High on the side of the Canterhorn, Canterlot Palace looked down in radiant splendor on the city below. The usually quiet palace bustled with activity, with countless beings of all shapes and sizes streaming in, for today was the final day of Princess Celestia's trade summit, and no land wanted to be shut out of trade with the largest and wealthiest kingdom in the world. So gryphons walked the halls with minotaurs, horses kept company with yaks, and buffalo made their way amid packs of diamond dogs. Ponies too thronged the halls, hailing from far off Neighpon and from the closely allied Crystal Empire and everywhere in between.

Some of the larger kingdoms had sent ambassadors, but many rulers had come themselves, determined to let no possible advantage slip away on such an important occasion.

Amid this crowd, a small delegation of mid-sized dragons escorted one small, elegant blue dragon, who walked with apparent confidence through the halls. The high-arched ceilings allowed even the largest of her companions to move comfortably, though she herself was barely taller than the average pony.

Most of the important meetings had already taken place, this final day was mostly for smaller gatherings, little one-on-one meetings among the various dignitaries. Princess Ember, Dragon Lord of the Dragonlands and wielder of the Bloodstone Scepter, was headed to just such an intimate appointment. It didn't show in her confident stride or determined expression, but Ember was extremely nervous. She had been invited to speak alone with Princess Celestia herself. She had no idea what the ruler of Equestria might want with her, and it was all too easy to picture a great many disastrous scenarios. Had one of her delegation given some offense to ponies? Had her general lack of participation in the debates over trade law upset the alicorn princess?

She halted in front of a conference room door, and the guardspony who had guided her there opened the door for her. She gave him a polite nod of thanks and entered. Her entourage made to follow her, the larger dragon just on her heels ducking to go through the door, but she held up a hand and gestured for them to stay. She could see from the doorway that Celestia was alone in the room, seated somewhat informally on a low chair. It would be rude to bring a crowd with her. She would speak with her fellow princess one on one.

The doors shut behind the little dragon, and something within her quailed, but she drew herself upright and stepped forward.

"Princess Ember. Please, sit down."

Ember nodded a greeting and sat herself on the chair, noting with pleasure that it was just her size.

"Thank you so much for coming," continued Celestia. "I hope my invitation was not an imposition?"

"It was not. What did you want to discuss?"

"Dragons! So wonderfully direct!" said Celestia with a little laugh. Ember relaxed a fraction at the sound. Surely she would not be laughing so cheerfully if this was about some problem or offense. "I called you here to ask if there is anything I can do to help forge further bonds between our kingdoms. Such ties are why I hold these summits every decade or two. Friendly relations among those around Equestria are important to me, and even more so among those who live intermingled with my own citizens, as some dragons do. I couldn't help but notice that you have participated very little in the summit, however. Is there a reason you've been reluctant to speak?"

"Is there..." Ember started, then stopped and shook her head. "Surely you only invited me as a formality. What do we dragons have to do with trade among nations?"

"Dragons do own property," said Celestia, still smiling. "You're rather famous for it, in fact."

Ember shook her head. "We mine gems which we then hoard. That is the beginning and the end of our property owning, for the most part. We produce no goods, buy no goods, sell no goods. We have nothing to trade. We are not an influential nation in any way. We are hardly a nation at all, by your standards."

Celestia tilted her head. "By my standards?"

"By any standards! We mostly live, as you say, on the lands of other kingdoms. Our only territory, the dragonlands, is hardly valuable, and seldom inhabited. We gather there at times, but it is not a homeland as most races know it. And our gatherings... we are not many, Princess. Compared to Equestria we are insignificant. That is why we have largely stayed out of affairs of state."

"I see. Tell me then, are you content with this situation? Do you enjoy your seclusion and your solitude and your unimportance on the world stage?"

"I..." Ember hesitated, seeking the best words to frame an honest response. "Yes and no. Most of us very much prefer our largely solitary lives. It is what we know best and what we're comfortable with. But... Since becoming Dragon Lord, and since dealing more with you ponies, I've become aware of how very fragile we are. Most other nations could wipe us off the map. Oh, not as a species," she added, to Celestia's look of surprise and alarm. "But as a nation, certainly. We have no armies, and we have no great magics."

"Surely your elder dragons..." said Celestia, but Ember was already shaking her head.

"They are large, and that is the extent of it. And they are even fewer and even more scattered than the young dragons. I have seen perhaps two elder dragons other than my father in my entire life. I wouldn't begin to know how to find most of them. Even if I could, and could somehow rally them to our defense, still they have no special magics. They are large, and that is the extent of their power. They are not alicorns."

"I see. I hadn't really thought of it that way. One doesn't think of dragons as vulnerable."

"Hah. No, dragons are strong. Save where we are not. I began learning that from Spike. He was stronger than I in many ways."

Celestia smiled and nodded. "He is wise beyond his years, at times. But if you feel so vulnerable, would you wish a closer alliance with Equestria?"

"Of course! I just don't know how such an alliance would work. Trade isn't the answer. We're not really makers of things."

"You may be correct. Let me think on this a little more. I assure you that on my part, I am fully committed to allying our two peoples. I think we have much to learn from each other. And your talk of elders and alicorns has given me the beginnings of an idea. But I need to consider how best to put it into practice. Will you be flying back to the Dragonlands tomorrow?"

"I was planning on doing so, yes."

"Go, then, and I will come to you sometime in the coming weeks."

Ember's eyes widened. "You? Visit the Dragonlands?"

"Indeed. I've passed through them in my youth, but that was long, long ago. I haven't made a visit since becoming Princess of Equestria. I think it's about time I did."

"Art thou determined in thy course, then, sister?" said Luna, softly, a little sadly.

