“Why are you going back to Filly with me?” Moonbeak asked bluntly once she and Brightstar had boarded the Friendship Express steam train heading back to Fillydelphia. The white and grey griffon studied her younger lover imperiously with her green eyes, gauging his reaction. She had to admit, as the train pulled out of Canterlot station and she heaved her pregnant mass up on to the cabin’s bunk, the past two days – yesterday and today – hadn’t been the easiest ever.

Brightstar didn’t answer straightaway. The royal blue unicorn sat quietly on the floor of the cabin for a long time, saddened yellow eyes just looking out of the train window, watching the scenery pass by. “Too many ghosts in Canterlot.” He said presently while at the same time he ran a hoof along his grey collar that adorned his neck. “My life is in Filly, my future's in Filly, with you and Athena, and Zephyr, when he arrives.”

Moonbeak shifted uncomfortably on the bunk, for once not because of her swollen belly, more because the young stallion was hurting and it was a hurt she knew all too well. “So, you abandon your sister?” She asked sharply.

“NO!” Brightstar exclaimed suddenly, sadness flaring to anger before petering out almost immediately. “I love Darkie!” His flash of anger gone, he started crying. Really crying. It was a much-needed overdue release, what with seeing his sister’s badly beaten and broken body in the coma in the hospital yesterday and seeing his mum in the Asylum earlier today. “I loved her more than a brother should! I...I can't help her like she is. They say she might not wake up at all, if she does she might be like mum!”

Feeling a huge swell of sympathy and understanding, Moonbeak leant forward just slightly and, seizing the back of his collar she roughly hoisted him up off the floor with exactly zero effort and pulled him close to her on the bunk. “I want to be sure you're not running away from a problem.”

Coughing just a little as his air supply was momentarily cut off by the collar digging into his neck, Brightstar allowed himself to be pulled up on to the bunk and hugged. “I-I'm not ru-running…” he cried, “It's just...I can be of use in Filly. You heard the police, everything that can be done for Darkie is being done.”

Moonbeak quietly watched the landscape whizz past the train carriage as they descended towards Ponyville, their first stop on the way back home. “Do you trust Raid to look after your sister?” She asked shortly, not one to mince her words.

After a long minute of weeping into his griffon’s grey furred shoulder he nodded and dried his yellow eyes on the back of his foreleg. “I trust her, Moony. I know she'll take care of Darkie.”

That was enough for Moonbeak. After all, whatever she had done in the past, Brightstar knew the lime green pegasus better than she. “I'll trust you in this.”

“Thank you.” With his tears for the moment abated and his eyes dry, the royal blue stallion nuzzled into his lover’s side and delicately kissed the white feathers at her neck. Draping her dark grey wing over his back, Moonbeak held him tight, making Brightstar smile. He couldn’t help but feel very safe when he felt the little pin pricks of her sharp talons at his shoulder. He was happy to stay like this for a while, especially when he felt a sharp kick from her belly. “Moony, I've been thinking. I'll need a job, in Filly.”

Moonbeak laughed, a noise that sounded like a shrill whistle, “With your skills you could wipe tables at the bar.”

Despite his maudlin mood, Brightstar actually laughed at that. As it happened he loved her laugh, and he’d had a thought about what he could do. “I was thinking…about the police.”

Swallowing suddenly, Moonbeak squeaked, in a voice even more shrill than her usual tone; “Why?”

Immediately, Brightstar picked up on the distinct change in his partner’s tone. “Because I can make a difference.” In an attempt to placate the older griffon he nuzzled and kissed up her feathery cheek. “I failed to keep Darkie safe, but I can help keep Filly safe. Make sure there's less cases like those that happened to you and me.”

Moonbeak however was not placated. In the least. “You would abandon me too?” She asked in a voice so shrill it was only going to be heard by dogs soon.

“Never, Moony.” Brightstar shook his black maned head, still huddled into his dominant griffon’s side. “I want to take care of you, to keep those I love safe…”

“That's what Goldcrest said.” Moonbeak interrupted him sharply, bringing her voice down a few octaves.

“Then Goldcrest was right.” Brightstar stated definitely. “Moonbeak, I can help, help you and help my new home.”

“I won't ask you to promise me you'll come home,” Moonbeak said with a little sigh in the timbre of her voice. She knew there was no use trying to argue. She’d used the same argument with Goldcrest, and look where he was now. She wished, as the Dom, that she could order him to not do this, but she knew better than that. “But…I will try to move on when you don't.”

Knowing what that had cost her to say, Brightstar adjusted his position just slightly and placed a little kiss on her yellow beak. “I love you.”

Smiling, Moonbeak licked the royal blue stallion’s nose. “I tolerate you, and Athena likes you. My mom will even cook for you so, I'll keep you around.”

Kissing his Mistress’s beak again, Brightstar smiled. It wasn’t the word he wanted to hear, but it was something. “I'll take being tolerated.”

With the edge of her beak, Moonbeak nuzzled her submissive lover’s cheek and neck with her beak. “We are in agreement then. Still, a cage match with Brass Knuckles is safer than police work in Filly.”

“I'll have to go watch her in action to tell for sure.” Brightstar grinned, “Sound like a date?”

Moonbeak nodded thoughtfully, “I'll wager a few bits on you to fool the rubes. Of course I'll secretly wager a lot on Brass.”

Brightstar chuckled at that. “I'd say she's a good bet.” From what he knew of the towering slab of crimson muscle that was the softly spoken minotaur, he was sure Brass Knuckles was a good bet. Then, a moment later, his empty belly rumbled loudly. Loudly enough for them both to hear. “Can I treat my lady griffon to dinner?”

“Hmmm,” Moonbeak glanced up at the clock in the cabin. It was seven p.m., it had been a long day and she was hungry as well. “Well, if I do eat one of your legs, they might at least give you a desk job.”

“A little extreme, perhaps?” Brightstar snickered, stealing a quick kiss of her beak as he got up from the bunk and stretched his legs.

Moonbeak rolled her green eyes as she flapped her dark grey wings and landed gracefully on the floor beside him. “I guess some fish will have to do then.”

“Then let me feed you lots of fish,” Brightstar smiled and kissed his way up the side of her white feathered head. “Mistress.”

Moonbeak nodded and, assuming the role of the Mistress to which she was so accustomed, she swatted his white star cutie mark, “Lead on, my little pony.”

Brightstar shuddered happily at that, the very tone of his lover’s voice making him excited. That hard edge, that little ‘something’ extra that slipped into her tone when she was the Mistress and the game began, just made his fur tingle. “Yes Mistress!” Bowing respectfully, he led the way out of the cabin and through the carriages to the dining car.

As she followed closely behind her Sub, Moonbeak unfolded her left wing and extended it just enough to allow her to casually flick a primary feather under his black tail. “Oooh!” Brightstar gasped in complete surprise, his black tail reflexively hiking upwards. Now she had a clear view, Moonbeak continued to tickle his sizeable ball sack. “Hmmm!” He moaned, walking a little funny as he started to emerge from his sheath.

“Oh!” Moonbeak snickered as she watched her stallion’s shaft grow in front of her, “I forgot about your fifth leg. If I ate that you wouldn't be stuck behind a desk.”

“N-No, Mistress, I wouldn't,” Brightstar blushed as with each step he felt himself get harder and harder. His embarrassment was only heightened when he saw the other passengers staring, openly gawking at his erection. He could easily have cast an illusion to hide it from view, but he knew that wasn’t how the game was played. He knew Moonbeak liked to own him, and she liked to be watched owning him.

He liked it too.

Behind him, Moonbeak moved a little closer, so close he could feel her hot breath on the puckered ring of his exposed anus under his hiked up tail. Unexpectedly, she reached her wing further between his hind legs. “Oooh my...” Brightstar was painfully aware, given the sniggers and whistles of those they passed, that he was very hard indeed. It didn’t help that while they were in Canterlot Moonbeak hadn’t ridden him or allowed him any release at all.

Thankfully, they were at the dining car. He thought his exhibition was over.

He was wrong.

“I'm quite proud of my stallion and I just love to show him off.” Moonbeak declared loudly, her shrill voice drawing the attention of a few of the diners already eating. “You will sit on the aisle side while I have the window.”

Brightstar’s royal blue cheeks ignited in a much deeper blush. He knew then this exhibition would carry on for quite some time. “Oh, y-yes Mistress, of course…” standing aside, he allowed the very pregnant griffon to sit down first.

Taking her seating pad, Moonbeak took a longer moment than strictly necessary to get comfortable so that more ponies could admire her Pet’s raging erection before beckoning him to sit beside her. Unlike usual though, she made him sit upright like he was on a barstool. This had the desired effect of displaying his hard stallionhood for all to see.

Once she was happy with this, Moonbeak, with the window on her right, extended the tip of her left wing around Brightstar’s shaft in order to hide his throbbing erection. Brightstar thought she was doing him a favour, only to realise his error when she started to gently stroke it with her feathers. “Nggggh...th-thank y-you Mistress…” he shuddered from the pleasure in his crotch, pleasure that had been denied for three days. “What ah...ah, um, what would you like?”

Giggling, Moonbeak leant in close as if she was going to whisper in his ear, but nipped it hard instead. “Has the loss of blood to the brain caused you to forget already?”

“F-Fish!” Brightstar squeaked, not from his nipped ear but from the torturously slow movements of his Mistress’s feathers as they caressed and gently masturbated his hard cock.

Seeing her two new customers take their seats, a rather heavy-set terracotta coloured earth pony waitress brushed her pea green mane over her shoulders and walked over to their table. “Hey honey,” she smiled generously, “What can I get ya both?”

Almost as soon as the overweight pony took out her noted pad from her shirt pocket, Moonbeak chose that moment to move her wing so that the waitress had a good unobstructed view of the veiny cock as it bobbed against Brightstar’s belly, pre-cum smearing from his tip all over his royal blue fur. “Oh wow...” the waitress was impressed, “It looks like somepony's already got her main course, huh?”

His humiliation complete, Brightstar realised his blush was going nowhere. Like his hard-on. He just wished his balls weren’t quite so blue, being the very heavy orbs they were. “Ah...um...Fish, please Ma'am.” He ordered finally.

“Grilled or fried, honey?” The waitress asked, obviously by the smirk on her face stringing it out to fully enjoy the view.

Knowing Astraea loved to grill fish, Brightstar was for a moment tempted to say ‘fried’ just to earn a punishment. What put him off that was his shaft at full mast and his heavy aching balls. Knowing his luck the punishment would be to wait another day or worse, two. “Ah...g-grilled, please Ma’am.”

“Hmhmm,” the waitress scribbled some notes on her little pad, her eyes never leaving the unicorn’s cock. Celestia he was big! She couldn’t help thinking how lucky the griffon was. “And what t’ drink, shrinkin' violet?”

Smirking, Moonbeak angled her wingtip to fondle her Pet’s blue balls. “White wine for me and water for the violet.”

“Ya got it honey.” Making her notes, the weighty earth pony took one last long hard look at Brightstar’s jewels. “Y'know, ya make a mess, ya clean it up.” With that hanging in the air, she turned and trotted off to pass the order, her hips giving a little provocative sway as she went.

“He has plenty of practice at that.” Moonbeak said loudly to the waitress, earning herself a snicker as she walked away. Smiling a little smile, the griffon nuzzled her Pet’s ear. “Did you forget to order food for yourself?”

Brightstar had to admit he wasn’t thinking about food. Not one bit. “Um...ah, y-yes Mistress, I did. I'll just call her back over,” he said, glancing around at the half full dining car.

Moonbeak however, was not about to let him off so easily. “No, you will get up and approach her with your request, and you will be polite.”

Brightstar let out a little whimper of embarrassment. The gap between their table and the serving counter couldn’t have been more than a few feet, but right then it felt like miles. He knew he could just say ‘Rose’ and the game would be done. He knew he didn’t have to do this. He also knew he was harder right now than he’d been in a while and that was part of the fun. Another whimper escaped his lips and he got up without argument, making sure to keep his tail up high for his Mistress as he walked over to the serving counter. “Ah, e-excuse me, Ma'am.”

