Author's Notes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wao-Y4qaiqhTQdwdvN8OrNzQzKtyvO4oJOTc0LpwyMk/edit

I was stupidly high when I wrote a good chunk of this chapter. I bet you all know which.

After showing my daughter the shining, shimmering, and splendid world, I landed on the mountain Canterlot was attached to. Flying close to the ship risked buffeting it with downdraft and landing in the city itself would probably freak out the guards, so I just stopped near it and let Taya off.

“Go back to the ship and grab Twilight,” I said. “I’ll be here.”

She spread her wings with a grin. “I’ll be back soon, mommy!” With that, she soared off toward the city, leaving me alone on the mountainside.

Of course, that mountainside was still very close to Equestria’s capital city and I was still a fairly sizeable dragon, so it didn’t take very long at all for a full group of fifteen guards to show up. They were a mix of day and night, but mostly day. Several of the younger ones seemed very nervous. A few picked at their heavy cloaks, fighting between staring at me in fear and looking at their officer for guidance.

After a very short standoff, one day guard unicorn with a plumed helmet and a fancier cloak walked forward. “Welcome to Canterlot, lady dragon,” he said. “Is there some way we can be of assistance?”

“There is not, no,” I said. “You have nothing to fear from me. I am merely waiting for a few friends to come assist me.”

Several of the guards started murmuring it up. After letting that go for a few seconds, the lead guard cleared his throat, making them all shut up. “I see. I ask you to understand that your presence here makes us… somewhat nervous.”

“And for that, I apologize. Do you know the name Twilight Sparkle, perhaps?”

“I do, though I don’t know her personally. She is Princess Celestia’s student.”

“Correct. Twilight knows of a spell that allows for shape-shifting. One of the shapes she can turn something into is a dragon. My name is Lady Navarone.” His eyebrows lifted. “I imagine you’ve heard of me, as well.”

“I’ve met you, in fact. If, of course, you are who you say you are. But knowing what I do of Twilight Sparkle and Lady Navarone, I would not be surprised in the slightest. Is that who you’re waiting for now?”

“It is. If you would like to keep me company, you are more than welcome. She should be by shortly.”

“I believe we will stay. Forgive us for the caution,” he said with a small bow.

“There is nothing to forgive. You are doing your job.”

“You know, ever since the war games, I had a feeling the princess would make you a noble.” He turned his head to look at his soldiers. “At ease, fellas. Group up and try to stay warm. With luck, Twilight’ll be here soon.”

With dragon’s blood coursing through my veins, I actually managed to forget that it was the dead of winter. The trees around us remembered, though, not that there were many of them. I reached over and knocked one of the barren trees down, then shot flame onto it. It was wet from snow, but I kept the heat up until it caught anyway. “Join me by the fire,” I said with what I was hoping would be a comforting smile.

Judging by the looks of fear in the eyes of a lot of the guards, I figured it had the opposite effect. That’s when I remembered that all my teeth were huge and sharp and that I just reminded them I could easily cook them. But the captain had more of a backbone and joined me in front of the fire, which convinced his men that I probably wasn’t going to eat them.

One that was apparently a lot more courageous and adventurous than most actually slowly approached me. “I… I’ve never… seen a dragon before,” he quietly said, looking at my glimmering scales in wonder.

“Feel free to get a closer look, if you want,” I said as I stretched out my body. “Friendly dragons are few and far between.”

“That they are,” the captain said. “I met one named Spike a few years back while I was guarding Princess Celestia. And I saw another named Reginald up close when he landed at the palace. Those were the only two I’ve ever seen up close. If you’ve ever wanted to study a dragon and Lady Navarone is willing, now is your chance.”

The one that originally approached slowly got closer and actually poked one of my legs. I didn’t feel a thing under the scales. “So smooth,” he whispered. In response, I lifted the claw and held it palm up for him. He traced one of my fingers before tapping the tip. “If you’re perfectly armored, how could ponies ever fight you?” he asked.

“No clue,” I replied with a shrug. “Go for the eyes, maybe? And I think dragon stomachs have weaker, more thin scales.”

“They do,” the captain said. “But on adult dragons, the difference doesn’t mean much; they’re still thick enough that getting through them is difficult. Truth be told, I don’t even know the last time ponies had to actually fight a dragon, or how they fought them. My guess would be magic.”

“But dragons are very magically resistant,” I said.

“I’ve heard rumors of that, but I didn’t know they were true,” he said. “Then I don’t know either.”

I snorted steam out of my nose, bathing the closest guards in it and making them shiver. “Maybe I should stay this way, then,” I said.

“I bet it certainly has advantages. But then, having guards show up every time you went to a city would get old.”

“It certainly would.”

After the steam bath and enough time talking, it seemed that more guards were comfortable with approaching me. The captain and I watched with some small amusement as most of his men surrounded me and started poking and prodding various places. They were all smart enough to stay away from anywhere that would get them in trouble, so I had no problem with being an anatomy model.

About thirty minutes after I sent Taya off, she flew back with Twilight in tow. One of the pegasus guards was walking around on my back, but most of the rest had lost interest in poking my very unpliable body and were just standing around the fire and trying to stay warm. The two purple temporary alicorns landed next to the burning tree.

“So what did you do, Nav?” Twilight asked. “Or is there some other reason you’re being attacked by a guard?”

The one on my back finally flew off, blushing. “She did nothing,” the guard captain said. “But dragons are not common and very dangerous, so we decided to make sure she wouldn’t… cause panic.”

“And I didn’t mind having a few big, tough stallions around to keep me safe,” I said, trying to keep as much sarcasm out of my voice as possible. Given that Twilight and Taya both rolled their eyes, I’d say I didn’t do a very good job. “Anyway, can you turn me back?”

“Normally, I’d say no and that we’d need Princess Celestia’s help,” Twilight said. “But then I remembered that I was borrowing this from you for study.” Her horn lit up and the alicorn amulet appeared. “I figured this would be as good a time as any to put it to use. Are you ready?”

I took a moment to look back at myself to make sure there weren’t any more guards on me before looking back at her and nodding. “Let’s do it.”

“Taya, let me see if I can do it alone before you try to help,” Twilight said.

“Why can’t I do it?” she asked.

“Because Twilight’s the element of magic,” I said. “If anyone should use the cursed artifact that greatly increases magical strength at the expense of corruption, it’s her.”

“Correct,” Twilight said as she stepped forward and slid the amulet on. Her horn and eyes lit up red for a moment before a blast of energy hit me. The transformation back to human was much longer and considerably more jarring, but after about half a minute of sustained magic, I was finally back to what I’ve come to call normal.

Of course, that left me on all fours, naked, in the snow. Not to mention surrounded by stallions who immediately began staring as I started shivering.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Twilight said. She sounded very stunned, but thankfully had enough presence of mind to pull the amulet off.

“AVERT YOUR GAZES!” the captain yelled, slamming a hoof in the ground. His guards immediately looked away as he trotted forward, eyes stuck firmly on my face. “My lady,” he said as he proffered a hoof.

“Thank you,” I said, taking it.

He helped me stand and then took his cloak off. He used magic to wrap it around me as best he could. “My pleasure, Lady Navarone. Would you like an escort back to Canterlot?”

“I’m afraid I must decline,” I said. “My feet are not hooves or talons. They’d rip to shreds on the ground. I’ll fly back with Twilight and my daughter, though I’m afraid it means I might have to borrow your cloak for quite some time.”

“That’s quite alright,” he said with a bow. “I’d be happy to tell the quartermaster it went to a lady in need.”

“Then you have my gratitude. I’m happy Canterlot is protected by soldiers like you and your platoon, sir.”

“And I’m happy that we have subjects like yourself to protect, ma’am,” he replied. He saluted for a short moment before turning back to his men. “Alright, lads. Back to patrol.” They had the normal grumbles and groans of cold troops doing something they didn’t want to, but that didn’t stop them from getting back in formation and trotting off.

Twilight and Taya had the decency to wait for them to get out of earshot before laughing at me. I was expecting it from Taya, so I didn’t do anything to her. But I just stared Twilight down until she got it all out of her system. “I don’t know what you’re laughing at, missy. Maybe I should shave you and line this cloak with your fur! I bet you wouldn’t forget my clothes after that!”

Of course, that made her start laughing again. I sighed and crossed my arms. Before I could ask why she was still laughing, her horn lit up and a bag appeared. It floated to me and I snatched it out of the air and opened it. Sure enough, it was full of heavy clothes.

“Oh, you done fucked up now! Taya, hold her down!”

Taya’s horn lit up and apparently caught Twilight by surprise, because Taya immediately forced her into the snow. Twilight’s horn lit up, but I broke her concentration by covering her face in it. She shook her head clear and her horn lit up again, but that’s when I shoved as much snow as I could right against her crotch.

Thankfully, Taya was kind enough to muffle Twilight’s scream of shock and then all the adorable pony curses that followed it. I didn’t really want any of the guards to come running back to see Lady Navarone pelting Celestia’s personal student with snow.

While Twilight was recovering and glaring at me, I finally got dressed. The cloak the guy gave me was pretty ornate and had the crest of the royal guard on it, so I doubted I’d use it for much, but at the moment it was warm and I was still shivering.

Once I was finally ready to go, I turned to a miserable and pissy Twilight and my giggly and happy daughter. “Shall we, girls?”

“Aqua is whispering a lot of very fun-sounding things to me right now,” Twilight replied.

“Come on, Twiley. You don’t have to be so cold to me!” That made Taya snicker, of course.

“Those whispers just took a very dark turn. I think I like it.”

“You really need to chill out, silly!” No one is supposed to enjoy bad puns, but Taya’s snickers turned into giggles.

“I’m not sure some of these ideas are even possible, but I think I might have to find out.”

“There’s snow reason to be upset!” And now my daughter was laughing.

Twilight grimly smiled and nodded once. “I’ve decided. Shall we head back to the ship?”

“Yep.” Taya managed to get herself together enough to join us in the air and together, we all flew back to the ship.

I did not have fun that night. It was worth it.

Once Twilight unchained me the next morning, I took a quick shower. When I got back to my room, I found the resident dragon had taken up residence. “I heard you got to be a dragon!” he said in wonder.