"I am. You know we both agreed that we need stronger ties with our closest neighbors. Things are going very well with the gryphons, and the diamond dogs, but the dragons..."

"They remain aloof, yes. I know that as well as you," said Luna, resuming her modern dialect as she straightened just a little. The sadness smoothed from her features, and she gave Celestia a serene smile that was an echo of her own formal expression. "And see? I have been practicing my smile. I would not wish to take on this responsibility alone, but if Twilight is willing to bear it with me, I think we shall manage."

"Bear what?" asked Twilight, stepping out onto the balcony.

"Ah, Twilight. Thank you for coming." Celestia smiled at her warmly. "Tell me, how is Starlight Glimmer doing in her studies?"

"She's beyond needing me now, except for the occasional consultation. She's not perfect, of course, but then I still sometimes have friendship problems too. I think maybe that's just part of being equine. I mean you and Luna," she nodded at the other princess, "sometimes still have misunderstandings, which honestly kind of shocked me, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense."

Celestia chuckled softly. "Yes. I am far from perfect, even after all these years. And even after all these years there are still new experiences for me to find and savor. Which is one of several reasons why I will be spending the next several years outside Equestria."

Twilight's eyes went wide. "Outside...? But where?"

"In the Dragonlands. I am reluctant to give you the full details of my plan before Ember has agreed to it, but of all the nations who share borders with us, the dragons are the most distant. I feel that my visit will be the first step in more closely allying our peoples."

"That makes sense," said Twilight with a nod. "But... years? Why so long?"

"I have my reasons." Celestia's smile turned enigmatic.

Luna rolled her eyes just a little bit, but Twilight only nodded. "That means that you won't be here to take care of your usual royal duties, though."

"Yes. I'm asking you and Luna to split them between you. Your own duties can mostly be taken over by Starlight now, I believe, and certain of my responsibilities can be put on hold. Between the two of you, the remainder should be covered quite well, and Luna should still have time to do at least some nightly work in the dreamscape. Especially as I will still be managing the sun."

Luna nodded. "Aye. I believe it should be possible." She smiled and added, "Twilight is justly known for her careful scheduling."

"I hope so." Twilight fidgeted a little bit, her wings folding and unfolding. "I really wasn't expecting to be, well... ruling Equestria so soon. Or at all, really. I mean, you'll live forever..."

"Few things are truly forever, Twilight. But this is only temporary. Do you think you can do it?"

"I... yes. I think I can. I hope I can!"

"You can still have Spike send me letters if you need advice. But I will not be able to personally return for any but the most dreadful and dire of emergencies. Though in truth, I have long since trusted you to handle those, my faithful student."

Twilight blushed a bit, but also smiled. "Well, that's true."

"I shall leave you and Luna to discuss the details. I'll be leaving after morning court, where I'll make a formal announcement of my... call it a 'holiday', I think." Celestia grinned, unable to keep from anticipating what she had planned. "So I need to get my rest before I go! Goodnight to you both."

Celestia half-closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of the wind in her mane as she flew over the Dragonlands. She was almost to the heart of them, the great volcano where the Dragon Lord laired. A pleasant thrill of anticipation went through her at the thought of what she would do there. But even without such things to look forward to, she found she was enjoying her time off. She really should take more vacations. There were always a thousand things to do, and of course she could do them better than anypony else, with her long centuries of experience at rule, but in truth Twilight and Luna were both very capable, and her current feeling of freedom and relaxation was wonderful.

Hot thermals rising from the volcanic landscape below made flying easy, all she had to do was stretch her wings out and soar. The sky above was bright and clear, its pure blue contrasting with the reds and blacks of the rocky realm below. The air above was cool, moderated by the warm wind from below, and carrying just a hint of sulfur. It was, in short, a lovely day for flying, or as lovely as any day could be here, and Celestia savored every moment of it.

At last she reached her destination and began to spiral down, spilling air from her wings. She landed gracefully on one of the great hexagonal pillars that filled the shallow bowl surrounding the Dragon Lord's throne. The throne itself stood empty, as was the gathering place around it.

"Dragon Lord Ember! I have come as I promised!" she called out. Then she stood and waited patiently.

Before long a blue speck appeared from the surrounding mountains. Moments later Princess Ember alighted on the throne, looking tiny and delicate against its vastness. "Celestia! I hadn't expected you so soon. Forgive me for not greeting you properly. I know this is an official visit, I should probably have a, uhm, parade or something..."

Celestia chuckled at the young Dragon Lord's uncertainty. "No need. This visit is a diplomatic one, yes, but I would prefer to keep it somewhat informal. In fact, if there's somewhere I can speak to you privately, I would like to explain a small idea I have to help better ally our countries. I think you may find it very beneficial."

"Alright. Follow me, then." Ember took wing, and Celestia leaped into the air behind her. They flew back in the direction Ember had come, until they reached the dark mouth of a cavern, set in the side of a slope that belonged to a small mountain or a large hill. It was all black basalt, as was most of the land around. Celestia walked within the shadowed entrance, and was unsurprised to find that around the first bend, torches lit a cozy chamber within. Though "cozy" might not quite be the proper term for a chamber big enough to hold a full-grown adult dragon. The warm light made it seem home-like and comfortable, but it was a massive space all the same.

"This is the Dragon Lord's home, and thus mine, while my reign lasts. So, tell me about this idea of yours."

"Are you familiar with the concept of dynastic marriage?" asked Celestia, settling on her haunches on the smoothed basalt floor of the cavern.

Ember frowned faintly. "That's where different clans ally themselves by marrying their heirs, yes?"

"That's one way it's practiced, yes. On a few occasions it has allied nations in much the same way."

