Above the Everfree Forest, a small group of heroes was heading towards what they hoped were the remains of a vanquished foe.

Returning to town was a small squad escorting civilians and additional support for protecting newly arrived delegates, both human and otherwise. At the same time, many who knew what was happening, varied in their resolve regarding the situation. Some worried, others remained optimistic, while some busied themselves with gossip and lewd conversation.

All of them, however, shared a similar confusion as to what had led to this sudden escalation of paranoia and heightened security.

After Luna and Kelly parted ways with Sniff and the two mares accompanying him, Luna had to return to her more authoritative appearance.

"I do apologize for not being able to join you, though I believe given the events of yesterday, it would be best for you to approach him directly without my interference."

Kelly noticed the change in how Luna was carrying herself. This was to be expected, given the secrecy of their relationships, something they both wanted, and something she could adjust to accordingly.

"You're right, and thank you. Do you have a lot to do today?"

There was a short mental list Luna was working with, but not much to be considered easy.

"I would consider my schedule to be more time consuming than overwhelming. Dealing with the guard, establishing new procedures, approving revisions, and making an overdue visit to Granny Smith."

That last one didn't sound like something Luna was looking forward to. Given Kelly’s past positive experience, she thought her secret mistress could use some support.

"Would you like it if I came along for that, or would that make things more awkward, given…"

Obviously, Kelly was implying some potential of Granny discovering that they were also an item, though it wasn’t like the old mare was a gossip hound, but Luna was not even considering that at the moment.

"No, but thank you. This is something strictly of my duty to my subjects that I must address. Other issues that may arise can be dealt with when the time is right. And for that, I will most certainly want you by my side."

Nearing the bottom of the stairs, Kelly was treated to the company of Lumberman and Becky, along with their own respective counterparts. All currently in the midst of their own conversations.

"Morning, guys."

Whatever discussion they were having stopped with Lumberman pointing out the obvious.

"Morning? It's like, four in the afternoon. Where you been?"

Mentally kicking herself for the obvious blunder...especially given her failure to check her watch, she quickly worked to misdirect the group.

"I got moved upstairs, ended up staying up all night and slept in. Now I'm getting ready to head out to see Mac. What're you all up to?"

Miraculously the group seemed to buy the lie, shifting the topic to them. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much going on, but Becky had already had an eventful day.

“Nothing at the moment. Dash and I already got everything done at the hospital and did a check-up on AJ. She’s doing good by the way, so Dash might be taking me around town to kill some time or watch her get some practice in.”

It was then that Becky realized an adorable alicorn foal wasn’t assaulting her.

“And where did Cadance and them run off to? They’ve barely been around since she came back with Flurry and Sunburst.”

Luna thought about that for a moment, and it was true. Cadance had been rather standoffish since seeing her again at the party. Shining Armor was the same, practically never leaving his wife’s side. Sunburst had stayed behind to watch Flurry Heart that night, but for Cadance not to be social now that the crowds were gone? That didn’t seem right.

Somepony was sure to know where they were, but with her go-to bat ponies still resting before taking their shifts, there was one she could still count on.

“Lieutenant Evening Aster!” Luna called out into the high ceilings.

The others looked around, trying to figure out who Luna was calling out to. There was no pony there, though the sound of fluttering wings soon could be heard, and another bat pony in full armor flew in.

To all their surprise, this was the first female of their kind they’d seen.

“Yes, Princess. You called for me?” She dutifully stated with a salute.

Luna gave a small nod, smiling faintly for the guard’s proper introduction and clear professionalism.

“Yes, I did, Lieutenant. I noticed that Princess Cadance and her company were not present. Might you have any information on their whereabouts?”

This bat-like mare didn’t even stop to think about the question, answering promptly.

“Of course, your highness. Princess Cadance left prior to Sir Lumberman and Applejack’s return. She departed with Princess Flurry Heart to visit the townsfolk and, to quote her own words, ‘stretch her legs.’ Prince Shining Armor departed with Sunburst simultaneously, but they were to visit with the zebra, Zecora. He seemed very adamant about checking on the status of Lady Becky Landon’s cure. I believe they wish to establish a formal working relationship with her before returning to the Crystal Empire.”

That report didn’t seem to set off any alarms for Luna. Cadance walking off on her own wasn’t uncommon. She rarely bothered to travel with guards unless there was a known threat, which for her, there wasn’t. While Celestia had been somewhat concerned about such a decision, especially after the encounter with Chrysalis, Cadance had been quite insistent and would often enjoy the unsupervised freedom when she could.

Even still, with so few chances to spend time with the human guests and the delegates arriving, she should have stuck around.

“Lieutenant, did Cadance appear distraught in any way?”

That question did give Aster reason to pause as she thought about it, but it was brief, and she answered with a bit of hesitation.

“I don’t believe she was distraught, per se. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed dealing with Princess Flurry’s temper tantrum. Several of the guards reported observing the young princess struggling with her mother and demanding dolls… It is likely she will be taking the young Princess toy shopping. Should we send somepony out to check on her?”

Thankfully, that seemed to explain everything, leaving Luna to break her regal stature with a hearty laugh.

“That will not be necessary, Lieutenant. I’m confident the dolls she was looking for will be in attendance for dinner tonight. However, if you could prepare my carriage, Miss Kelly will need an escort with security detail for her trip to the Apple Farm.”

Almost like a robot on command, Aster bowed, respectfully taking her orders.

“Right away, Princess. Will there be anything else?”

Luna, feeling more at ease, turned to Kelly, questioning how long her lover would be able to hold out.

“Miss Kelly should be granted as much privacy as possible while with Big Macintosh, so let the detail know that they need not shadow her so closely. What Kelly discusses with Big Macintosh is for them to converse, unfettered and unmolested. However, after you have transportation ready for her, I wish to know how our transition to Ponyville is progressing. I also would like to go over the details for assisting the Solar Guard tomorrow evening.”

“Yes, Princess," Aster replied with another bow as she backed away, her wings already opened. "Moving out with your orders.”

If that was it, the others didn’t need to stick around, and Becky was the first to make up her mind on what to do.

“Come on, Dash. Let’s go see if we can’t find Flurry and give Cadance a break.”

Rainbow was right beside her partner, ready to get out of the castle for pretty much anything.

“Sure thing, Becks. Oh! And we never got a timeline down for the new couples. You care to up the ante or raise the stakes?”

Walking and thinking about it, Becky gave Rainbow a long stare before finally recalling what they even bet on.

“Oh! Sure. How about we double the bits and… Hmm… We gotta think of something else to really raise the stakes."

As they were walking out, laughing about new and exciting ways to humiliate each other, Lumberman was helping Applejack get ready to go.

"Well, if Kelly is heading back to the farm, I think I'll take Apple Hat out for a drive. Might as well use up the fuel while I can."

Already bringing up the music menu on her crystal, Applejack was all too ready for a day drive.

"I got the tunes, partner. I think I know a few private spots where we can spend our time together."

With a steady hand and some regret already building up, Lumberman produced some pills.

“Yeah… first though, I’ve got another dose for you.”

The sight of the pills immediately shattered Applejack’s smile like Apple Bloom just put a baseball through a window. She looked about ready to eat her hat.

“God... Damn it,” She managed to get out through her tightly gritted teeth.

Shining was standing back, carefully listening to Zecora and Sunburst go on about magic and spells that he couldn’t follow along with. And there was a part of him that felt just the tiniest bit insecure about the matter.

True, he wasn't a magical prodigy like Twilight, but it wasn’t like he was an amateur, his special talent was in shield spells after all. Yet, after the pair started talking upon arrival, he’d been left utterly baffled.

Had not it been for Sunburst’s eagerness to venture so deeply into this field of potions and know what Zecora was explaining, he’d have left long ago. However, with Becky’s health on the line, every unknown ingredient and mystic process of the refinery sounded like music to his ears.

Likewise, Sunburst was geeking out over Zecora’s knowledge and the experiences she was sharing. Though he did that whenever he got his hands on a new book, so nothing too different there.

“That’s incredible! Your methods are so different from what I’ve learned, but what you’re doing is removing the salt impurities while separating the alkali elements from the bases? That's incredible! Can you show me how you do that without introducing an organochloride?”

While most would’ve been left stunned or frustrated from the verbal barrage spoken by Sunburst, Zecora was all too happy to follow along, enjoying the new stallions company. While more skilled in magic, Sunburst’s well-rounded studies, plus his seemingly boundless enthusiasm, left him easy to converse with. He even got her jokes.

“After all the pleasantries we’ve exchanged, it would be only fair. But only if you agree to a pot of coffee for us to share."

Coffee? That didn’t sound like a bad trade for something he was already enjoying.

“Well, sure. I’d love to sit down and talk more about this over a-Oh, my gosh! Caffeine! You use the xanthine alkaloid from the caffeine in the refinery process!”

Yep… Sweet, sweet, completely unintelligible music to Shining's ears that he continued to nod along with.

After a bit of walking to clear her mind, as well as calm her foal, Cadance had been fortunate enough to run into three skilled fliers she'd needed to talk to.

As it turned out, sweets and a hangover didn't make laying down all that comfortable. So, they decided that some fresh air would be better than lying in misery.

Having run into Cadance, and given recent events with new requirements, some strings needed to be pulled. Thankfully, these three were more than willing to contribute as much as needed.

