ok?”

Moonbeak mumbled as she once more got comfortable on her side. “Thirsty, I think Ceres gave her too many salty snacks.”

“Aah...” He kissed the back of her white feathered neck and used his yellow aura to pull up the comforter around them both as they fell back into a contented sleep together.

The peaceful sleep however was not to last. Two hours later at five fifteen a.m., with the sun still not risen, Brightstar’s cell phone began to ring from his saddlebag situated in the living room of the treehouse. Moonbeak, who was by nature a light sleeper, immediately sat up in the bed. “What is that?”

“Mmmm...” Brightstar murmured as he half sat up in the bed but slumped back down almost immediately when he felt the cold on his chest. “Ph-phone...” he tried valiantly to ignore the ringing, but Moonbeak’s left leg put paid to that as she gave him a pawed assist out of the warm bed. “Ngggg…” he shuddered involuntarily, “it's cooooold...” he grumbled and staggered his way through to the dark living room and levitated his phone out of his saddlebag - upside down - and answered it. ‘Who in Tartarus wants me at stupid o'clock?’ he thought with a grump. “H- He...” he yawned, “hello?”

A rather gruff sounding stallion’s voice came over the line. “Hello, is this Brightstar?”

Brightstar ran a royal blue hoof through his black mane as he stood in the gloomy darkness of the living room. “Yes it is, who's this?”

“This is Officer Steelhoof, with the Canterlot Royal Police department.” Came the reply of the far more awake and alert pony. “Could you please meet us at the Canterlot Royal Hospital?”

‘CRPD? What the hay are CRPD ringing me for?’ Was the unicorn’s first thought, then Brightstar yawned again. “No...no I'm in Fillydelphia...Darkie if this is a prank it's not funny.”

“Oh, one moment.” There was a pause then as Steelhoof covered the phone so he couldn't hear what was being said. “Mr. Brightstar, your sister has been involved in an accident and is in the hospital. You are the second pony we have tried to contact. Is there another family member in the area?”

Brightstar almost said his mum out of reflex but caught himself. “No, no there's not...wait, what d'you mean accident, what kind of accident?” A slight, tiny little mote of panic crept into his brain. “Hoof stuck in a caramel donut jar?” He asked, trying to make a joke of it. ‘What if it’s not a prank, though?’

“I'm sorry sir,” the gruff no-nonsense voice was in his ear again. “But I'm not at liberty to say over the phone which is why we want to meet you at the hospital. One moment.” Once more he covered the phone speaker again. “Is there somepony you trust in Canterlot that could act in proxy?”

Brightstar had to think about that. Dusk would’ve been his first choice, but he was closeted away with Vocal Chord in the castle. There was Cy, but she was away in Cloudsdale. That only left one pony he, and Darkstar – trusted. “Uuh…y-yeah, there's Air Raid.”

“Do you have a number for her, please?”

“Sure, here it is.” Brightstar proceeded to give the officer the cell number for Air Raid’s phone.

“Thank you, Air Raid will be at liberty to speak freely if she so chooses.” Steelhoof then felt a touch of sympathy for what obviously sounded like quite a young pony. He knew he shouldn’t, but he said, “Your sister is receiving the best possible care. I'll need to hang up now to contact Air Raid.”

“Huh...yeah, yeah sure thing officer ah, thanks.” Once the officer hung up, Brightstar, eager to get back to the warmth of the bed and back to the warmth of the griffon lying there, carried his phone with him back to the bedroom. Back under the comforter, he decided to leave it a good ten minutes before he called Air Raid.

On the third ring, Air Raid answered the call. “’Ello Bright, the police just called and I'm still stumbling around in the dark.”

Brightstar felt a pang of remorse for his lime green friend. She had just completed a one and a half thousand mile journey and she sounded as tired as he felt. “I’m sorry Raid...it just sounded urgent.”

Air Raid nodded in her house as she scrabbled in the dark for her car keys. Why were they never ever where she left them? Ever? “Yeah, wouldn't tell me why, just that it was an accident, and I need to get my flank over to the hospital. Hey, I'll call you when I find out something, okay?”

Feeling the pillow under the back of his head, Brightstar sighed as his eyes drooped with the pull of fatigue. “Yeah sure Raid, thanks for going to check on her. I said it was probably nothing, you know Darkie.”

Air Raid snorted down the phone, triumphant when her hoof touched the keys. “Caramel donut stuck on her horn or something like that.”

“Most likely,” his eyes closed for a second time, “or her hoof stuck in the jar.”

Air Raid giggled when she realised she could’ve turned on her living room light. ‘Stupid featherbrain…aw shaddup!’ “Yeah, go back to bed, somepony should get some sleep.”

“Raid,” Brightstar yawned, “if it’s a prank, you have my permission to kick her flank.”

“Copy that. I think I found my ass, so time to head out the door.” Knowing Brightstar could talk the paint off a wall, Air Raid hung up and trotted out of her house and into the freezing early spring morning, her breath visible in the air.

Brightstar placed his phone on the nightstand at a perfect angle to the edge of it that satisfied his OCD and leant down to cuddle back up to Moonbeak.

Moonbeak hadn’t moved all this time. “What's up?” She asked simply when she felt the stallion’s weight behind her.

Brightstar shrugged and placed his forehoof back over his griffon and for a second time he pulled up the comforter. “Oh...it’s nothing most likely. The police say my sister's been in an accident.”

“You need to go?” She asked as she nestled back into her stallion’s warmth.

“Nah,” he shook his head. “Odds are the 'police' was a pony my sister knows and that was a trademark Darkstar prank. Not falling for it.”

Content that there was no crisis, Moonbeak mumbled, “Okay…” and before the syllable had left her beak she was back asleep.

“Heh…” Brightstar smiled as he closed his eyes properly this time. ‘Good one, Darkie.’

An hour and a half of blissful sleep later and Brightstar found out that the Athena alarm and the Moonbeak alarm were both in sync at precidely seven a.m. Brightstar, vaguely aware of movement next to him and sunlight on his face, murmured, “mMmmm…” as he woke up again for the third time that morning.

Moonbeak gave him an affectionate little nip on the nose with her beak that served to properly wake him up. “Can you cook?”

“I can,” the royal blue unicorn nodded, somewhat proudly, in response. He and his sister had taught themselves to look after each other, and they’d been doing it for the past six years.

“Good,” Moonbeak stood up from the bed and began to walk out of the bedroom. “Oatmeal please, and there are kippers to put in it for me and Athena.” With that, she left to great Athena for their morning ritual.

“You got it!” With no small measure of reluctance, Brightstar left the confines of the warm bed and got up. ‘At least it’s warmer with the sun up,’ he thought as he stretched, then trotted through to the nearby kitchen. A very brief look around in the cupboards divulged everything he’d need, and he proceeded to get the breakfast prepped while Moonbeak bathed Athena. “Heh,” Brightstar chuckled as he cooked, “silly Darkie, thinking we'd fall for that obvious prank…”

After the bathing was complete, Brightstar dished out the oatmeal and the kippers into three bowls, Moonbeak preened Athena and then she preened her own wings. The pair came out of the bathroom to the dining room and Brightstar served the bowls out on to the dining room table. “Breakfast is served!”

Athena, who was placed into her boosted chair, dove in beak first. “Yum!”

Moonbeak sat and took a spoonful of her oatmeal. “A pony of many talents.” She said, before taking a kipper and dispatching it with three vicious snaps of her beak.

“I’ve had to be.” Brightstar smiled. He and his sister would take it in turns to cook back home, though admittedly Darkstar was better at it than he. “Can I get you both a drink?”

Athena looked up from her bowl, oatmeal dripping cutely from her feathered face. “Wata!”

Moonbeak smiled. ‘All he needs is a maid’s dress…hmm…’ “Water for me too. I don't have juice, but there should be some kool aid in the fridge.”

“Water it is, ladies.” Brightstar even gave a little bow before he went off to get the water. In the kitchen at the sink he was again amazed that the treehouse had running water. How it was done was beyond him, but he was nonetheless impressed. Moments later he came back into the dining room with them and a coffee for himself on a tray.

“Ponies and their coffee.” Moonbeak smiled and accepted her water. “You're lucky I keep pony foods around. I was sure you would ask for some, but you did some looking for breakfast.”

Brightstar smiled as he retook his seating pad and sipped his milky coffee. “Coffee makes my blood start in the morning. And, I only searched so I knew where everything was.”

“Didn't say you couldn't.” Moonbeak replied, an approving tone in her voice. “Resourceful pony you are.”

“Thank you love.” Brightstar took a mouthful of his oatmeal and kippers, feeling very good about everything. He’d almost forgotten about the whole Darkstar thing. That was until his phone beeped, alerting him to a text message. Levitating his phone up, he saw that it was from Air Raid. Opening it up he read ‘I'm at the Hospital, no word yet.’ Now…now he was starting to get a tiny bit worried. “She's still at the hospital?”

“About your sister?” Moonbeak asked curiously, catching the change of his voice at once.

Brightstar nodded. “Yes Moony.” He typed out a reply and sent the text. ‘No word? What does that mean?’

There was a long pause before Air Raid sent her reply. ‘Means she still in surgery. They will get me when done. If it’s a prank it is her best, whole hospital in on it.’

The panic rose in Brightstar’s voice. “Raid says Darkie's still in surgery!” He was so distracted by thoughts of what could’ve happened he had to write out the message three times, his magic was so inaccurate. ‘She has been in surgery for three HOURS. What is happening!!!!!!!’

‘Bright I know as much as you. I stop the nurses and they say wait.’

“Luna damn it!” Brightstar hit the dining table in frustration. ‘It is so frustrating. Please keep me updated.’

“Watch your mouth!” Moonbeak snapped, pointing a talon at Athena who was listening attentively for new words.

Air Raid’s reply came quicker than the last one. ‘I will Bright. Say hi to Moony?’

Brightstar quailed under the very stern gaze he was receiving. “Moony I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that.” He typed out his rather reluctant reply. ‘Sure…she is in a mood because of my mood.’

The royal blue unicorn could almost see the impish grin of Air Raid’s teasing face in her reply. ‘So let her take your mind off of it. I’ll let you know if there is any change.’ Brightstar put his phone on the dining table and slumped under his hoof. “Uuugh!”

“So, what did she have to say?” Moonbeak asked, putting her spoon in her empty bowl.

Brightstar sighed. “All she knows is my sister's still in surgery. That's all they'll tell her.” He gave another sigh and pushed away his oatmeal. “She said if it’s a prank then the whole hospital's in on it.”

Moonbeak just looked at him with that same piercing gaze, almost like she was hunting, while Athena, certain she was getting no new interesting words went back to eating her kippers with the same viciousness of her mother. Brightstar saw the gaze and swallowed. “She ah…also said you should take my mind off of it.”

‘Should I indeed…’ Moonbeak thought to herself. “Hmm, yes. Eat!” So easily she changed her tone from motherly to domineering that she knew he loved. “I'll not toss food.”

“Eet!” Athena helped as well.

“Yes ladies.” Despondently he sighed and floated his bowl back over to him in his yellow aura and with very little enthusiasm started to eat.

Moonbeak looked at her kitten, who was halfway through a kipper, with a smile and knew she was about to make her very happy. “Nana.”

Athena, caught by surprise, dropped the half eaten morsel into the oatmeal with a wet splodge. “Nana!”

“Eat.” Moonbeak said again, this time it was directed at her kitten. Athena literally attacked her food with a gusto that Brightstar found hard to match as he forced a smile over at Moonbeak and continued eating.

“Dun! Dun!” Athena announced a few moments later, easily as much oatmeal on her face as what had gone in her belly.

Moonbeak laughed, “please wait, ‘Thena.”

Athena pouted. “Nana!”

Again, Moonbeak pulled out the stern look. “Athena.” In response the kitten went quiet and gave her mother her patented wide eyed cute look.

In spite of his mood and his worry, Brightstar couldn’t help but laugh. “She knows how to fight I'll give her that.”

“Yes,” the pregnant griffon agreed, “but she knows how to win too.” She leant over to see if he was finished with his food and Brightstar, who had a mouthful left, saw her glare and quickly ate what was left. “Hmm…clean up while I get Athena ready to go.” Carefully she lifted Athena up and took her to the bathroom to clean her up after breakfast and to pack her bag.

With his breakfast finished, Brightstar took the dishes in his magical field to the kitchen and washed them up. When he came out of the kitchen, Moonbeak returned from the bathroom with Athena on her back and she set the bag in her beak on the counter. “Looks like you'll meet my mother first.”

“It does.” Brightstar nodded, a little thin smile on his muzzle. ‘Rather yours than mine.’

“Close the door behind you, I’ll meet you in the van.” Moonbeak took the bag in her beak and with Athena on her back she flew out of the front door.

“Alrighty.” Brightstar said distractedly as he walked up to the door and, closing it behind him he lit his horn and without concentrating – which upon reflection was a dangerous and not very smart thing to do – he teleported down quickly. So quickly, he didn’t consider his destination properly and he appeared six inches in the air and dropped to the sidewalk.

By the time he picked himself up and dusted himself down, Athena was in her car seat and Moonbeak was ready in the driver’s seat of her van. After his little stumble, he got in the passenger seat and Moonbeak drove off. “Are you close to your sister?” She asked.

“Very much so.” Brightstar replied absently. “We're not just family we're best friends.”

Moonbeak caught the reticence in his voice. “Why are you still here?” She asked directly.

“Because...” he didn’t really know how or what to say. “Because I have you in my life now, and I'd rather not face Canterlot alone, I've already got one family member in a hospital...” he went silent, cursing himself for letting that slip.

If Moonbeak caught the meaning she gave no sign. “You are not alone in that regard.” She said simply as she drove along.

“I'm not?”

“Later.”

“Ba!” Athena squeaked from her car seat.

Moonbeak giggled a very girlish giggle. “For some the world does not rest on their shoulders.”

“Hm? Oh, sure ‘Thena.” Distracted from his funk, Brightstar smiled and lit his horn to create the royal blue ball, complete with white star.

“Ba!” Came the excited squeak again when he levitated it to her. Watching her play with it was a strange form of catharsis to the troubled stallion.

“Some are luckier than others…” he mused out loud, although Moonbeak remained silent for the remaining five minutes of the drive. Nervously, Brightstar found himself checking his phone every other minute or so for any message from Air Raid, biting the toe of his hoof as he did so.

“Nana!” Athena called out when her mother turned onto a street she recognised.

A little further down the street, Moonbeak stopped the van and killed the engine. “Will you go in?”

Getting out of the van, Brightstar nodded. “I'd love to meet your mother.”

Moonbeak, with Athena on her back, lead the royal blue stallion up to what was obviously another griffonian dwelling. Whereas her house was singular, it was a block of condos with steps to reach up to each level. “She is in three J.” The pregnant griffon said over her shoulder.

“Aah, very nice place.” From the apartment plan, Brightstar could see it was a five floor building, with apartments going from A to M on each floor. Looking at it, he had an amused thought of many large scale birdhouses all packed together.

Moonbeak flew up to the right door, but she paused to wait for the unicorn before she knocked. About to teleport up, Brightstar instead decided to take the stairs. Once he was up on the third floor landing, Moonbeak knocked and entered and placed Athena on the floor who immediately took off like a golden brown furred rocket for a late middle aged jet black griffon with grey lion's body. “Hi momma, I brought a guest.”