"But I have no heir, the Dragon Throne doesn't work that way."

"Nor does the throne of Equestria. Yet the concept may still be of use. I propose a form of dynastic alliance. But not the wedding of heirs to make our nations one. No, even were it possible I don't feel that would be the best course. Rather, I propose that we ally dragon and pony. Alicorn magic makes it possible to cross-breed our differing peoples. You complained, at the trade summit, of not having a dragon with alicorn's powers among you. What if you could? What if that dragon was of my blood, openly acknowledged as such?"

Ember's eyes flicked back and forth as she thought through the consequences. "If there was a dragon, close kin to me, and publicly known as close kin to you as well... no nation would dare attack us, for fear of your wrath."

"Yes. You would share in the safety that has allowed me to make Equestria a land of peace and plenty."

"Fires below," breathed Ember. "The things I could do with that surety..."

"It's a happy thought, isn't it?"

"Yes!" Ember fluttered her wings in excitement. "It's truly possible, alicorn magic could make such a thing happen?"

"Absolutely."

Then Ember frowned again. "But that would mean an alicorn would have to volunteer to bear such a half-breed child."

"Yes." Celestia smiled serenely.

"Surely none of you would want to... to mate with a dragon?"

Celestia swished her tail back and forth, another eager thrill of anticipation going through her. "One of us might."

"Truly? Which of you would... uhm..." Ember flushed.

"Truly." Her smile widened slightly. "And I myself am quite willing to do so."

"I... I don't know what to say." Ember's eyes were wide as she looked up at Celestia.

"Say you will find me a suitable mate or two. Young dragons, as I am too small to mate with an elder, but not children, free of mates and willing to father offspring with me. Give me a place here, a chamber where I can meet with them, and send them to me. That is all you need do to gain the protection for your kingdom that you desire."

"I... yes. I can do that. Just... just stay right here. I can go back to my old chambers. I'll... I'll go find some dragons for you, right away. I think I know one, at least. I'm sure I can find others. I'll go! Thank you!" Ember was babbling a bit, excited and eager.

Celestia only smiled. "You're quite welcome. I'll wait here, then."

Ember flew from the cave like a shot, and Celestia lay on the warm stone floor to wait for her return. She occupied herself while she waited with making a cloud bed. Her natural pegasus magic made it quite easy to condense a cloud from the warm air of the cavern. Then she applied the simple spells that would shape it, anchor it in place, and warm it slightly. Satisfied with her construction, she then shed her regalia. Crown, peytral, and shoes were tucked against one wall, out of the way, before she lay down on the cloud bed to wait further.

She had only been reclining on the bed for a few minutes, though, when a shadow loomed in the cavern's entrance. Celestia looked up as a dragon entered the room. He was blue, but a darker shade than Ember, with black accents. He was much larger than she, but not as massive as some dragons, being only perhaps four pony lengths from nose to tail-tip. His build was slender for a dragon, and he probably weighed no more than twice what Celestia did, but he was still rather massive in comparison. She looked up at him, her tail flicking again, a sign that any stallion would have recognized but that the dragon might perhaps overlook. "Welcome."

He nodded solemnly. "Greetings. My Lord tells me that you wish to... mate with a dragon, to secure the future of the Dragonlands."

"Yes."

"For her sake, I am willing."

Celestia tilted her head. "You're not interested for your own sake?"

The dragon made a little throat-clearing sound, and the faintest possible blush showed through his deep blue scales. "Ah. Well. I didn't say that."

Celestia laughed, not mockingly but in delight. "Oh good! I want partners that are willing, even eager."

"Willing, certainly. Eager... I am at least curious. I have never mated with a pony."

"I suspect that few, if any, dragons have," said Celestia, still smiling. "But come, let us come to know one another. What is your name?"

"Midnight," said the dragon. His voice was deep, and Celestia found its bass rumble very pleasant.

She inclined her head slightly and said, "I am Celestia."

"I know," said Midnight. He took a hesitant step forward and said, "So..."

Celestia stepped from the cloud bed and stood on the smooth, warm stone of the cavern floor. "So, I require no further preliminaries. I am... eager to mate. Shall we begin?" She thought to herself that eager was an understatement. Her tail was flicking back and forth rapidly and it was all she could do to keep her wings folded.

Midnight came a few steps closer, moving on all fours. He was only s head or so taller than her in such a position, but his chest was broader. She turned, presenting her hindquarters to him, her tail still flicking, arching up slightly. He sniffed at the air just above it, then let out a soft sigh as he smelled the musk of her desire. His eyes were hooded as he sniffed again, and Celestia, looking over her shoulder, could just make out the dark shaft of his cock hanging below his belly.

He ducked his head a little bit, and his long tongue flicked out. Celestia's tail was arched high by now, so he had easy access beneath it. His tongue flicked lightly at her pussy once, then again, more lingeringly. She let out a soft sound, her wings coming unfolded. He nosed beneath her tail, his tongue once again caressing her pussy, and Celestia couldn't help but let out a soft moan. Then the thick, muscular tongue began probing within her and she moaned again, lifting her hips just a little bit and pushing back against the wonderful pressure of it.

The dragon made a soft, rumbling sound and pushed his tongue deeper. Celestia gasped, her wings finally springing open. It felt amazing.

Then the warm, wonderful sensation stopped and Celestia looked back to see that the dragon had withdrawn, lifting his head. She made a tiny, involuntary sound of disappointment. The dragon smiled suddenly, the expression lighting up his grim, spiky face.

