As Aspect sat in his living room, reflecting upon yesterdays actions. If it took, his family would grow even larger.

A part of him also feared the power of The Cute welded by a baby batpony. Combine the cuteness that all foals had, with big fuzzy ears and little flappy batwings?

Eeeeeyup, that was his heart skipping a beat or three. Eesh, this was gonna be fun.

He blinked as a scroll flashed and landed in his lap. The seal showed it was Celestia… well, Lulu was still here so it couldn’t be anypony else.

Unfurling it, well now, wasn't this interesting.

‘Dear Sir Balanced Aspect.

It has come to my attention that despite your… extensive travels, you've not met all the residents this world has to offer.

Two such species have reached out to me for trade talks and the like, so I thought you'd like to meet them.

So please come to Canterlot at your earliest convenience.

With respect.

Princess Sol Celestia.’

The stallion read it over a few more times before nodding to himself and writing a short message out for the others to find. ‘Gone to Canterlot to meet with Celly, will be back when I can, love you all,’ it read. He put it in his chair and cracked his neck, before walking towards the front door.

Canterlot had the same hustle and bustle as it always did. It made Aspect ever more thankful for the quiet life of Ponyville.

Well… mostly quiet.

Well...at least things weren’t exploding every day. Just once a week.

He hummed a little tune to himself as he walked through the streets with his saddlebags on, taking in the sights as he walked towards the castle. It was rather impressive that the entire city was pasted to the side of a mountain.

Seems Celly liked those old fantasy novels that Megan brought over.

A loud noise got his attention and he looked up to see an airship fly overhead. It was decked out like a flying galleon. The sides had a row of at least a dozen cannons, while two harpoon cannons were perched on the bow.

Something about the ship made him tingle though. But what….

His eyes widened when he realised. It had no propellers. Two large vents sat at the rear of the ship and he realised what he was sensing.

That was Aeromancy powering that vessel.

Okay, this? This had his attention. This was a highly advanced ship compared to the other airships he had seen, and now he wanted to find out how it was working like that. His eyes tracked the ship’s movement through the sky, trying to figure out where it was going…

Well that was interesting, it seemed to be headed for a massive raised platform on the side of the castle. With a low hum, the ship came to a stop as some pegasi Solar Guard started to tie the moorings down and extend a platform. Though it was hard to make out from such a distance.

Hmm, with any luck he’d be able to ask about it when he got there. Aspect drew up to the gates to the castle and nodded at the guards there, hoping they at least knew him. They returned the nod, allowing him entrance.

There was quite the hustle and bustle around the castle. Maid and servants were busy cleaning every nook and cranny, whilst the guards were out in force. As Aspect entered the main hall, a white coated unicorn mare greeted him. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her name.

Pushing up her glasses with her magic, she looked him over and nodded. “Balanced Aspect? That is you correct?”

“The one and only,” Aspect nodded as he looked around. “Care to enlighten me as to what’s going on?”

“My apologies, you change form more often than a Changeling with hay fever,” she murmured. “And the occasion is some important guests have arrived. I’d assumed Celestia told you at least that much.”

“She told me that much, but nothing in regards to specifics,” the stallion pointed out. “Is there anything you can tell me about who it is?”

“Of course,” she sighed. “I swear, she thinks she’s all mysterious and enigmatic… she more comes off as senile,” her long-suffering assistant gave another sigh. “We have some dignitaries from a foreign nation, ones that have —until now— been in a state of isolation. Rarely have they ventured outside their own borders.”

“Oooh, sounds interesting,” Aspect cooed, his tail wagging back and forth. “Can’t wait to meet ‘em myself.”

“Well, I know the Princess invited you for a reason,” Raven said as she looked at her notes. “Even I am not privy to the exact reasoning though.” She stepped up to a set of oaken doors and grabbed them with her magic, opening them.

Stepping inside, she beckoned the stallion to follow. When he did, he found his daughter waiting inside, alongside two species he’d never even met.

One resembled a griffon, only she was entirely avian, with a parrot-shaped beak and stood on her hindlegs, long taloned arms with her wings folded neatly against her back. Her plumage was a royal blue, with hints of red around her eyes, crest and primaries. Her chest was white, and she wore a long, tri-tailed coat, a scabbard holding a straight-bladed cutlass against her left hip and a flintlock pistol on her right.

The other?

He was literally a bipedal cat. He wore what one would consider typical noble garb. A coat of blues and golds, a ruffled collar and a wide-brimmed hat with a tall phoenix feather in it. His fur was black as night, with bright green eyes and a rather impressive greying mustache.

“Hmm,” Aspect hummed as he entered the room, looking at both of the new species intently for a moment. “Yup, you were right Celly,” he said to his daughter. “I have never met either of them before.”

The alicorn’s smile could not have been anymore smug, before replacing it with her usual look of serenity. “Ah, Queen Hilda? Sir M'aiq? This is Balanced Aspect. My foster father and the last remaining human on Equus.”

“Mhmm, in disguise though,” Aspect winked at them. “It’s not exactly something I tend to like bringing attention to. Plus, humans were never meant to ride the wind in their natural state.”

“Hmmm,” the avian approached him, she was… adorably short up close. Maybe a little over two thirds his height as a human. “So, this is he? I expected… taller.”

“Well I mean, if you wanted a different form, all you had to do was ask,” Aspect mused, before flashing into his human form, putting his hands on his hips and cracking his neck. “Mmm...feels good to stretch it out again,” he murmured.

“So, he truly is a human,” the cat mused, putting a hand to his chin and stroking his mustache. “How very interesting.”

“And handsome too,” the avian murred as she looked up at him. “Tell me, would you like to come back with me~?”

“Sorry, taken already,” Christopher replied with a chuckle. “But the both of you are very interesting to me. I was unaware Equus was home to beings like you, and I’ve wandered a lot.”

“We… like to keep to ourselves,” the cat said with a chuckle. “Oh, you may refer to our species as Cat Folk.”

“And we are Harpies,” Hilda smiled, not put off at all over the rejection. “It is a pleasure to meet one related to our ancestors.”

Chris paused. He blinked a few times, before looking at the both of them with wider eyes. “Wh- What?” he asked. “I...what?”

Celestia let out a small giggle as her horn glowed for a moment. “Come and sit, it would seem we have a most interesting tale for you.” She gestured to the table in the center of the room. A maid entered and placed several trays of tea and sweets down for them all before taking her leave.

“So it would seem,” the human agreed as he sat at one of the places. “This...promises to be an interesting tale.”

“Hmm, may we start Sir M’aiq?” Hilda asked, the gentlemen cat nodding his head. She smiled and turned to him. “Now, I am sure you are aware that other humans used to exist in the realm, many, many centuries ago yes?”