“Well, if it ain't the violet!” The terracotta earth pony waitress smirked as she openly admired Brightstar’s very blatant erection while one truly old mare a nearby table tutted and turned away in disgust. The elderly stallion next to her meanwhile pulled out a pair of theatre glasses and helped himself to a good hard look. “What can I do you for, sugar?”

“Yes,” Brightstar shifted uncomfortably, “I'd like to add to the order, please Ma'am. A Filly cheesesteak, please.”

For a moment, she felt sorry for the humiliated stallion. Then, she decided she wasn’t. “No problem honey, as long as you keep your tail up on the way back to your seat.”

Brightstar nodded politely. “Thank you, Ma'am.” With that he turned around and, catching sight of Moonbeak’s very proud look she was giving him, hiked his black tail up even higher for the return trip. He was proud on the way back to hear a ‘Well I never!’ from the mare, as well as an appreciative whistle from the stallion. For her part, the waitress enjoyed the view of his swinging pendulous balls too.

Moonbeak wrapped her left dark grey wing around her stallion’s raging hard-on again the very instant he had sat back down. “You’re such a good colt…” she purred into his ear as her primaries stroked his meat.

Very happy indeed, Brightstar smiled, even though the predatory look on his Mistress’s face told him he wasn’t going to be cumming any time soon. He didn’t care. She was proud of him. That was almost better than an orgasm. Almost. “Thank you, Mistress.”

~ ~ ~

Several hours later, with the time fast approaching two in the morning, Moonbeak sensuously licked her hot wet tongue up Brightstar's ear. “We are about ten minutes from the station. How are you doing?”

Brightstar, who had been until that moment enjoying a very sound sleep on the cabin’s bunk bed after enjoying warm cuddly snuggles following the excellent show at dinner, jerked himself awake. “I’m…” he paused to yawn, “I'm doing okay Moony.” He nuzzled into her side, “I'm with you.”

“Yes,” Moonbeak clacked her beak in a giggle, “My emergency food ration, as long as I have something else to eat you'll always be safe next to me.”

As the steam train began to noticeably slow down, Brightstar chuckled. “I just love being tolerated.”

“Nice that you tolerate me too.” Moonbeak smiled and reached into her shoulder bag for her cell phone. Swiping through to her contacts list she dialled her mother, who despite the very late hour, answered almost immediately. “Hi momma, yes, the train is pulling in now. Sure you can hold her tonight and tomorrow. We'll pick her up in the day after. I take it you overloaded her with dessert?” The pregnant griffon laughed at the reply she got. “See you soon, momma.”

“I take it Astraea has tanked Athena up on E numbers?” Brightstar snickered as he got up off of the bed and stretched on the floor so that muscles audibly popped. “I have the bags.”

A rustle of fur and feathers, and Moonbeak was at her lover’s side. The thirty year old griffon ran the tip of her talon sensuously around the grey collar that adorned the young stallion’s neck. “Will you be a good colt or do I need the leash?”

The nineteen year old Brightstar nodded enthusiastically. “I'll be a good colt, Mistress.”

Minutes later when the Friendship Express came to a halt in Fillydelphia station, Moonbeak retrieved the keys to her van from the luggage bag that Brightstar had hold of in his glowing yellow magical aura. “Lead on, my baggage bearer.” Moonbeak ordered, delivering a swat at his hindquarters with a clawed hand for good measure.

Brightstar bowed. “Yes Mistress.” With his black tail held up high, his heavy aching balls on full display, he slid open the cabin door and exited the nice warm train into the distinct chilly darkness of the very early morning.

Once they were off the train and walking across the almost deserted platform, which was empty but for a couple of homeless ponies sleeping rough, Moonbeak rubbed her wide belly alongside Brightstar’s flank. “That waitress was a lot of fun, for a pony.”

“She was.” Brightstar nodded his agreement while he levitated a little mound of bits over to the sleeping ponies and tucked them inside their sleeping bags for them to find later, “For a pony.”

Moonbeak of course saw the gesture and giggled to cover the swell of love she felt right then. It was after all way too soon for that nonsense. “You're a lot of fun for a pony, too.”

Brightstar swished his tail just a bit higher at that. “I'm pleased to hear that, Mistress.”

Upon entering the parking lot adjacent to the train station, Moonbeak was so focussed on her young lover’s beautiful balls that she utterly failed to notice a couple of the street lights were not lit, casting much of the centre of the lot into darkness. “So, are your lovely balls blue after all that teasing?”

Brightstar, who was so preoccupied with showing off his balls that he had also failed to notice the zone of darkness they were now in, nodded quickly. “Even bluer than usual, Mistress, yes. I would very much like a release, when we get home.”

A split second later and a rustle of wings was their only warning as a blood red pegasus stallion swooped down from his perch in a nearby treetop using the cover of darkness to grab a hold of the luggage bag that Brightstar had in his magical field. “Wha...what the hay!?” Brightstar, with literally a second to react attempted to hold on to the bag.

Alas, as there was considerable momentum and added weight on the pegasus’s side as he swooped in, he was able to easily overpower Brightstar’s unsuspecting magic and keep hold of the bag in his forehooves. “No you don’t!” Brightstar instead lit his horn and instinctively grabbed hold of the stallion’s white tail in his magic and with an act of willpower dragged him back to the ground.

“Aaargh!” The stallion landed roughly on his ass in a flurry of ripped out blood red fur and white tail hairs. “Curse you to Tartarus!” It was only then, when the thief dropped the luggage and turned to face the glowing yellow beacon in the darkness that was Brightstar that the young unicorn saw for the first time the very shiny, very sharp wicked looking wingblades affixed to the leading edges of his wings.

“Buck!” Brightstar exclaimed as the thief began to charge him with a snarl on his muzzle. “Oh buck!” Out of the corner of his yellow eyes he could see Moonbeak was getting ready to take flight. “Oh buck!” He swore for the third time and, lighting his horn once more he created a shimmering yellow shield around himself and Moonbeak. Especially her belly. “Mistress no!”

The blood red pegasus, having dealt with unicorns before, had been moving randomly inbound to dodge a potential spell, and with absolute murder in his eyes he crashed into Brightstar’s hastily erected shield with all the force he could muster directed through his four hooves and both wingblades in an attempt to shatter it.

Brightstar saw the attack coming and had readied a counter attack in advance. Allowing the shimmering yellow shield to take all the force and momentum from the impact it shattered under the impetus. However, instead of casting the spell again, the unicorn took hold of the coruscating yellow shards in his aura he sent them hurtling back at his attacker like hundreds of little knives straight at his wings.

In Brightstar’s shield, Moonbeak launched into the night sky but she was too late to interfere. She watched on as her lover’s counter attack wrenched one of the pegasus’s now tattered wings causing the punk to lose control. As he came crashing to the ground though he managed to slash one of his blades across Brightstar’s shoulder.

“Ooow!” Brightstar yelled as pain blossomed across his shoulder, blood coursing from the thankfully shallow cut. “Shitting buck!” Doing his very best to ignore the wound for now, he lit his horn and cast another defensive spell, this time lifting the crashed and stunned attacker up in a glowing bubble of energy before he could recover.

Completely enraged, her beak pulled back in a feral snarl of screamed rage, Moonbeak, now free of the scintillating magical shield, her talons of her claws slashing viciously at the bubble that Brightstar had just created around the stunned injured punk pegasus. “RaaaaAAAAAAAAGH!” She screamed in a fully-fledged griffon blood rage.

“Moony!” Brightstar yelled, he found himself having to concentrate hard and pour a lot of power into the bubble just to keep it active under his Mistress’s murderous onslaught. “Stop, love, stop!”

Hitting the bubble as hard and savagely as she could, the opposing force bounced her off and she landed on her claws and paws. “I. Want. His. Blood!” She screamed, spit flying from her beak, her chest heaving.

“Moonbeak!” Brightstar positioned himself between his raging griffon and the trapped punk. He had no doubt at all that if he released the bubble, she’d tear him apart and eat what was left. None at all. However he could see ahead to where that path would lead. “This filth isn't worth it! Call the police!”

Reaching over the unicorn’s shoulder, the taller more powerful griffon scraped the talons of her left claw uselessly across the bubble and, seeing it had no effect, she raised her claw against him, bloodlust in her green eyes. Brightstar though stood his ground and didn’t flinch. “Moony! I won't let you give birth to Zephyr in a prison cell because of that!”

Heaving for breath under her temper, Moonbeak raised her claw a second time and she was about to slash him when she felt several hard kicks from the kitten in her belly. Taking a very deep breath and then another, she spat on the floor and reached into her shoulder bag for her phone.

“Moony…” Brightstar breathing heavily now, felt himself weakening under the strain of maintaining the bubble around the punk, sighed, “Th-Thank you.”

With the trapped pegasus now pounding impotently against the interior of the bubble that shielded him from the angry griffon, Moonbeak dialled the police. “Yes, I'm in the Filly train station parking lot and we were attached by a pegasus. I have one injured and the pegasus is trapped in a shield bubble. Yeah, I'll stay on the line.”

“Nggggh...” Brightstar squeezed his yellow eyes shut and concentrated hard, pouring ever more power into the spell just to keep it active, as the trapped punk was making good use of his limited vocabulary with curses and threats directed at them both. Limping over, Brightstar snarled, “Shut the buck up and stay still…” he paused, noting the grey tail band decorated with yellow diamonds that adorned what was left of his white tail.

A few long drawn out moments later, which passed in relative silence, the trapped pegasus’s cursing increased and he redoubled his attempts at escape when he saw in the distance flashing lights and they all heard approaching sirens. “Trust me,” Brightstar sighed, almost at the end of his limits, “You're safer with them than you are with her.”

As the ambulance and the police pulled up in the parking lot, Moonbeak spat hatefully on the bubble. “I couldn't have put it better…NGGGGH!” He winced as the pain from the shallow wound started to hurt him now that the adrenalin of the situation was at last wearing off.

Four police ponies armed with weapons and taser guns got out of their two cars along with a medic from the ambulance. The medic immediately went over to the bleeding Brightstar with Moonbeak's wing point. “Drop the shield, we have him.” The four officer’s ordered as they surrounded the bubble.

“He's...” Brightstar cancelled the long-held spell with a sigh and a little wobble, “All yours, officer.”

The very instant the bubble disappeared, police fired their taser guns and immobilised the punk pegasus. Removing the wingblades from his twitching body, an officer passed them to a tech support pony to scan as they hoof-cuffed him and dragged their prisoner to one of the squad cars. “Okay,” the medic started when the tech support reported there were no poisons on the blades, “When was your last tetanus shot?”

“Um...” Brightstar tried to think, but found it hard to under the magical drain. “I dunno, maybe a few years ago, I think.”

“It's every five years, but I'll give you another to be safe.” The earth pony medic advised him, “I'm going to put about ten stitches in. They will fall out themselves over the next few days, but if you have any swelling or bright redness comes straight to the hospital.”

“You're not taking him in now?” Moonbeak asked sharply as the medic began to treat her wounded stallion.

“We could,” He commented as he gave Brightstar the tetanus shot, “But it would be just for observation. You could do that at home.”

Brightstar gasped and swooned a little, “M-Moony I'm fine, just, light headed that’s all.”

“You didn't lose too much blood,” the medical pony said, thinking out loud, “Were you overdoing your magic?”

Brightstar nodded with a shaky smile. “A little, yes.”

“I could give you a booster drug, but it is better to go the natural route and let your magic restore on its own.”

“I like natural things.” Moonbeak stated definitely, as if that was that.

“Natural is fine doc, thank you…” Brightstar nodded, in no position to argue at all, not that he would anyway.

