As of this moment, The Lost Element is going on a temporary hiatus as I prioritize proofreading Volume 3 to prepare it for printing. I want to finally get that done in time for Christmas.

For anyone who may wish to support me through Patreon or Ko-Fi, please refer to the top of my userpage.

It is a bit too soon for us to advance after the previous battle. Morale is high and everyone seems ready to move on for the next clash, but we still have a few kinks to iron out. I have heard that the R&D lab is working quickly to enchant our aerial units' suits of armor to repel our own arrows to eliminate the risk of friendly fire. Our new dragon allies still needed their armor instilled with the enchantments needed to deflect arrows entirely. They were lucky to not suffer a hit during that first battle.

I have to say I see why morale is seen as important in a conflict. The air in the camp is full of a certain inspiring energy. Even I, for all of my concerns, have a hard time letting myself get too pessimistic lately. This morale has even been a source of positive reinforcement for the handful of new volunteers who have shown up the past couple of days. They all seemed a little nervous and unsure of themselves once they disembarked from the airships that brought them in, but the high morale in the camp quickly made them more confident. Even moreso once training began now that their superiors had a much better grasp of what to expect on the battlefield.

With nothing do to after finishing my prior journal entry, I found myself relaxing on my bed with little Ocellus snuggled up to me. Smolder leaned against the wall beside the only other window in the room and eyed us with a knowing smirk on her lips. She then said smugly, "Did anyone ever say you two are really cute together?"

"Is it because of the ugly duckling dynamic with this little love bug?" I asked while stroking my hand over the little Changeling's smoothly polished carapace. She looked up at me with a curious gaze, not looking particularly offended, but also not sure of what that analogy even meant. "What? You don't know of that saying?"

"Um... Are ducklings supposed to be ugly?" Ocellus asked with genuine curiosity. "Am I like a duckling?"

I almost laughed. I suppose she has had little in the way of encountering waterfowl. "Actually, no. Ducklings are adorable. They always have been. If you want to get technical, the 'ugly duckling' of the original story is actually a cygnet without even knowing it. You know. A baby swan. They admittedly do look a little drab with their fluffy feathers being mostly shades of gray, but I don't think I need to explain how glorious swans look when they're all grown up. That's what the story means. Something that starts off drab and unappealing can grow up to be something beautiful."

I saw her featureless blue eyes light up with intrigue. Ocellus then asked, "Do you think I'll be pretty later? Maybe even...become a queen?"

"You? A Changeling queen? That's something I'd like to see, but... What does a Changeling queen look like? And how does one become a queen?" I asked now that it was my turn to be curious. Smolder even leaned a little closer to listen into this conversation.

Ocellus then said, "A queen is... Well, I think they're only been one Changeling queen in...forever? Our queen is tall... She looks even more like a pony than other Changelings. She's...kind of beautiful, but...still a little scary..."

"Huh? There's only been one Changeling queen in...like...forever? How old is she?" Smolder asked while I started to pull Ocellus into an embrace. I was worried we were bringing up bad memories

"Uh huh... I hear she's been around since... Since... Well, before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna became the rulers of Equestria. I've even heard some in the hive say she's been leading the hive since before...time began to flow. I don't even know what that means..." Ocellus muttered while looking more puzzled herself.

"That's...crazy. I get the princesses of Equestria have been around for a long time, but your queen is even older?" Smolder asked with a most confused stare on her face. She gestured with a hand while she asked, "Shouldn't she been like an old hag by now?"

Ocellus shook her head. This conversation was not particularly bothersome to the little love bug, so I loosened my embrace on her. "No, she doesn't look elderly at all. She's a young queenly mare who looks like she hasn't aged a day in...um... I guess long before I was even born. She's a lot like the princesses, come to think of it. She just...doesn't age."

Smolder and I just shared a gaze for a few seconds. It was hard to imagine there being someone outside of the royal family more ancient than anyone in it. A truly primordial entity older than recorded history? Mysterious... Most mysterious. I was wondering if the Changeling queen would ever reveal herself to us. If her men were out searching for Ocellus, they would have surely made their presence known by now.

With neither of us sure of what to ask next, Smolder reached out and patted Ocellus on her head. "Well, I bet you'll be a gorgeous queen someday."

Ocellus stared at our friend while her little wings sprang outward in surprise. "Me? You think I can be a queen someday?"

"Well, you know what they say. Love makes little things grow." I said before caressing the smooth chitin lining her jaw. "I dunno if regular Changelings can become kings or queens, but I'm sure you'll become gorgeous someday."

She became quiet as I sat up to let Ocellus lean into me. Closing her eyes, she sighed peacefully at my touch. But I then decided to throw her a curveball. I placed a kiss right atop her head. "More love for the love bug."

Upon feeling my lips upon her head, Ocellus froze as if she suddenly got a jolt through her body. Her wings stuck straight out to the sides like a moth put on display in a case. Smolder's eyes opened wider as she probably wondered what the big deal was, but then she started to smirk. "Too much love in one shot for you?"

"Uh... Nope!" Ocellus chirped before she shook her head to clear her senses. Although she then looked up at me with a sheepish pleading smile and asked, "But...if it's OK... More, please?"

"As much as you want." I said with a smirk. I began to place little kisses all over her head. Ocellus squinted her eyes shut and grinned blissfully as if I was giving her the most extravagant massage in her life. Her wings constantly flapped weakly while I even whispered to her while feeding her little doses of love with just my kisses. "A little here. A little there. And a little over here..."

Ocellus began to rise up higher and higher on her hind legs as if she was just so euphoric that she had to stretch herself out. This gave me more space to spread my love to as the little Changeling now stood taller than me while I was seated. I placed kisses upon her chest, her neck, and even her jaw and cheeks. Smolder hid a snickering smile with her fist while just enjoying the show. But out of nowhere, Ocellus threw me for a loop by grabbing me in an embrace and very firmly pressing her lips to mine! Even Smolder was surprised by this as she spoke up, "Whoa, she's drinking straight from the tap!"

This was surprising, but not exactly unappreciated. I could subtly feel it. Something was being drained right out of me through my lips. All with just a kiss. I rested my hand on the back of her head to keep her held in place while I let her feast on all the love she wanted. Even if it was through the act of sharing a kiss with me. But I soon felt something new... Something strange. Along with the unexplainable sensation of feeling...something being extracted from me, I felt something flowing right back into me through my lips. Something warm... Something invigorating.

Whatever Ocellus was channeling into me even while she fed on my love, it felt...wonderful. Made me feel delightfully warm and tingly. My embrace tightened as I began to hold Ocellus much more tenderly and intimately. Instead of just letting her kiss me, I began to kiss her right back. I always adored that little love bug. But now I felt a new desire in my heart. And it was only growing. I wanted to hold her. To cherish her. To make her feel loved and wanted. To know she would always have a place with me. This feeling... Was it love? Was she...pumping me full of love as well?

My god, I really was falling in love right then and there. I did not want this wonderful feeling to end. All the little love I had felt for Ocellus was being intensified the longer our kiss lasted. Was I going to lose myself to this if it went on for too much longer? Thankfully, I got an answer before long. Ocellus released me from her kiss and then slumped in my embrace. She drank herself right into a stupor and passed out for a nap. I then turned my gaze to Smolder as I panted lightly from the distinct sensation of being a little hot and bothered. All that love... I felt so warm. Even Smolder could see how steamy the situation was getting and looked our way with her wings spread wide. "Wow... You two were really going at it..."

"I...uh..." I mumbled before allowing Ocellus to roll out of my arms and onto the bed. I looked down at the sleeping love bug. She had always been adorable to me, but now she seemed so much more beautiful at that moment. I was still full of love. Her love. "I... I swear I felt her filling me with something even while she was drinking my love. I think.....she was filling me with her own love... Felt wonderful..."

"Huh? Changelings can do that? Take love AND give it? Wow... What'd it feel like? You looked like you were really enjoying it. Especially when you two really started making out." Smolder asked while she stepped my way. It was only then that she noticed her wings being spread wide open for no reason and forced them to close.

"It felt...warm. Warm and pleasant. And...I mean I've always liked her. Wanted her to be happy, but... With all that love being pumped into me, I... I can't describe it any other way. I was falling in love with her. Hard. And I liked it." I explained while looking down at the sleeping Changeling. All that love was still inside me. I knew all the love I was feeling was not entirely justified. I was not even entirely certain of how I felt about Ocellus at the time. But I wanted to hold her. To kiss her. To make her feel more loved and desired than ever before. But it was far too soon to say if those feelings were genuine and had simply been amplified at the time. "I guess all that love bolstered the affection I already had for her into something...much more intimate. And it's still there... Still inside me."

"Gotta let it all out, huh?" Smolder said with a knowing inflection in her voice. When I looked her way, I flinched as I saw the lovely dragon girl displaying a most amorous smirk upon her lips. The growl in her voice faded as she spoke with a much more delicate tone as she approached the door leading downstairs and proceeded to lock it. "Then let me help you put that love to good use, mi amor."

"You always know what to do, huh?" I said with all that love towards Ocellus starting to be directed towards the beautiful little dragoness in the room. She jumped up into my embrace and tenderly pushed me down onto my back. Her little hands caressed my face as I whispered up to her. "Ti amo tanto, mia poca draghessa."

"Back at you, dear. Let's put all that pent up love to good use." Smolder spoke sweetly to me with that angelic voice. Her face lowered to mine as our lips met. But I could not wait any longer and placed my hand on the back of her head. Smolder squealed sweetly as my tongue licked at her lips before hers parted to let her long narrow tongue dance with my own. I had grown to love her taste. That ever so slight hint of sulfur on her breath. Like a certain delightful spiciness that strangely brought to mind the warmth of zesty curry.

Smolder soon pulled away from me and went under my chin. So many little kisses and slithery licks to my jaw and neck. She constantly whispered sweet little things to me, but not one of them was something I could understand. It was all in French. Cunningly hiding behind a dialect most in the camp would not understand without someone who could translate. But every single line that slipped past her lips oozed with a powerful love. I wonder what Rarity has been teaching her lately when I am not around... She almost sounded fluent.

"Smolder... Dear... Ti amo... Ti amo tanto..." I whispered to her as I was so very tempted to cast aside the subtleties and just tell her how much I truly loved her. It was almost frustrating, knowing we had to hide behind the veil of foreign dialects just to say what we wanted. But we were managing for the moment. This was fine. And it felt wonderful. All that extra love in me was now being directly focused on this beautiful young lady above me.

"Kiss me, mi amor. Kiss me all you want." Smolder cooed to me as she pushed herself up to properly straddle me. She crossed her arms over her chest as she spread those lovely wings. As if putting on a glorious courtship display. I pushed myself up and brought my lips to hers before reaching under her jaw. Smolder sighed blissfully while tilting her head back to expose her smooth scaled neckline. My kisses were constant as I kissed her jaws and the very smooth yellow scales going down the very middle of her underside. Smolder moved her arms aside and held them behind her head as she pushed her chest out to me, as if inviting me to direct my affections towards where her heart was beating.

I did just that. Holding her legs in place as I kissed her smoothly scaled chest. She shuddered at my touch and whimpered preciously. I loved her. And I wanted her to be happy forever. There were no words to describe how blessed I felt that this lonely little vagabond had wandered into my life when she did. I soon felt Smolder reach for my hands and guided them up her sides to hold her at her waistline. She hardly had a traditionally feminine figure, but I still gently rubbed my hands over her sides. Smolder wrapped her arms around my head as she gasped sweetly, urging me to continue to kiss her chest as her heart pounded just under the surface. I could even feel the gentle vibrations through my lips as she whispered to me, "Mi amor... Mi amor... James... Mi amor..."

I wanted to tell her right then and there. Those simple three words. It was a struggle to resist with how much my love for her was just bursting at the seams. But even as I kissed her chest, Smolder ran her fingers through my hair. Tenderly and with long deliberate motions of those little fingers. She gasped at me with little whispers, her voice sounding like the hymn of an angel as she spoke sweet cryptic things hidden behind the veil of an elegant dialect. There was so much love on each word... And it only made me cherish her more.

It was only a matter of time before I finally started to notice it. Faint at first, but growing more noticeable as the minutes went by. A distinctive musky scent began to fill the air. At any other time, I would have been alarmed. But at this time, I was too deeply in love with this beautiful dragoness who was embracing me to care much at all. I knew this scent. The scent of a female desiring the touch of intimacy. And yet, Smolder made no attempt to act upon these urges. She only continued to hold me as she allowed and even encouraged me to direct my kisses wherever I could. Even as she shuddered at the growing sensations within her body that she was too inexperienced to understand.

Never before had the temptation been greater. I was so very tempted to explore my beloved's body. To slide my fingers down her belly to gently prod at the slit between each bright yellow scale until I found something different. I knew it was there and that all I had to do was check between each scale. But I knew I should not. Even as I opened my eyes to gaze upon the wonder young lady before me, I still could only see the woman within her. In fact, I do not believe Smolder had ever looked more womanly to me than at that moment. Wings spread wide. Those gorgeous blue reptilian eyes gazing at me. That sincere smile on her lips during this brief lull. There was not even the slightest shred of childlike wonderment in her gaze or even her body language. A girl in body, but a woman in mind and soul. Words were not needed. I could see that gaze of unwavering love and trust in those eyes. Even if she was not aware of what the sensations flowing through her meant, I was certain Smolder was inviting me to do whatever I wished to her. She knew I would never harm her.

We once again resumed our kissing as our lips locked and our tongues danced. The urge was so strong. I did not just want to give me my love. I wanted to make love with her. And it was an arduous challenge to try and ride this out without pushing too far too quickly. My hands kept roaming dangerously close to where I should not wander. My fingers stroked over her strong thighs. My palms rubbed over her tail. My hands even slid along the frames of her beautiful wings. But I absolutely had to avoid letting my fingers slide along her underside. So long as I did not reveal to Smolder what that part of her body was for, there was no danger.

Finally... After what felt like a tiny eternity, Smolder's embrace on me loosened. We pulled back from each other as she remained straddled upon my lap. Her wings remained constantly spread wide. Her gaze was listless and unfocused as she panted lightly. Just how strong was the sensation of genuine arousal becoming in her young body? I asked quietly as the reality of the situation finally began to register with me, "Smolder...?

"James... I..." Smolder muttered as I feared that she was starting to become more aware of this new feeling. We stopped much earlier the last time I noticed that subtle reptilian musk in the air. But we did not do such a thing this time. It was Smolder who chose to stop. And I was wondering if these new sensations were finally triggering her first experience with actual lust. She had no idea how her body works in that regard, and yet... Would she act upon it? She leaned a little closer to me and muttered, "I... I think I need a cold shower..."

"Ye... Yeah. Go ahead. Wash up. I'll be here when you get out." I replied while helping Smolder down to the floor. She scampered to the bathroom with a very uneven gait before locking the door behind her. I soon heard the shower going. She really was not kidding.

I sat there on my bed and stroked Ocellus on the head while she slumbered peacefully at my side. All that extra love she siphoned into me nearly created a problem. With my mind now focused on more distressing subjects, the excess love within me faded away on its own. That was close. But what if...

I approached the door and listened closely. Trying to make out the sound of Smolder's voice. If her lust was pushed too high, she might be tempted to explore her body to relieve it. And I strongly doubted an inexperienced girl would be able to stay quiet during her first sexual release. But over the next several minutes, I did not hear a peep out of her. Thank goodness. That was not something she should be pushed into discovering too quickly.

As soon as the shower was shut off, I stepped away from the door and took a seat on the bed again. A couple of minutes passed before I saw the door open. And Smolder looked exhausted. She walked with a weary sway to her step while a little hunched forward. She barely even dried herself off with that crest of stiff hair on her head being heavily wetted down. I asked cautiously, "You OK there?"

"Uh huh... Just... I felt so hot... Even hotter than I usually get when we make out like that..." She mumbled before just standing before me. Those exhausted beautiful blue eyes gazed up at me as she wheezed softly. "It felt nice, but... Man, I really needed to cool down... I guess there's such a thing as too much love, huh? I mean... That's what it is, right? When you get all hot and tingly... When you're being held by the guy...who means everything to you... That's what love feels like, right?"

"Yeah, I think so... If love has a way of telling you through your body's senses that you're experiencing it... I'd say that's what it would feel like." I replied while actually understanding where she was coming from. That hot and tingly desire... The most intimate kind of love possible. And it was much too soon to teach her about it. With the tension over that risk fading, I felt much more at ease. "What about now? You feel all right?"

"I feel...like I could use a nap." Smolder retorted while breaking out into a brief chuckle. I helped her up onto my bed, but she did not even bother getting under the covers. Smolder instead curled up on the bed near Ocellus like a sleepy cat. She dreamily looked up at me while I stroked my hand over her head. "I'll be here when you get back. If you go anywhere..."

"Right. Sweet dreams, dear." I whispered to her as I rose from my seat. Smolder closed her eyes while just looking so happy. Even if that was a close call, it was still a good experience for us. Though I would have to learn to be more careful if Ocellus ever pumped me full of extra love again. Or maybe I just needed to have a talk with her about it at some point.

I decided to leave me room for the moment. I just wanted to find something to do now that things would be calm for a day or two. I left my armor behind and just slipped a pair of shoes on before heading down the stairs. The command center was quiet, but I caught sight of someone I do not normally see there. I saw a splash of beautiful blue over in the radar station. Ember was standing near it while observing the crystal panels that displayed the topographical information of the area out east. There was no sign of trouble, but she still seemed to be very interested in it for the sake of it being something her homeland did not possess. The guards maintaining and observing the information paid her no mind.

More than happy to see my friend, I made my way over to her as quietly as I could. I used the element of surprise to tap her on her left horn while standing to her right. Ember predictably glanced left first to find no one there before looking to her right. She jumped a little in surprise, but stayed quiet as that startled look on her face faded to a warm smile. "Well, good afternoon. Did I show up at a bad time?"

"No, I'd say you showed up at just the right time. I was looking for something to do now that we'll be here for another day or two." I retorted as I ran a finger along the highest spine of Ember's head. It bent downward as I applied a little pressure. Ember most likely would have been annoyed had anyone else done that for its own sake, but she seemed to welcome my caress. "What are you up to? Did you need to see anyone?"