“I...saw the last of them off when they decided to leave Dream Valley, shortly before the Windigoes came,” the human agreed. “I never expected to see them again, and still haven’t.”

“Hmm, well they did leave,” Hilda smiled and paused to sip her tea. “But not all of them. Some fled the Ancient Freeze. They boarded not a Vessel, but fled to distant mountains. It was there our ancestors met, and our race’s history began.”

“Huh…” the human mulled it over. “So...who did they meet?”

“In this particular range, they found nothing at first. Though the networks of caverns offered protection from the outside, the environment was harsh. Food and water were difficult to obtain and caves and cliffs were not made for farming. What started as several hundred, began to dwindle fast.”

Christopher looked down, clenching his hands as he thought of all those lives, lost. It was almost as though he’d abandoned them to die...as bad as if he’d done the deed himself.

“However,” A talon booped his nose and got his attentions. “Around two hundred years later— the exact time is unknown— Another race sought refuge in the mountain. A race I’m sure you are quite familiar with.” She extended a wing and smiled.

Chris raised an eyebrow at that.

“She means Griffons, father dear,” Celestia smiled and Hilda pouted.

“He was supposed to guess,” she said and sighed. “But yes, no matter. The dwindling humans were greeted by a small aerie of Griffons. The two were apparently… less than amicable at first. But time together saw their friendship blossom… and then grew a little moreso~”

“Wait, wait...you’re telling me that both your races came from human-griffon interactions?” the human interrupted.

“Correct,” M’aiq nodded and clapped his hands. “Our historical records are again unclear… seems the subject of procreation was a subject the ancient historians were less than willing to touch upon. Our own research showed that the human genome was viable with griffons, but for some reason, only chose the avian or the feline DNA, never both. So our species were often the result. After many generations, we were soon able to copulate with our own kind and help our species grow. That said…”

“Our numbers are not great,” Hilda concluded. “Even after centuries, there are less than a thousand of our own.”

“You know, if my kids weren’t being so ornery that I literally had to pull out what they considered a holy weapon to get them to sit down and shut up, I would suggest you petition the griffons for a bit of help regarding that,” Chris replied. “As is, you might have to press a few into service…”

“Alas…” Hilda sighed. “We have tried that. However, while sometimes we get a cat or Harpy, breeding with a griffon, it more often than not results in a griffon chick. Plus…”

“The griffons are a race of selfishness and greed,” M’aiq said with a disdained tone. “While some are the exception, most only have eyes for things that glitter. This is not a trait we wish to spread to our own kind. It would bring about our races destruction.”

“It is why we have come here today,” Hilda nodded. “With the assistance of Ponies, a race our ancestors believed were just and true to one’s heart. We can provide better living to our kind. Food, water and other luxuries.”

“Fair enough,” Chris agreed as he considered the problem from another angle. “And once you had those things, maybe I could help as well. I’m not really just a human. I’ve picked up a few skills.”

“So we have heard,” Hilda giggled and bat her eyes at him, ruffling her plumage. “Worry not, our race is simply… young. In time, we will have numbers to rival the others, like ponies, minotaurs and the like. Time is not something we can hurry along after all. But now with Equestria at our backs…”

“We can afford more food, which means we can encourage larger families,” M’aiq nodded.

“Perhaps you would like a bit of help, when the time came to help encourage said families,” the human mused. “I could perhaps...enchant a few baubles to help with that. Something to aid your females.”

M’aiq chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. “Worry not my friend, our females have no trouble in that particular regard~”

“Hmm, such a shame you are taken,” Hilda sighed as Celestia offered a slight glare at her. “What? He is a handsome specimen. My children would be something else~”

“Honestly,” the alicorn sighed.

“Well,” Christopher said as he offered his hand to M’aiq first, the cat taking it and offering a hearty shake. “It was lovely meeting you both. I had no idea such races existed, hidden across the world.”

“I would like to think the world can always surprise you,” Hilda chuckled. “That said, there is a third species, but they could not afford to join us today. Perhaps when you visit us.”

After having shaken M’aiq’s hand, he then turned to Hilda and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” he mused, stroking his chin. “Dare I ask?”

She smiled and shook her head. “That. Is. A. Secret~”

“Ah, clever, keep me wanting more,” Christopher chuckled, offering her his hand to shake next. The small female took it and smiled brighter.

“Well, I think this is a good time for a break,” Celestia chuckled. “And knowing father as I do, he is positively itching to have a closer look at your ship.”

“What gave it away?” the human asked as he flashed back into his stallion form. “Do let’s go look. If something is going to ride the wind like I do, I like to be informed.”

“Oh, so you know of Aeromancy then?” the small Harpy asked with a raise eyebrow. “And here I thought the art was dead within Equestria.”

“True, but I am in the process of bringing it back,” Aspect replied, flaring his wings. “Until another bearer of the power can be found, I still am Air.”

“And likes to show it off,” Celestia mused. “I am usure Hilda, his head might not even fit on your ship.”

“Oh har de har har,” the stallion laughed, folding his wings back in. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Well, let us go then,” the harpy said excitedly and practically bounced towards the door and out into the hall.

“Meanwhile,” M’aiq purred. “I saw a cute maid that I must… introduce myself too. Until later my friends.” And like that, he too slipped out into the palace.

“Oh dear,” Celestia sighed. “I’d better go rein him in. Play nice father!”

“That I can do,” Aspect agreed as he followed after Hilda.

After catching up with her, she led him to where the ship was docked. It was rather impressive up close, with a few more harpies running about, seeing to general maintenance.

And Aspect noted that Hilda’s height was… below average. Most of the others had heights rivalling his own in human form.

“Hmm,” the stallion mused as he looked around. “Interesting...well, how about how this ship works, eh? I’m all curious about it.”

“In good time,” Hilda said as she led him towards a door and opened it. “Come this way, my esteemed guest.”

The stallion let out a little hum as he followed her, not sure where she was leading him.

Inside was much darker, but was lit by flickering candlelight. Small portholes along one wall showed the outside, while doors dotted the other side.

“These are the crews and guests quarters,” Hilda explained. “Mine is this door right here.”

“Mm,” the stallion looked around, still following the avian female.

“And you’re just interested in the ship’s engine huh?” she chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Alright, follow me then.” She continued to walk ahead, and maybe she was teasing him with a subtle sway in her hips.

“I’ll admit, I’m curious, but only about so much,” Aspect replied. “The thing on my mind right now is how this ship works.”

“Oh, is that all?” she said with a small pout. “Boys and their toys. Honestly.” She reached a metal door, turning the wheel, opening it. “Just inside here.”

“Ooooh,” Aspect cooed as they neared the engines. He stepped inside and looked around. He’d expected a typical engine, but what he saw was anything but. A large glass sphere dominated the room, inside was a swirling mist that the second Aspect looked at it, it rumbled and swirled. All the other doodads aside, Aspect recognised that in an instant.