Brightstar followed the griffon inside and bowed his head in polite greeting. “Good morning, Ma'am.”

“Oh, a pony is it.” Astraea got up from her rocking chair and picked up her grand-kitten. “So Moon, who is he?”

“He helps with my photography and with Athena.” Moonbeak strangely didn’t meet her mother’s blue eyes as she answered. “Very useful.”

Brightstar smiled to the older griffon. “Мне нравится быть полезным.”

Astraea laughed at that. “So you have to be careful of what you say with this one.”

“Not really.” Moonbeak replied.

Astraea looked the royal blue unicorn over, scrutinising him as one would prey. “Это объясняет воротник.”

Brightstar nodded with a smile. “Это удовольствие носить его.”

Astraea, having completed her examination to her exacting standards, gave him a nod. “Вежливые также.”

“His sister is in the hospital so I may take him there.” Moonbeak said, wanting to get to the point of their visit, plus she had to, as Air Raid so eloquently put it, take his mind off his troubles. She had an idea how to do that. A sexy idea.

Astraea nodded, “So you want me to watch Athena for a bit?”

“In Canterlot, mother.”

“So, for a long bit, then.” Astraea giggled as she played with the little kitten.

“Thank you, Ma'am.” Brightstar spoke up, grateful his griffon’s mother was so accommodating on such short notice, then again, he mused, if she was anything like his old grandmare used to be, then Athena would be pumped full of sugar and then returned to them like a time bomb ready to go off.

“We are waiting on word back on her,” Moonbeak explained, “so for now I just want Athena ready if we go, but I'll be back at the house should you need me. I'll call in before we go anywhere.”

“Go,” Astraea shooed them out of her condo, “and I'll keep the little one safe. Quill will be over later so she will have a playmate.”

“Indeed,” Brightstar said as he was ushered towards the door by the black griffon. “Last word was she was in surgery, err, hooves crossed at this point.”

“Thanks momma,” Moonbeak gave her mother an affectionate nuzzle, “be good for Nana, Athena.”

Athena, for her part, was nodding vigorously from her grandmother’s arms, waiting for her mom to go so she could get an ice pop from her granny.

“Thank you, Ma'am,” Brightstar said distractedly as he checked his phone again for any messages from Air Raid, then sighed when he found nothing. Moonbeak merely nodded to the door and walked out of the condo to fly down to her waiting van. Brightstar followed after his griffon and teleported down, though this time his spell was far more controlled.

In the transit van, Moonbeak was quiet almost all the way on the drive back to her treehouse. Three quarters of the way back, just as they turned on to Horsehead Square, Brightstar looked at her driving. “You're quiet.”

Moonbeak sighed a little sigh. “Listening involves being quiet enough to hear.”

Brightstar looked out of the van’s window, he didn’t answer straight away. He was suddenly aware, acutely aware, of just how much he loved and missed his sister. “You were right when you said me and my sister were close.” He said eventually as they entered her street, “we've pretty much raised each other since we were thirteen. I…I…dunno what I'd do if anything happened to her.”

“You will do what you must, it is what we all do.” Moonbeak shot him an understanding sympathetic smile as she pulled into the carport and got out. She had a very good idea of what he was going through. “Hop on, I'll take you up.”

Getting out of the van, Brightstar smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Moony.” He said quietly as he got onto her back.

Once she was sure her stallion was secure on her back, Moonbeak spread wide her powerful dark grey wings and flew up to her treehouse, but instead of stopping just inside the living room, she carried on until they were inside the bedroom. Hovering to the floor she wiggled her wide hips. “Off,” she said in that high, commanding tone, “and get on the bed. Lay down on your back and close your eyes.”

At once, Brightstar caught the change in the tone of her shrill voice. That tone that in spite of his mood and his misgivings, excited him. “Yes Mistress.” Quickly, in anticipation of what his Mistress had in mind for him, he moved from her wide back and got on the bed, laying as he had been instructed, on his back and with his yellow eyes closed.

Seeing him laid out on the bed, Moonbeak took a moment to cast an approving, loving, eye over her obedient stallion. “Stay.” She ordered, and left the bedroom.

‘What is she going to do?’ Brightstar wondered as he lay there on the bed, perfectly still, not even tempted to open his eyes. It took Moonbeak just five minutes to find all the stuff she wanted to use, but it was five minutes that felt like five years to the young unicorn. Just as his thoughts were starting to take a more morbid turn, he heard his griffon walk back into the bedroom.

Carrying the equipment she needed, Moonbeak walked noisily up to the bed and just stopped, all the while watching the royal blue unicorn, toying with him. Just as she judged he was about to say something to break the silence, she dropped the set of iron shackles on the hardwood floor. Still she watched him silently, amused as he flinched a little with the sound of the shackles impacting on the floor, smirking as he opened his eyes a fraction and snapped them shut again. “Scaredy pony.” She said derisively. “What is your safe word, scaredy pony?”

Hating himself that he had been caught out, Brightstar blushed a bright red. “R-Rose, Mistress.”

Moonbeak giggled and drew a loving, caressing wingtip over his chest. “Who picked that? You?”

“Yes Mistress.” The feather went a long way to relaxing him. “It was...is, mother's favourite flower, Mistress.”

Deciding she had kept him waiting long enough, Moonbeak got to work. First she put the shackles securely around each of his legs just above the hooves, securing each with the lock and key. Next she placed a very short chain between the front ones so that his head could pass through as she fastened the chain to the head of the bed with a length of rope that was suspiciously the right size for its purpose. “Comfy?” She asked once she was sure he was suitably restrained.

“Comfy, Mistress.”

Nodding, Moonbeak looked between his legs to see how 'excited' he was. Satisfied his sheath was twitching, the dominant griffon was determined to get it out and hard. She used another rope to tie the rear shackles to the bottom corners of the bed leaving his hind legs spread wide apart. “You do have a cute ass, I see why Selene wanted you to spill your whisky there.”

Brightstar shivered with a smile, his shaft now beginning to emerge. “Thank you, Mistress.”

“No Magic!” She said harshly.

Under the strict command, Brightstar felt more of himself emerge from his sheath. “The shackles prevent magic, Mistress.” He replied simply, remembering the rules from the previous night’s game.

‘Such a good colt,’ Moonbeak thought as she giggled to herself. “Yes, yes they do.” She started with dusting his balls with a primary feather.

“Aaaaah…” he sighed happily as he now got very hard indeed.

“You cost me a lot of bits yesterday.” Her tone was light, but carried with it a sneering condescending dominance she knew he loved. In truth he had, but she could easily recoup what was in the grand scheme of things an inconsequential amount of bits. Wordlessly she moved onto the bed so that her other wing could reach and stroke the length of his shaft.

“Mmmmm!” Brightstar arched his back from the pleasure, “M-Mistress I tried, I really did try!”

“Really?” She asked as she held a glass of whisky under his nose.

“Y-Yes Mistress!” He squeaked, sniffing the whiskey held in front of him. He felt then, the weight on the bed shift as the wing on your shaft left him and the one caressing his balls moved to be between his hind legs. With no warning at all, he felt Moonbeak's weight drop down hard on his shaft, crushing it flat against his belly. Maddeningly though, she just sat there unmoving. A whisky dipped feather then ran along his lips. “Ooooof!” He gasped at the weight on his hard member, and without question he opened his mouth and licked at the feather.

“Hmm…” Moonbeak smiled, “seems to be some left from yesterday. That's a good stally, lick it all clean.”

Underneath her, Brightstar glowed at the praise, leant his head forward and took more of the primary feather in his mouth as he licked and sucked it clean. Once the whiskey was gone, Moonbeak pulled her wing away for a re-dipping and returned it freshly soaked to his lips. “You need to try harder.”

“Mmmm yes Mistress!” His trapped shaft twitched between the pregnant griffon’s legs as he started to lick the feather again. “I must have missed some.”

Teasingly, Moonbeak slowed her pace on his nut sack a bit, now using longer sweeps of the feathers and she began to rock back and forth at the junction of his shaft and sheath. “Yes, do a good job my Pet.”

“MmmMMM ooooh Mistress!” Brightstar whined with need, though he kept sucking at the feather. Moonbeak continued to re dip her feather when he was done, but annoyingly, maddeningly, she wasn’t really doing anything else to bring the aroused stallion to climax other than rock her weight over him. Frustrated, Brightstar let out a little whimper as yet again he sucked her feather. “Mistress please that feels so very good!” Before he could stop himself, he made an attempt to buck his hips under her body.

‘Hmph!’ Moonbeak frowned. “Oh, well, I can't have that.” Silently she got up off the bed and left the room without a backwards glance at the captive pony.

“Mistress!” Brightstar whined, the sudden loss of contact far worse than any slow teasing. He laid on the bed, his eyes firmly shut. “I'm sorry! I'm a bad Pet Mistress!”

A moment’s silence was broken when Brightstar heard the TV come on with what he assumed was some local music channel blaring out of it. ‘She can’t leave me here like this!’ “Mistress!” He called desperately, not even tempted to use his magic in the slightest, “punish your naughty Pet, Mistress please!”

He heard her mocking laughter, “Did you think this was a reward?”

Brightstar blushed. He knew then he was totally and completely in her power. He had the ability to free himself, but he knew that would disappoint his Mistress. “No Mistress.” Instead he laid quietly, cursing himself for his foalishness.

After what felt like several lifetimes, though was in fact no more than five minutes, Brightstar heard the flutter of wings approach the bed. He resisted the urge to open his eyes, or to do anything that might make her go away again. Hovering up over the bed, Moonbeak dropped down with her legs on either side of his forelegs and smothered his muzzle with her groin. “Clean up!” She ordered as she reached with the tuft of her grey tail and stroked his waning rod.

“MmmMMF!” Brightstar let out the muffled surprised gasp and immediately he started to lap at her sopping wet labia while his shaft began to rise again under her tail’s ministrations. Moonbeak simply ground herself onto his muzzle, riding him for all he was worth. ‘Sweet Luna she's wet!’ He assumed, correctly, she had been helping herself along in the living room. “Hmmmm…” he slid his tongue straight up into her dripping tunnel, lapping at the muscular walls as he went.

“Think whatever you need to think, but I want to feel your seed on my tail and back, and I want to feel it now.” Moonbeak ordered, her wings flared back to aid her tail in its work.

By this time Brightstar was so aroused, that order was not a problem to obey. With a final image in his mind he threw his head back and… “NGGGGGaaaaaaaah!” He screamed as he came, his white sticky load shooting over Moonbeak’s back and tail.

Two more hard grinds on the unicorn’s muzzle and Moonbeak's imagination got the best of her and she orgasmed messily and noisily on his face. “I…I so needed that.”

“MmmMmm!” Muzzle deep in her crotch, Brightstar could only agree as he swallows it and licked her clean.

Above him, Moonbeak rode the wave of pleasure out until she was sated. “Well, Pet,” she panted happily, “that was very good use of your imagination.” She rose off of him with a flap of her powerful wings and lightly licked his nose when she landed next to the bed. “I do taste good, don't I?”

“Hmhmm!” Brightstar gasped for air, swallowing it down as he had his griffon’s cum a moment before. “You taste wonderful, Mistress!”

“Savour it, pony.” She turned her back on him with a smile in her voice. “I'm off to the shower. You can open your eyes, but don't you go anywhere.” She ended that with a giggle and started to walk out of the bedroom, pausing at the door.

Brightstar licked his lips and opened his eyes. “I understand, Mistress.” Looking over at the door he saw Moonbeak’s tail was held very high, fully displaying her wet nethers to him as she exited for the bathroom. “Hnnnnng!” He sighed, for he was hard again.

After a very, very leisurely shower that seemed to Brightstar to last several eternities, Moonbeak returned to the bedroom with a warm wet towel over one shoulder and a dry towel over the other. “Somepony miss me while I was gone?” She asked coyly, her voice sounding a little strange now the ‘Mistress’ tone was gone.

Brightstar nodded, “the second you left the room, Moony.” Giving him a tender kiss, she proceeded to put the warm wet towel to good use, thoroughly cleaning his sheath, belly, chest and muzzle. While she dried him off with the other towel, his cell phone rang.

Brightstar’s heart practically leapt from his chest into his throat. “That's Raid!” Instinctively he tried to get up, only to have Moonbeak place her clawed hand on his chest.

“I'll get that.” She said curtly, reaching into his saddlebag and retrieving his phone. She saw from the caller ID that it was indeed Air Raid. Pressing the ‘answer’ button, she said, “Yes?” What sounded like a very tired, worn down mare a thousand years old spoke down the line, asking her if Brightstar was there. “He is,” she replied, “what do you need?”

Feeling very, very alone and far from any friends in the hospital waiting room, Air Raid said, “Can you tell him to fire up your PC? I've got some photos of Darkie I need to send him, and Moon...warn him they're...graphic.”

“Yes, hang on a minute I'll have to hold the phone.” Moonbeak’s emerald green eyes narrowed as she came near to her stallion. “It's that race driver and she has news about your sister. I don't think it is good.” Holding the phone next to Brightstar’s muzzle so he could both talk and hear, she was very sure that this conversation would not go well.

“Moon,” Brightstar mouthed, “untie me!” To the phone, he raised his voice so that his friend could hear him. “Raid, what's the news?” He was almost too scared to ask. He was even more scared to find out.

“Yeah, yeah hold your ponies…” Moonbeak, holding the cell phone in her right claw, struggled to loosen the chain from the head board.

“So, Moon took your mind off it then?” Air Raid’s tired voice sounded somewhat amused as she could hear the grumbles and the rattle of the chains. “Anyway...the surgery was six hours hun...the doc says whoever beat her...they didn’t want her to live.”

“What!?” Brightstar exclaimed, momentarily stunned. ‘Darkie was beaten!? Oh dear Luna, it wasn’t a prank…’ coming back to himself he struggled a little, trying to get free. “Did they say what happened?”

Air Raid paused. “Oh yeah, they said alright...are you sitting or lying down?”

Looking at her unicorn on the bed, Moonbeak did a picture perfect eye roll and mouthed at him, ‘Stop fidgeting!’ while Brightstar proudly, with a puffed out chest said, “Flat on my back and hooves in the air, but Moon is getting me out of the harness.”

“Alrighty, here goes.” Air Raid had to sit down herself now, she felt ill just thinking about her friend’s injuries let alone saying them out loud. “She had; four broken ribs, front and rear left legs broken in three places, fractured skull, broken jaw, stabbed in the belly by a unicorn horn...”

“Buck!” Brightstar cut his friend off, fighting and struggling against the iron shackles like a pony possessed, forgetting for the moment that he was a unicorn. With magic. “Cold Front stabbed her!”

“Hold still!” Moonbeak glared Brightstar into submission. “Have they caught him?”

Air Raid sounded broken. “There...Bright there's more, hun.”

“More?” Brightstar croaked disbelievingly. ‘How can there possibly be more?’ He thought with an anguished look on his face, ‘it's my sister...’ “Did she tell the police it was Cold Front?”

“No, because she can’t...” Air Raid gave a very deep sigh that could be heard down the phone line. “She's in a coma, Bright.”

‘A coma?’ Brightstar’s world crumbled. “Noooooooo!”

Shaking her head, Moonbeak moved back from the bed with the phone to the bedroom door, so that she and Air Raid could be heard. “How is she?” She asked gently.

On the bed, limp in his restraints, Brightstar whimpered in tears, “Darkie...” Crying, he found a little fire in his belly. “Untie me!”