Most of the major agreements had already been established, now Cadance was just ironing out some of the finer details. Although hushed voices were needed so as not to wake the napping foal Cadance currently had cradled and rocking in her wings.

"This isn't going to impact any of the other team's readiness is it?" Cadance asked her confidants while keeping one eye on her sleeping child.

Spitfire, still not fully recovered, sat with a sobering smile in the shade and slowly shook her head.

"Not at all. All the current teams have their rosters filled and are up to date with qualifications. We normally rotate trainers, so this relocation won't hurt our program. Although, after yesterday's lesson Thunder Glide taught me, I think we need to open up a new training program. Preferably, working with… Should I call him Justin or Cerb?"

That question came to Cadance with a look in Spitfire's eyes that was becoming uncomfortably common. Some type of guilty sadness and wishful thinking they tried to keep hidden. It was a look Shining was too kind to acknowledge he saw when they spoke in private, though she failed to do the same.

Even still, there was no need for any spells to see what they were feeling. Not that it made answering the question any easier.

"He prefers either over being addressed as Mister Cerberus. I would suggest Cerb, as it seems only the mares closest to him use his proper name."

While not intentional, that sent some unclear implications to the Wonderbolts, namely Spitfire, who asked on behalf of the others.

"Close to him… how?"

That was a good question. She knew Fluttershy and Rarity now strictly addressed him as such, understandable given how attached they were to him. Even Luna, who wasn’t in a relationship with him, would use his proper name when conversing with him, while Twilight seemed to switch back and forth depending on the company she kept.

And yet, there were others who had become close, or even fought alongside him as he shed blood for them, who seemed to force themselves not to say his proper name. Then again, there was at least one who supposedly did less but used it without issue.

Now she wondered if she even had the right to use it?

"He has said that only his friends call him Cerb. If you wish to be respectful, you could always use the formal, Mister Husk. But, until you really get to know him, have his trust to see what he wishes to protect you from… Justin has a special meaning behind it. I would think it more respectful not to say it unless you understand who that name truly belongs to."

That got a lot deeper than she had intended, but there was another human that seemed to make that statement true, now that she thought about it.

"The same could be said for Sniff. You may know him as Peter, but for those closest to him, his name is spoken much differently than those who only know him only by name."

Of the three, Fleetfoot understood what she was trying to say, or at least she thought she did. At the very least, speaking her mind to the other Wonderbolts would help show she was on the right track.

"What she means is just like how I know Big Mac, I don't really know Big Mac. That Kelly mare though, she knows him."

This wasn’t the first time Spitfire had to listen to Fleetfoot talk about the stud that got away, but it was the first time Fleetfoot sounded like she had finally given up. Regardless of what the humans were capable of, especially when it came to protecting their special someponies, even she could hear the difference in how the two sounded when speaking his name, how Fleetfoot was still going on about this name game.

"Big Mac… It's a real shame I didn't come back here sooner and try to get that stallion to notice me, but those two seem like a good match. I can't even be mad about it, and even if the Elements healed her, it's still amazing she lived through that. It's no wonder they made that info classified. "

The discussion was an interesting one, but Soarin didn't really have much to add. There were more important topics to get to, and he grew more annoyed over it, with a lingering hangover to antagonize it. And naturally something he was all too quick to make known.

"Not that this isn't an important conversation to have with the Princess of Love, but could we get back on track so I have something to contribute?"

Spitfire glanced over at the only stud in the group, more than happy to oblige him with something to contribute.

"Well, you’ve got two options if you want to contribute. Becky or Rainbow Dash, since you had your eyes on at least one of them all night."

That was true enough to get Fleetfoot snickering and jabbing an elbow into the now embarrassed stud’s side.

"And that's not the kick to the dome talking. Oh, and how'd that drinking challenge go for you?"

For as fuzzy as that night was, he was hoping they would have forgotten at least that part. Thankfully, Cadance was siding with Soarin on this one.

“Alright girls, that’s enough,” she asked them in a friendly voice, clearly humored by their banter, but more focused on getting things on track. “Soarin’ is right. We should stay on topic for now. We're not going to have much time to sit down and work on this formally after tonight. Not until Justin and Becky are settled in. At least then, we can move forward, bringing Justin in for an advisory role with future training.”

That was both a scary thought while also one that brought relief to Spitfire.

“I still can’t believe how bad I lost that fight, but thinking about it, he was right. Had I ducked under the kick and veered anywhere but hard left, she would have caught me and choked me out easily.”

The same concerns were shared by Fleetfoot as well, though for what could have happened had Cerb not instructed her.

“Thunder Glide was trained by Cutter, and I’ve never heard of anypony beating her at anything. Not until her daughter cheated with all those spells.”

They were getting off-topic again, and unfortunately for Fleetfoot, Cadance was far from agreeing with her take on the situation.

“They both knew what they were getting into when they challenged each other. Cutter, sadly, misjudged how strong her daughter had become while taking care of herself. Even still, she is willing to train with you, along with Justin. With that much greater effectiveness, I propose we should double the projected squadrons by the end of the year.”

“Double?” Spitfire said, completely blindsided by the number. "And who would we get to take command of the new squadron?"

Cadance looked down at Flurry Heart, still sound asleep, and smiled confidently.

“With Cerb assisting us, I think we can hold down four squadrons. Though, I believe we only need a twenty-five percent increase in recruits. And if I'm right, I think the who will be an obvious choice. Also, if the recent string of injuries tells us anything, it’s that we’re not ready for whatever is coming. Not if it means those we protect are left bloodied and maimed… and in the end, we’re still down one of our strongest Elements.”

From the sound of things, there were mixed messages being delivered. Some that were the entire reason Spitfire still had a bandage on her head. And it was at least part of that reason, she decided to ask a question she, along with a few others, had been hung up on for quite some time.

“So… are Cerberus or the other humans mortal or not? Everypony seems to think that he’s unstoppable.”

This question put Cadance in quite the conundrum. Cerb’s secrets still needed to be respected. Though she saw the scars on his body, so they should know he could very well need their protection. At the same time, if word got out that he might be mortal, that could make him a more vulnerable target. It was a tightrope she would have to walk with both wings tied behind her back.

“I cannot say if Justin actually is unstoppable or immortal. However, I can say that there is no pony or creature I can think of that could stop him, less he stop himself. As for being immortal, if Death came calling for him again, Justin would not be afraid to answer, telling Death to be mistaken. And if you have seen his scars as I have, I’m certain you would understand why Death would agree.”

Perhaps not clear, but it would do for now, and Cadance was ready to move onto the next topic.

“Anyway, you’ve seen the reserve unit’s facilities. I know it’s lacking for what we’re trying to expand to. What all will you need to get started with the limited availability we have?”

“Oof,” Soarin’ lamented out loud. “Yeah, I’ve spent the most time there and have more experience running the facilities for us. We’d need an actual air training compound like where we currently train. The sky course currently there is only good for requalifications. The galley couldn’t support a whole squadron, maybe the officer’s mess, but we’d need triple the staff to run a new galley large enough to handle that many recruits. As for the barracks… Actually, we’d need new everything, to be honest.”

Cadance sighed, figuring that would be the case and already mentally going over the financial headache that would follow.

“I was almost certain of that, but I was hoping we could have used what we have to get at least something started.”

The situation wasn’t good, although Spitfire did have one proposal that would get the most out of the time they would have waiting for a new training command.

“Princess, even with things as they are, I think we can get something started.”

Anything was better than the roadblocks they were facing now, and Cadance was all ears.

Thinking about it again, they needed this limited time to outline her idea, so Spitfire was going to keep it simple.

“Three seasoned Wonderbolts, three elite Solar Guards, three Elements, two rookie trainees that just earned their wings, and one very effective ex-military human willing to train all of us. The reservist station is exactly what we need to develop a new training program for more than just the Wonderbolts.”

Was that ever an option before? Combining so many different forces into one unified unit at the same time had never been done. That also wasn’t at all what Cadance had in mind, but how could it not work?

Outside of the fact that none of this was sanctioned or approved by Celestia.

That was likely going to be the biggest problem, and Cadance knew something was wrong, given all the updates she heard since coming back. Even considering how secretive and selectively distant Celestia could be, three was something off about how distant her adoptive aunt had become.

"Twilight is still responsible for anything involving our human allies. The whole point of this union relies on Justin's participation. I will bring our proposal to her, get the authority to proceed, then… Then I suppose we just hope this all works out."

Before she could offer some kind of follow up, Spitfire caught the most unusual sight out of the corner of her eye and had to call it out.

"Is that Rainbow Dash… pulling Becky around in a cart?"

Immediately drawing the eyes of all those present, that indeed did seem to be what was happening. Of course, there was only one sure way to find out, and Fleetfoot wanted to see this up close.

"Hey, Dash!"

Sure enough, that got Rainbow’s attention as well as waking up Flurry Heart. Then, as if by some supernatural force, the foal caught a glimpse of her Dolly.

Before any could react, Flurry was flying off too fast for Cadance to catch her.

Within only a few seconds, the inevitable happened.

"Dolly!"

The foal’s cry for her favorite living toy preceded a thud and Becky’s reaction to getting hit a little too hard in the chest by what was an adorable, living, magical missile.

"Ow! Right in the tit!"