"Well, I'm glad I got to see you. As for right now, I'm still getting properly acquainted with where everything is around here while we're staying put for now. Everything just feels so alien to someone like me... Equestrian customs are an...interesting thing to get the hang of." Ember replied while she turned her lovely scarlet eyes up to me. Just seeing that smile on her face was a wonderful thing. I could still remember how bitterly she spoke of life back home, so seeing her in such high spirits in a refreshing new environment was inspiring.

The two of us observed the crystal map panels for a moment longer until the sound of the Morse code station printing out a message reached our ears. It really is surprising just how noisy that thing can be when printing out codes. Ember muttered up to me, "I've heard that thing buzz a few times today. What is it?"

"That? It's Morse code. It's a long distance communication device that sends messages through code. Fairly archaic, but it's legendary for its efficiency." I replied while wondering where the message had come from. Probably something sent from an approaching airship. Although the officer manning the station soon decoded it and waved at me to get my attention. "Huh? What's up?"

"Sir James, it seems I'm supposed to inform you that...the R.A.S. Alabaster will be arriving in a few hours. They specifically wanted you to be aware of it." The stallion replied as he looked the graph over.

"The... Oh, the Alabaster! Thank you!" I retorted with a surge of excitement in my heart. It had been days since I last got to see Novo. No doubt she specifically wanted me to know of her approach so I could be there to greet her. I soon noticed Ember looking up at me with a curious gaze, so I proceeded to explain. "The Alabaster is the private airship of the royal family of Capricorn Island. You know. Those flying boats that keep coming and going?"

"Oh, right. Those. We even followed some to track you all down. But...um... Capricorn Island? That's a new one. Where's that?" Ember asked with understandable ignorance. There was no way she would be familiar with any island nations when hailing from the landlocked dragon lands.

With Capricorn Island easily being one of my favorite places in the world, I was more than happy to tell her what I knew. "You know about the hippogriffs, right? Admiral Seaspray and his fellow archers? They all hail from Capricorn Island. It's waaaaay out west in the ocean. A huge mountain on an island with plenty of towns built along the mountainsides. You really should see it sometime. One of the loveliest places in the world."

"Oh, it's on an island? No wonder I never heard of it..." Ember retorted while her eyes wandered in thought. She rubbed the underside of her jaw while trying to search her memory for any mention of it. "Yeah, I would know that name anywhere if I'd heard of it. But why would the crew want you to know they're coming?"

"Probably because their queen wanted me to know. She and I are on really good terms with each other, so I would like to know when she's coming." I explained while being very careful to keep any mention of my romantic pursuits with Novo strictly confidential.

"Ooh, the queen herself is coming? She as good at archery as her men?" Ember asked now that I had piqued her curiosity further. It was a wise assumption when archery is something most hippogriffs have a natural affinity for.

I then explained, "No, not her. She specializes in swordplay. Novo's a world champion in the field of sword fighting. Centuries of experience. She's awesome, you'd love to meet her."

"Been around as long as the Equestrian royal family, hm? I like a woman who knows how to hold her own in a fight. Now I really wanna meet her. You'll introduce me, right?" Ember asked with a very intrigued smirk on her lips.

"Sure, I'd be happy to. We should be able to see the Alabaster from here before it even comes in to land." I spoke while more than happy to see how the Dragon Lord and the queen of Capricorn Island would get along. My assumption is that their first meeting would go very well. But now that I had something to look forward to in a few hours, I then asked, "Until then... You busy right now?"

Ember seemed to know what I was implying and motioned towards the door leading outside. "Not right now. Want to come over to my place for some tea? I've gotten the hang of brewing some."

"I'd be happy to. Let's go." I replied before the two of us headed outside. It was a breezy and even lazy late summer day. Perfect for a nap. Although it would be a bad idea to let ourselves get too complacent. It was safe to rest for now, but we would need to be ready to head out once preparations were complete.

I craned my neck to try and peek over the tops of the tents around us. Just trying to scan the distance. "How have your men been doing since they got here? Staying out of trouble with everyone?"

"I can't imagine them defying orders with Nightmare Moon breathing down their necks. If those boulderheads cause trouble, they'll regret it." Ember retorted while being too short to see over the rows of tents around us. At one point, I did see all twelve of Ember's subordinates lined up in a row without their armor. And it looked like Spitfire was pacing before them. I suppose she had been charged with instructing them on how to better fly in formation. Although I could not shake the feeling that they were more than just a bit annoyed that a little pegasus was their superior at the time.

We eventually came to the archery range with Ember's cottage set at the northern end. But now that it was the middle of the day, it was getting ample use by our archers. Rows of unicorns stood with longbows drawn while Seaspray stood behind them to serve as their instructor. Their armor was much lighter than our infantrymen, consisting of a suit of the royal guard's standard issue armor and a kettle helmet to protect the head as well as help provide some shade for their eyes. I could see why more thorough suits of armor was deemed unnecessary for our archers, especially when the hippogriffs wear very little to begin with. There was virtually no chance of the enemy reaching them at the back rows. Certainly not with our own anti-arrow defenses in place.

Ember paused as a volley of arrows flew from one side to the other and dug deep into straw targets. I too took a long look at the unicorns on one side. They seemed to be new recruits who had only just shown up after the prior battle. They had little to fear from the enemy if they were always out of reach, but they would have to pull their weight if they were going to be of any help. Regardless, there was no way we were going to walk in front of a squad of archers. Ember and I had to go around the edges to not put ourselves in the way.

"I guess you have a front row seat to watching our archers practice their shots, huh?" I asked once we stepped inside Ember's cottage. I always love it when I enter that place. It gives me a feeling of things back home in Ponyville. A piece of home away from home.

"I actually did watch one of their earlier sessions from the window. They look like they know what they're doing." Ember said as she went right for the phonograph in the corner. She held up a pair of records that were still in their sleeves. I suppose I did not have to explain what the album covers were supposed to do. Ember was still new to the concept of music and appeared to be trying to figure out how things differ between albums. "Um..... This one."

The album she chose had a much more romantic feel than the last one. It specialized in guitar to provide a very old fashioned whimsicality. Ember cocked her head to one side as the music played and said, "Hey, that's different... What makes that kind of sound?"

"That's a type of acoustic guitar. A stringed instrument. If you want, I can ask Gilda to play one for you. She's really good at it and they do keep a few around for acoustic purposes." I explained before seeing that the look Ember was giving me showed she had no idea who Gilda even is. And so I explained, "She's...uh... She's a griffon serving in the militia. And she's become a good friend of mine."

"A griffon? Oh, those creatures who look like big cats wearing bird claw gloves and bird heads... She can make music with that?" Ember asked while I just nodded. She then motioned her hand to the couch next to the phonograph and said, "Make yourself comfortable. I'll get right on that tea, all right?"

I did as she requested and sprawled myself out the couch while chilling to the lovely tunes of romantic guitar. It just made me want to cuddle with someone I love. I did not hear much in the kitchen around the corner, but I assumed Ember could figure out how to make tea just fine with modern conveniences. The album was almost done on that one side by the time Ember came back over while holding a cup in each hand. Faint trails of steam rose from the rims before she set them down on an end table behind me. "It's still pretty hot. Might want to let it cool. I know you can't handle heat like I can."

"You shouldn't drink yours too soon either. Let the flavor fill the cup for maybe ten minutes at least." I said as the music finally came to a stop with only the faint scratching sound of the needle being emitted by the phonograph. Ember responded accordingly by flipping the record over and resetting the needle to allow the rest of the album to play. I remained sprawled out on the couch to give my drink time to cool while also just savoring the music in the air. I even closed my eyes, thinking I could let myself drift off for a nap. But I was interrupted by the sensation of someone laying themselves out upon me. I looked down and found Ember relaxing upon me with her chin upon my chest. She then tucked her hands under her jaw and cast a most tender gaze. Perhaps the music was getting to her. "Comfy?"

"Mmhm. You add just enough weight to add to the relaxation. Comforting." I replied while not really certain of why Ember was being this...forward and chummy. Not that I minded. We tend to always be happy with each other. I brought a hand to the side of her head and slid my finger along the curve of her horn. They really should have been wrapped up in some soft padding if she was going to get that close to my head, but they were safely out of range regardless. "Having a good day?"

"Only when you're around. I could do without the rest of those boulderheads, but you're always welcome in my lair." Ember retorted almost jokingly. I cracked a smirk while I just rolled my eyes, but I froze in curiosity as Ember once more brought her finger to my chin. She probably would rather touch my chest, but her head had already taken that spot. I felt her dragging the tip of her finger and its dull claw down the underside of my chin and down my throat. "You're so soft. Smooth."

"Humans don't have any thick fur or tough scales for protection. It's kind of why clothing became so important in human culture." I replied while noticing an obvious reason behind my soft bare skin. My lack of facial hair only helped prove my point, though that is only because I regularly shave to keep it all off. Just never cared for an itchy beard on my face. Although I then brought my hands to Ember's sides and slid my palms and fingers along her torso. "You dragons have scales that put up decent resistance to penetration. But still soft and flexible too. Feels lovely to hold you."

"Then that means I'm built to be your shield." Ember spoke with a slightly firmer tone of voice. I looked right at her as she looked back at me with those beautiful scarlet eyes set into that face of gorgeous blue hues. Her hand left my throat and tenderly cupped my cheek. The music that came from the phonograph almost deliberately sounded like it was trying to serenade this intimate moment and even encourage things to escalate. She cooed to me, "I'll keep you safe out there. I promise. With or without my men, I'll stick with you to the end."

"And I believe you." I whispered with my hand resting on her side right on the back of her hip. I felt her left wing scoop under me as if to hold me right under my waist. Was she thinking of that old scar on one side? "I'll be OK out there. Really."

"I want to believe you, but..." Ember muttered as her other hand rested between my neck and shoulder. She then whispered to me, "Whenever I see you like this... Without any armor to protect you... I feel like all it will take is one good hit and... You look so fragile to me. And I want to protect you."

Such tender words... Tenderness I was not expecting from her even by then. I felt a certain kind of dread as I process that statement. What if she would end up getting herself killed out there for my sake? What would become of the dragon lands without her guidance? "Ember, no... I should be the one protecting you. The dragon lands need you. You're probably the best thing to ever happen to them. If they lose you, who can..."

"They won't care what happens to me." She suddenly said with a certain harsh firmness in her tone. Ember then leaned back to pull herself up, but also began to pull me up to a sitting position. She all but pinned me to the corner of the couch as her touch turned into a firm embrace. She never looked away from me with those scarlet eyes as she whispered harshly, "It's been five years of thankless work. The only thing that makes me believe in tomorrow.....is you. You listen. You care. You make me believe in myself. I would rather die than lose you now."

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" I asked while wondering if Ember was even thinking as she said that. It was a wonderful thing to declare and I was honored to be cherished so dearly by someone I have grown to adore. Ember is inspiring. I always feel confident when we are together. She is someone I can believe in. But this? It almost sounded like something too final for someone she has only known for a handful of weeks. "You're not really putting me above your people...?"

"I... I really shouldn't... My father would probably reprimand me if he heard me say that. But..." Ember said with a harsh sigh. She then turned her gaze up at me while keeping her long narrow jaw tilted down. "You coming into my life when you did... I don't think I've ever felt like I needed something until I finally got it. I've needed someone like you for a long time... That's why I can't lose you now. I'm...sorry if this all sounds selfish..."

"No, don't apologize..." I muttered as I rested my hand on the very middle of her back. I decided to try and be honest with her as well. "I...don't want to lose you either. You're wonderful... I don't...want to see you fall out there or...have to carry your corpse in my arms..."

She barely blinked. Ember gazed silently into my eyes as her fingers so very sweetly caressed my cheek. She then whispered with just a barely audible breath, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Huh...?" I muttered as Ember began to gently push me back down onto the couch. With her looming over me with hands pined onto my chest, it almost felt like a display of dominance. "Ember... I..."

"You asked me about the most intimate details on dragon courtship a while ago. If what you said just a minute ago was you being completely serious..." Ember muttered as she gazed down at me with a most...strange gaze that I could not figure out. Perhaps...a very restrained look of hope? She then lowered her face closer to mine and whispered with the faintest hint of sulfur on her breath, "Tell me. Is it me? Am I the one you desire? The one...whose love you want?"

A very dangerous question to ask or answer. I knew better than to answer too hastily. Yes or no. Whatever that answer is, it would be forever. And it was hard to deny there was nothing like that there in my heart. Because there was. Ember is a wonderful woman. One of the finest I have ever known. And so...very desirable. I do not believe the urge to reach out and kiss her had ever been stronger. Did I love her? Did I want us to become something more?

I considered my options carefully. I could not say yes or know. And so I said, "It's...hard to say... I don't know you well enough yet. Shouldn't rush into these things like that... You're wonderful. You deserve an equally wonderful man in your life. One who would always appreciate you."

"Do you?" Ember asked quietly as she grabbed my hand firmly. Her gaze never left mine. Those scarlet eyes very rarely blinked. But as her fingers rubbed over my right hand, her gaze became conflicted and confused. I felt her rub her fingers over mine in an investigative manner. She soon lifted my hand and gazed upon what she had felt. My wedding ring upon my finger. "Wait..."

I held my breath. I suppose Ember had never really noticed that upon my finger. And I never explained in detail about my family back in Ponyville. She then looked at me with eyes filled with a barely hidden stare of shock. "Your...family back home. That mare in that picture I saw. Is she...your mate?"

"That's a very archaic term, but...yes. Fluttershy is my wife. And the littlest foal in the photo is our newborn daughter." I explained as I started to anticipate where this was going. And I saw it again. The way the life in Ember's eyes dimmed. Not to the same extreme as when I saw it in Smolder, but... It was the same. The exact same response. Ember... Did she really...?

"I... I see... Heh... Lucky... Very lucky girl." Ember muttered weakly with a quiet chuckle that oozed with bitterness. A sarcastic tone started to fill her voice as she turned her gaze away from mine. That look in her eyes... Full of pain. "She just might be the luckiest female in all the world right now... Probably doesn't even know it."

"Ember..." I muttered softly as I could see the anguish in those scarlet eyes. I knew what this was. And I was not about to let her run away like Smolder did the first time. She needed to understand.

"You be good to her. Don't ever hurt her, all right?" Ember coolly declared while sounding like she was on the verge of bursting into tears. She hid it well, her presence radiating a disturbing aura of sorrow and rage. She climbed down from the couch, her gait stiff. I tried calling out to her again, but she ignored me. "I need some air... Need to spend some time alone."

"Ember." I said as firmly as I could. That one got to her. She froze with her back turned. And so I asked, "Why are you not listening to me?"

Her arm shook before raising a hand to her chest. She slowly turned her head to look back at me. Such a horribly fragile and vulnerable gaze in her eyes... Ember was not afraid to show weakness around me, but she just looked so pathetic at that moment. I held my hand out to her and asked, "Come here. Please? There's something you need to know."

"You're right... I should listen." She said with barely more than a whisper. As if to serenade this tense situation, the melody coming from the phonograph became much more subdued. We did not really notice the music anymore, but it suited the situation well enough to add to this atmosphere.

Ember sat beside me, but kept a bit of distance. I had to be very careful. She was in a delicate emotional state that she would loathe her people witnessing. A dragon's scales may be tougher than flesh, but a dragon's heart can be very fragile. She then muttered, "What do you want me to hear?"

I started to reach for her, but hesitated. Not yet. "Yes. I am married. I have a wife back home. We had a daughter not long ago. We have a family."

"So I saw... And?" Ember muttered quietly while having great difficulty even looking at me. Just oozing with disappointment.

"The truth is...Fluttershy is not he only woman in my life who is...something more." I tried to explain very carefully. Smolder was willing to process what I had told her, but I had no idea what to expect from Ember. "Monogamy may be the norm for most of the world, but some...like me...have the qualities necessary for a more polyamorous relationship. In other words.....I have more than one mate. And we all support each other."

Ember's scarlet eyes opened wide. I doubt she had even heard of such a concept. "You're joking... You have more than one mate? And...that works? They don't fight? There's no jealousy? You don't...use them for pleasure?"

"God, no... I can't even let myself feel that kind of desire for a woman if I feel no love for them. Every woman who is more than a friend... I love them. I love them all dearly. I'm still getting the hang of how this kind of relationship works, but...I do believe I have what it takes. It gets easier with each day. At the end of the day... Me and my lovers...and our children...are all just a family." I explained while choosing my words carefully. I could only hope she could understand.

"You're...children... Tell me. Is your first mate... Is she the only one you've given a child to?" Ember asked with a much more serious tone. Parenthood is a very serious subject and I could not fault her for approaching it with such sincerity.

I took a deep breath as I thought back to my two daughters. One adopted and the other sired by myself. I really did miss them dearly at that moment. "Not yet, no... But I don't think she will be the last. Rarity... She is also a part of my family and... She and I so desperately want to have children some day. And Novo... Oh god, Novo. I think she may be the most desperate to have children with me..."

"Hold on... Novo... You just mentioned her... The... The queen of Capricorn Island?!" Ember almost yelled before she quickly quieted herself. She knew that something like that could not be readily revealed to just anyone. And who knew who might be listening in? Now speaking with a softer tone of voice, Ember looked at me and asked, "Really? You...and the queen of the hippogriffs... She is your mate too?"

"Not under any official terms, but... Yes. We are betrothed in a sense. She really does want to put a crown on my head someday. And... We really do want to have a family together. I still haven't even introduced her properly to Fluttershy yet. I intend to once this whole mess out here is over." I felt so lovelorn as I thought about that wonderful bird of paradise. At least she would be arriving before long.

Ember scooted a little closer to me. Her scarlet eyes gazed up at me with the pain in them being replaced with a powerful curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking... How did it happen? I don't see how a commoner and a monarch could just...find love that easily. How did it work?"

I made no attempt to hide it. "I'll tell you this. It was not planned. I was asked to come along one day because Celestia thought I could help ease Novo's...mourning heart. She's a widow. Her king died unexpectedly nearly a century ago. And...I guess you could say that's what brought us together. Novo and I...know the same pain. Different experiences, but the same outcome. You've felt loss, right?"