Quickly losing patience, Moonbeak glared her most savage deadly glare at Brightstar, who immediately quelled before her with a quiet ‘eeep!’ “Calm down or I'll hang up!” With that hanging in the air, Moonbeak unfastened the chain so that his forehooves were free and she gave him back the cell phone. Quietly she moved to work on releasing his hind hooves.

“Raid,” Brightstar stuttered, “Is…Is she going to live?”

Air Raid took her time to answer. She didn’t know how to, but she had to tell him. She owed him that much. “Honestly they're going hour by hour right now, if she makes it to tomorrow it's promising, but...hun...I wasn't done with her injuries.”

Sat up, Brightstar slumped back onto the bed in shock. “Sweet Luna's mane...broken bones, broken skull and stabbed, there's more?” His royal blue coat was ashen and pale.

“Hun…she was raped; the doc found evidence of three different stallions and...”

Brightstar almost dropped his phone. This was too much. “Th…Three?”

“Yeah. Three…they'd, um, y’know...in her.” Air Raid was crying now, and she could hear Brightstar crying as well. “But, her horn...Brightstar they cut off her horn!”

Moonbeak heard that last and shot her stallion a pre-emptive glare. “No magic!”

“Damn it all no magic!” Brightstar lost his temper and continued his struggle briefly, until his hoof swiped through the air and knocked the phone to the floor.

“Quiet!” She screeched at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing around the bedroom. “I will see if you broke the phone.” Panting heavily, the pregnant griffon walked over and picked it up in her clawed hand. “Hello, you still there?”

All Brightstar’s fight left him then, evaporating into the air like morning dew from blades of grass in the sunlight. He slumped on the bed in floods of tears. “F-First mum left us...now Darkie's been taken...a coma…”

Moonbeak’s anger waned when she looked back at the bed, at her weeping stallion. “Okay, Bright isn't doing too well. You said she was stabbed by a horn was... ah…was it...um...”

Brightstar saw Moonbeak deflate as she heard the reply from Air Raid. She looked at the distraught unicorn and repeated simply, “Hers.”

On the bed, he merely whimpered, “mum in the asylum, Darkie in a coma...raped...” suddenly he struggled violently. “I'll KILL HIM!”

Moonbeak tried her best to ignore the now screaming unicorn and talk to the racer on the phone. “Who is this Cold Front he wants to kill?” She pulled the phone away from her ear. “ARRRGGG!” In utter temper Moonbeak kicked the bed frame hard with her paw. “Shut up or you'll be tied up till next week!” She glared deadly daggers at Brightstar.

Brightstar immediately knew he’d overstepped a mark. He knew he’d gone too far. With his hooves finally freed from the restraints he simply curled up on the bed and cried floods of silent tears into the comforter. Moonbeak sighed. Her heart broke for this young stallion. She desperately wanted to hold him, but there would be time enough for that. Instead she spoke down the phone, “Okay Raid, I'm back.”

Air Raid told the pregnant griffon just who Cold Front was, and what they had suspected him off doing. “Oh, him...” was her only reply. ‘Sweet Luna, I can't let him go kill somepony even if he is less than pond scum.’ She looked over at Brightstar, who was not even trying to speak, he was a teary mess on her bed. “Okay,” Moonbeak said matter-of-factly, “I've already got my mom looking after Athena in case we had to leave. I'll get my Pet there as soon as I possibly can…yeah, I'll tell him. Thank you Raid, for looking after his sister.”

“M-Mum…” Brightstar whimpered, “sis…”

Moonbeak moved to the bed and one by one unlocked and removed the shackles from his hooves. “She is watching over her and swears by Silverbolt she won't let anything more happen to her.”

Brightstar looked up at her, he could barely see through the tears. “Sh-She...Raid said that?” He snivelled miserably.

Finding some space, Moonbeak sat next to him on the bed. “Yeah she did, who is that?” She asked curiously, thankful the volume had returned to a normal level.

“She's the dead mother of her marefriend.” Brightstar replied, wiping his hoof across his face to dry his eyes. For Air Raid to have said that, there was no greater thing for her to have sworn by. “If...if Raid said that, then she's deadly serious.”

Next to him, Moonbeak ran a talon on her clawed hand tenderly through his black mane. “Okay, I’ll call mom and then I’ll find out the next Express to Canterlot. You will shower. Then we will get your stuff at that hostel. Understand?”

“Moony...” Brightstar rolled over and wrapped his forelegs around her, hugging her as if that alone would solve all the world’s ills. “Moony I'm scared...Darkie's all I've had for years...I...I can't lose her, or see her like mum.”

Moonbeak felt such affection for the young stallion. Not that long ago she had been where he was now, crying in her mother’s arms over the loss of her husband. “Loss is part of life. She isn't lost yet. Shower. Now.” To emphasise her point she playfully slapped his flank just west of his white star cutie mark.

“A-Alright.” Brightstar slowly got off of the bed, moving like he was sixty. “I'm going.”

Moonbeak swatted his ass again, then she set his phone down on the night stand and picked up her own. “Hey mom.” She smiled at the sound of her mother’s voice, along with the sound of crashing blocks in the background. “Yeah, not good. We're going to Canterlot as soon as we can. Wednesday, I'll be back Wednesday for sure. I don't know mom, depends on what we find if he comes back with me.” She sighed deeply when her mother began grilling her. “Mom, it isn't that...yeah kinda that. I will, love you and give all my love to Athena. Bye.”

When she hung up, Moonbeak used her phone to look up the Friendship Express schedule. She saw that the Local would be in Fillydelphia in just over three hours at one p.m. but that it would get to Canterlot at six p.m. tomorrow evening. She decided that was too late. The Express however went through Fillydelphia at eight that night and was scheduled to be in Canterlot at eleven a.m. tomorrow morning. Deciding that was the one, she promptly purchased two tickets.

Brightstar, after a twenty minute long shower in which he had absent mindedly cleaned himself three times, walked out into the living room. “Hmm…I needed that shower.”

Just to be sure, Moonbeak sniffed his neck, picking up the scent of roses on his coat. “Good. The train leaves tonight at eight and will be there tomorrow morning at eleven.”

Brightstar gave her an affectionate nuzzle. “Thank you, for getting the tickets. Is your mum okay to have ‘Thena?”

Returning the nuzzle with one of her own, Moonbeak snickered. “Yes, she is always okay to wind up Athena and claw her back over to me.”

Giggling a sad giggle, Brightstar pulled away from the contact. “I'm sorry Moon, for shouting at you.”

Tenderly she scratched under his chin with a talon of one hand while with the other she scratched behind his right ear, making him purr. “Not yet,” she said silkily, “but you will be later. It seems you lost control of a hoof there too.”

The royal blue unicorn nodded, feeling utterly and completely wretched. “That was unforgivable.”

‘Yes it was, but I did the same to my mom, so I understand.’ Moonbeak simply smiled and wafted the white tuft of her leonine grey tail under his nose. “Come, we get your stuff.” Out on the front porch she waited for him to join her. “Hop on.” She said when he did. Looking thoroughly miserable, Brightstar climbed carefully onto her back and Moonbeak flew around to the carport and she let him off on the passenger side of her van.

Once they were both inside, she drove in silence to the Wandering Pony hostel. Brightstar was also silent until she parked up outside. “It's not much, I know.”

Moonbeak gave the crumbling ruin of a building a very critical look. How it passed any kind of building safety code was beyond her. Half of it looked like it had already collapsed. “Is what it is.” She said derisively, although admittedly what it was, wasn’t much. Nevertheless she went in with him, and she even managed to hold her beak as she helped him pack his few belongings.

She couldn’t however, contain her glee when she saw that he had a Celestia Six plush, a white one she recognised vaguely as ‘Rarity’. “Ahem...” Brightstar foundered, “yes, she ah…she goes in the case, I swear...” he blushed horribly, quickly stuffing the plush in his case.

Moonbeak just wiggled her eyebrows and said nothing on the way out of the hostel. She did however make a mental note to tease him relentlessly once things were less tense. “Next stop is lunch at Cheese Stack, 'cause I don't wanna cook.” She practically had to shove the unicorn into her van.

Brightstar didn’t really realise he was back in the passenger seat until the van began to move. “Huh...food, yeah, yeah I could probably eat something.”

“Something more filling than me at least.” She put in with a smile, and she was pleased to get one back from him.

Brightstar smiled at her quip. “I doubt it'll be as tasty as you though.”

“Depends on if Blackie slipped anything in or not.” Moonbeak giggled and pulled up outside the eatery. Once inside, she ordered her usual, less the stones.

“Make that two please, hold the stones.” Brightstar placed his order while Moonbeak requested two ales which the zebra waitress quickly put on the counter. Taking her ale in her clawed hand she carried it over to her regular table. Lighting his horn, the unicorn carried his ale over to the same table as they sat at the day before. “Thank you,” he said as he sat down.

“I run a tab here,” Moonbeak shrugged. “They do autopay at the end of the month.”

“Just like Cafe Diem back in Canterlot.” Brightstar put in and lifted his glass up to his lips. “Darkie has a...a...” he trailed off and put it back down, that wretched feeling resurfacing. “I accused her of pranking us.”

Moonbeak took a sip of hers. “Has she pranked you in the past?”

‘Has she pranked you in the past?’ Brightstar thought with a reluctant amusement, “ha! When hasn’t she? She's famous for it!”

“Would taking her seriously have changed anything?”

Brightstar finally took that first swallow of his ale and mulled it over in his head. “No, no I don't suppose it would, would it?”

Moonbeak shook her head sympathetically. “I go with first gut reaction. Doesn't always work, but better than dithering and doing nothing.”

“I agree,” Brightstar took another sip of his ale. “Do, or do not.”

“Pony wisdom.” Moonbeak nodded sagely. “Do and sort it out later.”

“Listen, about mum,” Brightstar led off, “I should probably explain…”

Moonbeak cut across him gently. “I think that can wait till the train ride.” She put a claw delicately on his foreleg. “You taking all your stuff back, or you want to leave some at my place?”

Strangely, Brightstar found himself not having to think about that at all. “I think my lone little case can find a place in your treehouse.”

Somewhat relieved, Moonbeak squeezed the claw she had on his hoof. “I'm sure it can. It may not be safe from Athena though.”

Now, Brightstar smiled a very genuine smile. “I'll distract her with a ball.”

“Good plan,” the pregnant griffon agreed with a grin. “Are you taking some things with you, if you need to stay? I have to come back Wednesday.”

“I'll come back with you.” Brightstar answered quickly, an earnest, almost desperate look on his face. “Raid seems to have it well in hoof.”

“Gut is fine,” Moonbeak said softly, “but wait till you have experience before you decide. I wish to introduce you to someone after lunch.”

~ ~ ~

“Better with some food in you?” Moonbeak asked when the hour long food stop had finally – she’d had to almost force some of the platter down the unicorn’s neck at one point – come to a conclusion.

Swallowing his last morsel of pork, Brightstar nodded absently, not really looking at the griffon. “Hmm…much, thank you.”

Satisfied, Moonbeak waved to the staff behind the counter. Getting a nod from Blackie, she got up and exited the eatery and walked out to her transit van.

Lost in his little world, Brightstar didn't notice her get up at first, when he did, he hurried after the departing griffon to catch up. “Sorry about that, Moony.”

“Whose ass were you staring at?” She asked over her shoulder.

“Yours,” he replied quickly as he got in the van. Moonbeak merely laughed her shrill laugh by way of response and drove off. He idly watched the Fillydelphian scenery pass by the window, and he soon realised that wherever the griffon was taking him, she wasn't going home, nor where he remembered her mom to be. Seeing the river underneath them all but confirmed it. “Hey, we just crossed the Delamare...where are we going?”

“Forgotten already?” Moonbeak asked, an odd tone in her voice. “I told you I want to introduce you to someone.”

“I haven't forgotten,” Brightstar replied, “I just wondered where we were going.”

“To where…they... reside.” Moonbeak went silent as she drove the familiar route in the now midday sunshine.

Immediately, Brightstar caught her meaning. “To the cemetery?” He asked, placing his left forehoof delicately on her knee. The pregnant griffon nodded but she remained quiet. It quickly became evident however when she drove them past a cemetery and turned into the driveway of Peaceful Pastures. Deep inside it she pulled over to the shoulder.

“Follow.” She said simply and got out of the van.

Getting out, Brightstar quickly followed after her, maintaining a respectful silence as he looked around taking in the new surroundings. He noted, as they wove through the plots, from looking at the various marble stones that it was an old cemetery. Easily, with the surety of one who knew where she was going, Moonbeak moved through the well-kept grass for a further five minutes and presently she stopped before a particular grave. The royal blue unicorn stood by her side and read the engraving. “Goldcrest, Nineteen ninety nine to two thousand thirty. Father, Friend, Lover.” Brightstar reared up to his hind legs and put his left forehoof over his chest, a griffon salute he learnt while at Stormclaw Academy. “Sir.”

Moonbeak laughed out loud. “Look love, I found another idiot that will take a bullet for me. Brightstar meet Goldcrest, father of my kittens. Goldcrest meet Brightstar, he makes me smile.”

Back on his hooves, Brightstar nodded respectfully, “I'm pleased to make your acquaintance.”

A lone little tear leaked down Moonbeak’s face. “Three months ago now, we were just leaving the University City Six over on Walnut Road, we had taken Athena to see Inside Out, it was her first trip to the cinema.” She sighed with the telling. She hadn’t shared this with many, Tulip and her mother being the exceptions. “We had decided to leave the van, it was a nice day for the time of year, so we walked. Long story short, we were mugged. A gang of three teenage griffons held us up in the middle of the street. All three had guns. The leader, Blackplume, had his gun in Goldcrest’s chest while the other two searched us. Athena got scared. She bit one on the leg. There was a shout and in confusion, Goldcrest tried to fight them off. Well, Blackplume’s gun went off and the next thing I knew, my husband was laying on the floor in a pool of blood. The gang turned and ran, with nothing but an empty purse and a story to tell.”

Brightstar remained silent throughout the account of what had happened. “I ah...I hope Elysium was prepared for one so honourable. I salute you for keeping your family safe, Goldcrest.”

Moonbeak laid down in the short grass. “Love is the sharing of joy and sorrow. My friends worry for me that I would not look for love again.”

“It is indeed.” Brightstar bowed and laid down next to her on the grass in front of the grave. “I look forward to sharing with you.”

“We decided to name this one Zephyr.” Moonbeak ran her wingtips up and down her swollen belly. “Don't you want foals of your own?”

Brightstar paused and thought about that for a moment. “To be honest I hadn't thought of it much, what with university and watching out for Darkie,” he smiled, “foals would be nice, but kittens are nice too.”

Moonbeak nodded. “They are hard to raise on your own.”

“Then it is a good thing you aren't on your own, Moonbeak.”

“Smooth talker.” Moonbeak replied with a dry smile. “I don't come here very often. I hold the happy memories, but this place reminds me why they are memories.”

“I can understand that.” Brightstar commented as he nuzzled her neck and cheek. That was kind of the same reason why he didn’t visit his mum very much.

With a wider smile now, she nuzzled him back. “I'm happy Goldie, but you can still can still keep an eye out for me.”

Nuzzling up to kiss her cheek, Brightstar said, “I rather think he will.”

“Goldie was a voyeur.” She gave him a knowing wink and a tender kiss on his lips.