Cadance, disappointed in herself, hung her head, already knowing the headaches this little event was foreshadowing in her future.

"I think my daughter is getting a little too attached to her Dolly and Big Dolly."

Since this was the first any of the Wonderbolts had seen such a display, they were thoroughly confused. Soarin, more than the others, was also concerned.

"Aren’t you going to go get her? I mean, aren't the human's dangerous?"

That question was taking Cadance’s statements out of context, and she didn’t want any of them getting the wrong idea.

"Relax, there’s no need for me to go get her. She won't leave Kelly’s side unless we drag her away, so I know she won't wander off. And Becky hasn't shown herself to be dangerous in the slightest, though she likely carries the same potential if angered like the others. But even with Justin, I have no reason to worry about any of them harming her. They’ve done nothing but protect and defend us, and with Rainbow protecting Becky, there’s no safer place she could be.”

Given all that praise, there was one important thing Cadance couldn’t afford these Wonderbolts not to know. Not if they were going to be around Becky in the days to come.

“That being said, Becky is the frailest of the seven. Her lungs are extremely weak. At no point can you allow her to inhale any smoke. While Justin may, in fact, be all that the others have claimed him to be, she is already dying. If anything were to happen to her, it could have grave consequences for all of Equestria.”

That certainly got their attention, but there was no time to explain with Becky getting closer. Though it had put the seasoned flyers on high alert.

“There is much you still do not know, but Becky is to be protected at all cost. That’s an order.”

The sudden dark turn left the three stunned, but they all gave a non-verbal acknowledgment to follow the command.

The four held their silence until Rainbow finally made it over to the group, happy to see the bunch out and about, completely ignorant to the palpable tension between the group.

“Hey there. We heard you were having a hard time with Flurry Heart and her Dolly withdrawals.”

Becky, safely buckled in her seat and bouncing the royal toy-master on her knee, perfectly fine with being assaulted by the cute ball of fluff and feathers.

“Either this cutie needs a leash, or I’m gonna have to start stuffing my bra. She hit me square in the boob.”

Thoroughly amused by the silly game of bouncing, Flurry giggled her heart away, leaving the Wonderbolts to fall in love with the scene, the previous concern forgotten. But, with Rainbow there, perhaps they could get some more input on their future plans. That was Cadance’s thoughts anyway.

Looking again, knowing how Becky felt, Cadance saw another chess piece to play in her favor.

“Becky, when you’re with us back in the Crystal Empire, would you mind us borrowing Rainbow Dash? We have some plans in mind to help Justin stay out of trouble while helping others to become more prepared to remove his need to jump into the fray again.”

Perfect. The look on Becky’s face told Cadance that her proposal was going to be much easier to work out with her support. Now all that was needed was to set the groundwork.

“Would you care to hear us out on what we have in mind?”

After an unscheduled knock on Granny's door came, she opened it to see a face she had been patiently waiting for.

"Princess," she graciously bowed and rose again, following Luna’s lead. "I've been expecting ya. Please come in. I'd fix ya up some tea, but uh… I don't exactly have the luxury of-"

"No, there is no need," Luna replied, trying not to burden the old mare. "We are in… Excuse me… I... am in service of you. I would not expect to be waited on when your current situation is of our doing."

Granny gave a heavy sigh; clearly, a lot had been on her mind. Wrestling with her thoughts appeared to have left her drained, all of it visible on her wearied body as she sat in her rocking chair.

"Taint nothing of yer doing, Princess. Miss Kelly and Big Macintosh explained what happened out there."

Getting properly seated, Granny adjusted herself again and groaned, a mix of discomfort and relief as a hip popped. Now comfortable in her seat, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for what was to come.

"Lumberman's taking good care uh' my Applejack… They any closer to stop pretending like they ain't fool'n no pony 'bout fixing to grow a garden and not just wait to see if the soil is worth the toil?"

Idioms and euphemisms weren't exactly Luna’s strong point, ironic given her previously more dramatic speech pattern, but that was pretty on the nose when coming from a farmer. Also a little funny given what Kelly had told her about her slang.

"Yes, indeed they have. I was, unfortunately, not in attendance yesterday, but I did hear how he asked her to be his only love. It was most endearing, and I am sure they have already begun to plow the field, as I’m to understand the phrase."

Double entendre aside, it was to be expected. Granny knew a lovesick pony when she saw one, something she’d learned quite well after the whole mishap given her history being blind to it before. A lovesick human wasn’t as easy to spot, but she could tell with him.

"Indeed," Granny answered, though she seemed a bit withdrawn after saying so. "You know… when Big Macintosh first gave away that he had eyes for Kelly, I thought about my youngest son, Bright Mac. Sure enough, Kelly must'uh been in the same predicament as my daughter-in-law, Pear Butter."

After a moment of silence, Granny took hold of what had been bothering her.

Luna had been quietly listening, though she looked to be not following along and waiting for something to bring her back in. Thankfully, Granny was just about to do so, clearly seeing Luna was out of the loop.

"Don't feel bad if ya don't recognize their names. Thems my grandfoal's parents. We lost'em not long after Applebloom was born. Don't talk about'em much on account 'uh..."

There was a lot to be said about no longer having her son and daughter-in-law with her. How hard it was for Applejack and Big Mac, the hole it left in their hearts. And that was to say nothing of how much it’d devastated her.

But this story was about before losing them, though the story of them falling in love and making their love complete was now just as painful to remember.

"I could'uh lost my boy, my beautiful new daughter, and my three grandfoals the day they married. They’d fallen in love in secret on account of how our families downright hated each other. We were bitter… spiteful… foolish."

She paused again for a moment. Old wounds were slowly reopening by the fear of new ones replacing them.

"I told Bright Mac it wasn't to be, and had I gotten my way, I'd 'uh stopped'em like a hailstorm stops a picnic. I tried to tell'em that we don't associate with Pears… and before I knew how blind and heartless I was, Pear Butter told her own father that she was an Apple now. That we were a part of her family."

The turning point was coming, and the pride she had for how strong that mare was and the joy she brought to the household only made the loss that much more painful.

"No quicker than she said she was an Apple, her father made her choose which family she would be a part of… She chose the family that didn't make her pick… and I loved her as my own ever since."

Instantly the love and pride she felt turned to deep filled ire and sorrow. A scowl that rivaled Luna’s on the worst of days was a frightening sight that could make the shadows on the wall retreat from the aging mare.

"The old fool never seen any ah his grandfoals or paid his respects since the day we lost them both. So as soon as I knew what Mac was fixen to do, let'n Kelly in’tuh our home so I could get tuh knowing her… but then the guards came and-"

Finally, she broke. The story was over, and only the cold hard truth of the matter remained.

"I stayed behind to let them slip away because there ain't no way, no how, I was gonna lose another… And I was the same way with bringing in Lumberman because I saw Applejack found a love she was scared to tell me about."

The tears in her eyes started to pool too large, and the streams began to fall as she sobbed.

"I told Big Mac and Applejack stories about The Pony of Shadows to keep them away from that place… and that’s exactly where they went. Had that Benny feller not been there and… That wretched Pony of Shadows… Is he the one responsible for my baby get’n hurt? Is he still out there? Did Benny really stop him?"

Luna’s instinct to comfort the grieving old mare was abruptly stopped by the harsh truth that she didn't know. This old mare didn't need pretty words or some passionate speech. Granny needed to know those entrusted to protect her subjects were doing their job. She needed to know that what she had been told was true.

"I share your concerns, but Macintosh has proven himself more than capable. Not just to keep himself safe, but Kelly and Applejack as well. If not him, Lumberman and the others would fight without hesitation."

She stood up with a new mission she was dead set on accomplishing.

"There is a dinner at Twilight’s tonight. I invite you to join us, but I will not tell you lies or well wishes with empty promises."

She reached the door and stopped, knowing her impulses were not rational. She had no plan, but one was quickly coming to mind. Though in her haste, she was leaving her business with Granny unfinished.

"I trust what I have been told of the demise of The Pony of Shadows, but you deserve a princess willing to take action when action is needed."

She stood defiantly at the door, despite Granny Smith not advocating for the action implied, though Luna was unwilling to listen.

"When next we speak, I will have seen to it that my own eyes have verified my answers to your questions. You deserve nothing less."

Something felt very different with Luna as she abruptly left the room. It felt shameful that she had not bothered to return to her old castle to investigate this matter earlier. Even with the emotional spat with her sister and the power struggle between them, this should have been obvious for any of them; to verify Benny's story.

True, she did plan on verifying how safe the castle was before reclaiming it. She hadn’t specifically thought of The Pony of Shadows being a threat to look for. Getting away from and clearing out their old home to prove she was not as irresponsible as her sister had been her goal.

This time, her intentions were of duty. It wasn’t serving the Night Court or dealing with the Canterlot elite. She wasn’t trying to improve the appearance and ambiance of Canterlot Castle—as if that ever mattered or was even appreciated by Celestia to begin with. This wasn’t even the same as patrolling the dreams of her subjects. She was taking direct action to meet their needs and had done so at her own volition.

For the first time, perhaps since wearing her crown again... she was acting like the leader she and her sister were helping Twilight to be. Finally being the leader that she should have been all along felt as if the stress and emotional weight could actually be shouldered again.

The door to Granny's room closed behind her, and Astir was again at Luna’s side.

"Princess, was there a problem speaking with Granny Smith? You left rather abruptly."