Someone had taken a piece of his Jetstream and turned it into an engine. Contained it and drew power from it.

“Intriguing,” Aspect mused as he neared the sphere. “You broke off a piece of the stream and use it for your power.”

“Not us,” Hilda said. “This engine… or more like this crystal sphere, is over a thousand years old. This engine was designed by a human, we simply dug up his notes when we excavated more tunnels into the mountain.”

“Huh,” the stallion mused as he looked the sphere over. “You know, I would complain about what was done...but honestly, I also built the stream to be self-renewing over time. So long as you don’t take more than it can replenish, I don’t mind.”

“We’ve never had to,” she said. “You just said it yourself. The Stream is self-replenishing. The same goes for this engine. Rest it enough and it fully recharges.”

“Huh, so you’ve got your own mini-system down here,” the stallion thought out loud. “I like.”

“Well, it seems to work,” Hilda nodded. “Honestly, we’re still figuring this thing out.”

“Aye,” an older, male griffon slapped a talon on the stallions withers. “She’s a beaut alright. Purrs like a kitten and runs smoother than afterhours drinks. Too bad the hens aren’t this perfect aye!”

“I swear I will shoot you,” Hilda huffed and folded her arms.

“Well if it works, it works, I can see no fault in the system from here,” Aspect nodded as he finished examining the sphere. “I can think of a few ponies that might want to examine it for research purposes, but that can come later.”

“Perhaps, but we like our secrets,” the griffon said. “We’ll see. Mebbe once we figure her all out.”

“Indeed,” Hilda nodded.

“Fair enough,” Aspect nodded as he made very sure to not touch the sphere. “So, where to next good lady?”

“Wherever you like,” she said. “What else would you like to see? The kitchen? Maybe the cannons? A guided tour of my personal quarters~”

“I leave it up to you, you are my guide,” he said, bowing and spreading his wings as he did.

“Aye, tha’s a mistake,” the griffon chuckled. “She’d haul you to her bed and that’d be that.”

“Oh shut up,” Hilda blushed. Even if it was true…

Aspect merely folded his wings up and waited for the Harpy to lead him to where she would, curiously not saying anything about the matter.

That soon mattered not, whatever the harpy had planned, it paled to the immense magical power that just ripped through his form. Someone, somewhere close had just used a powerful spell.

“Lady Hilda!” a small harpy flew down the hall. “We got trouble!”

The female turned and clicked her beak. “What kind?”

“The Equestrian’s just put up a… well, some kinda bubble round the whole flapping city!”

“That’s going to make going home more difficult,” Aspect muttered. “Guess I should go investigate it. I can’t imagine this is standard operating procedure when you have guests.”

“I’d certainly hope not,” Hilda clucked and sighed. “Just when things were about to get good too…”

Outside, Aspect saw that the news had been on the nose. There was a massive pink barrier around the entire city. And a quick scan showed it wasn’t belonging to one of the three alicorn mares. Somepony had a rather powerful unicorn around, that’s for sure.

“Okay, so who’s the wise guy that raised a barrier around a city I was in?” the stallion mused as he flapped a little closer...before prodding it with a hoof. The magic surface rippled…

Then flung him back a good fifteen feet. Okay, so it had some kind of kinetic-repulsion ability. The spellwork was solid too, all in all, not a bad effort. If Aspect himself had to tear it down, he’d really have to cut loose on it.

“Father!” a familiar voice called out as Celestia landed nearby. “Are you okay?”

“Just fine,” the stallion said, picking himself up out of his impromptu landing thanks to that barrier. “Just wondering who the wise guy is who put that barrier up.”

“Captain Shining Armor,” Celestia informed him as she looked him over for injuries. “And it was done so under my orders.”

“Ah…” the stallion nodded a few times. “You ah...might want to explain that to your esteemed guests before you seemingly trap them in a giant pink bubble,” he explained.

“I was getting to that,” Celestia huffed. “Forgive me if I chose the immediate safety of my city over the convenience of a few.” She looked up and frowned. “A threat has been made against Canterlot.”

“Whelp,” the stallion cracked his neck. “They chose a bad time to make that threat then.”

“Which worries me all the more,” Celestia said. “Nightmare Moon aside, Equestria hasn’t seen a sizeable threat in several centuries… but this, somepony bold enough to announce their attack? They’re either ridiculously confident, or immensely stupid.”

“Ah, just like the bad old days,” Aspect mused. “It’s like I never left. Well, I’ll hang around then, help out if I’m needed.” He paused for a moment to consider, before adding another question. “Oh, have they said when or what they’ll be attacking? It’d make defending the city a little easier.”

“I’d imagine soon,” Celestia said. “Shining and Cadance’s wedding is in a few days, so they’ve picked the perfect bucking time to do it. The city will be full of ponies from all over Equestria. Not to mention our newest guests. This is bound to make a fantastic impression on them.”

Oh dear, when Celestia got snarky, you knew she was stressed.

“Hmm, the wedding where the Aspect of Love herself is being wed?” the stallion mused. “That would be a perfect time to make a villainous entrance. And I can’t imagine I missed one from the bad old days...save that bucking statue you keep around in your garden and won’t let me take a sledgehammer to. So it’ll be someone new.”

“Discord is harmless… for now,” Celestia said with a sigh. “Plus, I now keep that statue in a sealed chamber. As for who this mystery villain is… I have no idea.” She sighed and looked up at the sky. “I may have to call for Twilight and the others… just in case.”

“If only because Twilight would kill you if you made her miss her own brother’s wedding,” Aspect teased.

“I very much doubt that,” Celestia said with a derisive snort. “And I trust you’ll be sticking around as well?”

“I just said I would, and I wouldn’t doubt the bookworm,” Aspect warned her. “She freaked out, in a good way, when she learned her brother and the best foalsitter she’d ever had were getting married.” He thought about it for a bit and nodded. “You know, not a bad plan. An alicorn to keep her growing magic under control...as well as get the good captain wed into the royal family. I bet she wasn’t there just to watch Twilight, after all.”

“I… have no idea to what you are baselessly insinuating,” Celestia replied with a small huff. “Cadance merely wished for something to do and was good with foals. And as my student, I couldn’t very well trust a regular pony to the task. Having Cadance meant it kept away glory hounds and the media.”

“Mmhmm, and when you saw her cutie mark matched the Element of Magic, I’m sure you didn’t immediately put into motion any number of plans to closely watch her,” the stallion countered. “I bet the fact that she had a cute brother helped motivate Cadance as well. After all, if she could wield the element of magic, imagine what her brother could do with the proper motivation. I’d say the things Cadance can do count as proper motivation, don’t you?”