"I have... When I lost my father, I... I felt more alone than ever. Is that what you mean?" Ember asked softly as her gaze softened considerably.

I nodded and said, "Kind of. The loss of a parent isn't the same as the loss of the love of your life, but yeah. The...emotional isolation that comes from the worst heartache. When you are in pain, but no one can help you because they have no idea exactly what you're going through. Understanding that pain...is what brought Novo and I together. We... We are so very much in love and we don't care that one of us wears a crown. Come to think of it, Novo's previous king was a commoner at first anyway. She really is a special kind of queen who does not care about the average protocols that apply to royalty. She's...awesome. You'll know when you meet her."

Ember stared in silence as she took in my words. The cogs in her head were turning as she began to speak. "You... I can tell that you don't see your mates in a possessive way at all. You really do love them. I can feel it in your voice. And...it's inspiring. I'm convinced that you know what you're doing."

"Then if you do understand..." I began to say before reaching out and resting my hand upon hers. This time, she did not pull away. "Why are you upset?"

Ember bowed her head as she closed her eyes. I did not press her and waited patiently for an answer. She soon muttered, "For just a moment... I felt like...there was something starting to grow between us... No male I've ever met has been so...courteous towards me. And I love that about you. I'm always...happy when I'm with you. Our days spent together have been some of my happiest days in...way too long."

A pit opened in my gut. And so I quietly asked an important question. "Do you love me?"

Unlike with Smolder, Ember provided a much more subdued response as she turned her gaze away from me. "I don't know... If I do, it's...in the very early stages. I guess I... I knew I found something special and...wanted to hold onto it. You're not like any other man I've ever met. And that... I guess that made me wonder. Wonder if maybe...you were the one my heart needs. But then I saw that ring on your finger. And I put the pieces together. I mean sure, I'm not entirely sure about anything, but knowing how different you are from everyone else back home in all the right ways... It still hurt. Knowing that possibility was pointless."

I closed my fingers around Ember's hand as I said more firmly, "Ember... Please, don't let old dragon customs get in the way. I know dragons only let themselves love only one, but...I'm not a dragon. Humans can be very...flexible in relationships. It just depends on the person. I'm not saying polyamorous relationships are right or wrong. They're just...different. And I can understand them getting a bad rep since they can be easily used as an excuse for some scoundrel's libido and ego."

"Really now?" She asked softly before turning her gaze back to me. Those scarlet eyes gazed into mine as she asked, "In that case... What do you think is needed for such a relationship to actually work?"

"Hm... Good question. I'm still figuring it out as I go, but... If you need answers..." I muttered before brainstorming with my gaze turned to he ceiling. What exactly are the qualities needed for polyamorous relationships to actually function without becoming ego trips for the man in the family? And so I said, "Well...uh... Aside from genuinely loving your partners? I would have to say... You need...to be optimistic. You need to be able to believe in the future. If you are filled with too many doubts... Too much pessimism... Then it won't work. It'll fall apart, I'm sure of it."

"And I believe you." Ember said briefly as she placed her other hand atop mine. "And you always believed that?"

"You want my honest answer?" I replied while Ember just nodded. With a sigh, I began to speak with some degree of embarrassment. "At first, I did. But that was when I was a foolish naive boy who did not understand the intricacies of such a relationship. Someone whose worldviews were skewered by indulging in foreign cultures and concepts that really just didn't know better. Like the mindsets of that culture were brought about by deliberate isolation from the rest of the world and inbreeding in an echo chamber. Once I became disillusioned with all that, I was convinced that such a relationship could never work. That it was a concept thought up by perverts. But after some time in Equestria, I...began to wonder and started to lean back towards that concept with new experience leading me. Because...I found there was more than one woman in my life...that I loved far more than I should as a friend."

Ember listened patiently. Her tail swayed along the couch behind her in an almost pleasant manner. I think she was in a better mood and wanted to hear what I had to say. I then added, "I'll be honest... I don't think I would be doing this if I was still on Earth... Equestria...brings out the best in me. This is a world I can't be pessimistic about. I do have hope for the future of this world. And that...is what makes this relationship possible. And I'm grateful for it."

"If Equestria really is that good for the soul, then I can't wait to see more of it when this war is all over. You make it sound like paradise. And I want to see it for myself." Ember spoke with a much more positive tone. Although she then asked, "I guess that makes sense then for why you asked me about dragon courtship. There's...room for more in your family, right?"

Now she was getting it. I nodded with a smile. "Yes. And I know Fluttershy has always adored baby dragons. If the day ever comes where I find a dragon bride and we have kids together, Fluttershy will spoil those little cuties rotten."

Oh my lord, the look on Ember's face. Blushing furiously, she looked away from me and laughed uneasily. "Ha! Hahahaha, really now?! You never told me that about her! Won't that be an interesting day?!"

"Uh... You OK there?" I asked upon seeing this very strong and vocal response to that revelation. I was not entirely oblivious to what her retort meant, but I was taking things one bit at a time.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine... Just... Uh... Now that we're on that subject..." Ember replied as she started to settle down. She then looked at me and asked with her hand still held in mine, "James, please. You asked me to tell you all I know about dragon courtship. There's someone you have your eyes on. You can tell me. I'll keep it a secret between us, if you wish."

I hesitated greatly. Smolder is not simply young. She is a former resident of Ember's domain. Telling her would carry different context from telling anyone else. She noticed my hesitation and leaned closer to me. "Is it...me? Are you...pursuing me?"

Lying to Ember about that would be a terrible mistake. I braced myself as I muttered the truth. "Smolder..."

"Smolder... You...are courting Smolder." Ember muttered as her eyes went wide in some strange fusion of disbelief and confusion. She then asked, "But...uh...she's only fourteen, right?"

"Is there an age of consent where you come from?" I asked with the knowledge we should really get that out of the way first.

"Age of...what? I don't even know what that is." Ember retorted with shocking ignorance. Was there simply no such law in the dragon lands? Or did they simply refer to it with another term? Ember quickly caught on and said, "If you mean what I think you do, then...kind of. Though it's more of a code than a law. Dragons who take advantage of the younger ones in...more carnal manners tend to disappear. Violently. It's an unspoken rule among my people that younger dragons are not to be violated."

"Good... Good, I'm glad to hear that." I said with a sigh of relief. At least Smolder would not have been in that kind of danger had she stayed.

Although Ember then spoke more sternly. She looked me in teh eye and asked, "But you haven't done anything like that to her, have you?"

I did not hesitate with my response. "No, absolutely not. She doesn't even seem to be aware of what those kinds of sensations are. I won't even discuss that with her until she comes of age. In most of Equestria, that age is sixteen years old. November of next year is when that will happen."

"Good, glad to hear it." Ember replied with a satisfied smile upon her lips. Although her gaze then wandered as she mumbled, "I would ask you why you feel for her in such a way, but... I think I can see why. She gives off a...different vibe from most dragons her age. She feels...older than she actually is. I feel less like I'm talking to a child and not a young female... She grew up too fast."

"It's not entirely a bad thing. Smolder actually appreciates the benefits of becoming wiser than average for her age. I guess it helps that dragons spend far more of their time as adults than as children, so their childhood probably won't have that much of an impact of them in the long run... As sad as that sounds of paper." I retorted while looking at the window at the far side of the room. She was out there in the command center. And she came all this way just to be with me. I really do love that wonderful little lady. "She really is wonderful. I do love her. And I'm looking forward to the day when we can really be together."

"And I believe that you will be good to her. Just don't ever betray her, James. I was not kidding when I said a dragon betrayed by their mate will never allow themselves to love again." Ember replied with a darker tone as she firmly gaze into my eyes with a vaguely menacing glare.

I shook my head. I did not need to be told twice. "I won't. She's been hurt enough already. I won't leave her. Her or anyone else."

Ember said nothing as that glare turned into an endearing smile. She closed both of her hands over mine before she then asked cautiously, "But...she's not the only dragon your heart might want someday, right?"

"I'm not ruling that out. Maybe another wonderful dragon woman will come into my life at some point. Smolder understands how this relationship works and she has faith in my ability to handle it. She won't let herself be jealous when she knows I value her as much as everyone else." I replied while starting to see where this is going. The atmosphere had finally gained some levity and Ember was in a much better mood by then. The danger had passed.

Ember's eyes began to show tenderness as she began to frown somberly. She then asked quietly, "Do you...love me?"

"I...don't know... It's too soon to say. And being in the middle of a war isn't the best time to explore those kinds of feelings." I replied while Ember showed me a more understanding smile. We both had a lot to learn about each other and it was much too soon to say if we had that kind of a future together. Although I did not hide everything. "But...I do absolutely adore you."

Ember's somber gaze changed as her eyes opened wide in a show of surprise and delight. She grinned and allowed her eyes to glance all over the place. Did I love her? It was much too soon to say, but...I did want to hold her. And to keep her safe. "May I...hold you for a bit?"

The beautiful Dragon Lord looked me in the eye and spoke with a firmer tone than I would have expected. "Hold me like you'll never let go."

And so I did. I wrapped my arms around Ember while she did the same. I rested one hand just above the base of her tail and the other just under the lowest spine on the back of her head. Ember was very mindful of the horn on the side of her head and tilted her head sharply to nestle her jaw between my neck and shoulder. Her glorious cerulean wings wrapped around me to insulate me in a leathery cocoon.

We held each other. Basked in the melodies filling the room as the phonograph's needle scratched lightly along the spinning record. It was so hard to believe that Ember was truly the dreaded Dragon Lord as she wrapped her wings around me. She was indeed the ruler of some of the most brutish barbarians in the world. She was a spectacular warrior with excellent skill with a spear. But at that moment, she was a woman. A wonderful...beautiful woman with an equally beautiful soul.

I felt such a powerful urge to kiss her. Like my heart was telling me to be brave. But it was such a risky move. I did not want to give Ember any mixed messages. Not when dragons take the concept of romance so deadly seriously. I just adored her so much... Always there for me when I really need her. Always so unwavering in supporting me. She gave me hope for the future. Made me feel that we would rise together over any challenge. I whispered to her as I could no longer stay silent, "I always feel like nothing will go wrong when you're here..."

Ember's hand rose to the back of my head. Her fingers traced gently through my hair with slow and deliberate caresses. Her head remained where it was beside mine, but her voice whispered softly to me. "I'll make sure everything turns out fine... I won't lose you out here."

"You're the best thing to happen to me out here. Glad I found you... Even if...we parted like that." I muttered as I thought back to our very first encounter. Sword and spear clashing followed by a genuine friendship and then...a hastily forced departure from the dragon lands. The dream we shared that night... It was like that made all the difference. Had I not checked on her then, I doubt we would be together now. "Thank you for coming to find me... I missed you."

"I had to... You were so kind to me... You listened. You actually listened when I spoke..." Ember cooed with such a tender inflection in her voice. She pulled her head back to allow our eyes to meet. A very subtle smile was on her lips as she traced a finger down my lips. "And I'll always listen to you. My ears are always open for you."

I tried to find something to say, but it was hard to find the right words. Not without overdoing it. So I settled for something brief. "I adore you."

"I know you do. So let me say something important to you. If you will listen." Ember hissed softly as she tilted her face down to bring her eyes even closer to me. Those beautiful scarlet discs set into orbs of porcelain barely an inch or two from mine as she whispered most lovingly to me. "You...are the best thing to happen to me in a...very long time. I never had much in the dragon lands. But now I have you... And...I couldn't be more grateful."

I felt Ember place her hands upon my chest before very gently pushing me down. Her wings remained firmly wrapped around me as she placed herself atop me. Gazing down into my eyes, she whispered firmly yet tenderly. "I will protect you. I'll make sure you returned home alive. And...I want to see you again when this is all over. I don't...want the end of this war to mean we have to say goodbye. Can you promise me that? That we won't have to leave each other forever?"

"I would never stand for us never being able to see each other again. You're...too important to me now to leave you, Ember. Yes, we need to find a way to see each other regularly." I replied with no hesitation. I adored her too much by then to say farewell and never see her again. I lowered my embrace and rested my hands on the base of Ember's tail to hold her against me. I gazed up into those beautiful eyes as my thoughts trailed off. "You are...so beautiful... The most beautiful of your people for sure."

I saw just the slightest hint of red shine through Ember's cheeks as she averted her eyes. She was bashful on the receiving end of that compliment, but no longer against being called something so dear. I still wanted to know if she was more comfortable with that now and asked, "Does it...feel better now? I can stop calling you that if..."

"No, no, don't think you're annoying me. Please." Ember replied as she cast her gaze down at me with a hesitant smile on her lips. She then cooed, "I...want to be beautiful. I want to believe you when you say I am. It feels...great to hear that."

"Well, you are. Just look at all this blue... And those scarlet eyes. Just...everything about you is so...beautiful." I sighed as I savored the beauty of the most powerful, yet most beautiful, dragoness in all the land. Ember's wings began to loosen their grip around me as Ember rose back up. She firmly pressed her thighs against the sides of my hips for leverage as she completely straightened herself up. Ember's beautiful blue wings spread wide in a majestic display while she crossed her arms over her chest. She smiled preciously down at me as she allowed me to bask in her beauty. My eyes carefully scanned her as I was met with another surprise. When considering her age, I was expecting to se maybe a scar on her. Perhaps a few clips taken out of her wings' membranes. But no. Ember was completely perfectly preserved. Not a single blemish on her body to be seen. Not that a scar would diminish her majesty, but still... It only filled me with relief as I reached up to her. "Yes... There really is not a single dragon out there who can match you."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me." Ember jokingly chuckled before taking hold of my hands in hers. But her tone softened as she brought my palms tot he smooth light blue scales lining her chest. "But that's only because I know you mean everything you say."

She pinned my palms to her chest. And I felt why. Thumping away under that layer of protective scales and powerful muscles was her heart. A gentle rhythm, not too slow or too quick. Ember smiled as she whispered to me, "You feel it? My heart beats for you. You and your wonderful words. Does yours beat for mine?"

"Why don't you feel for yourself?" I replied as a whimsical mood filled me. I pushed myself up to a sitting position with Ember pinned to my lap. I then brought her hand to my chest, but Ember protested at first by pulling her hands away. My eyes went wide in surprise as she reached low and yanked my shirt over my head and cast it aside. "Huh?! Hey, that's..."

"So nothing's in the way." She said with a smirk on her lips. Only then did Ember place her hands over my bare chest. I placed my hands over hers. And with every subtle twitch of my body and the thumping in my head that I only notice when I stop and listen closely, there it was. The pounding of my heart against Ember's palms. "There it is... It's singing to me. If I could hear it, I bet your heart would be singing a wonderful tune."

"Not as lovely as yours. Your voice... I love it." I replied a bit hastily as Ember snickered at my words. She really does have a beautiful voice. With her hands over my heart, I once again placed mine over hers. "I...don't want this beautiful heart to stop singing. I'll make sure it won't."

"And I'll make sure this one won't either." Ember whispered to me as she gazed into my eyes once again. God, I just wanted to kiss her. The romantic tension in the air was absurd... If we were not falling in love, it certainly felt like we were. "We'll get through this together."

"Please stay with me out there, Ember. I feel safer around you." I said softly and sincerely. Ember fell into my arms and held me firmly. And it was right around then that the music filling the room finally stopped with only the faint scratching sound of an idle needle filling the air. I took a moment to actually notice and asked, "Uh... What happened to the music?"

"It... Huh. I guess it's over?" Ember said before pushing herself off of me to check on the phonograph behind her. It is almost funny in hindsight that all it took for that romantic tension to fade was for the music to stop. Ember flipping the record over to play the other side again, but just stared at me almost in embarrassment when she turned around to face me. "I... I... I...really enjoyed our time together."

"Same here. You...are great company." I muttered quietly as I had a hard time looking right at her. It was a fulfilling experience. I was tempted to return to the subject that resulted in where we were a minute ago, but I felt hat was unnecessary. Ember now knew about my...complicated relationship with the women in my life who have become much more than just friends. I still had the sense to say, "Just so you know... Everything I told you? Please... Don't tell..."

"It'll be our secret. You don't want me to tell anyone? Then I won't." Ember replied with a smile, although she then noticed her wings were still spread wide for seemingly no reason. Instead of trying to fold them, Ember cast me a smirk and crossed her arms. "You like my wingspan?"

"Best wingspan ever on a dragon." I retorted in an attempt to be witty. Without bothering to fetch my shirt, I stood up and walk behind her. Ember sighed quietly as I ran my hands over the frames of those beautiful wings, marveling at just how big they were. "I know bigger dragons have bigger wings, but yours are impressively wide for your size."

"You'd be surprised how big they need to be in order to be effective. It's not so bad when you're just a whelp, but they need to grow fast as a dragon ages." Ember explained while I slid my fingers along the bony frames. Her wingspan even surpassed the lengths of my arms. Although it was only then Ember remembered the cups of tea nearby. While losing ourselves in each other, we forgot all about why we were there in the first place. "Um... I think the tea is getting cold."

"Huh? Oops..." I muttered before we returned to our seats as I passed Ember her cup. "Cheers, Ember... Hey, I'd say this is just right now."

"Hm. It is just right, huh? Still pretty warm." Ember retorted before we started sipping away. The subtle taste of honey in the fluid and its golden yellow tint revealed that it was chamomile. Perfect for a nap or the end of the day, but not so much if you have plans. "I love this kind of tea. Always has a sort of sweetness to it."

"Mmhm, that's chamomile for you. But you shouldn't drink it if you have stuff to do. This stuff makes you sleepy, so its better off being reserved for taking naps or at night." I explained while still enjoying my drink. I know Ember is entirely ignorant to the types of tea in the world, so I did not fault her for her lack of knowledge.

"It does, huh? Hm..." Ember muttered quietly as we drank to the melodies in the air. I then noticed her cast me an aside glance and asked, "If that's the case, care to join me for a nap? We still have time, right?"

"It probably will be a couple more hours before the Alabaster arrives... I'm sure we can spare a nap until then." I replied as I gulped down the rest of my tea. Ember followed suit and then turned the phonograph off. The house became silent with only the sunlight lighting the place up through the windows. I did not even bother putting my shirt on and followed Ember into the bedroom. She had hardly tried to tidy the bed up, though that was likely because she did not really know how. Not wanting to bother tucking ourselves in under the covers for a nap, I had Ember wait while I made the bed. "Hang on. Let's just sleep on top this time."

