****

Ari

I was having another one of those moments, the ones where I am left wondering what went wrong and I proceed to try my hardest not to freak out.

It started out normal enough, I was half asleep, watching the dimming embers of last night’s fire, my mares nestled against my sides. My thoughts were hazy at best and I really don’t remember what they were, but if I had to guess it would be about my mares or saving the world. Not remembering them isn’t from being half asleep though it was when my mind went out the window and my instincts took over.

You would too if an axe slammed into the floor infront of your face.

The initial relief that the axe missed my horn was quickly replaced with panic, fear for my mares, and the need to defend my herd. My instincts were black or white really, not taking into the fact that I was in someone else’s home as I stood. Trying to look big I flared my wings, feeling the tips brush the bed and shelves, as I started searching the room. The left side of the shack was clear and the right side was untouched as well, that only left one spot: behind me. Ears pinned back I tried to listen to whoever or whatever had entered, only hearing a racing heartbeat I snorted and tensed my muscles as I turned around to face my attacker.

Behind me stood a light blue Minotaur bull, he was very different than Jabbar though. He stood at only six feet tall letting me see the mud pit that was outside, his horns smaller than I would expect from his stature, with one tip broken off at an awkward angle. A surprised look was on his face as his eyes stared at my horn. However distracted he appeared to be I wasn’t relaxing till he dropped the pickaxe he held in his other hand.

“You’re an Alicorn?!” His voice wasn’t nearly as gruff as Jabbar’s was, it sounded young almost as it cracked over the word ‘Alicorn’ like a tween going through puberty. Dear lord was he not fully grown yet?!

My words were slow to form as I stepped forward, slightly in front of my mares now, “Yes.”

I continued to watch the pick axe in his hand, looking back and forth between his tool and his face. After a minute he caught on and nervously placed it beside the shelves. My instincts calmed down slightly at that action and I could feel my logic kick start itself, lowering my wings slightly as he showed me his empty hands in the apparently universal sign that he was unarmed.

That was stupid however, as soon as he saw Chrissy’s sleeping form his face turned into one of terror and he lunged for his pickaxe. Wasting no time I enveloped him in my magic, freezing him midair as he moved his eyes between the axe and my herd.

Well this was just dandy.

If I let him go now he would attack us, if I let him go later he would tell everyone he knows about the changeling, siren, and Alicorn which would most likely attract a mob, and if I killed him I would feel like shit. This was his house after all, we were the intruders. Maybe I can reason with him or I wake up my mares and see if they know any mind magic to erase his memories of us.

“So let’s just get this over with…” I gathered my thoughts, how do I convince him to not kill or send a mob after us? “ My name is Ari, I am a Alicorn, these are my mares-,” Adding a snort over that I narrowed my eyes at him, “-Chrissy and Lyric.” Pointing at in each in turn I continued to try and keep my cool, this was excellent practice for conversing with the princesses after all. “Yes she is a changeling, no, she isn’t a ‘vile parasitic bug’, and if I hear any of that racist drivel come from your mouth I will wash it out with soap, understood?” Putting on my best disappointed face that I used with kids, I waited for his understanding.

It took him a second to realize he couldn’t nod in my magic and a look of panic went over his face, I realized that at the same time and lessened my hold on his head slightly. He nodded a slow, strained nod.

“Good, now we will be out of your way shortly. With the storm sneaking up on us soo suddenly we just entered the first shelter we found and no I didn’t raid your pantry. All we did was burn some of your firewood and sleep on your floor.”

Pausing I took in his expression, it had changed from fearful to confused. His poor brain must not be able to handle the fact that an Alicorn, what I understand was associated with good, and a changeling, a species that is seen in a negative light, are together. Something tells me this was going to be a normal reaction, I’m just lucky he isn’t freaking out over Lyric too.

“You look confused, what’s there to be confused about?” I released his head completely now, keeping his body encased still.

“Well aren’t you an Alicorn-“I nodded, “-and isn’t she a changeling.” Again I nodded, seeing where he was going with this.

“Yes and we are happily stallionfriend and marefriend, I have heard that ponies were racist towards them but apparently it is every species. I-“

This was just getting worse.

