****

Ari

I stayed awake alright, although not due to fright like I initially imagined I would.

Maybe I was just desensitized from Earth culture where murder was often portrayed soo ’glamorously’ and common in the media. Or maybe after killing so frequently here I don’t see it as much as a scary, taboo act anymore. But whatever the reason ‘Slendermare’, ‘Bloody Marey’, and ‘The Headless Mare’ caused me to ponder the parallel nature of Equis to Earth more than be afraid of the murdering ponies and I couldn’t help but laugh at the puns. I was laughing soo hard that it started to become the silent type of laughing, mouth open but no sound escaping. We really needed to do this more often, oh and go to the beach, I think we would all like that after this swamp.

They weren’t impressed by my reaction to put it nicely but they ‘bravely’ continued to tell Equus’s scary stories, even some that didn’t involve ponies.

Apparently Minotaurs had a habit of eating silverware accidentally so one story involving them centered around that, let’s just say it involved a cursed rock, a angry king, and guts going everywhere. While it was a fascinating to look at the Minotaur culture it didn’t scare me, disgusted me was a more accurate description of my feeling towards it. I mean how do you accidently eat your fork?

At least they were a ‘peaceful’ country, but I took that with a grain of salt, Equestria was peaceful too but look at the racism I encountered and I haven’t even entered a city there yet.

“Did you want to hear some Earth stories now? I assure you I know a few to scare-“ I paused my teasing as I saw the moon had started descending, “-well maybe I won’t need to.”

Feeling my mares shift against my sides as we all started yawning at the sight of the moon’s departure, knowing sleep was coming. Well, sleep was coming for them anyway. I still had to steer the raft, but thankfully not for much longer as the Minotarian shore was visible and fast approaching as I put a little extra speed to my paddles.

Weaving around a tree root just in time before the sky went dark, looking up the moon had finished descending and the darkness held the sky for several second before the sun began to rise. The unnatural speed still surreal to watch, I missed proper sunrises and sunsets, soon it would be normal once again though.

I wonder how long it will take for the world to return to normal after they stop moving them.

“Finally!” Lyric slurred out sleepily from beside me, looking at the rising sun with half lidded eyes. Chrissy was silent and a glance at her confirmed my thoughts, she was already asleep. Which was okay by me, she seemed more tired than both Lyric and I, a fact that I wanted to contribute to the fact that she had been traveling longer than both of us but I wasn’t so sure about that. With how distant she was earlier something just felt off.

“Mhmm” I hummed back giving a Lyric a quick nuzzle on the top of her head, “Take a rest, the shore is still an hour away.” Lyric pressed into me at that, joining Chrissy within seconds.

Looking at the shore, the beginning of Minotaria, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to travel through. According to Chrissy it was a farming country with a few mines at the Gryphon border, a ‘peaceful’ country. However I still wondered how such a peaceful country could produce bulls like Jabbar, just what constituted peaceful nowadays?

Not to mention the weather, now that we were out of Equestria the weather would be all sorts of crazy again…

Blinking out of my thoughts as my paddle became wedged in the mud, the shore now a mere five feet away. I pulled out the paddle and began the last stretch with small strokes until the raft became beached on the shore. Now I had a new problem, mainly where to carry these two sleepy heads to so we could all get some sleep.

Before us the trees seemed to all but disappear, evidence of civilization apparent in the unnatural way the swampy forest ended and turned into an open field. The field held tall grass, a little taller than Azure was, but it was still manageable though. With another yawn I levitated the mares above me, Chrissy’s face contorting into a grimace as her trickle of food disappeared, and slowly walked into the grass with heavy hoofs.

There was grass everywhere I looked, tall, spindly, delicious smelling grass. Maybe my stomach was malfunctioning but I wanted to eat it, it smelt soo sweet, did ponies eat hay here too? I sure hope so, cause then I have found a veritable smorgasbord in this field.

My walk through the grass lasted all of ten minutes before I realized that by a farming country she meant endless fields of grass and no trees, something that bugged my instincts. But despite my instincts initial unease I felt the call of sleep and a nest was necessary. Don’t ask me why I said nest, nest just felt right, maybe there was bird genetics somewhere in Alicorns but it felt right and I felt slightly better knowing the grass would hide us.