That certainly did get Brightstar’s attention, seeing as he himself was one. “Hmm…” he kissed Moonbeak on the tip of her beak. “Then I hope we give him something worth watching.”

Moonbeak laughed, “You are good at getting me to do that.”

Brightstar laughed with her, resting his head on her shoulder. “I'm glad I am!” He exclaimed, “I've enjoyed exploring some kinks with you.”

Moonbeak nodded, “Bondage, and public humiliation for you?”

“Hmhmm,” the royal blue unicorn smiled, “although when you slammed down on my shaft earlier in the bedroom...that was good too. It hurt but it was a good hurt. You can do that again.” He nuzzled her neck affectionately. “I like to watch too. So, what about for you?”

Moonbeak grinned, recalling some of the things that she and Goldcrest had done together. “I'm a bit arrogant at times. Maybe a lot of the time. I would accuse Goldie of chasing some tail and then I’d make a scene. It is pretty hot.”

“I like your arrogance.” Brightstar replied honestly, “it's hot. I like a good scene too.” He winked at her. “You ever use those talons?”

“I...” Moonbeak ran her tongue along her beak. “I, um, I cannot do that, Bright.”

“May I ask why?”

Moonbeak tilted her head thoughtfully, processing how best to answer him. “Most ponies don't like blood.” She said tactfully, however that wasn’t the reason why she was reluctant to indulge him.

Brightstar wholly missed the reticence in her voice. “I'm not most ponies.” He asserted with a confidence he only just felt. “The thought of you penetrating me is…it's really hot.”

Moonbeak simply shook her head dismissively. “I don't think you know what you're talking about.”

“Perhaps not,” he replied quickly, “it's something I'd like to try out if you were willing.”

Lighting fast, considerably faster than he’d seen her move so far, Moonbeak's claw lashed out at his chest, her razor sharp talons putting a shallow wound in the centre of his body just below his grey collar. “You think so?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, her emerald green eyes looking straight into his yellow ones to see his reaction.

“Aaaah!” He gasped and then let out a heady sigh as the pleasure followed the sharp pain, “ooh yeah…”

Moonbeak laughed. “Well, now you have.” She moved her head over and stuck out her tongue to lap up the blood and clean the royal blue fur.

“Mmm, please say we'll do that again.”

“Limited play,” Moonbeak said quickly, with an even quicker raise of her claw to stop him interrupting her. This was very, very important he understand. “I don't want to lose myself. You ever seen a real griffon fight?”

“Once,” Brightstar commented with a smile on his face. “When I was in Griffonstone. I was taken by a few of my classmates to see a pit fight in one of the arenas.”

Moonbeak shook her head. “Staged, no, I mean a real fight when two griffs go at it beak and claw.”

“Then no, I haven't,” Brightstar shook his head and returned to nuzzling the larger griffon’s chest and neck. “Though what I watched was very entertaining.”

“Blood is life.” Moonbeak said seriously. For her – and for most griffons – it was as intoxicating as alcohol. Tasting blood, even a drop, made her want more and more. “I've tasted blood, and not just bloodwine.”

Brightstar nodded. “I believe you.”

Moonbeak was thankful that this pony had spent the time he had in Griffonstone. She knew he was taking this issue very seriously, that he understood the consequences of what he had initiated. She gave one more slow lick to his white star cutie mark. “I'm satisfied. So, you like it to be a surprise?”

“I like surprises.”

Once more, Moonbeak flashed out her clawed hand. This time however she missed Brightstar’s chest and instead she grabbed a worm from between the blades of grass. “Snack?” She asked with a sly grin. When her stallion simply smiled and opened his mouth, she said; “You don't have to play macho with me, and I want the truth from you.” She popped the wriggling worm in her mouth, one snapping bite later and she swallowed it. “You can be a pony around me.”

Brightstar placed his forehoof delicately on her claw. “No macho stuff, I promise love.”

“I-I know you're willing,” Moonbeak led off, nuzzling his shoulder affectionately. “Just don't think impressing me will win me…” the pregnant griffon lightly pecked his nose. “Being stupid will lose me.”

“Understood,” he asserted with a snuffle of his muzzle. “I'll never be anything but myself. I may not always impress you, but I'll always love you.”

‘That’s my sexy sweet talking stallion!’ With a smile on her face, and in a rare show of vulnerability, Moonbeak rolled onto her back fully exposing herself to the young unicorn. “Belly rubs are always good.”

Fully appreciative of the display, Brightstar said, “belly rubs will always be given.” Very gently, and with utmost care, he placed his forehoof on her distended belly and stroked it with the grain of her grey fur.

“Different,” Moonbeak gave her verdict, as she had never had a hoof touch her ‘there’ before. “Not bad, but different from a claw.”

“Thank you.” He started to rub up and down a little firmer now, and as Moonbeak started to purr openly with the pleasure he was giving her, Brightstar used both hooves, alternating with up and down rubs. Fully relaxing under his hooves, the griffon’s right leg began to twitch involuntarily in the air. “You have soft fur…” he switched it up and did little figure eight motions with the belly rubs.

A very soft delicate wing tip brushed his nose. “Griffs be soft,” she giggled and arched her back, purring, “yeeeeeees.”

Trapping her primary feather in his lips Brightstar licked it with a smile as he rubbed her belly. Moonbeak sighed, “I think I'll keep you. I want to see Athena before we go.”

“I am happy to be kept.” He smiled and kissed the tip of her beak. “And of course we can see her.”

Moonbeak giggled. “Wasn't a question.” She rolled up to a sitting position and then stood up. “Till next time, Goldie.” With a last nod to the unresponsive, cold stone, she moved off to her van.

Brightstar stood and repeated the salute he opened with, and with a nod of his own to the grave, he followed after his griffon.

Once the van was moving, Moonbeak used the van’s Bluetooth. “Hi mom,” she said after her mother answered the phone call after two rings, “we're stopping by for dinner, should I bring something?”

“Yes,” Astraea answered from the speaker, “get something from Gascon's for dessert. You bringing the pony?”

“Yeah,” Moonbeak replied, “and we're going to Canterlot on the night express. Leaves at eight.”

Brightstar couldn’t resist a chuckle. “She is indeed bringing the pony, Ma'am.”

“Oh, it's still alive...” Astraea’s voice sounded amused, “Okay I'll set another plate, and make something for dinner.”

Moonbeak laughed, “Thanks mom.”

“I’m still alive,” Brightstar put in as the griffon tried to end the call, “and thank you!”

“She might...will complain, but she does love to cook for others.” Moonbeak smiled after she had finally disconnected her call. “She will try to grouse me out with pure pony like food.”

“I like your mum,” Brightstar put in, a broad smile on his muzzle, “mine used to chew me out all the time.”

“A mom can only embarrass their own.”

“And they do it so well.”

After a brief detour to Gascon’s dessert shop just over the Delamare River – in which Moonbeak purchased ‘something’ in a box but forbade the unicorn from asking what the ‘something’ was – the pregnant griffon pulled up outside her mother’s place and parked. Getting out of her van she spread her powerful grey wings and flew up to the third floor landing. Brightstar could see she was waiting for him and, concentrating hard, he lit his horn and teleported up. He giggled when he reappeared right next to her, so close he made her fur stand on end. “Practise makes better.” She said dryly with a ‘look’ over her shoulder before she knocked and entered her mother’s condo.

Walking in behind her, conspicuously admiring her wide swaying ass and even wider belly, Brightstar tried to suppress his giggles as he went about smoothing her fur with his magic. “Ooops…” Seeing the little kitten playing over by her toy box, Brightstar walked over. “'Thena want a ball?”

Athena looked up from her car with a look of joy on her face to see the smiling unicorn. He was fun. “Ba!”

As Brightstar grinned and lit his horn, he could feel another pair of eyes watching him from the serving hatch in the kitchen wall and knew Moonbeak’s mother was scrutinising his every move. A split second later and he created the illusory blue ball with its white star. “Here you go, sweetie.”

“Is that why you keep him around?” Astraea asked her daughter bluntly as Athena practiced pouncing on the ball.

“Hmm…” Moonbeak watched Brightstar move the ball around the living room, making her kitten work for her pounces, “he does have other uses.” She then followed her mother into the kitchen beyond his hearing.

Aware he was probably being spoken about, Brightstar asked, “'Thena pay bocks?”

Athena shook her little head and sent the magical ball back to her playmate. “Ba!”

“Ball it is.” The royal blue unicorn gently rolled it to her.

“You eat tofu?” Astraea called to him from the kitchen as Athena viciously pounced the ball.

“Yes Ma'am,” Brightstar answered respectfully, “tofu is fine.” From his position in the living room he just heard Moonbeak’s shrill voice tell her mother, ‘I'm telling you he'll eat anything you put down.’ Brightstar giggled to himself as he moved the ball around so that Athena had to chase it.

After a few more minutes, Athena decided she was tired of chasing and announced, “Boks!”

“Alrighty sweetie,” Brightstar smiled at her, “we'll play blocks.”

When she had gotten a couple of handfuls of the multi coloured wooden blocks from her toy box into a little pile, Brightstar found she was rather good at balancing them. She managed to stack five of the blocks into a technicolour tower and, admiring her creation, moved back and performed a leaping attack that knocked them over.

Brightstar sat on the carpeted floor and clapped his forehooves together. “Good pounce!”

“Do do!” Athena squeaked and shoved some of the blocks his way.

“Okies!” By hoof, Brightstar made a little tower of seven blocks, then he backed off and did a tiny little pounce to knock them down again. Athena clapped her little claws and she rebuilt her tower and once again pounced it, scattering the wooden blocks to the floor. Brightstar clapped his hooves as the blocks came tumbling again. “Do 'gain?” He asked.

Gain!” Athena squeaked, although this time she stacked the blocks with him, showing him where, in her expert opinion, which particular block should go where to make the best tower.

“Gain!” He agreed, and with Athena’s ‘help’ he made a bigger tower, a huge monolith nine blocks high. Once it was completed, they both pounced it to the carpet.

Full of joy, Athena clapped her claws together and squeaked, “Biggar!”

“Biggar!” Having a lot of fun, he used his yellow magic to make an even bigger tower, a monstrous eleven blocks high.

Athena, looking on in wide eyed wonder at the sheer height of the block tower, thought she needed a longer run up and, with a good few feet between her and her target she did her impersonation of the Scootaloo Chicken Dance ™. With wings buzzing, the little kitten ran on her hind paws, her little claws raised to attack. Brightstar’s heart melted. ‘Sweet Luna she's adorable!’ He timed his pounce with hers and together they attacked the tower, bringing it down.

Amidst the blocks, Athena danced a little victory dance, “Dit it! Dit it! Dit it!”

Curious to see what the commotion was, Moonbeak stuck her head through the hatch and watched her kitten dancing along with Brightstar who, she guessed – correctly – was oblivious to the fact he was being watched. “Did it! Did it!”

“Gain!”

“Gain!” Brightstar agreed and magically re-made the big tower.

Out of the corner of her eye, Athena saw her mom watching them playing. “Wach, wach!” She cried, and once more she did her running attack on the recently rebuilt tower, and Brightstar knocked them down with her, giggling like an overgrown little colt.

“Dinner is ready!” Astraea called from the kitchen.

Instantly, Athena forgot all about the blocks. “Dinna!” She zipped past her mother like a golden brown furred missile to the table in the kitchen.

“Come along pony boy,” Moonbeak giggled, reaching out her clawed hand to the unicorn, “let’s see what my mom has in store for you.”

Grinning, Brightstar rolled to a sitting position and gave her his hoof so she could pull him up, a tear of laughter running down his cheek. “Coming Moony.”

‘He’s so good with Athena…’ Moonbeak thought as she pulled him to his hooves. “You sure you don't want your own?”

“If I could have one with you.” He replied quickly, leading the pregnant griffon to give him her patented eye roll number 32, which was clearly different from numbers 1 to 31, obviously. Eagerly, he followed her through to the kitchen where Astraea was helping Athena into the high seating pad. The royal blue stallion saw a generous spread of garden salad, a platter of noodles with cheese, peas, and grilled tofu chunks and pitchers of fruit punch.

Sitting himself at the kitchen table, Brightstar eyed the tofu chunks while Astraea served Athena her helping, making sure as always that the kitten’s plate was piled high. “Help yourselves.” The jet black griffon smiled at the new couple.

“Did you make the little tofu’s suffer before you slit their throats?” Moonbeak asked with a grin.

Brightstar levitated over a little of everything, making a point to get the tofu. “Hmm...I won't suffer eating it, I know that.”

“Mom just loves to show of her pony cooking skills.” Moonbeak commented as the rest giggled.

“Didn't even have to cook a pony to do it.” Astraea put in, her smile wide as her granddaughter went in beak first to her stacked plate.

“No?” Brightstar chuckled, “I'm surprised.” To the middle aged griffon’s immense pleasure he tucked in with vigour to his meal.

Once the delicious food was eaten, twenty minutes of nothing but happy eating noises filling the condo’s kitchen, Astraea got up from her seating pad and revealed the dessert that Moonbeak had purchased from Gascon’s. With the flair of a magician revealing her trick, she pulled a…‘something’ out of the white box. Whatever it was, Athena leaned away from it. “Dessert!” She cried happily.

“Oh...” to Brightstar it looked like a charcoal cheesecake. It smelled as appetising as a charcoal cheesecake. “Oh my...Ma'am, may I ask what that is?”

Astraea set it in front of the unimpressed unicorn with ceremony as if she were serving royalty. “Dessert! Dig in.” To emphasise the point she pushed a fork his way.

Brightstar gulped, wishing then that he could manage an invisibility spell like his sister. Not wanting to insult them, he lifted the fork in his magic with a steeled resolve. “Very well then, I thank you for this meal, Ma’am.” Plunging the fork in, he took a big bit and shoved it in his mouth before he could change his mind.

Clapping her little claws, Athena cried out with joy, “Gahem gahem gahem!”

Moonbeak gave her a ‘look’, “Athena.”

Athena went quiet for a brief moment and then she burst out laughing again along with her mother. Astraea meanwhile just smiled as she watched Brightstar stuff the dark, and a little bitter, chocolate dessert in his mouth. “I use extra coco powder to give it that really burnt look.

Giggling, Moonbeak dished some out to Athena who was by now pounding the kitchen table in a desire to get some of the chocolate pudding. “You may have guessed we've played this joke before.”

Brightstar merely smiled as he swallowed what was a surprisingly pleasant dessert. “I guessed. That looked like something Air Raid cooked, thankfully it tasted much better than something Air Raid cooked.”

“Вы его показать?” Astraea asked curiously as she sat down with her own bowl.

“Да.” Moonbeak nodded, unable to say anything else as her beak was full of chocolate.

“Является ли он хранитель?” Astraea pressed the issue.

Moonbeak paused and swallowed, considering her reply. “Может быть.”

Astraea giggled, determind to embarrass her daughter, and knowing full well that the unicorn could understand her she asked, “Какой рог больше?”

Brightstar looked at Moonbeak and they both shared a knowing smile. “She knows which is bigger, Ma’am.”

Astraea raised an eyebrow at that and Moonbeak burst out laughing, which made Athena laugh too. “Я был бы доволен либо.” The pregnant griffon deadpanned, making Astraea laugh out loud as Brightstar sputtered into his bowl.

“You could have warned me.” The older griffon shot her daughter a mock disgruntled look.