Lyric chose now to flag her tail, releasing her aroused scent into the room. Both of us being healthy males we noticed her scent immediately although we both had different reactions. He looked at the ceiling trying to avoid eye contact with both Lyric and myself, probably due to my glare.

“So did you have anything intelligent to ask?”

“Uhh why are… Are you going to kill me? I swear I won’t tell anyone not that anyone is out this way anymore. B-but just please don’t kill me! My mom would be heartbroken, my little sis, shit she-“

I had heard enough, immobilizing his head again I thought over his words, well his begging really. He acted like I must be evil to be with a changeling, a sad thought but impossible to help with the racism present, it’s no wonder they were both soo shocked by my nice treatment towards them. But his words made me curious, no one is out here? This was a farming country I don’t just see them neglecting a whole section of flat land just because it is near the Gryphon’s mountains. That may mean the weather is worse-

Wait, Does any of the other countries even know what the princesses have done either to affect their weather?

Letting his head go again and placing myself in front of Lyric for good measure I tested the waters so to speak. “I am new here and I couldn’t help but notice the crazy amount of rain and wind you have, is that normal for Minotaria?”

The young bull looked a little more confident as he answered me, “N-no, I mean it has been slowly been getting worse but the last two years the floods and rain has been extremely horrible. I-I mean just last year the whole Popov clan of upper Esso were completely flooded out of their land, a whole three hundred acres suddenly underwater…” He trailed off as my eyes widened and I sat down.

It was one thing seeing the power in the ‘super’ lightening storms and the extreme drought in the desert but hearing about the actual devastation it was causing real families. A whole clan was displaced permanently, not only that but three hundred acres is a lot of produce and income lost for them. How are they feeding themselves? Where do they live? Where will the future displaced families go when everyone is forced further inland?

Before we found the river the fields were beautiful, the ground stable, and most of all the weather was normal in Minotaria. I should have known better than to assume the whole country was like this.

“Do you know why there are such weather patterns now?”

A interested look came over him as he studied my face, hearing something in my voice most likely. “No, you are starting to sound like you do though.”

How right he was, but first he needed to understand something.

“Have you traveled before…” I raised a eyebrow as I asked for his name, might as well know who I am talking to if i'm going to be here a while explaining.

“Gennady, my name is Gennady and no, I have not gone further than the Gryphon Mountains where I work.”

He looked curious now so l slowly released his torso, levitating the pickaxe to my side just in case. Adding a smile I continued, “Well, Gennady I have done my fair amount of travels so far as have my mares and we have seen some troubling things.” I had his attention as he leaned his free body slightly forward, no matter the age people loveda story.

“I started my journey in the Diamond Mountains; there all seemed fine till the lightning storms came. The bolts vaporized trees down to their stumps in one zap! That is also where I met Chrissy; she had been thrown there after her invasion of Canterlot failed.” Seeing his fear return I jumped into her story, “Now Gennady, do you know why she took her whole family from her hiveland and launched a invasion on the capital of Equestria when three Alicorns were present?” He looked a little confused now, thinking over the obvious problem with the plan.

“No, that is stupid! That is so, so-“

“Desperate?”

“Yes!”

“That’s because it was her last resort, her people were starving, the hivelands were being flooded with sulphuric water, and it wasn’t drinkable in any way. So the ones that usually gathered food had to gather water now and her family slowly started to starve, she knew that the other countries were not any better…” I released the rest of his body as I saw his mind working overtime with the new information.

“She’s not lying? I know that they can-“

I raised a eyebrow at his counter argument, “No she hasn’t lied about anything, Saddle Arabia is in a extreme drought, Minotaria is getting flooded as you can see, and i'm willing to bet the rain is flooding more than the Badlands now.”

“Yes, it has started to wash away the Gryphon’s mountainside homes and, and the Badlands are on the southern side of the mountains soo... They are getting flooded as well! Dear Faust we are all doomed!”

Now he understood.

“Actually I passed through the Equestrian border and they don’t have any weather problems there, in fact some Equestrian citizens were shocked at the state of the other countries.” I let him stew it over before I dropped the bombshell.