Moonbeak glared hard steely daggers at the police car that held the punk pegasus as it drove away into the early morning and the medic put in an anaesthetic and stitched up her stallion. She was still outraged. Only she could make him bleed. That was her right and nobody else’s. She knew they were headed for the cells. “Death is kinder.” She snorted derisively.

Brightstar knew full well from his time studying in Griffonstone that prison was a punishment reserved for the very worst criminals. “Maybe, my love,” he smiled, “But we aren't in Griffonstone now.”

“Sometimes I wish I was back there,” Moonbeak commented sadly once the stitches were completed. “Other times, I'm glad I'm not.” She sighed deeply as she picked up the fallen luggage bag. “Let's go home.”

“I'm with you, always.” Brightstar gave his partner a tender nuzzle, but he was surprised and a little shocked when she pulled away from him and stalked towards her white van. Once everything was quiet, and they were sat in the van, Moonbeak in the driver’s side, Brightstar took a deep breath. “Are you alright?”

“No.” Moonbeak didn’t bother to look at him. “No I'm not.” She started up her van and carefully drove the distance home in silence. As she steered the van, she tried to get a hold of the many and varied emotions running through her head. Anger, outrage, fear, to name but a few.

Then…somewhat unbidden, there was arousal. In spite of her anger, Moonbeak had to admit she was very turned on right now. Her young lover had defended her. He had shed blood to defend her. What was more, he had fought honourably. He hadn’t escalated the fight. He had done everything in his power to contain it. He had fought like a griffon, and he had stood up to her. By Stormclaw’s holy talons she was aroused!

“Would you like a flight up?” Moonbeak asked, finally deigning to look at the quietly fretting young stallion. When Brightstar nodded that yes he would, Moonbeak got out of the van and, making sure it was securely locked up, she moved around to the passenger side of the van and crouched down. Very carefully, the royal blue stallion climbed up onto her back, holding on and kissing her cheek.

With her lover safely on her back, Moonbeak spread her wide strong dark grey wings and took off, effortlessly flying around her treehouse to land easily on the small platform outside her front door. Opening the door she stepped inside and kicked it closed. Without a word, she carried the royal blue unicorn straight to the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, Moonbeak moved up alongside the bed and tilted her body towards it, rolling Brightstar off of her and on to it. With him on his back, she gave a quick flap of her wings and in a matter of seconds she was straddling his waist, her hot wet crotch rubbing against his sheath. “I could have lost you today.” She said, looking down on him.

“Yes, you could.” Brightstar replied honestly, gazing lovingly up at her above him. He rested his hooves at her hips, loving the feel of her distended belly resting on his own. “But today wasn't my time…” before he could say anything else, Moonbeak leant down, opened her beak wide and took in his whole muzzle and licked his lips in a full on griffon kiss. “Mmmm!” He moaned, returning the passionate kiss as best he could as he ran his forehooves up her sides.

Eventually, after a few minutes, Moonbeak broke the kiss due to the need to breathe. Looking down and seeing her pony helpless underneath her just served to turn her on even more. After some more beak nuzzles and wing strokes to ensure he was sufficiently hard, she lifted herself up and lowered her sopping wet snatch over his cock. In one smooth descent she sat down until grey fur met royal blue. “Aaah....ooh…ooh...M-oon...Mistress…” further thought was taken away when she leant forward and took his horn in her beak.

With both of his horns being pleasured simultaneously, Brightstar laid there underneath her and drooled, helpless at her mercy with her claws holding his forelegs down on the bed. Rocking back and forth, Moonbeak was agonizingly, torturously slow about what she was doing. “Mmmmm!” Brightstar let out a little whine of frustration. “Please Mistress...” he begged, he almost, almost, bucked his hips but remembered just in time the 'lesson' from the other day and he laid still.

On top of the poor whimpering stallion, Moonbeak felt him tense up and she drifted her left claw up his foreleg to his heaving chest and quick as a flash she dug her claw deep into his flesh as she continued her slow pace. “Gaaah yes!” He screamed, “Oooh yesssss!” His heartbeat increased with the wonderful pain from the beautiful talons. “Yes Mistress!”

Deepthroating his horn several times in quick succession, all of a sudden Moonbeak clamped her yellow beak down hard on his horn as she neared her peak. The pace of her riding increases dramatically. Under her, Brightstar felt a hot coppery wetness on his chest from her claw.

Brightstar tensed up really hard, trembling with tiny little sparks coming from his horn. He was on the edge, he needed this so very badly. “M-Mistress...please,” he begged, “I'm g-gonna cum...please ma-may I, please?”

Hearing him beg finally sent Moonbeak over the crescendo and she released his horn as she leant back and she pulled her sharp red stained talons from his chest as she screeched out her orgasm. Brightstar, allowed or not, came at last. With a rough violent jerk of hips he shot rope after rope of his hot sticky cum deep inside Moonbeak’s pussy. He came and came until his balls were drained of their stored cum. He came so much his seed began to seep out of her.

Panting and sweating, Moonbeak very slowly came down form the high of her intense orgasm and as she did so her wingtips stroked Brightstar’s sexy flanks. Finally she saw the red staining his chest. Her brain, now working, processed where it was from as she looked at her red tinged talons. Slowly, sexily, sensuously, she licked each one clean. She watched him the whole time.

“W-Wow...oh wow...” Brightstar panted, his chest heaving, adrenalin from the pleasure and pain rocketing through his system. He steadily came down from this high, though watching his Mistress lick her claws clean of his blood, knowing that it was his blood, that kept him very hard inside her.

Still keeping him inside her, milking him for all he was worth, Moonbeak moved very slowly back and forth. “I don't want to lose you.” She purred, the taste of his hot coppery blood like a drug on her tongue. “You are a very brave pony. That is just another way of saying you are a foolish pony.”

She saw he was about to reply and she silenced him with a clean talon on his lips. “Nothing in that luggage was irreplaceable. You are one of a kind. I need no more excuses to visit the cemetery.” Quietly Brightstar nodded, very gently kissing the sharp talon on his lips.

A moment later, she removed the claw and kissed his lips allowing nature to take its course, allowing his softening stallionhood to disappear back into his sheath. “I almost lost you too tonight.” He said finally when his heart rate had returned to somewhere near normal.

Quickly, Moonbeak shook her head. “No, I wouldn't have given chase. Only when he turned around did I act.” Again, she kissed his lips. “You are my most foolish pony to stand up to my claws. Then, that is another way to say brave.”

“He wasn't worth you being arrested.” Brightstar smiled up at her, “He wasn't honourable enough to warrant death. I'd stand up to you for that.”

Still straddling him, Moonbeak playfully licked his nose. “Wouldn't have been an issue if you just let him go. Still, it is nice to have our things instead of buying new ones, but that won't get you out of going shopping with me.”

“I couldn't let him go.” Brightstar sighed, “I just couldn't.”

At last, Moonbeak moved off of Brightstar’s waist, leaving a trail of cum behind her on his royal blue fur as she laid next to him and she ran the back of her claws along the stitched cut in his shoulder. “My foolish, brave pony.”

Smiling, Brightstar rolled onto his side to face her on the bed. “I'm yours. I’m always yours.”

“Yes, you are.” Moonbeak smiled then she let out a very wide yawn. “In case rations should grow short.” She snuggled in very close to his strong warm body and yawned again. As she had stayed awake on the train, spending the time holding her stallion, she was feeling it now.

Likewise, Brightstar held her in his legs, snuggling in close to his griffon in turn. “I love you Moony.” He kissed her beak. “I love you,” another kiss, “Mistress.” Moonbeak however didn’t hear any of that as she was soon asleep in his embrace. Holding her close, Brightstar lay awake for another hour, watching her and feeling Zephyr kick every so often.

~ ~ ~

Later that same day, Moonbeak woke around ten in the a.m., while Brightstar, a light sleeper, was up an hour before the pregnant griffon. The royal blue unicorn used this time wisely. With a coffee in hoof the young stallion hopped on his lover’s internet and did a little more in depth research about his new home.

He knew how Moonbeak felt about him joining the force, and he wanted to be sure he had all his ducks in a row before he broached the subject again. He confirmed what he already suspected about Fillydelphia, that it was a very diverse community – being as it was a coastal port city – with plenty of minotaurs, griffons and zebras as well as ponies of all tribes. He was also shocked, though not entirely surprised, to discover there was a lot of gang influence in the city too, though he had stayed away from those areas so far.

After they had eaten and showered, they had collected Athena from Astraea and spent the rest of the day in the park where Moonbeak had done her photoshoot the few days earlier. As he was now aware of it, Brightstar couldn’t help but notice tail bands on some of the ponies and griffons as they walked through the park similar to the one the punk pegasus wore. He assumed most were fashion, while others were a method of identifying gang affiliation.

For that day and the next two, Brightstar found life sort of routine. A good routine though. Moonbeak worked, doing her photography job as and when needed and he kitten-sat Athena. Sometimes, he would accompany the professional photographer on the job site and sometimes she would work at home. Today happened to be a day when Moonbeak was working on site. Astraea had already asked to watch over Athena, and since the griffon’s photoshoot was stallion’s modelling for stallion fashions, Brightstar did his best to get out of it.

At the edge of the park where the catwalk had already been erected by the fashion designer who was paying for the shoot, Moonbeak checked her camera with a smirk playing over her face. “So, no mare bits means no assistant?” She giggled, “They may yet teach you some fashion sense.”

“I've got all the fashion I need right here,” Brightstar smiled as he ran a royal blue hoof over the grey collar that was permanently buckled around his neck and he blew her a kiss.

Moonbeak laughed at that. “Dinner at my mom's at seven p.m. Don't be late or we will go hungry.”

“Seven p.m.” Brightstar nodded. He had a thought, based on the research he had been doing on the Fillydelphia Police Department. “I got it. The last thing I want are hungry griffons.” His mind wandered a little, he knew from the uniforms the police ponies had worn the other night that they were from Precinct Three. His mind made up, Brightstar stole a kiss from Moonbeak. “Don't miss your pony too much.”

Shooting him a look that said he would pay for the kiss later, Moonbeak sniffed. “I'm a professional photographer,” she said indifferently, “I don't miss pony shots.”

Brightstar giggled. “I'll see you for dinner. Have a good shoot, my love.” With a flourish, the royal blue unicorn turned his back to her and with his black tail hiked up for her benefit he sauntered off in the direction of Precinct Three.

As he walked along in the warmth of the pleasant midday sun, Brightstar did feel a little guilty for not disclosing to his griffon exactly where he was going, but he knew deep down if he told her now there’d just be a fight. He wanted everything in order first.

Presently, after twenty minutes walking, he found himself outside the Police Station. Having done his research, and having the desire to join up, Brightstar took a moment to survey the building. It was a standard unremarkable brick construct that would fit perfectly in with ‘modern’ Canterlot architecture. Steeling his resolve, Brightstar squared up his shoulders and trotted inside.

Stepping inside, Brightstar immediately saw a large counter directly in front of him with two police ponies sat behind it, a green unicorn stallion with a yellow mane and an orange pegasus mare with a mauve mane. The mare, working quietly, was busy with data entry. As he stepped up, Brightstar noted the stallion’s name badge, Nail, and he coughed politely to get his attention. “Greetings Sir,” Nail looked up from his newspaper, “How can we assist you today?”

“Good afternoon, officer, I'm Brightstar,” he took a deep breath and readied himself. No going back now he was here. “I was involved in the arrest of a pegasus stallion at the train station the other night, and I'm here to enquire about joining, the force, I mean.”

Hearing that, Nail leant forward slightly and took a long hard look at the young unicorn standing in front of him. He took careful note of the wound on his shoulder. His colleagues had mentioned the incident following the punk’s arrest. From all reports, the unicorn had acquitted himself admirably. “So, you think to protect our city. Are you a resident?”

“Yes Sir,” Brightstar nodded. “I've lived in Fillydelphia for four months, two weeks.”