“Yeah.” I had a feeling he was going to make it a thing, so I dropped the towel (making him blush, of course) and started getting dressed.

“How… how was it?” he asked, struggling to keep his eyes off my body.

“It was okay I guess. Do you want to go to Iceland with me and Reginald?”

“DO I?!” he shouted, bouncing up and down in joy.

“I don’t know, do you?”

“Yes!” he exclaimed, rushing forward to hug me. I was still almost completely naked, so I’m glad his scales were softer than mine when I was a dragon. Several long seconds after the hug became uncomfortable, he finally pulled back, though he held onto my arms. “When are we going? How long are we going to be there? What can I bring? What are we gonna do? Is the ship coming too? Can Twi—”

I finally put my hand on his face, thankfully shutting him up. “In two days. I don’t know. Nothing but yourself. We’re scouting for the elementals. The ship is not coming. Apparently the dragons are very isolationist and don’t want anyone there that isn’t a dragon, so Twilight is going to turn me into one before we go.”

He finally dropped his arms, so I let go of his face. “So it’s just gonna be us?”

“Yes. Apparently they’d know if we brought a changeling, so it’ll just be us. We might try to find a way to bring the water elementals with us. If we can, that’ll allow us to just break the fire out without even needing the rest of the ship. As a dragon, I’m a fully grown adult. You’re going to be a lot smaller, so I might need your help with scouting. But if I don’t need you for anything, you’re free to wander around and learn whatever you can about whatever you want. Make friends, talk to dragons, learn more about yourself, whatever. You’re finally going home and I want you to have some time to yourself.”

“But… I don’t want to let you down…”

“Which is why I said if I need you, I’ll let you know. But otherwise, you’re free to do whatever. I suggest you make the most of the time you have.”

“Are you sure?” he slowly asked.

“Yes. Now why were you waiting in my room? Or did you just want to ask me about being a dragon?”

“Oh yeah! Gilda and I got reservations at that meat place tomorrow night.”

“You’re growing very close to her.”

He blushed and looked away. “It’s… it’s not like that…”

“Try to remember that, Spike. Don’t let there be a gap between what you know and what you feel. You know she won’t love you back. So don’t let yourself feel any love for her. At least, not romantic love. She is a straight fuckbuddy.”

“...Right.”

“Don’t pull none of that hesitating bullshit with me, Spike.” His ear things twitched. “Either you know this or you don’t.”

“I know…”

“Look at me, Spike.” He sighed and did so. I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him slightly closer. “Repeat after me: You can’t turn a ho into a housewife.”

“What do gardening tools have to do with—” I slapped him across the face. Not very hard, but enough to get his attention. He rubbed his cheek before sighing and saying, “You can’t turn a ho into a housewife…”

“And what is Gilda?”

“A griffin?” I slapped him again. “A ho…”

“I can almost guarantee that she is not interested in love or romance, Spike. She does not want that. She is a very proud griffin noble. If she ever marries, it will probably be to another griffin. But again, I don’t think she’s into that. She is an adventurous warrior, kind of a bitch, hard to get along with at times, and is currently possessed by what might as well be a demon made of fire. You do not want to fall in love with her. So don’t.” I finally let him go. “If you want someone that isn’t a dragon, go for Applejack or Fluttershy.”

“But Fluttershy’s afraid of dragons. And Applejack has to have foals or she’ll let her family down.”

“Fluttershy’s afraid of most dragons, but not you. And that’s what Applebloom is for. Anyway, get out so I can get dressed.”

He sighed and walked around me to the door, but stopped with his claw on the handle. “You told me once that love was never wrong, Nav.”

“I was incorrect.” His shoulders slumped and he left, closing the door behind him.

Shut up, Flo. I waited for a response and that’s when I remembered that she hadn’t put herself back into me yet. That became next on my to-do list, right after getting dressed. It was still cold as balls out and it was a little nipply in the halls even with the magical heating, so I dressed for the weather.

Right after that, I went on up to the deck in search of my elemental. Thankfully, Blaze and Aerie were finally gone, punted out to wherever Celestia keeps horrifying abominations. That meant we were now docked at the palace, which we loomed over. The only elemental up on the deck was Naiad, so I went to the upper deck to check there. That deck had Gourd and Kat, who were both holding letters and talking about them.

I needed to talk to Gourd anyway, so I walked over to them. “Did you guys actually get mail?” I asked.

“We did,” Kat replied. She folded her letter up and carefully placed it into a pouch.

“We just got elevated to high society, Nav,” Gourd said. “And we’re connected directly to you. That is going to have some consequences and some benefits. You are not the only one who nobles are looking to cozy up to now.”

“Oh dude, if you ever get invited to any of those fancy parties, try the food. Shit’s amazing. Also, don’t go alone, because I tend to get in trouble when I do.”

“Noted,” he said with a nod.

“But mine was a marriage proposal anyway,” Kat said, shrugging.

“Cool. You gonna do it?”

“I am not, no. I think Watcher might be capitalizing on one of the letters he got, though.”

“...A marriage proposal?” I asked.

“An invitation to teach,” Gourd said. “He let me know where he would be in case something happened. After what you did at the mage tower here, a lot of the very powerful unicorns are interested in you. They sent a letter to Watcher asking if he would speak as a guest in a few classes. According to him, they’re going to use this chance to learn more about you. He brought Zecora as well, so she could do some research.”

“Well shit, they could just ask me. But whatever. I found out yesterday that getting into Iceland is going to be harder than we thought. I’m going to go with Reginald and Spike. The ship will stay here, along with everyone else.”

“I would like permission to go as well,” Kat said. One of her hands found its way to a dagger. “I can be very stealthy, even among the most powerful of predators.”

I shook my head. “We’re playing this one the dragon way, Kat. Gourd, there’s no reason for the ship to be idle in my absence. When I leave, get with Silver and start mapping out trade routes. Go for a few test runs. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I imagine you’ll have time to cross the country and get back at least once. Take only who you’ll need and let the rest have some time off.”

“You got it, my lady,” he said. Thankfully he just nodded instead of bowing.

“Bring Watcher and any troops of his who know about demons. I want them researching what we can expect to find in Tartarus in every city you guys pass through. Celestia did her best to make that knowledge hard to find, but there’s always scraps she missed. Find them. I want to go into this knowing as much as we can.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.”

“What about me?” Kat asked.

“Let’s see… At the moment, play the social game in Canterlot. Take my room in the palace if you need a place to stay. I asked Fleur to do some stuff. She and Celestia think it’s going well, but I want to know how accurate they are. I have a meeting with Fleur today. I’ll speak to her about you and some of your skills and let her know to speak to you if any nobles are giving her trouble. I don’t want you to kill anyone, but I want them to think very seriously before standing in the way.”

“Should I bring Spider?”

“Yes. Do you know anything about the Miss Equestria contest?”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s a beauty pageant where they get ponies from all over the world to compete to see who’s the prettiest or whatever. One of the things I spoke to Fleur about was doing one for all the races. I figure it’s only fair to warn you about that before you start working with her. She might very well try to get you to be a contestant.”

Her eyes very slowly opened wider and she actually grinned. “I would love to!”

“Wait, really?”

“Yes!”

“Oh. Then yeah, feel free to speak to her about that as well. If she mentions anything about making me compete, shut her down immediately.”

“Alright. When do you want me to start doing all of this?”

“After I leave. I want what you’re doing to look like something I didn’t order. Fleur is my ally in Canterlot and I doubt it’ll trick anyone, but all the same.”

“As you command, my lady. It’s a good thing I had Rarity make me some dresses. What’s strange is that she also made one for Spider.”

“...She made him a dress?”

“Yes. And adorable pink stockings for all eight legs. I never thought I’d say it, but she made him look cute.”

“That woman has serious mental issues. Anyway, do either of you know where Flo is?”

“I can assist with that,” Naiad said. We all turned to look at her, since apparently she decided to sneak up on me. “I asked her to do something for me today. Would you care to come with me?”

“How far away is she?” I asked. “I need to meet Fleur at noon.”

“You will not be late, though we will be going off the ship.”

“Alright, whatevs. Where we going?”

“Into the palace. This should not take long.”

“Lead the way, Naiad.” Kat and Gourd both actually bowed as I left, which I thought was kinda weird and annoying.

The two royal guards standing at the entrance to the palace also bowed, and one asked, “Do you need a guide anywhere, Lady Navarone?”

“She does not,” Naiad said.

“Though I thank you for the offer,” I quickly added, trying to be somewhat more polite. They continued bowing until we were both inside. “So what did you ask Flo to do?”

“I will get to that,” she said. Despite being made of water and thus having an amorphous shape, she created arms and placed them behind her back. “Do you trust us, Navarone?”

“Us who?”

She looked at me for a moment before looking back ahead and smiling slightly. “My sisters and I.”

“No.”

Her shade went a little bit more blue. “Not even Flo?”

“There are those of you that I trust more than others.”

“Do you trust her wholly and totally, Navarone?”

“There are times I have my doubts about her. It’s difficult for me to trust anyone that old. Some of what she has done and said has not helped.”

“Would you mind telling me what some of those things were?”

Silence hit the hall for a few moments, aside from my soft footsteps. Finally, I asked, “Why?”

“You are intelligent, Navarone. Why do you think I am asking you these questions?”

“I think you want to replace Flo.”

“That is close. If, after this conversation, I believe you and Flo are properly compatible, I will drop this line of inquiry and insist that my sisters do the same. But if I believe you would be better served by another one of my sisters, or even myself, I would like you to consider it.”

I stopped in place. “Flo isn’t in the palace, is she?”

She stopped as well and turned to me. “No, she is not. But then, I never said she was. Would you continue to walk with me, Navarone?” I have a feeling this shit is going to keep happening. I might as well go ahead and get it all out of the way. I continued walking with her. “There are several water elementals that had many varied lives before the war, Navarone. Flo was a young, secluded sister who lived in the middle of this landmass. Brook was one of the rulers of all of us since she was originally created. Mist and I were like gods to huge numbers of subjects. Rain and Raine were similar. And of course, all of us knew humans personally.”

