By the time the five ponies flew through the outskirts of Trottingham, it was coming up to late afternoon, almost early evening. Tempest checked her watch and she smiled when she saw it was only six thirty in the p.m. They had made good time, indeed, her parents weren’t expecting them for another hour and a half. As the sun began to slowly descend from the sky, the violet weather mare called over to Dusky and her passenger. “Oils, are you going straight to your place or do you want to stop and say hi at mine?”

Brush Stroke didn’t answer her right away. Firstly he pulled his cell phone from his bag hung over his mare’s barrel and held up a hoof for a moment as he scrolled through the local news on the internet. His face fell considerably when he saw there had been a false changeling sighting. Even though it had been proven to be fake, he knew his dad Starbright would be in one of his ‘moods’. He didn’t want to be anywhere near that. “Oh…” he said breezily, “I'm sure we can stop off at yours for a little while, Stormy.”

Dusky at once caught the reticence in her lover’s voice but she decided right now wasn’t the moment to bring it up. She did however shelve it in her ‘deal with it later’ drawer. “I'd like that, Sir.”

“Okay,” Tempest replied with a satisfied grin, pointing with her forehoof towards a very large skyscraper of a building in the middle distance fifty miles away. “We’ll need to go to City Hall first and find the unicorn on duty then. Unless you want to experiment with free falling and Dusky catching you, that is.”

“Well,” Brush Stroke laughed, hugging his mare tightly, “I did say to Wily that I'd let Dusky give me a ride…” Over at the City Hall, they soon found the unicorn on duty there whose job it was to cast the cloud walking spell on visitors to the Cloud District. Fifty bits was the cost and the spell would last for four hours, several at a push with no exuberance on the part of the pony receiving the spell. “This should be fun!” The artist replied with a hearty smile as he paid the bits. He would’ve paid two hundred and fifty for longer just to make sure, had the option been there.

As they took off from the patch of sidewalk outside the Trottingham City Hall, Airmail snickered, “Oils, I don't think I've heard an earth pony describe the feeling the same way twice.”

Brush Stroke held on to Dusky’s back with his forelegs around his mare’s neck and his hind legs gripping her barrel. “You understand, I say ‘fun’ with the hidden context of sheath tightening bottom clenching fear, Airy.”

“I've heard others say that,” Tempest called back over her shoulder with a laugh in her voice, “but once you set hoof on a cloud, you'll be hooked.” It was a thankfully short flight, only twenty minutes, from the centre of Trottingham to the Cloud District floating roughly ten thousand feet above it where Tempest’s parents lived. With a population of some nine thousand pegasi, it housed more or less eighty five per cent of the south eastern city’s pegasus pony population.

When Tempest, Airmail, Wildfire and Dusky landed on a residential cloud street – as directed by Tempest – the mid blue earth pony slowly and very gingerly dismounted from his mare’s back. Very tentatively indeed he poked the cloud surface with his hind hoof and exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he found it to be as solid as the ground. “O-Okay...this is odd, really, very odd.”

Straightaway Dusky was there to offer an affectionate nuzzle to her Master’s cheek. “Sir, you'll get used to it.”

“So,” Tempest asked, barely keeping her wide smile in check, “what does it feel like?”

Experimentally, Brush Stroke jumped up and landed on the cloud with all four hooves, and once more he found it as solid as the ground he usually walked upon. “It…it feels rather like…” he paused for a moment to fully assess what it felt like. “It feels rather like walking on firm candy floss.”

“Now,” Airmail giggled as they walked along the cloud sidewalk with the late afternoon sunlight at her back, the shadows lengthening as the afternoon turned to evening. “That certainly is a new one. You walk on candy floss often?”

At that, Brush Stroke coloured up in what was a rare blush. “I ah, I like my hooves stroked, and Dusky likes to use various things…”

“One time, the other day, we experimented with different foods,” Dusky interjected quickly as they turned off the street they were on and moved on to a smaller avenue of well-kept upmarket detached cloudominiums.

“And candy floss won?” Wildfire asked over her shoulder from her position second in the line following Tempest’s black tail.

Still blushing furiously, Brush Stroke nodded. “It feels really nice,” he said quietly.

Airmail rolled her brown eyes playfully as they made their way along the avenue. “Now Wily is going to want to check that out.” She gently caressed her diminutive fiancé’s flank with her right wing tip. “Don't you make a mess in the house, young lady!”

Tempest giggled and before Wildfire could come back with a pithy retort, she stopped outside of a very palatial looking three storey cloudominium. “My folks live here so let’s go on in.” With that, she led the way up the wide path with flower beds that contained some very tasty and sweet smelling flowers to the front door and she opened it without knocking.

Almost immediately a pale lavender pegasus stallion about Tempest's age with a very unruly royal blue mane appeared in the entrance hall to greet her with a tight hug. “Welcome home Tempest.” He smiled and nuzzled his sister before he went on to hug Airmail next. “Good to see you again Airy.” Lastly the stallion gave the little blind mare a hug as well. If he didn’t know any better from his sister’s messages he’d have thought they’d found a teenager somewhere and brought her along. “You must be Wildfire. I'm Storm.” After that greeting, he looked at the two stallions with a grin. “So, Tempest, you finally find somepony to play mare while you play stallion?” He asked, lifting a hoof to hoof bump Dusky.

Straightaway Dusky returned the hoof bump that Storm had offered her. It really didn’t surprise her that much that he’d seen through her dress and make up to see the stallion underneath, what with having Tempest for a sister. “Hi, I'm Dusky, pleased to meet you,” the royal pegasus then indicated her Master stood by her side. “My partner, Brush Stroke.”

Maintaining the dominant persona, the mid blue earth pony gave a very polite little nod. “Charmed, Storm, please call me Oils.”

“Ma!” Storm called out loudly, “Tempest is here with guests!”

So fast they all thought she had teleported, an elderly looking sky blue pegasus mare with a greying mane entered the entrance hall from the living room with a pleasant smile all over her wrinkled face. Old as she was, she was determined that none would escape her hugs. “Hello to you all, I'm Mist.” While Wildfire, Dusky and Brush Stroke all greeted the old mare with hugs, Wildfire was slightly more exuberant. “You all made better time than you told me, Tempest. Come on in.”

Inside the very spacious living room was an older slate grey stallion with a shockingly unruly black – at one point it was black, now it was shot through with silver / grey – mane sat in a comfortable rocking chair watching the sport on the wide screen television. “Hi dad!” Tempest got her hug in first while her dad turned off what he had been watching. He didn’t really care for the Fillydelphia cage fighting. The same minotaur always won. “Everypony, this is Lightning.”

“Hey Lightning!” Wildfire squeaked happily and gave the elderly stallion a very tight hug indeed, while true to form Dusky and Brush Stroke offered a slightly more restrained greeting.

“Welcome!” Lightning beamed, looking half his age when he smiled and returned Wildfire’s exuberant hug. “I'm glad all of you could be here this evening.” He then looked around and counted up the heads of his visitors. “Is everypony spending the night?”

“Ah,” Dusky spoke up when Brush Stroke gave him an apprehensive look, “we aren't, Sir. My partner and I, I mean. The cloudwalking spell wears off in four hours.”

“Yes,” Mist giggled behind her hoof, “That would be bad, I wasn't sure if it was an enchanted item or spell.”

With a shove of his hooves, Lightning pushed himself out of his comfy chair. “We have wine, beer, hot tea, and hot coffee, plus water, for drinks.” He offered as he remembered, with a meaningful glare from Mist, his manners.

Wildfire raised her forehoof, almost like she was in school. “Ooh, could I have a beer please?” She asked while Dusky – who didn’t drink alcohol anymore following her ‘illness’ requested a tea with two sugars, and Brush Stroke asked for a glass of wine.

Lightning nodded to each request and turned to his wide. “I’ll need a bit of help, love.”

“So, how was your trip?” Storm asked, flopping up on to the wide cloud couch while Lightning and Mist left the living room for the kitchen to fill the orders. They knew by heart what Airmail and Tempest preferred to drink.

“It was fine, thank you.” Dusky answered with a bright little giggle. “We had fun, didn't we, Stormy?”

“We did Dusky,” Tempest smiled a very genuine and thankful smile for the treat she had been given on the way here. “It gave me a chance to rest my wings.”

“I thought it was a little exhausting,” Wildfire voiced her opinion. “I've not flown this much, like, ever. But, the exercise was great fun though!”

“I'm just glad we're here, Storm.” Airmail said with a fluff of her tired and aching wings. “I’m sure I've done more flying today than I usually do in a month.”

Storm simply chuckled at that. “You should try to get away from the desk, Airy.”

“To be honest it felt rather strange, flying I mean.” Brush Stroke commented, immediately getting a long loving nuzzle from his mare, “It was quite pleasant once I got used to it.” He failed to mention that ‘getting used to it’ had taken almost the entire flight here, and how he was now blocking out the fact that he was ten thousand feet up. On a cloud.

“Did they swap out carrying you, Oils?” Storm enquired, interested as to their trip.

“Oh yes,” the artist replied to the pale lavender stallion, “My Dusky carried me mostly, then Wily and Airy took turns when Dusky and Stormy flew off to play.”

“I'm impressed, though.” Storm commented, and he was. “Flying with a passenger takes a lot of a pony.” He then turned to the diminutive yellow mare. “So, Wily is it? How did you fall in with the likes of Tempest?”

“There’s a bit of a story behind it,” Wildfire replied while Tempest rolled her blue eyes loudly at her brother. “But the long and the short of it is that Dusky brought me to Manehatten eleven days ago, the Thursday, I met Airy first at Caffeinated’s coffee shop and she introduced me to Stormy...it’s kinda gone from there.”

Just then, Mist and Lightning returned to the living room from the adjacent kitchen, each with a tray of drinks balanced on their backs for them and their guests. “Are you part of her herd?” Mist asked as she passed Wildfire her beer.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied, taking her beer in her left wing. “I get voted in proper soon, this Thursday coming I think.”

“And, when will Mapper and Serenity be visiting again?” Lightning asked his daughter, for the old stallion was quite fond of the unicorn couple.

Tempest took her own drink, a very Irish coffee and spared herself a moment to sip and savour it before she answered. “Serenity had to work and Mapper likes to watch her work.” Airmail, who likewise had a similarly Irish coffee giggled at that.