Turning to the computer at his desk, Nail began to access the application form and got ready to do some serious data. “Name?” He asked, aware that the stallion before him had already given it, but it was on the form, so it was asked again.

“Brightstar, Sir.”

“Turn a bit so I can get a good look at your cutie mark.”

Obediently, with that tiny little thrill he got when Moonbeak gave him an order, Brightstar turned to the right and stood up straight, showing off his single white star with the three yellow sparkles cutie mark for Nail.

“Hmmm,” Nail took a couple of photographs as well as making a note of Brightstar’s cutie mark on his form. “From where did you move?” He asked, picking up on his different accent from the Fillydelphia norm he was accustomed to.

“Canterlot, Sir.” Brightstar answered as he turned back to face the desk.

“Ah, yes,” Nail smiled genially, recognising now where his accent was from. “Current address in the city?”

“Treehouse Four, Horsehead Square, South of the Delamare River.”

Now, Nail looked up from his computer directly at Brightstar as the system flagged up a problem. “Owner of the house?”

“A griffon by the name of Moonbeak, Sir, my partner.”

“Well Mr. Brightstar, one of the requirements for the city force is to be a city resident.” Nail said, turning away from his computer to lean over his desk. “Records show you are a resident of Canterlot. Did you go to the City Hall and change your residency?”

“No Sir, I haven't thought about doing that.” Brightstar mentally kicked himself for not doing that very thing. He’d had the opportunity, certainly, but what with meeting Moonbeak and everything that had happened with Darkstar and just…everything, he had neglected that. “Things have been...ah, hectic, of late.”

“It is easy to resolve.” Nail smiled a generous smile. “Just go to City Hall over on the corner of Celestia and Main. Register with your current address. A notification will be sent there so make sure it is returned by the owner signed. Once you’ve done that you can come straight over here and we can finish up the paperwork.”

Just then the orange mare – Inkwell, going by her nametag - turned and spoke up. “Well, I guess it is my job to give the discouraging speech then, Nail.”

Nail chuckled at his front desk partner. “I wouldn't want to take away your fun, Inky.”

“Thank you Sir,” Brightstar inclined his head politely to the desk sergeant. “Ah, how long will it take for the notification to reach my current address?”

“Who knows with this city.” Inkwell answered with an exasperated roll of her crystal blue eyes. “The computer entry is immediate though and that is really what we need. I think after three months if there is no reply then it will be assumed you lied on the form and removed from the roles. Of course,” she added with just a hint of a threat, “that would be bad news for you if you are accepted to the academy.”

Brightstar couldn’t help but look a little affronted at the insinuation of his character. “I wouldn't dream of it, Ma'am.”

“Heard that one before.” Inkwell replied, completely unimpressed. “So, there is also a fitness test…” she paused, giving him a very blatant look over. All over. She liked what she saw, too. “But you do look in good shape. Also, there’s a basic reading and writing entrance exam.”

Brightstar sniffed, a teeny piece of his Canterlot vanity showing through the surface. Had Moonbeak been here she’d have spanked him for sure. “I do believe I should have no trouble with those, Ma'am.”

Inkwell snorted out a laugh. “The academy is a twelve week course for basic officer training. If you really shine you can get assigned to and advanced class, which is another eight weeks, but you don't have to take that.”

Brightstar was immediately thinking of his sister in her coma back in the hospital and preventing more like her became his motivation. “I'll shine, Ma'am.”

Inkwell just shrugged. She’d heard that before too. “Next class start date is in five weeks. Trot on over to City Hall and register and then trot back over here and Nail will do all that dull paperwork stuff.”

“Yes Ma'am, thank you.” Brightstar gave them both a polite nod before turning to leave.

“There goes another pony out to save the world…” Inkwell commented to her partner as Brightstar made his way towards the sliding door.

“Isn't that what you're trying to do, Inky?”

“Once,” Inkwell replied commented with a hint of sadness in her voice, “But I realised to save the world you have to save one pony at a time.”

Brightstar paused at the sliding doors for just a split second as he heard this brief exchange then, deciding to not comment, he carried on and instead he headed towards Fillydelphia’s City Hall at a very brisk trot indeed. Thankfully, that all went very smoothly as it was just a bit of data entry. He was warned again about fraud and informed again that a mailing would go out and that it needed to be signed by Moonbeak and returned in three months.

With all that done, Brightstar headed back to the station to complete his application. On the way back he again noted the tail bands worn by quite a few ponies. He didn’t however see a grey one with yellow diamonds, which he was looking out for. “Look what the wind has blown back in!” Inkwell greeted him as he trotted back into the station. “I see you were successful with City Hall, that bodes well for you.”

“Hello again Ma'am, Sir.”

Nail slid a folder over the counter. “I've got you in the system for a class date. Your public file from Canterlot certainly looks impressive.”

“Говорит ли пони пониже Грифф или haina farasi kusema bora Zebran?” Inkwell fired at him with no warning whatsoever. She wanted to see if he was as gifted with languages as his file said he was.

“Я люблю свою грифона, мэм, Mimi nina ufasaha katika lugha nyingi.” Brightstar answered after just a moment’s pause to collect himself. It was a pleasure to find a playmate at last.

Inkwell smiled a very wide smile. She was pleased to see he hadn’t been lying after all. “Your class date is reserved for three days. You need to have this back,” she tapped the file with a hoof, “signed. Read it. Lots of boring stuff. All dreadfully important. Je peux voir si vous pouvez prance autour avec les juments Prench.” Nail simply shook his head and rolled his eyes at Inkwell’s showing off.

Smiling, Brightstar lit his horn and levitated the file he’d been given into his bag. “Je peux caracoler avec le meilleur d'entre eux, si mon griffon permet.”

Laughing, Inkwell turned back to her computer screen and her own data entry. Dull as it was. “Okay now I'm rooting for you, if you're late on the packet you can still get in if there are slots open. Class starts are every six weeks.”

Brightstar chuckled at that. “And here I thought you were going to test my Neighponese.” He smiled, “I'll have this back in time.”

Leaning in to his partner, Nail whispered, “I can tell you won't be the only show off on the force.” Inkwell just gave the sergeant a raspberry by way of response, and Brightstar had a very, very has a noticeable blush as he turned to leave, even against his fur. Both of them waved good naturedly as he left the station.

~ ~ ~

Following his thankfully easy time in the police station, Brightstar checked his watch and saw that it was still only two p.m. He had a whole five hours to kill until dinner at Astraea’s condo. Having a bit of a walk around the city, Brightstar yet again saw two ponies with tail bands. These however were the grey with yellow diamonds. He decided to follow them but he changed his mind when they entered a part of the city he knew to be less than wholesome.

At a loss for something better to do, and not wanting to stare at modelling stallions, the royal blue unicorn instead headed over to the Twisted Tail. Hoofing open the blue door, he paid no mind to the fact he still had his collar on as he trotted up to the bar, pleased indeed to find Selene serving behind the bar. “Hello Pony, whisky for you?” The jet black griffon asked, already reaching for a shot glass.

“Good afternoon, Selene.” Brightstar hopped up on an empty barstool and took a look around the somewhat seedy tavern. Forge the master blacksmith was there at his usual booth seat, though he noted Blossomseed was not. There were two mares in the bar whom he didn’t recognise, though he paid them no mind. “A dalwhinny, please.”

Pouring out the whiskey, Selene slid it in front of her customer. “I see you've escaped your leash,” she said dryly.

“Thank you,” Brightstar took his offered glass in his yellow magic and smiled. “Only temporarily, Selene. Pony had to find work, have a look around, follow up a couple of interesting tails.”

One of the mares at table, a shockingly neon green pegasus with a very bright pink mane, leant over the table to her partner. “Селена, это свежее мясо?” She asked with a grin, speaking very fluent Griffonian as she eyed up Brightstar’s shapely hindquarters.

Selene, in response to both Brightstar’s comment and what the mare had said, cocked her eyebrow. “I'm sure Moony will be happy to know you're chasing tails.”

“Not the tails themselves,” he paused in his quick explanation to take a sip of his drink, “More what was on the tails. Bands to be precise.”

The other mystery mare, a cobalt blue unicorn with a pure white mane tied up in two ponytails, shook her head at her friend. “Лучше оставить это, если он принадлежит к Moon.”

Brightstar laughed out loud at the mare's comment. Not that he’d ever do anything to hurt his griffon in any case. “I'm sure Moony told you about the parking lot. I noticed the punk had a tail band. Seems that lots of ponies in Filly have similar tail bands.”

Brightstar hadn’t noticed that both of the mares were ‘discreetly' listening to what he was saying, taking careful mental notes. Forge, the seventy year old earth pony, lowered his pint of bitter back to the table before addressing the young stallion. “It's a fashion rage. My little Buttercup is always wearing one.”

“Really?” Brightstar asked, suddenly curious. It took him a moment to realise that Buttercup was his pet name for Blossomseed. He had no doubt the majority were worn for that purpose. However… “Fashion, or is there a further meaning, Forge?”

Forge just shrugged at that. “Works as identifiers too. Like who to not let in this place.”

“Yeah,” Selene said, drawing his attention back to the jet black griffon. “Moony called me about it.” Reaching a clawed hand over her bar she turned Brightstar this way and that so she could see where he had been cut. “She is quite proud of you, not that I'd ever tell you that.”

“Like the two colts and a filly who were mooching around outside?” Brightstar commented over his shoulder, his suspicions confirmed when Forge nodded, “I didn't follow them further than that Brownstone place.” He rather proudly showed off his cut with a smile. “I know she's proud, Selene.”

Selene inspected the stitched cut closely. She had to admit she rather liked this pony. “She would have rather left the punk a present twice as long and ten times as deep.”

“I know,” Brightstar nodded seriously before going back to his whiskey, “That's why I stopped her.”

“You looking for a specific colour of bands, young’un?” Forge asked as he swallowed a mouthful of his bitter.

Brightstar nodded quickly and, as he described the grey tail band with the three yellow diamonds on it, he was sure he saw the neon green pegasus flutter her wings excitedly. A suspicion that was confirmed when she drained the beer in the bottle she was holding and declared; “Trots!”

Caught off guard at her rather sudden outburst, Brightstar turned to her. “I beg your pardon?”

“That pony is part of the Trots.” She explained simply as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. “Pegasus?”

“Why yes,” Brightstar replied, “Actually, he was.”

The neon green mare snorted derisively. “Claim they are an art club up in the Cloud District. I don't think they let unicorns in.”

“They only take pegasi.” The cobalt blue unicorn stated in a very straight deadpan tone while Forge snorted at her friend’s comment. Just then, before Brightstar could form a comment on that, the door burst open with a very loud bang and Blossomseed came tripping over the threshold into the tavern. Had he not caught her in his yellow magic, the clumsy young mare would've landed square on her face. “You should be more careful.” The cobalt unicorn said flatly, secretly impressed with Brightstar’s quick reaction.

“S-Sorry!” Blossomseed squeaked as she dusted herself down, “I wanted to get here to watch the fight!”

“That’s what we're all here for,” the neon green pegasus snickered, “but the unicorn here hasn’t started anything yet.”

“What fight is this?” Brightstar asked curiously, only now for once noticing the large wall mounted flat screen TV that was easily the most modern thing in the tavern.

“Brass Knuckles is fighting!” Blossomseed made her way over to where Forge was sitting, tripping again as she did so and landing neatly on the seating pad next to him. “I couldn't actually go to the Pit and watch it. Much safer here.”

The cobalt blue unicorn smiled when the young earth pony mare sat down. At least now she couldn’t fall anywhere. “At least the pads here are padded, Seed.”

The neon green pegasus tapped Brightstar on the shoulder. She couldn’t fight the thought that he seemed interesting. “Do you follow the pit fights?”

Brightstar nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. “As it happens, I've watched a couple since being in Filly.” He held out his hoof in greeting to the mare. “I'm Brightstar.”

“Zest.” She answered simply, returning the hoof bump with one of her own that was surprisingly strong.