“I was enlightened on the reason behind this disparity in the weather between the countries around Equestria and in Equestria itself. Simply put the princesses are manipulating the sun and moon to Equestria’s good fortune, nice weather, and the optimal growing seasons.” I had him now. “It has been throwing the natural cycle of the weather off and causing these ‘super’ storms, that is why I have been brought here. We are on a journey to save the entire planet.”

“Wait how?”

****

Chrissy

My stallion is a strange one, not the fact that he is from another world but the situations he gets himself into. Today I woke up expecting to rut and continue on our way with the owner none the wiser about our little sleep over.

That went out of my head when the first thing I saw was an axe lodged in the floor boards and felt Ari missing from beside me.

I immediately stood up, hissing as I scanned the room, fear rushed through my veins at thought of Ari being possibly dead. It was possible, even though there wasn’t any blood and no damage done to the room, it didn’t mean he couldn’t have stepped outside to fight.

But I wasn’t going out there alone.

Not having any time to be gentle about Lyric’s condition I grabbed her tail in my magic, yanking her up as my hoof covered her squeal. With my hoove covering her muzzle I looked at the axe before looking back at her, her eyes went wide and teared up. Exactly what I felt, wasting no more time I pointed to the door.

I could a male’s voice talking outside, it was faint but I knew I heard Ari’s name. Nodding to Lyric we lept into action, opening the door with a bang as it hit the side of the shack, jumping outside with our horns glowing, but my thoughts halted at the sight before me.

“Hey Chrissy, Lyric” Ari trotted over to us and gave us a happy kiss each before gesturing to the light blue Minotaur he had been talking with before. “This is Gennady, he-“

“Axe in the floor!” My eye was twitching as my knees shook slightly in relief, he had scared me half to death! When he wasn’t dead he was just having a friendly chat with a Minotaur outside. Maybe I am just overreacting but we were having a foal, I couldn’t lose him now.

No, i couldn't lose him anyway, he was my love.

“Oh yah he threw it at us when he saw that he had intruders and we sort of forgot to pick it up…BUT he totally understands what we are doing and can help us get to the coast! He was just telling me about the underground railway they use to transport the gems and ores.” Ari stopped his excited explanation as I collapsed onto the ground.

“Chri-“

“Don’t do that again! We were scared you were dead, I just can’t lose you-“ I stopped myself from saying ‘when I’m with foal’, some things are best not said right now, especially with prying ears around.

Gennady saw me narrow my eyes at him as Ari and Lyric helped me up. “Don’t worry Chrissy, Ari told me all about what happened and I’m sorry what happened to your family. Around here we are starting to get flooded out too. The whole western half of Minotaria is turning into swamp, my family was displaced by the floods actually. I was actually telling Ari about my sister earlier, she is a apprentice under a smith over at Shallow Shale, and I’m sure if I asked her she would make the those, uh, special restraints you guys needed.”

His happy smile threw me off, “You aren’t running screaming from me? You really are going to help us?” I watched his face as he nodded, giving me a smile that I couldn’t find any dishonesty in. That seemed wrong somehow, not that I wanted to be hated but the thought of not being hated or feared by others was foreign to me still.

“Thank you then.”

Ari was beaming, practically trotting in place with his joy as Lyric gave me a nudge, I knew they were happy for me but I was overwhelmed again. How was this Gennady accepting me so easily? Had Ari learned mind magic overnight…Or was this what happened when you asked for help and others actually listened.

I hope Ari can make this world change, if not just for us than for our foal, the world can be cruel.

We walked over to the map and I was surprised at how simple the railway was. The tracks were nearly a straight path through the Gryphon’s mountains, and they may save us a day or two of travel thanks to the speed of the train. This seemed too good to be true-

“Where are we going to hide on a train filled with gems? It isn’t exactly made for a comfortable ride.” This serious statement was hard to focus on with Lyric flagging Ari at the same time, a fact that both males were very embarrassed about, looking at the map instead.

But Lyric made a good point and I was actually impressed with her ability to think soo clearly with the heat upon her, as much as I hate to admit it I wasn’t quite soo coherent at that stage.

“Well I work in at Gryphon mines at the border, I can get you past the border and into the mine. All you have to do is hop onto the caboose and enjoy the ride.” Gennady looked very happy with his plan.

I saw a problem though.

“So we-“ I gestured to the herd, “ –are just going to waltz up the train with no one falling all over themselves running away or bowing.”

“Well I have some old blankets I could turn into cloaks for you guys, but…And not to be rude but couldn’t you just, you know, change your form to blend in?”

My eyes must have betrayed my panic Lyric stepped up for me, “Wouldn’t it be odd to have one pony without a cloak in a herd that is cloaked? Plus she will stand out anyway.” She was looking at my wing, which I folded down a little self-consciously as everypony’s eyes were on it.

The panic stemmed from my realization that I couldn’t really use my magic as much as before with the foal needing soo much of it already, even my favorite disguise was a little tiring after we had left Saddle Arabia. Lyric would have to pitch in a bit more till it was born.

As to flying, sure I had months to get used to not being able to fly, months to grieve over my loss, but it still stung when others focused on my lack of wing. Focusing on my inability which in turn only showed how I had been a loved ruler, a counselor for nymphs, and a competent opponent in battle. That was all gone now, just bittersweet memories that can never come to be again, not that I wanted all of it back. My life was different now, I was a loved mare with a strong stallion, a future mother, and to my dismay ground bound…

Well not completely I guess, Ari did promise me some midair rutting, everyday in fact.

Speaking of rutting, I needed breakfast and Lyric wasn’t going to last long if her dripping and shifting was anything to go by.

“Oh I hadn’t-“

“Ari…breakfast?” I interrupted Gennady but I didn’t care at this point, this foal was clearly part Alicorn with how often I needed a full meal. It was getting ridiculous, I had eaten two full meals yesterday, one the day before, and had a near continuous stream of snacking all throughout that. Before a full meal could last me three days approximately, I had gotten most of my love from smaller snacks and was never quite this empty.

“Breakfast?” Gennady looked confused at the change of topic but Ari blushed and looked at Gennady with a nervous look.

Before Ari could say anything Lyric walked by in front of him heading to the bushes behind Gennady’s shack, that was the idea, I didn’t stick around listen to Ari explain this one to the bull. Breakfast has many meanings in our herd and we both wanted this version of breakfast right now.

****

Lyric

As much as I wanted to congratulate Ari for finding a quicker way to the coast I was having trouble concentrating on the conversation. My last dream playing out over and over in my mind, driving up my tail with arousal as the imaginary cock filled me, but the lack of friction below clashing with my senses in an agonizing way.

I knew what this was, the heat, driving me to get even a minute of relief with my stallion, even when I knew I had to wait till after they were finished talking about whatever drivel it was.

Wait, did that bull say we were riding a train?

Might as well point out the obvious, they took it well though, and that problem was solved at least. But Ari said he would solve my problem today, first thing in fact, yet here we are still talking.

A shiver ran down my spine and I twitched my already flagged tail as my excitement trickled down my inner thigh, but it was okay, just deep- No, deep breaths is a bad idea and the alphabet didn’t work last time. Come on ponies hurry up with this talking!

Taking a deep breath anyway, I held in my shudder and moan, before trying once again to come back to the conversation. Surely there was something I could say to move it along, well besides ‘rut me’, even that was a tad too bold for me now. Wait he said something, It took a second for what the bull had said to sink in but I had already seen Chrissy’s expression and I jumped in before I realized what I was saying.

It worked though.

Then the conversation faded again as the warmth overtook my thoughts, the burning under my fur and scales.

Time was a strange thing when every second seemed like a burning torture of the senses, teasing me with sensations that seemed to speed up time and pleasure, only to slow time even more in the next second. Letting myself get caught up my dream again I felt my hooves shift as my nose flared to take in my stallion’s scent, fresh, male, and all mine now. The moisture continued to grow in my marehood till it overflowed again, slowly trickling down my fur, and I winked to let more escape. He would have to help soon. Although now keeping my hind hooves together seemed to be harder to do as they drifted apart the warmer I felt, the faster I tried to take in that sweet elixir that Ari gave off. If he-

“…breakfast?”