Ember kept an eye on everything I did as I tucked in the seats and smoothed out the blanket. "Oh, you're supposed to do that after using it? Huh... It does look nicer now."

"Yeah, generally. You don't absolutely have to, but it does make the place feel more inviting." I replied while knowing I can get lazy with making the bed too. I then patted the middle of the bed to call her up. "There. Come on."

Ember crawled tot he middle of the bed while I positioned the pillows. She still had her horns wrapped in soft fabric, so there was no need to get cautious. She held her hand out to me and pulled me onto the bed. Although I reached for an alarm clock that was sitting on the nightstand by the bed and wound it up for ninety minutes. Ember was perplexed by the device and asked, "What's that?"

"An alarm clock. It'll ring to wake us up so we don't miss the Alabaster's arrival." I replied before setting it down and getting myself comfortable. Ember then draped her wing over me to provide some comforting weight. The curtains were closed over the few windows in the room, providing a decrease in the lighting that provided the perfect atmosphere for a quiet nap. "Sweet dreams, Ember."

"See you in a while, James." Ember said with a sigh. That chamomile tea worked well. We were out like a light in a matter of minutes.

I almost regretted setting that alarm clock. I slept so well that I was dearly disappointed when that ringing racket suddenly woke me up. But where I was startled by the incessant ringing of the alarm clock, Ember awoke in a confused frenzy! "Gah! What?! Who?! Where?! Kill it! Kill it!"

Ember almost threw herself at the alarm clock to try and destroy it while I had to hold her back. "Hey, hey, hang on! I got it!"

A quick tap of the switch on top shut it off. But even with the room quiet, Ember looked like she was seething with irritation. I then explained, "See? That's how you shut it off. No need to break it."

"Who would even want to be woken up by something like that?! I thought we were under attack!" Ember all but yelled at me while very clearly upset over her slumber being disturbed by such an awful noise.

"That's the whole point! No one could sleep through something that loud and obnoxious! Although...maybe we should check to see if a more pleasant alarm is available..." I explained while also not exactly happy to have been woken up by that sound of all things. Ugh, no wonder Fluttershy uses something softer back home... It would wake the kids up too if that racket went off.

"Please do. Now I'm a bit on edge..." Ember grumbled as she got out of bed. Now I felt bad. I did not want to upset Ember in any way. We had best get out of the house and over to the airship docks. There was no telling how much more time we had before the Alabaster's arrival.

I fetched my shirt from the living room and stepped outside with Ember. The tension from the rude wakeup call had passed by then. What also helped was that something caught Ember's eye as she turned to the west. She squinted her eyes and held a hand over her brow to peer into the distance. "Say... Do you see something out there?"

I did the same and focused on the far horizon. Like a hot air balloon drifting in the sky, I could see a tiny speck on the horizon. Just one. "That... Yep, I bet that's them. We'd better get over there."

Ember followed along as we made our way through the camp. I felt a twinge of excitement in my heart. My beloved queen was about to return after what felt like much too long a departure from last time. I think Ember noticed that I was a little too quiet after a while and a little hastier than I normally am. "You expecting someone special?"

"I did tell you about Novo, right?" I replied while knowing we probably did not discuss my history with her as much as we could. But I was genuinely excited to see that beautiful bird again.

Ember let out a laugh. And very hearty one too. "Ohohoho, right! Your queen. Well, we'd best not keep her waiting, right? She'll probably want some time with her king as soon as she gets here."

The Dragon Lord's fairly loud retort filled me with unease. "Ember, not so loud... There's a reason I don't openly discuss that stuff with anyone."

"Relax, no one's around to hear us right now." Ember replied while not apparently noticing the tents bordering the path we were taking. It apparently did not occur to her that someone might be inside some of them.

"Ember, all these tents around us? There's no way of knowing if there's nobody inside them. That fabric doesn't do much to keep out sound. Just because they can't see us doesn't mean they can't hear us." I quietly explained as I knew for certain such temporary housing is just not a thing back in the dragon lands.

Her eyes wide with surprise, Ember shut up right then and there. Not another word was spoken between us until we came to the wide open airship docks. There a few other airships docked. Including one I promptly recognized. It also caught Ember's eyes as she pointed up at it. "Well, that one sure is colorful at the top. Looks almost like a bird from here."

"That's because it's piloted by birds. Like that one coming this way." I replied before turning my gaze towards an approaching familiar face. I waved at the ship's captain as I said, "Hey, good to see you back. Been smooth sailing, captain?"

"Ahoy there, James. Yep, it's always smooth sailing out on the Empty Plains. A shame you can't tag along for a trip or two. I can't get enough of the quiet winds out here when up on deck." The familiar harpy woman said as she walked our way. It was none other than Celaeno as we stood in the shadow of the Zephyrus. Although she then took notice of the blue dragoness standing at my side. "Well, who's this? Orange last time and now blue?"

"Oh, this is the Dragon Lord. She showed up just in time with some reinforcements with that last battle. She'll be serving with us from now on." I explained while giving Ember a gentle push forward.

"The Dragon Lord? You mean the one who rules over the dragons? That's... Wow, that's some serious firepower you've brought to the fight!" Celaeno replied with some genuine surprise. She then held a hand out to my friend and said, "The name's Celaeno. Captain of good old Zephyrus here."

"Ember. And...uh..." Ember replied as she shook this strange new creature's hand. "What's with all the birds I'm seeing around here? We've got bird cats, bird horses, and now...just...birds. What are you anyway?"

"Never seen a harpy before? Not surprised. We tend to stay way down south in the tropics. Usually close to the seaside. But yeah, we drew the short straw in the flight department compared to all our feathered cousins." Celaeno replied with a smirk on her beak. She then looked up at the Zephyrus and added, "That's why we got around to inventing these flying beauties. If you see and airship in the sky, just remember that we harpies made them possible."

"Really now?! You invented these things? Very impressive. Color me impressed, really. I learn a little more every day I'm out here." Ember retorted with a very pleased smile on her lips. Although Ember then took notice of the saber being housed in a scabbard at Celaeno's side. "A warrior in your own right, hm?"

"Huh? I'm just an airship captain. I'm not a... Oh, this?" Celaeno replied in confusion before drawing her saber and twirling the sword with her fingers between the hilt and knuckle guard. "Well, when you're in the royal guard, they always make sure you can defend yourself if trouble ever finds you. And we harpies really know our ways around the use of swords."

"Hang on, you never mentioned anything like that to me. What's that about harpies and swordsmanship?" I asked as some of those words really caught my attention. Ember's scarlet eyes too lit up in intrigue as we drew a little closer to listen.

Celaeno looked pleased to have really drawn our attention and stopped twirling her sword to hold the blade vertically. "I guess when you don't hear about harpies much around these parts, you tend to miss out on what we're best known for. If the hippogriffs are the best archers in the world, then we harpies are some of the best in terms of swordplay. I've heard some of the most legendary swordsmen in history were harpies. I guess holding a sword in your hand gives you quicker response times than if you hold it with magic. I bet you two know all about that, right?"

"Is that so...? I've never been much for swords. Spears and pole arms are more my style." Ember replied now that the topic had shifted to something she was deeply familiar with. I took a step back and just listened. From the sound of it, harpies really are quick with their hands. I bet they are on par with human swordsmen. It was amusing to listen to the Dragon Lord and the captain of the Zephyrus chatting away over their knowledge and experiences with using their preferred weapons. And it was especially surprising that Ember never noticed Celaeno's peg leg. Either she was just tall enough to not glance down too easily or she just assumed that such a thing is normal for harpies. I turned my gaze over to the Zephyrus and saw Mullet heading up the gangplank with a hefty sack over his shoulder. Probably just making another cargo run. Nothing glamorous, but the important part was that they were helping us keep going.

The conversation between the two of them was interrupted as the sound of buzzing airship motors began to reach our ears. Upon turning to the west, we saw the sleek white form of the Alabaster approaching. Indeed, Novo was almost here. Ember stepped away from us to get a closer look. As I watched that beautiful airship drawing closer, Celaeno stepped up beside me. "I've seen that ship a few times, but never really had the chance to mingle with the crew. Hippogriffs, right?"

"Yep. And their queen is always aboard. You've met Novo, right?" I asked while wondering if their schedules had allowed them to cross paths yet.

"No, not yet. I've heard stories about her though. Fencing competitions are pretty big back home and I remember seeing her take part at times when I was just a fluffy little squawker. She never lost once. She always looked like a giant compared to her opponents. Is it true she stands on her hind legs when she fights? It's been a long time, so I might be remembering that wrong..." Celaeno replied as she revealed even more information I had never been made aware of.

Having actually sparred with Novo, I knew exactly what to expect. "Oh, she most certainly does. She stands more like a woman than a mare to free up her hands. I've sparred with her, but I could never match her without using...underhanded tactics. She really is the best."

"And I believe you. Lots of harpies back home look up to her. The white giant from across the sea." Celaeno retorted as she crossed her arms. She even sounded a little excited to be meeting an old face from her childhood that she never had the chance to get acquainted with. Although she then cast a glance at me and said, "Hey... For what it's worth, I haven't forgotten. I'm still brainstorming on how to pay you back for everything. I'll get around to it eventually, all right? Just need to figure out how to weigh the value."

"Captain, I was just helping you out as a friend. You don't have to pay me anything. No money, no goods." I replied while surprised at how hard she was insisting on repaying me for getting in a good word with Shining Armor. I was not even sure of how well they would adapt to this new career. I was very impressed with how well they were doing for themselves. "I'll just glad to see you guys doing so well. You're happy, your airship is looking better than ever, and you're enjoying yourselves by doing something you excel at. Really, just knowing you're doing fine is enough."

"James, I..." Celaeno groaned before she removed her hat and rubbed two fingers against her temples. Eyes squinted shut, I suspected repaying me was more of a matter of pride than something she felt she owed me. Although she then let out a sigh and secured her hat on her head again before looking me in the eye. "Look... Tonight? Before it gets too dark, come on up. I just want to talk with you for a while. And come on an empty stomach. I'll make sure Lix Spittle sets you up with some good eats."

This was hard to say no to. And I did not wait long before giving an answer. "You're inviting me to dinner? On the Zephyrus? Well, it's hard to turn down a good meal and good company... Sure, I'll be certain to stop by. It'd be nice to see how the old girl looks below deck now that you've tidied the place up."

That put a smile on her face. Celaeno patted me on the shoulder as she said cheerfully, "Glad to hear it! I know we really got off on the wrong foot last time and I won't act like that wasn't our fault, but we'll roll out the red carpet for you."

"No need to go that far... Huh? Oh, Seaspray's here too." I said as the Alabaster drifted over the western walls of the camp. Seaspray himself had noticed his queen's approach and flew overhead to reach the deck. The ship was gently lowered to an elevation closer to the round as its crew flew over the side of the ship and gently descended on their majestic wings to bring the mooring ropes to the ground. The ground crews worked in tandem to secure the airship with ballasts so it would not be in danger of drifting away. "Always a pleasure to see that beauty come in for a landing."

"Yeah, that's one beauty of a bird. I guess Capricorn Island has great taste in exterior design." Celaeno replied while quite taken with the display. I did not see Seaspray peer over the side as the gangplank was lowered. But a moment later, a familiar beautiful face peered over the side of the deck as my heart rose in my chest. Celaeno spoke with a hushed tone, "Wow... There she is. The duelist queen herself."

I could swear I saw Novo smile at me while she curled a few fingers to beckon me to come up on deck to hold her. But I could not do so just yet. I instead raised my hand to call her down to me. She looked confused at first, but soon spread those glorious wings and came swooping down to us while passing right over Ember without noticing her. Upon landing, she cast me a bemused smirk. "Honey, what's the deal? Don't you know good boys are supposed to come when called?"

"Yes, yes, and I would have. Except... Well..." I replied before glancing at Celaeno and then peering past Novo to check on Ember. "I have a few friends to introduce you to."

"You do? Oh, I see. Well now... We've got harpies out here now? I see your kind all the time down south whenever I show up to defend my title. You birds put up a good fight in the ring." Novo replied upon seeing Celaeno before her for the first time. And she only confirmed Celaeno's claims about her being a recurring visitor to the harpy homelands in the tropics.

Celaeno almost looked giddy as she tried to compose herself. "Oh, I know. I've seen you compete when I was just a little hatchling. Never really had the chance to meet you, but... Wow, the queen of the ring herself... I would ask you for an autograph, but now's not a good time... Anyway, the name's Celaeno. Captain of good old Zephyrus here."

Novo looked up at the resting airship to her left as it sat before the Alabaster. Her eyes then rose to look at the extravagantly decorated gas sack casing floating above it. "Mmhm, I recognize that feathery display anywhere. That's a sure sign of an airship from the land of flightless birds. Colorful. Nice ship you have here, captain."

"You should've seen her when we first bumped into James here. Poor girl was falling apart after years of makeshift maintenance." Celaeno retorted before she reached past my shoulders and grabbed me in a very chummy hug with one arm. She smirked gleefully at me and said, "But then this sweetheart set us up with a job in the royal guard, which got the old girl the repairs she needed. I don't think old Zephyrus has ever looked this good before."

"Oh honey, you did these poor birds a favor? That was sweet of you." Novo said tenderly in her own unique way. I could not bring myself to speak. It was kind of embarrassing to have Celaeno go on about that. Although Novo then tilted her head to get a better look at the sword sheathed at Celaeno's side. "Saber specialist, I see. Doubt you could get anywhere near me with my sword's reach."

"Oh, believe me. I know I'd be no match for you." Celaeno said with a big yet humble grin on her beak while waving her hands between the two of them. Although she then said more calmly, "But you know... Maybe I should throw my hat in the ring next time you compete down south. Who knows? Maybe I'll make it to the finals to see just how well I hold up to the legend."

"In that case, may the best mare win, captain. And by best, I mean me." Novo said smugly before busting into a hearty chuckle. She was just being funny and sarcastic, but there was a lot of truth to her words. She really is the best when it comes to swordplay. But it was only then that I remembered who I had brought along to see Novo and then peeked past her. Ember was standing there with...an exceptionally perplexed look in her eyes. Novo happened to notice me looking past her and asked, "Hm? Something catch your eye, honey?"

"I...uh...brought someone to meet you." I replied before motioning for Ember to step around Novo. She did, but stepped gingerly as she never took her eyes off of the now very curious hippogriff queen. I then asked, "You OK there?"

"You...don't sound anything like I expected." Ember muttered while no doubt being just as baffled as I was the first time I heard Novo speak with that exotically deep voice and soulful rhetoric that I would expect more out of a zebra mare. I bet no one has ever been able to hear Novo for the first time and not be freaked out.

As usual, Novo took this first encounter in stride. She lifted her head high and let out a laugh. "Honey, if I had a salmon filet for every time someone told me that, I'd have enough to last me a year. Maybe ten years!"

Ember just stared with a crooked smile as the beautiful queen simply smirked at her in sheer amusement. It is a riddle for the ages over why Novo sounds and talks the way she does. Although Ember soon put a hand over her chest and bowed before the queen of Capricorn Island. "Anyway... I am Dragon Lord Ember. It's a pleasure, your majesty."

"Ooh, queen of the dragon lands, hm? I can't say I've ever crossed paths with your people. Living out in the middle of the ocean tends to do that. But I'm glad to see their queen is a fine example to follow." Novo retorted before she too bowed her head as it was her turn to return the greeting. "I am Novo. Queen of Capricorn Island. The pleasure is all mine."

They were off to a good start already. Celaeno took her leave now that the two monarchs were focused on each other and made her way back up to the Zephyrus. Ember's eyes scanned Novo while she held a fist to her chin. "I've seen some of your men participating in the war effort out here, but none come close to how colorful you are. I take it the royal family of Capricorn Island are always a feast for the eyes?"

"You know it, honey. And you're quite a sight to behold too. I just love how those scarlet eyes go with all that beautiful blue. I bet you'd win any beauty contest without trouble back home." Novo replied with her own bit of sass in her tone. It was hardly surprising to see the subject veer into a chat about beauty with the most beautiful hippogriff and dragon in the world.

"Well, I won't argue with that... Those boulderheads back home tend to not be easy on the eyes..." Ember retorted while not minding at all that someone as beautiful as Novo would have something nice to say about her looks. Although Ember then began to smirk as she said, "Before I forget, I've heard interesting stories about your skill with a blade. Is it true?"

"Centuries of experience and multiple championship titles, honey. There's no one better than me in the world when it comes to a rapier." Novo replied with pride, head held high with a big smirk on her beak.

Ember seemed to like the sound of that. She rubbed a finger under her jaw as she then asked, "Hmmm... Tempting. Very tempting. If you're really that good, maybe I'd like to see how I hold up to a master of the sword."

"Is that a challenge? In that case..." Novo replied before spreading her great wings wide and pushing herself up. I smiled as I saw Novo rise on her hind legs with her wings reaching backwards to provide a counterweight for her tall form. Ember's eyes opened wider as Novo stood tall with a hand on her hip. "I'm ready when you are, Ember."

What followed was not what I expected. Ember just stared in surprise as she probably had forgotten just how tall hippogriffs are when assuming a biped stance. Ember brought her hand to the top of her head and reached as high as her arm would allow in a likely attempt to compare her own height to Novo. The poor girl was not even four feet in height while Novo was easily seven feet or even taller. Ember quietly mumbled, "You're taller than my spear..."

"Is that a problem? I have to stand like this if I'm gonna use a sword, baby. Frees up my hands, you know? We still doing this?" Novo asked while swaying her tail feathers as she kept her hand on her hip. Whether or not she was intentionally doing so, she just looked so sexy with that pose. If anything, she may have been posing for the camera that was my eyes.

"Uh... Um... Lemme think a minute..." Ember muttered as she crossed her arms in thought. A moment later, she then sheepishly giggled and said, "Uh... Can I get back to you on that? I need to consider some strategies here."

Novo just rolled her eyes before dropping back down onto her hands. "That's what they all say. No rush, take your time to think about his. But I could use a good spar sometime. Until them, I'll head over to he command center to get caught up on what's been happening out here."

Novo began to walk past Ember, but then paused when she was about to pass me. She then smirked lovingly at me and whispered, "I'm staying here a few nights. You know what that means."

"I'll be there. Tonight." I retorted as I recalled the agreement we had for whenever the Alabaster is docked in the camp overnight. Novo then continued on her way while I felt her brush her tail feathers against me in a most flirty famous. Ember soon stepped up beside me while I asked, "So, whatcha think of Novo?"

"She's fun. I like her." Ember spoke with a most amused smile on her face. Although she then said, "She's confident too... The way she towers over me in that stance... I'm sure she would crush me in a fight."

"Don't sell yourself short. I've seen you fight. You're amazing with a spear. If you mind your distance, I'm pretty sure you could give Novo a lot of trouble in a duel." I replied while having witnessed just how tough a warrior Ember can be. She performed impressively on the battlefield just recently.

"I believe you. Just... Hoo, she oozes with experience. When she says she's the best, I actually believe her. I guess you can't fake that kind of confidence." Ember said rather humbly. I suppose she is young by dragon standards even though she is six times my age. Novo is well over a hundred times older than Ember. She then asked, "I think I'll follow along and see what needs to be discussed back at HQ. You coming? Or is there somewhere you need to be?"

I was about to say yes, but then my thoughts went elsewhere. There was something I wanted to check on over at the R&D lab before I could forget. "Actually, there is. We'll chat another time, all right?"

"OK then. You know where to find me." Ember said in farewell before we parted ways. I walked along through the camp at a brisk pace. What had the researchers been up to since I last saw them?

I reached the lab without incident and found several test chambers in use. I passed by while casting the unicorn mages in each chamber testing a variety of spells I could not understand. There seemed to be fewer chambers in use than in the earlier weeks of the war. I suppose they were starting to run out of new strategies to develop now that we were really settling into a groove in handling the enemy.

I found Sunburst looking over some magic schematics at the middle of the lab while Twilight Sparkle did the same. She had her mane styled up into a bun and was dressed in a white lab coat. I suppose if there was one place I could surely find her during peaceful times, it would be where she is in her element. "Good afternoon. Anything new?"

Sunburst looked up from his work and flashed me a smile. "Hey there, James! Just putting the finishing touches on this magnetism spell to repel our own arrows. I can't believe we never took that into account before. We can't send out our fliers until we get this enchantment ready. At least it's easier to work with normal magnetism than having to come up with a unique polarity for whatever our enemy's weapons are made of."

"Yeah, I don't know how we never considered cases of friendly fire before. I guess we got lucky this time. You'll be applying those enchantments to the armor our dragon allies are using, right?" I asked in return with my thoughts going back to when those fiery marauders came swooping in to torch the enemy with low passes. They would be harder to target at low altitudes, but they would have to rise to come back around for another strike.

"Absolutely. If they go in the air, they need to be shielded from flying projectiles. No exceptions." Sunburst replied as he jotted down a note with a pencil floating near him. He then glanced over at Twilight and asked, "Any progress?"

"A little. Just need to see if I can establish a connection..." Twilight muttered while making adjustments to a sheet of paper displaying archaic diagrams I had no hope of understanding. I recognized the device before her. It was one of those sensor crystals that Smolder deploys every time we set up camp.

This confused me. The crystals already proved themselves to be effective at detecting enemy movement on top of displaying accurate topographical information. Was this one just malfunctioning? "What exactly are you doing there? Did it break?"

Twilight was more than happy to provide an explanation. "Oh, this? I just got an idea after that last battle. These things do a good job at showing us where the enemy is, but what if... What if we could also use these to see the enemy too? Like surveillance cameras? If we could actually see the enemy and what they're using, we could come up with better strategies and troop formations to counter them."

"That's... That's brilliant! Yeah, if we know what weapons or armor they have, then we can floor them with troops armed with the proper gear to take advantage of their weaknesses. We can pinpoint which ones our archers and mages should target first... That's an awesome idea, Twi. I hope you get results." I retorted as I felt very confident that Twilight and Sunburst could make that upgrade work. We surely had plenty of time before the next wave arrived anyway.

While Twilight and Sunburst went back to discussing topics I could not make much sense of, I glanced around. Where was that one Hollow we captured from that light infantry battalion? I did not see it anywhere in the tent. Did they dispose of it? But as I stepped a little closer to peer over the table, I felt my foot bump something under it. I took a step back and peeked under the table. Much to my surprise, that same Hollow was strung up and tucked under the table without budging at all. "Uh... You guys know this thing is down here, right?"

"Huh? That? Yeah, we know. Had to put it somewhere, right? We just keep it under the table to keep it out of the way. There's been no activity from it ever since you all brought it back, but we're still keeping it tightly bound just in case it tries to move." Sunburst explained as I found it a little creepy that something that could be mistaken for a corpse was being kept under the table. I suppose we did not need it anymore now that we had managed to develop a counter for the arrows used by Hollow archers, but getting rid of something that was difficult to capture in the first place did not seem wise at the time.

Now finding the situation a little uncomfortable, I said my goodbyes and took my leave. As great as it was to hear the lab was still making progress in keeping us a step ahead of our enemies, those Hollows are rather creepy up close. Or maybe I just find them creepier than my equine allies since there is something...uncanny about seeing something that can pass as a human warrior without being human at all. Wanting to be around familiar faces, I made my way back to the command center.

The main room was quiet once I entered, but I could hear the distant muffled sound of conversation from the war room. The leaders of our people were likely having an important discussion about recent events. I heard Ember and Novo among them, but I felt a twinge of discomfort upon hearing Celestia's voice as well. I was not in the mood to see her and made my way up to my own dormitory to spend some time alone. Except not that alone.

I found Ocellus and Smolder having just woken up while sitting on the bed where I had left them. I was surprised they napped longer than I did with Ember. A smirk on my face as I realized how much time had gone by, I then said, "You girls really needed that nap, huh? It's been a few hours at least."

"It has? Oh wow, it really has... I was just so full that I thought I might pop and I...passed out." Ocellus retorted while looking more than just a little embarrassed over how carried away she got earlier. I too averted my eyes in some unease as I was reminded of...what I felt when she began to feed on my love right through my lips.

Smolder, still a little drowsy herself, looked our way with a knowing smirk. "Uh huh, you really had to drink up all that love right from the source. Was that your first kiss?"

"Uh... Um... Yes?" Ocellus muttered before covering her face with her hooves. "I'm sorry if I was too direct! I just...wanted to feel as much love as I could..."

"Hey, hey, it's fine. You know I don't mind sharing my love with you. Drink as much as you want whenever you need it." I replied before taking a seat by her and putting my arm around the little Changeling. Although there was one thing I wanted to know. "But...about that kiss... Can you explain to me what I felt when you did that?"

She tensed up and continued to hide her face. Her vaguely buzzy voice getting even squeakier as she muttered, "I... I... I was just...giving some of my love to you too... You've been so kind to me and... I wanted to give you some back..."

"Ocellus... You sweet little thing. You don't have to do that. Just seeing you happy is enough thanks, all right?" I explained while being careful about mentioning the side effects of what that little extra love carried.

Smolder then cast the two of us a smirk as her eyes narrowed into a rather amorous gaze. "Wait, that's what you did? Pumped him full of extra love? No wonder he gave me the best kisses ever after that."

"Smolder, come on... I wasn't exactly..." I muttered as I knew that things almost escalated to a very unsafe level between us at that time. It took conscious effort to avoid doing something that I may end up regretting later.

"Oh, you should've seen him, Ocellus. He treated me like a real lady while you were out. The best smooches I've ever gotten from him." Smolder teased while her voice slipped into losing its usual faint growl. I could see Ocellus blushing profusely as she seemed to be connecting the dots on what that simple display of affection did to me.

I motioned towards the bathroom as I felt now was a good time to talk to Ocellus about what that extra love did to me. Smolder nodded without a word and left the two of us alone by heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. I then held Ocellus while I looked down at her. "I won't say I didn't enjoy that feeling, but please... You probably shouldn't give me more love than I already have from now on."

"Why not? Did it...not feel nice?" Ocellus asked as her ears drooped. She looked uneasy. As if afraid I was upset with her.

I stroked her head to try and soothe her before trying to explain myself. And I started speaking with a whisper to insure Smolder would not overhear me through the door. "Oh, not at all. It felt wonderful. But...it was also dangerous. I felt...myself feeling more and more love for you when you filled me up with more. I almost...wanted to do things to you with that love driving me on. And when you passed out, I ended up directing all that love onto Smolder. And...I...I was extremely tempted to...do things to her. Things that she's not ready for."

Ocellus began to look less worried and more puzzled. She tilted her head to one side as those featureless blue eyes gazed at me. "Is having too much love...a bad thing?"

"Um... Maybe? I mean... Well..." I mumbled while trying to find the right way to fully describe exactly what I felt at the time. I was concerned that she was too young to discuss the subject with, but took some faith in knowing Ocellus is at least at the bare minimum age of consent. There should be no risk. "With all that love in me, I felt... I think...when you feel so much love for someone you adore as more than just a friend, it starts to loop back around into lust. A wonderful...precious lust driven by love. The only kind of lust that can be described as a good and wholesome type. But...Smolder's not ready for stuff like that. And the consequences if I ever acted on those instincts could be very dire. So please... Don't do that again. Not when she's around. Or at least until she is a couple of years older."

I could almost see Ocellus avert her gaze as she bowed her head just slightly. "Oh no... I... I didn't mean to make you... I'm sorry... I won't do it again when she's around. I know why. It's so easy to forget, but I know she's a little younger than me. I don't want anything bad to happen to you two. You're always so happy together. I can always feel the love just...oozing off you both. I don't want to ruin that..."

"Thanks for understanding, love bug. I do love her, but...the law is the law and it does not know how to see shades of gray. It'll be worth the wait when she's finally sixteen two Novembers from now." I replied while stroking my hand over her smooth carapace. I felt no anger towards the little Changeling. There was not a bad bone in her body.

I heard Ocellus let out a quiet sigh of relief while she rested her head against my chest. She then asked softly, "You said...you felt so much love towards me when I gave you some of mine, right? Do you...love me too?"

This question came out of nowhere and caught me by surprise. I was not even sure how to answer. But I could remember. When I began to brim with more love than ever, I felt such a powerful love for the adorable little love bug resting against me. A desire to hold her and kiss her. But was that love real? Or was it just implanted there? If the reputation Changelings have in Equestria is anything to go by, I would not be surprised if some would resort to such a tactic to beguile the wills of their enemies. An disturbing thought...

But Ocellus would never do that. I had no reason to believe she would. Unsure of how to respond, I instead asked, "I...don't know. Can you tell? Can you feel if I do love you?"

Ocellus said nothing at first as she seemed to avert her gaze once again. But her magic aura soon billowed gently around her horn before she lightly pressed the curved hardened shaft of its against my chest and right over my heart. "Maybe? I haven't done this before. But maybe if I...listen..."

I rested my hand on the back of her head. My thoughts were focused on Ocellus and nothing else. She soon said softly, "Oh... Oh, there it is... Yes, I... I feel love... Love meant just for me. It's small...but...I think it's only gotten bigger since the first time you held me. Maybe... Can you think of someone else? Someone you love so much?"

My thoughts immediately went to the one who was close by. Dear little Smolder. I wonder if she heard what was being said at the time? Ocellus gasped as she spoke up, "Ooh! Is that Smolder? Oh wow, that's... That's such a strong love... I hope things will turn out fine with you two."

"You can tell who it is? I'm...thinking of Smolder right now." I replied while Ocellus just nodded. She could probably tell anyway since she feels that love between us just about every day. I tried shifting my thoughts to someone else. Someone I had not seen in a while. Dear Fluttershy. "How about now?"

Ocellus paused as she probably detected a shift in how my love was projecting itself. "Hm? Ooh, that's a strong love too. But...a little weaker than it should be?"

"I'm thinking of my wife back home... I admit she hasn't been on my mind much lately, but I suppose that's to be expected when I have so much other stuff to focus on. I do miss her and can't wait to get back home..." I said while wondering if I had explained to Ocellus yet about the unorthodox relationships I was in at the time. But she did not react with surprise. She knew I am in love with Smolder. And now she knew I am married. And yet she did not respond in any way. Maybe she always knew. And maybe the strength of my love for everyone I hold dear was enough to convince her that it was a relationship to have faith in.

My thoughts went to other women in my life who were close by. I thought of Rarity. And then Rainbow Dash. And then the beautiful hippogriff queen who was right downstairs. Ocellus gasped as my thoughts went to Novo. "Ooooooh, now that is some amazing love... You're thinking of someone who's so good to you..."

I almost chuckled in response to that observation. My relationship with Novo thus far has been a wonderful one. But as I thought to her and some of the times we shared on Capricorn Island, my thoughts went to someone who was easily as beautiufl as her. And...I felt a sting when I imagined Celestia in my head. Ocellus suddenly spoke with a more subdued tone as she said, "Oh... Oh no, what's that...? It's a strong love, but...it's... It's been weakened... Did... Did someone you love hurt you?"

"You... You noticed?" I asked as Ocellus turned her gaze up to me. She looked worried over what she had just felt. I had a difficult time looking her in the eye as I said, "Yeah... She... It's not so much a loss of love as it is a loss of trust. She's...hiding something from me. Something involving one of my most important friends. I think she's going to do something to my friend someday. Something that's not OK. And she won't speak to me about it."

Ocellus displayed such a frown on her lips before resting her horn against my chest again. "I hope things will get better... You want to love her. I can tell."

"Thank you... Me too." I muttered before leaning back and lying upon my bed. Ocellus rested atop me too, her cheek resting over my heart. I then raised my voice a bit and called out, "Smolder? You can come out now."

I heard the bathroom door creak open from out of sight before Smolder stepped into view. I think she could sense the shift in tone that hung in the air. I looked down at her from the far edge of the bed while she looked back at me without a word. The little dragon lady then crawled across the bed and gazed down at me with a hand on my cheek. "What's wrong, mi amor?"

I was unsure of how to explain the wedge that had been driven between me and Celestia. Thankfully, Ocellus saved me the trouble. "He loves someone, but...she did something to hurt his trust. I hope they can fix that."

"Someone's lying to you? That's no good..." Smolder said softly as she rested beside me with her hand caressing my face. Those beautiful blue reptilian eyes looked troubled. I think she wanted to try to help me, but had no idea how to even go about doing so. "What did they tell you?"

"No, they haven't lied to me. But...they're not telling me the truth either. They're hiding something important from me and that's not sitting well with me." I explained in brief. If she knew that Celestia herself is the culprit, I could not guess what the results would be.

"That's just as bad, if you ask me." Smolder spoke with a firm tone. She traced a finger over my eyebrow and down the side of my face as she whispered, "We're here if you need us. We won't ever hide anything from you."

"Thanks... You girls are the best." I retorted as I tried to pull Ocellus and Smolder into an embrace. The little ladies snuggled tenderly against me as I was lost in the bitter disappointment over what something so innocuous could trigger. I never once imagined that Twilight Sparkle's connection to Celestia could carry such unsettling implications for her future. And I never even considered it until I found out what her predecessor was hoping to get out of her prior enrollment as Celestia's private student. I was afraid for my friend. And I was not going to be getting any answers to soothe my concerns.

My thoughts were eventually interrupted by a knock on the door. Shining Armor's voice could be heard beyond it. "James? Queen Novo is requesting that you join the meeting in the war room."

"Right, sure. I'll be right down." I called out before I heard the clopping of hooves going down the stairs. Knowing I should not keep that wonderful woman waiting, I reluctantly rose from the bed while Ocellus rolled off of me. The two little ladies looked up at me with concern before I said, "I'll be fine. I've got good friends waiting for me down there."

"OK. We'll be here." Ocellus said quietly while they bid me farewell. I was in no hurry to see Celestia again as I headed down the stairs, but I knew other familiar faces were there to help me take my mind off her.

Upon peeking through the door of the war room, I saw the meeting was a little on the casual side. Pots of tea and a tray of pastries were set out on the table. Along with the three royal sisters were Novo, Ember, Seaspray, Shining Armor, and Spitfire. The tops of the chain of command were all gathered round and chatting away about recent events as well as just catching up on lost time as friends. Novo was the first to notice me looking in and waved at me to approach her. "There you are, honey! Come on in. Mama saved you a seat."

Novo's unusual rhetoric got a chuckle out of Spitfire and Ember. They did not know her particularly well yet. I confess I was a little sheepish to hear her address me that way in front of others who do not know me as well as others, but I still made my way over and took a seat by her. Ember was to my right and cast me a welcome smile. "How's Smolder? And...Ocellus, right?"

"They're doing fine. In good spirits for the most part." I replied while knowing that Ember only knows Ocellus as a dragon girl and not a Changeling. Not yet, at least. I glanced back and forth between her and Novo and asked, "Anything come up?"

"Just chatting like a bunch of magpies. I've heard good things about how everything went recently. And I hear that Seaspray stole your kill?" Novo asked with a whimsical smirk on her beak. She looked like she had been laughing before I showed up. She must have found the notion of Seaspray sniping the enemy general right in front of me and Ember to be hilarious. And it was.

"Yeah. He did. I should be annoyed that he did my job for me, but the timing was too funny to get upset about it." I retorted with that memory still being fresh in my head. Ember did not share my enthusiasm as since she visibly rolled her eyes when I glanced over at her. "Ember put up an amazing fight too. Showed up at just the right time. I'm glad she's with us."

"So I heard. This little sparkplug sounds like a titan in a little package. Size isn't everything, hm?" Novo retorted while looking past me at the Dragon Lord. But she then brought her hand to the golden crown that rested on her head. "But I have to ask... Where's your crown? You're the dragon queen, right?"

"Dragon Lord. It's just the term we've always used. We don't where any jewels or gold. The symbol of the Dragon Lord is the Bloodstone Scepter." Ember explained as my eyes went wide with a realization. Ever since her arrival, I have not seen it once. Did she even bring it with her? Ember noticed my concerned stare and held up a hand. "Oh, don't worry! It's safe and sound back by my throne! I assigned some of the more trustworthy guards to watch over it. Not like anyone would be dumb enough to try to eat it anywhere."