“And after the war, you and Mist were queens and Brook acted like a goddess. Do I really need a history lesson?”

She smiled warmly and placed a cool hand on my head. “Patience, Navarone. I’m giving what I am about to say context.” Thankfully, she pulled her hand back before I could threaten to smack it away. “Flo was what you might call an… ascetic, of sorts. The war just made her even more of an isolationist, especially after she was hurt and I saved her. She was not a lady of the courts. She was not… experienced, so to say, with many things other sisters are.”

“You’re saying that she’s a country bumpkin water elemental and that you would be better for me because you can tell me how to act in a fancy situation.”

“I am saying that, in the game of thrones, it is always a wise idea to have experience on your side. And as the leader of the forces arraying themselves against Chaos, it might be best if the sister guiding you was wiser. Flo is very knowledgeable after her time in your laptop, but knowing how to apply that knowledge is invaluable.”

“Everyone’s just trying to muck through life however they can, Naiad. If your only argument against Flo is that she isn’t fancy or enough of a leader, I think we’re done here. You’re gonna need bigger guns than that.”

Her color fluctuated for a moment before she eased back to blue. “There is much one such as I can tell about who you are and were, Navarone. Behaviors are very easy to read and oftentimes, they’re easy to trace. Despite surrounding yourself with people, you still prefer your own company. You’re terrified of how close your daughter is. You’re afraid of relationships. You are very wary of being hurt. All of those things combined with several more intricate details tells me that you were very likely neglected or abused as a child. I would say neglected, but Brook is thinking abused. I don’t mean to be rude, but would you mind confirming or denying either?”

“My parents were very… absent.”

She sighed and ran a hand through my hair for a moment. “Then you do not know what a truly loving mother is like. And on the flipside of that, you are not aware of what more direct abuse is like. Would you agree with those statements?”

This is starting to get a lot more personal than I’d like. “The love thing, sure. Direct abuse, a little bit less sure. There were bits of that tossed into the neglect.”

“Hm. And tell me, did you ever feel that the love of your parents was conditional? That they might stop loving you at some point if you ever acted a certain way?”

“Naiad, where are you going with this? It’s all shit that I’d much rather stay in the past.”

She paused for a moment, then gripped my shoulder and forced me to face her. “Your relationship with Flo is a very textbook case of abuse, Navarone.”

We stared at each other for some time before I quietly asked, “Did you have a follow-up for that?”

“I was expecting either a rebuttal or a denial.” She released my shoulder and we continued forward.

“I’m gonna go with a denial,” I said.

Her smile took on a very sad note. “She hurts you, she lies to you, she molests you, she lets you be hurt, she doesn’t let you make your own choices, she’s overly controlling, she uses horrible methods of persuasion, she does things to your mind without permission, and she tries to hide it all. Ask Twilight Sparkle or Sunshine Smiles how many times their elemental has laid a harmful hand on them. Aqua and Ice have never and will never harm their hosts. Each elemental has a different way of showing their love, but I’m afraid that Flo has become abusive toward you.”

“I thought elementals changed into what their hosts needed.”

“No, Nav, and you already know better than that. Flo took what she could get, which meant lying to you. She knew that the only way you would accept her is if she did not tell you the whole truth. Your relationship with Flo started as a lie, Navarone. Ideally, you would get to know an elemental before you allow yourself to be taken as a host. I heard your conversation with Fluttershy and heard about your conversation with Rainbow Dash. As you said, picking an elemental is like picking a spouse, in some ways. It must be someone with whom you are comfortable. Can you deny my claims, Navarone?”

“...No.” Try as I might to think a way around them, I really couldn’t. “But is that really all so bad?”

“Yes, Navarone. It absolutely is bad. What I see in your face when you deal with Flo is resignation more often than love. You believe that you have a responsibility to her since you freed her. You believe that you should stay with her for her benefit, not your own. You enjoy the perks of having a water elemental in you, but I believe you could come to prefer one that isn’t Flo. You want to avoid the conflict that would come from denying her.”

“Sounds like you have me nailed to the wall, Naiad.”

She softly sighed and ran her hand through my hair again. This time, she didn’t stop and continued playing with it as we walked. I didn’t say anything. “I want you to be happy, Nav. Not just as the last human, but as a host of an elemental. When one of us abuses a host, all others grow wary of trusting us. Your reaction when Brook woke you one morning attests to that. I don’t want you to think I’m forcing anything on you. I don’t think Flo will ever do anything completely unforgivable, but I believe she might need some time away from a host, to rethink things. And I believe that you would be better served by having a different sister in you. As you said yourself, you gave up much for her. Do you think it’s so unfair to ask her to give you up because of it? She is free, now. You are under no more obligation to her.”

I did not reply for some time. Her hand in my hair felt very calming. After a few seconds of thought, I found myself wondering if she was pushing water through my scalp to influence my brain, but I honestly doubted it. All of what she said were things that had been in the back of my mind for a while. Did I really care for Flo, or did I just want her to be happy? Did I think the slaps and orgasmic punishments were cute, or did I think they were abusive and unnecessary? I told her that I loved her. Did I mean it? How could I really know?

“What do you think I should do, Naiad?”

Her hand moved from my hair to my shoulder again. “I believe you should take some time away from an elemental, Nav. Clear your head. You are going to be a dragon soon anyway, and we won’t be safe inside of you. While you are a dragon, think. If you find yourself anticipating or expecting abuse or cruel remarks, remember that such things are a sign of abuse. If, after all that time, you find yourself missing Flo, then perhaps she is right for you and we misread the signs. All relationships are different. Some can be difficult to understand from the outside looking in. But I worry for you and I worry for her. So if you find yourself feeling alone but you realize that Flo isn’t right for you, speak to me again. I or any sister you choose will be happy to act as a mediator between you and Flo, to either discuss separation or discuss how she can change to suit you better. And if you find that you prefer your own company, perhaps you might be better served without an elemental for some time. Being a host is not for everyone, and this isn’t a fate you freely chose.”

“...How should I tell her that I want to be alone for the next few days?”

“You don’t have to. I am the last water left aboard the ship. I sent the others away last night, to meet with our sisters near Iceland. After this talk, I will be joining them.”

“And Flo just agreed to that?”

“It took convincing, but she did agree to it. Mist and Brook will likely be having a similar conversation with her soon, if they haven’t already.”

“I have a feeling that isn’t going to go over well.”

“Jealousy and rage are more signs, Navarone.”

Don’t I know it… “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“I have one more thing to say.” Apparently she knew her way around the palace a lot better than I did, because we managed to walk in a big loop without running into anyone else. We were coming back up to the skydock now. “The next time you see Flo, look at her. Look very closely. Her default color is no longer pure blue.”

“...And what does that mean, exactly?”

“It means that the dear sister Flo I rescued once upon a time has changed. Flumen is similar. Both spent more time in the ground than any water elemental ever should, and it affected both of them. I want you and Flo to both be happy, Nav. But I’m afraid that asking one broken person to fix another will provide undesirable results. So very often it just results in more pain. So please think about that as well; it is not just for your sake that I come to you.”

“I’ll… see you in a few days, Naiad.”

She stopped me and hugged me. “Go in peace, Navarone,” she whispered. Once that was said, she released me and sped back into the palace, presumably toward the ocean.

It was very tempting to call her an easily manipulated stupid bitch, but… some of what she said rang true to me. That said, I had other shit to do and I had to put it to the back of my mind, but I would definitely be thinking about it and talking to a few others about it.

My next destination was back on the ship, so I walked back over to it. The guards saluted this time instead of bowing, but I paid them no mind and went into the innards of the ship. It was much noisier than it had been, presumably the sound of everyone packing their shit to get off the ship. A few guards and crew members were walking around, adding to the mess.

The mare I was looking for was locked away in her room again. I politely knocked and waited for her to open it with magic. “Ah, Nav. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Rarity asked with what was probably a real smile.

“I’m about to give you what might be a very unique opportunity, Rarity. Do you think you’re up to it?”

“If you’re going to give it to me, I imagine it is a unique opportunity that I am uniquely qualified to handle, so yes. I won’t let you down! Please, come in so we can discuss it.” She stepped back, letting me in. Her magic closed the door behind me. “So do you need another dress, perhaps?”

“I have an informal lunch date with Fleur at noon. I’m expecting it to end with some very lewd acts. Please make me pretty.”

Her face seemed to fall for about fifteen full seconds. It was a little bit awkward. Before I could ask if she was having a stroke, a massive grin split her face and her horn lit up incredibly brightly.

Waterproof mascara, flavored and smudge-proof lipstick, light blush, fast drying finger- and toe-nail polish, and she finished it with a hint of perfume.

“You are a much better sport about this than I thought you’d be, Nav,” she very happily said as I looked at myself in her mirror.

“I asked you to do this, Rarity. I’m not going to complain about you taking time to help me when I want help. As a matter of fact, you did an excellent job. Thank you.”

That got a smile and a small blush from her. “I’m delighted to help, Nav. Seeing you happy with who you are is amazing. For a time, I was genuinely concerned about your mental well-being. But seeing you so… accepting and even happy about this puts my mind at ease.”

“If you tell anyone I said this, I’ll deny it. I think I needed this, Rarity.” Both of her eyebrows shot up. “Back in the bunker, you were right for all the wrong reasons. This isn’t sexual for me, not in the slightest. I never felt like I was the wrong gender and I never really thought that I was gay or into cross-dressing… but I think I needed to become a girl for a while. When I come from, the gender divide was… very strict. Men were taught not to show emotions, to hide what they thought and how they felt. It was expected that I stay calm all the time. But people can’t do that.”

“Certainly not. Everyone has emotions and showing them is healthy, Nav. Did becoming a mare finally show you that it was okay?”

“Exactly that. Women are supposed to be emotional, men are supposed to be logical. That was drilled into me over and over, but back then, I still felt things. I guess I always assumed that if I ever found myself on the other side, the emotions would be so much stronger that I couldn’t hide them.”

She shook her head sadly and hugged me from behind. “You never could, Nav. We saw the sorrow in your eyes, heard the repressed anger in your voice. But we never knew why you were so keen to hide how you felt.”

“Now you do. When I finally found myself stuck as a woman, I felt… the exact same. I had the same logical thoughts and the same emotional feelings. I mean, sure, during my period the emotional side gets weirder, but my biology stops it from being incredibly overwhelming. But I’m finally realizing that hiding who I am and how I feel is dumb. I can’t have friends if no one really knows me, and no one can ever really know me if I don’t wear my feelings on my sleeve.”

“Because those feelings are a part of you, Nav. They’re the part of you we’ve been waiting to get to know for so long. And I must say, I’m very happy that I’m starting to learn who you really are.”

“Good. I’d hate to lose my irresistible charm. Even though I’m changing who I am, I'm afraid of losing all of who I was.” I sighed and brushed my fingers against the mirror. “So little is left, these days…”

She snuggled closer against me and smiled. “I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but being happy with who you are is more important than anything. You always had a massive streak of darkness in you, Nav. Or at least, you have for as long as I’ve known you. And you still do, but you’re finally beginning to brighten. Don’t let yourself think that’s a bad thing.”

“It’s just… all that I really have left. As far as I know, I’m the last remaining human, and I’ve changed so much that I don’t even know if that fits anymore. I feel like I’ve lost myself. It may be for the better, but… it felt like all I had left.”

She spun my chair around and put her hooves on my legs so she could stare at me, face to face. “It may have been all you had left of your old life, but now you have an amazing new one. Do you know why I don’t want an elemental in my head, Nav? The real reason?”

“No, I don’t believe I do.”

“I want to keep changing, Navarone. I want to evolve as I live. I never want to grow stale. New beliefs, new ideas, new lifestyles, new fashions. Change is good. Learn from your past, but let it stay in the past. Learn to accept and revel in new things, especially when they’re better. Were you happier then or now, Nav?”

“...Probably now, all things told. Loving daughter, noble title, loyal crew, good friends, relationship prospects out the ass, healthy sex life, healthy life in general, I get to see plenty of new things, and I’ll never have to work an unwanted day in my life.”

“Then let the last vestiges of who you were die out, Nav. You were granted a unique opportunity to let yourself be whoever you wanted to be. It may sound crude or even cruel, but your old life is gone, along with your family and everyone you knew. You can be whoever you want. So why would you choose to be someone who’s unhappy? I’ve wondered that about you for so long, but I was always too afraid to ask.”

“I… never really thought of it that way, honestly. I guess it just took that a long time to really sink in for me. My family isn’t here. They can’t judge me anymore. I can be who I want. I can be what I feel is right, or what makes me happy.”

“So who do you want to be, Nav?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Her smile grew somewhat wan. “I’ve spent so long being unhappy that it’s going to take me a while to figure out what does it. But I’m old enough now to know that I have nothing to prove to anyone and that being happy is more important than trying to maintain whatever image I thought I had, especially now that I’ve been forced to change so much anyway. If that makes any sense.”

“We all try to cultivate an image. I also never really understood why you seemed to want to be feared or stay aloof from the rest of us. But I do hope you’ll stop. It’s hard to be friends with a person like that.”

“We’ll see, I guess. I’m not quite done with my new path to self-discovery, or whatever you want to call it. I hope I’ll be able to look myself in the mirror some day soon and not feel a pang of sorrow. I hope I’ll continue striving for happiness.” Even if that sounds like the gayest shit ever. “But for now, I have a date soon.”

She leaned forward and gently nuzzled me for a moment before finally backing off and returning to the floor. “Do you have any idea what kind of outfit you’d like to wear?”

“I know it’s cold out, so definitely something that’ll block the weather. A fairly heavy and long jacket. Under that, probably a short sun dress with long leggings.”

“That sounds very cute, Nav. I’m glad you and Fleur became friends… or perhaps more. Do you have everything you need, or do you need me to work my magic?”

“You’re good, but noon is getting pretty close. Thankfully, I have everything I need.”

“Never underestimate my ability to help a friend, Nav. Especially if it might turn an informal date into a much more formal one at a later time.”

“I might consider that when this journey is done, but not until then. For now, I just want a good time with some good company.”

“I would love to hear every detail.”

“Even the icky, juicy ones?”

“...I would love to hear every detail minus the icky, gooey ones.” A look of distaste came on her face for a moment before she shivered. “Ugh, ew. I’m sure you’ll enjoy, but I just can’t…” She shivered again and shook her head. “No thank you. But minus those parts of the relationship, you and Fleur would be an absolutely stunning couple. You’re both so beautiful and striking. And from what I’ve heard of her these days, clever and intelligent. You two would run Canterlot and look wonderful doing it.”

“I bet…” I slapped my hands against my knees before standing. “Thank you for all of this, Rarity.”

“I am delighted to help, Nav. If you ever need my assistance again, my door will always be open to you. But you’ll probably have to look in Ponyville for a few days, because I plan on returning home soon.”

“Then I’ll see you later.”

She bowed and waved a hoof to the door, which she had thoughtfully closed so we wouldn’t be interrupted. I let myself out and went back down to my room, where I immediately started getting dressed for the coming pseudo-date.

Right as I finished, someone short knocked. I found myself humming as I spun to open it. My daughter was standing at the other side. A very strange look came over her face when she saw me. “Um. Mommy, what are you doing?”

“Going on a date.” She blinked. “What are you doing, honey?”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m about to go on a date, silly. On purpose this time, too!”

“...With who?”

“Fleur. It’s nothing big, just lunch at her house, but I thought I’d doll myself up to see everyone’s reactions. So far, it was worth it just to see that adorably confused look on your face.” Namely, very vacant eyes and a mouth that looked like it was about to drop. “You’re just in time to say bye; I’m almost late!” I leaned down and picked her up under her forelegs so I could hug her. “I’ll see you when I get back, Taya.” I set her down and kissed her on the cheek before waltzing out.

She was too stunned to reply.

Thankfully, Watcher wasn’t back and none of my pegasus guards were on the deck, so I was able to hop off and fly away without any company.

Or so I thought. Right after I stabilized, I was joined by Rainbow Dash and Gilda. “Whoa, Nav! Looking good!” Dash said. She took a moment to fly ahead of me so she could get a better look. “Looking real good! You going to see the princess?”

“No, I have another date today. If you ask nicely, I’ll tell you all about it later.”

“Oh, you’re so on. Looking like that, I know you’re planning on having some fun. I wish I could find a cute marefriend like you.”

“There are plenty in Ponyville, you know.”

“Yeah. I’m actually about to head back. Want me to carry any messages?”

“Tell Vinyl I said hi. And if you don’t mind, check in on Lyra and Bon Bon and see if they’re having any problems with the house. I won’t have time to stop by Ponyville this trip, but I might head there when I get back from Iceland.”

“And you totally gotta let me see you as a dragon, too. Twilight made you sound so hot!”

“She’s always hot,” Gilda said with a smirk, carefully bumping into me.

“And being a dragon gives me even more heat. But yeah, I’ll probably be leaving in two more days. You’re both welcome to join me at Reginald’s cave in the Everfree for the transformation. You might see me and Twilight flying there.”

“She actually asked me to go with her,” Gilda said. “She needs more subjects.”

“More… Oh! You bring her bodies!”

“Yep. I found all those little critters she experimented on.”

“Which is weird and creepy,” Rainbow Dash said, falling back from her position in front of me over to my side. “Is your date here in town, Nav?”

“Yep. Not too far from the palace, either. I’ll be there in just a minute.”

“Then we’ll get out of your mane. Race you to Ponyville!” They both booked it, leaving me in the metaphorical dust. I smiled and shook my head, continuing on my way.

It was another typical sunny day in Canterlot, despite the deep chill, so I landed at Fleur’s house looking just about the same as I did when I took off. I don’t think it was quite noon yet, but I had no idea what there was to do around her pad, so I just sucked it up and resigned myself to being early. With that thought, I knocked.

“Just a moment!” Fleur sang out from inside. Her voice was fairly loud, so she was either close to the door or was using some kind of magic to amplify it. I wasn’t in any kind of hurry, so I wasn’t really concerned either way.

That said, it was pretty fucking cold out, so I’m glad she didn’t keep me waiting for too long. The door handle lit up with magic and she swung it open. She was already wearing a smile (and a very cute apron), but when she saw me, her entire face seemed to light up. “Nav, you made it! And you look gorgeous!”

“Why thank you, Fleur. I wanted to see what my daughter thought of me all dolled up and I figured you would appreciate it too, so here I am.”

“I definitely do. Please, come in!” She backed up and opened the door further, allowing me entry. The warmth and smell of fresh cake emanating from within did more than enough to beckon me in. “I’m afraid it’s just the two of us today. I never did get around to finding any new servants.”

“I’m quite alright with that. I didn’t realize you could cook so well, though.”

She casually waved a hoof. “I can bake and do a few basic meals, but I’m afraid you won’t find anything too fancy here. Most rich Canterlot noblemares never learn more than standard baking.”

“Cooking’s a good skill to have. I can feed myself, but I’m definitely no chef.”

As she led the way further in, I got to see more of her house. She had several of Flo’s paintings on the walls, along with more pieces of pony art. I stopped at one of the pieces, some abstract thing.

“I never got why ponies do this,” I said. She stopped and turned to look at the painting. “Or people in general, really. Why can’t you just draw something with meaning?”

She stepped closer to look at the painting. “Hm. I know this artist, actually. He is a fairly recent one. I spoke to him in person and traded one painting for another. Do you know what he wanted, Navarone?”

“Painting-wise? No. What would interest someone like that? They can’t be trying to imitate it.”

“It was one of your original paintings, Nav. One of the very first you drew, that I personally requested Fancy Pants to give to me. He told me that he got into painting because of your work.”

“Did he want to one-up the guy painting old-timey art with his newfangled style?”

Fleur smiled and carefully booped me on the nose. “No, silly. He wanted to imitate you in his own way. He doesn’t paint to sell his art, he paints for the experience of imitating what he sees as the great and putting his own creative twist on it. But he hates your newer work, the paintings your elemental is making. The “Flo originals,” as I call them. He says there’s nothing in them. No soul, no element of something human or equine. But the old paintings that you drew by paw were perfect.”

“Well… She is a machine. It’s not like she actually is one of us. She imitates it well, but she isn’t really… conscious. Just programming that knows how to react and change based on random preset events. None of them really have true creativity or real feelings.”

“What does she think about that? I imagine she has something to say about what you’re thinking.”

“She’s not in me right now. She had to leave me to go to Iceland.”

Fleur sighed and started walking back to the kitchen. “How you live with something like that is beyond me. She sounds obsessive and controlling. Although…” She looked back at me and then to my chest. “She won’t remember this, will she?” she sorrowfully asked.

“...I’m not sure that’s going to be a problem.”

“Well. I do not mean to tell you how to live your life, Nav. But I decided when I met you that I no longer wanted to put up with that kind of behavior directed toward myself. I was Fancy’s whore. To my shame, I learned to enjoy it.” Her head hung and she slowed down. “As you said once, it’s hard to recover from a bad reputation.”

I caught up and placed a hand on her head. “This time, you have me and the princess on your side.”

That perked her right back up and put a smile on her face. “And you’d be surprised how much Queen Chrysalis has helped me!” She started trotting. Her house was very long but not very deep, part of the random allure of Captain Blossom’s side of town. When she finally got to the end of the hallway and turned left, I followed her into what was apparently the kitchen.

There’s no way this bitch didn’t expect that I was coming. The place was straight up spotless and she timed the oven perfectly, as it binged as soon as we walked in.

I wonder if I made a mistake when I agreed to meet her for a lunch date. “Good timing, huh?”

She chuckled and hopped forward to open the oven. I moved over to try to help, but there were no oven mittens. She magicked it to the table. “I hope pegasus food cake is alright,” she happily said. Oh my god, she is the perfect wife. “And I couldn’t find any meat at the market, but I did do my best to avoid grass and flowers.”

“Now I’m ashamed all I have at the moment is a shipboard kitchen. I’m gonna have to give you so many belly rubs to make up for it.”

“That would be acceptable,” she giggled.

“Do you think you could enjoy it enough that Blossom would let me rub her belly?”

“Oh, absolutely. She’s much happier and feels more free now. If you want to stay until night, I invited her over when she awakens. She won’t stay long, but she’ll be happy to see you.”

“I’m sure we can find some way to pass the time.”

“Indeed we can. Warm-ups for the show, perhaps.”

“Then let’s dig in,” I said with a smile.

She lied about her cooking abilities. She was an excellent cook. I started to feel like a rabbit with a noose around its leg. I took a second to remember that she was very, very good at seduction in high society.

“As nice as this is,” I said while we were both pausing for a moment, “I’m honestly looking forward to getting back to my journey. Coming down from a life of adventuring is hard, and coming back for these short periods so I can get a glimpse of normal life is tiring. I want this whole thing behind me, you know?”

“It can be tiring on other people as well, Nav. When you’re in town, I feel like I have so little time to spend with you that I have to cancel everything to accommodate you. You’re worth it to me and I’m happy to do it, but it can seriously slow things down with my new activities. It just so happens, you so very often send me in wonderful new directions every time you return. I like working to your tune. It makes me feel right, like I’m guided by the right person now.”

“A soul so inclined to hold onto something makes it more likely to find something better and move on. I’m happy to be your guide, but I think we both know it might not be permanent.”

“...Perhaps. But I think we both know there’s a chance that it might.”

There was, in fact, a growing chance that was the case. “It very well might. The future is a wild thing.”

“And so are you, my lucky chaotic friend.”

We went back to eating, but that gave me something new to think about. I had considered it in the past and decided against it, but Fleur would be a perfect wife if I wanted to build the Everfree into a city. I just couldn’t decide if I wanted to build it with Celestia to help her power or build it myself to unbalance her.

But I knew that either way, Fleur would be happy to help me.

She definitely had that cake done before I got there, because it was already iced with a thin film of lemon icing. That bitch was one hundred percent after the V.

She was one hundred percent going to get it. I was so wet right then that it honestly scared me.

“So I’ve been thinking about the contestants for Miss Solar," she said. "There are so many races to speak to, some with larger populations and some with… much smaller.”

“Have you come to a conclusion?”

“Do you think you could possibly… maybe… convince Kat to be one?”

The sudden relief I felt was ridiculous and I don’t know why. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. But to prove to you what she’s capable of so it won’t be challenged, I want to let you borrow her while I’m gone. She has talents such that… how shall I say it nicely… She was a slave assassin thug. Very graceful, very good at talking and convincing, very quiet when she needs to be like a proper lady. I imagine she’ll have no trouble at all convincing all the judges that she’s the perfect kind of lady they want.”

“I merely wanted her before, Nav. But now I need her! Can you send her to me tomorrow?”

“No can do, I’m afraid. Previous engagement for me. You’ll get her the day I leave.”

“So be it.”

“What about Gilda, one of the elementals, or Zecora?”

“Princess Gilda has already agreed. The elementals aren’t life-like enough to take a place in a talent show. They don’t have to practice and all that. I did politely approach Zecora the last time she was here and she declined, but gave me the name of another. And before you ask, I am not interested in Doppel being our changeling contestant. I haven’t decided who yet, but I have a few good candidates.” Figured.

“I’m glad you know what you’re about, Fleur.”

She leaned in forward and her eyes narrowed all sexy-like. She grinned and quietly said, “And I have you to thank for it, Nav.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how grateful are you?”

She slowly shook her head and whispered, “Say the word and I’ll prove it to you.”

God damn it, she’s going to make me ask for it.

I grinned and sultrily whispered, “Bird.”

She leaned back and blinked. Her head tilted a little, then she chuckled. That turned into a deep laugh. It made her stand and then I felt magic grabbing me. She began carrying me into the other room, where there was a bed.

She tossed me onto it and I hit it with a loud pomf, because she likes that shit super soft. “W-what are we gonna do on the bed, Fleur?”

She laughed for about another minute before putting her serious face on. “If you keep doing that, I can’t ravish you.”

“Oh, now you’re the one wanting it!”

She leaned forward and kissed me for a moment before pulling back. “Tell me no,” she whispered.

“Yes, let’s do it.”

She pecked my nose with a kiss before pulling back and hopping off the bed. I had a good feeling, so I started pulling off clothes. “I told you once that I know every way of how to please a stallion. You remarked that I had done them all a lot. You were correct. And what I learned from those encounters was how to please myself. And I’m only a mare. So I think you might regret not giving me a chance before. I would be oh-so-happy to hear you say it before you leave.”

“That’s a very low chance,” I happily said.

She finally plopped back into view, dragon strap-on ready to go. There was a massive grin on her face. “Then I’ll have to try my hardest!”

[Guess what, motherfuckers? Sex is ahead. ctrl+f "Sex is over" if you're afraid of hot mare on humaness action.]

I was already out of my clothes, because I’m a super easy slut who knows what she wants. My body was ready and all that. She leaned in and slowly looked me over, still smiling.

“I’ve wanted to see you for a very long time, Nav. I want to take a moment to soak it in, but there are other things I’ve waited just as long for. This night is for your pleasure, Navarone. Will you grant me that?”

Alright, this is either going to be a good night or a really horrible night. Either way, it’ll be an awesome story to tell. “Happily, Fleur. I appreciate this.”

“Then I owe you nothing and you owe me nothing.” Her furry body moved in and she lied on top of me. The toy wasn’t lubed or anything, so it pressed tightly and comfortably against me, her lovely fur on top. She kissed me slowly, letting her tongue explore my mouth at her own pace. After about a minute of kissing me, she pulled back and took in my scent with a slow inhale. “You smell divine. Lavender?”

“With a hint of mint. Suggestion from a friend.”

“Your friend is wise.” She kissed me for just a second before pulling down, kissing and gently suckling as she went. My cheek, for a moment, then all down my neck, making my heart flutter, then to my chest and finally my breasts. She tenderly suckled on one of my nipples, making my breath catch and then force out a moan.

She slowly teased it, prodding it and sucking and feeling amazing. I was already wet, but Fleur knew sensual spots. She knew a woman’s body. There’s no telling what she could do to me that I had no knowledge of. She kissed her way further until she was right above my thigh, pressed against my lower stomach. She carefully prodded a hoof into my right side and started sucking the other side. Twilight had done something similar to me before, but not with Fleur’s wise intensity.

Somehow, some way, she made me moan from a hickey on my stomach. “Have you ever felt this way before, Nav?” she asked.

“N-no.”

“You have inexperienced partners. I know male and female bodies.” The amount of pride in her voice felt both comforting and worrying.

She continued proving her skill. Once she got below my metaphorical belt, she sucked on my pubic area. It was cleanshaven because my body is a mix-mash of invisible scar wounds, so she had a perfect shot. One hoof went to my right thigh and started slowly massaging it, being super gentle for a hoof.

“F-Fleur?”

“Close your eyes Nav. Explore. Feel.”

If I’m going to be trapped as a female, I’m going to be fucking satisfied. I closed my eyes and let Fleur act on me. Would I let Flo do this to me with no reservations?

That was neither here nor where she was moving her mouth to next. She slowly licked down my pubic area to my clit before just suddenly stopping. I moaned and my legs twitched invitingly, but her mouth moved to my left thigh and began kissing that. My body was so wet that it was leaking onto her muzzle, but she ignored it and slowly licked at my inner thigh. I started whimpering as she got to thirty licks and groaned when she hit fifty. Finally, she stopped for a moment and very gently bit down.

I squirted all over her face. My back arched, my toes curled, and I moaned loud enough that I realized why she didn’t have a maid yet. As soon as I started cumming, she went back to licking the thigh, holding my lower body in place with her hoof and magic. She forced me to ride that orgasm for at least a minute before backing away and letting us both catch our breaths.

“This is going much better than I expected,” she panted, the juices matting her facial fur dripping down onto the bed. Her horn lit up and a pitcher of water I was too busy to see floated over. She also brought a very fine drinking glass with an out of place straw. “Drink, Nav.” She poured water into it.

If she was going to make me squirt like that, I needed that water. When she floated it in, I happily drank it down. “So what does that mean?” I quietly asked.

“That our bodies are similar enough.” The water flew back over to its place on the only nightstand, and then she leaned in for a much more carnal kiss.