Celestia blushed and pushed him away with a wing. “You… you have become a perverted old stallion you know that? As for Twilight…” She sighed as they started heading for the castle. “I’ll admit, when I saw that star on her flank, I was surprised. Coincidences or not, I took a very risky gamble on her. I learned of young Rainbow Dash and her Sonic Rainboom a few days later, and kept a close eye on her too. When she moved to Ponyville, through a ‘recommendation’ from the local weather team, I noted several other ponies of interest. I knew of Luna’s return, I had done since the day I sent her away. Sending Twilight to Ponyville, making sure she found the clues to the Elements. I made a play with no idea of the outcome. I think that I was extremely lucky things played out the way they did.”

“Mm,” Aspect mused as they walked through the halls. “You know, random chance is less random than it should be. We have the Tree to thank for that. Things will work out for the best. He can’t interfere in any thinking being’s free will, but he can still manipulate the inanimate world to bring about the best result possible. Once you chose to make the play...the ball was in his court.”

“I don’t know if I should be thankful… or a little unsettled at the power he seemingly wields,” Celestia said with a small shudder. “Nevertheless, your arrival back here was even more of a surprise… Honestly…” She looked down, her royal facade dropping. “I thought… that you’d forgotten about us.”

“It...what I nearly did that night, a thousand years ago, it broke me,” the stallion whispered. “I nearly raised my sword against my own daughter. I couldn’t...I couldn’t just stand by and pretend it hadn’t happened. I was dangerous, I knew it then. I didn’t trust myself anymore.” He sighed and looked up. “So...I decided to leave until I knew myself better. I fell a little on the way...but eventually I found myself again. And fighting Discord reignited my spark, my desire to protect the world again. I don’t know what would happen if I had to fight my own children…” Here he looked over at Celestia again. “But I’m not about to let this world you’ve built, just be threatened either.”

“I banished her for a thousand years… how do you think I felt?” Celestia said under her breath. “In the end, I had to make the decision you couldn’t… and I have lived with that ever since. Alone.” She sighed and flared her wings, a powerful gale sweeping outwards. “You know what? I’m getting rather tired of dwelling on the past. On what happened and what could have been.” She turned and looked at him, her eyes showing something of a renewed determination. “Let’s make a vow. That family sticks together. No matter what. Never again, will we abandon one another.”

“I can agree with that,” Aspect chuckled. “Hmm...You know, I’ve just remembered. I gave the starmetal I collected to a smith to make something for Lulu for her birthday. I wonder how he’s getting on with it.”

“Old unicorn, long silver beard and mane?” Celestia questioned.

“That’s the one,” Aspect nodded as he looked around the halls.

“Curious, he came to me around three weeks ago, asking of all things, Lulu’s measurements,” she said. “When I inquired as to why, he simply said that you would have an inkling. Given he knew your name, I didn’t question it further and gave him the information.”

“Huh,” the stallion mused. “Well if there’s no immediate danger, I’m going to go tell the Harpies about it and tell them not to worry. I’ll send a letter about it to my herd later, explaining why I’m stuck here...though if I know Middy, she’s likely here already.”

A blur tackled him, and he felt a weight upon his back as three mares pinned him down under hugs.

“Seems you were right,” Celestia chuckled as Bon Bon, Midnight and Rainbow all cuddlepiled him.

“Oh, hey girls,” Aspect said, his voice a little muffled. “Guess you don’t need me to tell you about the shield keeping me stuck here, huh?”

Once they’d gotten off of him, Bonnie was the first to speak up. “Well, once we saw the shield, we figured it’d either be likely your fault… or that you’d at least be involved. So Midnight ‘appropriated’ a chariot from somewhere in Ponyville and we made a beeline for here.”

“They know you too well,” Celestia said, not hiding her giggles.

“Well it’s not my fault,” the stallion began. “And the only reason I’m involved is because Cadance’s wedding is in a few days, and a threat has been made against Canterlot. So some new bad guy is gonna make a showing then, most likely, and if things go south, well...I can still fight. Doesn’t hurt that the shield is literally keeping me here, I can’t get through it.”

“You know I could let you out at anytime yes?” Celestia said between giggles. “It’s your fault you tried to bodycheck it first.”

“Actually, I just poked it with a hoof,” Aspect countered. “It throwing me back was a result of that.”

“Probably because of all the power you have,” Celestia said. “The stronger you are, the more the shield actively repels you.”

“Hmm, an interesting design,” Bon Bon mused. “Lucky for us, the guards at the city entrance let us through.”

“Ah, so I could leave,” the stallion mused aloud, before shaking his head. “Then it’d be a hassle to get back in in time. Knowing coincidence like I do, I’d probably be delayed and show up just a moment too late before the villain completes whatever dire plan he or she has for Cadance’s wedding. Better to not risk it.”

“Hmm, Lyra’s rather excited for the wedding,” Bon Bon giggled. “Seems Cadance invited her as a bridesmaid. The two have apparently known each other since Lyra was a foal.”

“Oh, that’ll be good for her,” Aspect smiled as he got more fully onto his hooves. “...Wait. You didn’t leave the kids...unsupervised, did you?” he asked in growing horror.

“Oh gods no,” Bon Bon waved a hoof. “Luna and Twilight Twinkle are there, as well as Starswirl. The kids are in perfectly good hooves.”

Aspect deadpanned at her, before looking at Celestia. “Three ponies out of touch with the modern era, one of whom isn’t even flesh and blood,” he outlined.

“Oh dear,” the alicorn giggled. “Well, at least they’ll keep Luna distracted. Can you imagine if she found out about this threat?”

“And Nightmare, and Realm,” Aspect added. “Heck, I’m glad they’re keeping Artemis distracted. Nascent though he might be, he’s still Earth. If he were here and found out about the threat, I’d worry for the stability of Canterlot if he got caught up in whatever fight’s coming up.”

“Indeed,” Celestia felt a tad relieved now. She hadn’t even thought of that.

“So… what are you up to?” Rainbow asked as she continued to recline on Aspect’s back. “I mean, I did come all the way here and all.”

“Oh, you know, meeting some new species, finding out they can tap the Jetstream to power their Airships, normal things,” the stallion brushed it off with a wing.

“Ooh, that sounds cool,” Rainbow said as she rolled over, her belly on his back as she hugged his neck gently.

“It does indeed sound interesting,” Midnight agreed.

“Hmm, why don’t you spend some time with them,” Celestia said with a small nod. “I’m going to look into a few things on my own.”

“Fair enough, I think I know the way to the ship from here,” Aspect said as he began walking through the halls. “It was just this way to the dock.”

Once he eventually found it… and his awful sense of direction had been circumvented by Midnight knowing her way around. He found the ship and it’s crew irritated, but no longer panicking about the current circumstances.

“Ahoy there,” Hilda glided over to them. “Glad I found you. Seems we’ll be shipping off tomorrow. Don’t wanna get caught up in… whatever this nonsense is.”