Using my wings and rump I made a small clearing where I stood, flattening the grass, and scanning the area. Again the feeling of unease pestered my mind so I sniffed the ground and then the air. All was clear, no predators nearby so my body relaxed, apparently it had tensed up but I hadn’t noticed at all. Feeling safe I settled onto the grass bed, making sure to levitate Chrissy and Lyric gently to rest under my wings. Wrapping my wings around them before finally closed my eyes.

****

Chrissy

“Achooo”

Ari sneezed beside me and the grass rustled in front of us, I was warm, worries forgotten as his love poured in, and I sighed at the peace in this situation. Ari tucked between us, Lyric mumbling something on his other side in her sleep. The grass rustling in the-

Wait, there was no wind.

I tensed my muscles, eyes still shut, as my heart raced. My newest worry coming to the forefront of my mind again at the possibility of a threat nearby. Had my heat ended or was it ended? Was I-

“See I told ya!” Hooves clopped on the earth in an odd rhythm leaving me guessing at what they were doing.

“Whoa!”

Inhaling the air I smelled manure, hay, and the faint smell of apples. The smell told me it was definitely a Minotaur however the voice sounded young, high pitched and feminine. Now the question was if they would leave us be?

“Hey!” The second voice interjected, it was a slightly more masculine calf’s voice.

Beside me I heard Ari start doing a strange snort, sounding almost like… I cracked my closest eye open and wanted to facehoof at the sight, this was calves for you. A stick was being stuck up Ari’s nostril.

Ari was a very, very deep sleeper.

“Don’t do that! What if it wakes up?” The bull calf sounded nervous.

“Mmmmm… harder…” As if Lyric knew what the calf said she chose now to sleep talk. Just what was she dreaming about?

The heifer calf quickly retracted the stick and I closed my eye again, I could feel them looking at us, and I was never more thankful for the ignorance of calfhood. They didn’t know what I was or they would have run screaming from me by now, gathered their folks, and well I shuddered just thinking about it. They were just curious thankfully.

“It moved!” The bull calf squeaked out earning a snort from the bolder calf.

“No it didn’t, it was just talking in it’s sleep-“

“Not the yellow one, the one with the blue mane!”

“It didn’t!”

“Did too!”

“Did NOT!”

“TOO!”

“NOT!”

Calves, there were as bad as foals with arguing!

“DID TOOOO!” The bull calf yelled causing my sensitive ears to ring and pin themselves to my skull. That’s it, screw waiting around for them to leave I needed sleep! These calves needed a lesson in letting sleeping bears lie, or in my case Changelings.

“Actually he is right, I did move.” I gave them a wide grin as I lifted my head and opened my eyes, making sure to show my sharp canines. Adding the finishing touch I raised an eyebrow, “I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of how delicious some fresh calf would taste right about now.” The Two calves were shaking in their overalls now, looking like they were ready to bolt at my first move. Licking my muzzle I drove the point home, “You two don’t happen to know where I could find some do you?”

The first calf dropped her stick and turned around, nearly running into her friend as he had the same idea, both hightailing it back through the grass. I gave a weak chuckle as I thought of how they wouldn’t be forgetting this anytime soon, it was necessary though. Poking sleeping things is a very bad idea but unfortunately most learned that lesson the hard way, it certainly wasn’t fun learning this as a foal but teaching the lesson was immensely funny. Almost enough to get my head out of the thoughts that were troubling me.

I couldn’t help my gaze from straying to my stallion’s still sleeping form. Were we compatible? Is that why my heat ended, not due to that being the last day but because a nymph or foal was conceived? I didn’t know the answer, Alicorns had never bred with changelings, and really there was no research into hybridism. This was completely unexplored territory for me, for the world really, however it was a possibility, Lyric existed after all.

Perhaps it was too soon to tell, it hadn’t been too long since my heat after all, and I really didn’t have any symptoms yet-

Well that one was explainable.