Luna’s pace was fast enough to warrant concern, that was clear even to her. Thus, her response did not hide her aggressive urgency.

"There was a problem. One that I shall deal with personally. However, alert the guard. I need all hooves on deck. Inform my battalion that our security for both events needs to be bolstered, as well as additional patrols assigned out over town… discretely."

Thinking this was something serious, Astir didn't even waste time asking for an explanation.

"What about you, Princess? Where do I need to send the guard to protect you?"

Luna stopped upon reaching an intersection, a stern look of determination carved into her face. She would need more than her usual accompaniment.

"I will select them myself, but be gone with your task. I must ask a favor that may require some persuasive measures I would rather you not bear witness to."

Astir gulped and nodded, fearful of what Luna would do that she would not want others to see… and to whom, for that matter.

"Right away, Princess."

After letting off some steam, Ember had returned to Ponyville to rejoin the other delegates but couldn't find them. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

After the fifth pony ran away from her screaming, which did very little to improve her mood, she returned to Rarity’s, hoping to find at least somepony she knew.

She did. Two in fact, plus another creature she had been interested in meeting. The downfall was that he was bigger and much stronger looking than the ponies had implied.

Too big and too strong to turn down for what she wanted.

Of course, wanting wasn’t the same as getting, and her best attempts at bargaining had failed. Now she was just trying to find any excuse to start a trade.

"Sharing and sacrificing important stuff is what you ponies do, right? You can share Peter with Twilight. Or Chris and all the ponies he has. The Dragon Lands don’t have any humans. It’s only fair you let me exchange something for Justin."

Had it not been for Cerb quietly reminding his two mares that international war was a real thing that he didn't want to be drug into, a fight would have broken out. It was that alone that had restrained the three ladies from any acts of violence. Though this literal dragon lady was certainly testing Rarity’s patience.

Being the Element of Generosity had its limits, which had been passed near the start of all this. Now Rarity was hoping for Ember to slip up and make the first move.

"We are not interested! And Chris is happy taking on as many mares as he can. Why not try wasting your time asking them? I'm sure Starlight would love to hear you wanted to take away her special somehuman. Better yet, ask Twilight. She at least can help you chill your ambitions of stealing away any of our humans. "

Ember was grinding her teeth, struggling to keep her calm as well. Had not it been for the potential war Cerb mentioned breaking out, her tactics used on others would have been considered. However, out of all the reasons she could have had, she at least had some reasonable ones.

"Just like with you two, Twilight is a friend of mine. So I'm not going to up and take your mans away from you. Also, Peter is nice, but he's not a warrior, which is what I need to keep the dragon horde strong. And Chris is taking care of young that aren't even his. They're from ponies that would have to raise them on their own... I may be a dragon, but I'm not heartless."

While that may not have been anything they were willing to give Cerb up for, it did make them all take stock of what she was really after.

"You… don't want to take Chris away because he might be raising somepony else's foals?"

Considering how Rarity had ended up helping Spike with her ascension to the throne, Ember had no reason not to be honest with them.

"Look, I'm not after him just so I can add something more to my treasure trove. We dragons may be strong and incredibly tougher than you ponies, but our population has dropped a lot over the last couple hundred years. We need more strong dragons, but I’ll gladly take a human if he can keep our next generation safe."

The concept of “honesty” wasn't a commonly shared virtue amongst dragons, but Ember could tell the ponies were lowering their guard now. So, maybe it was working for her.

"Twilight told me all about your rutting. It sounds like something ponies would do, and I can't think of a dragon alive that I would want to be doing that to me."

She relented for a moment. Thinking about how poorly her potential partners looked to her. Most of those thoughts ended when she had no idea if they even had a dick to fuck her with, nor if they even would. Hell, she didn’t even know if she was capable of having sex at this point.

Still, if it was a possibility, she was damn sure she wasn’t going to let it pass and was ready to use whatever means she had.

"Rarity, Fluttershy, if you haven't noticed, dragons aren't exactly nice to be around. We're mean, we fight all the time, and we're terrible at looking out for each other… We're also covered in hard scales, spikes, horns, and claws. So, if just shaking a human's hand can feel that nice, I like the idea of having a partner that wouldn't hurt me every time he touched me."

That actually made Cerb assume a lot of things that made Ember's life sound terrible. Unfortunately, a lot of what she just described only further incentivized him to reject her idea outright.

Heck, she didn’t even get into the whole living in rocky caves full of lava. Much like a wingless Spike, that wasn’t going to fly.

Still, he certainly understood her position and couldn’t leave her empty clawed. Thus, he immediately thought of a powerful and frankly obvious substitute.

"Why not try courting Spike, or is he too young?"

Now there was a thought that hadn't hit Ember. Hell, she’d never even considered it.

"Spike? He's not a lot younger than me, but he hasn't even had his first molt yet. Also, he may have started to toughen up, but he wouldn't make it in the Dragon Lands. He also doesn't feel nearly as good as you do, Justin. I've… never had another creature make anything feel nice like that. Spike likes to hug me, but that’s nothing compared to what I know you can do, and if I have to deal with anything like what Twilight is going through, I'm going to need that to stay sane… though I’d settle for safe."

Well, while not the senseless act of lust Cerb first thought it to be, it was sympathetic in some ways. He actually felt bad for her.

Unfortunately, that sympathy only went so far.

"Princess, I apologize for the confusion, but what you're asking for is simply unreasonable. To ask that we give up what we have isn’t going to happen. It’s just the three of us."

That just wasn't going to do for this Dragon Lord, and she stood tall with her scepter firmly in her grip.

"Then I challenge Rarity and Fluttershy both in a show of strength for the family rights to Justin."

No better words for chaos could have been uttered in front of these two mares, but Fluttershy was the closest to initiate.

"We agree with only a few rules."

Behind the two, Cerb saw exactly where this was going, which scared him and prompted him to attempt to intervene.

"Hey, wait! Don’t I get a say in this?!"

Rarity, much like Fluttershy, was just as determined to put an end to this. If a formal challenge was going to be made, then the need for civility was over.

"Of course you do, Justin. Just let us take care of this matter, and then you may voice your opinion.”

Having never taken her eyes off of Ember, Rarity gave all her attention to the Dragon Lord, not even bothering to offer any further follow-ups to Justin’s comment.

“Rule one, as per our tradition when settling these disputes, it will be determined by the best two out of three."

Fluttershy was already in sync with her partner and ready with the next.

"Rule number two. No permanent damage or lethal attacks can be used."

Rarity, fully focused on the matter at hand, gave no brakes for the next.

"Three, if a fighter is injured to the point they can no longer continue, or tap out, that ends the match."

Ember stared at the two, a little surprised that they didn't back down. At the same time, if these two became as strong and confident as they were now was Cerb’s doing, that was even greater incentive to make him her own.

"Okay… Then let's make this easier. I'll take you both on at once. If I defeat you both at the same time, then that shows that I deserve the right to replace both of you."

Rightfully confident, both mares agreed in unison.

"Fine by us."

Ember, overly confident, grinned, and readied her staff.

"Good! Then let's get started. I’m ready, but don’t think that just because we’re frie-Hey!"

Before Ember even knew what was happening, her staff was glowing in Rarity’s aura and ripped out of her hands.

Taken by surprise and distracted by her weapon floating away, she failed to notice the collection of ropes and ribbons flying behind her.

The bindings quickly wrapped around both her wrists, then pulled together to restrain her arms. Still in shock, she nearly yelped but found her muzzle bound tightly shut in pink ribbon.

Not to be left out of the fight, Fluttershy had flown upside down, running along the ceiling, and made her way around the dragoness, swooped down, and gripped Ember tightly around her waist from behind.

Giving one quick grunt, she lifted Ember up, slamming her headfirst into the floorboards behind them with a German Suplex.

Ember's wings and tail went limp... The fight was over.

Ember woke to the sight of an ill-tempered Luna sipping tea, sitting in a chair across from her.

As soon as their eyes met, Luna got started by skipping the pleasantries.

“Well… I’m hoping you got that out of your system,” Luna, very annoyed, stated it more as a rhetorical question. “Just to be clear, you lost.”

Now, this was embarrassing, which caused Ember to quickly sit up, only to have her explanation thwarted by a cup of tea hovering in front of her. She turned to see Rarity sitting with Fluttershy, both of them sharing a chair just big enough to fit the two, and Cerb standing behind them. She looked down to see she had been laid safely on a… surprisingly comfortable fainting couch.

Cerb, ready to move on from this, had been busy while she was out. With Ember awake, he wanted to bring her up to speed.

“First of all, not me, or any of my friends, are to be treated as spoils of war. Second, had you won and tried to cart me off, not only would I not have gone willingly, you would have started a war because of it.”

Luna gave an angry sip of her tea then stared the dragoness down.

“I understand that our Kingdom’s recent allegiance has not been fully formulated. However, given the unfamiliarity with the temptation Justin and the others present, as well as the relations that have developed...” She took a deep breath and grumbled for a moment before continuing. “As well as Justin’s persistence to not take action and keep our countries risking a direct conflict, we are willing to overlook this as a... cultural misunderstanding. Something we all can learn from.”