“Fair enough, and you couldn’t have known,” Aspect replied as he began to explain. “Princess Cadance’s wedding is coming up soon, but there’s been a threat made against Canterlot. So Celestia decided to take every security precaution possible to prevent it from happening. She can let you out of the shield easily when you do decide to leave, but I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go soon to avoid what’s likely going to happen in a few days. However, I do hope you don’t mind if a few mares I happened to meet in the castle desire a quick tour of your ship and to meet you. You are, after all, the new thing in Equestria.”

“Oh?” Hilda mused and clicked her beak. “So, trying to impress some mares now?’ she said as she looked him over. “And even after I said I was free~”

“Excuse me?” Bon Bon said and levelled a glare as Aspect. “You didn’t…”

“Nothing happened,” Aspect said out loud to them both. “So, about that tour you were going to give me,” he said towards Hilda.

“Hmm, you are a stubborn one,” she mused.

“Aspect. Explanation. Now please,” Bonnie said to him.

“She showed me the engines of her ship so that I could see just how it worked without a mechanical engine, and then I said she could show me around to wherever she wanted, as it was her ship after all,” the stallion replied. “Then the shield came up and, well, you’re caught up after that.”

“I think she needs a bit more information,” Hilda chuckled. “I’m a Harpy, something of a small species that lives in a distant mountain range. And this stud of a human is being rather resistant to help me… assist the species along~”

“I swear… every bloody female you meet,” Bon Bon facehooved.

“Well, she’s cute at least,” Midnight said with a small smile.

“We’re his fiance's by the way,” Rainbow said at the harpy’s eyes widened in shock and perhaps a little fear.

“And they’re currently in a bit of a competition to get me to sleep with more females than them,” Aspect tacked on. “Though I seem to be winning, if I was wooing you without even knowing I was.”

“You know that was only a joke right?” Bon Bon deadpanned. “We’re not in ‘competition’ over it. We just…” She trailed off, but Midnight picked up the slack.

“You have had nopony in over two thousand years. We did not wish to be selfish with our love,” she said. “While… we might expect a certain level of faithfulness upon our marriage. For now, we simply wish for you to be happy.”

“So basically, once a ring is on me, I’m limited to you three,” Aspect mused. “Good to know.”

“Honestly, we’d have expected it upon your proposal,” Bon Bon said. “But, your situation is… unique. We’re not likely to sleep with any other stallions however. But…”

“You do love us… right?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course I love you three,” Aspect said, turning to Bon Bon and kissing her first. He held it for a few seconds, before breaking it and turning to Midnight, kissing her next.

“Seems you have quite the family here,” Hilda said with a smile. “I apologise for trying to come between that.”

Aspect broke the kiss between him and Midnight and looked over at Hilda, before asking a question of his mares. “Show of hooves, who would mind me helping her keep her species’ numbers up?”

“Hmm, well… is it going to be a problem?” Bon Bon asked. “Are you expecting him to marry you or something along those lines. Sex is one thing, but a child? That’s a large responsibility.”

“I…” Hilda paused on that. “Having a husband would be nice. But your family is quite large as is.”

“Plus you have responsibilities to your people, to help them find a nice place to settle and all that,” Aspect pointed out. “I’m fairly well rooted in Equestria at the time, specifically Ponyville. While I could ride the wind to visit you, I wouldn’t be able to do it often enough to make a difference.”

“Then how about we leave this for now?” Midnight said. “It would seem it has become rather complicated.”

“We could still totally just do it,” Rainbow shrugged.

“True, but then that would put the burden on miss Hilda here to make the future decisions, also known as being unfair,” Aspect pointed out. “She should know beforehoof what she’s getting into before she decides she wants a kid from me. I mean, if things had turned out differently, that’s likely what I might have done anyways, but at least this is being a little more honest with her.”

“Well, being an unwed mother might cause… complications,” Hilda said, now that she thought about it. “Hmm, well. Let us leave this topic for another time. I promised a tour of the ship yes?”

“That you did,” Aspect agreed, looking over his shoulder at his Dash-shaped passenger. “You gonna look around yourself? You’d probably actually get to look at the engine that way, I’ve already seen it.”

“Cool,” Rainbow said and flew off to check it out, meanwhile, Hilda took the rest of them below deck to have a poke around the ships sizable storage and show them some homemade Harpy crafts.

Inside a sealed room, free from prying eyes and blocking magical senses, two mares discussed the upcoming events.

“So, is everything ready?”

“Nearly. My forces stand at the ready. But…”

“But?”

“He’s a perceptive old fart. I’m worried he’ll spring my surprise early. And I don’t know if this plan will succeed fully.”

“Well, what’s the problem?”

“Most of it? He’s powerful, and we’re risking the whole city with this gambit.”

“It needs to be done. She told me about his nightmares. He’s too close, we need to deal with it sooner rather than later.”

“I suppose you raise a point. But I’m sacrificing a lot for this I hope you realise.”

“Don’t worry. There are plans in place for everything.”

“Very well… Let’s begin.”

The next morning, Rainbow had flown back to Ponyville to meet up with her friends, while Midnight had been drafted back into Celestia’s guard, given the current circumstances. That left Aspect alone with Bon Bon. The mare was starting to get some pudge around her middle, the young one inside steadily growing larger.

“You know,” Bon Bon said as Aspect rested his head on her belly as the pair lay in bed. “Maybe we should start coming up with names.”

“So soon?” the stallion asked, just laying there and basking in the feeling of being close to her. “Besides, what could you even call a Kirin anyways that would do them justice?”

“Well I don’t know,” Bon Bon giggled as she stroked his mane. “You’re the knowledgeable one here. I was hoping you’d have an idea.”

“Well, let’s not name them in the old tongue of the dragons, for a start,” Aspect thought out loud. “Young drakes these days have no respect for the old tongue. Plus, it’d be hard for ponies to understand as well. We need something that’d speak to both cultures…”

“Huh… guess this’ll be harder than I thought,” Bon Bon mused as someone knocked at the door. “Hmm, be a dear and get that.”

“As it always is,” Aspect replied, getting up and opening the door.

It revealed Cadance of all ponies. The mare had a… harder look in her eyes than usual. Was she not sleeping well?

“So, here you are,” she said as she looked him up and down. “How are you?”

“Eh, mostly bored, but that’s par for the course,” the stallion replied with a shrug. “Everything coming along well for your wedding then?”

“Well enough I suppose,” She lowered he voice and muttered. “Not that current circumstances helping.”

“Oh?” Aspect quirked a brow. “What’s come up?”

“Oh gee, I don't know, maybe the whole ‘threat to the city thing?’” she snarked and rolled her eyes. “It's kind of a mood killer.”