Being tired didn’t really count...But I felt exhausted after my heat despite the huge amount of love I took in and my breakfast only slightly helped that feeling, the full meal feeling smaller than before… But we had fought a Hydra, which had to account for some of this. No, I had felt this way before the Hydra. But I didn’t have any other symptoms…those would only come later. I could feel my heart race as I thought of explaining this to Ari, which I would have to eventually, when the nesting behavior started it would be a dead giveaway.

But would it start at the fourth week or the eightieth week?

I wasn’t even sure what this pregnancy would be like, my eyes filled up at the thought, I was really pregnant. The heat had ended too early, no matter how much I would like to force myself to believe I wasn’t I couldn’t deny that fact that I was. We had consummated our relationship and the burning just stopped, with no residual burning in my loins, and no post heat dreams. I was most certainly with his foal. But would the pregnancy be like an Alicorn pregnancy or a Changeling pregnancy?

Then a horrible thought hit me.

This was a bad time to be pregnant, in just less than two weeks we would have two very angry princesses traveling with us, and I know I’m certainly not their favorite person. They wouldn’t let-

No don’t think about that.

A deep breath, in through the nose-

What?

Taking another deep inhale I looked over Ari’s neck where Lyric was, where the scent of arousal was coming from. Real bucking nice, just what I needed, well maybe she is just having a really erotic dream by pure coincidence.

Not with my luck.

Looking at the sun above it occurred to me that we should get going if we didn’t want to travel at night, not that there were many predators in Minotaria.

Standing was the easy part today, waking Ari would the hard part, if he can sleep through a stick up his nose I don’t know what to do for him. “Ari get up, we have to get going.” Unsurprisingly no movement, well time to try something pleasant first, tail pulling can come later. I licked his horn, while it did make him squirm and moan it did not wake him.

“What are doing Chrissy?”

His squirming did wake Lyric.

“Waking him up, we don’t want to travel all night again so we need to get walking. Not to mention while you two slept we were found by two calves that I had to scare away.”

“Had to?” I snorted at her for pointing that out, “Okay I understand-“ She looked at her rear as she stood, eyes going to pinpricks as she looked back at me. “Wait, before you do anything! Please know that I can’t help it and I’m totally better at controlling myself when I’m in heat than you were.” I grit my teeth at her pointing that out, that wasn’t my finest moment.

Before she could babble herself into an incoherent mess over a fact we couldn’t change and quite frankly I thought might happen since he made my body go into estrus, I stepped towards to her. I might as well get this over with, she was actually nice to be around after she learned her place a little, and I could use the free foalsitting. “Look he isn’t into herds but if you are content to stay second mare you can stay in the herd, I will have to talk him into herding but I think he likes you anyway so…”

“REALLY?!”

Sending her a glare I motioned to my, no, our stallion now who was thankfully still asleep.

Now I had to get something even harder out of the way.

“Yes, but… I…” My eyes filled with tears as my ears splayed, I just couldn’t say it. It was position I had never expected with no other Royal Changelings left. But as a herdmate she would have to know, I will need her to handle any future mare challenges, and possibly help me tell Ari the news. Actually I would need her help for sure if I could hardly tell her the news. Dear Faust this was sad, I used to have a backbone, confidence. Where had it run to?

Probably where my brain went when I planned the invasion.

Lyric hesitated before coming over to my side and giving me her love although it was marred a little by her concern, which left a odd salty flavor in my mouth, “Are you okay? What is up with you, first last night you were out-“

“Pregnant.” I whispered out, tears flowing down my face at the word, not sad but not happy either, I just felt overwhelmed after everything. Sure I had always dreamed as a filly of have my own little nymph to chitter to one day, which was before I realized how impossible it was without any royal Changelings left. Well, really there wasn’t many magically gifted stallions left of any species now, Discord didn't really count, he was...both and neither at the same time. He confused me immensely.

****

Lyric

I’m a part of a herd!

My heart had soared when she said that, I could hardly contain myself from whinnying in joy. I had new family, well I would get my family back eventually but I wasn’t alone anymore in the most permanent sense: a herd. Ari still had to be convinced to accept the herd idea but I think it will be easy. I still believe most of his hesitance stemmed from Chrissy not wanting a herd, not his strange monogamous culture.