Wildfire too had a little giggle as she sipped her beer. After the long, long flight the ice cold beer – a local Trottingham make – was just what the doctor ordered. “Serenity is fun to listen to,” she commented, almost thinking out loud.

Mist smiled, “I hope you all like Tempest's favourite, I’ve made us all lasagne. With zucchini and three cheeses.”

Airmail sniffed a very loud sniff. “I always knew mom loved you best, Stormy.” She was suddenly uncomfortable, more so at her own statement than Mist’s. Here she was, a mare of forty eight, all of a sudden a fiancé to a pony literally half her age when Tempest was younger, her family nearer and…oh, a whole raft of other reasons she was unexpectedly insecure.

“Oooh yuppers, I'll eat that!” Wildfire squeaked happily, almost bouncing in anticipation of the meal to come. She was of course entirely ignorant of her fiancé’s worries.

Dusky giggled, “You'll eat anything, Miss Wily.” Except celery, of course, but there was no need to bring up the ‘demon food’.

“Lasagne sounds lovely,” Brush Stroke agreed with Wildfire. Especially after a day of take out fast food from various establishments between here and Ponyville. “I thank you, Ma’am.”

“Dusky,” Storm said after the pale lavender stallion had taken a swallow of his own beer, he was rather openly admiring the look of the midnight blue stallion in his fetching red dress. Very openly admiring. “You do look very nice in that dress, is this your usual way of dressing?”

Blushing rather heavily at being ‘caught out’, as it were, but at the same time thankful that nopony had as yet called him on being a royal, Dusky nodded. “Thank you, do you really think so? It's been my usual manner of dress since being with Oils. He prefers it.”

“Best ten days ever, I might add.” Brush Stroke caught the fanciful look his mare was getting and stepped slightly closer to her, as if he was marking his territory. Usually he’d be pleased, but this Storm was a good looking stallion and he was taking no chances.

Storm smiled, “I've seen my sis pass herself off as a stallion often enough, and she fools many a pony. If I didn't know what to look for you could have fooled me.”

Dusky nodded at that, pausing in the delicate sipping of her tea to reply. “I've seen Stormy as a stallion too the other day, I must agree with you Storm, she's really very good.”

“I learned from you, bro.” Tempest giggled modestly at her brother.

Strom rubbed his forehoof along the back of his mane and tried to look anywhere other than at Dusky’s shapely legs. “Ah, thanks, I guess…” he said with a snicker.

“Oh?” Wildfire spoke up as she drank a little of her beer. “That sounds like a story, right there.”

Storm shook his head. Brush Stroke’s quiet proximity to his mare spoke loud volumes. “The ah, the only story is a lot of my friends thought I had two sisters and a brother, that’s all.”

“Aww…” now Wildfire sounded very disappointed. “Storm, you could have invented anything for us then, and included a big nasty dragon to make it really interesting!”

“Um, uh…ah…” Storm blushed, busily thinking of anything other than the well-dressed pegasus ‘mare’ stood in the living room. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was emerge, he was sure if he did he’d die right there on the spot. “Um…” he thought for a frantic second to come up with something, anything. “She would impersonate Prince Blueblood...”

Storm trailed off and Tempest interrupted her brother with a snorted laugh, especially when she caught sight of the outraged look on Dusky’s face. “Wrong name to drop, there bro!”

Poor Storm couldn’t help but look as confused as he felt. “Um, what, wrong name?”

For just a moment, Dusky quite forgot his place in his temper. “Why in the wide world of Equestria would you impersonate him?” He punctuated the question with a stomp of his hoof that caused a dent in the cloud floor that he quickly repaired when Brush Stroke lightly slapped his ass. “He's a total arsehead!”

Airmail snickered, more at Brush Stroke’s light slap of his mare’s hind quarters than Dusky’s outburst, she too couldn’t resist a little tease. “You should have said Prince Dusk, Storm, since he is a pegasus.”

“Because Tempest would make a very bad dragon?” Storm asked, the blush on his pale lavender cheeks subsiding somewhat. “Yeah, I didn't think of that Airy, I was put on the spot.”

Dusky however wasn’t listening, so irate was he suddenly that his wings her stiffly erect. “B-But Stormy, of all ponies, why Blueblood? Everypony hates him!”

Tempest began laughing and, try as she might, the violet weather pony couldn’t stop herself. So hard was she laughing she clutched at her sides and rolled on the floor of the cloudominium. Mist and Lightning merely looked on, both as confused as their son was by their guest’s sudden temper and their daughter’s mirth. At an utter loss, Storm looked from pony to pony in the living room. “I ah, I made that up by the way,” he said finally.

Wildfire let out a delighted little giggle. “It was a good effort though, Storm,” she snickered as she finished off her beer, “and you managed to get Dusky all outraged, so bonus points for that.”

Strom couldn’t help but blush at that, though he did smile at Wildfire. “Blueblood was the first stallion name that came to mind from Canterlot.”

Finishing her own drink, Airmail set her empty coffee mug down on the coffee table. “Just so you know Strom, both Wildfire and Dusky are from Canterlot.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire smiled and in her very best accent said, “Canterlot born and bred, right Dusky?”

Dusky nodded, “for all our sins.”

With their drinks all finished, Mist led them all through to the adjacent dining room, which proved to be just as spacious as the living room they had just departed, Storm ‘accidentally’ found himself following Dusky’s swaying flank. “I’m sorry to rile you up,” he started, still completely oblivious to the midnight blue pegasus’s actual identity as he was far more interested in the hips beneath the red dress and the very cute ponytail. “I take it Prince Dusk isn't an arse, then?”

Taking her seating pad at the dining table on Wildfire’s right side, Tempest snickered, “You know how nobility is.”

“Yeah,” Airmail smiled over at Dusky as she too sat at the dining table taking up her usual position on Wildfire’s left side while Storm, the ‘Princess’ and Brush Stroke sat opposite them. “I'm sure he has his moments…”

Wildfire interrupted her fiancé when she broke out in almost uncontrollable fits of giggles, joined by Brush Stroke who laughed out loud until he caught his mare’s nonplussed look. Dusky simply coughed delicately behind her hoof, her retort silenced when Mist bought out the lasagne and began serving it up to her guests. “I'm sure he does too, Airy.”

Airmail and Tempest both shared a ‘look’ with each other over Wildfire’s back and decided that discretion was now the better part of valour and busied themselves with eating the steaming hot zucchini lasagne. Wildfire, having giggled herself out for the moment, tried very hard to compose herself. “I’m sorry Dusk, but you are funny when you get wound up.”

Mist gave everypony seated around her dining table a look that said she wouldn’t take anymore teasing. Thankfully, everypony recognised the look and got to eating their meal. After a few moments thought, she turned to her daughter. “Tempest,” the elderly pegasus started, “will you be seeing your sister on the way back to Manehatten?”

“That is the plan,” Tempest replied after she swallowed the large mouthful she had been working on with a bit of a struggle, “we'll stop off and see Airy's other sister too.”

“She is going to foal any day now.” Airmail said, a dreamy tone to her voice as she thought about her cerulean blue sister, her large belly and her swollen milky teats. It was quite an effort for her not to take Wildfire’s head off with an epic wingboner at the thought.

“Foal?” Wildfire asked, momentarily forgetting her lasagne as her ears perked up, “That's so cool!”

Airmail smiled and rested her forehoof on her fiancé’s own. “One of the reasons Raindrop wasn't in Vanhoover the other day.”

“How is Windy doing?” Tempest asked, thinking about her younger sister after a few moments of eating.

Storm rolled his green eyes and gave a frustrated snort in his sister’s direction. “You know full well she doesn't like that nickname.”

“That’s why I use it.”

Now it was Lightning’s turn to roll his eyes, giving his daughter the kind of fatherly look that made Tempest shrink a teeny bit on her seating pad. “She is doing well,” the old stallion replied, pleased that his ‘dad look’ still worked. “Business is good. They has a ground based office now.”

To Dusky and Brush Stroke’s slightly puzzled questioning look, Tempest explained, “My sister is a paediatrician, and her husband is a surgeon.”

That certainly explained about her sister and husband, however Brush Stroke was still somewhat confused about one thing. “And…she doesn't like to be called ‘Windy’?”

Mist smiled as she swallowed a mouthful of her lasagne, “Her name is Wind,” she explained simply. “When Tempest was little,” the old mare continued, a little part of her was pleased to see Tempest grimace, “she would dance around the house singing 'Windy has Stormy eyes'. It was a taunt that combined both of her siblings.”

Tempest still had the grimace on her face. “I was a pretty rotten little foal,” she admitted. While she didn’t hide from what she’d done in her past, she didn’t always welcome being reminded of it.

Wildfire immediately picked up on the subtle change in Tempest’s voice, her ears flicked in her violet herd-mate and she felt for her forehoof with her own. “Maybe,” she said as she squeezed her hoof, “but you're super awesome now though.”

Storm sniggered, almost to the point of choking on his zucchini and cheese. “At least after somepony shot some sense into you.”

Wildfire giggled and removed her hoof, returning once more to her meal. “I remember Honey telling me that story, it was an…interesting way, to meet somepony.”

“Honey?” Mist asked curiously, wondering who the blind mare was referring to.

“Yuppers, ‘cos she's sweet, and Airy's my Pretty!” Wildfire replied to the old pegasus as if that explained everything in eight words just like that.

Tempest couldn’t help but snicker at the confused look that still adorned her mother’s face. “I think my mom would like to know who Honey is, love.”

“Oh...” Wildfire blushed, “Oh I’m sorry, Ms. Mist, you see, Tempest is Honey.” The blush was still there when she continued, “just my silly pet names, that’s all.”

“Oh, okay,” Mist said warmly, “Now that makes sense.”

“How are you enjoying your promotion, Storm?” Tempest asked her brother, quickly rescuing her diminutive yellow lover from the table’s attention.

“It's okay,” Storm replied quickly, grinning as his posting amongst the Trottingham weather ponies now put him on a par with his sister. “But I don't get to do much flying anymore. Still, Commandant of the Cloud factory pays well, so that’s decent compensation.”

“Well enough for you to find a filly?” Tempest asked with a snicker.

Storm took a long hard sideways look at Dusky. “Nothing pays that well.” He commented with a laugh.