“Ah, fair enough,” the stallion nodded. “Still, at least you know your caterers and the like aren’t going anywhere.”

“Small miracles,” she sighed and flicked her wings. “Well, might I ask a small favour of you?”

“Ask away,” Aspect replied.

“Would you mind leaving your sword at home for the wedding? It might make other ponies… unsettled, if my guests started carrying weapons.”

“It’s long left there,” Aspect shook his head. “I didn’t bring it on my visit to meet the Harpies.”

“Good,” Cadance smiled. “I shall leave you be for now. Just wanted to see you again. It's been long while after all.”

“Fair enough,” the stallion smiled at her. “Take care, don’t want you to overstress for your big day.”

“Not to worry,” Cadance smiled, her eyes twinkling. “So far, everything is going according to plan.” With a light chuckle, she strode down the hall, those slender hips swaying with each step.

Several guards gazes were seen tracking it.

“Well, that’s a thing,” Aspect mused as he turned back to Bon Bon and walked over to the bed. “Hup,” he said, getting back on and laying atop her stomach.

“Hm, so I’m your personal pony pillow now?” Bon Bon mused, rubbing his belly with a hoof.

“I’m sure you’ll return the favor to me soon enough,” Aspect replied as he lay there. “So, Dash is with her friends. Midnight is too busy working. That just leaves us and...hey. You closed shop to visit, didn’t you? Isn’t that gonna hurt in the long run?”

“No, it’ll be fine,” Bon Bon said. “Honestly, business has been pretty good lately, so I can afford to take a holiday. Worse comes to worst, I’ll call up mom and she can help out.” She sighed and leaned back. “I can’t believe I’m actually in this city again…”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Aspect replied. “I have...plans in motion.”

Bon Bon’s grip around him tightened. “My stallion wouldn’t be thinking of doing something foolish now, would he?”

“Oh, not foolish at all,” Aspect replied. “Merely...enacting something I think you’d approve of.”

“So… amazingly foolish then,” she sighed and shook her head. “As long as nopony gets hurt.” Her grip lessened and she started rubbing him again, her hoof drifting… lower.

“Oh, nobody will be physically hurt, that I promise you,” Aspect replied. “But financially, a stallion in this town is about to learn the price of revenge.”

Bon Bon just groaned and shook her head again. “Stallions, can’t take them anywhere.” She leaned down and trapped his muzzle in a sweet kiss. Once it broke, she pulled back, but only a little. “You know… we have this whooole room to ourselves right now~”

“True, we do,” Aspect replied as he laid there on top of her.

“Sooo,” she trailed a small circle around his Cutie Mark with a hoof. “What do you think we should do about it~”

“What does my dear sweet mare think we should do about it?” Aspect asked.

“Hmm, I’m thinking you… me… and us making the maids reconsider their jobs by the time we’re done~”

“Oh dear,” Aspect chuckled as he rolled so he and Bon Bon were looking in each other’s eyes. “And what form does my dear mare want me to take? I recently picked up a few new ones~”

“Mm, like what?” she asked, stroking his mane and kissing his neck.

“Well, I shook hands with the Catpeople and the Harpies...giving me enough time to get a magic sample from both of them,” Aspect illuminated.

“Oh dear,” Bon Bon giggled as she touched under his wings. “Hmm, let’s see a Harpy form then.”

Aspect smiled before drawing back, his form shifting into that of a Harpy male. It wasn’t...too different from his human form, when Bon Bon considered it. It just had wings and feathers attached, really. Oh, and a beak. Couldn’t forget that.

Or the big, scaled bird legs.

Even so, he was still quite handsome.

“Oh my, first a dragon, now a harpy has captured me,” Bonnie sighed woefully. “Whatever shall I do?”

“Mm, what a delightful little mare that has wandered into my nest,” Aspect cooed to her as he kneeled closer, running a hand through her mane.

“Ohmy,” Bon Bon blushed. “And good sir, do you have some kind of wicked intentions towards this helpless mare?”

“Oh, only the most wicked intentions will suffice for you,” the harpy agreed.

“Ohmy,” Bon Bon blushed hard. “What kind of intentions good sir~?”

“I do believe showing you all the ways fingers are superior to hooves will be a good opener,” Aspect mused, running said fingers across her back now. “I’ll come up with something more once I’ve reduced you to a fine puddle of mare.”

“Mmmm, that sounds positively wicked… and very, very pleasureable,” she murred as she ground her hips against him.

Then the door slammed open as Hilda strode in.

“Look alive! I’ve come to see… you…” she trailed off as she saw the sight unfolding on the bed, a bright red blush gracing her cheeks.

“...Either leave or close the door and join in, I’m not stopping,” Aspect said, running his fingers through Bon Bon’s tail now.

Hilda let out a squeak and he heard the door close… and the Harpy still there, her reaction more instinctive than anything as she watched the amorous couple.

“Well?” Aspect said, raising an eyebrow at her. “You staying over there or what? Plenty of room on this bed.”

“W-What?” Hilda squeaked as Bon Bon looked up at him.

“What might you be playing at you rascal?” she said, stroking his chest.

“Oh, nothing much,” Aspect mused as he began running his fingers along Bon Bon’s flank. “You know that as my nature as a shapeshifter, I can choose to be potent or not. A round of fun with the young lady won’t hurt anyone~”

“Hmm, well I can’t say no, not when she’s so cute,” Bon Bon murred as she looked at the female Harpy. “Come on over, he doesn’t bite… too hard~”

“Meep,” Hilda blushed, but her traitorous body inched closer and closer until she was up on the bed, an arm’s length away from them. Aspect smirked, before hooking an arm around the lady and drawing her close. What? He was curious about something.

Namely, how to kiss with beaks.

“Mmmppf?” the bird gasped, it was actually surprisingly easy to do so. Bon Bon tilted her head, watching the display and the female harpy turn the most wonderfuls shades of crimson.

Aspect let the kiss break, though he kept Hilda close to his chest. “Huh,” the male harpy of the two mused. “For all your bluster about trying to get me into your bed, you’re blushing an awful lot when I’ve roped you into mine.”

“S-Shut up,” she said with a haughty tone. “I-I’m just surprised is all. All I did was come to s-say good bye.”

“Hmm…” Aspect mused before pulling her close and whispering. “Want a souvenir?”

“W-What kind of souvenir?” Hilda dared ask.

“Oh, you know...the kind you would normally get if you played around with one of your own kind~”

“Meeeep,” Hilda squeaked again, her eyes widening. Aspect sighed as he pulled back. Well, if she wasn’t answering yes or no, he’d not give her one.

“I…” she looked away. “I guess so…”

“I don’t take maybes, you have to be sure, as it is a pretty big decision,” the male Harpy answered.