“Her name is Lemon Zest.” The cobalt blue mare spoke up in what Brightstar was quickly learning was her usual deadpan, almost emotionless tone, “I'm Sugarcoat.”

Brightstar bumped her hoof when it was offered. “I’m pleased to meet you both.”

Sugarcoat nodded, making her ponytail’s wiggle at the sides of her head. “I'm not unhappy to meet you.”

Over at their table in their usual booth, the twenty one year old Blossomseed snuggled in close to her much, much older lover and whispered in Forge's ear. “Sorry I'm a little late.” She had an adorably cute blush all over her cheeks. “I um…I broke my watch. Again.”

Forge snorted at that. Again. “You like to watch me fix it, Buttercup.”

“You know I do,” she smiled as she kissed his craggy wrinkled cheek. She also liked it when he called her Buttercup. At first he’d mispronounced her name, now it was their thing. “I just don’t know what happened…” Which wasn’t entirely true.

Lemon Zest snickered at her friend. “She is seldom 'unhappy'.” Then, she turned her attention back to the royal blue unicorn nursing his whiskey. “Nice to see such a high class pony in a dive like this.”

Brightstar laughed. “It's the nicest dive in Filly.” It was certainly one of the most civilised. Some of the ones he’d been in over the past four months even had sawdust on the floor to soak up the blood.

Lemon Zest leant forward, mischief twinkling in her eyes. “I think it is the bartender's cute tail, personally.”

Brightstar immediately found his gaze strangely drawn to Selene’s jet black flanks and her swishing leonine tail as if it were magnetised. “It’s ah...certainly cute,” he blushes slightly, “So ah, um...ah, what do you two do?”

Blossomseed placed a somewhat nervous kiss on Forge’s lips. She had something she needed to tell him, and she thought more beer would help. Maybe. “Does my stallion want another drink? I'll buy.”

“Yes,” Forge chuckled at his very young little mare, “But let’s let Selene carry it, shall we?”

“A wise precaution, Forge.” Sugarcoat nickered, earning herself a very knowing wink from said pony as she ignored the unicorn’s question for now.

Lemon Zest raised her empty glass to the heavens like she was summoning the alicorn of beer herself. “Another Maregoround for me, and some grape squeezings for Sweets, something for the one with the pointy hat…” she pointed to Brightstar in case Selene missed the reference, “And the usual for the lovebirds in the booth.”

Brightstar quickly drained what was left in his shot glass with a wince as it burned its way down his throat. “I'll have another whiskey please, Selene.”

Selene nodded and got to work filling the respective orders. “I'll have them out in a moment.”

“Thank you,” Brightstar turned from admiring Selene’s shapely flanks back to the perpetually grinning neon green pegasus. Did she always grin like that? “So, what do you two do?” He asked again, this time addressing Lemon Zest. “I haven't seen you in here before.”

“Careful, Sweets,” she grinned wider, winking very knowingly at her friend and partner. “I think this one might be a detective.”

Sugarcoat for once, for a split second, shared her friend’s grin. “He does seem the type, Citrus.”

“I'm not, I promise.” Brightstar smiled, “I gotta go through the academy first.”

“Oh?” That caught Lemon Zest’s attention. Then again, everything caught her attention, she just masked it under her rather disarmingly carefree zany façade. It usually worked. “You going military, pointy hat?”

Snickering, Brightstar shook his head. “Police.”

Hearing that, Lemon Zest dived under the table she was sat at, rocking the barstools around her. “What, where?”

“I think under the table with you, Zest.” Selene snarked with a roll of her eyes as she delivered the three drinks to their table before moving on to serve Forge and Blossomseed, who had actually fallen off of her seating pad with the very sudden movement from the neon green pegasus and was shivering when she got back up.

Taking up his shot glass in his hoof, Brightstar laughed and magically made his voice sound next to Lemon Zest's ear. “I'm not getting under there with you.”

“He means he's joined up.” Sugarcoat deadpanned, “Citrus thinks she's funny. She is.”

“I am!” Lemon Zest insisted from her hidey spot underneath the table next to an unknown unmentionable stain on the hardwood floor. “I wrote it down in my journal so it must be true!”

“Well,” Brightstar considered that as he took a sip of his whiskey that went down easier than the first one. “I certainly can't beat the journal.”

“He said beat!” Lemon Zest said as she came back up from under the table, somewhat disappointed that nopony was playing Twister with her. Then again, she couldn’t blame them, not on that floor. “He must be full of cop words.”

“You’re right, Citrus.” Sugarcoat commented while Brightstar simply rolled his yellow eyes and nickered.

“Sweets,” Lemon Zest addressed her friend and colleague, “do you think he knows the secret hoof bump?”

Sugarcoat thought about that for just a moment as she took her wine in her own magic and took a welcome sip. “I think he does. Test him, Citrus.”

“Me?” She protested, “But it’s a secret!”

Blossomseed reached for her beer, but she was shivering so much, her hoof trembling so badly she almost upended it all over the table and the floor. “Oh...um…” she saw her lover’s questioning look and she knew the old blacksmith was onto her. When that happened she knew he wouldn’t drop it. “F-Forge, I um, I need to talk to you.”

Quietly, sensing something was wrong with his pretty little mare as she was clumsier that usual, Forge sipped his beer. “Yes, my little Buttercup?”

Barely managing to sip her drink without spilling in, Blossomseed whispered very quietly. “Um…well, it’s Damia…” she trailed off to silence when she saw the dark look on her lover’s face at the mention of the griffon gang’s name. “They came round to my flower shop. Whitetail expects more money this month...I panicked...I broke my watch.”

Over at the other table, Lemon Zest's ears rotated to catch the not quite low enough whisper from the skittish earth pony. Blossomseed was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being overheard. “What am I gonna do, Forge?” She squeaked fearfully, “I can't pay that much!” She shook hard, she could barely afford the protection money she paid them as it was.

“Selene!” Forge snarled, slammed his hoof down on the table in temper. It was one thing for the gang to bother him, he knew how to handle them. It was quite another to shakedown his Buttercup. “Damia is harassing Blossom!”

“Forge,” Brightstar spoke up when he saw the frankly murderous glare that the jet black bartender was giving the master blacksmith. “What's the trouble?”

Sugarcoat, her face betraying a teeny bit of emotion when she frowned at the old earth pony, said; “Forge has just accused Selene of being affiliated with the griffon gang Damia just because she is a griffon herself. Which is horseapples.” She turned to Forge. “Selene is clean, as well you know.” She said, a sternness colouring her deadpan tone. “You should apologise.”

“Like, totally, Forge!” Lemon Zest exclaimed. She wasn’t having Selene accused like that. “C’mon, you drink here. Blossom, do you know the name of the one that tried to shake you down?” She asked as gently but firmly while Forge just blushed and mumbled an apology to the fuming Selene.

“L-L-Lynx.” Blossomseed shivered just saying his name. “H-He was scary. He didn't do anything to me,” she added quickly when she saw the look of thunder on Forge’s face, “He just told me not to say anything…which I have, just now…oh, oh dear…”

From his time spent in Griffonstone at Stormclaw Academy, Brightstar knew all about Damia. Then again, any student of recent history knew about Damia. A notably infamous griffon general, Damia had led his regiment in the First Griffon War against Equestria. Known locally as the Terror of Trottingham, he had personally taken over a hundred pony heads before Celestia had taken him down. Selene was to be the one to shake him from his reverie. “Forge isn't far from the mark. I may not want nothing to do with them, but they don't harass me for money because I am a griffon.”

“Do they give you a cut?” Lemon Zest asked the potentially volatile question, ever ready to bolt for the door. Selene was her friend, but she wasn’t by any means tame.

Selene’s anger, that had just abated, returned in full force. “Tartarus no!” In anger she snorted, her claws impacting her bar top so hard she left grooves in the hardwood from her talons.

“Citrus,” Sugarcoat magically raised her glass and took another sip of her wine. “We shouldn't anger the nice griffon. We like drinking here, remember?”

“I think I’ve proved a point,” Lemon Zest nodded to Selene, who was by now in the middle of some serious breathing exercises. “I know you don't Sel, but some others here may not have been too sure until it looked like you'd willingly take my head.”

Breathing dangerously through her nostrils, Selene poured herself a whisky and she downed it in one gulp. “I might just have, Zest.”

Breathing a little easier now he sensed the immediate tension had dissipated, “Another for me, please Selene, now we're all calm and happy again.”

“Why are you two in here instead of out there anyway?” Selene asked Lemon Zest as Blossomseed cuddled up real close to Forge, letting her strong stallion hold her tight and tell her it was all going to be okay and she dropped off Brightstar’s third whiskey and supplied refills for the rest.

“I'm here to watch the fight,” Lemon Zest replied, offering her jet black friend an apologetic nuzzle.

“If you could kindly put the television on please Selene,” Sugarcoat asked, “I have five hundred bits on Brass Knuckles to win by the third round.”

As Brightstar took his shot glass in his glowing yellow aura, the bit finally dropped and he put two and two together. “So, have you two been officers for very long?”

“Longer than you.” Lemon Zest answered snarkily as she lifted up her beer bottle.

Brightstar smiled. “Obviously.”

Raising her eyebrow, the neon green pegasus shot her partner a look full of meaning. “He must be the master of the amazingly obvious.”

“And I thought that was me.” The cobalt blue unicorn had a very rare smile on her usually emotionless face. “At least the ponies in Canterlot are observant, it seems.”

“Did you go to Celestia's school?” Lemon Zest asked, her curiosity genuinely piqued now.

“No, Zest, I went to Canterlot University.” Brightstar replied as Selene flipped on the large TV. Thankfully, the pre-fight interviews had just finished, and the commentators were attempting to justify their jobs offering analysis of them. “My sister and I couldn't affo...I mean, we didn't go to Celestia's school.”

“Why did you apply for the academy today?" Sugarcoat asked bluntly.

Brightstar nodded to Sugarcoat’s question and took a quick drink of his whiskey. “Well, my sister was attacked in Canterlot, badly attacked and left in a coma. Moonbeak and I went to see her the other day. It was...nasty.” He closed his eyes and he could see her, lying unconscious in the hospital bed. “I live here now, I can't do anything to help my sister, but I can try and help here, make a difference.”

“Do you know a Goldcrest?” Lemon Zest asked bluntly, in a very good impersonation of her friend. The question however got the other patron's attention.

Brightstar’s ears perked up at that. It was obvious to him that these ponies either knew Moonbeak or knew of her. “I do. I was given the privilege of meeting him.”

“Do you wanna join him?”

“I wasn't planning on it, not for another seventy years or so, anyway.”

“Why here and not Canterlot?”

Sugarcoat snorted and struggled to swallow the mouthful of wine she had just taken. “I swear Citrus, you beat me by one second!”

“Because my life is here.” Brightstar answered the shocking neon green mare quickly. He knew why. “My future is here. My sister is being cared for, I can't help her by moping over there.”

“Oh!” Lemon Zest was immediately distracted from the conversation she was having when, on the TV, the two fighters were led to the large eight sided cage in the middle of a wide pit. “The fight is starting!”

“Excellent.” Sugarcoat was similarly distracted, her attention absorbed by the sight of Brass Knuckles entering the cage ahead of a muscular bright blue earth pony. “C'mon Brass, third round KO! Momma needs those bits!”

Sensing he had lost his conversation partners, Brightstar got up and took his drink with him as he went and sat over at the table with Forge and Blossomseed. “Excuse me, is everything alright?”

Lifting up his pint of bitter, Forge pointedly ignored the question. Although he rather liked this young stallion, for his liking there was still too much Canterlot and not enough Filly in him just yet. It helped that he belonged to Moonbeak, but right now it was too soon. Blossomseed, as ever, took her lead from Forge and didn't answer, either, instead choosing to watch the fight as though he wasn’t there.