“Hey, Oils,” Tempest spoke up once the very, very fine home cooked meal had been eaten and nopony had anything left on their plates, “Do you and Dusky want to get together tomorrow?” She asked, beginning to think ahead to what they could do the Tuesday. “We are leaving for Baltimare very early Wednesday morning.”

“Of course Stormy,” Brush Stroke answered, speaking for both himself and his mare while Mist and Lightning busied themselves clearing away the dinner dishes. He had volunteered Dusky to help, but they wouldn’t hear of it. “We'd love to see you tomorrow.”

“Great,” Tempest smiled, giving her brother a nod of thanks as he brought out refills for all their drinks. Wildfire in particular loving her second beer. “Just let us know when and where.”

Brush Stroke thought about it for just a moment, mulling the question over a sip of his wine. “We can meet up at my dad, Dandelion's shop if you'd like, then we can go from there as the mood takes us?”

“That sounds wonderful.” Tempest commented with a nod of approval from Airmail who was working on her steaming Irish coffee. “I'll have to admit you have a different perspective of Trottingham than I do.”

“Oh?” Brush Stroke smiled, “a ground level perspective, you mean?”

Tempest giggled at that. “You got it in one, Oils.”

The mid blue earth pony artist let out a snigger as he took another sip of his wine. “It just means I enjoy the parks more, there's one not far from my dad's shop with a beautiful lake, and trees, and it has a prime view of Trottingham Castle.”

Tempest had to really rein herself in then, when her new friend mentioned ‘prime views’. It would’ve been so very easy to say something snarky, but even at his age, her dad still possessed a keen hoof and he knew how to use it. “We have a lovely park just down the street,” she replied instead, “It should be very nice in the moonlight. You should stop there on your way out, Dusky.”

“Oh, we will…” Dusky replied, almost purring as she made her best and sexiest bedroom eyes at her dominant stallion.

“You think Oils will fit on the cloud slide?” Airmail asked playfully as she sipped her Irish coffee that tasted distinctly more ‘Irish’ than coffee.

“Ahem, yes, yes we will...” looking into quite frankly the sexiest, hottest look his mare had possibly ever given him, Brush Stroke found it rather hard to concentrate. At least on what was being said around him. One part of him was straining at the bit as it were to pay a lot of attention. It only became apparent to him that Airmail had spoken to him when he caught the azure blue mare looking at him, expecting a response. “I ah…I beg your pardon, did you say a, a cloud slide?”

Airmail raised a very sardonic eyebrow at that. “Eighty percent of the construction material in the Cloud District is cloud,” she said in a tone that basically screamed ‘Duh, that was obvious!’

“Oh…oooh, on the park you mean,” realisation of his error brought a very, very bright red blush to his face. “I ah, I thought you meant a slide to get from here to the ground…” he trailed off to a very embarrassed silence when Airmail, Tempest and Storm all snickered – not in a nasty way – at his faux pas.

“That would be quite the tourist attraction for sure,” Lightning laughed good naturedly, coming to his guest’s rescue. “A ten thousand foot high slide.”

“Hey!” Wildfire exclaimed suddenly, “I'd so have a go on that baby!”

Seeing her Master’s embarrassed blush, Dusky affectionately nuzzled Brush Stroke’s cheek. The artist’s blush however, continued unabated. “Don't worry about it Sir, please, I think your blush is cute, and it does sound like fun.”

Just then, Mist, who had been busy in the kitchen with the dishes and preparing the dessert, re-entered the dining room with said dessert on her back. With a somewhat – justified – smile, the elderly pegasus mare set the tray bearing the chocolate brownie with chocolate fudge icing plus generous scoops of dark chocolate ice cream as well as hot fudge poured on top and lots and lots of chocolate sprinkles for good measure. Also known as 'Death by Chocolate'. “Chocolate soup is served, everypony!” Mist declared proudly as she set a bowl containing a generous portion in front of each guest. “Caution though, it contains chocolate, and a lot of it.”

With her finely tuned ‘Wilysense’ tingling like never before when she smelled the copious amount of chocolate placed in front of her, Wildfire almost bounced she was so happy. “Ms. Mist, there's no need to caution against chocolate!”

“It is nut free, too.” Mist smiled as she made sure everypony had a very unhealthy portion.

Brush Stroke nodded his appreciation of the dessert and, waiting until all the others present had begun eating before he tapped Dusky’s forehoof and allowed her to start as well. “I thank you for this, Ma’am.” The artist smiled, eagerly taking a spoon to his mountain of chocolate before him.

Wildfire got herself some of the chocolate soup, her yellow wings fluttering with unbridled joy. “Oh damn this is gorgeous!” She squeaked happily. The taste of chocolate anytime she wanted it was still something of a new experience for her, and she was determined to savour this awesome treat. “Airy, you need to have some of this!”

Tempest gave a little affected sniff of sadness. “This is dessert because mom loves Airy the best.” She moaned, complete with her forehoof to her head, making Storm roll his eyes and Airmail giggle.

Throwing away all sense of decorum, Wildfire abandoned her spoon and lowered her muzzle to her bowl and with her tongue she took a large mouthful of the chocolate, getting some on her muzzle in the process. “Well,” she said through a full mouth, “I think this is properly nice!”

Storm, Mist and Lightning all gave the little blind mare familial adoring looks as she ate with the same messy gusto as Airmail beside her. “Wily,” the pale lavender stallion started, “Tempest said you moved to Manehatten just a couple of weeks ago. What were you doing before that?”

Just having scooped up some more of the dessert she had dubbed in her mind ‘Wily’s Heaven’, Wildfire was caught unprepared by the question. “Um, wh-what?” She started shaking a little, “I um, I was in Canterlot, in a care home.”

“A care home?” Mist asked, sharing a look with her husband as they paused with their desserts, “Is that like the blind community near Tempest's place over on Stallion Island?”

Seeing her fiancé shiver, Airmail hung her right wing protectively over her back. Wildfire, for once, wasn’t all that comforted by this. “I um, I don't know what that's like…” she hung her head a little, rather put off her chocolate as she huddled close to Airmail’s flank. “My place...it um, it wasn't very nice.”

“The home was abusive to its clients.” Tempest explained simply to her mother, father and brother as they each gave her looks that screamed for her to elaborate.

It was Airmail however who picked up the tale. “They hid it from the state, and the ones that put them there were being paid off.”

Lightning at last found his voice, the elderly pegasus doing nothing to hide the outrage when he spoke. “How could they let that happen?”

Dusky looked up from her dessert and over at Wildfire, a slight tear in her pink eyes. The memory was still a very raw one, like an exposed nerve. The fact that her best friend in the whole world had been in Canterlot the whole time – virtually under her nose – and she hadn’t known. That her best friend had been so abused under her nose and she hadn’t known…it hurt, and there was no atonement she could ever do that would make amends. “We...nopony let it happen Lightning, the wardens of the care home hid their abuse well.”

“They gave us stories we had to stick to when they used us for fetching tasks in Canterlot.” Wildfire said in a similar voice to the deadened tone she had used back at Bluesky and Rye’s farm in Vanhoover. Brush Stroke simply hugged his mare tightly. “Any failure lead to not being fed, or worse.”

“Airy,” Storm spoke up tentatively, “didn’t you report on a scandal like that in Manehatten not that long ago?”

“Yeah,” Airmail replied, her wing still held tight around her diminutive lover’s back, “about three years ago now.”

“How did you get out, Wildfire?” Lightning asked gently.

Wildfire felt the wing that was holding her and she brightened up a little. The memory of that perfect Thursday outshone everything else like a shining beacon in her darkness. “Dusky bought me to Manehatten with him on a trip while he was attending some duties.” She sighed a little, she knew how lucky she had been. “He was supposed to bring his coltfriend at the time but he was busy. While we were at this coffee shop Dusky liked I met Airy, and Stormy later on.”

“Dusky,” Mist turned her attention to the midnight blue pegasus, “Did you know what was going on when you got her out?”

Dusk shook his head, for a brief moment he put aside his submissive feminine aspect as he answered. “No, Ma’am, I'm deeply ashamed to say I had no idea whatever until we were at Caffy's ranch. The first I knew about it was Tempest here thundering up the stairs with a face like thunder yelling for me and demanding to know what I was going to do about it.”

Storm nodded quietly. “My sister can be very passionate.”

Lighting had that hard no-nonsense ‘parent look’ about him when he turned to the effeminate stallion. “You got the authorities involved then, Dusky?”

Still very much the stallion, at least for the moment, Dusk nodded and smiled somewhat grimly at the elderly stallion. “You could say that, yes Lightning. As long as I live, I'll never forget that afternoon. As soon as I found out what had happened I did everything in my power to put a stop to it.”

Very proud of the pony that was all at once his mare, his lover and his Sub, Brush Stroke gave Dusky a passionate kiss at the dinner table. “You did so well, my love.”

Wildfire nodded and continued in the same brightened tone. “I've been living with Pretty and Honey in Manehatten for eleven days now.”

“Must have been a whirlwind romance then,” Mist commented, “to be planning a wedding so soon.”

At that, Wildfire finally managed a shaky giggle, though she was still firmly figuratively and literally under Airmail's wing. “A whirlwind would be gentle, Ms. Mist. My hooves haven't been still in eleven days.” She huddled a little closer to her fiancé. “Sometimes I think it's still a dream.”

Picking his spoon back up and taking an overdue mouthful of his chocolate dessert, Lightning swallowed and smiled. “Well, if this is a dream, I'm pretty happy with it. I think you’ve fell in with some good mares, Wily.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire exclaimed, “They're brilliant. Some nights I do worry that I'll wake up in my box back at the care home…” suddenly she realised just what she had said and in a fresh panic she slapped her left forehoof over her mouth and shrunk even further into Airmail's side, becoming almost one pony. “I’m sorry!”

“I hope justice has been done.”

Dusky nodded solemnly. “I can guarantee that it has, Mist.”

At her lover’s left side, Airmail gave her a loving cuddle and Tempest moved in close to her other side for an equally tight cuddle. “I ah, I shouldn't have said that…” the blind mare squeaked, “I'm so sorry.”

Lightning shook his head sadly. “Wily, I'm not sure what you said, but it did sound bad. I'm glad to know that justice was done Dusky.”

Wildfire hung her head down to the table. “The box was just one of the things they used to punish me...they had tried everything else, and they soon realised I was claustrophobic, like all pegasi, and it was bad. Very bad.”