It was then that Ember realized her prized staff was nowhere to be found. Even worse, she was surrounded, outnumbered, and her only protection was likely coming from the human she tried to steal. If not for him, things would have likely turned out a lot worse, considering two of the ponies surrounding her had completely dominated the fight before she even knew what happened.

In other words, she’d be a fool not to comply.

“I’m sorry. Dragon culture is typically very confrontational,” she quickly answered, making up her apology on the spot, even if it was true. “I guess I got carried away after not understanding how ponies deal with exchanges like this, and I resorted to how I would normally solve a problem. But, since this was all a misunderstanding, could I request a favor that we not let any others know that I am this deep in your debt?”

Rarity, who had been against being this civil, nearly choked on her tea. From what she just heard, this sounded awfully familiar to something Applejack had dealt with after saving Spike.

“Beg your pardon, but I’m hoping this doesn’t have something to do with the Dragon Code.”

Ember turned her eyes away and clenched her claws. She held an angry glare towards the unoccupied sales floor. It was almost good enough to hide the shame and fear behind it all.

“Yes… I challenged you for something that is, understandably, of great value. Too valuable for me to request without offering something of equal value… which I didn’t do.”

Luna slowly facehoofed, remembering the problems that came from the last Dragon Code incident that left Spike as Applejack’s personal slave for a short period of time. He couldn’t be bought off or persuaded and was bound to her until he could repay what he was owed for her saving his life, despite her best attempts to weasel out of his persistence.

Timberwolf Kings were much easier to deal with back then.

“Oh, goddamnit. I don’t need this right now. We! We don’t need this right now. I’ve already wasted too much time as it is.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Knowing the kind of drama that could stem from this new attachment ruined her taste for tea.

“Can’t you just… decree that the Dragon Code doesn’t apply to your fuck up or something?”

Ember shook her head, both angry as well as concerned.

“I can excuse others from obligations of the Dragon Code if it was applied incorrectly or violated by the receiving dragon, but I can’t void myself of it just because I lost.”

That sounded too convenient, and Rarity was going to call her out.

“Bullshit. Why not?”

Glancing over the fact that Ember didn’t know what “bullshit” meant, she was obligated to answer.

“Because, if I violate the Dragon Code, I lose my position as Dragon Lord. That means there will be another Gauntlet of Fire to determine the next Dragon Lord, and none of us want that.”

This was getting complicated, and of course, Cerb didn’t understand why or how.

“What’s this Gauntlet of Fire, and why can’t you-”

“I can’t win,” Ember shamefully admitted, gritting her teeth. “The Gauntlet of Fire is a competition to find a new Dragon Lord. That means I can’t compete. Neither can my father or Spike. Which means the next dragon most likely to win is-”

“Garble!” Rarity shouted, clearly shaken by this. “If he becomes Dragon Lord, Equestria is soooo fucked!”

All eyes were on Rarity, though only Ember had some semblance of a clue as to why. Or at least she thought she did and would contend to as much.

“I know Garble is a major jerk, but he’s not that bad.”

This hadn’t been shared earlier, but Rarity knew something only Twilight and Spike had been around to hear.

“Garble isn’t just a jerk. He holds a grudge against ponies because of Spike and us. Before the last Gauntlet of Fire, we overheard him admitting that he wanted payback for being humiliated. Once he was done with us, he said they would burn the rest of Equestria. So even with Justin with us, that’s a war too widespread for Equestria to risk.”

In spite of not having the finer details, Cerb could see the ridiculous problem now presented.

“So… you owe a debt, with no calculable value, that you have to repay or Equestria goes to war with a nation of dragons. Fan-fucking-tastic.”

Again, Ember had to break more bad news, and this one she felt the worst about.

“Actually, I challenged both Rarity and Fluttershy, so I owe both of them separately.”

So much for just keeping things swept under the rug. Now they were stuck with her, but at least Fluttershy had one stipulation in mind to start things off.

“Well, if you’re bound to your Dragon Code, then you can start paying us back by vowing to protect Justin and the rest of his friends.”

Rarity, after quickly thinking about it, given the kind of danger she was sure they would eventually be facing, realized that was probably the fastest way to work off her debt. For that to happen, Rarity extracted Ember’s staff from under a pile of fabric and returned it.

“Unfortunately, we have no desire to keep you bound to us. So unless you have a better way to meet your end of the deal, we welcome you to join us at the Castle of the Two Sisters. We will be leaving shortly.”

Ember retook control of her staff, letting its power return to her. She still had the connection to it, and would continue to do so as long as she obliged their requests.

“I’ll go. What do you need me to do there?”

Cerb knew the dangers and didn’t want to risk any surprises by leading the Dragon Lord in blindly.

“Three nights ago, Benny was attacked by a demi-god slash demon of nightmares and shadows. He took it down, but we’re going back to verify he’s dead.”

If that was how it was going to be, Luna wasn’t going to turn down the extra firepower.

“The Pony of Shadows, as far as we can tell, is an extension of my former self, Nightmare Moon. Only he’s bigger, has the ability to manifest your nightmares, and can project jagged blades from his body. That’s actually how Benny was injured. However, The Pony of Shadows might be responsible for the Timberwolve’s attack and the events leading up to it.”

She placed down her teacup, knowing who else she would need to speak with.

“Thank you for the tea, Rarity. Now let’s get moving. We have a few more stops to make.”

Ember continued bringing up the rear with Cadance, though she thought it curious that this Princess would be joining along. Not just joining, Cadance was almost frighteningly assertive that she would be joining back at Twilight’s castle earlier. Given how far they’d fallen back from the others they were now, she figured she could kill some time by asking and flew in a little closer to the princess to do so.

“So… this Pony of Shadows… You’ve got a grudge against him, or are you coming along for Justin’s sake?”

Cadance stayed on course but turned an ugly eye to the Dragon Lord. That question wasn’t getting an answer if it was phrased like that. However, Ember was starting to pick up on some of the more subtle pony expressions.

“You’ve had your eyes on him the whole way over here. Not your husband or Benny. What am I supposed to think?”

Perhaps Cadance had been overly focused on Cerb, but how could she not. Maybe Ember didn’t know about Cerb’s injuries that had yet to heal.

For sure, this dragoness couldn’t have known what Shining did. Even if she did, Cadance wouldn’t dare speak it out loud.

“No offense, but I don’t think you know him like we do, so you probably shouldn’t be calling him by his proper name.”

She shot another glare over to Ember, knowing that was a step too far for her to demand. “Just a suggestion. He’s particular about the names others refer to him as. Otherwise, I have taken great interest in him. All of our human friends have inner problems that they need help with solving. I have volunteered my services at the request of Fluttershy and Rarity for just that. I can’t very well keep my word if something were to happen to him or his friends.”

Much of that was likely true, and given how little Twilight had explained to her earlier, she couldn’t refute it. Although, she could tell there was something else there.

“Okay, but why all this extra protection if they’re so powerful?”

Even if Ember was a fellow princess, regardless if she was a dragoness, Cadance could see the same attraction the Dragon Lord had for Cerb. That told her more than enough about why Ember was there, but she wasn’t about to share that common ground. An easier path would be to keep Ember focused elsewhere.

“Justin was injured only two days ago. Blood-related injuries to his shoulder and ribs. He also has another injury to his leg that may slow him down. Even if he is immortal, which has yet to be seen, any injury he receives leaves all of us at risk.”

Suddenly all this talk of risks and the level at which all the royals were getting involved sounded frighteningly familiar. Ember started to realize what she had gotten herself into now that she wasn’t so focused on Cerb.

“This is another one of those end of the world things Twilight was writing to me about and not a friendship problem, isn’t it?”

This was a dangerous game being played by ponies, and now dragons. Cadance would have to be cautious of how close they could get to a human without losing something dear to them while keeping the world safe. Even now, Cadance didn’t know where she was standing on that line with Shining. Not when Shining was telling her wherever she stood, he’d be standing there with her.

Perhaps now it would be best if Cadance had them both stay focused on the current threat.

“The Pony of Shadows was going to use the humans to restore Nightmare Moon and destroy the entire world. If he’s still alive, no creature is safe, and I have a family as well as a Kingdom of my own to protect. So, if you’re worried at all about yours, keep Justin and the others safe. If you take care of him and his friends, they’ll take care of you.”

Despite how things had gone, Ember felt she could trust the Princess of Love.

If Cadance’s affinity for Cerb was as Ember saw it, she could at least trust her to keep their mutual interest safe. For now, she needed to let Cadance know where her allegiances lay if she stood a chance to pay off her debt. Perhaps even win Cerb over in the long run.

“We’re all in this together, Princess. Even without your Pony of Shadows, I know all too well our kingdoms are in danger if we don’t stand together to keep them safe.”

High tension grew between the two in their silence as the castle came into view. To both their relief, Midnight and Ralph rejoined the formation with news to give them something else to focus on.

“The landing zone is clear, Princess,” Midnight informed Luna. “As per your suggestion, we have two teams of three up as overwatch. I've instructed the remaining three pony teams to standby for your order to advance through the castle and locate The Pony of-”

“No,” Luna ordered. “We shall lead ourselves. Have the remaining teams cover our retreat if needed and stay on alert for signs of danger. If the Pony of Shadows is still down there, we alone shall face him. You are not equipped to even approach him, and will accompany us as support only.”

Luna was following Benny’s lead with Shining and Midnight at her side. Not far behind them, Thunder, Helix, Cadance, and Ralph stayed in the center to support either Benny’s team taking point, cover their retreat, or do the same for those behind them.