Novo let out a laugh amongst the gentle clamor of conversations going on around us. "Ha, they would, wouldn't they? I've heard dragons have weird taste in cuisine. You literally eat all manner of gemstones, right?"

"Yes, we do. Those precious stones just taste divine. Especially the higher quality ones. But that's not to say Equestria doesn't have great food too. I'm amazed with just how flavorful the stuff you eat is! Easier to digest too." Ember replied while reaching for a raspberry scone. She chomped it down in one bite and looked like she was enthralled with these new sweet fruity flavors. "I can't wait to sample what's for dinner tonight. It's always exciting to try something new here."

"In that case, you should stop by Capricorn Island when you get he chance. Fine dining and plenty of seafood all over the place. Just ask James here. He can't get enough of my home's cuisine. Isn't that right, honey?" Novo said while giving me a gentle nudge with such a proud smirk on her face.

I actually got a laugh out of that. I then spoke, "Oh, absolutely. There's not much in the way of protein that doesn't come from plants in Ponyville, so it's great there's so much fish to enjoy on Capricorn Island. I've always loved seafood and it's really convenient that fish is a big staple of the average hippogriff diet."

Ember's scarlet eyes lit up in intrigue. "In that case, I'll make it a priority to set up a diplomatic visit once this war is over. Can't wait to see all that for myself."

It was actually a very good time there. For the most part. Good light eats and pleasant conversation on top of the more serious discussions. There was not much I could add to what was happening there, but I was happy to be among friends and loved ones. Along with just talking about good stuff, everyone asked questions to get caught on what happened on the battlefield recently. Something that caught my ear was Shining Armor and Spitfire announcing that their efforts to vet our militiamen in an effort to weed out any potential troublemakers like Sunset Shimmer and Lightning Dust was going well, but would need another couple of days to check the backgrounds of everyone seeing active duty on the battlefield.

Nightmare Moon and Luna bordered their eldest sister and each side at the table. I could barely bring myself to look at Celestia and tried to distract myself with the other friendly faces around to not let my bitter wariness be displayed too prominently. The two sisters of the moon probably even spoke for her whenever they asked me anything. Unfortunately, this refuge would not last. The meeting began to adjourn in time with everyone eventually departing one by one. Until only Celestia, Novo, and I were the only ones still remaining.

I only stayed longer to finish my tea. A delightful herbal blend of lavender. But before I could take one last swig, Novo finally spoke up. "All right, you two. What gives? Why the silent treatment?"

I froze with my cup held to my lips. Was Novo really so aware that Celestia and I did not speak to each other once during our entire stay in that room? I glanced at the door leading out and found that it was reassuringly closed to keep our voices muffled. My eyes glanced at Celestia and saw that she too looked uncomfortable over where Novo was coming from. Novo then leaned forward with her fingers brought together as she cast a stern gaze at the two of us. "It's not like you two to be this distant like this. You haven't said a word to each other the entire time we've been here."

Celestia could not bring herself to speak. She looked pained as she turned her eyes to me. I looked at her for a few seconds, but then looked elsewhere. She was not going to give me the answers I needed to hear and I knew that. Impressively, Novo saw enough to get an idea of what's going on. She spoke more softly to me, "Are you two having a fight, honey?"

I did not want to say too much. Certainly not in front of Celestia. But I did say all I needed to as I gazed down into my empty teacup. "Recent discoveries have resulted in a loss of trust..."

Novo... She then looked at Celestia with the most piercing look I had seen in those eyes in quite some time. With a hint of cold venom in her voice, Novo then asked, "Did you hurt this man, Celestia? Have you been doing things behind his back?"

This question caught my ear. Maybe prodding from her best friend would be enough to give Celestia enough incentive to start providing answers. After a moment of hesitation, Celestia sat up straight and stiffly in her seat while speaking in the firmest tone she could muster. "I cannot discuss that with you, Novo. It's a matter of national importance."

"Hiding things from him? Yep, that'll drive a wedge between you two for sure." Novo retorted with a flippant disregard for Celestia's insistence on secrecy that I found both surprising and impressive. Even the look on Celestia's face showed that she was not expecting this kind of response from the hippogriff queen. Novo promptly rose from her seat and spread her wing to gently push me up out of my seat as well. "Tell you what. You get over yourself and find it in you to make up to him and I'll give you back your man."

Celestia looked utterly mortified that Novo was practically forcing an ultimatum on her. Even I had no idea what to say as Novo took charge of this situation with her wing holding me in an embrace with Novo leading me out of the war room. Celestia sputtered and stammered as she said, "Wha... You... Novo! Wait!"

Novo very sharply looked back at her friend and once again cast her a most fierce glare. Her voice rose in volume just a bit as she growled, "No. You listen here, Sunbutt. This isn't about who's in charge. This is about fulfilling your responsibilities as a mare to your man. If you're serious about how much you love him, you'll stop hiding behind excuses and tell him what he needs to know. Until then, he's staying with me. See you later, Sunbutt."

The Princess of the Dawn said nothing as I was swiftly escorted out of the command center with Novo's wing around me. I was not even sure what to say. It was just so bizarrely surreal to see anyone, even Novo, put someone as powerful as Celestia in her place with just her words. It took me a moment of contemplation to put my thoughts together as I glanced at Novo to my side. "Did you seriously tell off your own superior back there?"

"I just might be the only person in the world who can do that to Celestia and get away with it, honey. Something you can only do to someone you've been best friends with for a very long time. I love that sexy Sunbutt, but what she's being doing to you? That's not OK. And I won't stand for it." Novo said firmly yet reassuringly to me. We came to a stop a few minutes after leaving the command center with Novo looking me in the eye. "I don't keep secrets from you and neither should she. I can't believe she would even do that. Is it bad? What's so bad that's got you hung up over what she's not telling you?"

"I...don't think now is the best time or place to say it... Can I tell you tonight at your place?" I asked as I took note how we were out in the open and there was no telling who might be listening in from the rows of tents we were standing between. I did not even know where Twilight herself was bunking. She could be within earshot at that very moment and we would never know.

Novo nodded in understanding while showing a very sweet smile on her beak. "Will do. You'll be staying with me tonight. If Celestia's got you anxious, let mama here soothe you instead."

"I'm looking forward to it." I replied with some relief in my heart. I knew I could trust Novo. Always so sincere, even in spite of her usual sass. My eyes gaze west. The sun was starting to get low in the sky. Maybe even sooner than I was expecting. Summer would not be around much longer. I was hoping we could finish our business on the Empty Plains and get back home before cooler weather started to move in.

When we reached the airship docks, I glanced up at the Zephyrus upon hearing a call. Boyle was up on deck and was waving at me with his one good hand. "Hoi, James! Captain's waiting for ya!"

"Thanks! I'll be right up!" I called back as Boyle stepped away and out of sight. I looked over at Novo, who had an eyebrow raised in curiosity. I suppose she was assuming I would be dining aboard the Alabaster that evening. And I would hate to miss out on that delicious Capricorn Island cuisine. But I was being expected elsewhere. "Oh, right. Celaeno invited me to dinner. But I'll be coming right over once I'm done, OK?"

"Missing out on dining with your queen? Just messing with you, honey. Sure, I'll be waiting right next door. Just don't keep me waiting, love." Novo replied sweetly before glancing left and right. Once we knew the coast was clear, Novo placed a kiss upon my cheek before turning and heading over to he Alabaster's gangplank. But not before she looked back at me and smirked while putting an exaggerated rise to her step in order to make her hips bob higher than usual. I inhaled sharply as she lifted her tail feathers in an invitation to what she surely had in store for me that night.

Now wanting to get my mind off of that beautiful queen, I hurried up the gangplank tot he Zephyrus in the hopes that my hunger would beat out my libido. And I got just what I needed when I headed aft and entered the ship through the door. I remember the interior of the airship being a mess last time I was taken inside it, but now things were much tidier. I cautiously made my way down the stairs to enter the lower deck. I remember it being used more like a dining hall last time with junk stacked up along the walls, but now it was a proper empty hall with the doors leading to the rooms off the side. It almost did not even feel like I was on the same ship as the last time. "It's amazing what a little spring cleaning and an overhaul can do for the place."

I saw Mullet leaning against the wall near one of the doors. He had a clipboard in hand and seemed to be doing inventory after a successful supply run. His one good eye glanced my way while he cast me a smirk. A chuckle rumbled in his throat before he said, "First time back down here since we snatched you off that train, right? I bet you hardly even recognize the place now."

"Yeah, really. This... I almost feel like this isn't even the same ship." I retorted as I scanned the lengths of the halls. It was much more modest with only polished wood along the floor and walls, but there was something to love about that simplicity. Although I then wondered exactly where Celaeno's quarters were. "Hey, come to think of it... Isn't the captain's quarters usually right at the stern? Celaeno's expecting me."

"That she is. You couldn't tell too easy last time, but it's right back there." Mullet replied before pointing past me. Past the stairs were two doors leading into a room. Although I suspected one was always kept locked. Strange design choice there...

"Oh, right. There... Um..." I said before curiosity started to get the better of me. I scanned my surroundings some more before I said, "I'm tempted to take a look around first."

"Help yourself, mate. You're welcome on our turf." Mullet replied with his deep and rather suave voice. He looked like he was in a good mood, so I left him to his business. I quickly found that I had no idea which door led to where. When I reached for one, Mullet spoke up from across the room. "That's where we keep the tits, hooters, and boobies. You can say hello as long as you don't rile them."

"The wha... Oh! Oh right, the birds. Sure, I'll stop in and say hi." I said before I pushed the door open. It certainly smelled like an aviary when I stepped inside. And sure enough, there they were. The adorable little pygmy owls and titmice separated from each other in fairly spacious cages and the two blue footed boobies grooming each other. But i also saw a lump of brown fuzz tucked away behind them. "Wait a minute... Is that...?"

When I reached for the fuzzy brown lump, a head rose up with a long narrow beak that curved downward. And I recognized it immediately. "Huh? Are you the same kiwi who stowed away last time?"

Sure enough, it was a kiwi. It suddenly looked at me before hopping over the two boobies and rushing out of the room with impressive speed for a small flightless bird. I heard Mullet call out as it must have ran down the hall and probably up the stairs to the deck. "Huh?! Hey, where'd you come from?! Didn't you run off when... Ah, forget it!"

Celaeno's first mate was probably not in the mood to go chasing after a stowaway. I then approached the cage that held the tiny pygmy owls. They constantly watched me with their big round eyes as I opened the cage's little hatch to reach inside. I was hoping that Mullet had taught them to not bite when he is not around. "Man, I forgot how cute you little guys are. I need to introduce you to my wife someday."

With a little coaxing, I got the two tiny owls to perch on my fingers. Just one finger was enough for one to perch on. Their claws clung firmly to me as I lifted them from the cage and gently stroked my fingertips along their round heads. I made sure to set them back into their cage before I brought out the titmice. They twittered lightly while they swayed on my hand. Once I was certain they were satisfied with the attention, I squatted down to check out the boobies. I was not entirely certain how to approach this breed of bird, but I found that they enjoyed me running my fingers along their long beaks. The deep mumbling in their throats sounded relaxing, but I am not sure how to describe different bird sounds. They also enjoyed me giving light scratches to their long necks and lifted their beaks high to encourage me to give them more. I did not want to overstay my welcome and soon headed out the door as I noticed the smell of delcious cooking filling the hall. Lix Spittle was most likely starting on dinner and I was sure it was not that slop I saw them dining on last time. I noticed Mullet leaning against the wall with an inquisitive smile on his beak. I then said, "You really trained them well. They're all friendly and love company."

"It takes a bird to know a bird, mate." He retorted before sniffing the air. I saw his tongue lick along his beak before he spoke, "Mm, smells like Lix is whipping up something from back home. You showed up at a good time. Anyway, head on in the captain's quarters and I'll let the chef know you made it."

"Got it. Thanks." I then made my way to the stairs and went to the door that was on the right. I was unsure if I should just walk in even if I was being expected, so I knocked first. "Captain?"

"Other side! That one's always locked." I heard her call from the other side. I did what I was told and made my way around to the left side of the stairs. And upon stepping inside, I was quite pleased with the layout of Celaeno's chambers. I always knew that the captain of a ship tends to get the best accommodations, but I was still surprised by the interior design of her own room. Instead of just brown polished wood, there were also patches of white to set it apart. Almost as if to give a sense of authority to any visitors. It was not quite as fancy as it could have been considering that Celaeno and her crew have not being enlisted in the royal guard for very long, but the furniture other commodities around the place still felt far beyond the norm of what I would be able to afford. With the light shining in through the windows growing dimmer, lanterns affixed to the wall provided a gentle glow to illuminate the room. And sitting at the center of the room with a table that held an ice bucket with few bottles of cold liquor was Celaeno with her hat hung up nearby. Even her gambeson jacket was spread out on her bed with her having dressed down into her underlying clothes. "Welcome aboard."

"Nice place you got, captain. They've really been taking care of you." I said while I approached slowly with my eyes scanning my surroundings. "The captain always gets the best digs, huh?"

"Running an airship is a lot more work than you might think. Especially with a crew of just five. You need to have a knack for multitasking if you want to make sure the crew keeps up with everything that needs to be done. Although I hear it's even rougher for ship crews that sail the sea..." Celaeno explained matter of fact. I took her word for it and made myself comfortable at the other end of the table. She then reached for one of the bottles and popped the top off. She set out a couple of shot glasses and poured us both a drink. "Here you go. A drink for champions. Heard you went toe to toe with the enemy commander recently. I wish we could've seen it."

"Yeah, the emperor threw us a curve ball at the end. There was no easy way to take that one down. Actually had to work for it." I replied before we tapped our little glasses together. The liqueur was colorless, so I assumed it was gin or vodka. But when I chugged mine, I was hit with a very different kind of flavor and alcoholic burn that I was not prepared for. And the cold temperature of the drink did not help. I coughed and patted myself on the chest as I asked, "Whoa, that was... What did you pour me?"

"A little something from back home. A shot of the finest tequila." Celaeno said with a smile before gulping down hers in one swig. She sighed harshly as she asked, "Has that sort of feel to it, right? If it's not your thing, I could pour you some spiced rum."

"Yeah, I thought I noticed a bit of that agave flavor... If we're going tropical, tequila or rum will just about do it." I said as I waited for the burn in my throat to fade. I then glanced at the tall wine bottle in the ice bucket that had a layer of shimmering gold foil around the neck. Must have been a bottle of fancy champagne. "Is that something sweeter?"

"Sure is, but on the softer side. Just a bottle of sparkling champagne. Just in case you need something sweet to get the burn out." Celaeno explained before twisting the top off. A characteristic pop was heard as the fizzy beverage released its pressure before Celaeno reached for a tall and narrow glass before pouring me some. It bubbled beautifully with a tint of red or purple to it. Must have been a type infused with blackberries. And maybe a touch of honey.

I sipped from the glass lightly and found it to be devoid of the burn of alcohol. And it was delightfully sweet. I tried to go easy on that one. I did not want to run out of a beverage to enjoy before our dinner could even arrive. "Thanks for the good drinks, captain. I wasn't sure what to expect when I came up here."

Before much longer, there was a knock at the door before Lix Spittle entered with a cart carrying platters of freshly prepared pilaf and polenta dishes. My eyes lit up to see what was surely a dish from familiar lands. "Ooh, that some cuisine from where you all hail from?"

"It sure is, sweetie. I missed whipping this stuff up back when we were better supplied. Hope you like a little taste of home. Our home, I mean." Lix Spittle said while looking very proud of her results. Finally being able to cook up dishes fit for a king must have been a massive boost to her morale now that the royal guard was keeping them supplied with everything they need. She did not stay long and left Celaeno and I to ourselves with a delicious meal to enjoy.

Having taken a shot of tequila before I could get some food in my belly, I was finding myself loosened up more than usual as we dined. Celaeno had much more of a taste for tequila than I did as she downed a couple more shots now and then. I did not inquire, though her getting too tipsy could undermine the purpose of this visit. I loved everything that Lix Spittle had served up. "Mm, I've never really had the chance to try this kind of cuisine in my life. It's good stuff, captain."

"Glad you like it. I wasn't sure of what to have Lix Spittle whip up for you, so I took a chance and hoped that something we're familiar with would suit your fancy. Well...something that isn't that slop we served you the first time." Celaeno replied with a spoonful of polenta in hand. I assumed that she may have had teeth in the back of her face. She most definitely was not gulping her food down in one bite like ordinary birds do. Celaeno soon reached out with that champagne bottle and poured me another glass. "Lemme top you off there. Help yourself to whatever you need."

"Thanks, captain. I'm having a good time here." I replied before taking another sip. I then asked, "How're they taking care of you out here? Finally settled into your new jobs?"

Celaeno rolled her eyes as she said, "We've gotten the hang of the courier side of things, but the war effort hasn't left us with much time for scouting. We're all itching for a chance to get out there and explore again like we used to. And the Empty Plains are a prime location to start mapping out. And we're getting paid to do it!"

"Doing what you love while getting paid a salary while doing it? Sounds like a match made in heaven." I said with a laugh while now really starting to feel the effects of the booze I had ingested. Although I soon noticed Celaeno giving my hand a protracted stare. I then asked, "Something on my hand, captain?"

"Huh? Oh, I just... I feel kind of silly I never noticed that ring on your hand before. You have a wife waiting for you back home?" Celaeno asked as she set down her spoon. She poured herself a glass from the only other bottle in the ice bucket. Seemed to be a bottle of a sweeter red wine. I got the impression it was a good beverage to indulge in during a conversation, so I poured a glass myself.

"Yeah, I got married not too long ago. Fluttershy and little Gladesong are back in Ponyville. Can't wait to see them again..." I replied as I took a sip of my wine. It had more of a strong bite than sweet white wines, but I still enjoyed the subtle sweetness in that bold red fluid. I noticed Celaeno looking a little uneasy and said, "Hey, it's all right. Fluttershy got a laugh out of me telling her the story of how I got snatched off a train by pirates who had no idea what they were doing."