“What,” Moonbeak replied innocently with a raised eyebrow, “and not prank the prankster?”

Astraea leant over the kitchen table and put her clawed hand on the unicorn’s forehoof. “Guard my daughter well, pony.” She said kindly, giving them her blessing. “When do you need to go?” She asked once the dessert had been eaten.

Moonbeak checked her phone, “Train leaves at eight so in about thirty minutes.” When her mother started to clear the table, Moonbeak held up her hand. “Brightstar will get that mom, let's take Athena out to the living room.”

Astraea looked between her daughter and the young unicorn, and Brightstar nodded submissively. “I'll get that for you, Ma'am.” Obediently he lit his horn and levitated all the dishes to the kitchen sink.

“Live in butler?” Astraea asked sardonically as the three griffons left the kitchen.

Moonbeak simply smiled, “Maybe.”

“Boks!” Athena squeaked, racing off for her toys.

Left alone in the kitchen, Brightstar very quickly washed the dishes and even wiped the table down before walking through to the living room, his OCD satisfied at a job well done. “That's done for you, Ma'am.”

Athena saw the fun unicorn walk in and didn’t give him a moment to sit down. “Ba!”

Moonbeak giggled as Astraea looked on curiously. Smiling, Brightstar lit his horn and, in the glow of his yellow aura he created the magical blue ball complete with white star. “Here you go, little lady.”

Immediately, Athena pounced the ball. “Ba!” She then moved away to stalk it.

“I think he is trying to get her used to his flank.” Moonbeak commented to her mother.

Brightstar moved the ball a tiny amount to tempt the mighty deadly stalker. “I think it's working.”

“I see…” Astraea thought out loud as she watched Athena pounce the ball again then back away.

Brightstar giggled and rolled the ball towards Athena then away slowly. “She's good at pouncing the ball.”

“How's your pouncing skills?” Astraea asked slyly as she sat in her rocking chair.

“Not sure,” Moonbeak said, inspecting the tips of her talons, “he's always tied up with something.”

Astraea burst out laughing and Brightstar proudly rubbed his chest where he was swiped in the cemetery. “Trust me, Ma’am, her pouncing skills are just fine.”

“You're bound to catch up with her, Brightstar.” Moonbeak blushed and Astraea shook her head with a mournful look.

It clicked suddenly in Brightstar’s head as to just whom the older griffon’s question was directed. “Aah...I uh...” he blushed deep enough for it to show against his royal blue fur, but smiled at her. “I've had no complaints so far, Ma'am.”

“He does tend to have to clean up a lot though.” Moonbeak smiled, recovering quickly from her fluster.

“Luckily, I like doing the clean up.”

Athena batted away the ball, having just decided she was tired of it. “Boks!”

“Blocks!” Brightstar cried, magically making the tower of blocks for her. Her green eyes glinting with glee, Athena moved back to get a proper running start and the unicorn clapped his hooves when she knocked them down. “Yay! Gain!” Once more he created the tower for the little kitten.

As she watched her daughter play, Moonbeak said, “He can cook without setting the kitchen on fire too.”

“Many talents, the pony has.” Astraea commented, not unkindly, eyeing again the grey collar around his neck.

“As I said to Moony,” Brightstar led off, “I had to be, see my sister and...my sis...” he trailed off to silence, his mood taking a crash as he thought about Darkstar laid in a coma in a Canterlot hospital.

Moonbeak laid a tender claw on the stallion’s shoulder. “Let’s go see her.”

Astraea nodded. “I have things under control here.”

“Give us a hug, 'Thena.”

Athena ran over and gave her mother a tight hug. “Bia bia!” Next, in a completely adorable move, she hugged Brightstar’s foreleg. “Bia bia!”

In the hug, Brightstar hitched up a very genuine smile to his face as he hugged the little kitten. “I’ll see you soon, sweetie.”

Moonbeak exited the condo, but she waited on the third floor landing outside. A moment later and Brightstar walked outside to join her on the landing. “I'm sorry about that, in there.”

“Want a ride down?” Moonbeak asked simply, she saw the look on his face and doubted his ability to teleport safely.

Brightstar, who was about to teleport, stopped and nodded. “Please.” When Moonbeak crouched for him to get on, he did so and she flew down to the passenger side of her van.

“We can pack what we need for a long weekend and take the cab to the station.” She said, walking around to her driver’s side.

“Sounds like a plan.” Brightstar got himself seated in the passenger seat. He had no intention on staying in Canterlot at all.

Moonbeak started the white transit van and drove away from her mother’s place. “It's okay to worry about her. Just so you know.”

Brightstar didn’t know what to say, think or do. “I dunno…I just...I think of Darkie lying there...” he started to weep. “Who'd do all that to her? She's such a delicate pony.”

“What happened to her?”

Brightstar looked out of the van’s window miserably. “You heard what Raid said on the phone. She was beaten badly, and...and r-raped by three stallions…” the distraught stallion was in tears, not even trying to pretend he wasn’t. “They cut off her horn and stabbed her with it!”

“She's not dead.” Moonbeak said simply.

“She's not far from it.”

Moonbeak nodded. “I know the difference.”

“I know,” Brightstar put his forehoof on her leg. “I know and I'm sorry.”

“No,” Moonbeak spoke up, “don't be sorry, be brave and face what may come.”

Brightstar nodded. “I've done it before with mum, I can face this...with you.”

“Yes, together.” Moonbeak commented as she pulled into her spot in the carport behind the largest of the three oak trees that supported her treehouse. “Ride up?”

Feeling all bolstered with his griffon by his side, Brightstar got out of the van. “Would you like me to take us up?”

“No, another day.” She shook her head kindly, nuzzling his shoulder and neck when she came around the van. “When you have all of your mind on me.”

“Agreed.” He returned the nuzzle, “in that case yes, I'd love a ride.”

“Pack what you need,” Moonbeak ordered gently once she had flown them both up the forty feet to her house, with a swat of her wing to his flank. “I'll call the cab.”

“You got it.” In the living room he found his little case where they had left it when they had come back from the Wandering Pony, and carried it in his magic through to the bedroom. There he added the shackles to his case, just in case. As he was already wearing the collar, he left it on and put the leash in his case too. “That's me!” He called once he was packed.

After calling for a cab, Moonbeak got her travel case together, with a few ‘fun’ items in it. “They will be here in a couple minutes, Bright.”

Brightstar walked up to her and dropped his case on the floor. “Moony, thanks, for coming with me. It uh...it means a lot.”

Moonbeak laid a claw on his shoulder. “I'm scared Bright. I've lost so much, and so I'm ready to lose you too, but you have as much to lose as me.”

He held onto her in a tight hug and cried openly into your shoulder. “Y-You'll not lose me. Having you makes me stronger to face this.”

A beeping horn from the street below broke up the tender moment. “Go clean up, and I'll stall the cabbie.”

Pulling away from the hug, Brightstar sniffed. “You got it…” hurriedly he cantered through to the bathroom and cleaned his face, before coming back out into the living room where Moonbeak was waiting for him with the two cases.

In the cab, both Moonbeak and Brightstar sat quietly. She looked out of the window at the scenery as it passed by in the evening dusk. He couldn’t think of anything to say, so he silently put his foreleg around her shoulder and held her tight until they arrived at the station, which they did with fifteen minutes to spare with the train being scheduled to arrive on time in five minutes. Moonbeak covered the cab fare and looked in a few of the tourist trap shop windows. “Your sis like anything?”

‘To not be in a coma, beaten and raped,’ Brightstar thought, but very wisely he bit down on that thought. “There's three things Darkie likes, roses, salted caramel and pranks.”

“Hmm…” Moonbeak thought out loud, “Might be better to get that when we arrive, then.”

Brightstar nodded as he heard the Friendship Express steam train enter the station. “Her second favourite place in Canterlot used to be the joke shop.”

Moonbeak approached the magnificent train. “I have us a sleeper car.”

Brightstar stepped up next to her as the guards opened the carriage doors. “Thank you Moony.”

The pregnant griffon nuzzled her stallion tenderly. “You can thank me properly later tonight.”

Entering the train carriage first, Moonbeak got out her phone and showed the conductor the tickets she had purchased online earlier that day. Satisfied, the earth pony stallion, resplendent in his red uniform, led the way to the Friendship Express’s sleeper compartment. Brightstar followed quietly, feeling a huge amount of trepidation for not only the journey but for what they would find at the end of it.

The compartment, though it wasn’t large, was more than suitable. It did have a private toilet and shower and the seating pad doubled up as a bed. There was a drop down pad to make it into bunk beds. “Thank you.” Moonbeak thanked the stallion for escorting them to their compartment. “How late is the club car open?”

“It is always open, Ma'am, and you can have breakfast as early as five a.m. up to nine a.m.” The sky blue stallion answered smartly.

“Please reserve us a spot for two at six a.m.” Moonbeak requested after a moment’s thought.

“Can do,” the conductor gave a polite nod and turned to take his leave. “Enjoy your trip.”

Brightstar walked into the compartment with a little smile, sizing up the room they’d be staying in. “At least it’s comfier than Air Raid's car.”

“It will do.” Moonbeak passed her simple judgement as she dumped the two cases into the wall mounted luggage racks.

The royal blue unicorn nodded, “it will indeed.” He had a thought then, “I should give Raid a call, let her know we're coming, and when we’ll be there in Canterlot.”

Nodding approvingly, Moonbeak said, “Yes, that is a good idea. She can recommend a place for us to stay.”

Lighting his horn, Brightstar levitated his phone out of his saddlebag and in his glowing yellow aura floated it over to him. Moonbeak waited whilst he dialled Air Raid’s number and flicked it to speaker mode. “Hey Raid...” he greeted his friend when she picked up the call, “yeah it's me, we're on our way from Filly now.”

Air Raid yawned a loud audible yawn. It was six p.m. in Canterlot and she hadn’t slept or even properly rested since the day before. “Cool, Bright. “What time shall I meet you?”

Brightstar looked at his griffon and she whispered a time to him. “We’re due to get into Canterlot about eleven tomorrow morning.”

“Alrighty Bright, no worries.”

“Oh,” the stallion said as he saw the meaningful look on her face. “Moony wants to know if you can recommend a place for us to stay?”

“My place is empty. You can use that.” Air Raid answered after a moment’s thought.

‘That is one tired pony,’ Moonbeak thought to herself grimly. “Fleas?”

Air Raid giggled, “nope…” she gave another very loud, very long yawn. “No fleas.”

“Raid,” Brightstar started, a very serious tone in his voice, “you sound exhausted, get some sleep.”

Moonbeak on the other hand was very happy. “Yes,” she smiled so that it carried in her voice, “alert ponies taste best.”

“I heard that.”

Brightstar was insistent. “I mean it Raid, get some kip.”

Air Raid groused for a moment then she relented, lest she get thrown out of the hospital cafeteria. “Fine, fine Bright, I'll try.”

Moonbeak leant in close to her stallion’s ear and whispered. “Any change?”

“I’ll ask, love.” Turning his attention back to his phone, Brightstar asked, “Raid, is there any change in Darkie?”

There was a very long pregnant pause in Air Raid before she responded. “No,” she replied eventually, reluctantly, “no hun there's no change. They’re still going pretty much hour by hour. They're letting me stay in the hospital, I'll let you know if anything changes before you get here. I tried calling Dusk, but he hasn't returned my calls.”

Brightstar asked, “have you tried Cy?”

“I called her after I spoke to you earlier hun,” Air Raid answered quickly, “but there's not much she can do, she isn't allowed in Canterlot is she?”

“What about ‘Shot?”

Air Raid snorted derisively. “Slingshot hit a bottle as soon as we got back.”

“Alright hun,” Brightstar said sympathetically. “Go get some sleep, Raid.”

“Yep.” Air Raid said simply and she hung up.

“Damn.” Brightstar exclaimed as he floated his phone back into his saddlebag.

Moonbeak moved closer to him and steered him to sit on the wide seating pad. “That was a lot of names,” she said affectionately, “tell me about them.”

“Yeah it was.” Brightstar sighed despondently and slumped into Moonbeak’s shoulder. “Well, the first, Dusk Melody, is Princess Luna and Lady Octavia's son. We went to school then to university with him. Cy, or Cyclone, she went to uni in Canterlot with us too. She recently was forced to move to Cloudsdale. Slingshot you met. He has a massive crush on Darkie. We were all tight, until Wildfire's accident a few months ago.”

Moonbeak remained silent as she listened to her stallion. “You hung around with Prince Dusk?” She asked once he’d finished.

Brightstar nodded. “I did.” Once more he lit his horn in with his yellow magic and levitated the photograph of the seven friends that they’d had taken way back at the funfair from his saddlebag. Bringing it over to them he wondered idly if any of the others had kept their copies of this picture. Holding it in mid-air he looked at the seven happy smiling faces looking back at him.

Moonbeak looked at the slightly creased picture. “Name them.”

Brightstar nodded and took a breath. “Air Raid and Slingshot you know.” He indicated the lime green mare and pink stallion respectively. He pointed to the yellow pegasus next. “That's Wildfire, Air Raid's marefriend. The black pegasus is Cyclone. The white unicorn is Darkie, Darkstar, and that's Dusk there and me next to him.”

Moonbeak took a moment to really study the photograph. It was obviously a cheap booth job, but she wasn’t about to criticise its quality. “Your sister is cute. Four pegasi, two unicorns, and an earth pony walk into a bar…”

Brightstar laughed out loud. “We were an equal opportunities group. Heh...we were...” he touched the photo with his hoof. “We had some good times, but we've drifted apart since Wildfire left.”

Moonbeak studied the photograph, her emerald green eyes settling on the jet black pegasus with the turquoise mane. “Why can't Cyclone come to Canterlot?”

“Aaah...” Brightstar paused, gathering his thoughts on that one. “See, that's a little delicate. Cyclone has an AB/DL fetish…” again he paused, and when Moonbeak gave him an encouraging look, he took a deep breath and he told her the whole tale of exactly why his friend had been banished from the nation’s capital city. He told it truthfully and honestly, sparing no detail and sugarcoating nothing. “So you see,” he rounded off, “they cut her a deal, leave Canterlot and no more would be said.”

Moonbeak’s beak hung open for a moment, then she swiftly recovered herself. “Wow! You have some kinky friends. Give me the dirt on Air Raid.”

Brightstar gave her a very relieved giggle, pleased and somewhat thankful that his griffon was so accepting of his friend. “Air Raid…heh…her biggest thing is she can't fly. She has Scootaloo's Syndrome. She thinks we don't know, but she likes peeing outdoors. She and Cy had a session once, and Cy did say she gets turned on from being humiliated.”

“I can do humiliation.” Moonbeak stated confidently. “You said your sister is a prankster, does she have some kinks too?”

Brightstar nodded. “She likes to be watched.” He blushed a little, “that's how I found out I was a voyeur.”

Moonbeak, satisfied for the moment – there would be time enough for more questions later – decided to change tack and she said to the young stallion, “Care for a night cap in the club car?”

‘It has been a long day…’ Brightstar thought and nodded his head with a smile. “Ooh, I'd love one.”

Patting the knee of his hind leg, Moonbeak got up off of the seating pad and exited their sleeper compartment and moved forward through the carriages of the Express to the dining car and then into the club car. The well-stocked and supplied bar was on the lower level. Seeing there was no beer tap, the pregnant griffon walked up to the bar. “I'll have a lager, please.” She addressed the sky blue unicorn bartender.

The stallion behind the bar paused and looked at Brightstar, awaiting his order too. He scanned what they had, and when he saw there was no dalwhinny, Brightstar placed his order. “Make that two, I'll have a lager as well please.”

“Glasses?” The bartender asked, and Moonbeak shook her head no, before leading her stallion over to a nearby empty table.

Brightstar noticed this, but believing Moonbeak had a fun game in mind, he chose not to say anything about it. “Thank you,” he said as he took his seating pad opposite her.

The stallion bartender quickly delivered the two bottles of lager and one glass to their table and departed to the bar, conspicuously remaining close enough to listen but not close enough to make it obvious. Moonbeak took a good long sip of her drink. “Pony glasses never work out well for beaks.”

Brightstar chuckled and filled his glass with the bottle held in his yellow aura. “I like your beak just how it is.”

“Just how it is,” Moonbeak commented with a sly grin, “now with some of your bits in it?” Nearby, the bartender almost dropped the glass he was polishing.

“Mmm...” the royal blue stallion caught the slip out of the corner of his eye and decided to have some fun. “I'd love you to put my bits in it.” He blushed deeply and tried to cover it with a giggle. Darkstar was so much better than him at that sort of thing. That and she’d actually had sex with another pony before, whereas he was still practising. “Oh…I actually said that out loud didn’t I?”

The stallion behind the bar, who was paid to be deaf or attentive based on conversations around him tried very hard to remain professional. Moonbeak giggled. “You did.”

Brightstar declared proudly. “I regret nothing, my lady.”

“As well you shouldn't.” She smiled as she swallowed half of her bottle. “There is time enough for regret during the long sleep.”

“Well said my love,” Brightstar paused and took a sip of his lager, swilling it around his mouth before swallowing with relish. “Mum would like you I think,” he said after a moment’s thought.

“You are a strange pony,” Moonbeak said simply, putting her bottle on the table. “But, let's get another to go and talk about that in the room.”

“You said you like strange.” He countered quickly. ‘Damn…I said too much, now she wants to talk about mum…’

Getting up from their table, Moonbeak laid the bits on the counter as the bartender put the two bottles on the bar. “There is strange and then there is 'strange'.” She commented, giving the young unicorn a look. “Make yourself useful and carry yours and the full ones. I got mine.”

“I got these.” Brightstar lit his horn and picked up the three bottles in his glowing yellow magical field and carried them with him back to their compartment.

Back in their room in the Express’s sleeper carriage, Moonbeak perched herself on the wide seating pad and silently finished her first lager and takes the second bottle from the unicorn’s magic. “Your mum.” She opened bluntly. “You either talk about her like she is next to you or like she is on the moon.”

“Yes,” Brightstar started to reply, then he paused while he took the space next to her on the seating pad and gathered his thoughts. He knew the time had come to fully open up to his griffon, whatever the consequences may be. “It's...well it's...complicated, Moony. You see um...she's crazy.” There. He’d said it.

Moonbeak smiled, “I think that comes from having kits and foals.”

‘She didn’t get it…’ Brightstar shook his head. “No, I mean she's really ‘insane’ crazy.” He slumped a little as he took a long fortifying drink of his lager.

“Oh,” Moonbeak saw the very, very serious look on the young stallion’s face. She decided it didn’t suit him. She much preferred the easy smile he had when he was playing with Athena, or helping her tease her mother. “Like, committed, crazy?” She asked.

Brightstar nodded, “yep...she's been in the Canterlot Asylum for six years now.”

‘He’s properly serious…poor pony.’ Moonbeak swallowed her lager and gave him a sympathetic look. “Oh, sorry if I was playing that off.”

To her surprise, Brightstar smiled. “My love, it's fine, really. Darkie and I were thirteen when it happened.”

“You never talk about your dad.”

Brightstar shrugged and drained his second bottle. “Nothing to talk about. He left my mum before we were born. All I know is his name, Lilac Glamour.”

Moonbeak nodded, “My dad passed a few years ago, why mom lives in a condo. Didn't need a big house.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” With his empty bottle floated onto the little table, he wrapped his foreleg around her shoulders and pulled the pregnant griffon into a hug on the seating pad, for a moment just enjoying the sound of the train as it thundered along the track.

Hugging him back, Moonbeak rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. “Stuff happens. You talked about meeting your mom, then you say better to have met mine than yours.”

“It depends.” Brightstar sighed a deep sigh, still holding the hug. “Sometimes she's lucid enough and she knows what’s happening, other times mum can be confused, scared or even violent. Tartarus sometimes she can be all three. Sometimes she recognises us, other times she doesn't.”

Moonbeak nodded sympathetically. “Like she is next to you or on the moon.” She said again, the saying having considerably more meaning now. “Still I need to meet her, I just won't get worried if she doesn't approve of me.”

“Like she is next to you or on the moon...” Brightstar mulled it over thoughtfully. “Yeah, that's about right. Shining Star. Mum's name. She was a semi-famous illusionist. She supported Trixie Lulamoon back in the day when she toured Equestria with her magic act.”

“Ah,” Moonbeak said delicately as she could, “like you and your sister. So, ummm…hum…hmm…”

Brightstar chuckled, “you're worried I'll go the same way?”

“Humph,” she harrumphed with a smile all over her beak, “all you ponies are crazy, but I'd like to know if you'll stay lucid.”

The royal blue stallion giggled at that. “My mum's illusions got out of control. She couldn't tell what was real from what was not. I like order. Having OCD helps. Order helps to ground me.”

Understandingly, Moonbeak nodded. “Order is a very griffon thing.”

“Yes it is,” Brightstar agreed quickly. “Stormclaw taught me that. Your darkroom was very soothing, all neatly stacked and ordered.”

Moonbeak giggled, “My pantry must have given you a hard on then.”

The royal blue unicorn blushed intensely. “Um…maybe.” It did, of course it did, but he didn’t want to admit it.

Moonbeak then asked, “So which one of you mainly took care of the other? You or your sis?”

Brightstar laughed a little laugh at that. “Darkie will tell you it was her, but I took care of my sis. Mum expected me to be the stallion in the house…”

The pregnant griffon cut across him, very conspicuously looked at her stallion’s undercarriage, inspecting it minutely. “Understandable.”

“And impressive, too.” He added proudly.

Bending down, Moonbeak looked at his sheath again. “It’s adequate for a pony.”

Brightstar made a little pose next to his griffon on the seating pad. “Why thank you Mistress, I aim to be adequate!” He leant in close to her and kissed her cheek.

Moonbeak looked down her beak at him. “When it comes to that your aim better be spot on.”

“It is indeed,” he smiled and hugged her tightly to him. “Especially when you talk about putting it near your beak.”

Moonbeak clacked her yellow beak a few times. “My aim will be true,” she finished with a wink of her emerald green eye. Sat next to her, Brightstar shivered, getting very aroused by the wink, his stallionhood starting to emerge from its sheath. Grinning at the effect she was having on him, she finished her second beer. “Beds are a little narrow,” she said casually.

A thought occurred to him, “you’ll have to get on top of me, I’m sure we'll fit.”

Moonbeak stood up from the pad and nodded, “Worth a try.”

Taking the cue, and wasting very little time, Brightstar stood as well and used his magic to fold the bed down on top of the seating pad and once it was secure he hopped on the edge, his hind legs dangling down almost touching the floor, the head of his member showing. “I couldn't agree more,” he said with a wink, “Mistress.”

Moonbeak reared up, looking him in the eyes as she ran a claw along his grey collar. Hopping up on the bed, she moved to sit next to him but her legs were under her and she wrapped her right arm around him. “How many dates before you'll do it?” She asked, her emerald eyes half-lidded.

“Aaah…” in a little panic, Brightstar tried to look cool even though he hadn't actually done it before, he knew they've technically been on two already. “Aaah...um, two?”

Laughing at his discomfort, Moonbeak went to work on his black mane and his neck with her beak. “Aah...aaoooooh…” Brightstar moaned and shivered as the griffon continued to nip and lick his royal blue fur, intent on preening his fur, griffon style. “Mmmm!” His shaft fully emerged from his sheath under her ministrations, “I like that.”

Lifting up her clawed hand, Moonbeak pushed him over and onto his back in an attempt to get at his chest fur. Like pliable clay, Brightstar went onto his back easily, raising his forelegs above his head like he was tied down as she worked her way along his collar bone and down each rib in turn. “Mmmm…” he breathed little shallow breaths, his shaft hard as a rock underneath her.

Noting the stallion’s distinct lack of ticklishness, Moonbeak decided to change her attack and she moved down to his belly, letting her pure white check feathers rub along the side of his shaft as she began to preen his belly fur. As soon as she reached his belly he twitched. “Teeeheeeeeeee!” He squirmed under her.

Very pleased at the response she had – finally - gotten, Moonbeak searched out his navel to play in with the point of her beak. “NAaaAAAaa hahaha n-noooo please!” Brightstar laughed and begged her to stop.

Enjoying his squirms and his helpless laughter for a full two minutes she then moved down to turn her attention to his heavy pendulous balls. “Aaah…teeheee…” Brightstar sighed and giggled, thankful for the chance to catch his breath. “Th-that was evil…” in spite of that, the stallion had a wide smile on his face.

“Hmm…” Moonbeak assessed his testicles. “Bite size.” She judged, before taking one in her open beak and running her tongue over and around it.

“B-B-Bite siiiize...aaaaah!” Brightstar didn’t have much opportunity to process what she’d said before he was moaning happily at the feel of her tongue as it caressed his balls. Moving down a bit more, Moonbeak checked the cleanliness of his tail-hole and was pleased to find he was fastidiously clean. Using her claws to gently part his buttocks, she probed him with her tongue and rimmed him with her beak.

“Aaaaaah wow!” Brightstar gasped and spread his hind legs further apart for her.

Minutes later, after swirling her tongue sensuously around his clean hole, Moonbeak came up for air. “Pony like that?”

Brightstar nodded, “pony likes that a lot!”

“I will try to remember that.” Smiling, Moonbeak let her index talon of her left claw replace her beak as she moved back up his crotch with affectionate little nips, Brightstar’s rock hard shaft twitching adorably with the touch of her beak as she spent some time licking the medial ring. “Why do ponies have this extra bit?” She asked curiously.

“Aah ooooooh I d-duuunno…” he moaned and twitched with the pleasure she was giving him.

Moonbeak laughed her shrill high laugh. “You don't play with yourself enough.” The dominant griffon moved up his length to the flared tip. “I can guess what this bit is for.” She said as she lapped away at the sensitive tip.

“HmmmMM!” Brightstar’s back arched, “I p-play with it p-plenty...”

Monitoring his breathing, Moonbeak backed off when she judged he was getting close to climaxing, lifting her head up from his hard throbbing shaft. “Ooooh n-no don't stop please!” Brightstar whined pitifully at the loss of the contact.

“Is your penis afraid of my beak?”

“No!” Brightstar almost screamed, desperate to feel her touch once more. “It and I trust you, Moon!”

‘Aww bless him!’ Moonbeak thought as she removed her talon from his tail-hole and she moved forward up his body until she was sitting on his chest. “That is good, I do hope Zephyr doesn't bite to hard.” She moved herself back and used her claw in order to line his shaft up with her dripping wet snatch.

Brightstar, having learnt his lesson from earlier in the day, did not buck his hips upwards, instead he lit his horn and vibrated her breasts. Sighing happily, Moonbeak slid her way slowly down his shaft. “M-Many talents indeed…oh, my, so many wonderful ridges.”

“Ooh sweet Grover's Talon...” Brightstar almost melted as for the first time in his life he penetrated a mare, and it was the one of his dreams too! ‘Oh it feels so damn good!’

Slowly, savouring every little inch of his cock inside her tunnel, Moonbeak rode him up and down. “Different, but nice and filling.”

Almost lost in this world of new sensations, Brightstar played with her breasts as she rode him. “Th-this is aaaaaamazing!”

Moonbeak slowed down, “You were serious, you've not done this?”

Fighting back a heavy blush, Brightstar nodded, “v-very serious.”

Slowly, lovingly, tenderly, Moonbeak lowered her pregnant body to wrap her claws around the back of her virgin stallion’s neck and she licked at his lips. “I'm going to ride you for as long as I can.” She purred into his ear.

“OoooOH...pl-please do…” he leant forward to kiss her beak, wrapping his forehooves around her dark grey shoulders as Moonbeak continued her forward and back motion but with a very deliberate slowness to her bucking. She licked her way down his muzzle and cheek. “Hmmmm!” In return, he kissed her feathered cheek. “W-Wow...M-Moonbeak I love you!”

Right at that moment, he felt the very sharp pain of a beak in his right ear. “AAaaaAAH!” With the thrill of the sharp pain, Brightstar thrust his hips upwards into her. “D-Do that again!”

“One shouldn't beg.” She whispered huskily in his ear and lapped his ear and moved back to lick his lips as sensuously as she could so that he could taste his own blood.

“N-No...” Brightstar panted and kissed her beak and tasted his blood, his hooves wandering down her wide flanks. Feeling the need, Moonbeak moved faster and faster on his shaft, as she did so the unicorn could feel her very sharp talons on his shoulders. Caressing her flanks with his hooves, he started to move with her, timing his thrusts with hers to penetrate deep inside her tunnel. “Oh w-wow...wow...”

Lifting her head, her emerald green eyes closed, Moonbeak rode him harder, her distended belly slapping against his own she dug her talons into his shoulders. “AaaAAH…” Brightstar arched his back with the sweet pain in his shoulders from her claws. “Aaaaah'm...not last much l-longer!”

Moonbeak’s movements were now beginning to get a bit erratic as she was caught up in the bliss of her first true orgasm in a long time. Brightstar, also approaching his first proper climax, moaned as his thrusts were as erratic as hers above him. “It...it's c-cumming!”

Right at the point of her climax, Moonbeak screeched and slammed backwards hard, clenching her muscular walls around his rod for all she was worth. One talon on the right claw was so deep inside him it drew blood. “AAAAAAH YEEEEES!” Brightstar screamed, his hind legs quivering as he came, shooting his hot seed deep inside her.

Coming down from her high, Moonbeak laid her feathered head on his chest. “I so needed that.”

Brightstar smiled and had his hooves affectionately stroking the white feathers at the back of her head. “Me too.”

Moonbeak felt the wetness of his blood on the one talon of her claw. “Pony flesh is not as tough as griffon flesh.”

“That's part of what made it so great…” he sighed happily, his stallionhood still leaking ejaculate inside her. “I loved the feel of your talons in me.”

“Fine,” Moonbeak conceded, “but I need to exercise caution.”

“I know love.” He leant upwards and kissed her beak.

Laid on top of her stallion, Moonbeak didn't move, instead she allowed nature to take its course for him to withdraw from her. “Comfy?” She asked as she felt the impressive member retreat back in its sheath.

“Very comfy.” He smiled back at her and didn't move.

“Good, because I'm comfy too.” She replied, resting her head back onto his chest.

Brightstar wrapped his forelegs around her, holding her close to him. “I love you, rather a lot.”

“I'm very fond of you,” Moonbeak replied with a yawn, “and I think I'll keep you around.”