Supporting the rear was Cerb, along with Rarity, Fluttershy, and Ember. They were the heavy hitters if shit got hot.

On their journey, despite having told all the others there was nothing to be concerned about earlier, both Benny and Cerb made their approach as if trouble could lay around every corner.

Weapons were at the ready as they advanced. Slow, deliberate steps taken to minimize noise, and hand gestures were used at every corner. They were taking no chances even as they came across the shattered remains of the defeated, just as Benny had left them.

“This is it,” Benny informed the teams as he pointed at the broken shards, though there seemed to be significantly less than he remembered.

For Luna and Cadance particularly, they were surprised by how much had remained.

“Benny?” Luna cautiously asked. “In your story, the sphere that arose, how large was it?”

Looking over the pieces again, Benny tried to recall the specifics but could only offer an estimate at best.

“I dunno. Maybe a little larger than a bowling ball. Why?”

Cadance levitated up one of the shards. After closely examining it, she closed her eyes and projected a beam of pink light onto it. One that Cerb remembered seeing before.

“Hey, Candy. What are you scanning for?”

It took Cadance only a few seconds, but once her scan was complete, she had her answers.

“Ever since I was put in charge of the Crystal Empire, there was always a threat of King Sombra returning. To help make sure we could detect his presence early if needed, I made improvements to our magic detection spells.”

Shining quickly stood next to Cadance, proud to expand upon her skills.

“Cadance is a lot better at using the spell than I am, but older versions can only tell the spell caster where one particular magic might be, a trail it leaves behind, or how strong it is. This version can tell you what type of magics are found, how strong they are, what they’re attached to-”

“Or if it’s active,” Cadance finished saying for him, eyes still focused on the shard. “Which… this isn’t? Though it does explain why there are so many shards left behind. Luna? If you would care to see for yourself?”

Luna stepped closer to Cadance and let their horns touch to share the spell. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, looking more baffled than relieved.

“It’s Dark Magic, much like mine.” She tilted her head towards the side, visually examining the shard again. “-But it has been tainted by Hopeless Magic. And the strands have been restructured. More rigid, reinforced by… I don’t even know?”

Not impressed or exactly following along, Ember stepped up and picked up one of the shards and sniffed it.

“Okay, this is odd. I have no idea what you’re talking about, but this crystal is all wrong.”

Cerb, being the least pony or magical of the bunch, had to pump the breaks and figure out what was going on.

“Hold up. One thing at a time. Can you tell us if he’s dead? Then, explain what you’re all talking about?”

Twilight sat between Luna and Ember, hanging on every detail.

“He is still dead? Right?”

Luna held one of the shards in her hoof she had been explaining to Twilight.

“That pony, as Benny claimed, is super mother fucking dead. And while I have yet to be as proficient in the scanning spell Cadance used, what she showed me explains just how dead he is.”

Ember reached into a pouch and pulled out another piece she had collected, then stuck it in her mouth like it was a lollipop.

“I’ve had my fair share of magic-infused crystals, and what she said explains why it smells and tastes so weird.”

Twilight continued to look it over and attempted to recreate the spell Cadance used while Luna gave her explanation.

“The Dark Magic that condensed itself after The Pony of Shadows body was destroyed, refined itself into the most simplistic form it could to remain tangible so as not to dissipate.”

“A crystal?” Twilight asked, confirming she knew at least that much.

Luna nodded, softly, eyes still drifting back to the shard she held.

“Yes, but the shape was the first thing that should have told us something was wrong.”

Next to Twilight, there was a snap and a crack inside Ember’s mouth, and the dragoness quickly spat out the bits of crystal, -like she had bitten into something rancid.

“Ack! Bleck!” She covered her mouth and tried not to dry heave. “Emph!”

“A perfect example”, Luna said with a sigh, though was doing her best not to laugh at Ember’s misfortune.

“The crystal took the form of the Hopeless Magic that had tainted the Dark. Not just in each individual string, but the whole lot of them.”

After rinsing her mouth with Top Shelf’s concoction, Ember was ready to explain her bit.

“Uck… Alright, so… uck… Every crystal type has their own flavor. The higher the quality of the crystal, or the more carats, the better the flavor. Even a better cut and polish can refine or degrade how good it tastes. But if you add magic to it, that’s just a whole new layer of deliciousness. Or in the case of Hopeless Magic, completely ruin it.”

The flavor concept was a good lead-in for Luna’s next part.

“Typically, when the linked source of magic is separated from a construct, they revert back to uncoordinated ambient magic and disperse as mist or light. Only small bits, or trace amounts, of the construct will remain if their separation is incomplete.”

Cadance, returning with some drinks, was ready to give the more technical name.

“Incomplete de-conjuring anomalies, but this was at a much larger scale. Something stopped the magic from deconstructing.”

Ember, picking back up where she left off, carefully nibbled on the crystal.

“Yeah, so I don’t know much about all the other types of magic that exist out there, but I know how the quality of magic based on the smell and taste. The really weak flavored parts are magic that’s wimpy, or in this case, damaged. The full-flavored crystals have strong vibrant magic in them. But then there’s these other bits that run up the entire length that are-”

One of her teeth chipped off a portion that she had been looking for and her expression was a mix of having an orgasm and Sniff overindulging himself on the many fine foods he’s sampled.

“Mmmmm. It tastes like how Justin’s hands feel.”

That comment caused some questionable looks for the other Princesses, to which Ember was apologetically confused.

“What? Oh, come on. You all know what I mean. Especially you, Twilight.”

Under the table, Twilight kicked Ember in the shin, a reminder to shut up about what was told to her in confidence.

“Ow!” Ember yelped, angry for a moment, but knew she’d given herself enough problems as is. “Uh… I got a sliver stuck between my teeth… but yeah. There’s some incredibly strong Dark Magic that tastes really good in there. It’s like a pile of the best Dark Magic crystals all jammed into the size of a jewel to horde… or wear if you’re a pony. It’s just so good.”

That brought Cadance back to the last point Luna had trouble explaining.

“This strong Dark Magic-”

“Like human hands kind of good,” Ember added, not making her situation any less sad.

Cadance, doing her best to ignore that, started over.

"This strong Dark Magic, for whatever reason, is so potent that the other strands of magic have all fractured… but also haven't dissipated. Almost like one is self-sufficient while the other is simply disconnected from everything around it."

As the conversation continued, Ember started to gag again, having found another section of the parts with such horrifically tasting magic. While amusing, Cadance stayed on topic.

"If fear makes humans vulnerable to magic, this reinforced band could be from when Benny was scared. And just as impressive, he was able to break it while angry."

Another theory to add to the collection, but it was one Luna was willing to follow along with, given how concerning this possibility was.

"All the more reason to continue our mutually beneficial relationships with our humans."

That suddenly reminded her of one human who had not returned, nor the guard assigned to him.

The fact no one else had noticed started to put her on edge.

"Why is Chris not here? And where is Onyx?"

Thankfully, Cadance just so happened to have that information and was all too happy to share it.

"Well, it seems that Berry Punch and the foals were nervous about being left alone, so Chris agreed to stay back with Sunburst, Flurry, Spike, and the rest of the younger delegates. Besides, aren't the rest of his mares out tonight?"

Having watched the sunset while enjoying some fine slices of bread, Starlight laid cuddled up with Prim watching the stars light up the sky, one by one. With this laid back approach being a new experience for Starlight, she began to share her thoughts.

"You know, while having sex in the clouds wouldn’t be a bad idea, I’m kinda glad we got it out of our systems before our date."

Prim held Starlight a little tighter, enjoying her company far more than the sights.

"I think I know what you mean. I love the way you make me feel, and it's just as fun doing it to you, but this is nice. Just a regular date like normal ponies."

Starlight laughed at the insinuation, grabbing a hoof-ful of cloud fluff and tossing it in Prim’s face.

"Normal? Not even close. I think we're all a lot better off being the seven of us. Normal would have been only one of us fighting to keep a stallion and five of us getting left out in the cold."

Prim stroked her hooves up Starlight’s chest and giggled.

"You know what I mean. We’re not meeting up in secret. We’re just sharing each other's company over a meal, watching the stars come out… Not making each other cum out."

That was funny enough to warrant another display of affection, and Starlight turned herself over to lay face to face with her date.

"It's still so hard to believe that not only did we not know about this, but that it could feel so amazing. Mmm, and to think that I have so many… Hmm… I don't really think friends is the right word anymore."

Prim showed her agreement with a kiss and then smiled back.

"Well, we're all dating, so we're definitely more than friends. Does it feel weird having five marefriends?"

New to this position, Starlight made herself comfortable, laying over Prim much like she would with Chris to open up about their expansive romantic partners.

“I was struggling to make friends even with Twilight’s help. It wasn’t until I met Chris and actually talked to him that I started to really make it work. Because of him, I met all of you, instantly became friends, and after only a few days we decided to become more. I don’t know how to feel other than happy. Beyond happy, really. It feels like I’m never alone and I can go to any of you for anything, and I want to be there for all of you.”

It was getting on in the hours, and being this close to her date was getting Starlight back into the mood. The opportunity to fool around in a cloud had her rubbing her legs between Prim’s, hoping to get her interested.