Then Chrissy started to act weird again, no not weird, she was clearly upset this time. She was clearly torn up over something and to my surprise she didn’t need much prodding to tell me this time. Chrissy said what now?

“What?”

She looked at Ari's sleeping form, “I’m pregnant, my heat ended early, after we rutted…”

My brain was trying to understand this, why was she crying? Wasn’t having a foal a good thing?

“That’s wonderful! Why are you acting soo upset? I know you probably didn’t intend to get pregnant but I’m sure Ari won't mind. I saw his expression when he saw the foals walk by in the herds, he probably loves foals!” Chrissy gave me a weak smile at that.

“Actually he used to foal sit all the time, foals that weren’t even his own. I know he will be a good father but…The princesses are going to be with us in less than two weeks and they will surely notice my symptoms, not mention Ari will by then, well might.” She looked uncertain now and I gave her a little nuzzle to encourage her. “I’m not sure if it will be the length of a changeling pregnancy or the length of a Alicorn pregnancy, I don’t even know what symptoms will appear and what won’t-“

I could see her worry rising again so I interrupted, “Don’t worry about it! I will totally cover for you and as for the symptoms I totally can help you with that, what are herd mates for right?

“Right what?”

We both froze and looked at our disoriented stallion, getting up he stretched his wings before taking a canteen from my bag and emptying it into his endless stomach.

Just how much had he heard?

“We were just discussing the right way to wake you up,” Chrissy said with a smile, looking suddenly very different than the worried mare she was a second ago, tears gone and ears forward. Was she going to tell him? “Since you are awake now I guess we can get going now.”

Nope she is avoiding the topic.

“Okay I guess… You aren’t hungry? You seemed really wiped out last night.”

“Well I’m a little hungry but I can feed later. I don’t want to be traveling at night again.”

He paused to think that over before nodding, “Okay then let’s get going!” We trotted over to his side as he started off at a trot, eager to make up lost time. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my noise at our smell though, eau de swamp with a coat full of mud, we needed to bathe soon.

We walked for what must have been hours, the scenery changing from hay field to corn field alternatively till we finally arrived at a fruit orchard. The orchard had a well that we used to fill up our canteens and plenty of pears that were bruised, we helped them recycle those. Okay Ari did mostly, he consumed a ridiculous amount of food and still said he was hungry when we stopped him, only sellable pears left on the branches.

I tried to get Chrissy’s attention several times during the walk but she refused to meet my eyes and by the time we left the orchard I was fuming at her foalish behavior. There was no need for her silence, we hadn’t seen or heard any pony or any minotaur’s yet, nor had we run across any settlements. She needed to breach the whole herd bit to him before my heat got too bad, it was only the first day but the sooner he accepted it the better he would take it when I couldn’t control my instincts anymore.

We were at the edge of yet another corn field when the sun started setting and Ari started scouting for a sleeping spot, leaving us to rest for a second.

“Are you going to bring it up with him?” I whispered to Chrissy as Ari circled out further, seeming to be unhappy with the open area.

“Are you going to take really long bathroom break while I feed?” A raised eyebrow and a look that said I would be anyway, that was more of a demand than question. She must be really hungry.

“If you actually talk to him about starting a herd while you feed, I would love to get some real relief this time around.” The meaning was not lost on Chrissy as she look appalled at the suggestion of going through the heat without relief and she was correct to feel that way. It had been torture even with several interesting spells my aunts knew I still only got a couple hours of relief the last couple of times. But Why would I use those when I have the real relief traveling with me? There was no guarantee of a foal anyway, my mother and father had tried alot of times before i was conceived, not even taking into account that I was already a hybrid and the amount of magic needed to make a foal between us would be greater I’m sure.

“Hey Ari i'm going to take a long bathroom break,” Not waiting for his reply I went into the field to wait for them to finish rutting.

It didn’t take long before I heard the first squeal followed by the sound of hooves galloping, listening to rutting was always interesting, it was like charades for my ears trying to guess what they were doing. Chrissy helped though she was very vocal about her pleasure, not as bad as my mother but she was a siren so it came with the territory.