Mentally kicking himself, Brightstar realised his mistake, an 'outsider' asking touchy questions, and after a further moment of awkward silence, he got up and made his way back to the bar and watches the fight on an empty stool. Snickering gently, Selene pushed another drink his way and whispered, “Ponies do have some pride.”

“I know,” Brightstar took the offered drink without question and took a sip as he reached into his bag around the pack from the police station for a small picture of his mum and sister and pulled it out. “Thank you, Selene.”

“Someone has to care,” she shrugged, “But just don't expect a lot of return.”

For a short time, Brightstar just looked at his picture and smiled. “I get it, some things take time.” He knew how they felt. He felt the same about Darkstar. He felt the same about his mum in the asylum back in Canterlot. His train of thought was somewhat interrupted when Sugarcoat cheered loudly at the TV.

“Might not last past the second round!” Lemon Zest cheered alongside her friend when Brass Knuckles landed a particularly hard punch to her opponent’s gut.

“Not at this rate.” Sugarcoat agreed, her eyes twinkling as she watched the earth pony stallion fall to one knee from the female minotaur’s blow. “Not if she hits him like that again! Go on Brass!”

Looking up at the TV screen, Brightstar caught Selene sneaking a look at his picture. “My mother and sister. You have family here or in Griffonstone?”

Somewhat sadly, Selene shook her head. “They look nice. For ponies.”

“Thank you.” Brightstar found his eyes were watering when he looked at the photograph. “My mum's in a 'hospital', I visit her now and then.”

“I could visit mine the same way Moony visits Goldcrest.”

“Oh...” Brightstar knew what she meant by that. He knew what that look meant in her eyes. Conspicuously, he put the picture away. “Ah, can I ask what happened?”

Selene just shrugged her shoulders. “Some boarder skirmish with the yaks. Nothing special.”

“I'm truly sorry to hear that.” Brightstar, not knowing what else to say, looked away and over at the TV. “It looks like Brass is winning,” he said lamely, fishing for a change of topic and being grateful he found one so easily.

Selene giggled. “Someone tried to pay her to go to a certain round and she put that pony in the hospital.”

“Ooow!” Brightstar winced very hard indeed as he watched the blood red minotaur deliver a devastating right handed mid-section punch followed by a jaw breaking uppercut with her left that floored her opponent, making Sugarcoat cheer all the harder. “Did she ah…she ah…she do that?”

“Woot!” Lemon Zest cheered as loudly as Sugarcoat did, ignoring Brightstar for the moment. “Way to go Brass!”

Momentarily, Brightstar’s attention was drawn to the TV. The watching, baying crowd started chanting Gore! Gore! As the muscular blue earth pony tried to get up from the uppercut. Brass Knuckles eyed her fallen opponent like a predator would hunt her prey. Snorting through her nose, Brass got down low down on all fours and snorted in anticipation. “Um...guys...what's she doing?”

Forge actually had a gleaming glint in his eyes. “Lights out!” He cheered, his gaze glued to the screen.

“Ah...what's a 'Gore'?”

“Oh...you'll see, newbie.” Sugarcoat veritably panted with excitement as on the screen, they all watched as the earth pony finally made it to his hooves and turned around. It proved to be a mistake. As soon as Brass saw her weakened opponent turn, the slab of blood red muscle launched herself at him, closing the distance between them in the space of a heartbeat. One of her long horns pierced his abdomen and slammed him into the cage wall.

Brightstar was stunned. He knew Pit Fighting was a barbaric blood sport, but still, to see that, he suddenly felt rather ill. “Oh...oh...oh dear Celestia...she just...did that…”

The watching crowd literally erupted with noise. Forge smirked. “Gore. Brass Knuckles’s signature move.” Lemon Zest simply smirked at Brightstar’s rather extreme reaction.

Declared 'out', the muscular earth pony was immediately attended to by the present EMT’s and removed from the cage on a stretcher as Brass was cheered for her emphatic win. Quite pale, even for his royal blue fur, Brightstar rocked on his hooves. “Excuse me, I ah, I need air…” without another word he put his glass down and walked out of the tavern.

“The upchuck bush is to your left.” Lemon Zest said humourlessly as she followed him outside into the cool afternoon air and pointed to a convenient nearby bush.

“It’s not that.” Brightstar moaned, looking utterly miserable. “I told you my sister was attacked in Canterlot the other day. Whoever did it, cut her horn off and stabbed her belly with it...it’s just...seeing that on the TV just then...”

“Brass knows what she's doing,” Lemon Zest laid a comforting hoof on the young stallion’s shoulder. “But it is a blood sport, not a death sport.”

“I know, Zest, that was just a bit beyond the pale that's all.”

Lemon Zest kept her hoof where it was. “Should you get through the academy that will be the mildest thing you'll ever see.”

“I can handle it.” Brightstar’s tone turned determined as he remembered all the reasons why he was doing this at all. “It was just a bit close to home, y'know? I'm fine, Zest, I swear. What you going to do about Blossomseed?”

“What makes you think I'll do anything, and if I did, what makes you think I'll tell you?”

“You're right,” Brightstar replied, studying the ground and thinking of his injured sister. “You don't have to tell me anything, and you probably can't anyway. I just thought that's what the police do, help victims like her and my sister.”

“Yep!” Lemon Zest answered with a wild nod that shook her unruly bright mauve mane. “That’s what police do. Help. Graduate the academy with honours and look up Dusty Trails. Unless you just want to 'help'.”

Reaching into his bag, Brightstar pulled out a picture of what Darkstar looked like now in the hospital. “I want to stop this from happening to more ponies. I want to make a difference, Zest, that's what I want.”

Just then, Sugarcoat burst forth from the tavern, all smiles and excitement. “Guess who just turned five hundred bits into three thousand?” The cobalt blue unicorn pulled a particularly heroic pose, holding two tail bands in her magical aura. “This pony did! Right here!” As she celebrated her win, she saw Brightstar sat on the floor. “You're still here.”

“I gave him Dusty's name if he should make the cut.” Lemon Zest took a tail band from her fellow undercover police officer and let out a rather large belch. “Okay, now I'm ready to roll. See ya, kid.”

Brightstar’s yellow eyes strayed to the bands and again he put two and two together in his head. “You'll be seeing me. Graduate with honours. Done it once, I'll do it again. Easy.” He got up off of the floor and offered the two police mares a hoof bump each.

Unsure, Lemon Zest looked at Sugarcoat and found her look returned in kind. For a long moment, Sugarcoat looked Brightstar over as if assessing him for the first time before she finally bumped hooves with the royal blue stallion. “I believe you, Brightstar.”

Satisfied, Lemon Zest also bumped his hoof. “What she said.”

“Take care.” Smiling, more determined than ever, Brightstar turned and walked back into the tavern to finish his drink.

~ ~ ~

It was five thirty in the afternoon when Brightstar finally teleported up from the sidewalk to the entrance landing of Treehouse four and walked in through the front door. He’d spent another hour in the Twisted Tail. Another two pit fights had been shown on the TV, but neither were as brutal as the one with Brass Knuckles had been.

Walking inside, the royal blue unicorn was immediately greeted by Moonbeak’s shrill voice coming from the kitchen, and something almost as welcome. The scent of cooking cheesecake. “My photoshoot went very well.” He heard her as he trotted in to the kitchen, following his nose, “Enjoy your day in town?”

“I did,” Brightstar replied quickly, taking a very deep sniff of the cheesecake in the oven that immediately transported him back to being an eight year old colt helping his mum cook. “I had my eyes opened to Filly and I got stuff done.” He thought it best right here to not divulge exactly what stuff. He fancied he’d need Astraea as back up.

“Good, it is dangerous to walk around with your eyes closed.” Moonbeak clacked her beak as she laughed at her own joke and pointed her clawed hand at the stove. “Once I finish dessert we can go to my mom's and rescue Athena from her dastardly clutches.”

Walking over, Brightstar hugged his griffon from behind and laughed, “Who exactly needs saving?”

“I assure you it is not my mom.” Moonbeak said definitely, lifting her white feathered head back and nuzzling her young lover’s cheek, “And if we don't get there in time it will be us that needs saving.”

“Good point.” He conceded, running a gentle forehoof along her very pregnant belly, “Perhaps we should get going?”

“You can magic this cheesecake finished?”

“I certainly can.”

“Really?” Moonbeak had been joking when she’d asked that. She certainly wasn’t expecting him to say yes. As she stepped away from the stove where it was baking, she reflected on just how much she had been surprised by this young pony.

“Really.” Brightstar nodded. He caught the sceptical look plastered all over Moonbeak’s face and took a little bit of delight as he was about to show her that he could do as he claimed. “It's just about manipulating heat and adding a little power.” Smiling, he lit his horn and cast his spell, his magic directed at the stove.

“Just so you know,” she purred dangerously into his ear, “I'll be most displeased if you burn the cake.”

Smirking, for he was tempted to do just that just to see what punishment he would receive, Brightstar instead decided against it. Play time was fun and all, but this was a matter of cheesecake. Concentrating for less than a minute longer, he magically opened the oven door to reveal a perfectly cooked cheesecake to his waiting audience. “Ta da! I learned that when I had to make caramel donuts for Dark...for Dar...for her.”

“I think I remember her name was Darkstar, or Darkie for short.” Moonbeak turned and gently kissed her faltering stallion’s lips. “Never forget the ones you love.”

“Darkstar, you're right.” Returning the kiss, with a wetness on his cheeks that had nothing to do with the kiss he’d just received, he took the cheesecake in his glowing yellow aura and floated it out on to the counter top.

“I think I'll keep you around.” Moonbeak said presently after a good long minute spent inspecting the freshly baked cheesecake. She’d only just put it in fifteen minutes ago, intending it to be done for six p.m. so they could get to her mother’s place by seven. Her clever little pony had just saved her forty five minutes. Quietly she was impressed with him. Maybe sometime soon she’d tell him. “Come, does pony want to drive my van?”

Brightstar smiled proudly. “Why, I'd love to drive you, my lady.” He recognised the compliment when it came his way. In the relatively short time that he’d known her intimately, Brightstar had learned the hidden meanings of seemingly innocuous things like that. His lover didn’t give much, but when she did, it meant something. He chuckled, he’d learned to speak Griffonian, now he was learning Moonbeak too.

“Good,” She grinned, pecking his cheek lightly, “maybe I get you a fancy hat.”

“A grey one to match my collar?”

“A chauffeur’s hat,” Moonbeak smiled a wide smile at that, “But I see no reason it can't be grey.”

“You have a beautiful smile,” Brightstar smiled warmly, imagining himself in a little grey hat driving his lady around town. “I believe I'd like that.” He’d also like to see her smile more often, but, foal steps and all that.

“You ponies have lips.” Moonbeak huffed, though nonetheless she did deign to grace him with a smile as she picked up the cooled cheesecake in her claws. “You get down on your own?”

“I can indeed my lady,” Brightstar inclined his head to her, “You want me to lock up?”

“Keys are to the left of the door.” With that, Moonbeak turned and without another word the thirty year old griffon walked out of her treehouse and flew down to her van in the parking lot.

“I got this…” Brightstar thought aloud to the now empty treehouse as he stepped up and took the bundle of keys – which also contained the ones for the van - and locked the main door, checking it twice before lighting his horn and teleporting down to the front of his lover’s white van.

As was his custom, he took a moment after reappearing to ensure that he was in fact all there, and he noticed that Moonbeak was waiting patiently at the passenger door. Once he was happy that all of him had made the journey, Brightstar walked around to the passenger side first like a good little chauffeur and opened the door in a yellow glow. “My lady.”

Keeping her yellow beak high in the air, Moonbeak got into her own van without a word and fastened her seatbelt. Watching her enter, Brightstar took the opportunity – while he thought he wasn’t been seen - to ogle her paws. Her very sexy, very well-defined paws, with their beautiful toes and their pretty little sharp talons. “Where to M’lady?” He asked when he’d gotten in the driver’s side.

“The Astraea Mansion.”