“I’m so glad Chris has shown us how great our time with each other can be. I can’t imagine us having to run back and forth fighting for our time with him.”

Feeling no resistance, she raised her head out of their close embrace and started to press her lips to Prims, slowly letting her tongue slip into her lovers to test the amount of lust they had for each other. It was definitely getting close to the point of breaking in a cloud, which would be a first.

“Mmm, I really want to get you in with us so we can do you and can do what I did last night. Even if you can’t have Chris like I can yet, it was so much better having all of us taking care of each other.” She giggled and pressed her hips into Prims. “Granted, most attention was on me, but we’re trying to get more of you girls up to where I am.”

Having heard the story earlier that day, Prim wrapped her legs around Starlight, eager to share the experience.

"Just how much does it really hurt if you're not regretting your choice?"

Starlight quietly laughed in a hum but then started to think about it.

"It really did hurt a lot. Probably the worst pain I've ever felt… but I suppose it didn't hurt for that long. It also didn’t hurt as bad or for as long the second time. Soooo how about we see how well Red fairs with her practicing? I don’t want you suffering through what I did. Not when I can keep you cumming all on my own.”

Things were getting heated and Prim could feel an ear twitch coming on.

“You think we have enough time to dampen this cloud any more than we made my bed?”

That sounded like something Starlight would like to find out.

“We’ll have to make it quick if we’re going to make it in timmmmme f-oh shit. The dinner! It’s already dark! We’re gonna be late! Awe, fuck! The girls are probably waiting for us at Cream’s house, but I don't know where she lives yet. I wasn’t with Chris when he went there.”

Cheerilee was being greatly entertained by old photos of the good old days.

"Oh, my word. Look at how cute you are in this one. You must have still been young back when this was taken. I had my mane styled that same way for a while. Actually, thinking about it, Mayor Mare pulled off the look a lot better than I did, and oh… Emph… The skirt she wore at our graduation? Had I only know what we could have done then, I don’t think Chris wouldn't have been my first."

Cream chuckled at the thought, then realized something that didn't sound right.

"Hold on. You and our Mayor went to school together?"

Cheerilee smiled, but admitting it was dating herself quite a bit, or at least felt like it.

"Yes, we did. Mayor Mare and I are actually the same age. After graduation, I got into teaching and she got into politics. And between you and me, it must have been hard on her, because her mane started to grey a lot faster than any other mare I've seen. Not even Big Mac was born when it started, I think."

This made Cream look at Cheerilee in a whole new light. To which, the teacher took notice.

"I know, I know. I'm one of the lucky few that time tends to be kind to. I honestly don't feel a day over twenty. However, Mayor is also lucky in some ways. She says she feels old, and her silver hair would agree, but her body looks just as young and spry as it did when we were in school together."

It would have been rude for Cream to ask the teacher her age, but given her performance, it didn't seem to matter. What did matter was her interest in mares.

"I think we should all go to see Rarity and get our own skirts. Chris really seemed to enjoy seeing Starlight in hers. I'm sure he'd love to help us strip out of ours. Although my cheerleader outfit could be fun."

Cheerilee giggled at the thought of Chris helping her undress, but only really seemed to be able to think past the panties being removed.

"She really did look good in it though, and I wish you could have been there last night after we got her out of it."

After hearing that, Cream closed up her photo album and dropped it off to the side.

“Okay, I believe we’ve had enough bonding time, and don’t think I didn’t catch on to what you were doing when you went into detail about last night with Chris, Starlight, and Redheart. If I didn’t want to get to know you better, I would have told you to show me what you did the next morning with Red instead of asking you to tell me more later.”

It was true, Cheerilee was hoping to get Cream into bed early, and she couldn’t have been less discrete about it even now. She leaned in closer, resting her hoof over Cream’s thigh, matching Cream’s gaze with her bedroom eyes.

“Well… it’s later. Do you still want me to tell you?”

Cream leaned in towards Cheerilee, matching her stare.

“No… Show me.”

After having to hold out since yesterday afternoon, Cream’s request was just to say she was ready. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the lead and pushed Cheerilee down to the couch so aggressively. It had taken her a while, but in her mind, she had reasoned this was what she wanted.

“I can’t hold out any longer. It’s kind of weird doing this without Chris joining us, but I need this. And if Cheerilee and I can connect this way, and she wants me like Chris does, then I want her too. Ohh, she’s such a good kisser, too. Then there’s that sweet smell, I can’t deny that I enjoyed myself yesterday with her. Even taking turns with Chris, feeling how wet she left Chris’s cock, tasting her on him… I shouldn’t have waited this long. No pony else did.”

Thinking time was over, and Cream was ready to give herself to the harem completely the same way the others had. She just needed to stay as aggressive as she was now.

“Mmmph,” she groaned lustfully as she pulled herself free from their hungry kiss. “You just lay there for me. I need to start loving my mares just as much as they’re going to love me.”

Cheerilee knew this was big for Cream. She was fine with kissing and holding but was slow to do anything else Chris hadn’t guided or her helped her through. Going down on another mare on her own volition was new for her, and she was doing it after going without getting off longer than the other girls.

It should have been Cheerilee taking care of Cream first to help her be more comfortable with herself. Instead, for now, she would support her fellow mare by letting her do as she pleased.

Cream was too excited to give any further explanation as she started to crawl back. She wasn’t even sure if she was doing it for Chris, Cheerilee, or herself. All seemed plausible, but she couldn't rule out any of them. Regardless, she knew she wanted it.

When she got down low enough, there laid her prize. Hot, wet, and all the sweetness it offered drifting up to her. It was everything Chris was after, and she needed it to keep what she wanted, yet was drawn to it herself.

She lowered her lips, the scent of Cheerilee’s desire impossibly strong. There was no question about it, she was already licking between the soft folds, and it was wonderful.

She went in again, pressing in between those damp mounds. Just like before, it tasted so good, but even without the need to please Chris, it was something she could indulge in. Just as pleasing as it was yesterday, it left her wanting more, diving deeper to please her partner.

It was so much more than an act to please her fellow mare. It was feeding her own desires to feel something. She couldn’t even remember how long she'd been raising her only child alone- it didn't matter here. Cheerilee was with her, giving herself, comforting, and sharing with her. This mare had the compassion she'd been looking for, somepony to keep close and love. After all this time, she found what she was longing for.

At the same time, Cheerilee saw a fellow mare in need. Wanting and eager to explore that which could bring them closer. Together, they would fill that emptiness inside, though this was going to take some guidance from the teacher to help this milf. And her practice with Redheart and Starlight while with Chris had let her see where this mare needed help.

“Mmm, that feels good, but slow down a little,” Cheerilee asked in a comforting tone.

Cream stopped, peering over Cheerilee’s tits, looking like a student caught acting up. The blissful smile on Cheerilee’s face let Cream stay calm, but she was still unsure of what she was doing wrong.

Thankfully, Cheerilee was willing to walk her through this, only making a few small changes to what she received already.

“Please don’t look at me like that,” she said, trying to sound cute. “I didn’t say stop. There’s just no need to rush in so fast. It’s a little different when it’s just us mares together. Try licking me again, but don’t press into the pink yet.”

It seemed odd that doing this had to be different when Chris wasn’t there, but given his magic touch, she noticed how much different her kiss with Cheerilee felt compared to his. How every touch was different, actually. She was also the least experienced of the six, so she did as she was told, in spite of wanting to stay all in like she had started.

Starting over, she found a little humor in the instructions. Not to press into the pink? What part of her wasn’t pink?

Cheerilee cooed lowly at Cream’s soft palate working over her bald mound.

"Oou, very nice, Creamy. Red and I found out that when it's just us, we can start slow and gentle. It doesn’t have the quick peaks that overwhelm you like with Chris, but you get to enjoy the ride for even longer."

She moaned again, feeling her physical excitement increase.

"Now try going a little deeper. Just-mmm, yes. Just like that… Now you can start exploring more. Not too fast, not too deep. Not right away."

Down between Cheerilee’s legs, Cream was questioning a lot of things in her head.

"Why hasn't she cum yet? Chris makes this look so easy. I'm glad she's being patient with me, but I want to do more for her. Although I am enjoying this… but now I'm so horny. I can't wait until I make her cum and she's licking me. Or if Chris was here, he'd probably spread me open and start sucking on my clit again. Uhhg. I can't wait until he ruts me."

The more she thought about being taken care of, the more into her partner she became. Still progressing slowly, but licking deeper and finally working her way up to sucking her mare's clit.

Every moment she continued to please her mare, the stronger her senses were pleased with the sweetness she drank in. The more she drank in, the more she could start to appreciate how much longer it was taking.

Looking up again, she saw that familiar face. Eyes closed, mouth slightly opened with slow shallow breathing and growing moans. She was getting her mare close.

"Uuhn," Cheerilee quietly moaned. "Oh, Creamy. I'm about to cum. Don't stop. Harder."

Cream pressed her lips in harder to allow her tongue to slip down into the tightening love canal as she felt her lover’s clit swell and pulse. That was the last effort needed for Cheerilee to grow taught with her back arching and her voice cracking as she failed to scream.

This was the fruit of her efforts. Her partner came, and she did all she could to devour her pleasure as Chris had done with her. Feeling another's orgasm, tasting it, taking over her mind with loving thoughts to go again, she had pleased Cheerilee and felt that closeness once more.