I almost squirted when that word reached my ears, that was what I needed, Chrissy’s version of breakfast anyway.

My hooves moved on their own as I made my way to the bushes behind the shack, making sure Ari saw me wink before I started clearing the area of sticks. That was quickly done as Chrissy showed up partway through my busy work, helping me stay focused as my heart raced. I knew was she feeding off me as well but I didn’t care, it was an energy that I never noticed anyway and the foal would need it now.

Chrissy murmured comforting words, I think anyway, i wasn't able to focus on them, male voices quietly conversed in the background, but I couldn’t really hear anything above my pounding heart. At the sound of a new set of hooves coming over my body burned with a new vengeance and I inhaled. YES! My legs spread almost immediately as his spicy scent reached me I knew he would help me, help-

My whinny echoed over the muddy fields as he came up behind me and licked along my marehood, finally!

Clarity returning to my thoughts i nickered to him, winking rapidly as I encouraged him to mount me, i knew he was ready, his erection was bobbing in my peripheral vision. I forced myself to rest my head on the cool ground as I felt my coil tighten deep in me again, I shifted against his lapping muzzle when a new sensation met my lips and brought me into focus. Chrissy was kissing me as she lay her chitin in the muddy ground, moaning into my mouth as I began squealing into hers from Ari’s newest foreplay.

I didn’t need foreplay, my nerves did not need the extra licks and nips own there. To get my message across I backed into his muzzle, winking, before my coil finally snapped at his ministrations. His lips had grasped my nub and sucked, sending me into orgasm. Chrissy released my mouth as we panted together, the smell of her arousal hitting my nose a second before I felt a tingle of pleasure at my entrance.

Unable to form the words to let him to let him know i was more than ready I began to bend my knees, moving my butt up and down along his length, which sent new shots of pleasure to my core as his enflamed tip was quickly coated in my juices. Chrissy looked over my shoulder before dominating my mouth again in hers. I whimpered into her as he stilled me with his forehooves, grabbing my hips before slowly sliding his cock into my marehood.

The slowly inching forward entrance he was doing to me was killing me, it built a new pressure deep in me, and having had enough of his 'consideration' for me I pushed myself backwards.

“BUCK MEEEE!” i screamed into the air as i finally felt all of him.

My words found me again i murmured his name now. I was finally filled, his tip pressing against my cervix and leaving my sensitive nerves tingling as my second climax grew near. With a shaking breathes I started twisted my hips around his length, needing the pleasure that was soo close, yet-

Shuddering around his cock as the second orgasm rode my body, a silent scream stuck in my throat as I felt him finally start moving.

It took most of my self control to not clamp down on his length as he pulled out to his tip, we both moaned as he twitched slightly. As he thrust back in as I was reminded of Chrissy’s presence as she bit down hard on my ear, tongue flicking the edge where scale met flesh, which caused me to whimper. This was a ganging up i didn't mind, everyday wouldn't be bad if it was like this.

“Pick up the pace Ari, I want my breakfast still you know.” Chrissy teased after she releasing my ear and I tried to slow my shallow breaths.

The effort to gain control over my heart was in vain as Ari complied with her request and I was left panting again. He was picking up the pace with a barrage of quick, powerful thrusts, his length twitching and throbbing in my hold. Tension increasing I forgot about my lead mare as all that mattered was the sweet release that was coming, clamping down on him I began milking his cock, before I felt his mouth grab my mane.

Screaming into Chrissy’s conveniently placed mouth I rode out the pleasure with small thrusts back as cool relief washed over my body as he came in me. Warmth coated my walls as I felt body relax, burning gone for now, and Chrissy’s helping mouth leaving mine i gasped into the morning air.

I could feel a dopey smile spread across my muzzle as I felt my body finally relax after three days of torture.

“Lyric, I’m sorry it was soo quick, we will be longer next time. I do hope it helped a little.” Ari sounded a little sorry and out of breath as he released my mane and nuzzled me quickly.