Again, Dusky nodded, another tear rolling down his cheek. “Not a moment too soon either, Lightning.”

“They were lucky I didn't take care of it.” Airmail stated definitely in a hard tone that clearly stated she would, and could, have done just that.

Dusky nodded to Airmail. He knew how the azure blue mare felt on this subject, because he felt the same. “It was taken care of, and Wily, you don't ever have to worry, ever again. I promise you that.”

“So you say D,” Wildfire muttered. “It don't stop me panicking though, does it?”

Frustrated slightly, Dusky realised he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this. Not when Wildfire was determined to be in this mood. He knew distraction was the only way around it. Thankfully, as he fished for a distraction, one was given to him when he saw Airmail mouth the word ‘wedding’ silently. Grinning, the royal pegasus quickly resumed his ‘mare’ persona, a switch he badly needed. “Besides, Miss Wily, I want to hear more about this wedding of yours, anyway.”

Airmail smiled a wide smile, pleased that Dusky was at least quick on the uptake. “So, Dusky, how pregnant should she be when I take her to the altar?”

That certainly got Mist’s attention. “Pregnant?” She asked excitedly, the grandmother in her already itching to knit foal clothes on an industrial scale.

Tempest rolled her blue eyes, a move which earned her a reproachful look from the old mare. “Mom is always wanting more grandfoals,” she smiled at her mother.

Dusky shared Airmail’s wide smile, pleased that the distraction had worked. “Oh, I'd say she needs to be very pregnant indeed.”

Wildfire pouted playfully from between her two marefriends. “Do you want me fat in my dress?”

“No, not fat,” Dusky shook her head, “I meant ‘blooming’, Miss Wily.”

Airmail, who was in the process of shovelling more of her dessert into her muzzle, paused for a moment and gave her friend a wink. “Even Dusky is wise enough to not use the F word.”

“I'd never call you that Wily,” Dusky giggled as Airmail and Tempest both carefully withdrew their cuddles from their diminutive lover. “At least not with your two mares either side of you, anyway.”

Brush Stroke grinned and patted his mare’s forehoof. “That’s very wise of you, my love.”

“I want to at least be able to walk straight when we leave to meet your dads, Sir.” Dusky replied with a grin as ‘she’ – for the Prince was now firmly back as a mare – ate a little more of her dessert. She was pleased her high metabolism meant that it wouldn’t stay on her hips. “Say about eight months or so, Airy?”

Airmail grinned as she ate. “Well, I think Wily and I will work that out, she may want Fireflight to be a flower foal.”

“Ooooh!” Wildfire let out a loud and very girly squee. “That'd be so sweet!”

“Might even have three flower foals if you play it right.” Airmail said with a smile and gave her lover a long hard chocolate flavoured kiss.

“I'd like that, Pretty,” Wildfire returned the kiss as passionately as she could. “I'd like that a lot.”

“And a colt too,” Brush Stroke added, “That is if we're invited?”

Airmail cocked her head like she was seriously giving it thought. “A wing clasp bearer would be good to have.”

“I think not inviting the two of you would be a mistake of ‘royal’ proportions.” Tempest couldn’t help herself. It was just too good an opportunity to miss. And, she wasn’t going to miss.

Storm chuckled as he finished off his dessert. “Sounds like I'll have time to shop for a gift then.”

“Aaw…” Wildfire gave a playful little whine as she too finished off her very chocolatey dessert. She was definitely going to call this ‘Wily’s Heaven’ in future, it was decided. “You mean we aren't eloping tonight to somewhere faraway and incredibly romantic?”

Now Tempest raised a questioning sardonic eyebrow. “You mean there is a place more romantic than my parents’ house?” She asked, her giggle hidden by the playful raspberry she received from Airmail.

Wildfire raised up her hoof. “Um, I can think of one.”

At that, Mist let out a bright laugh and lovingly nuzzled her husband, getting a little chocolate dessert on her muzzle. “You see love, there is only one place more romantic than our house!” She giggled as Lightning dutifully licked her cheek clean.

Wildfire didn’t need to think about her answer. She knew full well where the most romantic place in all of Equestria was. For her, there was only one place it could possibly be. The place where she and Airmail had bonded over a picnic. The place where Tempest had met her with breakfast. “The lake by our house...sorry, Honey.”

Tempest considered that for a moment. “The lake is a bit public, though.”

“I know,” Wildfire nodded, “but it's my favourite place and you both know why.”

“It is a beautiful place and we can do some midnight swims.” Airmail agreed, for she too recalled the picnic they’d shared just as well as Wildfire did.

Just for that, Wildfire decreed that her fiancé had earned herself a kiss, and she duly delivered said kiss straightaway, both lovers tongue washing each other’s muzzles before she broke away for breath. “I ah, I don't know many places yet, but that's my favouritest so far.”

With that, the dinner and the dessert was over. Once more, Mist and Lightning busied themselves clearing away the dessert dishes. Brush Stroke, who had been listening intently to the exchange between Wildfire and the others. Doing so, he thought he knew where the lake was that the blind mare was talking about. “Wildfire, would that be the large swimming lake over on Stallion Island?”

“Yes,” Tempest agreed with a nod of her head, “Silver Lake near the north end of the island.”

“Aha!” The mid blue earth pony artist exclaimed joyously, “Then I have the perfect gift in my old apartment in Manehatten! I painted that lake just a few months ago.”

“Was it still frozen over?” Airmail asked, her interest piqued. She was also rather keen to get her hooves on a landscape painted by one of the generation’s best landscape artists.

“It was, with snow absolutely everywhere.” Brush Stroke agreed. That last Winter Wrap-Up had been quite the experience, and the customer who had commissioned the winter landscape scene hadn’t paid, so he’d kept the piece in his studio. “It was quite the perfect winter scene.”

“Have you been to La Colt Park for the Mid-Winter Festival, Oils?” Tempest asked curiously.

Brush Stroke nodded. “I have, and it was a fantastic time.” Of course, part of what had made that so fantastic was the rather smoking hot stallion he had met and slept with that night, but he thought it best not to divulge that little snippet. “Dusky, you'll have to come with me next time!”

Tempest sniffed and smiled a wry smile. Again, she just couldn’t resist. “Oh, I doubt that Dusky would be at all interested in Luna's Night…”

“I've seen mo-Luna's night enough times, Tempest.” Dusky commented with a definite blush that showed even on her midnight blue fur.

Tempest trailed off to silence, given the ‘look’ that Airmail shot her, although the look was undermined somewhat by the giggle that escaped her lips. “Is the Summer Solstice a big event here in Trottingham?”

“Yes,” Mist answered as she came back into the dining room from the kitchen having set the dishwasher going. “It is a big event. Four years ago Princess Celestia came to celebrate it with us.”

Suddenly curious, especially given that she’d never seen one outside of Canterlot, Wildfire asked, “What are they like, these events?”

“Here it is a big faire.” Tempest affirmed.

Airmail nodded and joined in. “It’s the same for Stallion Island. You can listen to Mapper in her natural environment.”

“They do sound cool,” Wildfire enthused as they moved back from the dining room through to the living room. “It sounds like the funfair we went to years ago, Dusky.” The little blind mare smiled then, a lovely thought entering her head for a moment. “Besides, it’ll be nice to listen to Mistress at her work.”

Lightning perked his ears up at that as the old stallion sat back down in his comfy chair. “Mapper have you roped into that game, Wily?” He asked kindly.

“Oh yes, I asked to be her Pet, and she accepted me,” Wildfire said with a definite shudder. That day, although well behind her now, was still fresh in her memory for the good as well as the bad reasons. “Eventually.”

“Don't you let my old dad fool you, Wily.” Tempest nuzzled her little marefriend’s cheek. “Both of them had a lot of fun when Mapper last paid a visit.”

Wildfire nodded at that and returned the nuzzle as affectionately as she could in the cloudominium’s living room. “Pretty and Honey play it with me too, we've had lots of fun together these past few days.”

Storm once more took up his place on the cloud couch where he could quietly and safely observe Dusky’s hindquarters. “You still having those meet ups with the zebra and the herd?” He asked with an interested grin, his imagination beginning to imagine Dusky at the party.

“Twice a month.” Airmail confirmed.

“This Thursday is gaming night, bro.” Tempest commented as she took her seating pad on Wildfire’s right.

Dusky, who was about to say something, paused when Brush Stroke leant in close to her and whispered in the midnight blue pegasus's ear. Five seconds later and a very wide sexy smile spread over her muzzle. “That’s a good idea my love…” she purred, kissing her Master’s lips. When she pulled away she turned to Mist and Lightning. “Um, if you don't mind, we're going to go to the park near here that Stormy mentioned earlier at dinner.”

“Quality time.” Brush Stroke elaborated as Dusky bit her lip.

“Have fun you two!” Tempest called, politely seeing her two friends to her parents’ front door. “What time would you like to meet up tomorrow at your dad’s flower shop?”

“Would about eleven-ish in the morning be alright?” Brush Stroke answered quickly, pausing at the open door to address his gracious hosts. “Thank you Sir, Ma’am, for having us this evening.”

Next to his lover, Dusky gave the elderly couple a bow of gratitude. “Thank you indeed for the lovely dinner Mr. Lightning, Ms. Mist. We had a great evening with you all.” To her best friend, she giggled playfully. “Have fun tonight, Miss Wily.”

“This pony is tired.” Airmail gave a long and very exaggerated yawn once Dusky and Brush Stroke had taken their leave for their romantic moonlight adventures. It was a yawn so deep that even Wildfire could tell how tired she was. “It was a long and fast flight here.” All exaggeration aside, the azure blue mare genuinely was exhausted, and she did fancy a little ‘quality time’ of her own with her fiancé.

Yawning herself, Wildfire flexed her yellow wings. It was only when Airmail had said to the room that she was tired did she too feel it, like a contagious yawn spreading. “Ugh, this little pegasus's wings are gonna drop off I think, it has been a long, eventful long flight.”

“I'm going to go tuck these two in.” Tempest announced as she stood up and stretched her legs. “Up for a game of Bridge when I get back?”

Lighting nodded eagerly. “Sure thing. The usual? Colts versus the fillies?” The old stallion asked with a knowing grin, after all, it had been a while since he’d lost to the fillies.