"That was so good," Cheerilee praised in a bubbly voice. "Now turn around, but keep your flanks up for me. I want to show you another way to do this."

Cream pulled her lips away, now realizing just how drenched she made each other. Even she was incredibly wet; her juices were dripping down her legs while her tail twitched aggressively as she turned.

"We can take it slow with me next time. I'm about to burst!"

Cheerilee sat up, a little disappointed that Cream was still so impatient, so the fun wouldn’t likely last as long. However, once she got upright, even after her own climax, the scent from Cream was much stronger than her own. Cream was in a worse state than any of the mares with Chris the night before. It would have been a crime to provide anything but the most expedient service.

“Oh, you poor thing,” she softly consoled the deprived mother as she brushed her tail aside to see the state of arousal she was in. “Get down on your knees, but lay your front half down and push back against me. You’re going to love this.”

Knowing what kind of position that would put her in, Cream quickly readjusted, presenting herself to be taken. She figured she knew what was coming but couldn’t help but feel like this was a position better suited for Chris to take advantage of her. Regardless, feeling Cheerilee’s lips kiss over her aching nethers had her groan hungrily for more.

From under Cream’s tail, Cheerilee hummed happily as she moved past the foreplay and began to recreate what Redheart had done to Starlight. Pressing her tongue down in as deep as she could go wasn’t far, but her efforts had Cream’s nickname of Creamy start to be appropriately dubbed, leaving the mare begging for more.

“Ugh! If you can go deeper, hurt me if you have to. I don’t care, fuck me with your tongue.”

Try as she might, she couldn’t get the depth as she had with Redheart. No amount of force was going to push her any further than she was now, especially with the pink flesh tightening its grip on what length it could.

She continued to try and press deeper, occasionally letting her tongue venture down over Cream’s clit. Each pass against the over sensitive nub made Cream quiver and moan louder.

After a few minutes, Cheerilee realized this was taking too long and decided to do what was needed to give Cream what she needed.

Without warning, Cheerilee lowered her lips to the peak of Cream's mound and began her rabid lashes. She felt Cream push back, arching her hips out involuntarily with a rash of fevered moans that match Cheerilee’s pace.

The moans grew louder until Cream buried her face in the couch cushion and belted out her cries while her loins contracted, flexing desperately for something to fill it as her body peaked.

It was a wonderful warmth that mirrored what Chris had shown her, but not so strong that she was lost in her tryst. Even having Cheerilee not letting up didn’t seem to bring the same intensity that would become painful after cumming like she just did. It was all softer and not nearly as exhausting.

She could get used to this.

“Ooh… I need to have you over more often.” She pushed back again, rocking her hips to grind against Cheerilee’s muzzle. “And I can certainly use a lot more of this in my life.”

After hearing that Cream had come down, Cheerilee gave one last lick up the well-serviced mare’s slit, letting Cream relax back down to laying on her side. She did look like wasn’t planning to get up and instead was looking for company.

“Mmm… Do you mind laying with me for a while?”

For a moment, Cheerilee thought she had tuckered the motherly mare out, which was a shame. She was fun to play with, but some time relaxing would be nice too, so she licked her lips clean before joining Cream, getting very comfortable with her mare.

“It’s still amazing, the difference in how this all feels when it’s just us compared to what Chris can do, but I do like that we get to enjoy it for longer like this. Although, you’re going to love it when Chris joins in.”

As Cream started to pull Cheerilee in closer, Cheerilee readied herself for another wet kiss, excited to see where that would lead to next. Instead, Cream merely hugged around her barrel and held her close.

It wasn’t sexual, not as far as she could tell, but it wasn’t a simple hug between friends either. It was the kind of hold she hadn’t expected from any of the other mares, let alone, Cream.

“I’m sure I will,” she spoke into Cheerilee’s shoulder, a mix of content and sorrow mixed in her voice. “But I also could use a lot more of this, too.”

At that moment, Cheerilee held back a laugh, thinking of something funny to say about it, but Cream picked up with something sadly sincere.

“It’s been so hard moving on, not having somepony to hold onto… And I know this isn't the same as I had before, but it just feels so good to lay my head down with somepony who lets me know they care about me. More than a friend or just another mare on her own with a friendly face."

The way Cream spoke, it wasn't clear if she was nearing the point of breaking down or was overjoyed. Whatever it was, it was making her very affectionate.

"I wanted so badly to have somepony to share my life with again. Somepony to help me raise Button, hold me at night, kiss me good morning… I miss being in love."

She raised her head up again and gave a soft, loving kiss to Cheerilee. It was meant to be soft and endearing, but the strong scent from going down on each other stirred up some unquenched thirst, bringing the two back into throws of passion and muffled breathing as they tasted one another again.

When they stopped to breathe, Cream confided into Cheerilee with her new change.

"I wanted Chris all to myself. I'm sure we all did, just like how we knew sharing him was better than being alone. But I was wrong not to see the benefits of sharing each other. Now I feel like I get to fall in love again six more times."

They stared into each other's eyes, both seeing a little more love come into their lives, but Cream smiled wider and hummed a little laugh.

"Also, I think I’m going to have to leave an open invitation to my house. I don’t see any reason to spend another night sleeping alone."

So, I hope you all don't mind these cliff hanger chapters that pick up with a flashback that covers what led to that point. A bit more mystery and build up, I think.

Anyway, flashing back showed us Luna adapting to her new location and making things work for her... and spoiling her lady-lovely a little. Non the wiser to the likes of Becky, Rainbow Dash, Lumberman, and poor, poor Applejack taking another dose of pills.

Likewise, Shining is still focused on taking care of Becky, which led to him recruiting Sunburst to meet up with Zecora. I'm actually happy with the way that meetup turned out. And if you were as confused as Shining was regarding everything those two nerds were talking about, don't feel bad, I had to look some of it up to make sure it was accurate.

Also, Sunburst and Zecora? Now there's a pair that should have had some screen time together on the show.

Finally catching up with Cadance the Wonderbolts, things are still a bit of a mess with her and what she's going through. A little confusion with the Wonderbolts in general, but they're doing well together.

I've also heard some complaints here and there that the humans, Cerb specifically, is often built up too much by the ponies. Honestly, I can understand that, largely because that's exactly what they ponies are doing.

Big scary, strong, anti-magic creatures with technology, science, knowledge, weapons, and training that make them very difficult to fight, let alone kill.

I suppose all I can say is that a combination of incomplete information, story telling, and more examples of them being able to take care of themselves because of innate abilities... what do you expect?

Otherwise, Flurry Heart probably does need some kind of restraint, but at least Becky has a heart bigger than here boobs. Otherwise, whatever Cadance and the Wonderbolts are planning might not make it.

Getting down to the meat and potatoes of what happened that lead up to the last cliffhanger, Luna finally meet up with Granny... and having to explain to someone why their loved one was injured while under your care is not an easy thing to do.

As for Granny, for any of you who might have thought that she gave in really quick to accepting Kelly and Lumberman, well... you all really need to stop thinking that I ever write anything happening without a reason behind it.

Losing her Bright Mac and Pear Butter has always been a tragedy not dwelt on for these characters, but that doesn't mean it hasn't left an impact on them. And you can bet that Granny will be willing to go to bat for her grandfoals again, if the need arises.

Much the same, nearly losing Kelly, and the injuries and dangers put on Benny and Cerb, as well as showing up Celestia, has left Luna very motivated.

That of course leads us to why Ember was there and the story that Cerb didn't tell Sniff.

Ember is a Dragon Lord with pride, an open mind (sorta), and a strong desire to take care of her subjects. It's also likely that a mix of Twilight talking up how amazing a human lover can be, compared to the shitty life lived in the Dragon Lands wouldn't even have been considered had Spike not showed her the benefits that come from how ponies do things.

A big thing I wanted to do was make sure that Ember was simply lust driven and looking to get her rut on. She passed over Sniff because he's a lover, not a fighter. She had a strong interest in Chris, but didn't want to take away a father figure from three foals with only single mother families I think gives her a bigger sense of morality and shows that she isn't heartless (probably easy to imagine that being a stereotype for dragons.)

That being said... she really had no idea what she was getting into and ended up getting horribly overpowered. We're they always that strong?

Anyway, losing that match has sadly put Ember in a rather compromising position, and I don't mean face down ass up... Although, that was he she looked while knock out-anyway, moving on.

She's got a debt to pay and a Code to uphold or the Dragon Lands could end up going to war.

Getting back to the mission, Ember seems to be on board with everything, and no one was taking any chances. However, it all seemed to be for not, since that shadow pony is super mother fucking dead, as the story goes.

Although, another clue appears to have revealed itself as it appears construct of The Pony of Shadows seems to have had his magic altered. Stronger, more well structured... tastier?

Well, the Dark Magic, maybe. The Hopeless Magic, on the other hand, that' shit is gross. Not like the human hands kind of good Dark Magic.

However, not to leave on the back to back anti-climactic conflicts of Ember and then The Pony of Shadows, Starlight is finding more to appreciate with her mare than sex, and Cream's slow start and apprehension has led her to find that even the other mares she is sharing Chris with can give her the comforts she's been missing as well. Both physically and emotionally.

Where does that leave things off for our heroes now that danger seems to be over? Expect to see some serious changes the depth and diversity of these new and growing relationships starting next week in: