As I lingered in limbo, I couldn't help but continue basking in the moment of victory. A part of me couldn't help but point out where I had erred, and where I had nearly made a grave mistake but I ignored that voice. In the end, I had stopped before anything could go wrong, and now I had a potentially useful ally with both the dogs, as well as Lakeside.

I would have to strengthen those ties and see about legitimizing our alliance with a treaty of some kind but that would come with time. My first order of business would be making sure the city didn't actually fall apart, and that Lakeside hadn't devolved into anarchy. With those two very worrying possibilities now firmly at the forefront of my thoughts, I summoned my magic and found that I was bursting with the stuff.

Feeling the lines of faith I was able to detect that Lakeside was overflowing with thanks for what I’d done. Ponies were giving me great praise and seemed quite appreciative even if their faith was tinged with fear. It pained me to have them fearful of my wrath but I resolved to remedy that soon, but not before I checked out the other curious source.

A small but devoted group of diamond dogs were whispering prayers to me in what felt like a secluded room of some kind. It felt out of the way, and they seemed fearful, though not of me but rather of getting caught. I wasn't sure if the worship of other deities was allowed in their culture but I decided to figure out one way or another soon enough.

To that end, I summoned forth my magic and began sculpting three statues not for fighting but rather diplomacy. I made them as light as I could muster, using my extra power to create an interior mostly constructed of pumice. The holey stone was strong enough for my plans after applying only a small amount of magic.

On top of that, I created a thin layer of marble, which I carefully sculpted to make me appear as lifelike as possible. It was there that I stopped for a moment and considered my options carefully. My first instinct was to create a human, and simply make my new body as beautiful as possible but I resisted that urge.

As tempting as it was to do so, I was no longer human, and thus no longer needed to appear as such. Rather I needed to create something that would illicit awe and wonder, making the viewer see me as the goddess I pretended to be. With that in mind, I turned my attention to the broad strokes that would be the same across all three of my bodies.

Green eyes made from large emeralds found deep underground was the first thing I added. Then was my hair, long auburn locks made that color using garnets blended to create a thin layer over the marble strands. My facial features were next, and I carefully crafted them to appear distinctly motherly.

Beautiful yet aged, kind and wise, it was the visage of a responsible, caring adult.

I marred it somewhat by adding two large rams horns that grew from either side of the statue's heads. I wanted this to serve as a reminder that I was the goddess of the beasts as well, and not just those sapient creatures who could praise me. I left the horns bright white but decided to add a bit more color with the addition of stone flowers sprouting throughout my hair. I used a variety of gems to achieve the colors I wanted, though most were either blue or purple as they were in the largest supply.

My other features were next, and I made sure to make my proportions believable. I was still beautiful, but I added a bit of extra weight here, and wider shoulders than what was traditionally attractive. My bust was modest and not anatomically incorrect, my hips were also a bit thicker, and more motherly.

I made sure to add the odd small scar, or mostly hidden stretch mark, as well as a few callouses on my hands. All of which came together to create someone who all but screamed ‘Mother’! The moment you looked upon her.

That wasn't quite enough though, and so I added in a dress that was slightly longer on one side than the other. Covering nearly my entire left arm, and left leg, it was only half as long on the other side, creating a drape like effect. I then immediately thought better of the dress idea and nearly started over, only to stop myself at the last second.

I had an idea, and with a bit more power, I summoned up more green gems, prioritizing what I felt were the least valuable. These I ground up, and worked into the limestone with a bit of magic, creating a twisting mat of green leaves and vines where the dress had been. Draped in the garb of the forest, I was definitely pulling off the mother earth look that I was hoping to emulate.

I then began to work on the small differences on the three different statues, keeping in mind their final destinations. Starting with the one destined to remain here, at the heart of my burgeoning little kingdom, I gave her the hooved feet of a pony. The one destined for the diamond dogs had clawed hands, and within the mouth, I created slightly more elongated canines. Finally, the one I intended on leaving at Lakeside would carry with her a sword made of incredibly compacted stone.