“Very good, M'lady.” Brightstar had to really fight to supress his giggles as he started up the van and pulled out of the parking lot. He was aware, very aware, of how much he sounded like Parker from the Thunderponies right then. That suited him just fine, he reflected as he drove through the darkening evening towards his destination. All they needed was a pink Rolls-Royce to properly complete the look.

The drive to Moonbeak’s mother’s condo was uneventful, with not very many drivers out at this time of day. When they parked up, the grey griffon waited imperiously in her passenger seat and, when Brightstar killed the engine, he got out and opened the door with a respectfully low bow that enabled him to once more check out her paws. “M'lady, we have arrived.”

Moonbeak sniffed indifferently as she stepped out of her van to the sidewalk. “Yes, definitely a keeper.” She loved the praise and adoration that this young pony was offering to her and he seemed more than happy to give it.

Watching her fly up to her mother’s landing, Brightstar took a moment to check the doors were locked before teleporting up to join her as she waited for him. “Allow me to get the door, M'lady.” When Moonbeak gave her well behaved stallion a nod, he opened the door for her then stood aside with a low paw sighting bow.

“You are a silly pony” Moonbeak shook her head, though she still gave him a wink. Further thought on that was halted however as she just managed to save the cheesecake from certain doom as Athena tackle hugged her mother.

“Ah,” Astraea smiled as she stepped through from her living room. “You are here, and early, too.”

Brightstar gave the older griffon a polite bow. He liked her, a lot. She reminded him a little of his grandmother before she had passed. “Good evening, Ma'am.”

Astraea’s eyes sparkled with mirth when she saw the young stallion by her daughter’s side. “Ah!” She clapped her claws together, for she approved of him greatly. Not only was he good with Athena, he made her daughter smile. And, after Goldcrest, she feared that wouldn’t happen again. “Good, you brought dinner with you.”

Brightstar chuckled when he saw the pointed hungry look in the old griffon’s eyes. “It's good to see you again.”

Finally releasing her mother from her little death grip, Athena then moved on to tackle hug Brightstar just as hard. “Baw!” She demanded by way of greeting.

“Hi 'Thena!” Brightstar playfully ruffled the feathers on her head which earned him a nip on the hoof from her sharp little beak and he lit his horn, quickly creating the magical ball for her. “There you go!” Immediately, Athena abandoned the hug and pounced on the ball, which changed colour as she did so.

“I brought cheesecake and the pony helped.”

“Must be nice to have such a useful pony,” Astraea smirked very meaningfully at her daughter as she took said cheesecake from Moonbeak and carried it through to the kitchen.

Brightstar swelled a little with pride. “Magically baked just so, Ma'am.”

“Athena, dinner.”

“Dinna!” Athena immediately abandoned the magical ball – which Brightstar dispelled - and tried to fly to her high pad when she heard her grandmother call for dinner. Reaching under her belly, Moonbeak casually gave her an assist.

Brightstar’s heart melted. “Aww, she's cute when she flies!”

“She's cute when she tries to fly.” Moonbeak corrected him.

As Astraea went into the kitchen and came back with a large steaming tray in her claws she had that same mischievous glint in her eyes. “I thought you were cute when you pulled the cupboard contents on you.”

“Ish!” Athena squeaked happily as her grandmother served up rather generous portions to each of her guests. “Ish!”

Curious, Brightstar looked to see what was being served up. His belly didn’t care however, as at that point he would quite happily have eaten griffon army rations. What it actually was, he wasn’t certain, but he knew it definitely wasn’t an Equestrian recipe. It looked similar to something he’d ate in Griffonstone, though that had been meat, not fish. “Ooh I must say Ma'am, that looks delicious!” It was some sort of fish, but he couldn't tell what kind, with asparagus and lentils. Like the good colt he was, Brightstar waited for Astraea and Moonbeak to start eating before he took a bite.

Athena, not caring about being delicate, was head first into her plate getting stuck in with her claws and her beak while the older griffons were a bit more refined. Brightstar elected to use his magic on the fork with little bites. “So, how was the kitten-sitting?”

Astraea swallowed her mouthful of fish before she answered that. “You have spoiled her with that magic ball, but we went to the park and played.”

Brightstar giggled at that, “It was the first thing that came to mind the other day.”

“How was your shoot?” Astraea asked her daughter curiously.

Moonbeak shrugged as she considered her reply. It had all been business as usual, really, just with fresh meat to admire in the process. “No surprises, so all was smooth. I almost missed not having a pack pony though.” She added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at her stallion.

Meeping just slightly, Brightstar blushed deeply as he recognised the compliment when it came his way. “I do apologise for bailing on you, Moony.”

“I'm sure you were making sweet pony eyes at Selene.” Moonbeak said with a little smirk in her voice that had her old mother laughing.

“Only eyes I made at her were the puppy ones when I asked for a dalwhinny.” Brightstar replied quickly.

Astraea laughed harder then, very pleased that the pony she liked so much could give it back to her kitten as well as take it. “Did she rub your belly too?” Moonbeak asked as her mother got up and brought the cheesecake through from the kitchen along with dishes and served it up.

“No,” Brightstar smiled casually, “she said you'd do that for me later.”

“Very nice meal, momma.” Moonbeak said a little later once they’d all finished eating and the plates and bowls were empty. Getting up from her seating pad, she moved to clean up Athena whose golden brown fur and white feathers were anything but after consuming that meal.

While Moonbeak was cleaning her kitten, nobody moved to put the dishes away. Noticing this, Brightstar stepped up like the good colt he was. “I have the dishes!” Lighting his horn, he took up each one in his magic, stacking them largest to smallest before carrying them on through to the sink so he could wash them.

Both of the older griffons shared a smile with each other after the royal blue stallion had departed to the kitchen with the dishes. “Brass Knuckles easily won the fight earlier.” Astraea said as Moonbeak finally finished cleaning her grand-kitten.

“Did you let Athena watch it?”

Astraea nodded, “Of course I did, you know how she loves the fights.”

From the kitchen, Brightstar heard the exchange about the fight. He wasn’t surprised in the least to hear that Athena had been allowed to watch it, but his touch of OCD demanded that he finish his task before he commented on it. He made sure each one was completely clean before stacking them in size order on the draining board next to the sink and for good measure he wiped down the worktops and walked back to the living room. “I watched it at the Tail. I also learned just what a 'Gore' is.”

“Gore?” Astraea asked, misunderstanding him for a moment, “Tis a blood sport.”

Moonbeak rolled her green eyes. “He means that Brass does, when she gores her opponent.”

“Oh,” Astraea nodded, “Yes, that.”

“Yes, that.” Brightstar said quietly, “It was...something else.”

“You get a good ring side seat and you can sometimes taste the blood!” Astraea said with glee in her voice.

“Really?” Brightstar asked, though he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised at that. His yellow eyes however were wide in wonder and a teeny bit of arousal. His heart began beating faster just at the thought of it. “I'm fine with blood, it's just that move was unexpected, that’s all.”

“Yes, unicorns, and griffons do draw a lot of blood.” Moonbeak said, that same glee in her voice that her mother had. “Earth ponies tend to break bones.”

Brightstar shuddered. “The wound just put me in mind of Darkie...”

“Hmmm?”

“He means his sister who was attacked.” Moonbeak explained for her mother’s benefit. “She nearly died from blood loss.”

Astraea shook her head. “Crime is not sport.”

“No it isn't, Ma'am.” Brightstar commented, though he felt somewhat ‘detached’ from the room. He knew he’d have to tell his lover about what he’d done at the police station. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he had to get it out of the way. “You see, she had her horn removed and stabbed with it.” He set his jaw determinedly and took a deep breath. “Moony, love, I went to Precinct Three earlier, and I signed up to the police academy…”

“You what!” Moonbeak interrupted him sharply, anger flaring in her voice.

“Daughter!” Astraea cut across her just as sharply, the older griffon not missing a step.

“But...”

“Silence!” A very long, very quiet pause, a pause as pregnant as Moonbeak herself, extended between the three adults while Athena played with her blocks. “Explain yourself, pony.”

Brightstar knew he owed them that much, especially Moonbeak. “After seeing my sister in the hospital, Ma'am, I expressed a wish to Moony to join the police department here. I'm not running from anything, I'm not trying to prove anything. Filly is my home now. I want to help keep it safe, prevent more like my sister happening here.”

“Get out!” Moonbeak screeched, an anger and vehemence in her that Brightstar had only seen in the parking lot the other night. “Out! Get out!”

Astraea however put her clawed hand on her daughter’s shoulder and shook her head. “You may toss him from your house, but not from mine.”

Moonbeak angrily shook off her mother’s hand. “He will end up just like Goldcrest!”

“Did Goldcrest die on the job?” Astraea asked, gently but firmly putting her claw back in place.

“But...well...no...” Moonbeak flustered, though this time she didn’t shake her mother away.

“So his job didn't kill him, but some punk did.”

Moonbeak’s anger suddenly gave way to a flood of very hot, very salty tears. “I...momma I can't lose another one I love!”

Astraea wrapped up her pregnant daughter in as tight a hug as she could manage. “I never thought I'd hear you say that again.” Now, she was convinced, if she wasn’t before, that she really liked this young pony.

‘Sweet Luna's teat…she just said...oh...oh my...’ Brightstar looked like he’d been poleaxed. He couldn’t quite bring himself to believe what he’d heard her say. He’d said it to her so many times, but to hear her say it back…he was stunned. “Moonbeak, I love you.”

“I know, you dumb pony!” Moonbeak said, still hugging her mother tightly, “I know.”

Still somewhat shaken from his lover’s outburst, Brightstar hesitantly moved to also hug Moonbeak and Astraea. “Die on me and I'll forget you.” She spat at him harshly. “One grave is enough to visit.”

“I won't make promises that I can’t keep.” Brightstar replied honestly. “I will do my training, I'll graduate, and I will be as safe as I can be.”

“Ponies are dumb, momma.”

“Yes they are,” Astraea agreed with a smile, “But some are less dumb than others.” Brightstar opened his mouth to say something but ultimately he decided to be less dumb and simply tightened his hug on the other two.

“Fine,” Moonbeak sniffed after a long few minutes enjoying the hug. “The pony can stay.”

“Not here,” Astraea quipped, “I need some private time at night.”

“With me.”

“Thank you, Moony.” Brightstar smiled and delivered a flowery little kiss at the back of her feathered head.

“Dinner was good momma, I think it is time we went home though.”

Astraea nodded with a smile, happy now that her daughter was happy with her pony. “You want me to keep Athena?”

Moonbeak shook her head. “No, she likes the pony too.”

“Thank you again, Ma’am, for the lovely meal.” Brightstar once more gave the older griffon a polite nod of thanks.

“You drive.” Moonbeak affectionately nipped Brightstar’s ear as she pulled away from the hug and got herself low down on the living room floor. “Athena, say by to nana. Time to go home.” Quickly abandoning her building blocks that had up until that point completely absorbed her attention, Athena hugged her grandmother and climbed up on her mother’s back.

“I'll see you later Ma'am, have a pleasant night.” Brightstar smiled before taking up the keys from where he’d left them. “I have the keys, your chariot is this way, M'lady.”

Kissing her mother on the cheek, Moonbeak flew out of her condo without another word and waited by the passenger side of her van for her chauffeur to arrive. With a flash of magical light, Brightstar disappeared from Astraea’s living room and teleported down in front of it and, after a moment, he went to open the passenger door for her. After that, he opened the rear door for Athena, and Moonbeak picked her up and deposited her in her kitten seat.

Once she was in securely, Moonbeak came back to the passenger door and, running a primary feather under his chin, blew Brightstar a kiss. “I do love you. Live with me in my home and make it ours.”

Almost giddy with the admission from his lover, Brightstar’s breath hitched. “I-I will, Moony, Mistress, M'lady...” well aware he was babbling, the royal blue unicorn blushed and shut up, deciding instead to ogle her paws before he got around to the driver’s side door and got in.