A moment later he stepped forward again, until he was standing over her, his chest to her back, and the hot, hard length of his cock pressing at her rump. She shivered, trembling intensely with anticipation. Stars she wanted him so badly! She shifted, trying to align herself with the head of Midnight's cock, and he cooperated. She hadn't gotten a clear view of it, but she could feel that the tip was more slender and pointed than the flat head of a stallion's cock. The alien feeling as it parted her lips and began to push slowly into her was exotic, exciting. She pushed back, her wings flaring wide, her breath coming fast.

It stretched her out wonderfully as Midnight pushed his hips forward, sinking himself into her. It was not, perhaps, as large in proportion to his body as a stallion's massive member, but he was so huge that his cock was enormous all the same, almost more than she could take. Only her state of dripping wet arousal made it possible, providing more than enough lubrication for the massive cock to slide into her. She whimpered, feeling it push slowly, relentlessly, into her willing pussy. The dragon grunted in satisfaction when he finally came to rest, fully hilted within the smaller pony beneath him. His body covered hers completely, his chest to her back, and he arched his neck to nuzzle at the back of her head, giving one ear a gentle nip.

She was breathing fast, feeling surrounded by his draconic heat, within and without. It had barely begun and already it was everything she'd hoped for.

Then Midnight began to move.

He pulled back slowly, and Celestia let out the tiniest whimper of both disappointment and need. Then he thrust in again, still slowly, but faster than before. She moaned again, shamelessly. Her civilized restraint was rapidly dissolving, and as Midnight began to thrust, moving that massive cock in and out of her, Celestia began to slip into a state of mindless rut, caring for nothing at all but the feeling of the dragon's member, and the desire for his seed.

Midnight seemed taken by a similar urge, for it wasn't long before he stopped his careful, gentle thrusting and began to pound Celestia in earnest, hips slapping against her rump as he sped his strokes. His claws dug into the rock beneath them, and his breath was fast and hot in Celestia's ear as he bent over her.

Celestia braced her hooves against the floor and pushed back, moaning repeatedly. Midnight growled low in his throat, the vibration shuddering through her, and then suddenly he thrust once more, so hard she cried out in pain, his cock ramming against her cervix. Streams of hot dragon cum pumped into her, spurting into her womb, filling her utterly.

Her wings flared wide, her whole body trembling as she felt the pulsing heat within her. She let out a cry of bliss, a wave of pleasure washing over her as the dragon's seed continued to flood her, until it was dripping from her pussy and coating her thighs.

For one long moment the pair stayed locked together in bliss, the dragon's hips to hers, his cock still stretching her wonderfully as the last spasms of her climax milked the final drops from his cock. Then, with a deep sigh, Midnight withdrew and sat on his haunches behind her. Celestia, panting hard, let her hooves slide out from under her until she was lying on her belly on the stone floor.

"Mmm yeah," she murmured dazedly.

Midnight chuckled, a soft, deep sound. "Indeed. That was most enjoyable."

Celestia rolled over onto her side and peered down at the sticky mess on her hindquarters. "Oh yes."

He gave that little, embarrassed cough again. "Ember said that she would not be able to send another to mate with you until tomorrow."

"Given that I can hardly stand right now, that's probably just as well."

"Oh. I, ah, didn't hurt you?"

"No! I mean that in a good way. In a very good way." Celestia was nearly purring as she said that. The dragon's seed was a soft, wonderful warmth, sensed as much as felt, within her womb and her own climax filled her with a blissful afterglow. This had been everything she'd hoped for when she'd come up with her plan.

"That's good. Should I go?"

Celestia slowly heaved herself to her feet and stretched luxuriously, spreading out her wings. "If you like. But I have a quite large cloud bed here. Tell me, how do dragons feel about post-coital cuddles?"

He ducked his head, suddenly shy, and a hint of blush returned to his scaled cheeks. "I am not sure if most dragons would favor them, but..."

Celestia chuckled and sprawled on the bed, then patted the cloud beside her. "Come join me, then."

Moments later the two were curled comfortably together. The unseen sun was on the horizon, and Celestia lifted her head, not disturbing the exhausted maybe-father who was already half asleep beside her, and gently set it. Then she too closed her eyes and soon they were both slumbering contentedly together.

"Princess Celestia?" Ember's voice was hesitant as she entered the chamber that Celestia had made her own for the time being. Midnight had departed with the dawn, and now Celestia was simply waiting for her next lover to arrive.

"Yes?"

"I, ah, thought I should explain the next dragon... He's not here yet, but he's on his way. I haven't found another dragon from my own clan yet, Midnight was the only one interested so far. But there's a young dragon from a very important clan who was interested. He's a little bit younger, but he's old enough. Just... he's not very experienced. Is that going to be all right?"

Celestia allowed herself a small, amused smile. "Yes, inexperience is fine. The eagerness of young lovers can be very charming."

Ember let out a tiny, involuntary snort. "He's not exactly what I'd call charming. You can send him away if you like but..." She halted, tilting her head. "Ah, I think that's him now. Hopefully you don't mind."

The young dragoness turned and hurried away, as if to clear the area before Celestia could get upset at her. Finding herself quite curious, Celestia rose to go meet this "not exactly charming" dragon.

"Hey there." A young, bipedal dragon stood in the cavern's entrance, leaning against the wall in an obvious attempt to look cool and casual. He was just a little smaller than Celestia, though since he currently stood upright his head was just above hers. He was a reddish orange, with a lighter orange crest and spiked tail tip. His belly and small wings were bright yellow. His build was stocky, and he would obviously mature into a very powerful dragon, but now his limbs were lanky, giving the impression that he hadn't properly grown into his adult body yet.

"Hello," said Celestia, suppressing her smile and instead giving the young dragon a cordial nod.