Also sniffing some quality alone time of their own, Wildfire stood up and giggled, “Aww, thanks Mommy Tempy!”

“No problem, my little foal.” Flicking her black tail under Wildfire’s nose, Tempest took the lead, although Airmail of course knew where she was going. It was only a short little walk from the living room up to the first floor’s common sleeping room which was a communal bedroom large enough to comfortably hold eight ponies.

Quietly, as she was listening, sniffing and feeling her way around, getting the feel of the place constructed almost entirely from cloud. For a pegasus raised entirely on the ground in Canterlot, it felt…different. Not odd as such, just different. “It’s just like old times, me following your tail, Honey.” Wildfire giggled, even that felt strange to say, old times, seeing as the old times in question were only eleven days ago.

“True,” Tempest giggled as she opened the door to the large rear bedroom and entered ahead of her marefriends. “But I haven't had to pee on it for several days.”

Entering the bedroom, still feeling her way tentatively around, Wildfire giggled. “Oh that was fun, tongue-cleaning your sexy tail.”

“Yes it was, now try not to keep Airy awake.” Tempest smiled, leading her blind lover to the spacious bed and resting her hoof upon the side of it. “You know how the olden ponies need their rest.”

Nonplussed, Airmail stuck out her tongue. “Ha, ha, har de har, har.”

Wildfire sniggered as she hopped up onto the cloud bed. At least now she was at the same height as the much taller violet pony. “No Mommy Tempy,” she squeaked, “I'll make sure we get to sleep.”

Giving both of her lovers a long hard kiss and a nuzzle apiece, Tempest made sure to get an extra nuzzle in with the blind mare now she was her height for a change. “Don't wait up, you two. We'll be along in a couple of hours after we win.”

Returning the kiss as hard as she could, given that she was really tired, Wildfire said; “Go kick flank in your game, Honey.”

“I've watched them play.” Airmail snickered, making sure to get a last nuzzle in with Tempest before the violet weather pony departed the communal bedroom to start her game. “Mapper doesn't much care for the game, but Serenity does and I've partnered with her before.”

“I’ve never played bridge,” Wildfire commented, shifting a little as she felt the cloud bed move with Airmail’s weight landed on it next to her. “I used to be alright at poker though.”

Airmail giggled and affectionately nipped her lover’s ear. “Now that is more Mapper’s game. I also enjoy poker. Serving in the military does teach one a few things.”

“I am, or I was, pretty decent at five card draw,” Wildfire started, “and I guess I learnt how to bluff in the care home.” She smiled at that, and when she felt her fiancé lower herself to the bed, she did likewise, laying her head against the older mare’s shoulder.

Airmail hung her wing and her foreleg over Wildfire’s smaller shoulders. “I'm sure everypony had a hard time reading your eyes.”

Wildfire couldn’t help but grin at that. “Oh I dunno, you seem to read me pretty well, Pretty.”

“Not really,” Airmail admitted, “I'm a good guesser, but it will take time to become familiar with you. Still, I want to learn more about you every day.” She purred in her left ear, adding a delicate little kiss for good measure.

Lifting her head up from Airmail’s shoulder, Wildfire kissed her lips. “You know when I'm crying, you know when Wildflower's had enough and is about to say 'Peaches'.” She punctuated her sentence with a second, this time longer, kiss.

Airmail smiled, somewhat sadly. Deep down, she was still worried this was a fly-by-night thing. She was well aware of her advancing forty eight years, and how much younger and fitter than her Tempest was. “Wily, be my blanket tonight.” She asked plainly, feeling so very vulnerable right then.

“It would be my genuine pleasure,” Wildfire picked up on the subtle change in her lover’s voice. She sounded…raw, and she had a fair idea why. Peppering her azure blue muzzle with flowery little kisses until they both giggled, she continued; “Fiancé. Y'know, you aren't gonna be Fireflight's aunt now, right?”

Airmail smiled in spite of her maudlin mood. Try as she might, she just couldn’t shake the worry that the little blind mare would realise her mistake and want to marry somepony else. Somepony younger. “I like to think of myself as nanny.” She said finally, though she thought she knew where Wildfire was going.

“You don't want to be her mum with me?”

“Now you're just being silly.” Airmail couldn’t help but smile though. It was the way she had asked the question that got to her. So simplistic, so honest and innocent, not a trace of ego or hubris. So…genuine. Airmail could tell she wasn’t playing games with her. “Wily, I want to be involved in every part of Fireflight's life, and with Hope's life too. Nanny is a very important and trusted position. I've already had plenty of practice, after all.”

“I'm allowed to be silly.” Wildfire stated as she gave her hesitant lover a nuzzle. “Because I'm cute and sexy and I can get away with it.” She gave her a kiss straight to her lips. “You'll be the most awesomest nanny ever!”

Airmail’s old and scared heart almost melted at that. “And I have faith that you will be as awesome a mother as your mother was.”

“Do you think so?” Now there was doubt creeping into Wildfire’s voice. Her mother had some pretty big horseshoes to fill, parent-wise, in her opinion. She had practically deified Silverbolt in the twelve years since her death. “I hope so, what if I'm not though, what if I suck at it?”

“You're being silly again.” Airmail said as she kissed her nose reassuringly. “You have the herd at your back, but you do have the most important ingredient to be a good mom.” When Wildfire huddled in close to her, with her ears slicked back, she continued, “You have love, my love, and that is what matters in the end.”

Wildfire nodded at that, her ears going back up once more. “I have you, and the herd, and you…” she blushed slightly, “And I'm glad I have you, it’s like you're helping me wake up from everything that’s happened to me.”

“That's good, as you are keeping me young.” Airmail smiled so much it could be heard in her voice. Her mind turned once more to the wedding, the wedding that she now believed more than ever was going to happen. “Is it okay if we both wear a dress for the wedding?”

“That’s totally fine with me, babe.” Wildfire smiled as she kissed her fiancé, she absolutely wanted to feel her in a dress.

“Do you want to wait till after Fireflight is able to walk,” Airmail asked, “or should be push forward with this?”

“Oh, I don't know...what do you want?”

Airmail wanted, right then and there, to hold her and squeeze her and love her and never, ever let go until the sun stopped rising in the sky. “Love, I want you to be happy, and I want the herd to be happy.” She settled on that for now. “I'm yours now, and I will remain yours after we are married.”

Wildfire giggled like a love-struck little filly. “Please, say that last bit again.”

“I'm yours, you're mine, we're the herds’.”

Wildfire nestled as deep into her older lover as she could. “That sounds so cool, to think I'm gonna be married soon, and to somepony as awesomes as you…” she went silent as she buried her head against the azure blue chest. “I…I never thought I'd ever be this happy before I met you.”

That made Airmail’s mind up. The sheer openness, the honesty, the baring of her soul, made her mind up. “Then, I'll take that as a sooner rather than later.”

“I'd like that,” Wildfire whispered, “I’d like that a lot.”

“We'll talk with the rest of the mini-herd and we’ll set a definite date when we get back to Manehatten.” Airmail said, peppering each word with a delicate flowery kiss all the way up Wildfire’s neck to the tip of her ear. “By sooner though, I do mean sooner. You do plan on spending time with Tinkerer and Belle after the gaming night, I hope.”

“Yuppers, I do.” Wildfire answered straightaway. “See, now that I'm able, I really want this filly.” She paused for a second as a thought entered her head. “Pretty, you’ve been with Stormy for ages, you never thought of marrying her?” Surely, Tempest was a much better prospect than she was, not being disabled and all.

Airmail once more kissed and this time she lovingly nipped the blind mare’s ear. “We talked about it after Mapper married Serenity. They did it for legal reasons because of Serenity's extraordinary bond to Mapper. For Stormy and I there was no compelling legal reason to marry. We are a herd and that is what really mattered.”

“Sooo, what made you say yes to me?” Wildfire asked, flicking her ear, “I mean, I'm super glad you did.”

“Because…there is no compelling legal reason for us to marry either.” Airmail licked and kissed the inside of her ear now, “There is a compelling emotional reason though.” She said, tentatively baring her innermost, “For me, and I hope there is for you, too.”

The longing hopefulness was clear in Airmail’s voice. Wildfire didn’t need her eyes to see how much she had just bared of herself then, in that intimate, private moment. “Airmail, I love you.” She didn’t have to think about what she was saying. It was all there and straight from her heart. “Ever since the moment I first laid my hooves on you I've loved you. The moment you made me your Wildflower I've loved you.” She kissed her fiancé. “Airmail, you saved me, in every way possible you saved me, and I'm yours, wholly and totally and forever, yours.”

“Good, one moment then.” Airmail said thickly, choking through a couple of tears as she got off of the bed. “Wait there.” Without further explanation, she rummaged in her saddle bag until she found the elusive thing she was looking for and returned to the bed. “Now, hold still.” She said with a commanding tone as she placed the two-tone blue and violet collar around her neck, blue side up. “You are mine, now and always mine.”

Wildfire felt the weight of the collar around her neck, the security and the freedom of the collar, and she nodded. “I'm yours, and I couldn't be happier.”

“Rest for now, my love.” Airmail very gently pulled her diminutive lover down until she was laid facing her on the pillows under the comforter. “Tomorrow is another day to see Stormy's hometown, and then we have more flying to do.”

Wildfire allowed herself to be moved until she was laid down on her side. “Airy, can the collar stay on, please?”

“Yes,” Airmail smiled, for her lover looked really good wearing it. “If Mapper should want to put your other collar on, I'll let her decide if it is above or below this one.”

“I don't want to ever take it off.” Wildfire felt for and gently kissed her fiancé’s lips. “Mistress, can you do something for me, before we go sleep?”

“Ask me, and I'll see if I can.”

“Kiss my scars, please?” Wildfire asked with a blush colouring her cheeks. “Kiss them like you did in Caffy's shop that Thursday when we met, please?”

Not for the first time, Airmail’s heart melted. She couldn’t help it, she was just that adorable. “You. Have. Beautiful. Eyes.” Airmail punctuated each word with a kiss to the acid scars that covered her empty eye sockets.

Extremely touched, Wildfire sniffed, “Th-Thanks P-Pretty. When you did that the first time, that's when I knew I truly loved you.”

Airmail bumped Wildfire’s nose with her own. “I'm really happy you fell for my cheesy lines that day. I'm happy you've forgiven me and I'm filled with nothing but joy to be your wife.”