My stallion took a deep breath and removed his hooves from where they gripped my hips, painful in the most pleasurable way. With a squelch of our juices he removed his length from my folds and I let my legs finally relax and tail drop down. That was amazing! I can only hope this relief lasts longer than my aunt’s spells did.

My eyes drooped as Chrissy disappeared from my vision; I understood why she did this every day now.

****

I was awoken by a kiss on the muzzle and it took me second to wake myself up, scowling at the mud on my belly before I sighed as no burning met my nerves, Ari’s relief was still in effect. Thank goodness, I was going mad with him close by and my body on fire with need. The question is now how long before the symptoms returned.

“Morning Lyric, did that help?”

I smiled and nodded at Ari, my stallion, before I noticed the plate in his magic and the fact that Chrissy lay a couple feet from me smiling a wide smile. That probably was how mine looked. My stomach growled as the smell of hash browns hit my nose, well anything would be nice since it had been a while since I ate those pears.

“Breakfast?”

Both Chrissy and I giggled at the word, no longer able to take it in the meaning most ponies would.

Breakfast passed by quickly as I shoveled the potatoey goodness into my muzzle, for all purposes imitating Ari in sheer enthusiasm. Eventually we had to meet Gennady for the walk to the mine, the bull not looking us in the eye when he handed us our crudely fashioned cloaks and a small wrapped lunch each for the trip.

Even Chrissy got a lunch pack, which caused us to look at us to look at him weirdly till he cracked, “Uh my mom always said to send guests on the road with a full belly and I can’t really package love so I thought you could use that to feed yur herd mates when you feed off them.”

We blinked at him in surprise. I hadn’t thought Minotaurs knew much about emotionvores or magic.

“My sister works under a smith, he makes enchanted shackles all the time and she just loves talking about magic.” Seeing our hopeful looks he frowned, “But he has never made shackles t-to contain Alicorns. I hope you do though, this can’t continue on like this.”

We nodded at his statement before we set out.

Gennady wasn’t kidding about flooding. We followed a narrow, muddy, path that was slightly above the water, which stretched to the horizon, this used to be farmland. Occasionally we saw the tell tale triangle of a roof floating by, a testament to the destructive power of the floods, which only served to trouble my herd mates. Finally making it to the mine entrance, we stopped as Gennady stopped and explained about us ‘doing undercover work for the crown’ to the guard.

That one was all Chrissy, she seemed to find it hilarious that we were here about the royalty, just not the type of work they might think. Though Ari might have won over one Minotaur it didn’t mean that every Minotaur would be quite so open.

With a nod to the guard we kept our heads down and followed Gennady down into the mine, taking the first left we came out of the tunnel onto a stone train platform. The train was pulling in as we arrived, breaks screeching as it stopped and Minotaurs dressed in overalls and soot rushed to the train to load what they had onto it, leaving room for what I assume other stops would fill. It was a simple work train, colored a dull gray right down to the wheels, and well taken care of despite its daily labor in the mine.

“You ponies take care now, be careful of swindlers don’t give that letter to just anyone-“ Gennady handed us his letter to his sister, wrote last minute as Ari pointed out that no one would believe us just on our word, he continued, “-ask to speak with Dinara Vasiliev at The Steel Anvil. She is always working every time I write to her so you can’t miss her, not that I think she would be hard to miss.”

“Why’s that?” Ari asked.

“She is taller than you, gets it from our dad. He is a giant among Minotaurs! I know I’m tall for a Minotaur but he is huge!”

The train whistle sounded and we hopped onto the back of the caboose, a narrow ledge with a short railing being our only hold as the train gained speed. We swayed with the train as it took the corners, our sides pressed together in the clickety-clack filled silence between us. Our stops becoming less frequent as the train cars were almost filled to the brim.

After a long time I had just ended up resting my head on Ari as Chrissy did the same, propping him up. That was until he perked up, glancing around I understood why: the cave was lightening up, lanterns dim in comparison to the light approaching.

Straightening our cloaks we squinted as the train full of gems glittered and we exited the mine.