"So... Ember said there was a pony here, looking for a dragon mate." He looked her up and down, still trying very hard to project casual coolness. "That you?"

Celestia nodded again. "It is. Are you interested?"

He gave a little snort. "Duh. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

She couldn't help but smile then. "Of course. I'm Celestia. What's your name?"

"Garble." His wings gave a little quiver and he folded them tighter to his back, looking her up and down again.

"Garble?" Celestia tilted her head. "I'm curious why you would want to mate with a pony like me."

"Guess Spike's been talking about me," said the young dragon with a roll of his eyes.

Celestia chuckled. "Actually my former student, Twilight Sparkle, told me about you. Her account gave me the impression that you were not at all fond of ponies."

"Yeah, well, I don't think dragons should be like ponies. Dragons are hard and strong. Dragons should be hard and strong! Ponies are all soft and... well... pretty." He glanced away from her, and scuffed one clawed foot on the ground. "You're pretty."

Celestia's smile was still mostly amused, but it was also warm and sincere. "Thank you. You want to mate with me, then? That's good. I don't want a reluctant mate."

"Yeah, I do. Only... I've never been with a pony. I'd be, uh, worried about hurting you. 'Cause you are all soft and stuff."

Celestia wanted to laugh. It was plain to her that the young dragon was nervous about more than hurting her. But embarrassing him wouldn't get her what she wanted. "I wouldn't worry too much. I can show you how to go about about mating with a pony, if you like."

"Yeah, that'd be okay."

"Come, then." Celestia beckoned with one hoof and turned to go to her cloud bed. Garble trailed behind her. "The first thing," she said as she approached the bed, "about mating with a pony is that there's no need to rush. Oh, sometimes it's nice to jump straight into it, but it's also very pleasant to take your time and explore each other." She stopped at the edge of the bed and turned to the young dragon, who halted beside her, shifting from foot to foot. She moved a little closer to him and stretched her head up—and wasn't that the best thing about dragons, she never got to be with someone taller than she was—to nibble at one of his ear fins.

Garble squeaked, surprised by the gesture, but when Celestia simply continued to gently nibble he began to relax. "That's kinda nice."

"It is, yes," murmured Celestia, and then she started nibbling down the side of Garble's neck. She was much rougher than she would have been with a pony, his thick scales meant he would barely feel a gentle nip. He made an odd little almost purring sound, then cleared his throat and stepped away from her, his red-orange cheeks flushed even redder.

"Sorry, did that bother you?"

"Hah. It was weird. Maybe, uh, do something else?"

"All right." Celestia let her smile widen just a little bit. She hooked a hoof around Garble and shoved him firmly onto the cloud bed. He yelped and sprawled awkwardly there, looking up at her with slightly wide eyes. She put her front hooves on the bed, looming over him. "Shall I skip ahead a bit?" she asked, with a little smirk.

"Uh..."

Celestia ran a hoof down one of Garble's thighs, and he swallowed hard. She could see the distinct bulge between his legs. Like all male dragons his member was tucked away inside his body, with barely a sign of it showing when he wasn't aroused. She could see the little cloacal opening starting to gap slightly, though, and the bulge beneath his scales was swelling. She stroked his stomach with her hoof, lightly, trailing it down towards that opening. He gave a little shiver, his wings fluttering against the bed.

After a moment Celestia paused and climbed into the bed herself. She settled beside Garble, her body close enough to feel his heat, and nuzzled at his ear fin again, while her hoof returned to caressing his belly. He half-closed his eyes and let out a soft groan of pleasure. The dark pink tip of his member began to peek from its hiding place. Celestia nipped harder, humming softly to herself in pleasure as she did. Having her way with a less experienced lover really was quite charming. Garble might be a little crude, but his unpolished desire was delightful.

Her hoof dipped a little bit lower, carefully caressing the tip of Garble's cock. It was rounded, less pointed than Midnight's had been but still not as flat as a stallion's. Pre-cum slicked it, letting her hoof slide easily over it. Garble groaned again at her touch, his cock hardening and emerging further.

She decided to explore it in more detail and shifted to bring her muzzle down to the dark pink member. She inhaled his scent—sulfur and musk, strange but very appealing—as she took it in. It was at full mast now, thick and broad and dribbling a thin stream of pre, which ran down the ridges that textured the thick length of it. Celestia found herself very curious how those would feel within her. But for now she only nuzzled at it, and licked lightly at the tip, tasting the salt-sweet taste of Garble's pre.

"Ah..." The sound was cut off, as if the young dragon had bitten back his involuntary moan. Celestia smiled and licked again, a bit more firmly, running her tongue up the hot length of the dragon's cock.

"Oh fuck." Garble was breathing hard, and his wings fluttered against the bed. Celestia could see his cock twitch. She licked it again, a long, sensuous stroke of the tongue that ended with her wrapping her lips around the head of his cock. He gasped, then moaned, not able to bite it back this time. "Fuck that's good. Ah..."

Celestia sank down, taking the thick cock into her mouth. Garble gasped again, and his cock twitched in her mouth. An instant later he came, his bitter-salt seed spurting into Celestia's muzzle. She closed her eyes and concentrated on swallowing the thick, pulsing flood.

When it was done, she lifted her head and smiled up at Garble. "How was that?"

"Uhm..." He was staring up at the ceiling, his eyes glazed. Celestia chuckled. "Sounds like it was pretty good. It wasn't quite what I really want, though."

"Uhm. Sorry?"

"No, there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just letting you know that we're not done yet."

Garble blinked a few times, then sat up. "Oh. Okay. So... uh..."

Celestia allowed herself a sultry smile. "So how do you feel about returning the favor?"

Garble blinked, then grinned. "Sounds good to me."