“And you expect me to answer so quickly?” Hilda huffed as she played with the collar of her jacket. “I do not know…”

“Tell you what,” Aspect said, holding up a hand. There was a muted flash. “There, I’m uncorked. You can watch me play with my mare, and then decide for yourself.” With that...well.

His hands had graduated from roaming to outright playing with Bon’s lips. The mare moaned out, her sex already soaking and it was hot, so very warm as it tried to suck his fingers in further, her winking pussy suckling his digits. Aspect smirked as he began plying his fingers into and out of her hot tunnel, letting her feel all the squirming digits against her walls. She let out a deeper moan, gripping his arm as she panted harder.

Hilda had removed her clothing, her own fingers now teasing her pussy as she watched the lewd display. Aspect smirked, before using his hands to flip Bon Bon onto her back.

He then pulled his fingers out and put his mouth to work instead, bending down to give his candy mare some oral work with his new beak mouth. She tasted as sweet as always, the mare gushing at his attentions as she cried out, her climax soaking his beak with her juices, her sex winking the twitching, desperate to have something more inside of her.

“Hmm,” Aspect mused as he pulled back. “I don’t know. Is one good enough, or should I keep going until you can’t talk properly?”

“I.. haaah… nnnrgh,” Bon Bon groaned, still riding her lust-fueled high.

“D-Damn,” Hilda gasped, her own fingers roughly plunging in and out of her dripping sex.

“Oooooor,” the harpy said, turning to look at Hilda, “Should I play with the new girl instead~”

“Mmmnnn, f-fuck ‘er good baby,” Bonnie moaned.

“W-What?” Hilda squeaked.

“I can do that,” Aspect said, before gently grabbing onto Hilda and easing her down on her back. Once he had her there, he eased her fingers out of her sopping pussy...before replacing them with his tongue. She let out a loud squawk, her hands going to his head as he dipped into her. Her taste was quite sharp and tart, but not unpleasant. She gasped each time his tongue touched something sensitive, blushing and looking away from the lewd act.

The male harpy hummed a little, sending his tongue as deep into her as he could, swirling it around and looking for sensitive spots he could tease her with. Her resistance didn’t last long under his efforts. Either she was really pent up or… well either way, she let out a loud shriek as she came, her flavour coating his beak, mixing with Bon Bon’s taste as she trembled in his grasp.

“Mmm...two prime and ready females for me to breed,” Aspect mused as he pulled back from Hilda, his now jutting erection quite visible now that he was upright once more. “Who to do first, though…”

Bon Bon moaned, her tail flicking left and right while Hilda was still laying under him, panting after her climax, her sex twitching invitingly.

“Eeny meeny miney...you,” the harpy said, falling back onto Hilda. “Hope you’re ready, cutie~”

Hilda just moaned as she felt the male’s weight over her. Due to her small size, he utterly dwarfed her in height. She let out a small chirp, one hand kneading her modest-sized breasts as she nodded.

“Oh good,” Aspect said, reaching down with one hand to aim himself. Hilda felt something hard prod at her lips. “Ready or not, here I come~”

With that, he thrust forward, filling her in a single motion. She let out a loud moan as the cock filled her instantly, her belly bulging slightly from the size difference as her walls were spread wide to accommodate him.

“Mmm...I think she’s even tighter than Dashie,” Aspect cooed as he held himself there for a moment to let her get used to the invasion.

“O-Oh?” Bon Bon said as she sat up. “Well she’s smaller than her, compared to you anyway.”

“Fair enough,” Aspect replied, using a hand to stroke Hilda’s face. “I’m gonna start moving now,” he warned her, before making good on his promise and slowly pulling back. With each inch, the female gasped as that massive member left her, her walls squeezing down hard on him. Soon it was just the tip left in her…

And then the male was slowly pushing back into her, forcing inch after inch of his length into her once again. She groaned as that full feeling returned, her body wiggling as inch after inch filled her.

“Oh mmmmy,” Bon bon purred as she moved behind Aspect, and he felt a warm tongue lap against his balls. The harpy murred as he began setting a slow and steady pace for screwing the smaller female.

“Ahh, Aaaahhhh!” Hilda moaned as the male rut her, her hands gripping his shoulders as her legs were splayed wide, her hips meeting hers as he utterly filled her, his head pressing and grinding up against her deepest barrier. Aspect let out another murr as he kept up his actions, letting her really feel how deep he was getting with every thrust.

“Mm...she’s really cute too,” he said back to Bon Bon.

“Mm?” Bon Bon murred as she slipped between them, giving his cock a lick each time he pulled out.

“Mmm, she’d be cute to bring home with us,” the harpy murred as he kept up his slow and steady pace, knowing it’d be driving Hilda wild as to why he wasn’t going faster.

“Mm, izzat so?” Bon Bon said as he pulled out, the mare taking a moment to open her mouth and deep throat him, letting him fuck her muzzle for a moment as Hilda caught her breath, her tongue lapping at his cock each time it pushed past her lips.

“Cute little songbird to bring back with us, admit it, you’d like to see everything she can do too,” Aspect replied, running a hand through Bon Bon’s mane.

“Mhhppfl,” she gave a muffled answer as she deepthroated his whole cock, her throat constricting around it. Aspect gave a low moan at that, before slowly pulling back and letting his mare actually talk for once.

“MMm, maybe,” she murred as she licked the tip of his cock, before using her hooves to line him up with Hilda. “We’ll see about it later. Have to include Dashie and Middy in that decision remember~”

“Fair enough, but I can still show her a good time that’ll leave her coming back for more,” Aspect cooed, thrusting into the smaller bird and grinding his cock around.

“I suppose you can,” she mused as she rubbed the bird abdomen, feeling Aspect’s cock inside her. “Go ahead and rut the cute little birdie then~”

“Oh, I was planning on it,” Aspect replied, taking his thrusting speed up the smallest amount, just to tease Hilda.

“Nnnrrhhaaa!” Hilda moaned out, holding Bon Bon close as she was still laying between the two, her head leaning against her flank as a fresh coat of juices coated Aspect’s cock.

“Oh dear, I think she came again already,” the male harpy mused as he rubbed Hilda’s abdomen next. “And we’re only just getting started~”

“Mmm, are you now?” Bon Bon teased him, leaning up to lick his cheek. “Go ahead and really give it to her~”

“W-What?” Hilda gasped.

“As you command,” Aspect replied…

And there was the speed and power Bonnie was familiar with. He was really laying into the little bird now. Every time he thrust into her, there was a wet smack as their hips met, and the sensation of his tip prodding into her deepest barrier.

“Mmm, there’s a good stallion,” Bon Bon purred as she got off of Hilda and helped adjust Aspect’s position, the male now on his butt with the female harpy riding him, his hands around her slender waist as he lifted her up and down, thrusting to get as much into her as he could.