She was very tender with my lovely lady lips. I was absolutely not as sensitive as a pony there, which she quickly found out when I only whimpered and didn’t moan.

In response, she moved her attentions back to my engorged and very ready clit. She took it in her mouth and ran her tongue around it before suckling. She repeated that while her hoof continued to massage my thigh.

When I finally moaned, she moved lower, into my sweetest of holes, though unwanted it may be. Her tongue cautiously entered me, trying to decipher my taste like a professional chef. After several joyous slow, careful laps to see if she liked it, she finally began exploring in earnest. My body moaned with pleasure as she poked and prodded everywhere she could get her impressive horse tongue.

Finally, she began narrowing her search down, wonderfully pinpointing just the spot that I liked the most. She finally found the right one and made me gasp for breath as she slowly teased its length. She continued past it until she found herself out of me. She smiled darkly with her tongue still out and stood enough to kiss me deeply. I wasn’t expecting it, but I moaned at the act and the taste.

She chuckled and pulled back. “Can I be rough with you, Navi?”

“I want you to!”

“I respect you for saying that.”

I had no time to reflect on what that meant, as she immediately began muzzlefucking me. Both my hands went to her head to try to help her, but she slapped them away with her hooves and used her horse nose and tongue to hit my g-spot. She once again used magic to hold me in place as she brought me to a level of pleasure I had not felt in a while. I actually started crying and laughing from pleasure, overwhelming my senses.

She finally pulled back for a moment before thrusting her whole snout into me, stretching me much wider and stroking my fun-button so much harder. My body exploded in pleasure and I started hearing messy gulps below me, so I knew I squirted again and she was having her dessert.

When my body was too weak to struggle against her anymore, she finally eased out and fought to catch her breath. After thinking for a moment, I figured she could probably hold it for a very long time.

Once her breath was caught, but before mine was and while I was still crying, she chuckled and asked, “Strawberries and bananas, hm? Perhaps a hint of… watermelon? In winter? I do envy your life in the palace, Nav.”

There’s no way those were guesses. Chocolate covered strawberries, banana splits, and grilled watermelon are the healthiest things Celestia has for breakfast. “Your… your taste is impeccable…”

“As is yours, my lovely lady,” she said with a wink. My body tried blushing even more, but I was still coming down from a retard-moment orgasm, so there wasn’t much more it could do. I think she got the message either way, though. “Oh, Nav... Would that I had a mirror or a camera now, to show you how you look.”

“I… I don’t….”

“But wait, that’s right…” Her horn lit up and the top of her canopy bed released, trapping us in the bed together and revealing the mirror underneath. “I do.”

She hugged me, forcing me to look in the mirror at my bright red face, a dopey looking grin, and eyes that were aglitter.

“Are you ready to tell me you regret it yet, Navi?”

“N-no…” Two intense orgasms weren’t enough to stop me from talking shit. And of course, I had a feeling that denying it meant more fun.

“Well, we’ll see about that. I want you to keep an eye on yourself, Navi. You don’t want to ruin your lovely makeup, after all…”

With the angle she was holding me in, I couldn’t really look too far away. Honestly, I always tried not to think about it. My body and face felt wrong. All my mannerisms were right, but the body they tried them on didn’t like them, so to say. I felt too feminine and that always bothered me, but as I sat there and let Fleur treat me like a true lady for the very first time, I finally felt that it looked right.

Even if I’m still very shocked about it.

“Do I have your permission to use your body, Navi? Do you trust me with it, with no questions asked, relying totally upon my experience?”

I don’t know about that one. But fuck it. She knows my body. “Teach me how to be a lady.”

“With, assuredly, both our pleasures.” She finally hugged me again and kissed my ear as she lined her body up to mine. She either had magical assistance or her years of experience guided her well, because she slowly began easing her dragon-dildo into me. Ten outta ten aim. Gonna give Spike’s crossbow to her.

It’s not like he needed it anyway, though my brain was quick to remind me of the task at hand as her fake penis brushed a few nice spots. I found myself clutching tightly to her back. She softly cooed into my ear as she gently rode me, her comforting fuzzy body pressed against mine.

It was hard for me to really think coherently or talk, but I quietly said, “I… I love how you feel against m-me, Fleur…”

“It’s a perfect fit,” she whispered back.

With that, her hooves went to my shoulders to press me down. It was uncomfortable against my wings, so I stretched them out. Her magic found several nodes on my feathery wing that made my hips buck, pressing her deep into me and forcing a moan from me.

She let me catch my breath for a moment before pulling her body away, making me lose my grip on her. Her magic put my hands on her shoulders and then she started picking up speed. I grunted with each thrust. From the mirror, I could see that my eyes were opening wider every time she pressed into me. It was a strange look, but not a bad one.

But soon, my eyes just went out of focus as she continued picking up the pace and finally starting to thrust. Her body warmly pressed against mine every time, perfectly timed so I would grunt right next to her ear.

Once her pace finally reached a climax, her horn lit up and my legs lifted up and placed themselves around her back, giving her much better access. My grunts turned to moans as she pressed fully against me. I was so sensitive that I almost immediately came again, showering her bed and fur with my juices.

She replied by gently nibbling my ear, making my back arch and my body spasm against hers. My eyes involuntarily looked up and I realized I was drooling slightly between moans and my carefully placed makeup was smudged and running.

I didn’t look very lady-like anymore, but I was starting to feel like it.

“You voice is like music, Nav,” she delightfully sighed. “Sing for me.”

Not like I hadn’t already been, but I continued doing it regardless. After a while, I could barely hold myself onto her body and she let my upper body fall back onto the bed, giving her a nicer angle on my body. I yelped after each thrust, the pleasure so great that it almost hurt on my incredibly sensitive body.

Despite falling, I was still at an angle where I could see my face, and got to watch myself cum, see my fluttering eyes and adorable o-face. For some reason, it somehow turned me on even more. Knowing what my partner was seeing added something wholly new to the experience.

The tapered shape of the toy, along with the harder than normal bumps and spines, was making me feel truly wonderful. For a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel with different toys, but I couldn’t keep that thought in mind for long.

She hilted the toy in me and leaned in for a kiss. The suddenness of both acts made me cum and moan as she explored my mouth again. I tried to keep it up with her, but I was panting too much to try to catch my breath.

Fleur finally pulled back with what looked like a weary smile. “How does it feel to be a lady, Nav?”

I moaned before croaking, “Stunning, dear…”

She chuckled as the water floated back over. “You’re taking to it quite nicely. We’re almost done, Nav, but the last step might prove to be the hardest. Drink.” She lowered the cup back down to me and allowed me to drink.

As soon as the cup was empty, she pulled it and herself away. The toy slid free with a sexy schlick and my body seemed to deflate at the sudden cold emptiness in me. The dragon dildo was absolutely glistening from my juices.

“Do you still allow me permission to explore your body?” she asked.

“My body is yours to explore,” I answered, opening my legs for her.

“I want you to think, Nav. Think about how much of a friend I am. Think about how you feel about me. Think about how you trust me. And I very much hope you can think about how I will never let any of this hurt you. Can you do all of that for me?”

“You… want me to feel good.”

“Yes I do.” She set the water down completely and then magic lifted me up. She turned me over and planted my ass in the air. I had left Twilight’s toy at home, because I figured Fleur didn’t need to see it. “This will feel good, Navarone. I won’t let it hurt you and you are going to relax because you trust me. Right?”

“I’ll try,” I whispered, trying to ease into the bed more. The tip of the dildo carefully pressed against my dark hole. It didn’t immediately hurt, but I still had to fight myself from tensing. I knew she didn’t want to hurt me, so my body finally felt… at ease.

Her strap-on very carefully and very slowly pushed inside of me, using my own cum as lube. It did not hurt once, though she didn’t fully hilt me. “How do you feel?” she softly asked, lightly tickling my ear with her tongue.

“So f-full,” I whispered back.

“Relax and close your eyes, Nav,” she said. “Let your body feel.”

She slowly pulled back out of me. For once, it felt like my body wanted it to return and I expected it immediately, but she popped open a bottle of something and poured some on the toy and some on me. It was extremely slippery, so I guess she just wanted more lube.

Once the toy was good to go, she kissed my neck as it eased back in. My body leaned into it until she got to the large knot at the end of the toy. “What do you think, Navi?”

“Don’t… stop,” I panted.

She pulled back out once again and slowly thrust a few more times. After a few, she pulled the toy out and stopped again. The bottle popped back open and spilled more lube. “I’m about to get more rough.”

“Yes ma’am.”

That made her chuckle. She grabbed my hips before pressing in much faster. My breath caught at first, but as I started picking up her rhythm, I began rocking with the thrusts. She was the right kind of gentle, the right kind of loving, the right kind of sexual and the right kind of friend that I felt I could really trust her.

And it paid off. She changed her angle, forcing me to arch my back down as she thrust into me. It wasn’t comfortable, but I finally moaned in pleasure as the toy in me pressed against my g-spot somehow. It wasn’t as strong, but I was so sensitive that I was starting to lose my breath again.

“You were so beautiful today, Nav,” she said. “So pretty. You don’t know how attractive you really are, do you? You’re so pretty that I did all of this just to see you cum. And you’re gonna do it for me one last time, aren’t you?”

As she asked that, her magic began toying with my wing again. I wanted to make a proper response, but it only came out as a shuddering moan as she fucked my ass.

“I have one more trick up my sleeve, Nav.” I saw something light up above me and her bedding retracted to show another mirror. I watched myself moan like a bitch in heat as she pounded me.

When she saw me bite my lip to try to stifle my moans, she growled and finally hilted the toy, slamming me against the mirror and making my body explode into pleasure. Wave after wave radiated through my entire body, shaking it like never before. “W-what’s happening?!” I cried.

“You’re squirting, my lovely lady.” I buried my head in the bed to try to hide the moans or fight it, but she twitched her hips and send another jolt of pleasure into me. She started grinding and I felt my juices just keep leaking down my thighs. I began crying in pleasure again, hiding it against the mattress.