"Wonderful. Well then..." Celestia scooted herself up so she could sprawl out on her back on the bed. She gave Garble a seductive smile and ran a hoof down her belly. "Why don't you see what you can do, then? I'm sure that tongue of yours will feel wonderful."

"Yeah." Garble bend his head over her haunches. He hesitated a moment, looking at her pussy, then slowly, hesitantly, dipped his head lower and lapped at her lower lips. Celestia let out a long sigh and tipped her head back, relaxing. "That's good. You can keep doing that."

Garble made a faint sound of agreement and continued, tasting her, his tongue darting over her pubic mound. Eventually he pushed a bit further, venturing between her outer labia, exploring within. Celestia moaned softly. Garble pressed harder, his tongue finding its way further in, sinking into her pussy. She let out another moan as he lapped deeply within her. It was not quite what she truly wanted, but it was close, and it felt very good indeed.

After a while, though, she put out a hoof and nudged his head up. "That is quite good, but I need more. I want your seed in me, Garble. Are you ready to mate me now?"

He licked his lips, half in nervousness, half in desire. "Yeah," he said shortly. He was breathing fast, and Celestia's juices dampened his muzzle.

"Good. Come on, then." She spread her hind legs a little wider. Garble licked his lips again and climbed over her. His cock was peeking from its hiding place once more. Celestia put her hooves to his hips and pulled him to her, grinding her own hips up to his. As rubbed together she could feel his cock hardening against her. She was more than ready, wet and dripping, and his cock was soon coated in her juices as he thrust against her.

Then she slid a hoof between them, groping him, pushing his cock around until the head was against her entrance. He went still, letting her position things. A moment later her hoof went to his hips again and she encouraged him to push down. He sank into her easily, spreading her, his thick cock filling her pussy.

She groaned. This was just what she needed. She wrapped her hind legs around him, locking his hips to hers. He bent over her and began to move in an instinctual rhythm, thrusting steadily into her. "Ah yes," she said, fervently.

"Fuck," was all he could reply, his breath fast and ragged. She lifted her muzzle and nipped at his ear, her front hooves wrapping around his shoulders, just above his wings.

His claws were gripping her shoulders, digging in just a little bit as he lost himself in lust. His thrusting grew faster, more frantic, and his claws dug in hard enough to hurt. Celestia cried out, partly in pain but mostly in pleasure. She desperately wanted to be filled, to have the dragon's seed in her, to be bred, and that moment was close enough to drive her half-mad.

Garble panted as he moved hard and fast, then finally, with a low grunt, he came. His seed flooded into Celestia, filling her to overflowing, spurting into every space within her to overflowing, and leaking out over her pussy and dribbling down to make a sticky puddle on the base of her tail.

"Ah yes," she gasped as she felt the wonderful heat deep within. Garble simply grunted again as he made one last thrust and then was still, panting atop her.

Celestia sighed blissfully as she slowly relaxed, letting go her grip around Garble's shoulders. At length Garble got up, pulling free of her and freeing a gush of his seed that dribbled over her messily. He stood, blinking, and looked down at Celestia. "Did I do okay?" he asked, sounding uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"You did marvelously," she said with a smile.

Celestia lay sprawled on her stomach on the cloud bed. Night had fallen, her second night here among the dragons. She had napped quite a lot after Garble had left earlier, catching up on missed sleep and making certain she was rested for when her next reptilian mate arrived. Ember had visited only a few hours ago, to tell her that she'd found another dragon of her own clan, but he would take some time to reach her.

While she was waiting, Celestia scanned her own body with her magic. It was impossible to tell if she was with child yet, the magic couldn't detect the union of sperm and egg itself, only the changes that would begin once the pregnancy was implanted and beginning to grow. That would take about a week. Her scan did show, though, that she was still at her fertile peak. Now was the best time for her to be bred. Perhaps it was already unnecessary, but she was not going to complain at the prospect of taking one more lover before waiting to see if any of the breedings would have the desired result.

A soft rustle of scale against stone made her look up. A dragon was standing in the doorway, backlit by the late afternoon sun. He was slender, almost snake-like, but Celestia could see little else in the glare.

"Welcome," she said, and beckoned the dragon to enter.

He slid into the room with sinuous grace. "Good day, princess. I am Viridis. It is a honor to be in your radiant presence."

Celestia smiled, finding his flattery pleasing. Once inside, he was revealed to be a brilliant emerald green. He was many times her length, though his slender form probably weighed little more than she did. His wings were delicate and folded close to his sides. His face was long too, and adorned with a magnificent mustache, as well as a pair of backswept horns, both a deep black. A crest of spiky fur in a vivid, almost metallic gold, ran along his spine, and his belly was a lighter shade of green, flecked here and there with glittering gold.

"Likewise," said Celestia, inclining her head regally.

Viridis drew closer, flowing over the slightly uneven floor on his short legs. He stopped at the edge of the cloud bed and reared up slightly to rest his forepaws there. "I must confess that I have never been with a pony. I am... intrigued at the possibilities."

Celestia favored him with a warm smile. "I have found my coupling with dragons to be quite enjoyable thus far," she said.

"That is for the best. Is it true that ponies engage in elaborate perversions, your highness?"

Celestia burst out with a laugh. "Oh yes! Though I don't think we're unique in that."

The emerald dragon grinned. "I suppose not. I suspect most dragons would consider simply lying with a pony to be something of a perversion."

"Most ponies feel much the same." Celestia was still smiling. "Yet here I am. And here you are."

Now it was the dragon's turn to laugh. "Well said! I believe that perverts have more fun than the straight-laced, though."

"Oh yes." Celestia's reply was fervent.