“Oh, she’s even cuter like this,” Aspect cooed as he kept up the fast and furious pace of his own accord. Hilda bit her hand, her breasts bouncing as the wet slaps of their sexes filled the room, Bon Bon moaning as she rubbed her marehood with a hoof, watching the sexy show.

Aspect leaned forward and whispered the next question to Hilda. “So...do you want one or not?”

“Y-Yeeessss~” she moaned out, leaning against him as her walls contracted again, having lost count of how many times she’d cum.

“Then take it all,” Aspect whispered to her, still furiously screwing her as his head kept grinding against that barrier. It was almost like he was trying to get through it. She let out a low moan as she held him tighter, bracing herself for what was about to come… literally.

Aspect let out a little growl as he felt that tip grind against her barrier…

Before there was a little popping sensation, and he felt it poke through. That was enough for him to unleash his entire load directly where it could do the most damage. Hilda’s eyes flew open as she felt that, her belly swelling from the torrent of seed he started to pour into her.

“O-Oh storms...sssooo full…” she groaned out, her hands going to her belly.

“Lucky,” Bonnie pouted as she watched.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll see to you too Bon,” Aspect cooed as he held the harpy in place for a bit.

“Mmm, seems like you’re enjoying some stuffed bird there,” the mare mused. “You know… I’m feeling a little thirsty~” She opened her mouth and presented her muzzle to him.

“Mmm...you know, normally I would, but I feel like she should really enjoy what it feels like to be screwed by me,” Aspect said, holding still for a moment longer before he felt his orgasm taper off. “There we go,” he cooed, pulling back just enough to where he felt her cervix snap closed again, so that none of it would escape; even then, he’d pumped more than her tiny womb could hold, a steady trickle of cum leaking from her winking sex and pooling on the sheets as the harpy fell back, panting hard.

“Mmm, she is just so stuffed, isn’t she?” the male harpy cooed as he rubbed Hilda’s abdomen.

“Just a bit,” Bon Bon replied with a small shake of her head. “Have fun did we?”

“That I did, but I do believe I promised you a turn as well,” Aspect replied, going over to Bon Bon and running a hand through her mane again.

“Oh, did you now?” Bon Bon teased with a small smile. “Haven’t had enough yet?”

“It’s not about whether or not I’ve had enough, but if you have,” Aspect cooed as he stroked along his mare’s back.

“Well, that was certainly a good show you put on,” Bon Bon smiled as she arched her back a little, not unlike a cat. “Certainly enough to get any straight mare in the mood no?”

“Mmm, I should hope so,” the male harpy cooed as he began playing with her tail. “Ready for your turn, then?”

“Well, I certainly won’t say n—”

With a golden glow, the door swung open as Celestia walked in. “Father? Have you seen Lady Hil...da…” the alicorn trailed off as she looked at the bed and facehooved.

“She might need a little help getting back to her ship,” Aspect supplied, still not stopping his attentions being paid to Bon Bon. The mare now feeling very awkward with Celestia there watching.

“Honestly, you’ve become so… promiscuous,” Celestia sighed and shook her head. She saw the state the female harpy was in and groaned. “At least tell me you had your charm on?”

“Mmm...by request of the lady, no,” Aspect replied.

“Of bucking course,” Celestia swore. “I don’t know if I should be embarrassed, ashamed, annoyed or all of the above.”

“I know what you will be if you stick around much longer,” Aspect answered as his hand trailed along Bon Bon’s flank. “A witness~”

There was a golden flash of light and Aspect found himself in the air… before gravity reasserted its dominance and he landed in the very cold fountain in the rear gardens.

“Bloody...for all the…” the harpy swore as he flashed into his pegasus guise and dragged himself out of the fountain. He shook himself dry and… pomf!... promptly poofed up into a ball of feathers and fluff.

“...Great, just what I needed,” Aspect muttered, beginning his trek back towards his room.

His appearance didn’t go unnoticed either. While the guards remained stone-faced and professional…

It didn’t stop some passing maids letting out a little giggle as he passed. It took him a good half hour of traversing the halls before he got fed up with the laughing and decided to find his way back the easy way.

He melted into the air and flowed through the halls as gentle as a breeze, until he eventually reformed in his own room...still a ball of puffed-up fur and feathers.

Hilda was gone, and Bon Bon was now up and apparently had washed up. She saw Aspect and stared for a good, long minute…

Before putting a hoof to her mouth, very poorly trying to hide a case of the giggles.

“Go on, laugh,” Aspect sighed. “It’s not going to go down until I get a good, proper brushing thanks to all the static electricity I’m charged with.”

“O-Oh, it’s not… that f-funneeehehehehehe!” Bon Bon fell sideways, giggling madly.

“There it is,” the stallion groaned as he laid down on the bed, reducing his profile but not his fluffyness.

“I heehee, I'm sorry but…” Bon Bon gasped between giggles. “You-You literally are a puffed up noble now hahahaha!”

“Hilarious,” Aspect deadpanned, not that Bon Bon could see it for the fluff.

“Awww, you're even cute when you pout,” Bon Bon snorted as she sat next to him. “You teased Celestia, what did you think would happen?”

“That she’d take Hilda and let us be,” Aspect huffed.

“Uhuh,” Bon Bon chuckled as she pulled out a brush and started to wrangle his coat. “She's your daughter. I honestly expected it. That or joining in~”

“No,” Aspect replied, drawing a hoof out of the fluff to point at her. “I draw the line at her.”

“Well obviously,” Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “That is weird and a little gross to do so with family.” She brushed his mane down and hummed. “Excited for the wedding? I'm surprised you haven't given her husband a proper dressing down as the ‘cranky grandpa’ yet.”

“Eh, I did that when we met back at my place,” Aspect shrugged. “He’s an alright colt.”

“Oh, the great Christopher Gale approves?” Bon Bon lifted a wing and brushed under it. “...Why don't you just transform?”

“Because the problem will stick around,” Aspect sighed. “Until I’m brushed down, my fur is going to misbehave. I have way too much Air, including electricity, stored inside me for it to just obey.”

“Oh, you poor filly,” Bon Bon smirked. “Perhaps you should visit the Canterlot spa… as long as you don't sleep with them too.”

“You do know I don’t try to have these situations happen to me, right?” Aspect turned to look at her. “They just...do.”

“You know… I have half a mind to blame Yggdrasil for this,” Bon Bon said as she glanced at a clock. “Mkay, let's get you brushed. Dashie and her friends will be here soon. We'll go meet them at the castle entrance.”

“Mm, sounds good to me,” Aspect said as he laid back down and closed his eyes.

What? Being brushed was relaxing.

Author's Notes:

Let's just dangle this thread here for much later on...

Like the story? Consider dropping Aus and me a dollar on my Patreon. It really does help.

Half of all funds will not be spent grinding for good loot.