"Oh, phew! Knowing we kidnapped a husband and a daddy just makes the whole memory awkward. If you mentioned you had a wife and kid waiting at home for you, we probably would've taken you right home." Celaeno spoke with some hearty and nervous laughter. Loosened up as I was, I got a good laugh out of that memory too.

I looked at the ring on my finger for a moment. I was wearing it for more than just Fluttershy, but that was something I could not reveal to just anyone. While she did go back to dining for a moment, Celaeno soon looked at me from across the table. "Something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh, just thinking about things back home..." I retorted before I raised my eyebrows as I saw that Celaeno's eyes were narrowing. A cunning smirk formed on her beak as I asked, "Um... Yes?"

Celaeno crossed her arms as she said, "James. As captain, I've gotten pretty good at telling when something's not right with my crew. It's part of keeping morale up around here. If they're having a bad day or have some worries they need to talk about, I need to be able to lend an ear. And I can see you're thinking about something that's got you antsy. You can tell me. I'm pretty good at hearing people out."

It would be futile to try and act like nothing was wrong at that point. Celaeno had me backed into a corner. But I still needed to take one last precaution. "What I'm about o say doesn't leave this room, all right?"

"Captain's honor." Celaeno retorted without hesitation while lifting a thumb from her arm.

I really did trust her, so I took a moment to think my response over. "Thanks... Yes, I'm married to Fluttershy back in Ponyville. But...she's not the only woman I'm wearing this ring for."

Celaeno's eyes opened wider upon hearing that. I expected her to raise her voice, but she instead brought a fist to the underside of her beak in contemplation. "Really...? Hm... You don't strike me as the kind of man who is interested in having affairs... Ooooh, I get it. Yeah, I see what you mean. Well, congrats. I hope you can handle it. Not many man can balance themselves like that without playing favorites."

This confused me. Celaeno seemed to know exactly what I was implying with what I said. And having no issues with it at all? "You mean...you understand what it is? And you're OK with it?"

"Yes, I'm all right with it, James. It's kind of common back where I come from. I mean... OK, maybe not exactly common, but not that rare either. I've seen families back home with one lucky and loving lovebird of a man having more than one happy hen in his family. And the kids they all have together always look like they get along well. I know these reputations get a bad rep all over the world for perfectly understandable reasons, but everyone back home only do it out of love. So don't think I see you as less of a man because you're brave enough to welcome more than one woman into your life like that. I can tell you're a good man." Celaeno said with a reassuring smile on her beak. And it was...refreshing and unexpected to hear such a thing about her people's culture back home. A place where such relationships are more common and even accepted? Very surprising...

I tried to gather my thoughts before I spoke, "I... Uh... Thank you, captain. I trust you won't share this with anyone."

"You have my word. I'd hate to get you in trouble anywhere." Celaeno replied before having another bite of her dinner. Although a more inquisitive gaze settled into her eyes before she asked, "But if you don't mind me asking... Who else has found a place in your life on the same level as your wife?"

"Them? Um... Well... There is Rarity. She was the first to become something more than a friend after I ended up in a relationship with Fluttershy. As for those who might become more than that... There's Rainbow Dash and Gilda. There's...definitely that feeling between us." I explained while being very cautious over who I should not mention. Smolder was absolutely on my blacklist and could not be mentioned at all. "And...there's... Well... That beautiful bird next door."

Celaeno froze in her seat for about five seconds as she just stared at me. She then opened her beak wide as if to shout in surprise, but only barely stopped herself before speaking in an excited whisper. "You're kidding! You have it going on with the duelist queen herself?! This I gotta hear! What did you do to win her heart?"

She most definitely did not even have the slightest comprehension of the context between Novo and I. I then said most sincerely, "We found love...by understanding each other's pain."

The look of excitement in Celaeno's gaze softened. Her face now displaying confusion, I then asked, "Did you know she's a widow?"

Celaeno brought a hand to her beak in shock. My assumption was that for as long as Celaeno has been around, Novo never mentioned the name or even the existence of her fallen king whenever traveling abroad. I then explained while taking a sip of my wine, "I understood what she was going through... The emotional isolation and the pain of a wonderful relationship ending abruptly like that... Our experiences were different, but the pain was the same. That's what brought us together. And the love that we found is...just so wonderful. Novo is easily one of the best women I've ever known and I'm honored that she's chosen me to be her man."

The captain of the Zephyrus displayed a calm and understanding smile on her beak. She then spoke softly, "And I believe you. I never knew she was hurting like that... She always was just...herself whenever I saw her. Hiding something like that...but something only you could really talk to her about... It's no wonder she adores you. I can't condemn that, James. You two sound perfect for each other. I hope you two will always be good to each other."

"Thanks for understanding, captain." I said softly while looking towards the windows at the back of the cabin. It was not that dark out there and I could see the bow of the Alabaster beyond them. I paused in my dining as I imagined the beautiful queen within its hull waiting for me. I noticed things get a little too quiet and noticed that Celaeno had stopped dining as well and was now looking at me with her hand holing her head up, elbow resting on the table for support. "Yes...?"

"You thinking about her?" Celaeno asked with quite possibly the softest tone in her voice I had heard yet. I just nodded without a word while my gaze returned to the elegant white airship docked beyond the windows. Celaeno let out a pleasant sigh as she added, "You lover boy... Is she good to you?"

"She...makes me feel like I can take on the world. It's...unbearable when we have to say goodbye. Novo always says she's the best... And I see now that she's not entirely joking when she says that. She's a woman with experience. Knows how to be good to her king... Knows how to make him happy... How to make him feel like the luckiest man in the world... There's not another woman like her out there... I was lucky to meet her." I said wistfully as I found myself longing for my queen. I could hardly wait to step into her chambers and embrace her beautiful fluffy form.

I heard Celaeno sigh happily as she said, "You really do mean that... James, don't ever let anyone tell you that you have no idea what your heart is believing. You can make this work. I can see that. You're a man who knows how that kind of love works. Even if your head doesn't get it yet. I'm rooting for you."

That was such a meaningful smile on her beak. And I certainly would never expect a captain of pirate wannabes to take the topic of love so seriously. Her authority aboard the Zephyrus only added weight to her declaration. I hesitated, but soon spoke softly, "Thanks, captain... I'll just take it as it comes..."

"I've been around longer than you, James. I know enough to see you'll do just fine." Celaeno retorted as she started to resume eating her meal. My appetite restored, I too began to dine again.

My thoughts went back to the first evening we spent together. "Right, I forgot. About to turn forty, right? You got a birthday coming up I should mark on my calendar?"

"Hey, don't start thinking I'm some old hag of the skies. You know we harpies age really well. It's common for us to reach the triple digits. I'm not even close to being over the hill." Celaeno chirped as she had a laugh at my assumption. Birds tend to age well, but those tropical birds in particular are famous for looking like they do not age a day in decades. But the standards of harpies, Celaeno still had a lot of life left in her. She then said, "But really, you don't need to get me anything. I still owe you plenty anyway."

"Captain, it's your birthday. Everyone should get something nice on it. Anything you've ever wanted?" I asked in return. She really was set on returning the favor someday.

Celaeno paused as she contemplated the concept of a birthday present. She then glanced down at the table...or was it at something under it? "Well, if you're offering... Remind me. Did you say...there's a way for me to get my left foot's mate back?"

I had all but forgotten about that conversation with her. And the results I got from Zecora. I then explained carefully, "Oh right. Yes, I did ask our zebra herbalist about something like that. And she said there is a...potentially risky potion that could do that. At least I think there's some risk to it. Zecora said that preparations are required to make sure the potion doesn't...kill you. I didn't ask for more details at the time since now isn't a good time to look into something like that, but I'll be getting back to her on that."

"You mean...there's a way?" Celaeno asked with her eyes lighting up in surprise. She placed both palms on the table as she leaned forward. "You're telling me there's actually a potion recipe that can get me my old right foot back?"

"That's what Zecora told me, but the tome it's found in has long been out of print. And it sounds like that's because some of the potion recipes are genuinely dangerous. We'll talk about this once the whole war is over, all right?" I explained while hoping this would not be a bad idea. I wanted to help Celaeno. Not to get her killed.

"Huh... They say the best medicine is always bitter." Celaeno retorted as she rested back into her seat. With a long sigh of thought, she then looked at me from across the table after taking another shot of tequila. "All right, James. If there really is a way to get me feeling in my toes again, I'll stop by your place and see what needs to be done for that to work."

"I did say it's potentially dangerous. You OK with that?" I asked while not wanting her to rush into something that she may end up regretting.

Celaeno looked down at lifted her right leg out to the side to get a look at it. Her peg leg of solid emerald was on display. "I can't even remember what it's like to feel anything below my knee. If there's a way to fix that... I'm willing to at least look into it. I trust you won't put me in a bad place."

"I hope it works. I know the rest of your crew is just fine with what they've lost, but... I can't imagine a peg leg being as practical as the original." I said as her leg returned to the floor. I continued with my dining so as to not let everything cool too much. It was all satisfying, but I did not want to leave too soon. With my appetite out of the way, I then asked, "Anything I can do while I'm here, captain?"

"Heh... You sweet guy. If you're really offering..." Celaeno replied before reaching under the table and fidgeting around with something. I heard a click of sorts before she lifted her peg leg up to the table and set it down. "If you don't mind... Maybe give my stump a good rubbing? Gets a little itchy and rough with all the weight above the knee pushing it down."

"Yeah, sure." I went to the side of the table and kneeled before her. And seeing the rounded stump that was just below the knee... I winced. I did not want to imagine the event that cost Celaeno her leg. Especially with her perfectly intact left leg serving as a stark contrast to her right. I took the stump in my hands and gently applied pressure to it in an attempt to get a feel for the underlying muscles. Just my masseuse instincts kicking in. "This all right, captain?"

"Ooh, that's the spot... You do this for a living?" Celaeno sighed sharply as I went about my business. I rubbed my fingers firmly along the rounded lump where Celaeno's leg had once been attached. I was hoping that whatever Zecora had to offer would not be that difficult to use. Celaeno had been through enough already.

"Actually, yeah. I work at the spa back in Ponyville. It helps when you have hands with soft fingers that no one else has." I retorted with a knowing smirk. It has become so daily routine back home that I never even think about what I can do that the locals cannot. It made me long for simpler days...

"Then I know where I'm stopping next time I'm in the neighborhood." Celaeno snickered before she patted me lightly on the head. "OK, that'll do. Sorry if this all looks a little silly. Just one of those little things I thought you could help with. But while you're here... Look, I'm not going to pressure you for an answer, but I will be returning the favor someday... Somehow."

I decided to not even try to argue with her by that point. Maybe if enough time went by, she would forget all about that self-imposed debt. Just seeing them in a good place was enough thanks for me. I reached for my drink and gulped down the rest while Celaeno reattached her prosthetic leg. "Anyway... Someone's expecting you, right?"

I nodded as I glanced over at the far windows again. "Yeah... But I had a good time, captain. Lix Spittle knows how to cook good stuff."

"Only because she's got the supplies and instructions needed for it now." Celaeno laughed before she rose from her seat. "After you, James. I'll at least see you off up on deck."

The two of us headed out the door and climbed the stairs to get back outside. All four of Celaeno's crewmen were up on deck carrying out a few more tasks before it could get too dark. The sun was all but sunken over the horizon by then. Celaeno let out a wistful sigh as she gazed west. "Days are getting shorter... Makes we want to head back home where it's sunny and warm all year round."

"You're not the only one with no love of autumn... Something depressing about things getting colder and daylight hours getting shorter." I retorted while knowing exactly where she was coming from. With a long sigh, I was ready to disembark and turn in for the night aboard the Alabaster. "Thanks for having me over, captain. I had a great time."

Celaeno nodded, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. I felt it would be rude to leave before we could properly say goodbye, so I waited a moment longer with my eyes watching her crew carry out their duties. But I then heard Celaeno say, "Hey. I'm still trying to figure out a little thank you for all you've done for us, but... How about a little down payment for the moment?"

"Down payment? Well, if you've figured out something, I guess you...eh?!" I replied before being cut off by a sudden motion from Celaeno. In one swift and cunning move, she pulled me into an embrace and... Her beak closed over my mouth. In a manner I have felt so many times from Novo.

A kiss. Where did this come from? It was so fast and so unexpected that I was left almost dazed from a slew of thoughts ran through my head. And I was not the only one stunned by this sudden display of affection. i noticed out of the corner of my eye that the four other harpies up on deck had just frozen in place with all eyes locked onto us. They all had the same look of utter disbelief on their eyes. Even that goofy Squabble could not believe his eyes. They were so taken aback that they even just dropped whatever they were holding. Even Mullet, who had a heavy sack of grain slung over his shoulder that slid free and dropped right onto his foot. And he responded to that pain. "MY FOOT!!! ACK!!!"

Celaeno was not doing this as one sloppy intoxicated avian kiss. She was... Her embrace was methodical and deliberate. Her eyes closed as she held the back of my head in one hand. Her tongue slid across my lips. And I answered. My tongue nervously reached out and touched hers. The flavor of tequila was very noticeable, but she...was not exactly drunk. No, she could not have been. Not on a full stomach. Her embrace did eventually loosen as she pulled away. Celaeno gasped with a faint pink hue glowing through the feathers on her face. "That good enough...?"

"You...taste like tequila." I mumbled as I reeled from...whatever that was. At least then I knew how harpies kiss. Celaeno chuckled as she definitely found some amusement in my reaction to that very abrupt kiss.

"I'll take that as a yes." Celaeno giggled heartily while wiping a hand along her beak. But as she stepped past me to head back below deck, she paused and shared a calm gaze with me. "Have a good night, James. Be good to her."

"Yeah..." I muttered as Celaeno left my sight. But when I looked back over at the four other harpies, including Mullet as he held an ice pack to his foot, I saw that they all looked like they were trying to not laugh at me. I then asked, "What?!"

That did it. All four of them burst into loud guffaws. Was there just something inherently funny about seeing their captain making out with a new friend of theirs? I will never understand the dynamics of shipmates...

Wanting to put that awkward situation behind me, I hurried down the gangplank before hurrying over to the one leading up to the Alabaster. There was only one woman on my mind at that moment and I dearly wanted to see her again. The crewmen I passed were happy to see me and passed me a quick greeting while I crossed the deck and went below into the main hall. The interior of the Alabaster was just as elegantly designed s I remembered. I knocked on the door to Novo's chambers and waited for an answer. I did not wait long. "Come on in, honey."

"You knew it was me?" I asked while pushing the door open. I was greeted by the lovely sight of Novo relaxing beautifully upon her bed while looking over a few documents. The room was aglow from the lamp nearby. That glorious queen smirked at me while tapping a talon on a tray that held a familiar dish. A dessert from Capricorn Island I recall consisting of balls of freshly baked dough drizzled in honey. "Ooh, you had dessert prepared? Thank you. We didn't bother with anything sweet."

"I was hoping you'd leave room for a little extra. Come on over, baby. Enjoy them before they cool." Novo said softly while making sure there was room for me on the bed. I kicked y shoes off and took a seat while being very mindful to not allow any honey to drip outside the edges of the serving tray. I was glad I did not get there sooner. They might have been too hot to eat before then.

Novo helped herself to one honey orb, chewing daintily to savor the rich flavor. Although when I took another in hand on a long bamboo skewer, I paused while watching the honey oozing off of it. I glanced at Novo and started to smirk when she eyed me as well. She must have read my mind since she leaned closer with her beak opening wide. I extended my arm and gently placed the dessert in her beak while Novo graciously consumed it. She gazed at me with those beautiful loving eyes as she whispered, "I love you."

"And I love you." I whispered back to her before she returned the favor. Novo held out a honey-drenched orb of baked dough for me to enjoy. Back and forth, we fed each other. Even when all that remained was honey pooled in the bowl, we still were not done. Novo scooped a dose of that honey up in a spoon and fed it right to me. I savored that rich honey flavor as I muttered, "You're so good to me..."

"Only because you're the best thing to happen to me in ages, my love." Novo cooed as she treated me to every last drop of her homeland's honey. Once it was empty aside from a thin sticky layer, Novo set aside the tray to make sure nothing was between us. She then pushed me down to the bed before her sleek fluffy body was pulled atop me. She stroked my face with her fingers while just smiling most tenderly down at me. "No steamy stuff tonight, honey. Just let me savor this evening with you. Catch up on all those days when I was away..."

"Please do... God, I never know just how much I've missed you until I lay eyes on you..." I whispered with the compulsion to keep my voice down being constant in my mind. I was so in love with that wonderful bird of paradise... And I could always tell that it was mutual. The love in her eyes was always constant when we were alone together. Just this little eternity between us. "Every minute with you... It's always a slice of paradise... Because you're the best, Novo."

"You know I am, baby. And you want to know why I'm the best?" Novo cooed with her beak lowering to my face. That smirk was not one of arrogance. It was one of ironclad confidence. Confidence that she had earned. "I'm only the best because I have the experience for it. I'm good to you because I know how to be. But you want to know who is the only other person I know who is as good as me?"

"That's... Hm. I can't even guess. Who is it?" I asked in legitimate curiosity. It must have been humbling to concede that there was someone who could match her in anything.

"You, James. Only you." She whispered to me before placing a kiss upon my lips. Was she serious? My eyes went wide as even I did not anticipate that level of praise. That lusciously deep and rich voice spoke through a pleasant sigh, "You don't have the experience I do. But you have a natural talent for the art of love, my king. You have the patience. The desire to make your mare know she is loved and feel oh so special. It's never about you. It's about us. You know that and you embrace it. And I love you so much for that..."

"Novo, you... You're giving me too much credit here... Or it at least feels like that." I retorted while feeling rather embarrassed that this unparalleled queen was giving me such high praise. And I do not believe it was simply to make me feel good about myself. She really meant every word.

"Oh, you humble man. Don't ever lose that quality about yourself." Novo cooed as she placed another and more tender kiss upon my lips. She then gazed down at me as she whispered, "My sweet sugar bear... I'll always be your bird of paradise, love. Will you always be my sugar bear?"

"I will... I swear I will... I love you so much." I whispered just as quietly while I rubbed my hands over Novo's neck and down her shoulders. Savoring the plush softness of those cushioning feathers. "You always make me feel like the luckiest man in the world... I know I... I wouldn't have someone like you in my life if I was still on Earth..."