Viridis leaned a little bit closer, inhaling her scent. "Then shall we engage in mutual perversion?"

"That's why I'm here," said Celestia.

The serpentine dragon slithered up onto the cloud bed, nearly encircling Celestia as she lay at its center. He nuzzled at her cheek, his tongue flicking there lightly, while his forelegs stroked her chest and belly, caressing gently, claws combing through her hide.

Celestia turned her head towards his and kissed him, and he kissed back willingly, slipping his long, forked tongue into her mouth to explore. His coils slid and slithered around her in a restless dance as they kissed heatedly. Celestia moaned into the kiss. It felt strange and wonderful as he curled himself around her, his long, slender body enfolding hers, his smooth scales sliding against her soft-furred hide.

The long, elegant emerald dragon continued to curl himself around her, and his coils ran between her legs, pressing against the heated center of her rising need, making her moan. His own passion was rising as well, and as he coiled and twisted around her, Celestia could feel his emerging member rubbing along her body. His restless motion never ceased, the kiss broken as he ran his muzzle over her, licking and caressing. Celestia moaned and writhed in his coils. She had been well satisfied by her other lovers, but here was an experience every bit as exotic as she could have dreamed, and she relished every bit of the sinuous emerald dragon's attentions.

She returned those attentions, nuzzling and licking and caressing every part of him that she could reach. Eventually his ceaseless coiling brought his hardening member near her entrance. He stopped then and curled his head around to kiss her again. She kissed back eagerly, pushing her hips to his narrow pelvis, wrapping her hooves around his serpentine body and holding him tight.

He didn’t stay in her hold, though, he started moving again, prompting her to let out a disappointed little whimper as his member failed to give her the satisfaction she desired. As he twisted around her it came within reach of her muzzle, though, so she gave it a lick as it passed by. That made Viridian let out a little sound of his own, and he stopped moving. Celestia chuckled softly and licked his cock again. Viridian groaned in pleasure, and twisted his endlessly flexible body to allow him to return the favor, lapping at Celestia’s pussy lightly.

She moaned softly, letting her eyes half-close in pleasure, and licked Viridian again. This wasn’t what she truly wanted, but for the moment she wasn’t going to complain. Viridian’s long, muscular tongue pressed against her lips, pushing between them, exploring within. Celestia let out a louder moan when the nimble dragon found her clit, and he lingered there for a while. It was very distracting, though not distracting enough to make her entirely forget about the long, ribbed dragon-cock in front of her muzzle. She lapped at it eagerly, tasting and caressing it with her tongue.

Yet despite his obviously pleasure at her attentions, the emerald dragon seemingly could not be still, for he started his restless coiling once more. His body wrapped around Celestia, his every motion caressing her, and at last his cock found its way between her legs, rubbing where he had been licking moments before. Celestia was more than ready. She spread her legs as much as the dragon’s coils would allow, and reached down with a hoof to help guide him in. At last he cooperated and his long cock pushed easily into her wet, willing entrance.

"Sweet stars, yes," said Celestia, lifting her hips, pulling him closer. His head was nowhere near hers, so she simply nipped at his crest, her forelegs clutching one of his coils tightly.

Viridian sank into her until every inch of him was buried within, and he was long enough that she could feel the tip of his cock pushing on her cervix. That made her gasp softly, the sensation a little uncomfortable, but also very, very good.

His neck wrapped around hers suddenly and he whispered in her ears, "Now let us consummate our mutual perversion." He nipped her ear and she moaned.

"Yes! Please!"

He chuckled. "As you desire."

Then he pulled his hips back, the rest of his coils tightening around her as he did so, and thrust in, hard and deep. Celestia cried out, the stroke deep enough to be painful, and yet so wonderful at the same time. She turned her head to his and kissed him with ferocious passion.

As he kissed her back, Viridian began thrusting steadily, slowly at first but gradually speeding his pace. Celestia twitched and moaned into the kiss. Each stroke was both pleasure and pain, making her writhe within Viridian’s coils. Her front hooves clutched at him, while her hind hooves wrapped around another coil and held him tight.

He continued to take her relentlessly, muffling her moans with his lips, his thrusts coming faster and faster. He broke off the kiss, panting, and sped his pace even more, his narrow hips slapping against hers, his cock driving deep, her sudden cries of blissful pain unmuffled.

"Gods below, yesssss," he hissed, and suddenly his strokes became short, almost convulsive, and his coils were so tight around Celestia that she could barely breathe. Then with two final strokes he came, a flood of hot dragon seed filling Celestia, spurting deep into her womb from his cock which was already shoved hard against her cervix.

She shuddered, finally getting her deepest desire as the hot dragon cum filled her to the brim. Eventually Viridian’s coils slowly relaxed as the last spurts of his seed dribbled from Celestia’s pussy. Celestia sighed, relaxing too, but Viridian wasn’t finished. He began to move again, withdrawing from her, his twisting coils shamelessly smearing the escaped traces of his seed along her coat. He twisted around to once more bring his mustachioed muzzle near her pussy. Celestia gasped as he licked her sensitive folds, heedless of the bitter taste of his own seed.

Celestia was much more sensitive than she had been before, and her loud moans sounded with every motion of Viridian’s tongue. Her pleasure built rapidly and it wasn’t long before her back arched, straining within the dragon’s sinuous grasp, and an intense climax washed over her.

She slowly relaxed, almost purring with bliss, as Viridian continued his restless movement, but more slowly, almost gently, his body caressing hers as he slithered around her.

When she opened her eyes, she found Viridian regarding her with a satisfied smile on his long, narrow face. She chuckled softly and said, "So, was that perverse enough for you?"

"Oh, it will do, I suppose. Perhaps if there is a next time, I’ll try something more interesting."

Celestia laughed softly and tipped her head back, resting it against one of his coils. "I won’t say no to ‘interesting’, but that suited me just fine."

Six days later, Celestia's pregnancy test spell revealed that she had succeeded. There was no way to know which of the three dragons who had mated her was the sire, but she was definitely pregnant.

For the first few weeks nothing much changed. Celestia lounged around her borrowed cavern home and enjoyed her time away from the responsibilities of rule. It was relaxing, but also occasionally boring, and she toyed at times with the idea of asking one of her lovers to visit her again for strictly entertainment purposes. All three did visit from time to time and as her pregnancy progressed they became more and more helpful.

Morning sickness set in all too soon, and Celestia complained more than once that the name was an utter misnomer, for she found herself feeling ill both day and night for weeks on end. The dragon males each took turns bringing her delicacies from the pony lands and even beyond to try to settle her stomach, and Celestia was grateful for their attentions.

Fortunately there was little jealousy between them. Garble had occasional moments; he seemed somewhat insecure and it was obvious that he felt a little intimidated by the two older dragons, but they all at least tolerated each other most of the time, and Midnight and Viridian seemed to actually like each other.

After four months had passed the morning sickness vanished entirely, much to Celestia's relief. Her appetite increased, and she finally began to put on weight. Her belly didn't show—at least not much—but she felt different. Especially as the first hints of the foal moving about began. They were tiny flutters at first, but she knew she'd feel hooves kick soon enough.

Six months and half way along, she began to feel more fatigued than usual. The foal was definitely moving now, and its magical aura was strong enough for her to sense as well. She didn't yet know if it was growing a horn or not, she contained the magic of all three tribes, and how that might mix with the foal's dragon side she didn't know, but whatever mix of pony and dragon magics the foal might have, she could tell that its magic would be as strong as she had hoped. This disrupted her own magic somewhat, but that was an easy enough price to pay. She currently had little need of great magical feats. Princess Ember and her dragon lovers were taking care of her, so she had little need of anything, truth be told.

She felt a warm attachment to this new little thing growing within her. She'd mothered countless ponies over the years, both literally and more figuratively, and it was good to feel that way again. She knew she couldn't be in this baby's life as much as some mothers might, but still, the connection was there.

Despite that warmth, however, she found herself occasionally swearing at the foal as the weeks ticked by and her belly swelled. Not that it was the baby's fault, but late pregnancy was anything but comfortable. Even on her cloud bed it was hard to find a comfortable position to sleep. Often, just when she was nodding off, the foal would begin to kick and wiggle, holding a veritable dance party, and making it impossible for her to rest. And when she did manage to get in a full night's sleep she still felt exhausted all the time. This combined with the weight of her belly and the aches of stretched muscles as it swelled her sides made her snappish and irritable. She got into arguments with the fiery Ember several times, and also had one loud spat with Garble in which she eventually drove him from the cave, the young dragon trying desperately not to cry as he fled. She apologized and the incident wasn't repeated, but even the steady Midnight and the endlessly cheerful Viridian sometimes got the wrong side of her tongue. Some ponies were content and serene while pregnant, but Celestia simply was not one of them. It was ironic, given her normal ability to keep her mask of serenity at all times, but her hormonal state undermined all of her usual strategies.

And, if she was being honest with herself, being here among dragons freed her somewhat from the constraints she was under among ponies. She was not their ruler, only their ally. There was less need for her usual perfect image here. The final months she was downright crabby. The foal was obviously going to be a large one, for her belly was immense, even on her larger than average frame.

As her due date neared, a fifth visitor joined Ember and her lovers: a zebra midwife Celestia had asked to come attend her. Dragons knew nothing of childbirth. They laid eggs, and left their young in communal creches, barely parenting them at all. Celestia planned on sending her foal to the creche as well, once it was weaned and she was certain it would take to a dragonish upbringing, but she could not depend on dragonish methods of birthing. If somehow the mixing of dragon and pony had resulted in an egg she would have laid it many months ago. This foal would be born live.

Then, seeming sudden despite nearly a year having passed, the day arrived. That morning passed uneventfully, but not long after the sun reached its zenith the phantom pains she'd been feeling all day became undeniable contractions.

Soon there were four anxious dragons—the three males and Princess Ember—pacing outside the cave, while Celestia labored within, attended by the zebra midwife. If she'd known which of the three were the father she would have invited him in as well, but having all three of them in the cavern would be far too crowded, so they were banished without.

Afternoon passed to evening, and the sun stuttered in time with Celestia's contractions as it set. The moon rose smoothly and looked down over a still night broken by gasps of pain as the solar princess labored. Mere minutes before dawn the infant finally emerged into the world to take its first breath, and the sun came up in a sudden blaze of triumphant glory.

The messy details of birth were dealt with, the baby washed, and then, with the soft light of dawn streaming into the room, Celestia settled herself on her cloud bed with the half-breed infant tucked against her belly. He squirmed around and rooted at her, soon finding a nipple. Celestia winced a bit as he latched on, but she also smiled.

He was an odd little creature. His hind feet were hooved, but his front had dragonish hands. His face was mostly equine, but with fins rather than true ears, and though he had no teeth yet, Celestia suspected they might be sharp when they came in. He was covered in downy fur in a soft spring green, much like the shade of her mane. That, coupled with the fact that he had a longish body that blended seamlessly into an even longer tail, made Celestia suspect who the father was. And, as she had hoped, he bore a small pair of feathered wings and a nub of a horn in the middle of his forehead. He would have an alicorn's powers, as she had promised Ember.

But that was for the future. For now she simply curled herself around this tiny new life and slept.