Twilight Sparkle had, indeed, taken care of Shadow Hopper quite well. And Sunset Shimmer. She had orchestrated the "taking care of" with a renewed enthusiasm that neither had ever quite seen before. In this, Hopper had something of a better idea of its source than Sunset.

Twilight and Sunset's time together had almost always been in intense, short bursts. Sunset's rise had come in many ways because of Twilight's trust. Hir Redemption, the core of hir alicorn nature even more than Music or Technomancy, was therefore founded on the trust of Equestria's Twilight Sparkle. In theory, though, that should have been enough to develop a good insight into the subtleties of each other's personality

But little time was given to them to develop such a relationship at anything other than either a very long distance series of booking textual messages to each other. They did visit, of course; or rather, due to the dangers of Earth, Twilight primarily visited Sunset. Still, even after the creation of the second permanent portal, secured against magic drain like that from Earth-Twilight, their responsibilities had both been far too demanding to spend more than a month together at a time-- maximum.

While his time, in total, had barely been the equal of a single such visit, it had been inside Equestria-Twilight's life. Living and loving alongside her, seeing her hopes and dreams unfurl naturally, rather than trying to squeeze out every inch of time to its most intense. Perhaps the quantity was less, and he suspected that the quality was not so great of a gap. But he had other advantages too.

There had also never been much of a chance of an immediate future. Perhaps, there had been the hope of a longer term future when one or both worlds had become more secure, but Twilight had been re-moulding and re-shaping Hopper for a very, very immediate future. She had reached inside his soul and channeled it to a mutually entwined future, and he knew bone-deep how precious her friends and loved ones to her.

And just how far she was ready to go for someone who took good care, of those she counted as friends and loved ones. Whether that care was, emotional, physical or otherwise. Hopper was aware that the essential Friendshipness of Twilight Sparkle was better able to bore her will through the world than all the magic in her horn.

It was certain that Sunset understood some of that, but could anyone who had not danced in the same dreams-- literally-- and then woken up for a hasty, groping shower and breakfast fit for hypers truly know what Twilight Sparkle would do to reward those who sheltered Friendship? How much she was willing to put in towards seeing such paid back in kind?

Which, in this case, apparently meant throwing herself wholeheartedly into some excessively kinky, exceptionally euphoric sex. This was not just an excuse for sensual enjoyment, however. Even more than her own climaxes, no matter what she might tease or proclaim, Twilight Sparkle took very good care of Sunset and Hopper both.

Admittedly, she did so partially by becoming the next 'meat' and letting the pair pound her until they both came their hearts out. Well, Hopper had pounded her. Sunset had been a bit too squishy to be anything but the "bottom bread." Shi'd lain beneath them as Twilight claimed hir cock for an anal ride while Hopper stuffed Twilight's well-fucked pussy. That said, by the sounds of it, he was pretty sure that Sunset had felt taken care of.

As did he. He'd felt nearly worn out, in a way he hadn't in a long time since his grueling tantric lessons started with Luna. Nonetheless, he'd outlasted woman and herm alike. Something of the impossible strength to which he was heir seemed to extend to stamina and resistance alike. He had to remind himself that he was not immortal; occasionally, being able to outlast literal warrior-goddesses and warfuta-goddesses threatened to give him a swelled head.

Once he was sure that the duo really weren't going to wake up and start demanding, "more sexings now!" like they had the last three times, he'd lifted them up gently in his is vast arms. With what he knew had to be the goofiest smile on his face, he carried the gushy, cum-stuffed pair off to bed. After, of course, heeding Twilight's prior admonishments to get them plugged before moving. Both of them had the Equestrian greed for seed, and he was far too polite to let them drip further over Sunset's floor.

Well, polite and not wanting to wake up to a pair of pouting amazons wanting him to replace the cum they'd lost. Immediately. That only had to happen to him twice before he learned to get the butt plugs and harness-on dildos ready before moving a pair of his mares. Having one of his "mares" be a futa he'd only get to visit occasionally, and both being in human shape didn't change that.