Once my body finally got too tired to keep responding and the pressure in my stomach was starting to get uncomfortable, she kissed the back of my neck again before tugging. The first try didn’t get it, but the second made her toy pop loose. It very slowly and gently eased out of me. When it was finally clear, I felt my body shudder in perverse delight, though I had a feeling I would probably regret it later.

She was nice enough to roll me face-up on the bed. Her horn lit up and the water flew back over. The glass refilled once more and she passed it my way. I drank before she could order me and then continued trying to catch my breath from one of the most ridiculously intense orgasms of my life.

Because of that, she didn’t try to talk to me. She just looked down on me with a very wide grin. For once, it didn’t feel creepy.

My body didn’t take very long to start coming down. I knew I’d be riding the afterglow for a while, but I could talk just a few minutes after she pulled out.

“So do you regret not giving me a chance sooner, Nav?”

“...Yes. But o-only up to where your marriage ended. I should have been with you that night…”

“No matter. You’re too worn out right now, but there’s always the future. Now that you’ve come to accept this body, you must learn how to own it. I want to teach you how to please you.”

“...Thank you, Fleur. I bet you know exactly how much that means to me.”

“After watching you tonight, I believe I do…”

[“Sex is over”]

Once she had her toy stowed away, she dragged me to her bathroom. My makeup had been ruined and my body had been thoroughly fucked, so she took it upon herself to carefully and meticulously bathe me, apparently trying to teach me the proper way for a lady to bathe.

I ended up getting out of the tub smelling a whole lot better than I usually do, though. She had some kind of honey smelling shampoo for my hair and cherry scented soap for my body. Shit was weird, but a good kind of weird.

Honestly, I lost track of time while she was doing things to me. It felt so long, but somehow so short. Turns out the long feelings actually won (if you know what I mean), because several hours had passed by the time I was safely back in my clothes, sans makeup. It wasn’t quite dark, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before Blossom would join us.

“How many truly experienced lovers have you had, Navarone?” she asked.

“I dunno. Two. Maybe three. It’s been a while since I’ve had one as a chick. But you’re… something else.”

“Thank you. Do you think you might like to have lunch at my home more often?”

“I think I can fit that into my schedule.”

In response, she pecked me on the cheek.

Since she had been so nice to do all of that for me, I figured the least I could do to return the favor was make tea. I still very much preferred coffee, but that wasn’t an option. So, tea it was, though I had to have her show me where she kept everything.

“You know, Fancy never had much use for me as a wife,” she said, her voice taking a sorrowful tone. “I was taught so many ways to be the perfect bride while I was a filly. All of it went to the wayside when he found out my secret and talked me into marrying him. One of the few things he ever asked me to do was make him tea… One lump of sugar and two dollops of cream. Every time.”

“Do you regret what you did?”

She looked at her teacup, yet unfilled. The kettle wasn’t quite boiling yet. “No. And yes. When I think back over all the could-have-beens and what-ifs, I know that I could have been a completely different pony. I don’t know if the time is wasted if I learned so many lessons from it all. When I was a filly, I wanted a prince to fall in love with me. For a time, the prince I was wishing for was Blueblood. Then I got married and met him and quickly changed my mind about the particular who. But the hope that someone would fall in love with me and rescue me from that life stayed with me for the whole marriage, right up until the last few months of it.”

“Huh. Was I the only catalyst for that change, or were there any other factors?”

“You were the one who taught me that I didn’t need to be saved, that I could save myself. The books you wrote gave me hope. They showed me that I wasn’t the only pony… or person that felt trapped despite being surrounded by opulence. Meeting you in person and realizing that you were the author of those books was a… revelation. The fact that I was able to reconcile with you filled me with resolve. And of course, your words, both written and spoken, empowered me. As much as it shames me to realize it, Princess Celestia did plenty to assist as well, though I’ve heard talk that was your fault.”

“You mean the whole hair rape thing?”

“I do.” Thankfully, I was saved from trying to explain myself by the sound of the kettle going off. I beat her magic to it and pulled it away from the stove to pour for us both. “Thank you, Nav. To be more precise, the incident with Celestia taught me that no pony is immune to being desperate for love or attention. I have a feeling that I was not the target she had in mind, but she took me regardless.” Apparently she took her tea straight, as she lifted it up to daintily sip at it without adding anything to it.

My palate was definitely nowhere near as refined as hers, so I dumped sugar and then cream into my tea. The shit just tasted disgusting otherwise, even after all the years I had been forced to drink it. “It’s lonely at the top, I guess.”

“Princess Celestia put herself on that pedestal. I feel no pity for her. I will support her, but as long as she holds herself so far above her subjects, she will never find love. I’m sure you, of all people, are aware of that.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Well, far be it from me to doubt the consort of Celestia. I, however, would be hard-pressed to love somepony who ordered me around.” Is that jealousy talking? She sounds earnest, but…

“That’s understandable. In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons things fell apart so hard with Luna.”

She sighed and set her teacup down. “Do you ever feel that Princess Celestia might be more loyal to her sister than she is to the law, Nav?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

“I felt it prudent. Many unpleasant things have happened to you, Navarone. And you’ve done one or two of them yourself. The landscape of power in Equestria would be radically different had you never appeared. It would be even more different had Celestia followed the law to the letter from day one involving you.”

“Things certainly would have been much more dull.”

“Perhaps. Which would you have preferred, Nav? A dull life or a life of adventures both painful and pleasing?”

“I dunno.”

That made her chuckle, surprisingly. “A wise answer, even if you didn’t mean it to be. Life is a fickle thing. What-ifs and could-have-beens are nice to explore, but I find it best to live the life we have, not the one that could be.”

“I just so happen to have magic that can tell me what my life would have been. Once upon a time, I could have been one of the scientists that helped recreate all life on the planet. I would have had a badass soldier for a daughter and presumably a wife, though I never got to meet her.”

“That is… interesting. In a way, you are mimicking what you could have been. From what I understand, you are currently fighting for all life on the planet alongside a very powerful battlemage daughter.”

“Hopefully, I’ll be more successful than the other me was.” Though what she said did get me thinking about fate, in a way. If my fate originally was to save the world, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was destined to do it again. A few signs were pointing to it, but I couldn’t rely on coincidences to point me the right way. One or two similarities didn’t mean anything.

“It seems that he was successful to me. There is plenty of sapient life in the world today, is there not?”

“Yeah, but he died. I’m looking for a happier ending.”

“Ah. That is certainly understandable. Of course, you have many allies on your side, Nav. You will win. You will save the world. You will survive.”

“Here’s hoping, I guess.” I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the first time I ever really felt like I wanted to survive the coming fight. I always pretended like I would make it, but I honestly expected to fail. What was I compared to what was essentially a god, after all? But for once, I realized that I didn’t want to die anymore.

The sound of distant knocking cut off any more attempts at conversation. Fleur grinned and stood. “That must be Captain Blossom. I’ll ask her to join us.”

“Cool.” She left the kitchen to make the long journey to the door. I took a moment to wonder if it would be polite to set a cup aside for Blossom. She told me that normal food tasted like ashes to her, but she might appreciate the gesture regardless.

In the end, I let my body decide for me. What Fleur did felt truly amazing at the time and I was definitely still feeling part of an afterglow, but aches were already starting to set in. Not moving felt much nicer than trying to get up to get another cup.

It sounded like Blossom was in a hurry. I heard two sets of hooves, one of which was definitely clad in metal, trotting down the hall. Once they got close enough, I could even hear Blossom talking. “It’s got me worried, Fleur. What else is she hiding?”

“Just a moment, dear—”

Before Fleur could tell Blossom to stop, they both rounded the corner and Blossom saw me. Surprise hit her face first, then a large smile. She burst into mist and almost instantly reappeared next to me for a hug. “It’s so good to see you safe, Nav!”

“You as well, Blossom,” I said, hugging her back. She wasn’t too comfortable in the armor, but I guess the warm feelings of friendship or whatever made it all worth it. “But the way you’re talking, something happened.”

That made her pull away, the smile disappearing. “Something did happen. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it, but I guess the princess didn’t think you were in the need to know. Or she hasn’t had a chance to fully process it herself yet.”

“...What exactly happened, Blossom?”

She sighed and started pacing. Fleur sat back down and used magic to place a chair in Blossom’s path. She got the hint and joined us at the table, though she leaned forward closer to me. “I spoke to Luna through a magic mirror last night, Nav. I don’t know where she is or what Princess Celestia has her doing. Apparently she’s had time to do some thinking, because when Celestia let me speak to her, Luna abdicated her throne.”

Fleur had been trying to sip at tea. When she heard that, her magic failed and the cup fell to the table. “W-what?”

“Can she do that?” I asked.

“Apparently. As soon as she said it, she… she changed. I haven’t seen her like this since I was first assigned to her command. Her hair stopped moving and went to a light blue and her body seemed to shrink.”

“What the hell did you say to her?” I quite honestly could not believe my ears.

“Well… That’s the uncomfortable part. Princess Celestia allowed me to speak to her on the condition that I kept to a script that I was provided. Luna realized it immediately and demanded that I speak my mind. I… I did. And I don’t think I need to repeat it. But Luna made Celestia swear not to punish me, then officially abdicated.”

“What did Celestia do?” Fleur asked.

“Screamed, then started crying, then physically threw me out of her room. I heard more yelling before I decided to go back to patrolling, but I don’t know exactly what was said.”

“Holy shit.”

“Talk about a power vacuum,” Fleur muttered, leaning back. Her eyes went unfocused as she thought.

“So why were you worried about me?” I asked.

“I thought Luna might be abdicating so she could come after you and not bring any fallback onto Equestria. But now that I know you don’t even know, I think she might seriously stay exiled wherever she is now. It’s possible she may have finally realized what she did was truly evil.”

“And you didn’t catch any kind of indication of where she was?”

She shook her head. “All I know is that the wall behind her was red, so presumably not the moon. There was no one else around and no decorations that I could see.”

“That could be literally anywhere. Damn.” I looked over at Fleur, who was zoned pretty far out. “What do you think, Fleur?”

That brought her back. “I think that Princess Celestia is very, very vulnerable right now. Someone with the proper ambitions could easily take quite a lot of power, but they would have to act quickly.”