“Then, I'm a fortunate pony indeed…” Brightstar yawned as his yellow eyes drooped closed. Before very long he was sound asleep, along with his griffon beside him, who was purring her soft little snores. At some point in the night, Moonbeak slipped off of him, resting on her side with her back towards him. Somehow he knew, and he rolled over to the side, pressing his chest to her back, spooning her like he had done at the treehouse the night before.

~ ~ ~

Tuesday morning, and having been awoken at six a.m. for breakfast by the Friendship Express’s conductor, Brightstar and Moonbeak were sat in the lower level of the steam train’s club car. As it was early in the morning, Celestia had only just raised the sun, the pair had their choice of tables. Thankfully, to the unicorn’s relief, Moonbeak had chosen the same table they were sat at the night before.

Moonbeak had laid out before her a robust meal of Appleloosan Omelettes with water and toast with blueberry jelly, while Brightstar had opted for a light repast of cheesy scrambled eggs and orange juice. Looking at the unicorn, Moonbeak could tell his mind was elsewhere, judging by the way he was holding his fork in his magic and flipping it over and over. She assumed it was an OCD thing. “No coffee?” She opened to break the silence, “How will you function?”

Smiling sadly, Brightstar finally stopped flipping the fork. “Sorry, I wasn't thinking.” Getting up from his seating pad at the table, he trotted over to the service station and swapped the orange juice for a milky coffee and came back to the table with it held in his magic.

“Where was that pony brain of yours?” Moonbeak asked when she’d viciously dispatched a beakful of omelette in two sharp snaps.

“I dunno,” Brightstar unenthusiastically pushed around a forkful of scrambled eggs before lifting it to his mouth like it was his last meal. “Canterlot I think,” he commented with a sigh.

“We'll be there in a few hours,” Moonbeak said, checking the schedule on her phone. “But, I think it was more your sister than Canterlot.”

Brightstar nodded his agreement. He knew it was foolish to argue, especially when there was nothing to argue against. “I think you're right.”

Moonbeak set down her fork and put her clawed hand on his hoof, squeezing it gently, enough to dig her talons in just slightly. “Uncertainty can wear at an individual. I'll see if I can ease your mind after our meal.”

Taking a mouthful of his milky coffee Brightstar managed a smile. “Raid did tell you to take my mind off of it, which you do brilliantly,” he sighed again, feeling the weight of the country on his shoulders. He was nineteen for Luna’s sake, he had no idea what to or how to do it. Dealing with his mum had been bad enough, but this... “I know we can't do anything till we get there, and even then I don't know what we can do.”

“Be supportive.” Moonbeak said simply.

“That we can do.”

Moonbeak decided to change tack a little, coming at it from a different angle. “Air Raid seemed to be steady at the race. She the one you want watching over your sister?”

“Yes,” Brightstar nodded thoughtfully, mulling it over as he ate, “yes I trust her in this.”

“Good, that is important.” Moonbeak sipped her water. “Somepony needs to be there for her for the long haul.”

“I know Air Raid will.” Brightstar affirmed, “she's a good pony.” ‘Even if she doesn’t believe it most of the time.’

Moonbeak giggled then, “I only know she is not camera shy.”

“Oh Luna no!” Brightstar laughed out loud, “pull the victory pose before she wins, that's Raid.”

“You have a pretty laugh,” Moonbeak smiled at him, “you should try it more.”

“Hmhmm,” the royal blue unicorn finished his eggs with a murmur, “everypony says that.” He laughed again as he levitated up his coffee. “I do have a sense of humour, honest.”

“Yes,” the pregnant griffon mused once her omelette was finished and her plate emptied, “I've experienced your quips.”

“When Darkie wakes up, I'll get her to tell you about Las Pegasus.” He snickered, easily recalling the time a few years ago when they’d been ‘stranded’ in the west coast town for a week. “Heh...we all needed a sense of humour for that.”

“I've not been there,” Moonbeak commented, “then again, this is my first trip to the Capital. I do expect you to show me a good time.”

Brightstar giggled, “of course my lady!”

Sending the last of her toast the way of the omelette, Moonbeak finished her water. “Last night was a good start.”

Brightstar used his magic to scour his plate, wrapping up a few stray pieces of scrambled egg in a cheesy ball and swallowed this last morsel, nodding eagerly. “It was amazing!” He blushed hard, aware that he’d reacted perhaps a little too eagerly. “I ah, I had a lot of fun last night.”

‘Taken his mind off it indeed! Well done, Moony…and he’s very good too…’ Moonbeak smiled tenderly, putting to the back of her mind the thought that she needed to jump him right there and then. “Now that you're out of your shell, will I be enough for you?”

“More than enough.” He reached over the table with his hoof and lifted her claw to his lips, placing a gentle loving kiss upon it. “You're all I could possibly want.”

“Time will tell.” Moonbeak withdrew her claw from his hoof, a definite red tinge to her white feathered cheeks. “I think a massage would be nice.” Getting up from her seating pad, the pregnant griffon leaving the club car without a backwards glance. Straight away, Brightstar got up and followed after her swishing grey tail, admiring from behind her swollen belly and wide flanks.

Back in the sleeper car, Moonbeak laid out on her belly on the narrow bed. “Between the wings, pony.” She ordered simply, spreading her wings down to her sides.

Hopping up on to the bed behind her, Brightstar smiled as he positioned himself so that he was straddling her left leg. “Your wish is my command, my lady.” Placing his forehooves just below her shoulders he started a very gentle massage, alternating figure eights between her wing joints.

“Mmmmmmm,” she sighed as his hooves started to ease the knotted muscles, “do feel free to let your hooves wander. It has been a stressful week.”

“Tell me all about it, Mistress.” While his left hoof was doing the figure eights between her wings, he allowed the right to meander southwards, rubbing little circles just above her leonine tail.

“I went to my favourite bar just the other day,” Moonbeak lead off, a smirk on her beak, “and there was some new pony there. Quite the nuisance he was.”

“Aww tut tut...” Brightstar could almost hear her smirk, and decided to play along. “I'm so sorry to hear that.” He said sympathetically, his hooves rubbing a little harder in his massage while the hoof at her tail dared to venture a little lower.

“Yes, he was quite the show pony.” Moonbeak was pleased he was playing her little game. She liked this young pony. He was fun, in all the right ways. “Selene let me know he was very noisy and a smooth talker.”

“Oh really?” He asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow as his hoof stroked out along the leading edge of her left wing and the other reached underneath her grey tail. “And what did you do with this show pony?”

“Put him in his place of course!” She scoffed a snorted breath into her pillow, playing her part despite the fact that his hooves were turning her on in all the right places. “To think he thought he could just chat me up! Did have a cute flank though.”

“Good for you!” Brightstar exclaimed, familiar enough with his sister’s games to easily fall into his role while his hoof gently rubbed the pregnant griffon’s labia. “I'm sure the upstart pony just loved that.”

“Murrrrrrr, yes, yes he did.” Moonbeak really had to force herself to stay in character when she felt his hoof touch her lips. “Was fun to play with and he did put on a good show.”

Brightstar made himself concentrate, stifling his laughs as the hoof he was using on her wing began to tease her primary feathers while the other drew circles around her labia, going very close to her clitoris but not actually touching the hard exposed nub. “As long as he didn't disappoint.”

“Questionable.” She replied, “He did make a mess of things, but was able to clean things up after.”

“Oh,” Brightstar giggled, “I heard he loved the clean-up.” He lit his horn and started to gently vibrate her clit.

‘Sweet Aureli!’ Moonbeak almost broke her character when she felt the first vibrations. “You sure you've not done this before?” She asked over her shoulder.

“Ah...this I've done before,” Brightstar blushed, deciding now wasn’t the right time to explain just whom he’d done this to. “Just not the other.”

“I commend your teacher.” Moonbeak’s cool calm detatched demeanour was back in full force now that her curiosity was for the moment sated. “The next day was a photo shoot, and as always they wanted changes.”

“I’m sure my teacher thanks you Mistress.” ‘At least, she will when she wakes up…STOP IT! Don’t think of her like that!’ He admonished himself, pushing thoughts of a pure white flank far from his mind as he vibrated his griffon’s clitoris and massaged just around the entrance to her moistening tunnel. “A photo shoot, you say? That sounds stressful.”

“Very, and with a small kitten too.” Moonbeak cooed and relaxed under his touch. “I was very luck to find a sitter at the last moment!”

Increasing the vibrations to her nub, Brightstar dipped the toe of his hoof gently inside her vagina, seeing how she reacted. “A sitter? My you were the lucky griffon.” Leaning in, he kissed her between her powerful wings.

“More so the kit...ummmm…” her voice trailed off to a low purr as she felt the edge of his hoof enter her. “Kitten enjoyed the sitter's antics.”

Putting aside his character for a moment in favour of her enjoyment and care, Brightstar asked, “how are you liking that?”

“I'm liking it very much.” Moonbeak replied quickly, very appreciative of the fact that he had taken the time to ask. Her respect for the young pony went up a good few notches for that.

“Good.” He slid his hoof in a little further while at the same time he nipped at the dark grey fur between her wings. “I'm sure your kitten had a good time.”

“She did very much so.” Moonbeak smiled, ‘Damn he’s good!’ “He wasn't as messy with the ice cream as he was with the cream.” She giggled, though the giggle became a purr of pleasure. “Mmmmm, yeeees.”

“I'm pleased to hear that.” He pulled his hoof back and then thrust it in gently but firmly going a little deeper, his lips kissing their way down her back to the base of her tail.

“I'm happy that Athena is pleased with her sitter. I hope that Zephyr will be as pleased.”

“I'm sure he will, Mistress.” Brightstar commented, his lips now kissing her under her tail just above the tight muscular ring of her anus, his hoof inside her up to the bulbs at the back. Almost immediately, Brightstar caught the sharp intake of breath from the griffon and he felt the resistance from her vagina, dripping wet though it was. He realises then that griffon females were ‘smaller’ than pony mares, and that his attempt to hoof her wasn’t going to work. Not wanting to hurt her – and himself, griffon talons were after all very sharp – he abandoned that and instead he kissed down to her labia.

“The colt though often…oooh, yes…ponies have such broad tongues...” Moonbeak sighed, relaxing once more, “The colt is often in a bind, but I think I've shackled the issue and have him well in collar.”

‘Phew, quick save, Bright!’ He thought, offering silent thanks to Princess Cadance that he’d caught his error just in time. “HmHmmm!” Very slowly he lapped up her crotch from her clit to her tail-hole.

“He, ahhh, yessss, he can be mopey at times, but...” the griffon moaned lustfully and ground herself backwards onto his wondrous tongue, “life is never fair. For all the trouble he is, I think he is a keeper.”

Behind her, Brightstar merely smiled and licked her again, this time going downwards with his broad tongue from tail-hole to clit and Moonbeak arched her back, “Yes, ahhhhh keeper!”

“Very good to know, Mistress.” He murmured his reply then he swirled his tongue around her clit and sucked on it like it was a cherry he was trying to de-stone using just his tongue.

As Moonbeak was reduced to unintelligible murmurs and wiggles, Brightstar slid that broad tongue of his inside her wet tunnel before pulling out and going in again, causing the griffon to spread her legs as wide as room on the bed would allow meanwhile the unicorn was getting very aroused as he bucked her with his tongue, and he moved a hoof down to rub her clit.

“I'm up for something a bit more filling than your tongue.” Moonbeak stated after five minutes of this heavenly treatment. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

Pulling his tongue out of her hole he glanced down and saw between his hind legs his hard rod ready to be put to good use. “Me too!” Again he cursed his eagerness. “Is ah…um, this position good for you?” He asked awkwardly.

‘Bless him!’ Moonbeak wiggled her hips. “Body, yes, empty, no.”

Inexperienced though he was, Brightstar knew what he was supposed, and expected, to do. Rearing up on the bed, he placed his forehooves on his griffon’s shoulders and shuffled forward until his flared tip rested at her entrance. “Ready?”

“Since before you were born.”

Brightstar blushed heavily. “J-Just checking, Mistress,” he said, thrusting his hips gently and sliding himself inside her, her wet muscular tunnel spreading apart to accommodate his entry.

“MmmMMMMMmMmMmm!” Moonbeak moaned as she felt herself get filled up by his veiny ridged shaft. “Good to be careful, Pet.”

“Aaaah!” Brightstar pulled out and then he slid back in to hilt himself inside her tight wet tunnel. “Y-Yeeeees it is!” He saw Moonbeak's claws gripping the forward edge of the bed tightly, no doubt leaving little gouges in the wood. He allowed himself a brief few seconds to just savour the moment of mounting another and the feeling of hilting his member inside her, then he pulled out to his medial ring before thrusting back inside. Quickly he got a firm steady rhythm going, and he leant forward and nibbled on the sweet spot between her wings.

Under the sensuous kisses, Moonbeak's wings fluttered and spread up as there was not enough room for them to spread outwards. “Mmmm mMMMmm!” He bit her a little harder, licking the bit of skin and fur as he rutted her. Moonbeak purred, but soon her breathing became shallow and her back started to arch.

“AaaAAH...” after what seemed like a lifetime, the inexperienced unicorn’s thrusts became as erratic as her breathing. “M-Mistress I-I'm clooooose!”

Moonbeak however wasn't talking, just riding it out underneath her stallion. Brightstar managed three more very hard, very firm thrusts before… “GAaaaAAH!” He thrust inside to the hilt, moaning loudly as he came deep inside her, covering her walls with his hot seed.

High on the rush of her own climax, Moonbeak's beak clacked several times and she relaxed into a purr puddle as Brightstar leant forward on her back. “You're cute when you purr.” He whispered, kissing her cheek.

“Wrong!” The orgasmic griffon had enough presence of mind to correct him sharply, “I'm cute all the time.”

“O-Of course you are...”

Feeling his intense blush, Moonbeak laughed. “You are fun, and a keeper.”

“I'm very pleased to hear you say that.” Getting up, he started to slowly pull out of her.

“Stop,” Moonbeak said quickly as soon as she felt him move. “I like your weight on me, and let nature take care of the rest.” Whether it was the large breakfast she’d had, or the very energetic rutting she’d just been treated to, or both, the pregnant griffon suddenly felt very sleepy in spite of just being up about an hour or so.

“You got it Mistress.” Brightstar saw her emerald green eyes droop as he laid back down on her back, his member sliding back inside her, and he rested his head on her shoulders, feeling like a nap right here and now was a very good idea indeed.

~ ~ ~

“Do you need to call Air Raid?” Moonbeak asked three and a half hours later when she had awoken from her nap.

Brightstar shook his head. “No, she knows when we're due.” An idea came to him though, something the griffon said to him earlier in the club car. “You want a fun time, right?” He asked, a twinkle in his yellow eye.

Moonbeak nodded. “Yes, I expect to be well entertained by you.”

“Then there's only one place to go,” he said, a wide smile on his face, “after we've seen Darkie, I'll take you to Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville.”

“Oh?” Moonbeak’s curiosity was peaked now, “Where is Ponyville?”

“It's a little suburb town at the bottom of Canterlot Mountain,” Brightstar explained, and checking the train’s schedule continued, “The Express went through but didn't stop in Ponyville while we were napping earlier. Ooh! Tell you what, we'll go there for our afternoon meal after I take you to see mum.”

“Good pony,” Moonbeak treated him to an affectionate nuzzle, “and I thought I would have to remind you of your mum.”

“Oh hey,” Brightstar smile as he returned the nuzzle, ruffling her cheek feathers, “we'll get Raid to join us, maybe Cy can make it too!” Eagerly, he levitated his phone over from the little table, “I'll call Cy, she if she's up for it.” Using his magic, he dialled Cyclone’s number as the griffon nodded.

Cyclone answered on the fourth ring, just as the phone was about to cut to the voicemail. “Bright, is that you?”

“It's me Cy.” He answered with a smile, “how's Cloudsdale treating you?”

“Um…” Cyclone looked around the bomb site that was the living room of her cloudhouse. Situated in the outskirts of Cloudsdale on Cirrus lane off of Feather drive, it was cheap, but also prone to cloudquakes. Unfortunately, as it was on the outskirts, these weren’t always repaired quickly. “Um, fine!” She lied, “has, ah, Raid talked to you?”

“She has.” Brightstar replied, “we're almost in Canterlot now hun.”

“Oh, okay,” Cyclone’s voice was almost drowned out by a flumping crashing sound in the background as her shelf fell down. Quickly she covered and before her friend could ask what that was, the jet black pegasus said, “I'm so sorry I can't come to see her!”

Brightstar put the phone on speaker so that Moonbeak could hear her Canterlot accent, “hey, Cy don't worry about that. What are you doing later, say five to six p.m.?” He asked, getting to the point of his call.

There was a definite sniffle in Cyclone’s voice when she answered, her picture of her and her friends at the funfair had smashed when the shelf had collapsed. ‘Stupid cheap cloudhouse!’ She thought miserably. “I um, I get off work at five, why?”

“Do you wanna meet up at Sugarcube Corner?” Brightstar asked, “I have someone to introduce you to.”

Almost immediately Cyclone perked up. Canterlot was off limits, but she was allowed to go to Ponyville. And Sugarcube Corner was always fun. “Oh, sure I can be there by five thirty, what time do you want to meet up?”

“Five thirty is good hun.”

“Okay,” Cyclone sounded positively thrilled. And she was. It meant she could get out of her house for a while. “I'll get there early to get us a table. How many are coming?”

“Four including you,” the royal blue unicorn answered, “I'll get Raid, me, and a very cute griffon I want you to meet.”

“Okay, Give Darkie a hug for me, and Raid too, she is blaming herself for all of this.”

“I will...” Brightstar started, then he interrupted himself, “what, why she blaming herself, that's crazy, and I'd know.”

Cyclone sighed a very deep sigh as she began to sweep up the glass from the photograph’s frame – her phone on speaker – “She says if she never left Wily, none of this would have happened. She did manage to track down Cold Front, and he is in Las Pegasus.”

A rare surge of emotion took Brightstar, “I don't care! He did it Cy!” Moonbeak put her clawed hand supportively on his shoulder, squeezing just enough to calm him down. “Anyway...it’s not Raid's fault.”

“Any luck with Wily in Filly?” Cyclone asked as she dumped the glass in her trash can, and used her very limited cloudsculpting abilities that her colleagues at the weather factory had taught her to put the shelf back up on her wall.

“...no.” Brightstar replied reluctantly. “I've been looking for four months. I reckon I've scoured the place three times over. Don't tell Raid, Cy, but I've all but given up. There's no family here in Filly.”

“Oh, okay,” Cyclone couldn’t keep the disappointment from her voice. Of course they all knew Wildfire had no family or ties to Fillydelphia whatever, but it still had to be checked, if only to sate Air Raid. “I'll have a table waiting. Bring me some good news, okay?”

“Good news. Check. I'll order a miracle too while I’m at it.” Brightstar giggled, “keep the monsters away for us.”

“I can make sure it doesn't rain on SCC for you, how’s that?”

“Can you fly that up high?” Brightstar teased his friend, “SCC's a pretty high building y'know.”

“Ha, Ha, Ha,” Cyclone responded with a raspberry that the unicorn felt down the phone. “I can fly just fine on the ground, thank you.”

“Teehee,” Brightstar chuckled, very pleased his teasing had worked. “See you later, you big foal.” When his friend said ‘bye’, Brightstar hung up, cancelling the call and returning the phone to the table. “And that was Cyclone.” He said to Moonbeak who was sat beside him.

“I remember her in the picture.” She said with a nod of her white feathered head.

“She's scared of heights.”

Disbelievingly, Moonbeak gave her stallion her patented 'stare' (which is totally different from a certain pink maned yellow coated pegasus’s stare because Moonbeak’s a griffon, and mainly to avoid copyright issues), “But she is a pegasus.”

Brightstar shrugged, “I know she is. She's still scared of heights. She hasn’t told us why.”

“And she lives in Cloudsdale?” She asked incredulously.

“Not through choice.” Brightstar said in a tone that cried out for her to drop it. “She had to leave Canterlot. Cloudsdale was judged far enough away.”

Taking the hint, Moonbeak dropped the issue, for now, anyway. Brightstar had told her the basic tale last night, but she was hoping for the full meat and two veg version. “Sounds like a good story over, um, what does Sugar Cube Corner provide? Sounds like a candy store.”

Brightstar gave her one of the laughs she liked to hear. “Candy, café, cabaret, it does pretty much everything you want.”

“Mmm…that does sound like fun.”

“Oh it is, you'll see,” ‘Especially if Pinkie’s there serving!’ He thought to himself as the Friendship Express steamed into the tunnel just outside of Canterlot station. “Whooooooo!” Brightstar cheered like an excited colt before he could stop himself.

Moonbeak shot him a very sardonic look. “I thought ponies held their breath in tunnels?”

“What?” He blushed hard, “I like tunnels.” He always had done, even back when he’d been a colt and his mum had taken him and his sister to see the new Crystal Castle in Ponyville.

“Fun to tease,” Moonbeak giggled, and giggled even more when he stuck out his tongue at her. The speaker system announced their arrival in Canterlot station as the Express exited the long tunnel. Getting up from her seating pad, Moonbeak took the leash from Brightstar’s travel case and she clipped it to his collar.

Brightstar looked down at it and smiled. “Thank you Mistress,” he took a deep breath as the train slowed to a halt. “I'll need this I think.”

“Just don't want you to get lost.” She said, and she didn’t mean directionally, either. “You can carry the bags.”

Brightstar knew full well exactly what she had meant, and nodded. “A wise precaution,” he agreed and with his phone safely in his saddle bag he levitated the two travel cases in his glowing yellow magic.

Stepping off the train first, Moonbeak tugged on the leash to halt her stallion and Pet as she surveyed the platform looking for the mare who was to be meeting them. For a brief moment she thought the she was late, then her sharp emerald green eyes caught sight of the lime green pegasus laid on one of the many benches on the now empty platform, her head propped up against a timetable sign next to it. “Raid,” she called loudly, “Over here!”

Air Raid snapped awake at the sound of her name and looked around to see who it was who had woke her up, then smiled as she found her two friends. “Hey!” She hurried over, looking very much like she hadn't slept since yesterday, or the day before.

“You look like crap Raid.” Moonbeak said bluntly by way of a greeting. “You driving us to the hospital, or are we flying?”

Air Raid raised a foreleg to her tangled blue mane and ran her hoof through the unkempt mess, snagging on a few knots. “Heh...fair enough…thanks Moony, nice to see you again too.”

“Raid can't fly, remember, Mistress.” Brightstar whispered discreetly in his partner’s snowy white ear.

“I've got us a cab waiting,” the lime green mare explained with a shake of her head, “We all won't squeeze in my car.”

Moonbeak winced at the whispered reminder, a large bright scarlet blush colouring her white feathered cheeks. “Good, I'm not that strong to fly two ponies.” She gently tugged the leash tight, “Lead the way Raid, and, ah…sorry for that.”

Air Raid sniggered at the older griffon’s fading blush. “Eh...it's no biggie, don't call me ‘Dodo’ and we're all good.” She pointed the rough direction with an extension of her left wing and proceeded to lead the way off the station. “I see you didn't waste any time getting Bright in a collar.” She added with a smile as the royal blue unicorn bought up the rear, keeping the leash slack and carrying the two bags in his yellow aura.

Moonbeak slowed her walk and spared her young lover an affectionate rub of her beak along his cheek, before playfully nipping his ear. “He spent the whole of yesterday talking about killing that unicorn. This is our compromise. I let him off the collar and he can do what he must.”

“I think it suits him,” Air Raid giggled as she checked out the grey collar. “I do like how it matches your fur.”

“Sounds like somepony's jealous...” Brightstar said quietly with a wink to the green mare…then gasped as his Dom’s left wing flexed and struck him a hard glancing blow across his right cutie mark.

“When spoken to, at least in public, Pet.” The middle-aged griffon emphasised her point with an extra tug on the leash.

“Yeah...” Air Raid watched the simple yet powerful display with an envious look in her grey eyes. She hadn’t played the Sub since that time with Cyclone and her itch was getting desperate to be scratched. Coughing she forced her wings not to pop open, it had been that long since she had preened them she doubted they even could, “Look I wanna kill him too, but I also don’t wanna end up in bed two next to your sis.”

“Yes, but he is a unicorn, and you are not.” Moonbeak stated matter-of-factly as they arrived at the cab, one of only a few vehicles in the train station’s car park, as if that simple statement explained all of the pegasus’s reticence.

Pausing for a brief second at the cab Brightstar quietly, without need for instruction, surrounded the door handle in his yellow magic and opened it allowing his girlfriend to enter ahead of him.

“Thank you my love.” She rubbed her yellow beak across his cheek and got in, still holding the leash, giving it the gentlest of tugs to get her stallion in as well, and he obediently obliged.

“My, aren't we well trained?” Air Raid asked rhetorically as she followed the other two into the cab. “Canterlot Royal Hospital, quick as you like, please,” she instructed the driver.

“We know what each other likes.” Moonbeak settled down next to Brightstar on her side of the seat that ran across the back of the cab. “Isn't that right love?” She asked, draping a wing around the unicorn, as the cab lurched into motion.

“We do indeed.” Brightstar leant into the feathery hug and nuzzled the white feathered jaw. “But, Moon's right Raid, you do look like Tartarus just ate you up and spat you out.” He grinned at the suddenly indignant look on his friend’s face, speaking more freely now they were in the cab.

Air Raid looked away out of the cab’s window, her reflection staring back at her from the glass. She really did look a proper mess. Her lime green fur was un-brushed, with tufts sticking out at all angles, there were broken feathers spoiling the line of her wings and her mane really did look as if she had slept propped upright against a noticeboard (which she had). “Darkie doesn't care what I look like…” she muttered aloud as scenery whizzed past the window.

With concern on her face Moonbeak leant forward and put a clawed hand on her hoof. “The rest of us care, and if Darkstar wakes up to that, you might put her back in a coma.”

“I...I...” Air Raid stammered, about to unleash a retort she just thought of before she again caught her reflection, especially her blood shot bagged eyes, and found her comeback died on her lips. “Fine, I'll go freshen up later.”

“I saw the photos you sent,” Brightstar said with a smile, “I dunno who looks worse right now, Darkie or you.”

Playfully Moonbeak swatted one of Brightstar’s ears, “Forgive my stallion. He tries to be funny when he's worried.” She placed a tender kiss on his cheek before asking, “Any changes since you last talked to us?”

Air Raid smile and internally ‘aww’d’ as she shook her head. “No…No, other than her going from ICU later.” The dark grey and white griffon nodded and Air Raid stifled a long drawn out yawn before her eyes went wide, a lightbulb going off in her head. “Oh wait, yeah there is, they fitted her with a stronger inhibitor this morning.”

At this Brightstar lifted his head from his girlfriend’s embrace, almost enough to pull the leash tight, his ears pricked up straight. “A stronger…why?”

“She was...'leaking'…” Air Raid began hesitantly as Brightstar questioningly mouthed 'leaking?’ she took a deep breath before continuing, “As in the whole floor of the hospital saw the walls dripping blood, 'leaking'.”

“An illusion I take it?” Moonbeak asked with a whole body shudder that shook her very feathers.

Brightstar leant further into the embrace of his girlfriend’s wing, “Damn...yeah...Darkie always was a powerful illusionist.”

Air Raid nodded, “Theory is she's reliving it, up here.” She said as she tapped her temple with her hoof.

“Perhaps she'll project the plotholes that did this to her?” Brightstar wondered hopefully.

“Maybe...” In truth Air Raid didn’t want to think about what other nightmarish visions might leak forth from her stricken friends damaged mind. If the incident last night had been any indication, Darkstar was on the road to her own personal Tartarus, trapped in the confines of her own mind. “So uh, how's little Athena?” She asked, changing the subject as much for her benefit as theirs. She really didn’t want to think about the horrors her friend endured at the hooves of the three…evil ponies, that did this to her. “Did your mom mind having her?”

“Oh, not at all,” Moonbeak laughed a shrill tinkling laugh, “She will spoil her and wait till we come back to wind her up and turn her over. Still, her love is worth the tornado that follows.”

Even Brightstar joined in the joke, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. “A hyperactive griffon high on chocolate and e numbers...and Athena's just as bad…hey!” He exclaimed as she dug her elbow into his ribs.

“It's a good thing my mom loves you, Mr. Depends on what she desires at the time.”

To Air Raid’s questioning look Brightstar sniggered, recalling when she had taken him to meet the old griffon. “Eго член, больше, чем его рога?” To the pegasus’s even blanker look he translated the Griffonian with a twinkle in his yellow eye, “She asked me if my cock was as long as my horn,” to which Air Raid clutched her barrel, erupting in a very much needed fit of giggles as she pictured the scene.

Moonbeak giggled, “It's longer, but that horn can do things his cock can't.”

“I'll bet…” Air Raid coughed and pressed a hoof to her chest in an effort to calm herself. “How's the little one in there?”

Subconsciously Moonbeak ran her free left hand over her belly, looking distinctly rounded after just three months – of course already having one kitten didn’t help either – “I don't think he has poked his eye out yet, so doing fine.”

“Got a name?” The racer asked, now genuinely interested.

“She has chosen Zephyr,” Brightstar replied as the cab rounded a series of two corners and began slowing down. “Looks like we’re here…” he grimaced and his girlfriend squeezed him tightly one last time as the vehicle pulled up to a halt.

Moonbeak’s beak hung open as she glimpsed the truly huge, imposing and ornately detailed façade of the Canterlot Royal Hospital. Easily bigger than any in Fillydelphia, she was sure it was as big as a few of the high-rises too. “Wow, this is big…”

Brightstar just smiled as he magically opened the cab door and levitated up the two suitcases.

“Hmm…I guess it is,” Air Raid got herself out of the cab and lifted a hoof in thanks to the driver, who returned the gesture. “You kinda stop noticing after your hundredth trip.”

Moonbeak nodded her understanding. “Thank you for watching over my new sister.”

Air Raid sighed sadly as she hoisted her saddlebag onto her back. “The very least I can do, Moon.” Her voiced tinged with a great amount of regret. “I'm not one for repeating my mistakes.”

Without thinking Brightstar whispered, “She means her ex-marefriend she left…”

“Silence pet.” Outside of the cab, in the burgeoning rays of the dawning sun, Moonbeak’s commanding voice had returned. “Lead the way Raid,” she said slightly softer, ignoring her pet’s meeped ‘yes Mistress.’ “I'd get lost in here.”

“You got it Moon.” Air Raid pointed with her wing, extending her primaries towards the ornately carved and decorated main doors. “It’s this way.” Having already been paid for the journey over the phone when the pegasus had made the booking it pulled off as the trio made their way over to the hospital building.