Wildfire blushed again. “I’m ah, I'm still sorry I yelled at you…” she whispered quietly. “Those things I accused you of were just horrid babe.” She kissed her lips lovingly, “Now then, I do believe I am to be your blanket, Mistress?”

“Yes,” Airmail found all her worries had suddenly evaporated. She didn’t even know why she was ever worried about it in the first place. “Let your wing cover me and your breath soothe me.”

Wildfire snuggled and laid in very close to her azure blue fiancé, her yellow wing draped protectively over her. “Good night my love. Good night and sweet dreams.”

~ ~ ~

The next morning – Tuesday - in the darkness of the communal bedroom, Storm woke up early for weather duty following Luna sent dreams that involved him, Dusky and copious amounts of whipped cream. Airmail was up early at five a.m. purely because she was Airmail and just couldn’t sleep in if her life depended on it. Mist also got up as she thought, rightly or not, perhaps, that it was the host’s job to serve the guests.

Leaving Lightning and Tempest in the large bed, Wildfire also woke up as she was a naturally light sleeper. “Ugh…” she winced as she stretched, “good morning, Pretty.” Gently she rolled out of the bed onto the floor and flexed her wings. She decided this move was immediately a stupid thing to have done as white hot pain shot all the way from her flight muscles down to her wing tips. “D-Damn, I'm feeling that flight today…”

Airmail was there straightaway to offer the type of nuzzle that fixed all of life’s problems before she led her little lover down the stairs. “Let's get some breakfast in our bellies and then we can trade wing rub downs in the bath.”

“O-Oooh-Oow-Okay babe, I like the sound of that,” Wildfire grimaced as she reached the bottom of the stairs and forced her wings away to their resting positions at her sides. They didn’t go easily though and the pain was still there, almost familiar in its intensity. “Ugh...it feels like Lotus Stripes has jumped all over them!”

“There is some deep rub wing oils in the lower bathroom,” Storm called out from the kitchen where he was helping Mist with the stove. “And, who is this Lotus Stripes?” He asked, naturally curious of the name.

“He was the second in command Warden at my old place, the care home,” Wildfire replied, not shrinking from divulging the information. “A huge earth pony plothole.”

Storm snickered at that, suddenly imagining Dusky’s plothole. Thankfully he was in the kitchen and his blush was hidden from everypony but his mother. “Hopefully he is locked away with the rest of them and some other plothole is jumping on him.”

Wildfire sniggered at that. “Ha! That's my hope, Storm.”

“Scrambled eggs with cheese good for you, Wily?” Mist called once the temperamental old stove was up to the right heat.

Wildfire bounced happily at that. While not oatmeal, she couldn’t deny she loved her some scrambled eggs. Especially with cheese. Suddenly the flight here was all worth it. “Ooooh!” She bounced so hard she dented the floor in the living room. “Yuppers, please!”

Airmail smiled as she shook out her own aching wings. “I'll cut up some fresh fruit to go with it.”

“I got the hot sauce!” Storm added helpfully.

“You can do the coffee, too.” Airmail ‘ordered’, gently swatting his pale lavender hindquarters with her summer green tail.

“Sure,” Storm grinned as he set the hot sauce down on the kitchen counter and got started with the coffee maker machine that was almost as old as him. It was a family joke that at least it worked harder. “No problem, Airy.”

Wildfire entered the kitchen, feeling a little like the proverbial third wing. “Hey, can I help with anything, or anything?”

Airmail smiled at her little mare, very proud of just how easily she made her way around the new house environment she was in. “Wily, you want to help me with this fruit?”

“Alrighty my lovely!” It was clear to everypony in the kitchen that the little blind mare was in a very good mood this morning. Airmail guided Wildfire to stand by her side and she passed her a cantaloupe and a honey dew melon. She could feel the trash can waiting to her right with her forehoof. Following the older mare’s instructions she took up a knife and cut them in half before scooping out the seeds and cutting the fruit into wedges. As she worked she hummed away to herself as she dumped the seeds in the bin.

Airmail watched her work and tried to guess the song she was humming - it was either ‘Good as Gold’ or ‘Prettiest Eyes’ – as Mist was churning out plate after plate of cheesy scrambled eggs. “Oils said to meet up at eleven, later, so we have plenty of time to do a rub down in a very hot bath.”

Wildfire snickered at that, once her fruit chopping task was completed. “That’s only ‘cos D won't be up till nine and she takes so long getting ready!” She giggled and did a happy little hoof dance in time with her humming as she cleaned the detritus from her chopping board into the trash can.

“Well,” Airmail considered that for a moment as she too finished chopping up her chosen fruit. “Oils wants to be seen out and about with a pretty Dusky and not a Dusky with bed mane.”

Quickly, Wildfire nodded. “That’s a good point babe, well made.”

It was then, as Storm finished making the four mugs of coffee and Mist served up the plates of scrambled eggs with cheese onto the breakfast bar in the kitchen, that the pale lavender pegasus stallion noticed the blue and violet collar buckled around Wildfire’s neck. “I like your fashion accessory, Wily.” He said as they all took their seating pads.

Wildfire sniffed her plate as she got comfortable, catching a hint of the sauce that Storm was currently applying to his breakfast. “Storm, can I get the hot sauce next, please?” Smiling, she then rubbed at her collar with her free forehoof. “This? My Pretty claimed me as hers last night, so cue me one loved up pegasus!”

Storm snickered and passed the hot sauce to the waiting hoof. “I thought she claimed you the moment she laid eyes on you.” He commented then he set the very strong coffee on the bar too, one steaming mug for each pony.

“Yuppers, that’s true,” Wildfire replied as she took the offered bottle in her hoof and liberally applied the hot sauce all over her cheesy scrambled eggs. “And I fell for her the moment my hooves touched her muzzle, but last night felt different...it just felt, right.” She took to munching on her eggs, choosing to dive in muzzle first like Airmail than use her fork. “Wowsers!” She exclaimed, whistling at the burning heat in the sauce.

Storm chuckled as he too ate his hot sauce with eggs on the side. “Good thing the two of you are getting married then. You'll finally make an honest pony out of Airmail.” He commented, earning a raspberry for his trouble.

Wildfire giggled, “Well, that might be a task beyond even me Storm, but I'll give it a try!” She laughed at that when Airmail delivered a well-placed lick up the inside of her ear.

“I'm off to work.” Storm announced to the ponies around the breakfast bar ten minutes later when his plate of scrambled eggs had been consumed and his coffee drank. “I’ll see you all later.”

Mist stood up as well a second later and after she set the dishes in the dish washer said after a nuzzle to Airmail and Wildfire; “I need to head on over to the office too. You two enjoy your bath.” Smiling, after stealing a heated hot sauce flavoured kiss from Wildfire she trotted out into the early morning chill with her son.

Braving the inherent dangers of the hot sauce, Airmail gave her little mare a kiss. “When you’re ready, we can go take that bath.”

Quickly, Wildfire returned the kiss and licked her lips. “Oh, I'm so ready, my love.”

“Let me tidy up a bit then, first.” Airmail said before she quickly gathered up the remaining dirty dishes and put them away in the dishwasher.

“Gaah!” Wildfire suddenly hung her tongue out as the after burn from the hot sauce kicked in and burnt her tongue. “Phew! Wowsers, that hot sauce was hot!” She panted with a giggle.

Once all the dishes were cleaned away, the coffee mugs were cleaned and the kitchen worktops wiped down, Airmail did a ‘Tempest’ and flicked her summer green tail under Wildfire’s nose to lead her back up the stairs. This time they walked past the large communal bedroom to go to the equally expansive first floor bathroom. “Did putting the collar on you put you in your happy place?” Airmail asked as she turned on the hot water faucet.

“Yuppers, but…but it’s more than that, babe…” Wildfire went quiet for a moment, just sat in the wide tub enjoying the gently sloshing hot water that steadily rose up around her. “Last night while you were sleeping, I um, I had a moment. Well, I had a nightmare, if I'm honest.”

Airmail paused in her reaching for the muscle relaxing bath oils and turned to face the blind mare. “Oh? You didn't wake me, what was it?”

Wildfire didn’t answer straight away. She was quiet, gathering her thoughts, breathing in the scents of juniper and wintergreen as Airmail added them to the hot steaming water. “The ah, the wardens, at the home, had just beat me and were breaking my wings and shutting me in the box…” again, she went quiet while Airmail waded over and held her close but she herself remained quiet, waiting for her to continue. “Then, something happened in my dream that never happened before. It was different. I was screaming for help, Amethyst was about to close the box when you, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity all came and got me out. You picked me up and held me while the others chased off the wardens. That's when I realised something.”

Airmail wanted to speak, but she found herself unable, due to the hot salty tears in her eyes and the lump in her throat. Instead she nuzzled her fiancé. “I realised I'm not scared of them anymore.” Wildfire continued, “Amethyst Glory, Lotus Stripes, Amber Leaves, Jubilee, Hazel and Ruby. They can’t touch me anymore. They can’t hurt me anymore. Because I am free, and I have you.”

There were no words. Just, no words to describe how proud Airmail was of Wildfire at that moment. To have the inner strength to change her nightmare on her own, after everything she had been through, remarkable. She was again reminded why she loved her, if a reminder was necessary. “That must be a huge weight off your shoulders, Wily.”

Wildfire nodded and sat back in the tub, reclining backwards until the water reached up to her neck. “Aaaah!” She sighed as the oil laced water eased the knotted muscles. “It feels like waking up from a very long drawn out nightmare, Pretty.” She stroked her collar before wrapping her forehooves around her lover in the water next to her. “Want to know what else I realised last night, babe?”

Airmail snuggled into her mare in the hot water. She too held a sigh as the water worked on her aching flight muscles. “You love me the mostest?” She asked with a smile.

“Well duh!” She giggled and kissed Airmail’s wet nose. “I'm Wildfire. I'm also Wildflower.” She passionately kissed Airmail’s lips. “Not because I have to be, but because I want to be.”

Again, Airmail didn’t have the words. “You are your own mare now.” She said, settling after a moment. “Playful and alive.” She was going to lay a full on kiss on her fiancé’s lips, but at the last second she instead kissed her scarred empty eye sockets. “And this will not hold you back.”