"I'm Twilight's student in a lot of things," he said softly, mostly to himself as he laid down on the opposite side of Twilight from Sunset. "And that means taking care of my lovers. If I'd learned nothing else, I think that would have made all the time worthy. And Powers of Light, have I learned so much." He smiled, and cuddled the snoozing pair. His huge left arm reached across Twilight and gently rested on Sunset's bulky shoulder; his wing draped over the pair of them like a feather comforter.

Still, he wasn't quite ready to sleep yet, so he looked around the room. The bed was huge; understandable, he supposed, if shi'd been sleeping with Big Mac before he started dating this world's Maud. A sixteen foot lover needs some space, and that's if you don't count rollover! Hopper wasn't sure how this world managed to match every Equestrian he knew and still have a different gender ratio; did it really have that much bigger of a population?

Questions like that drove him to keep looking around. Bookshelves, of course, continued the theme, like he'd suspected otherwise. A little stand for music with a good stool and some small amps. Curiously, it was set up next to a smaller electronics station-- for editing her music? There did seem to be cords heading to a central housing box that also connected to the amps.

There was also a much bigger desk and pile after pile of the electronical wonders of this interesting new world. There was even a bedroom-scale mini magic laboratory. Obviously, there were some days Sunset just didn't see the need to even leave the bedroom when working on a project. Knowing Twilight, and seeing the hand of Celestia, Hopper was unsurprised.

His eyes fell unexpectedly on a small series of pictures. They depicted Sunset and several of this world's parallels of the Elemental Princesses, most often with Applejack and Fluttershy. There were many of those around, of course, here, and in the hall, and everywhere in the little apartment compound.

This set held a theme that wasn't on display elsewhere. Or he'd missed it in the focus on woman and futa. In every one of these pictures, there were one or both of a very large but young looking green-skinned, red-and-yellow haired boy with a perpetual smile, and a rough and tumble pale-gold skinned little girl with raspberry hair. The toddler giant was mostly with Applejack or Sunset; the slightly older human with Fluttershy or Sunset.

Hopper had a goofy smile. He adored foals, and one of the things he was really looking forward to if he managed to successfully meet the mating challenges was when the alicorns' contraceptive spells were finally off. Re-breeding the species didn't seem like that arduous of a task, honestly.

More of a benefit, he thought. Really, a perk. At least, I tend to perk a lot when I think about the alicorns, pregnant… He pondered the pictures, and thought about little colts and fillies climbing all over him like the boy over Applejack, or dragging him off around the palace like the girl hauled Sunset around what looked like kid-safe engineering labs. Okay, so there's also the no-sex bits of … of being a dad. I wonder...

A soft, deep voice came from across Twilight. "They're with their mothers," Sunset said sadly. "Twilight-- either Twilight, but for this purpose, our Twilight here-- loves kids, but…"

Hopper listened politely, and shifted on the bed. He looked over at the drowsy futa. The sadness in hir eyes had returned; with a hint of what looked like anger. Even fighting corporate forces, shi'd mainly been more concerned about limiting damage, even to the enemy.

He was glad that it was a drone tank he'd sent into orbit. Not the sun. This didn't seem like the time to bring that up, though.

Shi grimaced. "Well, there was some hope for a while you wouldn't be the only alicorn breeding stud. Two isn't big to found bloodlines on, but it's an embarrassment of riches for a species that's all female except you and me, big guy." Hir fingers rested on Twilight's sleeping cum-gut.

They were trembling.

To soothe hirself, the big amber herm began to lightly massage the seed-stuffed Twilight. As Sunset stroked and caressed the sleeping amazon between them, Hopper blinked. Realization struck, and he replied, "Hey, that's right. Shouldn't…"

The still cum-bloated futa shook hir head, wildly flaming hair bouncing, and he trailed off into silence. Shi gave a wry grimace. "We tried," shi explained, then continued, "With Twilight. With Fluttershy. With Applejack, before we gave up. Here in this world, there in Equestria." Hir eyes pressed closed and tight.

Hopper reached across Twilight, and gently intertwined his fingers with bitter Sunset's. Hir fingers trembled lightly in his gentle grip, then stopped. Exhaling slowly, shi gave him a grateful smile, then went on, "I may be Equestrian by birth, but I can only seem to sire kids with Earth-born now."

Shi sighed bitterly. Once again he started to ask a question, once again shi shook hir head and continued. Shi told him, "It's not even exposure to this world, or at least not just exposure to the world, or Twi wouldn't be risking that nice virile breedercache of yours over here." Rallying a bit, shi gave a half-hearted leer at the vast swell of his nuts resting against-- and over-- Twilight's side.

When the quiet dragged on, Hopper figured shi'd said hir piece for the moment. Dreading the answer but understanding its likeliness, he tilted his head to the left and guessed, "She got a bit obsessed with figuring it out, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Another sigh. "She figured out the cause, at least. In between the furious crying and grief-filled rage, sure. We were worried for a bit she was going to go my way, or Starlight's, but she was stronger than that." Sunset smiled at him. "She always has been. She can get depressed, and wait, but she'll always get stronger, and try again. Nothing stops her."

He knew, but it felt like Sunset was reaching for catharsis, so he stayed silent. Instead, he reached around Twilight on the other side, and rested a comforting hand on Sunset's hip. The hefty warfuta grinned, some cheer returning. Shi wriggled closer-- to him, to Twilight-- pressing hir distended, sloshing belly against Twilight's back and ass.

Hir cum-bloated boobs pressed agaginst Twilight's wings, Sunset kept talking, strength and need driving hir. Shi said, "Twi just kept studying until she proved pretty conclusively that my transformations-- both the demonic and the ascension-- locked me to the souls of this world. Another reason I can't really go back to Equestria, though this is my home. I can't father a kid with an Equestrian. Something to do with the way that the body is prepared to be ensouled, as I understand it."

Shi snorted and nuzzled Twilight's mane. "There's an odd little twist," shi said, voice trembling more than hir fingers had. "My eggs are still Equestrian, though, big guy, so when…" Hir voice caught. Hopper rolled carefully, nudging his package warmly against Twilight to get closer himself. He unclasped hands, and leaned across to stroke Sunset's mane. Shi smiled gratefully at him. "So when you wipe that sadness from her memory… when she's nice and juicy and fat with your foals, and so are the rest of 'em…"

Hir voice shook as shi forced hirself into the final explanation. Shi told him, "I've talked about it with my girls here. When things are stable with your herd-- I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but don't fuck up there, stud, or you're going to have a lot of cranky females and one pissed-off futa gunning for you-- when promises have been met."

Hopper gave a wry grin. "Yeah," he replied softly, still caressing Sunset's long tresses. "I've gotten the message." He stuck out his tongue, then returned to the smile. "Signed, sealed, triplicate, and now whatever your bureaucratic method of choice is here."

Smiling with relief, shi winked at him, as much to force hir own fear away as to acknowledge his grumble. With Hopper so close, shi wrapped hir upper wing and arm up across his body and Twilight's, snuggling under the drape of his larger wing.

Sunset inhaled deeply, the sloshing cum still welled into hir superlative breasts and belly gurgling around. Re-centered, shi gave Hopper a hesitant grin. "We're going to make an offer for a stud fee if you'd…" shi started, stopped, then forced hirself to go on. "If you'd be up for for being the stud. No one here can father a kid on me either, and I'd like my children to grow up with a connection to my birthplace. Also… I enjoy being a dad, sure, but I'm a futa. One of the Shadow-Straddled. I want to be both."

Hopper could have made a crack about the threat and performance issues. He could have blushed and stammered shyly like the females and now females and futa in his life seemed to enjoy reducing him to out-scene. He did none of those.

Caring didn't stop because Twilight was asleep. It had to be about his heart, about who he was, as much as it did about pleasing her. And he hoped that the affection and empathy he felt for Sunset were real, not just "because it pleases my lifelong crush" instincts.

Instead, he laced the strong fingers of his left hand into Sunset's mane and pulled his wing tighter around hir and Twilight both. He kissed hir full on the lips. "When I earn the herd-- and I promise you I will do my all to be worthy-- and when my obligations to them are in fulfillment, Sunset, I'd be honored to stud for you."

Then he kissed hir, and he held them both. Rest came for them, and hope for the future danced in their dreams.