Novo saw my eyes wander. And felt my mood shift. Her finger caressed my cheek while she gazed down at me. Those eyes were inquisitive and patient as if she wanted to allow me to speak. And so I did. "I know...I wouldn't be where I am now if I was there... I wouldn't have gotten married... Wouldn't have a family... Wouldn't be able to believe in tomorrow... I'd probably be a much more cynical person by now. Everything... Everything about my life has...only gotten much better ever since I came here... All because of...you and everyone else. I'm happier in this world... Like Equestria just brings out the best in me."

"James... Honey, listen..." Novo whispered as she placed a finger upon my lips. Her eyes had become more somber, but the love in them never faded. "You're not the only one who got lucky here. We're just as lucky to have you with us. But nobody out there is more grateful than me. You convinced me to love again. Gave me a reason to be happy again. I was only able to stop mourning and find happiness again because...just the right man came into my life. The only man I knew who knew how I hurt. Because he hurt the same way. I'll always be here for you, James. I'll keep healing your heart the same way you've healed mine. I love you... And I always will."

Her words opened a dam. Tears flowed down my face as I too saw trails of wetness forming down her soft feathery face. We reached out and held each other, embracing as we shed our tears together. I heard Novo gasp with a raspy tone as she tried to stifle her sobs. "I'm here, baby... And I'll always be here for you... My...wonderful king."

"I'm...honored to be your king... My queen..." I gasped back to her as I clung to her beautiful weeping body. I did not come to see her just to cry, but cry I did. "I love you... Love you so much..."

"Shhhh, just let it all out... Mama needs to...get these tears outta my eyes too." Novo whispered as she nuzzled her face against the side of my head. Everything was going to be all right. As long as I had her and everyone else who has kept me going.

Just as our sniffling started to cease, there was a knock at the door. A knock that caused both of us to scowl in annoyance. What a terrible time to be interrupted. Novo sighed harshly before looking over at the door. "Yeah? Who is it?"

The voice of Seaspray was heard as he said, "Your majesty? My sincerest apologies if I am interrupting, but...one of my men escorted these two aboard. They said they are searching for Sir James. Is he with you?"

Novo and I glanced at each other in confusion. Two people were searching for me? What for? It did not sound like Seaspray was entirely familiar with them. Not wanting to look distressed in front of these guests, Novo and I dried our tears quickly and sat up on the bed together. She then said, "Very well. Send them in."

I should have seen this coming. As soon as the door opened, a young dragon lady came rushing in and sailed into my arms. And it was not Smolder. "There you are! Why haven't you come back yet?!"

Smolder herself stood in the doorway while just shaking her head in amusement. Ocellus embraced me with her head buried in my chest while disguised in her preferred dragon form. Seaspray could see that the situation was a tender one and quietly took his leave. It was only then that Smolder stepped into the room as she explained, "Sorry to crash the party, but Ocellus got anxious when you never showed up for the night."

"Aw, I didn't know we had some cute little dragons around. Ember never brought you too up. I hope you aren't getting in trouble out there, hun." Novo replied with her usual soulful softness in that beautiful voice. She was not irritated at all now that she could see that her guests were looking for me out of sheer concern. "

"Nah, Ocellus and I handle the radar stuff every time we set up camp. Just drop it out there and we start seeing stuff on the crystal windows at the main base." Smolder explained while I could only sit there and hold Ocellus in my arms. She only then got the chance to get a good look at Novo for what I am sure was the first time. "Wow... You're Novo, right? When James said you're one pretty bird, he wasn't kidding."

"Ha! Prettiest bird in the world, honey! And don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Novo retorted with a laugh. I could only avert my gaze in amusement, but it was only then that Ocellus and Smolder stared in surprise. And Novo quickly realized why. "I know that look. Let me guess. You weren't expecting a sexy queen like me to speak with this much soul and sexy depth, right? That's just how this mama rolls, honey. You'll get used to it after a while."

I almost laughed at Novo's reaction and how she already guessed what caught their attention. Smolder just shook her head slowly before speaking with a smirk. "I see why you like her, James. Novo's one cool queen."

"Mmhm, she's...fun! And...wow, she's just bursting with love. All the hippogriffs are, but she has the most..." Ocellus added while looking over at the glorious hippogriff queen beside me. That bit of commentary caused Novo to cock her head to one side in bewilderment and we quickly realized why. "Oh, um... I... I didn't mean anything by that... I just..."

"Novo. Something you probably need to know before anything else happens." I said firmly while Smolder had the foresight to lock the door leading outside. I then asked, "And it doesn't leave this room. All right?"

Novo was surprisingly all right with my insistence. "A little secret between friends? All right, I'll keep my beak shut about it. What's wrong?"

With great hesitation, Ocellus lowered herself back to the floor. After taking a deep breath and squinting her eyes shut, she was briefly engulfed by a shroud of green fire before it faded to reveal her natural appearance. We all waited with bated breath as Novo just stared unblinkingly at quite possibly the first Changeling she had ever laid eyes on. "Um... Fill me in here. Was that some sort of parlor trick? You auditioning for a circus act or something, honey?"

Ocellus especially looked baffled over how Novo was being pretty chill and entirely not confrontational about the whole reveal. I then asked cautiously, "You ever hear of Changelings?"

Novo merely shrugged her shoulders as she replied, "Maybe once or twice, but that's about it. Is that what this little lady is? I mean she won't be winning any beauty contests looking like that, but I'm not getting any ugly vibes off her."

The tension faded as Ocellus started to look more at ease. She then assumed her previous dragon disguise in another flash of green fire while I explained, "Well, that's what Ocellus is. They can shapeshift as needed. But I promise you she's not up to any mischief. She's a good little love bug."

"Love bug? Ooh, I like the sound of that. Yes, I'd say that she's been a sweet little love bug snug in a rug since the minute she stepped inside. If you're being a good girl, then you're fine on my watch. What's your names, loves?" Novo retorted as a calm smile formed on her beak. She crossed her arms on the bed while crooning her neck to lean forward a bit.

Smolder stepped forward and rested her hand on Ocellus' shoulder. "I'm Smolder. And the love bug here is Ocellus. We're bunking with James right now, so...you can see why Ocellus wanted to go find him. He's her little love tree."

Novo tilted her head to one side as she asked, "What's all this talk about love anyway? I mean I'm fluent in love myself, but..."

"Oh, I mean... We Changelings? We literally feed on love. It sustains us. And James has...more love than anyone else I've felt it in." Ocellus explained while Novo started to develop a most devilish grin on her beak. Ocellus was quick to notice and asked, "Um... What's with that look?"

I too cringed as Novo glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. She then asked, "You love bugs eat love, hm? In that case, have you had dinner yet?"

Smolder held her hands over her mouth to hide a crooked snickering smirk. She knew where this was going. Ocellus, a little more oblivious than the rest of us, replied, "Um... Not yet."

Sure enough, Novo reached out and grabbed me before pulling me into a tight embrace. I quivered in gleeful anticipation as Novo stared me right in the eye. "Then allow us to give you the whole buffet!"

Novo opened her beak wide before clamping the two halves against my cheeks to lock me in the deepest and loveliest kiss I had received in days. I was briefly startled, but quickly settled into this display of affection. I put my arms around my beloved and began to kiss her right back with our tongues doing a dance in the name of love. We groaned and moaned passionately as we made no attempt to hide our love from the two pairs of eyes who were watching.

Smolder bit her lip when I glanced out of the corner of my eye. She knew about Novo by then and how madly in love the two of us are, but to see all that passion in action must have been an interesting experience for her. Ocellus though... She was blushing profusely as she was most likely just soaking up all the love that was oozing off of us. "So much...! Too much! It's so strong! And it's...sooooo delicious! Please, that's enough! I'm already full! Anymore and I'll...!"

We all froze as Ocellus just fell to the floor with a thud. She did not move and did not make a sound. That wonderful make out session ending as Novo and I awkwardly pulled our faces away to focus on the dazed love bug on the floor. Novo asked uneasily, "You think we overdid it?"

Smolder stepped forward with caution before tapping her foot on the side of her friend's head. Ocellus groaned faintly, but did not provide much of a response. A smirk of profound amusement formed on Smolder's lips as she said, "I think...you guys put her in a food coma. She'll probably be out until morning."

"Made her as full as a tick, huh? Well, when you consider all the love that's between my sugar bear and I, it's no wonder she got full so fast." Novo spoke with a chuckle while I was unsure of what to think with Novo making absolutely no attempt to hide our relationship from Smolder's eyes. I had already informed Smolder about Novo, but now that they had met for the first time...

Smolder suddenly let out a laugh at Novo's wordplay. "Sugar bear?! I gotta remember that one. Anyway, you and James always spend the night together when you're here, right? I'll let Ocellus know when she wakes up so she'll know where James is whenever you show up."

"I trust you'll keep what you saw between us, yes?" Novo then asked with a smile, but also a firmer tone to her voice. And we all knew why.

Smolder nodded as she started to scoop Ocellus into her arms and start to sling her over her back. "Right, I get it. You're not the only one who knows how his heart works. I won't tell anyone. And I'll make sure Ocellus doesn't either... But can you ask someone to escort us back to the command center? And... I dunno... Grab a sack to stuff Ocellus in so no one sees her like this? I don't think we can make her look like a dragon when she's out cold like this. And I'm not allowed to go anywhere in the camp without someone with me..."

Novo nodded and pointed towards the door. "Let Seaspray know. And tell him his queen made it an order."

"Right, that guy. Anyway, sorry for dropping in like this. I'll leave you two love birds to it. See you tomorrow." Smolder said as we spoke our goodbyes. She made her way out the door as I hoped no one outside the command center would even get a glimpse of the Changeling Smolder was carrying around with her.

"Fine little lady, that one." Novo spoke before she got down from the bed and motioned me to follow her into the bathroom. "Anyway, it's getting late. And I know you really worked up a sweat a couple of days ago."

"Yeah, I'm probably still resting after that battle... A hot shower sounds great." I replied before I disrobed and followed her in. Aa shower with that fluffy queen sounded like heaven.

Before long, we were standing in Novo's spacious shower stall with that gorgeous bird of paradise looking utterly adorable with her feathers drooping with the weight of water on them. Although there was another reason Novo wanted to help me get comfortable. As I helped scrubbed thick lather into her feathers, she asked, "Now then... If you don't mind me asking, what's going on between you and Celestia? It's not like you to fight."

That topic again... I would have been more uncomfortable to discuss it, but the soothing effect of that shower helped to counteract my bad thoughts. I asked in return, "What do you know about Twilight Sparkle?"

Novo was very forward with her response as she spoke without even looking at me. The confines of the bathroom made sure her voice reached me just fine. "Not a lot. I didn't even get to meet her until recently. Celestia would bring her up sometimes during visits, but I was never told all that much. What about her?"

"Twilight is a very dear friend of mine. One of the most important friends I have. She and I understand each other well. But..." I started to say as I carefully structured my words. I did not want to say anything that might create unwanted tension between two old friends, but I did not want to make any assumptions either. "Let's just say I made an unexpected discovery lately that has led me to believe that Celestia does not have Twilight's best interests in mind and will coerce her into making choices that she would not want to make otherwise. Choices...I can't see Twilight making in her right mind. But she reverses Celestia. I've never heard her mention any doubts or say anything about Celestia in even a remotely negative light... Do you think Celestia would manipulate someone into...making a questionable life decision at some point? She won't give me a definitive answer when I ask..."

Novo said nothing. And that lack of an immediate response only reinforced my concerns. I was about to just drop the subject, but she then looked back at me and said softly, "That doesn't sound like her. And I know Celestia about as well as Luna does. But...I can say that she is hard on herself sometimes. When something goes wrong, she blames herself more than anyone else. You would not believe how she would not stop beating herself up over those wedding crashers that happened a couple of years back. Never got the full details myself, but it sounded like a massive screw up for just about everyone there."

"Yeah, that was a special kind of failure in security... I was told the royal guard had to overhaul a lot of their protocols after that. Kind of glad I wasn't there to see it." I replied while wondering if maybe that was it. Was Celestia seeking to find a successor out of loss of faith in her own abilities to be a leader? But Celestia has been in charge longer than any of the other royal sisters. And as someone who actually lives in Equestria, she must have been doing an impressive job of keeping this world going if things here are this much better than the world I hail from. How is the current state of Equestria cause for concern?

But I knew what I heard. And what I was and was not told by Celestia herself. She is still hiding vital information from me that involves the purpose of Twilight's tutorship under the Princess of the Dawn. And that alone was enough to make me question everything I knew about Celestia. As I stood there with my mind racing, Novo spoke gently to me. "Whatever the case is, she really shouldn't be hiding these things from you. Not about a good friend. And it hurts seeing you two being at odds with each other. I know how much Celestia loves you, baby. All that love being put at risk over this violation of trust... Whatever's going on here, I hope you two work it out soon. Lovers shouldn't have to fight for too long."

"It all comes down to whether or not Celestia decides to tell me what I need to know... Not sure if it will happen though." I muttered in disappointment. I love her. I really do. Celestia and I can never go back to just being friends. But...we cannot indulge in our love for each other while there is a wedge driven between us. I miss her... I want things to back to how they were. I am not sure that will ever happen now.

The rest of our shower went by well enough. And I helped Novo get all dried off with some hair dryers. It still gets me whenever she is all dried off and her usually sleek and sexy form becomes adorably fluffy with how puffed up her uneven feathers are when freshly dried. We even found a tray holding cups of warm chamomile tea waiting for us on the bed when we stepped outside. A little ritual before bed that the crew provide for her? Novo and I relaxed on the bed and gently sipped our tea to help get us prepared for a restful slumber. I muttered quietly, "Chamomile... Perfect before bed."

Novo said nothing at first while those lovely eyes gazed at me in loving concern. She brought her spare hand to mine and rested her grasping fingers on the backside. She cooed longingly, "Honey... Even if things fall apart between you and Celestia... If it gets to the point that she will never be your sun queen, just know there will always be a spot on my throne for you. I'll always be your queen of paradise. Do you believe me?"

"I always will, Novo. You're too good to just let go of your man like that." I said with a grateful sigh. I turned my hand over to properly grasp her own in mind as we shared a quiet gaze. Those beautiful eyes... The smile upon that beak. There was always a deep mourning hiding just behind that face. Now only a joyous serenity could be seen. We were in love. So very much in love. Sensing what we both wanted, the two of us chugged the rest of our tea and set the cups aside before we pulled each other into a warm embrace. "I...love you so much... You're the best... You really are and I love you for that."

"Shhhh, there there. You're the best too, baby. And I'm honored that you're mine. My sugar bear. My sweet swan king. You're the best thing to happen to me in a century and don't you ever forget it. Let's get this war over with so I can take you home and hold you like I did the first time." Novo sweetly churred to me with that gorgeous voice. Her beak met my lips, holding each other as we kissed wonderfully. Her touch. Her taste. For just that moment, I was in heaven while wrapped in angel wings. I had found paradise in a world full of paradise and now the very queen of that slice of paradise was in my arms. In that moment, all was well.

Minutes later, the lights faded as darkness filled the room. But I was not afraid. Not when I felt the cover weight of bed sheets and Novo's wing draping over me. I felt her beautiful body pressed up against me while that wonderful voice whispered to me. "Comfy, baby? Just to let you know, I'll be staying put right here until everyone's ready to move. I want to see my king off when it's time to advance."

"Thank you, love... That means a lot to me. Sweet dreams, dear." I whispered to her as I felt her beak upon my lips for one last little kiss. Minutes later, we both slumbered.

Morning came with soft sunlight peeking through the few portholes on the far wall. The room still fairly dim, I found Novo still resting before me. But it seemed she had still ended up rolling over to face away from me in her sleep. But I did not mind. I got my arms around her to hold my beloved from behind. I pressed her body against mine as I gradually became away. Novo felt the pressure of my embrace and mumbled in her sleep, "Mmmm... Hold me, baby... Hold me close...like you'll never let go... Let mama be good to you..."

"Let me be good to you, love. I'm here." I whispered as I rubbed my hands along her chest and belly. Just trying to rouse her as tenderly as I could. I slept so well in her presence. I did not even want to get out of bed as long as this wonderful woman remained in my grasp. "Love you, Novo. Love you so much."

"Oh, James... Honey..." Novo cooed as she started to not so much mumble as much as she was starting to speak coherently. I felt her hands rest over mine before she finally lifted her head to look back at me. That quiet joy in her eyes... Apart for days and now finally reunited. "Good morning, my love. Feels like you slept well."

"I always sleep well when you're here." I said softly before I nuzzled my face between her shoulders. I continued to hold and rub her in bed, but when my hand drifted lower along her belly, I suddenly had a realization and stopped. My hand rested over her womb and Novo noticed. She placed her hand over mine as I knew she was looking down. Our thoughts were going to the same precious topic. "It's so hard to wait..."

"It is, James. It is. I'm so ready too... Someday, honey. Someday." She cooed to me before looking back at me with eyes full of a quiet hope. She whispered tenderly to me as she said, "Mark my words, my love. I'll make you the happiest daddy who ever was someday."

"I know you will, Novo. You...and those precious little baby bird foals..." I whispered as I closed my eyes. Resting my brow against the back of her neck, I could only imagine what our eventual children would look like. It was a wonderful fantasy to contemplate. A fantasy that could very well become a reality someday. It was something to strive for. And with Novo in my arms, I could only hope that it would finally happen someday.

I have remained aboard the Alabaster this morning to continue documenting recent events. A change of pace from the confines of my own private quarters now that I am in the soft cushy confines of the Alabaster's own study. Novo must be quite the bookworm in her own right to have a little library housed in her own private airship. Although the clicking of this typewriter would probably be distracting to anyone who just wants to relax and read in here.

Well, I think that will do for now. I am in a good mood and am eager for some breakfast. Writing on a full belly can be tiring, so now I am very ready for a filling meal to start my day. I wonder what is on the menu in the galley... Whatever it is, I know it will be fantastic if it is from Capricorn Island.

Time to go get a bite. I should not keep my queen waiting.