The thing was heavy and likely would be completely impossible to wield unless they were a very old dragon, or me. The fine details were more or less non-existent, with the crossguard being a simple bar, while the pommel was a circle within which was set a large diamond. It was imposing in its size, but practical, meant to make those remember my promise to safeguard their lives.

With that done, I raised all three from the earth that had bound them and then stopped once more.

Could I really do it? I thought, only to shrug and try my idea before giving it any further consideration.

Splitting my focus, I put a part of myself in each of the three statues and was surprised to feel that it worked. Looking out of the six emerald eyes, I found that I was not disoriented or confused one bit. In fact, it felt a bit natural, though there was still the slightest strain that came with splitting my focus in such a manner. I had more than enough power to burn, however, so I sent the one destined for the dogs off to its home, its pace quick but not too fast.

I then took the other two over to the primary residence of my ponies, the statues holding hands so as to more easily coordinate them. Upon my or perhaps, our approach, I saw the lookouts immediately begin to shout and point, wide grins spreading across their faces. I smiled, and waved back, manipulating the stone so that I could make believable facial expressions.

Before I knew it I had passed the perimeter defenses and was being joined by every pony that saw me approach. At first, it was just the lookouts, but soon the pegasi flyers swooped down, and those who had overheard the clamor came to join. Within a minute I had gained an entire entourage of ponies eager to see me.

“Is that Gaea?”

“Who else would it be?”

“She's so pretty.”

“Is that her sister?”

I smiled, and stopped just outside the cave entrance, turning to the lookout I had noticed earlier.

“Summon Crimson Heart, Crystal Cadance, Earth Break, and Quick Quill please,” I offered, my mouth actually moving as I spoke, though the sound was still created magically.

“Right away Mother!” shouted the pegasus before sprinting off into the cave.

I then knelt down, taking great care to not accidentally injure any of the excitable ponies gathering about my feet.

“Children please, I have much good news to give, and much to announce but I cannot do so until everyone is present,” I whispered from both of my mouths.

“Awww.”

“But I wanna know what happened.”

I rolled my emerald eyes and smiled. “A lot of important stuff is going to happen so I need you all to get ready okay? You won't have to fight but you're going to have to work really hard really soon.”

That seemed to sour the air somewhat, though I looked to see that it had also made them realize the weight of what was happening. With that realization weighing heavily upon their minds, I stood back up and waited for my advisors to emerge. I didn't have to wait long, though it seemed like nearly every last pony that called the caves home had joined them.

“It is good to see you all again,” I called, my statues holding hands, and both gesturing as well as speaking in unison. “As you can see I had a bit of a makeover, what do you all think?”

The crowd hooted and generally shouted their agreement, much to amusement.

“Well, I’m glad you like the new look. I am happy too, as it seems as though the time for fighting is behind us, at least for the moment,” I continued, pausing to let them soak that information in.

“So this lake place, is it free of dragons?” someone yelled.

“I will get to that in a moment, but to answer your question. Yes,” I replied. “Lakeside is free, and most of the ponies that were taken captive by that creature who I will not have named in my presence survived their internment.”

The sense of relief was palpable, and I smiled at that.

“Though the fighting is over, and the diamond dogs’ city is secure, we still have a long road ahead of us,” I pressed. “We have many injured and hurting ponies, ponies who will need medical attention but also kindness and community. Furthermore, the dogs are likely to need our help as well, their city is damaged and may be in bad shape.”

“We got more than enough room here, we could open the lower caverns!” yelled another voice.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now I need a group of brave volunteers to go help the ponies of Lakeside,” I declared, only to hold up a finger. “I have already given the order to be ready for this moment however so I will turn things over to Quick Quill, and Crimson Heart.”

Gesturing to the two aforementioned ponies shocked them both briefly, though they quickly gathered themselves.

“Right, I need Iron Haul, Daisy Cutter-” Quick Quill began, though I ignored what she was saying for the moment.