“ARI”

I could feel my marehood leak at her scream, my imagination picturing his endowment pounding into her, sweat dri-

No I wasn’t going there, this was the heat talking I did not want to watch Ari plow my lead mare…But I should make sure she actually brings up becoming a herd to him. Standing back up I crept back to the edge of the field where I had left them.

My tail flagged and I started winking at sight I came back to, before me was truly arousing scene. Ari was mounted on Chrissy, his head thrown back and his wings spread as he pounded into her. She took it with a moan as she was plowed forward, head resting on the ground as her hind legs trembled under the assault.

“More,” Chrissy whispered, “Faster!” Now thrusting her rump back into his thrusts, she whinnied in completion and the sound of their juices echoed into the field. However he kept plowing into her at the same hurried pace, my hoof made it’s way down my chest, stopping at my moist marehood.

That was what I wanted.

Ari was giving quiet nickers now as Chrissy was reduced to panting, eyes closed and a smile on her muzzle. The thrusting slowed, Ari removing his impressive length till just the tip rested in her entrance before hilting himself in her folds again. After a minute of slow and hard thrusting he stilled, suddenly clamping his mouth on the back of her neck, causing her to scream her orgasm as the moon rose.

My hoof couldn't compare to that.

Chrissy turned her head then and looked me in the eyes, no anger there, just disappointment at my control, but it was hard to resist the sounds. It really was with the knowledge that I would have my stallion soon and my heat just adding fuel to the desire I already had for him.

But she knew I was here, that alone was enough to stop my hoof’s ministrations, that and he seemed-

“A-Ari, do you think you could handle another mare?” Chrissy had lowered her rump to the ground, looking back at Ari with a raised eyebrow and a happy smile.

His body stilled as he finished pulling out, juice covered cock retreating into his sheath, and I couldn’t help but follow the action licking my lips. Just a taste wouldn’t hurt ri-

“What’s this about Chrissy? I know you aren’t into to herds… Is this about how I have been treating Lyric?” He looked nervous now, scanning the rows of corn for me, and shifting his hooves.

“Yes it’s about Lyric, how do you feel about her?”

Ari gulped and laid down beside Chrissy, the moon illuminating the look on his face, he was scared. “W-well she is really nice, considerate, and really fun to be around. I-I know she likes me but-“

“Do you or do you not like her?” Chrissy was looking a little impatient now as he tried to avoid answering her.

“Yes I do care for her but I never would stray from you, I really am committed to you! I love you!” Ari looked soo panicked with his ears back and eyes wide, he really didn’t want to lose her.

Chrissy let him panic a second before smiling happily, “Good, I would hate it if you didnt like your second mare.” His jaw dropped at her words, “We talked about it before you woke up and I decided I wouldn’t mind having her around, she is okay with not being the lead mare, and well she really likes you. I know you didn’t grow up with herds but give it some thought.”

“W-what?.....” Ari sighed, looking lost in his thoughts. “I will think about it, just give me time, okay Chrissy?”

She gave him a purr and nod before looking at where I was hidden, “LYRIC!”

Although my ears weren’t happy with the volume she called me at I understood her reason, if he was undecided right now imagine what he would feel like if he knew I watched them rut without an invitation. I didn’t want to risk my chance, sure I might get others but I didn’t want to hear any rejection from Ari, he really felt like the one for me.

Dropping my wet hoof back to the ground I trotted from the field to my stallion’s side, I tried to calm my tail but it stayed raised as the area was still bathed in the smell of their recent activity. He noticed as well but didn’t show any surprise, looking very out of it. Apprehension held me still as I looked at his free side.

His wing was still tucked up to his barrel, the other draped over Chrissy, she was mouthing ‘go on’ while darting her eyes to his side. Did he still want me to sleep by them? Was he angry?

His wing unfurled itself, the tip making the ‘come hither’ motion to his side.

I didn’t waste any time, closing the distance in a second, rubbing my body on his as I slid into position. With that his wing wrapped itself around me again as I wished them good night, energy bouncing through me despite the time and walking we had done. Now all I had to do was wait for him to decide, a answer I was near certain on now that Chrissy had vouched for me, hopefully he decided sooner rather than later.

His spicy scent wasn’t helping me sleep at all though.