“Then you both need to jump into play and make sure no one gets that opportunity,” I said. “If I haven’t heard of it, this news hasn’t spread. Celestia probably isn’t going to tell anyone. Was anyone else there, Blossom?”

“No, just the two of us. It was in her personal chambers, so there were no eavesdropping guards or maids.”

“Then this news is going to stay buried, but Celestia is still going to be reeling. I know she does not want this to spread, so this has to stay between the three of us. No one must know that Equestria is so close to toppling.”

“Agreed,” Blossom immediately replied.

“As you wish,” Fleur slowly said. I had a feeling she wanted to say more, but I knew she wouldn’t in front of Blossom. What she wanted to say did have merit, in a way; I could swoop in and take power right then if I wanted. I would still have problem areas, but I had enough dirt on Celestia to turn the entire world against her.

Without her sister by her side, she would crumple immediately.

“Blossom, is there any way you can increase the guard on Celestia? I don’t think it would be easy or even possible to kill her, but if any noble finds out about this, they might take the chance. After what she did to some of them, I bet they’re out for blood.”

“Consider it done, though she might not like it.”

“I don’t care if she likes it or not. She’s more useful to me alive, so she better not let herself get killed. I don’t have time to take care of the incredible anarchy that would come from her getting assassinated or even attacked. Thankfully, Fleur and I can’t do anything too direct, because we have to pretend to not even know. If Celestia finds out you told anyone, she will be very displeased.”

“I’m aware, Nav,” Blossom sighed, glumly lowering her head to the table. “But I felt that you had to know.”

“You did the right thing, and I’m grateful that you did it,” I said, reaching over to place a hand on her hoof. That got her to pull her head off the table, at least. “I just can’t believe that Luna truly gave up the throne. Willingly, at that.”

“She was not… she wasn’t completely gone, Nav,” Blossom sighed. Her other hoof moved to grip my hand. “She did regret what she did to you. I could tell even before she left. Celestia forced her to leave because Luna was telling the truth to every question Shining Armor or I asked about you. Luna didn’t run to protect herself, Celestia hid Luna to protect her. Given the choice, I think Luna would have preferred to be punished properly for what she did.”

“...Maybe.” Part of me wanted to believe that. I couldn’t help but wonder if enough of the wounds had healed that I could forgive her now. Had it been long enough? Could it ever be long enough?

I guess the better question is, had I changed enough yet? Or again, could I change enough?

Given my luck, I had a feeling I would find out sooner rather than later.

Blossom weakly smiled again and pulled away. “Despite the bad news, seeing you again was a very pleasant surprise, Nav. I heard your ship was in town, but I didn’t think I’d have time to see you. It’s a shame I need to get to work so soon.”

“I don’t suppose you’d have time to fly me back to my ship?” I asked. “It’s getting about time for me to head to bed and it’s only fair that I get out of Fleur’s hair.”

“There’s no rush,” Fleur immediately replied.

“And I can’t fly you anywhere, anyway,” she said. “I’m working with a squad of cadets tonight. But we could walk you back.”

“I think I’d like that, if you don’t mind. And I know there’s no rush, Fleur, but it is getting quite late. Remember, I sleep and wake with the sun, these days.”

“...Right. I just thought… Well, I suppose you need to tuck your daughter in.” I guess that was the cue for us all to stand up, though it kinda felt awkward. “I’d be happy to walk you to the door, at the very least.”

She led the way, though she walked very slowly. Blossom and I followed side-by-side, and she gently bumped into me every few steps. Normally that would be adorable, but my legs were still shaky from my extended vacation to pound-town. It still wasn’t too big of a problem, at least.

The long walk down the hallway was mostly silent. We all had our own inner demons to think about, I guess. Blossom about how to protect Celestia, Fleur about how to profit from what Luna did, and me about when I could have sex with Fleur again.

And also the thing about forgiving Luna, I guess.

When we finally got to the door, Fleur turned and pulled us both into a group hug. It felt very nice and the two of us returned it, of course. Once she let go, she asked me, “Do you know when you’ll be leaving, Nav?”

“The day after tomorrow, probably in the morning. I have no idea when I’ll be getting back. I’ll try to carry some flyers with me.”

“I would be ever-so-grateful. And when you do stop by Canterlot again, don’t be a stranger.” Her voice got quite deep on that last part and her eyes took on a very nice seductive look.

Blossom picked up on that and cleared her throat. “Thank you for the hospitality, Fleur. But I really do need to get back out there…”

“Right, of course.” Fleur’s horn lit up and the door swung back open, revealing a group of three young looking day guards. Their eyes widened when they saw Fleur and I and all three of them bowed.

Blossom sighed and trotted out. “Stand at attention!” They immediately shot right back up. “We are royal guards. If we stopped to bow to every noble in Canterlot, nothing would ever get done. You bow to Princess Celestia alone.”

“And Princess Luna,” I quickly said.

Blossom’s ears twitched and she nodded. “And Princess Luna. That said, there is a list of nobles that can request our presence. Lady Navarone is one of them, and she requested that we escort her back to the palace. So we will put off our patrol for the night until she is safely at home. Any questions?” All three guards slapped one of their hooves against the ground. Blossom turned back to me. “Are you ready, my lady?”

“I am, Captain Midnight.”

“Squad leader, deploy your guards.”

The earth pony of the group stepped forward, surprisingly. He turned to look at the other two. “Lance corporal, three meters in front. Light the way.” The unicorn nodded and started walking, his horn lit up to shine our path. “PFC, fly overhead. Keep an eye on the streets.” The pegasus saluted and shot into the air. “My lady, would you care to walk with me?”

“Nice try, cadet,” Blossom said. “I will stay with Lady Navarone. I want your mind on the mission, not thinking about getting up her skirt.”

“C-captain, I would never!”

“You’re right, you never will,” she replied. “Rear guard.” His ears dropped and he sighed. Blossom and I began following the unicorn and the earth pony followed behind the two of us.

When we were about a block away from Fleur’s house, I shook one of my legs out and asked, “Can I put a hand on your back? Or is that inappropriate right now?”

“Are you unwell? If you need me to fly you back, I can. I was just using this as a training exercise.”

“I’m fine. Fleur just did a number on my vagina and ass.” She missed a step and stumbled. “Felt great at the time, but being a female has its downsides.”

“I… I see. Feel free to place a hand on my back, Nav.” It didn’t make walking too much easier, but at least she got to be uncomfortable as well.

“So what’s with this cadet thing?” I asked.

“One of the few good things Shining Armor implemented in his time as captain. He decided that before guards can be sworn in, they have to go out on several dozen patrols with experienced squad leaders. This was after an attempt on his daughter’s life, if I remember right. Apparently one of the guards who passed the screening process was unfit for duty and was helping the assassins. This was designed to put more experience on the streets and let dutiful squad leaders keep an eye on the trainees. So far, this is the first group I’ve ever participated with.”

“Is it working?”

“Oh, absolutely. It hasn’t helped knock crime down any, but it’s greatly increased the professionalism of new guards and it’s reduced the number of complaints we get. Crime in Canterlot is practically nonexistent, so that’s the best outcome we could have hoped for.”

Before I could ask more questions or try to get to rub her belly, the pegasus guard landed in front of us. “Captain, there’s an armored diamond dog bothering a deer two streets over.”

“Ugh. Night falls and all the deer and weirdos come out,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Nav, you mind if we detour to deal with this? It won’t take long.”

“It won’t break my heart. But if we get attacked, you better be my hero in not-so-shining armor.”

“Tch. FALL IN!” The unicorn up ahead spun around and trotted back. The earth pony behind us joined the other two. “Looks like we got a standard dispute. Probable dog aggressor, bothering a deer. It’s likely just a dog being a dog and a deer being a deer, so we’ll just break it up and make them disperse. I’ll take the lead.”

“You gonna cheat this time, Captain?” the earth pony asked.

“You learn nothing if I use my powers,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So that’s a last resort.”

“All you have to do is just make us vamponies too!”

She glared at him. “You don’t want this curse, cadet. Now move out and don’t make me repeat myself again.” Their ears dropped and they started trotting, letting the pegasus take the lead.

“So uh…”

“Fleur put it in newspapers less than three days after Princess Celestia said it was okay. The whole city knows.”

“Huh.”

She started galloping to catch up. I followed at a more sedate pace, because I didn’t really figure I had any business getting involved.

I regretted that decision when I turned the corner and saw Blossom opening a can of whoop-ass on both the dog and the deer. The shoes I chose didn’t make running easy, but it didn’t matter anyway since they were both out cold by the time I got there.

“So what exactly did I just miss?” I asked. The three cadets were just staring in awe, so none of them answered.

“Our little puppy here didn’t like being interrupted,” she said with a hoof on his back. “And as I’m sure you’d know if you’ve ever met a deer, they’re one of the most arrogant races out there and don’t like being rescued. Both were inebriated. Cadets, take them to medical and then to gen pop. I’ll continue walking with Lady Navarone.”

A direct order knocked them out of their stupor and all three saluted. “Yes, Captain Blossom!” She walked away from the scene of violence and joined me once more as the three of them started working on getting those poor bastards to a doctor.

When we were far enough away, she giggled. “I love making them do all my paperwork.”

“That is exactly why I hired an accountant. Also, that was fucking awesome.”

“And it felt good! I’m glad I can finally be open about what I am. It means I don’t have to hold back.”

“Which is definitely good, but something something be careful, something something don’t abuse your powers.”

“Did you just say something something twice?”

“The point is, with great power comes great responsibility. I know you were worried before about getting in too deep and making a mistake because of it. The more you use your powers, the more careful you have to start being.”

“...Yeah.” We walked in silence for a few long seconds before she grinned again. “But did you see the way I had that deer by the antlers?”

“You have no idea how wet that made me, Blossom. No homo or whatever, but god damn.”

That made her burst out laughing, of course.

Unfortunately, it did not make her put out when we got back to the ship.

Fortunately, Twilight was still upset about the previous night, and did her best to put me back in my place. It was fun, but Fleur was definitely better.

Of course, telling Twilight that Fleur was better made her try much harder, which made the night last a lot longer than it should have.

Totally fucking worth it.