“It took me a while to come to these realisations,” Wildfire said with a definite blush colouring her cheeks when her scars were kissed. “It hasn't been easy for any of us, I daresay, and I'm sure I have a long ways to go, but for now, nothing's holding me back.” She used her forehoof to lift Airmail’s head and kiss her.

“Nothing is holding us back.” Airmail returned the kiss. “Now for that wing massage. I decree that older ponies go first.” She said with a bright little giggle.

“You're right, Pretty, us.” Wildfire giggled, “And of course you can go first.”

Smiling, Airmail glanced over her shoulder as she sat up and positioned herself so that her back was towards her lover. “The oils are on the shelf above you to your left. Use the centre one please on me. It is lavender scented. The other is rose and jasmine.”

“Alrighty!” Sitting up in the bath, slowly so as not to slosh the water about too much, Wildfire reached a tentative hoof up and to the left, first touching the shelf and then counting the bottles out and selecting the middle one, which was slightly larger than the others. “Of course, you putting this collar on me made me happy too.” She then checked its smell to make sure it was lavender, and spread it gently over both of Airmail’s wing joints. “You like lavender, Pretty?” She asked as she used both hooves to massage the oil into her wings, paying extra attention to the bases near the barrel.

Airmail giggled at that, mostly to cover the low moan that escaped her mouth, a moan that got deeper and a little lustier as her muscles were massaged. “Grandma’s should smell of lavender. It does smell nice and that feels soooo very good!”

“Well, you've already got the blue rinse sorted.” Wildfire giggled as she massaged over Airmail’s knotted shoulder joints all the way out to the elbows and right to the fingers of her wings. “Pretty, can I keep the collar on all the time?”

“AAaaaAH!” Airmail struggled to answer at first, the pleasure was so great it was hard to concentrate. “As long as I or Stormy can flip it when we like.”

“Of course you can, my love.” Wildfire replied, her hooves now starting to rub the lavender oil into the feathers on her wings, starting with the primaries. “Nothing's changed with how much I love Stormy.”

“We both know that,” Airmail affirmed, openly panting with pleasure when the massage reached her feathers. “Marriage will not change that, but strengthen it.”

Behind her, Wildfire leant forward to playfully nip at Airmail’s ear. “I still love you mostest.” At that, she squeezed more of the lavender oil onto the soles of her forehooves and rubbed it sensuously into the muscles around the shoulder of her wings. After a couple of minutes of this, Wildfire scooped up some water in her hoof and allowed it to drip through her summer green mane, quickly followed by a lavender coated hoof, humming as she worked.

“Hmmmm…” Airmail purred under the attention of her lover and her very talented hooves. “This is what relaxation is all about…” Wildfire just smiled as she continued to work her mane with her hoof, leaning forward as she did so to nip and lick down the back of Airmail’s neck, teasing the fur straight with her teeth and lips. “I oooh, I see I got the aaah, massage with the extra personal touch.”

“I’m only too happy to make my Airy happy,” Wildfire giggled as she trailed sumptuous nips and luxurious kisses down both sides of Airmail’s neck. Airmail, for her part, was more than content to allow Wildfire to have her way with her until she was ready for her own massage. After several long, pleasure filled moments, she planted a kiss at the base of her tail. “Do me, Pretty?”

“With pleasure.” Airmail purred as the pleasure from the massage lingered in her body. “Which scent do you want? I'm guessing the jasmine.”

Wildfire smiled, picturing her jasmine scented lover coating her in the same scent. “I was gonna ask for jasmine.”

“You are one spicy little mare.” Airmail smiled as she gently moved Wildfire into the desired massage receiving position and got the jasmine scented oil from the bathroom shelf. “You’ll let me know if I put too much pressure, won’t you?”

“Alrighty, Pretty, I promise I will.” Airmail, like Wildfire, had done this many a time. With her sparkling clean forehooves coated in the jasmine oil, she started on her diminutive mare’s neck and worked her way very slowly indeed down to her wing muscles wrapping her barrel before moving on to the wings themselves. “Muuuuurr…” Wildfire purred happily, “hmmm I can stand a bit of this…”

Airmail’s grin was tangible. “I hope so, as you will be getting, and giving, a lot of this in your near future.”

“Oooh I hope that's a promise,” Wildfire moaned lustily as her sensitive muscles were massaged. “This is heaven!” Once she was finished with Wildfire’s wings, Airmail adjusted her position slightly and began to work on massaging her forelegs and then her hind legs. Wildfire let out a giggle as she got nearer to her hooves. “I think...oooh...I think your techniques aaaaah-are better than mine,” she panted.

“Practice my love,” Airmail smiled, “Just practice.”

“Oooh and it shows!” Wildfire moaned, melting happily in the relaxingly hot water. “So, when you aaah, said soon, for the wedding, how MmmMMmmm soon is soon?”

“As soon as we have it planned.” Airmail replied, finishing her massage and turning her fiancé around to face her in the tub. “I need to check the calendar, but are you sure you’d like Coffee Bean to preside over it?”

Wildfire nodded as she settled back into her reclining position. “I'd love her to, I reckon she's an excellent choice, Airy.”

“Is there a day of the week you like or maybe a calendar date, or month or some holiday that’s special to you?”

“Well,” Wildfire pondered that for a moment, allowing the hot soothing water to ease her thoughts. “We met each other on the twenty fifth of this month, and July is rugby world cup month, and it’s my birthday month…” she began to get very excited, “And the Manehatten Sharks are playing it at home this year!”

“We are not getting married in a stadium.” Airmail deadpanned, making sure to emphasise the word ‘not’.

Wildfire giggled, “Maybe in the changing rooms then?”

Airmail sighed, though it was a good natured sigh. “I'd rather your attention was on me and not on some sweaty flank when we get married. You'll have time enough for sweaty flanks when we do the interviews. There is a full moon celebration at the Zebra Hall next month on the seventeenth of May and again on the fifteenth of June if you want a midnight wedding and a new moon celebration on the first of June for a noon wedding.”

“No amount of sweaty flank could compare to you, sexy.” Wildfire giggled, “I do like the idea of a midnight wedding. That'd be cool.”

“The seventeenth may be pushing it for this month, but, it can be done.” Airmail said, her ordered military mind already slotting plans into place. “Planning for the fifteenth of next month will be easy. When is your next heat?” She asked, thinking ahead for when Wildfire would be visiting Tinkerer.

“The fifteenth of June sounds good to me...” Wildfire answered, “I usually go into heat around the middle of the month, the second week or so.”

Airmail cocked her head and thought about that. “So, you going to spend some time with Tinkerer during your next heat then?”

Wildfire nodded, a tiny teeny bit of nervousness creeping back in, despite the relaxing water. “It sh-should be ne-next month now, in a couple of weeks maybe, and yuppers, I was thinking about it.”

Since Airmail had begun massaging Wildfire’s hind legs with her forehooves, she decided to give her lover a very, very intimate long slow lick straight between her legs. “Love, why are you so nervous?”

“O-Oooh…HMMmmm...” Wildfire purred and automatically spread her hind legs apart for her fiancé. “Um, what if he doesn't like me?” She fretted, “What if I go and do something wrong? I don't have much experience with stallions, and the experience I do have isn’t very good…”

Airmail silenced the fretting blind mare with another slow lick straight up between her hind legs. “Wily, I think you worry too much,” she said kindly. “You've met them both. Belle will be there with you to help and guide. You took that mounting at the house and on the train pretty well. I can be there also if you wish. We are herd, you can have all of us there if you like, and Tinkerer agrees.”

At that, Wildfire visibly relaxed into the water, thanks in no small part to Airmail’s skilled tongue. “I'm oooh, I’m being silly, I know...I’m sorry babe. I'd like you there, if you don't mind.”

Airmail giggled, her hooves massaging ever higher on her mare’s hind legs, now up to her thighs. “I'll only mind if you want Tinkerer to practice on me first.”

Now Wildfire giggled a bright happy giggle, all the time spreading her hind legs apart. “No that’s ok, that'd be a bit too much above and beyond the call of duty I think.”

Moving forward, Airmail kissed her way all the way up her fiancé’s front from her crotch to her lips. “I would though, if that is what you wanted. But, if I did I'd wear him out so much you may have to wait till your next heat!” She giggled and placed a second kiss on Wildfire’s lips.

“I don’t doubt it, missy.” Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips and playfully booped her nose. “I’ve waited years to have this filly, I'm not waiting anymore.”

Airmail beamed a smile so wide it was almost wider than her face. “Now, that is the confident Wily I want to hear.” Another kiss was placed on her lover’s lips. “How are you feeling, as I'm feeling frisky.”

“Oh?” Wildfire snickered up at the older mare on top of her. She’d never felt so much love for anypony in a very, very long time. “Who's this frisky, and why are you feeling her and not me?”

“Frisky is my middle name and you don't know where my hoof is.”

“Well miss frisky, I'm not going to say no, and I'd love to know where your hoof is.”

Immediately, Airmail moved her right forehoof from between her own hind legs and rested it between Wildfire’s hind legs, on her pubic mound just above the entrance to her hot wet marehood. “Still trying to figure it out?”

“Hmmm!” Wildfire arched her back as she felt the frog of Airmail’s hoof between her hind legs, applying just the right amount of pressure above her clitoral hood to get her going. “Aaah...Wildflower's getting the picture.”

“My hooves are extra clean,” Airmail’s voice was extra husky, “should I play hide the hoof?”

Wildfire let out a desperate little whimper, “Oh, yes please!”

Slowly, agonisingly slowly, Airmail moved her hoof down over Wildfire’s entrance and with the tiniest amount of pressure she pushed the toe of her azure blue hoof in to her marehood, slowly twirling her leg some as the muscular walls spread apart to grant her access. “Yes please, what?”

Wildfire shuddered happily. “Hmm, y-yes please Mistress!” She squeaked, realising the game had begun, and this was her willing place in the scene. “Please Mistress,” she begged, “Please keep doing what you're doing, please!”

‘Sweet Luna above, she is so cute when she begs like that, with my hoof in her like that…’ Airmail thought, the wide smile ever wider on her face. “Oh, I will Wildfire, but first, what is your safe word?”

“Peaches, Mistress.”

“Then relax and enjoy this moment.” Airmail commanded simply, moving her mouth to lick and tease her lover’s labia to help her open up further to allow her hoof entry as she gently pushed in past the toe.

Totally relaxing in the hot steaming water, Wildfire lowered her forehooves to her spreading marehood and, taking hold of her labia she pulled herself wide open. “Oooh…hmmm Airy, that's beautiful!”

Airmail continued to push, passing the sole and the frog of her hoof inside her open tunnel. “You're beautiful, my Wildflower, and let nopony tell you otherwise.” She purred sexily, at last slipping the bulbs of her heel in her. Even after all the times that she had hoofed her, Airmail was still amazed her hoof fit inside the tiny pony.

“Oh!” Wildfire gasped as she felt the heel enter her sopping wetness. “Y-Yeees…n-no I aaaah, I won't…” as she began to slowly rock the hoof deeper inside her, Airmail continued to gently lick and nibble her way around the hard nubbin that was her clit and Wildfire bucked her hips upwards to meet the questing hoof. “Yeeees...deeper, please!”

Airmail smirked. She also stopped what she was doing. “Say again, Wildflower?”

“S-Sorry Mistress!” Wildfire whined when the pleasurable sensations stopped. She very quickly got the message. “P-Please...hmm...deeper, Mistress...”

Airmail’s smirk deepened, as did the love she felt for the mare that was her lover, her fiancé and her Pet. She pushed her foreleg in up to her fetlock while her other hoof rubbed her rock hard nipples. “I will so enjoy these when they’re swollen and full of milk.”

“NaaAAaa!” Wildfire moaned, “Th-They're all yours Mistress!” Harder now, she bucked her hips against the hoof that was going ever deeper inside her, spreading her, filling her. “Everything I am is yours!”

“You are mine, my Wildflower,” Airmail said, sliding in deeper, “but the foal you bear will be ours, always ours and never mine.”

“Y-Yeees Mistress...she'll be ours!” Wildfire cooed at the wonderfully full feeling of the delving hoof inside her and as Airmail moved deeper still she leant down and bit sharply at her right fireball cutie mark. “AAaaAAH! Yeees Mistress...I like that, a lot!”

Smiling, Airmail pushed her foreleg all the way in to the first joint. “You are nice and tight love.”

“Y-Yes Mistress,” Wildfire murred, she knew she wasn’t all that tight, she’d offered almost no resistance to the hoof that she was currently gushing her juices around into the water as it got deeper. Without warning, Airmail bit her cutie mark again, a little harder this time leaving teeth marks as her foreleg slid out to show her hoof and then pushed it back in with more force. “GaaAAAH! Mistress yes! More, more of that pleeease!” Wildfire felt herself get wetter as the pain of the bite dulled to an ache. “M-Mistress, bite my hoof!”

Airmail found herself thinking about it, but in the end she decided not to do that. Instead, she slid in deeper and sat in the tub, taking Wildfire’s left hind hoof into her lap and, after a moment, dug the toe of her other forehoof deep into the soft centre. Immediately, Wildfire squealed with the pain in her hoof mixed with the sheer pleasure of being hoofed. “Thankyouthankyou Mistress!” She breathed deeply, “D-Do it again, please!”

At a quicker pace now, Airmail moved her leg in and out of Wildfire’s hot dripping snatch while she slapped the bulbs of the yellow mare’s hoof with her tip of her toe tip. “AAAAooOOOOW!” Wildfire shrieked at the top of her lungs, the intense pain making her hotter and wetter. “Thank you Mistress!” She screamed, on the point of orgasm as Airmail moved faster and deeper, just short of bumping while she spanked her hoof bottom with her hoof. Wildfire, lost in a haze of pleasure and pain, gurgled something as she felt her climax building. “M-May I cum, Mistress?”

Very gently, Airmail tapped Wildfire’s cervix with her hoof. “Frequent and often, my love.” As she finished the last word she spanked the frog of her hoof hard.

That did it. Wildfire screamed and arched her back, squirting her cum around Airmail’s hoof into the bath water. “YEeeeEEEsss! Aaahhh! Th-Thank you M-Mistress!” Lost in her post orgasm state, she rolled her head back, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

Tapping her cervical wall a few more times, Airmail leant forward and chomped her cutie mark so hard she almost broke the skin under her yellow fur. Wildfire’s hind legs twitched and her hips bucked and she leaked like a geyser as she came a second and a third time. “Mi-Mi-Mi...” she tried to speak but gave up. “Th-Thanks…”

As she softly rubbed Wildfire’s reddened hind hoof, Airmail slowly and carefully withdrew her right hoof from her stretched open marehood, being careful to keep her cum covered hoof out of the water. “You know, I think I could use some hoof cleaning. You up for it, Wildflower?”

Just as Wildfire was about to take the offered hoof in her open willing mouth, the bathroom door opened and in walked Tempest wearing a bed head mane and a smirk on her face. “So, this is what happens when I sleep in…” she said with a wink. She had of course been woken up along with Lightning by the orgasmic screams a few moments before.

Panting heavily, Wildfire lifted her head, especially she was panting at Airmail gently rubbing her hoof. “Y-Yes Mistress,” she then turned her head towards the sound of the door opening, “h-hey Honey.”

“Good morning Wily, oh wait, Wildflower.” Tempest corrected herself just in time at the last second. “The collar looks nice on you.” She commented appreciatively.

“I think the collar will be a part of her as Wildfire and as Wildflower.” Airmail explained to her herd-mate, “But you have the right of it for now.”

“Thanks Honey,” Wildfire gasped, just about recovered from the three climaxes she’d just had, “I was just about to worship some hooves,” she smiled as she flexed her slightly sore hind hoof. “You wanna play?”

“I just came in to freshen up and check in on you two.” Tempest giggled, although she was interested and very tempted to take her up on the offer. “I'm for breakfast though, and dad is cooking.” With that, the violet weather pony busied herself using the toilet and the sink before leaving the bathroom.

Once Tempest’s black tail had disappeared from the bathroom, Airmail held up her cum covered hoof and she lightly tapped Wildfire’s nose. “Oh, I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mistress.” Taking her lover’s hoof in her own, she stuck out her tongue and, running it around the toe of her hoof, she tasted herself. “Hmmm,” she moaned, already starting to get wet again.

While Wildfire got busy cleaning her hoof, Airmail relaxed in the bath water that was sadly not all that hot anymore. The azure blue mare’s other hoof was lightly running along the blind mare’s flank, making Wildfire tingle at the touch when it lingered over the bite marks as she ran her tongue around the inner wall of her hoof before kissing all over the sole. “Hmm, that is nice, my love.”

“Hmhmm Mithress…” Wildfire slurred as she sucked on each bulb at her heel, rubbing her wet nose over the sensitive frog.

“If Stormy is awake, it must be getting late.” Airmail forced herself – albeit reluctantly – to concentrate. “When you finish up, we will need to get out and get dried off.”

“As you wish, Mistress.” Much quicker than she would normally, Wildfire finished her tongue bathing of Airmail’s hoof by running her tongue up the frog before delicately grazing her teeth gently down it. She did recognise too that the scene was over. “Did you like that, Airy?”

Airmail nodded, “I love you and I love what we do together.” Although, a teeny mote of doubt bothered her a little. “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

“You hurt me a little,” Wildfire answered quickly and honestly, “but it was a good hurt, just what I asked for.”

“Okay,” Airmail couldn’t hide the relief prevalent in her voice. “I'm still learning as I go. I may need some lessons from Mapper.”

Sitting up in the rapidly cooling water, Wildfire kissed Airmail’s lips. “And, you do wonderfully, babe.” She kissed her once more, “I loved it when you dug your hoof in the frog of mine, that was just exquisite.”

“Thank you,” Airmail blushed a little, “biting it seemed a bit too extreme for me.”

Now, Wildfire blushed a little too. “I've always wanted to do that, I had a dream once where I was chained to a desk and a teacher caned the soles and frogs of my forehooves.”

“Well now, that we could do after we get home.” Airmail replied, smiling a wide smile at the spreading look of excitement on the little yellow mare’s face. “I'm sure Mapper has some items of use for just such a fantasy.”

“Really?” Wildfire couldn’t believe it. Absolutely could not believe it. “You…you'd do that for me?” Without warning she lunged forward and kissed her fiancé hard. Very hard. “After the caning, the teacher strapped up my wings so I had to walk on my aching hooves,” she grinned at the memory. “It was awesomes!”

“Awesomes.” Airmail stated, even going so far as to use Wildfire’s terminology, for emphasis, “is when all of us enjoy the play. Pain for the sake of pain isn't all that fun.”

“Well no,” Wildfire giggled, “I don't think I'd like to go that far outside of a dream, and I don't want you doing it just to make me happy, I want you to have fun too.”

“That's the spirit,” Airmail smiled, satisfied with her lover’s answer as she got out of the now very cold bath water and pulled the plug. “We can have fun together.”

“Yuppers, we can!” Wildfire replied with a smile as she too got out of the bath and dripped water onto the cloud-stuff of the bathroom floor. “Airy, is there anything at all that you'd really, really like to do or try that you've always wanted to do?”

Turning on the wall mounted dryer, Airmail thought about that one for a moment. “I like to dance, then you know that. I like to watch ponies. I also like to take risks.”

“Risks like trying hoofing?” Wildfire suggested as she kissed her older fiancé in the blast of warm air from the dryer. “That was so cool of you by the way. I think I'd like to take risks with you.”

“So,” Airmail grinned as the hot air hit her back squarely between her wings, “If I was to suggest sex in the Canterlot Royal Gardens, you'd be good with that?”

Wildfire didn’t have to even consider her answer. “Yuppers! Yes indeed, actually, anywhere where we might get caught is a huge thrill, or doing something in public, say a scene like the parade we did at Caffy’s place that Thursday?”

“I'll be sure to keep that in mind.” Airmail promised, and she would too. She had banked that one for later use. When the dryer had finished its work, she leant and kissed Wildfire’s lips. “Ready to face the day and visit the city, along with Dusky and Oils?”

“Yuppers, ooh!” She exclaimed, bouncing a little as a rather sexy idea came to her mind. “I tell you what would be sexy cool? Remote control vibrators, me wearing them, you with the controls, us at a party!”

“I'm ready for anything with you by my side,” Airmail said, leading the way out of the bathroom, though she did pause at the door when she heard that last from the little blind pony following her green tail. “I believe open mic night has just gotten a lot more fun!”