“All the grovelling and the sweet names are nice.” Moonbeak purred before he started up the engine. “You don't have to stop. I do wonder though why you keep looking at my ass. Is it the fur?”

“Mistress Moony,” Brightstar said, his voice almost a whisper at what he was about to admit, “It’s not your ass, it's your paws...ever since you made me lick them clean in the bar the other night I just can't get them out of my mind.” Blushing, he started up the engine and pulled away from Astraea’s place. “And I love your curvy ass too.”

“My paws?” Moonbeak looked down at the floor of her van and at her paws, wiggling her toes as a deliciously wonderful thought involving Brightstar, cum covered toes and said toes ran through her mind. “And I thought it was my claws.” She giggled, “Although, I think my paws could use some worship tonight.”

Athena then added her demand loudly. “BAA!”

“Ngggh...” Brightstar grunted and shifted awkwardly on his seat, trying very hard to not get himself hard at the very thought of worshipping Moonbeak’s perfect paws all night long. “Th-Thank you Mistress…” instead, he concentrated on casting the spell to create the ball for Athena, which he deposited in her little lap and drove like a Celestial Nun all the way back home to the treehouse.

Lightly stroking the back of her right claw over Brightstar’s outer thigh, Moonbeak looked out of the side window, apparently deep in thought. She was. She was thinking many thoughts. Many, many thoughts. Chief among these thoughts was how lucky she was to have a pony like Brightstar sat next to her.

As they arrived at her – no, their – treehouse, she offered thanks to Stormclaw’s sainted plumage that she had her pony, that she had a second chance at happiness with her pony and she made a silent vow on all the gold in Griffonstone that she would make her pony as happy as he made her.

Wiggling the toes of her paws playfully, she had an idea how she might do that. “Take Athena up and play with her for a bit. I need to do a few things in my photo lab.”

“You got it M'lady!” Brightstar squeaked, happy to be able to get out of the van without a raging boner that needed hiding from the young kitten behind him. Getting out of the van, he opened the passenger door for his lady and then he did the same for his little lady in the kitten seat.

Athena, overjoyed at the prospect of being freed from the prison of her seat, held up her tiny grasping claws. “Wide!”

“Yes sweetie it's a magic ride. You wanna go?” He smiled when he saw the little kitten flex her claws eagerly. Lighting his horn, he levitated Athena carefully onto his back. “You hold tight now, sweetie.”

Athena's claws, while still little, dug in surprisingly deep to Brightstar’s flesh she held on very tight. Rather adorably, thinking she was helping, she spread her wings as the royal blue unicorn cleared his mind prepared to cast his spell. Concentrating fully on his destination, Brightstar performed the most perfect teleport of his life, it was absolutely flawless, even better than the one he had cast to earn his teleportation license, to arrive at the front landing of the treehouse.

“Like the ride, sweetie?” Brightstar asked as he unlocked and opened the front door to let them inside.

“Gain!” Athena squeaked happily, bouncing up and down on her mount’s back.

Smiling, Brightstar wasn’t quite ready for another teleport just yet. He was frankly amazed the kitten hadn’t thrown up. More than half of his class had when they had teleported the first time. “Ball?” He offered instead.

Thankfully, Athena was easily distracted. “Baa!” She squeaked, reaching up her claws and getting low, ready to pounce.

“Here you go, sweetie.” Creating the magic ball, which was a much, much simpler spell to cast, he rolled it over to her.

After roughly ten minutes of playing catch and pounce with the colour changing ball, Athena finally got bored and stomped her little paw into the treehouse’s hardwood floor. “Bocks!” She demanded, with an additional pout for effect. Escorting her over to the pile of building blocks, Athena crouched low, her leonine tail swishing as she waited for Brightstar to build her some sort of tower so that she could destroy it.

Fifteen minutes later, after several successive towers had been magically built and destroyed by the furry brown menace that was Athena, Moonbeak walked in once whatever it was she had been doing in her photo lab at the base of the treehouse was finished. “Mama!” Athena squawked, she left the blocks and tackle hugged her mother.

“Have fun with the pony?”

Athena nodded energetically in the hug. “Bocks!” Acquiessing to her daughters simlatenous explanation and demand, Moonbeak joined in with their game. Another thirty minutes of play with her pony and the blocks, Athena was finally good and sleepy. Picking up her yawning little kitten in her arms, Moonbeak carried her through to her bedroom and laid her gently in her nest.

As a first, Moonbeak pulled down the 'Three Yakity Yaks Gruff', Athena’s favourite bedtime story and invited Brightstar to read with her. Straightaway, he accepted the offer, fully accepting its significance. In the right places, the royal blue unicorn even added sound effects to the story.

Halfway through, Moonbeak whispered, “You do make a good troll.” Before giggling and continuing with the thrilling tale. Very sleepy indeed, Athena was sound asleep before the story was finished, but almost like it was a ritual, her mother finished it anyway.

Playing along, Brightstar kept up with the rather excellent sound effects until the story was done. “You tell a good story, Moony.”

“Because somepony wrote a good story.” Standing up, the very pregnant griffon put the storybook back on the shelf and she checked the monitor was turned on. “My poor paws are soooo very sore from standing all day shooting photos.” She said silkily over her shoulder to her stallion. “Maybe something could be done about that?”

“Yes M'lady,” Brightstar squeaked eagerly, almost floating on air as he followed her out of the bedroom. “I can do something about that, yes I can!”

Swishing her leonine tail high in the air, and sauntering with her paws making very deliberate treads on the hardwood floor, Moonbeak led the way to their bedroom and made sure to check the monitor was working before she rolled into the wide bed with surprising grace for her current size. “Oh…I do hope so…” she purred as she laid on her back in the middle of the bed and, lifting up her right leg wiggled her toes teasingly in the air.

“Aaaah...” moaning at the tempting display, Brightstar got up on the bed, his yellow eyes locked on her delightfully wiggling toes. He even started drooling as he put out his tongue and delivered a lick from her heel all the way up her to the ball of her paw.

As he wasn’t holding it, the paw jerked away from him and Moonbeak squawked out an unexpected laugh at the touch of his hot wet tongue. “Ahh, so that is how it is?” She asked playfully as she returned her paw to his face and she booped his nose with her largest toe.

“Oh...oooh y-yes M'lady, it is...” Brightstar held his lady’s leg in his forehooves and gave it another long slow loving lick up the length of the paw and planted a sensuous kiss on the underneath of each toe. Moonbeak still giggled, and her paw jerked a little, but not enough to escape her stallion’s gentle grip. “Mmmm...” he moaned, in heaven, as his cock began to emerge from his sheath as he licked right in between her toes, relishing the sweaty taste.

On the bed, Moonbeak just laid back, her green eyes closed, and purred happily. She had her clawed hands gently tracing up and down her sides, caressing her ribs and her moans of pleasure deepened. Sighing in delight, Brightstar sucked on each toe in turn, lingering on them to draw out her pointy claws, then he licked up each on before sucking each toe for a second time.

Moonbeak's other paw moved up Brightstar’s body to gently caress his neck up and down slowly from his shoulder to his cheek and back again. “Oooooooh!” The unicorn smelled the deliciously sweaty scent of that paw and took it, holding both together in front of his muzzle so he could lick up between them.

There was a little bit of jerking at that, but now Moonbeak was running both of her claws all along her ribs and her cooing intensified as a result. As he took both of her 'big toes' together in his mouth and sucked on them hard, he drew out the claws and he lit his horn to magically massage both of Moonbeak’s wing joints and especially where her claws were running along her belly.

Giggling, Moonbeak opened her green eyes. A sharp claw touched her sides and then she waved a ‘no, no,’ but her wings stiffened as they spread out ever wider to her sides. A talon simply pointed at her wings and she nodded before closing her eyes again. Understanding, Brightstar made his magical massage leave her sides and move further out into her wings, starting with the primaries. “You like that, my Lady?” He asked as he delivered little flowery kisses all over both of her hot sweaty soles.

Unable to form coherent words, Moonbeak cooed and nodded. “I could worship these sexy paws forever and ever…” Brightstar vowed as he started to lick between the toes of the other paw. “They deserve to be worshipped forever…” he sucked each toe hard between each word.

A second later, Brightstar detected a definite musk coming from Moonbeak’s sex. He sniffed, breathing deeply of the scent that was more potent than the sweat of her paws. He wasn’t sure if it was the worshipful words or his tongue that was getting her all ‘hot and musky’, but whatever it was it was making him all the harder. “Oh...so a certain lady likes to be worshipped?” He asked rhetorically as he kissed up her leg and down towards the heady musky scent, his magic now caressing the secondaries of both wings.

Brightstar let go of holding Moonbeak’s legs preferring instead to kiss all the way down the left one until he reached her hot damp inner thigh. “I could worship this too…” he vowed, adding generous licks and gentle nips all around her labia.

Moonbeak gave a delightfully soft moan and a wiggle. “Oh yes…I could be your willing slave for a lifetime, Mistress.” He licked and kissed wet sloppy trails all around her glistening slit. “I'd be your slave for life to worship you.” He purred, licking delicately up her musky entrance as his hooves caressed her breasts.

Under her lover’s ministrations, Moonbeak's breath grew shallow and rapid. “I…I-I want y-you in m-me!”

“Your wish is my command, my Goddess.” Brightstar moved himself up between her spread open legs, the flat tip of his hard throbbing shaft ready at her wet entrance.

“Fill me Bright...” she moaned, full of needy lust, “Fill me all the way.”

“At once, my Goddess.” Needing no further encouragement, Brightstar thrust his hips forward and slid smoothly inside her tight muscular tunnel, going past the medial ring to hilt himself in one fluid motion.

As Brightstar pulled out and thrust back inside her, spreading her with his girth, Moonbeak worked her inner muscles, concentrating on bringing both her and her stallion to an Equestria shattering climax. “Aaah...oooh m-my...” Brightstar panted, his hooves playing with her breasts and nipples as he got a firm but steady rhythm going.

Wrapping her strong powerful dark grey wings around her pounding, rutting pony, Moonbeak pulled him forward as she bucked her hips up to meet his hard thrusts that speared her to the hilt each time. “Nggggh aaah M-Moooony!” He went with the pull of her wings, his strong thrusts getting harder and quicker.

“Сейчас!”

“Я люблю тебя любовница!” Brightstar gave a particularly hard thrust of his throbbing cock as he felt his flat head flare out. He carried on bucking her hard until he tapped the muscular wall of her cervix and he hilted with a moan, shooting rope after rope of his hot sticky cum deep inside her, his seed splashing against the sealed entrance to her womb.

“Brightstar!” Moonbeak’s eyes shot open and she screeched his name as she came, “I love you too, my little pony.”

Panting, the royal blue unicorn laid on top of his griffon, nuzzling and kissing his way lovingly up and down her neck. “Я твой, всегда и Форевер Ярс, любовь моя.”

Smiling, Moonbeak licked his nose. “Or until I need my emergency food ration. You'll only be with me about twenty for hours then.”

Brightstar kissed her beak. “Either way, I'll fill you up.”

Coming down from her orgasmic bliss, Moonbeak nodded. “That you will, but I like it this way better, so you can fill me up more than once.”

“So do I,” he replied, still hard inside her cum-filled snatch. “As long as I can worship your paws, and the rest of you.”

“I could agree to that,” Moonbeak tapped a claw on her beak, apparently deep in thought. She’d had Pets before, but a Slave? That was something new. Still, new could be good. Very good, indeed. “Yes, I could definitely agree to that.”

“And, calling you my Goddess?” Brightstar asked hopefully, “I assume that's alright too?”

Moonbeak gently kissed her stallion’s lips. “I could grow used to it. Now snuggle me, pony, for it has been a long day of surprises.”

“I can go for a snuggle.” Brightstar laid beside Moonbeak on their bed and held her tight as he lovingly kissed her beak over and over again. “My Goddess.”