Directing my attention to Crystal Cadance and Earth Break, I leaned down towards them, ushering them closer.

“You two will remain here and keep things organized. The diamond dogs will likely need a place to stay for a bit while they get their own town together, so be ready to house a few of them,” I began.

“And what about food?” Crystal Cadance inquired. “I know we prepared for more mouths but we still don't have much.”

“Lakeside should have a surplus now that they have far fewer mouths to feed. Either way, we’ll figure that out after we’ve taken stock of everything,” I replied.

“Are ya sure you don't need someone to go check on the dogs?” Earth Break pressed.

“I’ve already sent a fragment of myself to manage things over there,” I answered.

“Wow three copies of yourself. You really are starting to wake up,” Crystal Cadance muttered.

“Yes, I feel much more powerful, and after the next Sunday service I feel as though I may have the experience necessary to fulfill my promise to you,” I remarked with a small smirk.

“R-really?” Crystal whispered.

“I cannot promise anything and I will be testing extensively so that nothing goes wrong but I can sense that such a thing is well within my power now,” I stated. “If I’m successful I want you to spread the news of your change amongst the others. If I make such an announcement they may see it as an order or something.”

“That makes sense,” Crystal murmured.

Earth Break squeezed his partner around the shoulders. “Ooh, I’m so excited. We can finally have that big family we always wanted.”

“Big? It's going to be ginormous!” Crystal declared.

I chuckled. “Contain that enthusiasm for a moment. I will still only perform such an alteration after I’ve had a chance to practice.”

“I understand,” Crystal Cadance murmured, a hoof placed against her chest. “We’ll make sure that everything goes well over here.”

“Good. I’m counting on you two to hold down the fort, and make sure that everything runs smoothly in my sort of absence,” I exclaimed, chuckling at the strangeness of my new reality. “In the meantime, I am going to flex my newfound multitasking abilities.”

“Seems pretty impressive, but I don't think you could hold a candle to Crystal here,” Earth Break declared triumphantly. “I once caught her reading, singing, and cooking, all while looking after a sick neighbor kid.”

“Oh stop,” Crystal muttered while blushing profusely.

“Ooh that is impressive, you will have to give me some tips sometime,” I replied.

Crystal turned a bright shade of red and nodded.

Still smiling, I continued the conversation, though I was not focusing on it nearly as much anymore. My attention had shifted many miles away, to where I could sense that my other self had grown close to the badlands. Sure enough, I could see that the same perimeter was set up, only there were even more of the dogs visible on the surface.

For a moment I wondered if the city had indeed collapsed, but even from a distance I could sense that the mood was jovial. Sure enough, upon spotting me, the closest group began to shout, and point, a runner sprinting back to the main group. The rest approached me, their shoulders relaxed and smiles spread across all of their faces.

Raising a hand, I waved back and offered them a greeting.

“Good afternoon fair diamond dogs. How stands your city?” I exclaimed.

“Thanks to you it stands still!” the leader shouted back, the group coming to a stop a few feet away from me. “We didn't come out of it unscathed, but our home is not a pile of rubble, and its all thanks to you.”

“Oh I can't take all the credit, Hypereas risked his very life. All I risked was the slight irritation that came with losing another body,” I replied.

“Ha, if only it was that easy for us mortals,” remarked the diamond dog.

“Hypereas sure is singing your praises though. I swear you’ve made your first convert with that one. If the worship of deities was allowed he’d have already set up a church,” added another.

“Why isn't it legal? They aren't doing anything wrong,” I pressed.

“It's an old rule set after we returned to find the city abandoned,” exclaimed the leader. “The last general thought that religious violence led to the debacle and outlawed it just in case.”

“I think it would be difficult to argue that any worshipper of mine would do something like that,” I stated.

“Hey I agree, but it ain't up to me,” the leader retorted, raising his hands defensively.

“I’m sure that in time you’ll wear on her lordship, but for now well… for now they’ll have to keep those opinions to themself,” added another of the dogs.

“Hmm,” I muttered to myself.

Looking up, I noted that a royal greeting was awaiting me, one complete with rows of soldiers, drums, and even several buglers. The tune felt familiar, like one I would have heard at a military parade in my former life, though the memories were muddy and I couldn't know for certain. Either way, it was all very nice, and I couldn't help but watch with no small amount of interest as an aged diamond dog approached me.

Flanked by numerous guards, and two others who waited on either side of her, she certainly looked impressive. Aged, her once black fur had turned almost completely white, though she still seemed strong, and her eyes were bright with keen intelligence. Body covered in ornate dark grey armor accented with gold and emblazoned on the front with an image of a phoenix, her protection was far more intricate than most of the dog’s armor.

Which had been good, don't get me wrong, the plates on the lookout’s set were sturdy, and it all fit together perfectly. They must have some seriously good metal workers, as well as a more advanced knowledge of smithing than the ponies, I realized. I pushed that thought from my mind and finished my brief inspection of the female striding towards me, starting with her thick cape.

Made from what looked like the fur of some large yeti-like creature, it covered her shoulders and hung low around her ankles. So thick was this cape that it nearly obscured the longsword belted at the female’s hips, the simple bronze pommel and cross guard seeming rather plain in comparison. Though I could see that she rested a gauntleted hand on her weapon, I could tell that she was not hostile and that the action was likely out of routine more than anything.

“Finally we meet,” she bellowed, raising a hand, and silently ordering her retinue to halt. “Or at least I think this is the vaunted Gaea to whom I owe much thanks. Last I heard you were and I quote, a weird ball thing with a bunch of arms and a tiny head.”

One of the lookouts coughed and looked away.

I merely smiled. “Yes, well. A war form is not really required at the moment, so I’ve decided on a more suitable form, one better fit for diplomacy.”

“Well you certainly ain't hard to look at,” declared the queenly individual before me.

“And I assume you are her lordship Capricio Redfist, correct?” I replied.

“That is indeed true,” she stated with a small smile. “Though for the sake of diplomacy, you may simply call me Redfist.”

That seemed to get a small amount of surprise from the gathered dogs, though they restrained themselves from gasping aloud.

“I appreciate it, Redfist. I don't intend on serving as the head of any government in the long term, though for the moment I will take such a mantle,” I answered.

That seemed to give the aged dog pause, though she adapted quickly, smiling and nodding back at me.

“Well since we’re doing introductions, this is my son, Sigvur, and my always steadfast general and oldest friend, Angellion,” Redfist introduced, gesturing to the two individuals behind her.

“G-greetings,” murmured the somewhat awkward, teenage male wearing what looked like the garb of a scribe.

“It is a pleasure to meet the one who saved our fair city. I dare not imagine how much would be lost if our home had fallen,” added an enormous mountain of a diamond dog that I recognized as a female only due to her rather large breastplate, emphasis on the first half of that word.

“It is an honor to meet you both,” I replied, placing a hand over my chest and bowing my head slightly. “Now that we are introduced, perhaps we should retire somewhere more comfortable to continue discussions?”

“No,” interrupted Redfist quite sternly. “I am no more comfortable on the battlefield than I am upon my throne. Or at least I would be, had I a throne to sit on.”

“It's all the same to me, so is there anything you wish to bring up first?” I inquired, giving the stage to Redfist early as I could sense what she wished to say.

“Indeed there are,” she began, the dog starting to pace back and forth. “You have earned my respect and appreciation for your efforts in saving our city. Though it may pale in comparison to the value I place upon my citizens, it would be a devastating blow to lose the last of our vaunted mountainhomes.”

She frowned, pausing briefly to shake her head before continuing. “We will of course be honoring our agreement and allowing any pony to return to your lands, with the promised payment of arms, armor, and training should they desire it or gems if they do not.”

That made my eyes light up, the prospect of gaining several trained soldiers and a few sets of armor would be good. I didn't know how to make metal yet, but if I had a template then perhaps I could change that in time. Those thoughts were quickly brushed aside and I continued to hold a neutral expression, careful to not let my emotions reach my face.

“We would also be open to other possibilities, though I wish to know exactly what you want in return for saving our city,” Redfist unexpectedly declared, stopping and looking up at me.

“Friendship,” I replied immediately. “Ally with us and together we will be stronger than ever.”

That seemed to take the others off guard, though Redfist merely grinned as if she had seen such an event coming.

“That is more than acceptable. We will work out the details later, but for now, let us mark that a tentative agreement has been reached,” she declared, sticking out her hand.

I lowered myself down and gently took the offered limb. “Thank you, Capricio Redfast. You have done my little ponies a great service this day.”

“And you have done us the same,” Redfist replied, shaking my hand with surprising vigor.

“Oh, why is that? Did you expect me to demand your fealty?” I pressed.

Redfist didn't flinch but her general sure did.

“That was a possibility, though I was quite sure you wouldn't demand such a thing,” Redfist remarked. “That didn't quite seem like something this mother Gaea I’ve heard so much about would do.”

“I think you’ll find I make very few demands,” I added. “Now then, I was going to offer you what spare quarters we’ve constructed if you require it. We also have a bit of food as well.”

“We have enough for most, but it will be some time before we’ll be able to ensure the roof is fully repaired and the damage to the city is repaired,” Redfist murmured, scratching her chin with a clawed digit. “If you could house a few of our numbers for the time being I would appreciate it.”

“Perhaps you could even send over a few master diggers, as well as several smiths. We are in need of tools and the like, but lack the raw materials and experience,” I countered.

“Oh yes. That can easily be done,” he agreed. “We will remedy your lack of arms and armor as soon as the forges contain fire once more, but until then we can at least get you some tools.”

“Excellent,” I proclaimed. “Oh and be aware that Lakeside is under my banner as well. The black dragon who ruled it and stole your stone now lies dead.”

“That sounds like a tale worth feasting over!” Redfist shouted, pumping a fist in the air, and causing her guards to all shout their agreement.

“I agree,” I quickly interjected. “Perhaps we should mark this occasion with just such a feast. In a week’s time, you will come with the finest food and drink you can muster and we will celebrate our shared victory.”

“Usually including someone not involved in the battle in the feast would be considered an insult, so I will have to compensate by bringing out the best my people have to offer,” Redfist exclaimed, a sly smile spreading across her face.

“I look forward to it,” I remarked, pausing briefly. “Now then, I was hoping to invite a select few dogs to join me back home, then this body shall stay somewhere nearby should you need to converse with me directly.”

“Most efficient, I agree. In time I will have an embassy constructed but the repairs to our city come first,” Redfist continued.

“I understand completely, now then. Shall we?” I offered, hand extended.

“A most excellent idea, come. We will tell the good news to your little ponies together,” Redfist added.

I smiled. “Most agreeable.”

If you want to read the next updates for my biggest stories at the begining of the month rather at the end, or want to get a commission from me as well as access to patreon exclusive content, and the chance to submit story requests every month, head over to my patreon!

Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update.

This update was made possible by the wonderful support of readers like you: Ech, Tailsic, Chrisb32, Nightwing, Tonoz, CoreyPeters, Thane, Renegade, Sunset Flash, Kyokimute, Monsterkittie, Louts Petals, Tacocat, Tom, MestreJ, Aang Slyver, Canary in the Coal Mine, Ceepert, Starless, Vi Watch, Facinus, M, Nfreak, Venerable Ro, Blade Tech, Cryil Shadeclaw, John Gonzales, Nightwing, Peter Coulthard, Srgtartman, Thane Kull, Victor, Dale, Dragons' Sheppard, Egery007, Gear change the earth pony, Ivar, James, Kali, Lich Lord Krosis, Menthol Qtip, Midnight Serenade, Mop Hop, Nathan Brown, Octavia Lowbar, Pacsik, Soundtea, Hannibal, Fiamgoku, Grub, Matias Duran, and Steven.